The Queen's Gift

Isabel was quite happy when she first met Iver.

A few days ago, relying on her memory and imagination, she painted a new magical picture of Iver —wearing a gorgeous and elegant white robe, with the shawls and her waist-length platinum blonde hair fluttering in the wind.

Although Iver's hair is far from that long, Isabel has gradually learned how to paint detached from reality. This means that she has basically entered the field as a Magic Painting Artisan, and can paint things that do not exist in reality, but which she still believes to be real.

She originally wanted to share the painting with Iver.

After hearing Iver's story, Isabel didn't even have time to cheer and rejoice that Iver hadn't encountered fatal danger or used the "Isolde's Tears"... She suddenly realized something was off for no reason.

She subconsciously activated her Spirit Vision and looked at Iver's soul.

Isabel was immediately horrified—

Originally, the crystal soul, half gold-red and half black-purple, was as beautiful and balanced as a sunset over the sea... but now three-quarters of it is covered by a mysterious and pure Deep Purple.

The first third from the top is deep red, black, and deep purple. The remaining two-thirds are deep purple that gradually fades into a light purple that is almost pink.

If pink can be seen as a "thin red," then this scene undoubtedly "transcends" the capture and digestion of a portion of the "dedication."

If this shift in course was a decision made by Iver himself, Isabel wouldn't think much of it. But clearly, Iver wasn't aware of this.

Isabel immediately became alert.

"Has the Path of Transcendence become unbalanced?"

Iver understood the Princess's warning and murmured softly.

He vaguely guessed the reason for the current situation.

This is probably because he obtained the Book of Law and the Gold Level Path Trait, which led to the excessive enhancement of the power Path of Transcendence.

... Of course, it's also possible that it was because it had briefly come into contact with a true "Sacred Entity." The fragment of the Ring Angel was thus infected and influenced by Him.

It was only then that Iver realized... that his personality seemed to have become noticeably more flamboyant.

The most obvious examples are feeding Lily blood and herding livestock on the train.

This is certainly partly due to the influence of the path of "sacrifice." If his blood would be useful to Lily, Iver would certainly be willing to give it away.

Unlike the original curse of the Wolf Transformation Technique era, which stated that "one cannot revert to human form for nine years if one drinks blood in animal form," Lily and Ye Zhi can freely switch between human and wolf forms, and can even transform into upright werewolves. They also seem to be able to drink blood at will.

This could be a special type of werewolf, or it could be a certain level in the werewolf evolutionary process. Iver wasn't sure.

But when Lily lost control, Iver's first reaction was not to "control her sanity and bring her back to her senses," but to give up resistance and let her drink her fill...

At that time, whether Lily completely lost control, bit or twisted Iver's neck, or lost her rationality and directly drained his blood, it could have led to Iver's death.

However, Iver unconsciously gave up all resistance.

It was less about absolute, pure trust.

— Rather, it's more like a magnanimous superior indulging subordinates in "surpassing" him.

Similarly.

On the train, he voluntarily transformed into No. 14 and then voluntarily commanded Shadow Fiend to briefly transform into human form.

When Shadow Fiend offered to transform into Assassin Miss and be herded by Iver, Iver explicitly refused. At the time, Iver wanted to keep his distance from Shadow Fiend and had set some moral principles for himself. One of these principles was that he didn't want to herd Phantoms in human form, as that would gradually separate him from humanity.

... Of course, Iver felt that it was primarily because he didn't want to kiss the Shadow Fiend in its wolf form, nor did he want to waste the blood in his mouth. On the other hand, it was also influenced by a wicked sense of humor; he wanted to use the special identity held by No. 14 to tease the Shadow Fiend. After "Beard" drank the blood in his mouth, Iver made the Shadow Fiend transform back into its original form.

At the time, Iver thought all of this made perfect sense.

But after hearing Isabel's words, Iver suddenly realized something.

Looking back and analyzing this "mischievous" thought, I realize that I was probably trying to confirm the "master-servant relationship" between myself and the Shadow Fiend, who was actually Bayard. In the past, the relationship between "No. 14" and "Bayard" was exactly the opposite.

In other words...

Unconsciously, Iver attempted to perform the "transcendence" ritual on Shadow Fiend in the guise of Fourteen.

One instance involved condoning others' surpassing, and the other involved surpassing oneself. Both of these unusual behaviors were related to the Path of Transcendence.

