13 Mink Street

Although the Veyn Empire had always insisted on promoting the Marcan language family in its colonies, Marcan was still only one of the world’s commonly used languages, rather than the only one. For example, in the region where Darkmoon Island was located, the official language was not Marcan, but Siderson.

Even within the same language family, differences in regional cultures could produce extremely distinct linguistic traits, let alone the vast disparities brought about by entirely different language families and the cultures behind them.

Some locally flavored greetings were not merely dialectal differences, but closer to trade jargon or even coded speech used by different groups and professions. When phrases such as “The pagoda suppresses the river demon,” or “The ridge rises high and shakes the land, a single stream and mountain remains in timeless beauty,” were translated literally, they often strayed far from their intended meaning, sometimes to the point of being completely misleading.

It was like the comment Karon had once made using the word “grounded.” Only Alfred had grasped its true meaning, while to Pu’er and Kevin’s ears, as well as those they shared the comment with, Karon’s words had sounded more like “to connect with the breath and will of the earth,” which leaned heavily in the direction of the doctrine of the Mother of Earth.

Of course, Pu’er was not trying to set Karon up. There was no reason for her to dig a pit for her own great-great-great-great grandniece. The real reason was that, for the sake of sour pickled fish, Pu’er had racked her brains and told Karon everything she could possibly scrape together from her memories about Darkmoon Island.

That included a memory from long ago, where beneath the light of the setting sun, a handsome young master had looked at her face and said, ”It is the mottled afterglow beneath the Darkmoon that has allowed me to behold your true self.”

In return for the man’s deep feelings of that moment, the girl had remained completely unmoved, and had even asked in an extremely perfunctory tone, ”Oh? What does that mean?”

The young master’s expression had dimmed in disappointment, but he had forced himself to explain. ”It is just an ordinary greeting we use on Darkmoon Island when meeting friends.”

Pu’er had passed both that line and that explanation on to Karon, because back then, she had cared nothing for that young master who had clung to her so stubbornly, sticking to her no matter how many times she had rejected him. She had naturally been unable to perceive the deeper feeling within those words, or the true meaning they carried.

As for Karon, saying a bit of slang from the other party’s hometown on a diplomatic occasion was itself a way of showing respect, much like how, in his previous life, foreigners reciting an ancient poem with broken pronunciation would still earn applause and praise.

He knew perfectly well that the reason Nio had placed him in this position was because he wanted Karon to liven things up. Nio’s squad was not lacking people capable in a fight; What they lacked were people who looked presentable and knew how to carry themselves.

Then Karon had overturned the carriage.

However, this ”muscle Barbie” did not feel insulted. Her current appearance allowed her to create the image of a playful, mischievous girl, and she handled the situation very gracefully.

Seeing their young miss respond in such a manner, the rest of the delegation held their reactions in check. Not one of them spoke up to rebuke Karon for his disrespectful and insulting behavior.

Karon also benefitted from the prestige of the Church of Order. If the powers behind the two sides had been reversed, that single line he had spoken would likely have become a serious diplomatic incident.

Fannie and Paige, however, were now looking at Karon a little differently. Neither of them had expected the little colt they had been teasing earlier would turn out to be so aggressive.

The ”muscle Barbie” got into the car, and Karon and Fannie got in as well. The business sedan began to move. Only, the aftermath of the incident was not finished. It had merely been confined within this car. ”You seem to know a lot about our Darkmoon Island?”

Ophelia had not removed her armor. Sitting across from Karon inside the car, she appeared especially tall and imposing. He answered her honestly, ”I am very sorry, miss. If I were truly familiar with Darkmoon Island’s customs and culture, I would not have been so abrupt and offensive.”

At a moment like this, there was no way he could directly admit that he had misunderstood the meaning of the phrase. To do so would only wound her a second time. Even if he wanted to explain, he could not do so in front of outsiders.

