13 Mink Street

“Captain, is it that villa?”

“The ginkgo leaves are red?”

“Darkmoon Island is unusual. Many things we think we understand appear differently here.”

“That’s true. Let’s get closer first.”

Nio and Karon strolled past the villa as though they were simply out for an evening walk. Its garden was vast and filled with ginkgo trees. Dark crimson leaves carpeted the ground, creating an atmosphere of delicate beauty.

Two armored warriors stood guard at the gate. Karon noticed that each warrior’s armor bore the emblem of five crescent moons. The crescent moon was the crest of the Darkmoon Clan. Household retainers were ranked by bloodline status and closeness to the direct family, from one to seven crescents. Only the clan leader alone was allowed a full moon insignia.

For mere gate guards to wear five crescents was enough to show how exalted the villa’s owner must be. Even Ophelia’s attendants were not equipped so lavishly.

Clearly, the captain noticed the same thing. The two men continued past the villa’s entrance, turning a corner to reach a blind spot. Nio licked his lips. “This just became troublesome. Whoever lives there likely holds a high position on Darkmoon Island. On top of that, I caught the scent of salt and fish on those two warriors. They’ve only just returned from the sea.”

“Captain, you could smell that?”

“I’ll never forget the scent of being soaked in seawater. Also, did you notice the blue roof tiles? That’s a simple magic array. When activated, it dries the interior of the house.

“It’s running now, but there’s dust on top of it. Which means it was only activated recently.

“Karon, our luck seems rather poor. If we’d come one day earlier, the villa might still have been empty. Now the owner has returned.”

“Captain, I have some information to report.”

“Go on.”

“It’s possible the owner of this villa is General Tafmann, commander of Darkmoon Island’s outer fleet. He is Miss Ophelia’s paternal uncle.”

“General Tafmann... I know of him. I gathered some information about Darkmoon Island before this mission. He once had the chance to compete for the position of Darkmoon’s clan leader. At one point, his prestige was even higher than Ophelia’s father’s, but he had no interest in becoming the clan leader. He prefers commanding the fleets on the sea, so he effectively gave up the position himself.

“Some reports also describe him as refined and deeply perverse.”

“Refined and deeply perverse?”

“Yes. He maintains extremely high lifestyle standards. Most of the time, he will create whatever conditions are necessary for him to eat well and sleep well. Even in the middle of a war with pirates, he once executed a servant because a glass of red wine hadn’t been aired long enough.

“In that regard, he resembles you.”

“How so?”

“The other point is that he enjoys inventing tortures for prisoners. Thanks to him, the pirate threat in the outer seas, which plagued Darkmoon Island for years, has been greatly reduced.”

“Captain, are we returning to the hotel now?”

“No, no. We can’t come all this way at night for nothing.”

“You still intend to go in?”

“Of course. This just makes it interesting.”

“Captain, if you one day grow tired of living and begin to contemplate suicide, please inform me in advance.”

“No. If you fail to notice the hints yourself, you can just die with me.”

“...”

Nio tilted slightly and looked toward the villa. “If this really is the General’s residence, tonight may actually be a good opportunity. If he wasn’t here, the villa might have been protected by some powerful ritual arrays. Trigger one, and the nearby Darkmoon Clan members would certainly be alerted. Now that he’s returned, many of those arrays have probably been shut down.”

“Captain, a moment ago, you were regretting that we didn’t come a day earlier.”

“It’s fine. Sometimes reasons only exist to serve one’s preferences, which means that they can be used as needed.” Nio pulled out strips of black gauze from his sleeve, handed one to Karon, then wrapped another around his own face, leaving only his eyes exposed.

Karon noticed how practiced the motion was.

“We can’t wear masks here, so this will do in an emergency. Oh, right, if something goes wrong inside and we have to fight, do not use Order arts. Use Light instead.”

“I understand.”

“Good. We’ll slip in from the side. By the way, do you know many Light Arts?”

“Enough.”

“What does enough mean?”

“I read them over breakfast.”

“Damn... The shell cannot be used inside. The courtyard should be fine, but once we enter the villa, do not use Arts unless absolutely necessary.”

“Understood.”

Nio led Karon to the side of the estate. Before moving deeper in, Nio spread his arms and chanted, “Light—Shadow Veil.”

At once, his body turned transparent. It was an invisibility art based on the refraction of light.

Nio gave Karon a pat, and the effect spread over him as well.

The two invisible men slowly approached the outer edge of the estate. Through the fence, armed warriors could be seen patrolling within, though not many. This was, after all, Darkmoon Island, the ancestral stronghold of the Darkmoon Clan. Naturally, it was considered secure.

This also suggested the general’s self-confidence. If one’s own strength was sufficient, guards often existed only for service and ceremony.

When two patrolmen passed by, Nio first climbed a nearby tree, ran along the branch, and leapt over the wall into the estate. Karon looked up at the tree, then at the trunk. The Sea God’s Armor manifested on his body. Combined with the water power inherited through his symbiosis with Pu’er that came from Progenitor Allen, he gained tremendous agility.

