13 Mink Street

Karon changed into black priest’s robes. The assembly instructions for this mission required a uniform dress code. Rather than saying that the squad was providing security for York City’s Archbishop Wolfram, it was more accurate to say that they were serving as the ceremonial guard that represented the York City district during the event.

As for actual security, there was essentially nothing Karon’s squad would need to worry about. The church forces attending these negotiations were already considerable, and Darkmoon Island, though nominally a neutral third-party ground, was truly an ally of the Church of Order. The island would certainly assume full responsibility for both sides’ safety, or at the very least, the safety of those from the Church of Order.

Paige and Fannie drove over to pick Karon up. They were not driving the VIP car this time, as those cars were unsuitable for teleportation.

Originally, this sort of pick-up had only been incidental, but as Karon’s status within the team had grown more important, rising higher and higher, corresponding forms of team service and preferential treatment had naturally accompanied it.

”You’re bringing the sword too?” Paige asked when she saw Karon getting into the car with the sword case on his back.

”Mhmm. I’m bringing it.”

Although it would not be appropriate to use the sword on Darkmoon Island, there was no denying that it was the token given to him by Darkmoon Island. Given the circumstances, it would be better to bring it, if possible.

The car stopped in front of the new Church Affairs Building. Everyone carried their own luggage inside, where they took an elevator to the eighteenth floor. Upon stepping out and turning a corner, they found themselves at Nio’s office.

This one did not have the same grandeur as the old Church Affairs Building office, with its private-entry elevator, but the new office was much larger. It even had its own recreation room.

Kensey and Zema were there playing billiards.

The captain himself was not in his office, but Memphis was already sitting on a sofa in the corner.

Karon was somewhat surprised to see the man. It appeared that his uncle had truly pushed aside his work as an Expositor and was currently devoting himself entirely to the experience of life in a Whip squad.

”Come on, come on. Everyone, gather your belongings here. They have to be teleported separately. Remember, don’t put anything alive inside.”

”Does a little birdie count as a living thing?” Marlow asked jokingly.

”Then I hope your little birdie dies on the spot during the teleportation.”

”Hiss... that’s vicious!” Marlow immediately clamped his legs shut.

He then looked over at Karon, who smiled at Marlow. The man returned the smile, then immediately ran off to watch the billiards game. Anyone observant could see that Marlow was very afraid of Karon. After all, Karon had once come very close to shooting the man’s head off.

”I didn’t expect you to come as well.” Karon sat down across from Memphis, picking up a teacup while pouring himself some water.

”I wanted to come, so here I am.” Memphis picked up the cup Karon had just poured the water into and took a sip.

The truth was that he was extremely nervous when facing Karon.

Karon could only pour himself another cup.

Just then, Richard arrived, carrying several sets of priest’s robes. Clearly, he had just been sent to collect clothes for others. The Church Affairs Building offered clothing storage, repair, and ritual array reinforcement.

Of the squad’s three attached members, two were sitting down drinking tea, while Richard alone bustled back and forth to take care of everything. Even so, he did not feel the least bit slighted. If anything, he looked quite pleased with himself.

Someone even teased him about what had happened to his face, to which Richard replied frankly that his own father had beaten him at home.

Fannie called out, ”Alright, everyone to your positions! Tidy yourselves up.”

Everyone stopped fooling around and began earnestly fixing their appearances. In the end, each member silently put on a silver mask. Having learned his lesson from the last time, Karon did not cut corners by wearing the mask left by Tiz, and instead put on the one given to him by the squad.

The captain walked into the office at that moment, holding his own mask in his hand. “Form up!”

Everyone rose to their feet and began to fall in. They had never trained in formation drills, nor was there any need for perfect uniformity. The matching attire, identical masks, and similar aura the members of the squad carried already created much the same effect.

Karon remembered how the very first time he had seen Nio’s squad, he had clearly been able to sense that they were no ordinary team. Although three attached members had been added since them, Karon and Memphis were unquestionably individuals who raised the average strength of the squad. Even Richard was not dragging the team down.