”That is fine. To my understanding, you Veyn people have always been like this; free-spirited, romantic, and unrestrained. I think it is wonderful.”

”Yes, thank you for your understanding.”

”On the ship, I read a diary written by a Veyn poet. At the time, I was thinking, wow, are they really like that? Now I am sure that they are. Have you read that book?”

”The one you read, miss, would it happen to be Rogin’s Secret Diary?”

”Yes, that’s the exact one. It seems you have read it too.”

”Yes, I have.”

“Then tell me, was everything written in that diary true?”

”No.”

”Oh? No?”

”Some parts were cut. For example, Rogin himself once had an affair with Her Majesty the Queen, but that section was removed when the book was published, because even he himself had never expected that fifty years after his death, Her Majesty would still be alive.”

”Hahahahaha!” Ophelia burst into laughter, slapping her leg all the while, producing ringing clangs from the metal plates of her armor.

”Her Majesty passed away not long ago. I expect a newly edited edition of Rogin’s Secret Diary will be released very soon. When that happens, I can mail you a copy, miss.”

”Alright, alright! You must, so do not forget.”

The Queen’s age had always been a running joke used by other countries to tease the Veyn people. The Veyn people themselves would joke about it in private as well, though rarely in public. That was the most basic respect they were expected to show the royal family.

However, there was no such taboo within the ecclesiastic circles. Even Pu’er had said that her family had fallen to the point of needing to accompany the queen for afternoon tea. To the truly great orthodox churches, taboos related to so-called royalty were nothing more than material for jokes.

”How much longer until we reach the hotel?” Ophelia asked.

Fannie replied, ”Miss, it will be about twenty more minutes.”

”Oh, I want to take this armor off as soon as possible. I am worried it might leave an overly heavy psychological scar on my admirer, and that would ruin the beauty of it.”

Fannie smiled. ”We will arrive soon. There will be a simple welcome banquet tonight. Three Archbishops from the York City region will attend to welcome your arrival. There are no activities scheduled for tomorrow, so you will have ample time to rest. The exchange conference will officially begin the morning after tomorrow, but it is only an exchange conference, so you do not need to attend. Your assistant can attend on your behalf to discuss basic intentions.”

”So the formal talks will be two days from now?”

”Yes.”

”What a thoughtful arrangement. You have been very considerate.”

”It is only what we ought to do.”

”Two whole days, hm? But I am already tired of being on the ship. I want to go out, walk around, and get some air. I do not want to stay in the hotel the whole time. Is that possible?”

”We would need to apply for approval and file a report with our superiors. If you truly have such a need, then after you arrive at the hotel and after the welcome banquet, we will give you an answer.

“However, to ensure your safety, we will need to know your itinerary in advance, that is, the places you wish to visit.”

Ophelia smiled and then asked, ”Do you know Allen Manor?”

Fannie froze for a moment. She was not familiar with it. She then looked at Karon and asked, ”Karon, do you know it?”

Allen Manor had once been quite famous. After all, it belonged to the family of former privateer admirals. However, the family’s decline in the recent generations had gradually caused them to be forgotten in mainstream circles. It was perfectly normal for Fannie not to know of Allen Manor. That at least showed that the manor had not broken the law.

After all, any relatively normal family would probably prefer not to remain vivid in the memory of the Whip of Order.

Karon put on the appearance of thinking, though the truth was that he was hesitating. In the end, he still decided to answer. Whether or not he admitted knowing about Allen Manor, Fannie and the others would learn about it as soon as they reached the hotel. Also, if Ophelia really did want to go there, she would probably manage it regardless. It was therefore better to seize a little initiative in advance.

”The Allen family was once a famous pirate family in Veyn. There are still legends of their ancestors in many adventure stories. Now, the family manages the production of several workshops, most of which supply the Church of Order. Their manor is located to the west of York City.”

”Yes, yes. That is the Allen Manor I mean,” Ophelia said. ”You really do know a lot.”

Karon replied, ”I simply like reading novels.”

