When the Father-in-Law Came Knocking

Maxim's missionary work was exceptionally sincere.

He grabbed Iver and wouldn't let go, pulling Iver to sit on the table while continuing to talk:

Cardinal Fafner believed that support and assistance to individuals are temporary and meaningless in the long run. This is because individuals may fall into depravity or die suddenly. They are perfectly capable of accepting help and then turning around to do evil... and that is their freedom.

"Just as healing one person could lead to the death of many more in the future— Physician cannot refuse to help patients; pastors cannot refuse believers who ask for help...but we are different."

"You?"

Iver pondered, "A mage?"

"More than."

Master Maxim said seriously, "We only don't recruit priests and Physician here, but we have almost everything else."

"... That's really strange."

Iver exclaimed, "The Cardinal Bishop ' faction doesn't even want priests."

"Because if we have these people—excuse me, Archbishop. I'm not saying anything bad about you, but what I mean is... if there are too many selfless people in the organization, it might actually make us do some useless work."

"Compared to treatment, we advocate the safest form of dedication—dedication based on construction. To build more buildings that can shelter people from the wind and rain, provide more jobs, create welfare undertakings... to ensure that the old and young are cared for, this is dedication to the whole. Even if one generation passes away, the next generation can still use it; just like the Silver and Tin Palace of Avalon, your Round Table, the heating and water systems inside, and that beautiful Glass Staircase... Now, hundreds of years later, aren't the things we ' Home Faction ' built still useful today?"

Maxim's words were full of pride.

Iver and Sherlock hesitated, as if they wanted to say something but then stopped.

Yunus also opened his mouth, his expression subtle.

... So you were the ones who built the Glass Staircase! "Instead of trying to help individual people, we should create a better home for a community—that's the philosophy of the Home Faction."

Maxim puffed out his chest. "I've only been back from the Iris for a few years. I single-handedly built three Holy Church for the Nine Pillars God Church; it was exhausting. But the biggest project I did was over twenty years ago, when I went to Horus to improve their water system and helped the farmers build over three hundred sturdy houses. One of my senior colleagues is still there helping them build dams and also optimizing Horus's Irrigation System; my eldest son is currently working on water systems for the Lizardman, researching desert wells..."

"By the way, I heard that Avalon is planning to build a new railway—railways are great! They promote business and benefit the people. I originally planned to bring a few brothers over next year to help out."

"To be honest, you should have repaired it a long time ago. If you don't have the money, just borrow from the Theocracy... Although the Theocracy doesn't have much cash, we can sell some things to other human countries and lend it to you. Or you can just ask us to repair it! Avalon and the Theocracy have such a close relationship, what's there to be embarrassed about?"

"More than two hundred years ago, I helped the Stibnite Person build railways. At that time, they had just established their country and were really short of money and manpower, so they had no choice but to come to us for help."

"We can build it slowly! If it can't be finished in a year, we'll take ten years; if it can't be finished in ten years, we'll take fifty years. Back then, we only had thirteen people, and it took us more than twenty years to build the railway that runs east-west through Xingti. Today, the starting city of that railway is still called ' Home City,' which is in memory of us!"

"Anyway, we have plenty of time and patience, and we don't need your money. All you have to do is provide the materials... If you hadn't asked, we wouldn't have been able to help..."

Maxim looked thin and gentle, but he became excited and talkative once the topic turned to these matters. He kept boasting and listing the projects he had done for others on a voluntary basis, talking incessantly.

—So you're a charity-focused civil engineering master! My apologies!

Iver suddenly felt a deep respect for this "Home Faction," which had a very low profile in the Theocracy: "So this is what the Home Faction is in charge of..."

Voluntary infrastructure construction—building houses and roads in underdeveloped countries—that is indeed a path of dedication.

Unlike other factions, the Home Faction ' proposition is actually quite simple: stop arguing and just do something.

Iver immediately became somewhat interested in Cardinal Fafner.

If fate allows, I might consider giving them a visit...

He extended both hands to shake Maxim's, and said earnestly, "If you have some free time, you could actually go this year... Our project is on a tight schedule, it should be completed next summer..."

... After all, the elves' procrastination was too severe. Although the Maxim kindly said he would help next year, Iver was a little worried that by the time he mustered the energy, it would be summer or even autumn.

"Is the construction period so tight? Can the quality be guaranteed?" Maxim paused for a moment and asked with concern.

"The goblin Construction Team came to fix it," Iver explained. "It shouldn't be a big problem."

"That's certainly possible—as long as you can afford it. The goblins are quite reliable once they've collected enough money."