”This mission is very simple, but the simpler the mission, the less room there is for errors. I don’t require you to watch your bearing every second, but I do expect you to remember that we are participating in these negotiations as the victorious side. So lift your heads and spirits high, understood?”

”Understood!”

”Understood!”

”Move out.” Nio led the squad out of the office. They took an elevator down to the basement, which was enormous. The basement extended deep below the building. Many teleportation arrays had been set up there, each one separated by walls of barrier stone. The material not only served as a wall, but also isolated the arrays from the influence of energy fluctuations in the surrounding area.

Karon saw Wolfram standing there talking to two Bishops in red robes, and Leon and Larry standing behind him. The presence of these two young men clearly indicated that they would be accompanying the group to Darkmoon Island. However, strictly speaking, neither counted as simple gilded ornaments for this trip.

Leon, after all, had originally been the Church of Order’s candidate for a marriage alliance with Darkmoon Island. Although Darkmoon Island’s enthusiasm for that marriage alliance had dropped sharply in recent days, with his grandfather attending the negotiations as York City’s representative, it was only natural for Leon to be brought along.

One could call it... preparation against contingencies.

There was no need to worry that the people of Darkmoon Island would believe that the Church of Order was anxiously chasing after a marriage alliance. Having just won a war against the Church of Reincarnation, the Church of Order was brimming with confidence.

As for Larry, he was Wolfram’s secretary. He had also lived on Darkmoon Island for a time during his childhood, and was quite familiar with the place. It was natural for him to be selected as well.

By established protocol, each district would send only one bishop, usually the Archbishop, accompanied by one secretary, and traditionally with a Whip squad serving as ceremonial guard.

Leon, however, had been brought along as an exception which did not count against the quota.

Nio stepped forward to stand beside Wolfram. The Archbishop glanced at the man and nodded before continuing his discussion and assigning a few matters to the two bishops.

Karon doubted the Archbishop was truly so busy. Staging this little scene directly before his departure was likely meant to project the image that the York City district could scarcely function without Wolfram.

Larry was already writing things down in his record book. His work started before the trip even began.

Leon, meanwhile, deliberately glanced over the people who were present. Karon felt that the young man was likely looking for him.

Then, Karon watched as Leon walked over to Richard, slung an arm around his neck, and said with a grin, ”Remember to bring food this time.”

”Leon, did you mistake me for someone else?”

”Hm?” Leon froze.

Richard took off his mask to look at Leon, and then removed the arm from around his neck. ”When did you get so gross?”

Clearly, Richard knew Leon.

”Why is it you?” Leon seemed bewildered. ”When did you join the Whip?”

”A long time ago.”

”Then why didn’t I see you on the last mission?”

”I was part of the hidden protection detail.” Richard did not directly mention that during the last security mission, he had spent a week acting as an elevator attendant.

It was equally clear, however, that Richard and Leon were only on average terms. They knew each other, but nothing more. After all, if the Archbishop’s household had not yet formed a true family foundation, then the Gorman family, which had four Expositors under one roof, would not actually rank much lower in terms of status. Most importantly, the Gorman family was no ordinary Expositor house.

”Heh. Where’s Karon?” Leon asked.

”Over there. What, do you know him too?”

”Mhmm.” Leon over at Karon, who took off his mask.

“You too? You saw me walk over, but still didn’t come over to greet me? You let me mistake someone else for you.” Leon spoke with a smile, sounding mildly aggrieved.

Karon replied, ”I smiled and nodded.”

It was exactly the same reaction Leon had shown the last time they had seen each other in the corridor of Ankara Restaurant after the last mission had ended: a slight smile, a nod, then walking on.

Leon clearly understood what Karon was referencing, but did not get angry. Although someone with his status enjoyed the privilege of choosing his attitude toward others according to his own preferences, when Karon returned the gesture in such a manner, Leon actually found it rather refreshing. ”How petty.”