Fannie smiled. ”Miss, we will submit the request. After the banquet tonight, we will report the answer to you, though I believe it will likely be approved.”

”Thank you, and thank the Church of Order as well.”

Karon asked, ”Miss, did you want to go to Allen Manor because of pirate stories as well?”

”Pirates? Mm... Yes, historically, our family did indeed have some contact with the Allen family pirates, but I am here under orders from one of my family elders, and am to visit Allen Manor and sweep the grave of an old acquaintance.”

Orders from a family elder? Could that hopelessly lovestruck young master still be alive? How could he possibly have lived until now? Pu’er had only survived for so long for two reasons; First was the finger of the God of Light, and second, because she had transformed into a cat. Only through a series of extraordinary coincidences had she obtained such an extended lifespan.

A long life always came at a price. Spending a hundred years as a cat was the price Pu’er had paid.

So what about that one? Besides that... sweeping a grave?

That acquaintance was probably still in Karon’s own apartment at this moment, drinking coffee, while someone was preparing to go pay their respects at her grave.

The problem was that Poelle Allen did not have a grave in the family’s ancestral cemetery at Allen Manor.

”Miss, may I ask what kind of old acquaintance it is?” Karon asked. He then immediately explained, ”We need to evaluate the emotional inclination between your Darkmoon family and Allen Manor in order to determine the level of security.”

Karon directed the latter half of his comment towards Fannie, who nodded. ”Yes, that is very important.”

”Oh, it was a very beautiful love story.” A look of yearning appeared on Ophelia’s face as she continued, ”One of my ancestors met and came to know a young lady of the Allen family while at sea. They explored together, traveled together, faced all kinds of unknowns together, and were deeply in love with each other.”

Karon blinked, because he already had the feeling that this version of the story was greatly distorted.

”But perhaps it was fate’s arrangement that made it impossible for the two lovers to remain together forever. Under Darkmoon’s guidance, that ancestor of mine was forced to return to Darkmoon Island to inherit the position of patriarch. Because in his heart, loyalty to Darkmoon unquestionably came first, just as your faith in Order comes first for you.

“So even though that young lady of the Allen family cried out desperately in the storm, trying to make him stay, my ancestor still resolutely abandoned his love, returned to Darkmoon Island, inherited the position of patriarch, and protected our family and Darkmoon.

“Yet in his heart, he always remembered the woman he both loved and wronged. On Darkmoon Island, there is still a hall to this day. At the center of that hall is a pool of living magma that is brought inside. It is the residence my ancestor built for her. He would often stay there, reminiscing about his beloved and mourning their lost love.”

Karon felt that this love story absolutely could not be heard by the cat back home. If she did, she would undoubtedly fly into a rage.

Fannie asked, ”Then, throughout all these years, did that ancestor of yours never send anyone to contact her again?”

”The Darkmoon family is unable to freely leave Darkmoon Island,” the female warrior who had earlier disguised herself as Ophelia spoke up.

Fannie smiled in response. ”But normal correspondence is still possible, is it not?”

The Darkmoon family was not allowed to leave Darkmoon Island freely. That was one of the restraints the orthodox churches had imposed on the Darkmoon family, much like the treatment given to the Bloodfiends of the Anavas family. Still, rules were dead, while people were alive. Publicly, the family was forbidden from leaving at will, but did anyone really expect them to be that obedient and never slip out in secret?

If that ancestor had never slipped out, how had he met that young lady and fallen in love with her?

There were many unspoken rules that everyone understood.

Ophelia answered, ”That ancestor of mine did indeed send people to inquire after her. Although he himself could not leave Darkmoon Island, he hoped to offer compensation to the woman he had hurt. But the information he received was that she had not only left her own family, she soon disappeared entirely, and even her family could no longer find her.

“I suppose the pain of losing the one she loved struck her too hard. She could not accept reality.”

Karon lamented. ”Yes, it must have been exactly that.”

