Hai Na Wanted to Hear a Secret

Iver sat comfortably in his wheelchair as Hai Na gently pushed him from behind.

It was a very comfortable feeling—especially since Iver's legs were actually perfectly fine. That made it feel even better.

He even closed his eyes and basked lazily in the early-winter sunlight, growing drowsy.

For a moment, he had the illusion that he was old enough to be retired, with his daughter taking him out for a walk in the sun.

Wrapped in a black cloak, Iver revealed only half of his chin as he quietly observed his surroundings.

Thus, Iver clearly noticed an interesting phenomenon: the passersby walking near Moriarty Manor showed no fear at all when they saw Hai Na dressed as a Bureau of Supervision inspector.

They merely glanced at her before continuing on their way as usual.

But as they left the White Queen District and gradually headed southeast into the Lloyd District... things slowly began to change.

The passersby started looking at Hai Na with growing terror. They would deliberately avoid her route in advance, stopping and stepping aside even from a dozen meters away, cautiously making way for her.

When Hai Na entered a fresh-food market, a terrifying solemnity quickly spread through the crowd around her. Once the residents realized that the inspector was pushing some important person inside, the somewhat crowded masses automatically parted to both sides.

It was a miracle like Moses parting the sea. The crowd was noisy and shoulder to shoulder, yet the wheelchair beneath Iver never stopped moving. No one dared stand in his way, no one came over to speak to him, and no one even dared speak loudly enough to disturb the mysterious figure wrapped up so tightly.

Even the residents who had been shopping stopped their transactions. Curious yet somewhat afraid, they watched Iver slowly pass through the crowd, seeing him off... until he and Hai Na left the market.

"Did you see that, Hai Na?"

Only then did Iver close his eyes, relax slightly, and lean back as he spoke softly. "People are really afraid of you."

"I don't understand why, either."

Hai Na made no effort to hide her voice, and there was not the slightest hesitation in her words. "People who haven't committed crimes have no reason to fear us.

"Everyone knows that 'rules' are important in Avalon. This isn't some secret; it's common knowledge throughout the world. Since that's the case, all they have to do is not break the rules or violate the law. I don't know what they're afraid of."

As she spoke, she held her head high, her gaze blazing like fire.

Iver was somewhat surprised.

"I thought you would sympathize with them," Iver said.

"Why?"

Hai Na countered, "Did I do something wrong? Or is it simply because I was born into a poor family?"

...When it came to her background, she seemed overly sensitive.

Iver realized that Hai Na apparently did not want to discuss the topic. Even so, she did not end the unpleasant conversation.

"Yes, my family is poor. But my parents told me from childhood that I had to become an upright person—to follow the law, be loyal to the Queen, and respect my teachers. I may not have money, but I've never committed even the slightest petty offense."

At this point, Hai Na's voice was filled with intense confidence. "I won't demand that others be like me, because not everyone agrees with the Path of Authority. But I will restrain my own behavior as much as possible—not because anyone is forcing me to, but because I want to do so.

"Right now, I devote myself wholeheartedly to obeying my superior and carrying out every order he gives that falls within the rules. But if one day I rise higher than him, then he will have to obey me in the same way.

"That is the Path of Authority. Avalon's rules."

Iver understood.

This was the anchor that allowed Hai Na to maintain her self-respect and confidence at Royal Law University.

The reason she had entered the Path of Authority so early was that she had understood its essence from a young age. It could even be said that her parents had intentionally or unintentionally guided her onto this path since she was little.

She had been born for it.

Because, in a sense, the Extraordinary Professions of this world were projections of "thought," "ideals," and "personality"—fragments of power seeping from the Nine Great Paths.

Even those lofty, immortal gods were merely pioneers of these "Paths."

To enter one of the Nine Great Paths, one had to completely understand it and resolve to follow it. Someone who did not understand or accept "what dedication was" could not enter the Path of Dedication; someone who did not understand art or beauty could not enter the Path of Beauty.

Although the Avalon Kingdom emphasized "rules" and upheld the "law," it did not actually practice the Path of Law for the sake of "fairness" and "justice."