”Heh.”

Leon walked a few steps closer to Karon, stopping in front of him and lowering his voice. ”This time, I’m being dragged to Darkmoon Island again. I believe some of the rumors that spread when Ophelia was in Veyn last time must have reached that side as well. Do you know what that means for me?”

”This will be embarrassing.”

”Actually, I don’t care about that kind of embarrassment. The problem is my grandfather. So, once we get to Darkmoon Island, if you come into contact with him, be careful.”

”I trust that His Grace the Archbishop will not punish a loyal believer of Order over mere rumors.”

”Believe me, if he weren’t my grandfather, I’d think exactly the same thing, that there couldn’t possibly be an Archbishop so petty.”

”Leon!”

”Coming.” Leon was called over by his grandfather. Wolfram finished his final instructions and nodded to Nio.

Everyone stepped into the teleportation array, with Wolfram in the front row. Behind him stood Leon and Larry, while Nio’s entire squad took the rear.

The array activated. Karon felt his body wrapped in some strange medium, then a gust of wind swept past. In what was almost no more than a blink, they arrived in a completely different environment. This place should be somewhere else underground, where a massive magic array had been fully set up.

There were also more than twenty other groups present, all with the same basic configuration, and more were continuously teleporting in. The various bishops did not converse with one another. They simply stood quietly in place. Each Whip of Order squad likewise stood behind its own charge. Everyone appeared restrained and orderly.

Roughly ten minutes later, the large magic array up ahead activated. At its center, a blue gate slowly emerged. Starting with the groups at the front, everyone began passing through the gate, one after another.

Soon, it was Karon’s group’s turn. Wolfram stepped forward first, followed by the rest. The instant Karon passed through the gate of blue light, all of his senses failed him. This effect was far stronger than the previous teleportation.

This suggested that the earlier transfer had not covered much distance. The underground space had likely still been within Veyn, whereas this was a true long-range teleportation, and the burden on the body immediately showed.

When his senses returned, Karon felt warm all over. A gentle sea breeze brushed against him, bringing with it a peculiar sense of pleasure.

When he opened his eyes and looked around, Karon found himself standing inside a palace built of white slab. It had an air of ancient simplicity and solemn grandeur, and even stood atop a mountain. From there, he could gaze out at the distant sea, as well as the densely packed yet perfectly ordered town below.

Darkmoon Island, where it was spring all year round.

Karon’s first reaction was that Darkmoon Island was far larger than he had imagined, which naturally meant it had a greater population as well. It was not an island controlled by a single family, but rather, an entire population of islanders who shared the same common faith: Darkmoon.

Of course, the Church of Order had now established a mission chapel on the island as well, giving the islanders an additional option for faith.

Ahead of them were a number of carriages, each with dedicated attendants to receive the various delegates of the Church of Order. Karon noticed that all the horses pulling the carriages had a single horn growing from the center of their foreheads, and the interior of the carriages had ritual arrays embedded into them as well. Their shock absorption was at least as good as any luxury automobile, if not better.

In short, traveling from Veyn to Darkmoon Island produced an immediate sense of stepping out of civilized society and into a fantasy world.

However, the truth was that this was a real face of the world. Even though colonial armies had long since entered the age of rifles and ironclad warships, the knight regiment that Karon had seen ride out of that cave had been fully clad in cold steel, and yet was still the most terrifying force in the world.

Many people were looking around with the same curiosity as Karon, not just the members of his own squad. Members of the surrounding Whip squads were doing the same. After all, most people were visiting Darkmoon Island for the first time and were naturally astonished by its distinctive cultural environment.

“Ahem.” Nio coughed lightly, and every squad member immediately drew their attention back in.

Their captain was not, however, trying to remind them to maintain their bearing. Instead, he pointed to a unicorn-drawn carriage in front of them and said, ”This has to be more comfortable than a car, and it might not even be any slower.”