”But I think she must have returned to her roots in the end. I believe that at the very end, she quietly returned to her family, so I hope to represent my ancestor by sweeping her grave, and while I am there, provide Allen Manor with some financial assistance as compensation for what happened back then.”

Earlier, Karon had already pointed out that most of the Allen family’s workshops currently supplied the Church of Order, and he had also deliberately asked about the other side’s emotional attitude toward Allen Manor. To a certain extent, that already amounted to defining the relationship. At the very least, the Darkmoon family would not harm Allen Manor.

This was one of the advantages of an old family with a long history. Even if the current descendants were useless, even if all an ancestor had done years ago had been to act like a lovesick fool, a hundred years later, it could still be enough to shelter the family.

So should he notify Master Anderson in advance and have him hurry up and build Pu’er’s grave? It would probably need to be aged in advance as well. There should even be some sorrowful wording carved beneath the gravestone to heighten the mood.

However, Karon had also noticed that Ophelia had initially said she came under the orders of a family elder, but in the narrative that followed, she kept referring to her own ancestor Were they possibly not the same person? Or perhaps, they were the same person, and she had merely changed her phrasing midway through?

Fannie smiled. ”Very well, we will make the arrangements.”

”Thank you, and thank Order as well, and thank you even more, Mr. Karon. I had assumed that after coming ashore, I would be given a tedious schedule. I did not expect to meet someone as interesting as you. It makes me very happy.”

”Ensuring your safety, miss, is our responsibility. Beyond that, making you feel at home is also part of our work.”

At that moment, Paige, who was driving, turned her head and said, ”The captain has issued a warning. We need to stop.”

The car came to a halt. They were still in the outskirts of York City. The VIP car had not taken a route through the city center, but had taken a bypass that was a ring around the center instead, because the hotel arranged for them was not in the city center, but along the coast. As a result, traffic on the road was sparse.

Fannie remained calm as she said, ”Miss, please do not worry. We will protect your safety.”

Ophelia smiled. ”Of course. I believe my safety will be fully guaranteed.”

An assassination attempt? Karon did not know who the target was. Was it aimed at the Darkmoon family, or at the Church of Order? It was possible that the Darkmoon family’s enemies might launch a targeted assassination to sabotage this round of talks, the same as what had happened during negotiations with the Anavas family. Of course, other churches might also seek to disrupt the Church of Order’s recent negotiation efforts.

The source of the leak was even more complicated. It could have come from the opposing side’s intelligence network, but it could also have been the Darkmoon family itself, with someone deliberately leaking the information in order to kill with a borrowed knife. It might even have been the Church of Order intentionally leaking it to strike the grass and startle the snake.

”What would you like to drink, miss?” Fannie asked.

”Ice water, thank you.”

Fannie poured drinks for everyone in the car. When it was Karon’s turn, Karon said on his own initiative, ”Red wine.”

”Of course.”

Everyone had a drink in hand, and Ophelia raised her glass of ice water and said, ”A toast to your reception.”

”A toast to your safety.”

Soon, strange windblown sand appeared on both sides of the road, and it rapidly obscured their surroundings. It looked like an Art of the Earth Church, though it might also be an attempt by the killers to frame them.

Immediately afterward, strands of black mist entered the sandstorm, and soon, blood began to appear within the swirling dust.

The killing proceeded with astonishing speed. The female warrior stared outside in astonishment and said, ”Your security squad... is incredibly strong.”

For even the delegation’s military officer to utter such an exclamation was proof of just how terrifying Nio’s squad really was. This was not a prepared assassination at all. It was a slaughter delivered straight to their doorstep.

From the driver’s seat, Paige began to chant, ”Order—Defensive Boundary.”

A massive black array spread out beneath the car, followed by dense, net-like lines that enclosed the entire vehicle. The next moment, an assassin wrapped in a yellow cloak fled in their direction.