He climbed the tree, ran along the branch, and leapt. Before landing, he even completed one and a half turns in the air.

Nio gestured for Karon to follow him. Rather than approach the villa directly, he moved deeper into the grove of ginkgo trees. Sweeping away the leaves on the ground revealed an iron hatch beneath them. He twisted it open and dropped inside.

Karon lowered himself in sideways first, then scattered a handful of leaves upward before closing the hatch, covering it as best he could. Below was a cellar.

Perhaps because the owner rarely stayed in the villa, there was very little food stored. Nio moved through the cellar, turned down another passage, and led Karon into a wine cellar.

Karon understood. As soon as the captain had entered this location, that thing’s memories started to awaken.

The collection of wine was extensive. Darkmoon Island’s red wine was a coveted luxury. In Veyn, one could not buy it with rels at all, only with credits.

At the far end of the cellar stood a staircase leading upward. At the top was a door. If nothing unexpected occurred, it led directly into the villa.

Nio closed his eyes, sensing the situation outside. Karon waited beside him.

Then, Nio made several quick hand gestures: once outside, turn left and go upstairs.

Karon nodded to show he understood, and Nio flung the door open.

Karon immediately darted out, turned left, and rushed up the staircase. The wine cellar entrance was beside the stairs, making the route convenient.

Upon reaching the second floor, Karon saw the washroom door standing open and slipped inside. Soon, from the corner of his eye, he saw a figure reach the second floor and continue directly to the third. Captain, why couldn’t you be more specific!

Yet just as Karon was preparing to leave the washroom and head upstairs, footsteps sounded outside. Left with no choice, he retreated back in. To be safe, he hid behind the bathtub curtain, standing with the soles of his shoes on the tub’s edge.

Two maids entered. One began washing her hands while the other rolled her neck. “Come on, we still have to continue serving the General and Her Highness.”

“Mhmm.”

Fortunately, neither used the toilet.

After they left, Karon returned to the washroom door, confirmed the hall was empty, stepped out, and quickly went upstairs, but every room on the third floor had its door shut. He had no idea which room the captain was in.

It has to be the study. Yes, generally speaking, secrets were kept in studies, and studies were usually placed at the end of corridors.

But which side?

Though the villa had been kept completely clean, the owner did not live in it often, perhaps only returning every few months or half a year, so there were few obvious traces of daily life.

Karon could only take a gamble. He ran toward the sunlit room on the left, opened the door, and slipped inside.

It was indeed a study, but it was empty. Clearly, the captain was not there.

Karon carefully opened the door again, hoping that the captain would be doing the same somewhere else, peering through a crack and waving Karon over.

Unfortunately, he saw no such scene.

At that moment, footsteps sounded from the stairs again. They were heading toward this study. Karon could only hide behind the curtains once more.

Fortunately, there was a narrow ledge behind the curtain where he could sit.

A maid entered, placed tea and pastries behind the desk, lit the lamp, and left. When Karon prepared to slip out and try another room, he had only reached the doorway when he heard footsteps again.

This time, there were two people approaching.

He could only return to his spot and sit back on the ledge.

The study door opened.

“How was dinner?”

“Thank you, Uncle, for specially preparing sea turtle eggs for me. They were delicious.”

“Because I know you’ve loved them since childhood. Do you know, whenever I encounter that kind of turtle at sea, I mark it in advance? Then when I am about to come ashore, I dispatch a warship to attack it. It’s the only way that I can ensure that the eggs are fresh enough.

“Though truly, the finest flavor is when they are taken fresh at sea and eaten directly with a spoon. They need not even be cooked. Still warm, with perhaps a little salt sprinkled on top. That is what true delicacy tastes like.”

“Since childhood, I’ve always begged you to take me out to sea, but you never agreed.”

“Because you were young then. I did not wish for you to see the ugliness of the sea too early.”

“And now?”

“Now you are grown. You can endure its ugliness while accepting the beauty that belongs to it.”

Behind the curtain, Karon recognized Ophelia’s voice. The man with her must be General Tafmann. Strangely enough, he had an elegant sounding voice, nothing like that of a brutal fleet commander. Then again, from another angle, it did fit the captain’s description: refined and perverse.

Still, Karon could hardly pull the curtain aside to look at the man’s face. For the moment, he could only sit there and listen. He understood his own peculiarity quite well, and knew that others could not sense his presence. Theoretically, so long as he remained still and made no sound, no one in the study would be able to detect him through perception alone.

“This matter of negotiations between the two churches must have exhausted your father.”

“Yes. Very little time was given to prepare. The Church of Order was easy enough to make arrangements for, but the Church of Reincarnation proved far more troublesome.”

“Mhmm. The Church of Order is here as the victors. They are here to dictate terms and claim the profits of victory. In a good mood, naturally they will not complain much about reception arrangements.