Moreover, these special changes all occurred suddenly after Iver came into contact with the "Sacred Entity." They even appeared immediately, within 24 hours of each other.

Will this have any negative consequences...? Iver himself didn't know.

Even if he knew, it seemed there was nothing Iver could do to change it.

Even Yanis, who will reach level 70 in the future, can instantly lose control and transform into a phantom demon due to a deviation in her path. Even as a powerful being of that level, she is ultimately powerless against her inner demons.

"—Why don't we go ask Miss Ligeia?"

Seeing that Iver was unusually lost in thought, Isabel's attitude suddenly hardened, as if filled with courage. "She's experienced and knowledgeable, she might know what to do. If there's a problem, deal with it as soon as possible."

After saying that, Isabel grabbed Iver's wrist and pulled him toward Her Majesty the Queen's bedchamber.

"There's no need to panic too much. Isabel... she might not even know how to handle my problem."

Iver did not resist Isabel forcefully.

He just followed behind, subconsciously stubbornly saying, "Besides, whether it's dedication or transcendence, I am who I am—maybe when I advance on the Dedication Path next time, I'll deviate back to my old ways..."

"... But I do need to see Ligeia. However, that's another matter, related to some rumors that are unfavorable to me."

He was halfway through his sentence when he suddenly realized that he was being a bit childish and argumentative. So he smoothly changed the subject and steered the conversation to another important matter.

Isabel pursed her lips, ignoring Iver: "That kind of thing is important, but eliminating potential problems is even more important!"

The two kept their heads down and hurried along, arriving at the entrance of the Queen's bedroom in the blink of an eye.

Clearly, the guards at the door had been notified beforehand. When they saw Isabel pulling Iver out, and before they even said a word, the guards simply opened the door for them.

Her Majesty the Queen's health is deteriorating, and she has stopped receiving visitors in recent days. Even other ministers who wish to meet with her are turned away.

But they are clearly an exception.

Isabel arrived with quite a bit of momentum, but her confidence suddenly waned as she reached the entrance.

Isabel lingered at the door for a while, somewhat hesitant.

She explained to Iver in a low voice, "Grandmother has been unwell lately... so Miss Ligeia has been taking care of Grandmother."

"... How about we take Miss Ligeia outside to talk?"

She was clearly worried that this would affect her Grandmother Sofia's rest.

"Alright, you two, stop being so polite!"

From inside the door came Ligeia's energetic and cheerful childlike voice. "What are you standing there for when you're already at the door!"

Upon hearing this, Isabel became even more timid.

Iver straightened his clothes slightly and went to open the door. His expression returned to its usual calm and composed state.

Ligeia, already somewhat annoyed, stood in front of the door with her arms crossed and her tail wagging.

Clearly, if Iver didn't open the door soon, she would open it herself.

Upon entering, Isabel instinctively searched the room. She quickly spotted Yanis in one of the paintings and immediately looked at her with a pleading expression.

Yanis simply put a finger to her lips, signaling her not to speak.

Upon entering, Iver immediately saw Queen Sophia lying on the bed.

His divine vision, as a priest, almost instantly revealed that Her Majesty the Queen had officially entered the countdown to the end of her life. This caused Iver's expression to become subconsciously solemn, and even his steps and breathing became lighter.

He saw Her Majesty the Queen's knitting needles hanging by the bedside, slowly falling, with no one helping to catch them. He immediately took two steps forward and picked them up before they fell.

"Where should I put them, Your Majesty?"

"Iver asked softly."

Generally, one should speak as loudly as possible when speaking to an elderly person. Fortunately, Her Majesty Sophia did not have hearing problems, and Iver, seeing her half-asleep state, worried that speaking too loudly would frighten her.

"Hmm... it's fine to put it away..."

Queen Sophia responded somewhat vaguely in a low voice.

Where will it be received?

"Anything is fine... I don't knit sweaters anymore."

The old lady's lips curled up slightly, revealing a smile, "Everything that needed to be knitted has been finished. The last piece... is also finished."

Iver followed her gaze and saw the folded sweater on the bedside table.

—It looks like it was made for Isabel.

Looking at the two protruding thorn patterns hanging down on the sweater, Iver couldn't help but sigh... This old lady is truly a lifelong learner.

A little over a month ago, the old lady had only recently started learning to knit. Back then, she wasn't very skilled at knitting gloves, and the colors she chose were rather unfashionable. Now, at least these have patterns and designs.

Although it's clearly far from fashionable.