Yes, the assassin fled towards them, because Karon saw Nio standing nearby, having seemingly deliberately spared the man. A lone assassin in a panicked retreat was actually running right up to the very target he was there to kill. Even he himself looked bewildered, as though he felt something must be terribly wrong.

Because the assassins had suffered a horrifying blow the moment they had sprung their ambush, and now, standing before their target, the man felt not the joy of imminent success, but simply deep confusion.

He seemed unable to see the grid-like perimeter outside the VIP car, and simply rushed straight in. The next instant, his body was sliced apart. Chunks of flesh splattered against the car door.

”Miss, these are the people who came to assassinate you.” Fannie offered an explanation in the tone of a tour guide escorting a group through a zoo, explaining the species behind the glass.

”Oh? Then I should drink to him as well.” Ophelia was completely unfazed. Karon noticed that as she watched the blood sliding down the window together with the falling chunks of flesh, she even licked the corner of her lips. Then, she raised her glass and took a large swallow of water, revealing an expression that betrayed a hint of enjoyment.

The assassins were quickly snuffed out. One team member wearing a black mask approached the car with a bucket of water and a cleaning rod. He first scraped the corpse chunks away, and then used his finger to draw a heart on the window in the blood before wiping everything clean.

”Hahaha.” Seeing that scene, Ophelia laughed happily.

Paige restarted the car, and a quarter of an hour later, they pulled in to Ankara Hotel, which had been named after the daughter of the God of Order.

This should be a hotel run directly by the Church of Order. The security inside was extremely strict, and the people who were able to stay there were anything but ordinary. Even those of royal blood needed to wait in line and apply for a single night’s stay.

After the car stopped, Fannie went ahead to led the group, handling the check-in procedures. Karon and Paige followed behind, escorting Ophelia and her two companions all the way to their room on the eighteenth floor.

Ophelia needed to wash up and prepare herself for the night’s welcome banquet. As the close security detail, Karon and the others had a room directly across from hers. After entering their room, Karon first went to the washroom and splashed water on his face. He then heard some movement outside, even though the hotel not only had excellent soundproofing between rooms, each individual room within the suites was well insulated from noise.

By the time Karon hung up his towel and stepped out of the washroom, he saw that besides Paige and Fannie, the small sitting room in the suite was occupied by a group of people wearing black masks on the sofa. Every one of them held a glass of wine, though some still had traces of blood on them. It was probably not their own.

Nio stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, a glass of red wine in hand. He turned and looked at Karon with a smile on his face.

At that moment, one of the black-masked team members stood up. Karon recognized the man’s voice, identifying Marlow, one of the two men in the police uniforms last time. Twisting his body, Marlow shouted, ”Brothers, on your feet!”

Everyone stood up. “Come, offer our newest member, Karon, your worship, with all due admiration! Because he is the first champion in the entire history of the Church of Order’s security service to confess to the protection target the moment they met!!!”

Everyone, including Paige and Fannie, even Nio, held a wineglass in one hand while extending the other toward Karon. With their knees bent, they kept bobbing up and down in exaggerated reverence. “Worship our champion, Karon!”

“Worship our champion, Karon!”

”...”

At that moment, another black-masked figure changed his posture, and everyone looked toward him. From the voice, Karon recognized him as Zema. The man crossed both hands in front of his chest, then twisted his body while rising up on his tiptoes. He began tracing little circles on the carpet while speaking in an affectedly bashful voice, ”Oh my, could I think about your confession a little longer?”

”Hahahahaha!” Everyone burst out laughing.

At this moment, Nio spoke, “Alright.”

As soon as the captain spoke, everyone fell silent and straightened up. Nio pointed at a glass on the coffee table. Karon walked over and picked it up. “No need to think about anything else. Today, we formally welcome our new member, Karon, to the team.

“Remember: We are a pack of hunting hounds. Between Hunting Hounds...”

Everyone raised their glasses and shouted in unison, “No evasion, no surrender, no betrayal!”