Law was merely a tool of the Path of Authority. And Hai Na, who was still innocent, had instinctively understood this most important principle without straying from the path.

"Not bad, junior."

Something stirred in Iver's heart. The corners of his lips lifted slightly as he spoke warmly. "I didn't expect you to have such ambition."

"...What ambition?"

Hai Na had not even realized what she had inadvertently said.

"To become your superior's superior, and climb even higher..."

Iver spoke unhurriedly. "That isn't an idea belonging to the Path of Authority.

"—I didn't expect you to be a believer in the Path of Transcendence, too."

At that, Hai Na suddenly jolted. Even the hands pushing the wheelchair paused for an instant.

"...W-what?"

"What? You weren't aware of it yourself?"

Iver countered.

His ten fingers interlaced beneath his windbreaker as he whispered seductively, "But that's perfectly normal.

"Junior, I don't know how you were taught at school. But we're all mortals. No one can avoid straying from their own Path... Take the Path of Love, the Path of Wisdom, and the Path of Dedication, for example.

"Surely you must have fallen in love with someone before? Savagery, bestiality, and the instinct to reproduce... all of that comes from the influence of the Path of Love. Every adolescent is influenced by the Path of Love.

"Likewise, the characteristics of the Path of Wisdom are utilitarian thinking and the pursuit of truth. And if you resolve to offer up your life for others, then you have already stepped onto the Path of Dedication and come under the gaze of the Candle Holder. The Nine Great Paths are, by nature, nine modes of thought that humanity cannot avoid. Everyone has their own inclinations, and whatever they do will more or less conform to one of them.

"Apart from fanatics, how many people can avoid ever straying from their Path?—Since that's the case, what's so frightening about deviating from your own Path?"

Iver's voice was low, yet it rang clearly in Hai Na's ears. "Have you ever thought about this, junior? Why does Avalon follow the Path of Authority?"

She felt an itch in her ears, and her back began to itch as well. Her blood surged, and even her earlobes grew hot.

It was not embarrassment, but excitement and fear.

"Please lower your voice, Mr. Iver—"

She lowered her voice and spoke in a whisper.

She was terrified that someone might hear such heretical ideas... But from another perspective, she was also somewhat curious.

Her heart itched, wanting to hear more.

This was something no one would tell her at home or at school... and even if they did, she would have disdainfully refused to listen. Yet now that she heard it, she felt a sense of agreement, as if she had always thought this way.

Under this conflicted state of mind, she had even begun addressing Iver, who was four years younger than her, with the respectful title "Mr."

That was why she had instinctively said, "Please lower your voice," instead of, "Please stop."

But at that moment, Iver instead smiled and closed his mouth, letting out a low, villainous chuckle.

Listening to Iver's soft laughter from the wheelchair, Hai Na felt the itching in her ears, neck, and back vanish. Now, her teeth were itching with frustration.

Why did you stop halfway through? So what was the reason!? But Hai Na did not dare admit that she wanted to hear more. That would unquestionably be an act of disloyalty.

Can't you just keep talking on your own? I can try to persuade you a little, and if I can't change your mind, I can just stop persuading you, can't I?!

"When the time is right," Iver said, "I'll tell you."

"So when exactly will the time be right—"

"It's simple."

Iver replied, "After we resolve this matter, after we reunite at school... I'll find a quiet place and tell you.

"You understand, don't you? This sort of secret isn't suitable for discussing in the middle of the street."

"—All right!"

Hai Na said confidently, "You don't have to tell me. I'll help you arrest the culprit and bring him to justice.

"Then I want to hear the rest of what you haven't finished telling me—the second half of this story!"

At some point, she had stopped caring whether she had strayed from the Path of Authority.

Perhaps she had already known in her heart that she had deviated from her Path, but only now was she willing to acknowledge it.

Moreover, she had yet to realize one thing—

That without her noticing, the reason she wanted to arrest the culprit had changed from "an order from the Bureau of Supervision" to "helping Iver arrest the culprit." Yet she remained completely unaware of it.