He then added, ”But among ordinary people, how many can ever qualify to ride in a carriage like this?”

Nio swept his gaze over the surroundings, concluding, ”The world outside is not the world as it ought naturally to be. It is the world beneath Order.”

Archbishop Wolfram, who had been just about to step into his own carriage, paused and turned to look at Nio, then nodded. ”Very well said.”

Nio lowered to Wolfram as well.

The Archbishop, however, seemed to have no interest in giving a speech the moment they arrived in someone else’s territory. After simply smiling in approval at Nio, he entered his carriage.

Leon and Larry climbed into the same carriage, which then began to move.

Nio led the squad in two lines, and they escorted the carriage on both sides.

Accustomed as he was to riding in cars on missions, Karon now felt as though he were filming a period drama, with just the swords missing from everyone’s waists.

Thinking of that, Karon quietly asked Fannie ahead of him, ”What about our luggage?”

She pointed into the distance. ”Our luggage is being sorted and distributed over there. It’ll be sent to our lodgings shortly.”

”Understood.” Karon nodded.

Inside the carriage, Wolfram’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he commented, ”That captain is a man of insight.”

”He’s the captain of the well-known Hunting Hounds squad,” Leon immediately supplied.

”So that means the one who rumors said has gotten together with Miss Ophelia is also in that squad?”

”Yes, Grandfather, but they were only rumors.”

”I am not so petty as that.” Wolfram waved a hand. ”Darkmoon Island is not a slave of our church. She has the right to make her own choice.”

”Yes, Grandfather.”

”However, after we return, I still need to ask the department responsible for this assignment exactly how they made their arrangements. By assigning this squad to me, were they wagering on the breadth of my heart?” Clearly, Archbishop Wolfram had identified where the problem lay. In principle, the responsible department should not have made such an error, assigning someone the leader might dislike to travel with him.

This was also precisely why, when Nio had first learned of this mission, he had not even considered working his contacts to try to secure it.

At that moment, Larry interjected, “Your Grace, our next stop is Bernard Hotel. It is the only hotel on Darkmoon Island that is open to outside guests. It sits halfway up this mountain, Mount Kanna. The hotel is quite large and has hot springs, making it well suited for recuperation. You could soak in the springs this evening before retiring.”

”Very well.”

On their way down the mountain, they passed down an avenue lined with coconut palms, and even the stones in the road shone with many colors, making it exquisite to look at.

Karon walked along while admiring the scenery on both sides of the road. Ever arriving in this world, he had only ever been in Swillen or Veyn, and the climate in both places was rather poor. Even in summer, they had nothing like this kind of warmth and moisture. Darkmoon Island was practically a paradise for holidays.

Because the scenery was so beautiful, the road did not feel long at all, and before long, the group reached the mountainside.

They arrived at the hotel. Earlier, while descending from the mountain, Karon had already seen the layout. This hotel was not a high-rise modern building like Ankara Hotel, but had instead deliberately preserved a more classical beauty. The hotel was divided into individual courtyards, in a style reminiscent of something Eastern, which Karon found familiar. However, the architectural details leaned more towards ancient Greece.

Barring surprises, each team would next be assigned their own little courtyard quarters, each of which even had its own ornamental pond.

There would be no issue with comfort. It lacked the stifling feel of a high-rise, though as a venue for negotiations, it did have one drawback: gathering everyone for any meeting would almost certainly take longer.

They reached the hotel’s main entrance: Bernard Hotel.

Seeing the large sign for the hotel, Karon was surprised to run into Pu’er’s admirer so quickly. This alone indirectly demonstrated Bernard’s standing in the history of Darkmoon Island.

Their group’s attendant led the carriage into the depths of the hotel. The carriage could be driven right into the appropriate courtyard, after which it would remain there. Each courtyard was complete with its own butler, driver, and attendants.

Throughout the visit, the Archbishop would need to take the carriage to every session. Although the meeting hall was also inside the hotel grounds, it was a fair distance away.