Thinking of this, Iver looked at Isabel with a mischievous grin.

Whenever Iver saw Isabel, she was almost always wearing a dress, with her shoulders exposed—or at least her collarbone showing.

Moreover, her clothes were almost all made of light and airy fabric, which highlighted that she was not afraid of the cold.

Fortunately, the technology of stockings in this world was quite advanced. As a derivative of the Path of Beauty, they were not only aesthetically pleasing but also provided significant warmth and shaping. When the temperature dropped, Isabel relied primarily on stockings and silk gloves to keep warm.

For a moment, Iver couldn't imagine Isabel looking like this "grandma-style chubby sweater." This made him unconsciously smile.

—It's like seeing a female classmate wearing a floral cotton-padded jacket hidden under her gorgeous evening gown.

"I'm glad you like it."

Seeing the smile on Iver's face, Queen Sophia replied gently.

"Uh-huh?"

Iver responded at first, but quickly realized something was wrong.

What do you mean by "I like it, that's all that matters"? "This is yours, Iver," Isabel said softly.

"Yes. Albert's, Isabel's, Ligeia's... I've already finished knitting them all."

The old lady smiled and handed the neatly folded sweater to Iver: "The last one is for you."

"... For me?"

Iver paused for a moment, then instinctively took it.

He unfolded it and found it was a sleeveless, V-neck plaid sweater. Thorn patterns were embroidered on the chest, shoulders, and cuffs. It was perfect for wearing as an outer layer in spring, layered over a shirt or with a tie.

This is definitely not the type of sweater Isabel would wear. It's clearly a men's sweater, and the size fits Iver perfectly.

Holding the sweater, Iver remained silent for a while.

A peculiar feeling welled up inside him.

It was like the feeling of being taught to write stroke by stroke by Lily when he was a child; it was also like the feeling of the taciturn Edward buying Iver a birthday cake for the first time. Something like an electric current surged from his tailbone upwards, making his spine tingle, yet he felt a warm current throughout his body.

Iver suddenly realized... that what he had been worried about before no longer existed.

There's no need to ask Her Majesty the Queen's attitude towards this matter.

It was only at this moment that he realized that he had never received a handmade sweater from an elder in this world.

Perhaps his own mother would have knitted it for him—but she is dead.

If the adoptive father had a wife or mother, they might have knitted for him too—but they were both dead.

The adoptive father would not give such a gift.

It's not that he doesn't know how to give gifts. But all the gifts he gives are always "useful" and "valuable".

But this sweater suddenly reminded Iver of his mother from his Previous Life.

He once had parents and grandparents.

It was my first time Iver, and my nose felt a little sore.

Since he came into this world, learned to speak, and knew his own name... he seems to have never cried.

But for a moment now, he felt like crying.

"Because I want to..."

The old woman spoke softly, her voice almost a murmur, "You're already a big shot in Avalon, Iver. Your future will be tough, increasingly tough. But to me, you're still a child...you're still young, you're only eighteen..."

"I was thinking, what kind of gift can be given to both adults and children... I think a sweater would be the best. I thought about it, and maybe you haven't received this kind of gift before. But as a child... I think you should have what others have too."

"I'm sorry, Iver. My skills might not be very good, after all, I've only been learning for a short time. I'm getting old, my hands shake a bit, and my eyesight is failing. But I think the size should be just right, after all, I used to study painting... Ah, at times like this, I really regret that I used to play around with Meg and didn't study properly..."

Her Majesty the Queen. She didn't sound like a wise monarch who had ruled the country for decades; she sounded more Tai Yi.

Iver felt a warm current flow through his heart, like drinking hot soup in winter.

However, he, who is usually eloquent, was now holding a sweater, pursing his lips slightly, and falling into complete silence.

He stood attentively to the side, listening quietly. The blazing fire of arrogance seemed to be slowly soothed by something.

—From the moment Iver entered, Ligeia stared intently into Iver's pupils.

Having already reached the Third Level, she clearly sensed that Lily had not Path of Transcendence level.

She could also clearly see that the purple portion, which made up more than two-thirds of the brilliant crimson reflected in Iver's pupils and could only be seen by those with superhuman vision, was shrinking at a visible rate.

Purple and red are gradually returning to balance.

Nearly 8,000 words in an update! I had insomnia again last night, didn't sleep well... so I got up at 4 AM to write, sob sob sob...

After I finish writing, I'll check for typos for a while before going back to sleep!