Maxim pondered for a moment, then adjusted his glasses and said in a deep voice, "Then I'll have to go soon. If the goblins are in charge of everything... those goblins might take advantage of your ignorance and deliberately take detours to swindle more money from you, for example, by using excuses like 'the terrain and soil structure in this area are not suitable for building a railway.' Sometimes these excuses are true, but sometimes they are false. Moreover, the specific direction chosen may not be the optimal solution; they might accept bribes from local merchants and officials and change the direction..."

He kept nagging Iver while he was alone with him.

Sherlock moved closer to Yunus, who was standing in the corner of the room, and pointed with his chin toward Iver and the Maxim: "See? They don't care about what's going on here at all."

"Well, that's normal; after all, Anastasia is a thing of the past, like a butterfly under the moonlight. Beautiful as it may be, it flies away without a care. Like a dream on a lake, a beautiful bubble."

Yunus, on the contrary, had no objection to this.

He simply looked intently at Iver and said, "A solid future is more valuable than a illusory past. Avalon has suffered for too long, and its people deserve such a railway. It will allow them to travel far and wide; it will allow them to travel freely without being bound by geography."

"But I sense that you don't seem very happy, Mr. Yunus."

Sherlock said quietly.

Upon hearing this, Yunus fell silent for a moment.

The bald poet sighed softly and spoke in a low voice.

It wasn't that exaggerated, poetic tone anymore; instead, it became low and clear. "I just don't understand... why they care so little about their own daughter."

"And you, Mr. Yunus?"

Sherlock said calmly, "If Anastasia were your dead daughter... how long would you remember her?"

In an instant, Yunus suddenly raised his head and looked at Sherlock with some surprise.

This detective, though lazy, was diligent and conscientious, and for the first time in his conversation with him showed such clear aggression.

Sherlock met his gaze without flinching.

Queen Sophia had been kind to his family, Iver was his close friend, and Isabel was the monarch to whom he had sworn allegiance.

Therefore, Sherlock particularly despised this coward who abandoned his royal status and used the identity of a friend after faking his death.

He didn't return when the Queen died, he didn't return when his daughter ascended the throne, and he didn't return even for the Queen's funeral. Instead, he went to the Theocracy to investigate other people's daughters...

If Isabel hadn't specifically assigned Iver to handle this matter, Sherlock, with his temper, would have already launched into a tirade.

Yunus stared at Sherlock for a moment, then his honest and happy smile returned to his face.

He casually strummed two strings of his guitar, drawing everyone's attention and interrupting Master Maxim's words.

Then, he smiled and raised his hand to the group, bowing deeply several times like a singer taking their final bow or a clown. "I have brought our distinguished guests. Now, please enjoy the performance by the two of you. I have just had a new inspiration, so I will take my leave for now and not disturb you—and you don't need to call me for lunch!"

He didn't hesitate to take back his earlier statement that he "wanted to have lunch with Iver".

"Is it a new song?!"

Grabbing Iver's hair, the fairy Neelim, who had been dozing off while listening to Maxim, suddenly perked up. "I want to hear it too!"

"Honorable lady, once my new song is finished, I will invite you to listen to it first."

Yunus blinked and spoke to her with a tenderness that bordered on indulgence.

Neelim exclaimed excitedly, "Really? You're a good person! Don't lie to me, or I'll pull out all your fingernails!"

Yunus smiled, then withdrew without responding.

Maxim clearly didn't want to mention Anastasia.

He then treated Iver and the others to a lavish lunch, and Yunus, as he had predicted, did not show up.

During the meal Iver mentioned details about Anastasia several times, but he glossed over them each time. He then continued to talk to Iver about how the railway should be built.

Iver didn't pay much attention to the first two times... but when Maxim continued to skip the topic the third time, Iver gave Maxim a deep look and then also skipped the topic.

Maxim warmly invited Iver to stay and led them to their respective bedrooms to rest.

But Iver did not go to bed; he simply took off the archbishop's coat and shawl.

Not long after, there was a soft knock on the door of Iver's room.

Iver opened the door, and sure enough—outside stood Yunus, without his guitar.

Iver smiled slightly, then gently ushered Yunus in and silently closed the door.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Iver leaned against the door, looked down at Mr. Yunus, and spoke softly.

Mr. Yunus was carrying a bottle of elven wine that exuded a chilling aura.

"Holy Tree No. 3... is considered a good wine."

Instead of his usual exaggerated tone, Yunus calmly asked, "Would you like a drink?"

"Yes, you can."

Iver responded softly, looking into Yunus's eyes.

"... Then let's have a drink, Iver."

Yunus and Iver looked at each other for two seconds, then looked away and answered with a sigh.

Although he hadn't eaten or drunk any alcohol, he gave the impression of being drunk.