Archbishop Wolfram took the main quarters, while the rooms on either side, all double standard rooms, were available for the rest.

Richard had originally wanted to come over and share a room with Karon, but Nio spoke first, ”Richard, you’ll room with Memphis.”

”Oh, alright.” Richard did not dare disobey the captain’s order.

Nio looked at Karon. ”You’re with me.”

”Yes, Captain.”

Fannie called out, ”The luggage transfer has arrived. Come get your own.”

Karon fetched his belongings and settled into the room. Nio simply dropped onto the bed and said, ”We have no duties for today or tomorrow. We only need three people to remain on standby, like normal. The rest can use this opportunity to go out and have a look around the island.”

”This really is a good mission.”

”Of course. As the victorious side, things are bound to be easy for us.

”Oh, right. Do you think Miss Ophelia knows you’ve arrived? If she does know and still doesn’t come to see you of her own accord, that would be somewhat improper.”

”Captain, there truly is nothing between Miss Ophelia and me.”

”Keep talking. I believe you.”

At that moment, Larry appeared at the door and knocked. Karon got up to open it.

Larry nodded to Nio. Still lying on the bed, the captain nodded back.

Larry then turned to Karon, ”Come out and take a walk with us. I’ll be the guide. Leon is coming too, and I’ve already called Richard over as well.”

Strictly speaking, all three men were young masters from good backgrounds. The fact that they were inviting Karon to tag along meant they were giving him considerable face.

”Go out and have a look. It’s a rare opportunity,” Nio said with a smile.

”Alright.” Karon agreed.

”Come on, I’ll take you all to try the local specialties of Darkmoon Island.” Larry reached out and patted Karon’s shoulder, encouraging him to come out.

Karon stepped out and saw that Richard and Leon were already standing out in the courtyard.

”I’ve been meaning to ask earlier, but what happened to your face? Were you hurt on a mission?” Leon asked.

Richard nodded. ”Mhmm. That’s right.”

Leon asked, ”What kind of demonkin specializes in hitting only the face?”

At that moment, Larry and Karon walked over. Larry deliberately raised his wallet and said, ”Order credits are now able to be used here on Darkmoon Island, so you’ve all brought yours, right?”

”You’re not footing our bills? Larry, you cheapskate.” Richard looked at him in annoyance.

”I’ll pay for dinner, but the program after dinner, such as experiencing the famous Darkmoon Island mermaid theater, isn’t the sort of thing one man should pay for another. Basically, you negotiate directly with the mermaid using your own credits; You don’t go through the front desk.”

”Mermaid theater? What sort of place is that?” Richard asked.

Larry explained, ”To put it in other words, it’s Darkmoon Island’s specialty pastry shop.”

”Then fine, I’ll go get my wallet. Karon, if you didn’t bring yours, you don’t have to go back for it. Use mine later.”

Leon laughed. ”You two really are close!”

Richard said, ”Of course. Karon and I are good brothers.”

With that, he went back to his room, where Memphis was sitting on the bed in a daze.

Richard took his wallet out of his bag and commented, ”I’m heading out with them now to sample the local pastry shops, hehe.”

Memphis lifted his head to stare at Richard, but the young man did not notice the gaze on his back. He opened his wallet and glanced inside. ”Sigh. My savings were enough for me to enjoy myself here properly, but now there’s only half left. My dad really isn’t a decent man.”

As he said this, he reached out and patted Memphis on the shoulder. ”I’m going with some others, so it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to drag another person along separately, but don’t worry. Once I’m back tonight, I’ll take you there on my own.”

Memphis frowned and stared at Richard.

Richard misunderstood the reaction, believing it to be doubt in his own abilities, which he absolutely could not tolerate. He immediately slapped his own chest and declared, ”Don’t worry! Twice in one day is nothing at all. Completely no problem! I’m still young. It’s not like I’m my dad’s age.”