“The Church of Reincarnation is the defeated party. They are already in a sour mood. In such circumstances, even the smallest slight in their reception will earn resentment.”

“You’re right. Father said the same.”

“Your father is too fond of playing the good man. If it were me, I would not waste such effort. Since we have already established ties with the Church of Order, we could simply hold fast to them alone. As for the Church of Reincarnation, let it look after itself.

“Of course, your father would rather handle everything as perfectly as possible and offend no one. That is why he is suited to be clan leader.

“Actually, from my perspective, placing all of our bets with the Church of Order is not the wisest choice. The Church of Order is, after all, an outside church. We are only a dog at its feet. If we are ever bullied, whether it chooses to stand up for a dog depends entirely on the master’s mood. It is better to keep one’s fate in one’s own hands. The Church of Reincarnation will not be destroyed. Even defeated, the Church of Reincarnation is still larger than we are.

“Troublesome. Far too troublesome. With so many concerns, one cannot live elegantly.”

“Father has always envied your life, Uncle.”

“Heh. Spare me. I could never grow used to his life, and he would never adapt to mine. Your father and I have been completely different in temperament since childhood.

“Enough of that. Tell me about yourself. You went to the hotel this afternoon. Did you meet this Karon?”

“I did.”

“So you went to the hotel specifically to see him.”

“Yes.”

“I have seen his portrait. He is indeed handsome, but only plainly handsome. Surely that alone cannot have charmed my lovely niece this much.”

“Talking with him is comfortable. Being around him feels comfortable.”

“Oh? Then he must be very good at pleasing girls.”

“At first... yes.”

“And now?”

“Now he is not. He already has a fiancée.”

“And what of that? Is my niece somehow inferior to his fiancée?”

“Uncle, comparisons like that are meaningless.”

“Yes, yes, I misspoke. The truth is, the reason I came back wanting to meet him was not because Ancestor Bernard’s blood flows in him, nor because he awakened Darkmoon bloodline on his own while living outside of our island. It was because, from the letters you sent me, I sensed that your attitude toward that boy is somewhat unusual.”

“I have no children. Long ago, I told your father that this daughter of his would count as mine as well. With me here, your brothers will never be able to contend with you for the position of clan chief, because your father owes me, heh.

“So naturally, I became even more curious about him. What sort of boy could stir your heart in such a short time? You are excellent in every respect, but you have one problem. You are too young. That is your strength, and also your weakness. Some things need time to slowly settle.”

“Uncle, I already have.”

“Oh? How so?”

“His heart belongs only to his fiancée. There is no possibility between us. In truth, nothing ever happened between us. We spent little time together and went through nothing especially dramatic. I suspect I became fond of him simply because I had never before met a boy like him on this island.”

“Tsk... So I returned for nothing?”

“If you returned for that reason, then yes, it was probably a wasted trip.”

“Ophelia.”

“Yes.”

“If Ancestor Bernard had not reformed Darkmoon Island, improved many Arts, and made great contributions, then his love stories alone would never have been enough to preserve his name until now.

“Without the former, if there were only the love story, it would not be remembered and praised, he would be criticised instead.

“Still, this is how young people are. One timely flutter of the heart, and they imagine it can become eternal beneath Darkmoon’s witness. But once you see through it, once you understand it, it is only an ordinary and simple thing.

“In the future, choose someone better.”

“I will”

“Believe me. Darkmoon will not fail you. It will not fail the pearl of our island.”

“Darkmoon above us.” Ophelia crossed both hands and prayed to Darkmoon.

General Tafmann rose and walked to the bookcase, turning his back to her. “Oh yes. You are an adult now, so there is something I must tell you. It concerns the Church of Light.”

“The Church of Light? Our island has ties with the Church of Light?”

“In truth, the first church to contact and establish relations with our island was not the Church of Order, but the Church of Light. During Ancestor Bernard’s rule, he personally brought them here in secret and forged ties with them. Many of the great changes that took place on the island in that era were due in no small part to those Light Vermin.” Tafmann tore the outer covers off several books in the case. Hidden inside were scriptures and notes of Light. “Ophelia, draw the curtains.”

“Yes, Uncle.”

“Remember this. Whenever you study such texts and notes in the future, you must first bathe yourself in Darkmoon’s light. Only then will you remain uninfluenced. Darkmoon’s radiance will steady the true direction in your heart, preventing a moment’s confusion from leading you astray into regret.

Believe firmly that Darkmoon always acts for your good. You are its devout believer, and it is the guardian most worthy of your trust.”

Standing before the curtains, Ophelia crossed her hands and followed her uncle’s advice, beginning a prayer, “Darkmoon supreme, guide the true direction within my heart, keep me from straying, and let me forever bathe in Your radiance.”

Then, Ophelia reached out and pulled the curtain open.

Karon. “...”

Ophelia. “...”