Karen followed Neo to a hillside.
From there, they could see a squad making its way up the slope. Bent low, they maintained a steady pace in combat formation.
Neo offered his assessment: "A very ordinary flock of ducks."
Were they an elite squad, they would have driven much closer instead of observing tactical discipline so early and creeping forward at a crawl. Caution meant they lacked confidence.
Neo glanced at Karen. "Do you think I'm speaking too definitively?"
"No, not at all. I trust your experience, Captain."
"Everyone knows being cautious is right, but most of the time you can only manage yourself that way. Once your squad grows formidable, it becomes difficult to demand that your members maintain that same level of caution.
"If you lead your own squad in the future, you'll definitely have to take this into account. They will hold you high, but at the same time, you'll be coerced by them.
"Still, there is a solution. If you can act more extreme than all of them, they will actually learn restraint. For instance, my squad is always urging me to be careful and cautious."
"Understood, Captain."
"Mm. Besides, sometimes even when you're directly involved, it's hard to see things for what they really are—because you can't see your own face."
Did he mean that onlookers see most clearly while those involved are blind?
Yet why would the captain suddenly add that part about being unable to see one's own face?
Neo spread his hands. A burst of the Light of Order flashed, and the squad down below immediately looked up.
"Danger ahead. Please halt where you are for now."
"Captain Neo?" the captain of the opposing squad called out.
"Oh, you know me?"
"You saved me once."
"Is that so? Don't take it to heart, because I don't remember you."
The man took no offense, asking calmly, "Captain Neo, could you tell me what happened ahead?"
"A little trouble, but it's under control. Two squads have already been wiped out. Rest where you are and wait; I don't want you coming to snatch our credit."
"Understood, Captain Neo."
The entire squad promptly sat down to rest.
"Very good. A very well-behaved flock of ducks." Neo turned his head toward Karen. "You won't need to toss the copper coin before them after all."
"Understood, Captain."
Preparing to pull this sort of dog-eat-dog scheme for the first time—or rather, white-eat-white—Karen had felt slightly tense, along with a faint, manageable twinge of moral reluctance.
The squad rested on the hillside for a full twenty minutes, until commotion echoed from other directions as well.
"All right, we can head back. I expect they've packed up whatever needed packing."
"Right, Captain."
Neo stood up and called down to the squad below, "Come on over and help collect the corpses."
"Captain Neo, my name is Gengdi!"
"And?"
"I know you've been transferred to York City. I'm truly glad!"
"Good. Keep up the delight."
"Gengdi Squad is willing to coordinate with any of your operations, Captain Neo, if you ever find yourself needing extra hands."
"All right. I'll do my best to remember your squad's name."
Neo reached out, grabbed Karen's shoulder, and dissolved into black mist. At the same time, Karen felt the dark vapor envelop him, lifting him off his feet.
Before long, the black mist dispersed. Karen stood on solid ground again, with Ophelia seated ahead of him.
The others stood along the perimeter.
Wende walked over to Neo and gave a nod, signaling that the spoils had been thoroughly scavenged and secured.
"Report our battle losses," Neo said.
Gerui spoke up: "Captain, a total of sixteen people took part in this battle."
That counted Ophelia and Panmiel as well.
"Fourteen from our squad: four severely injured, none in mortal danger; four lightly injured, capable of continuing duty with their wounds."
"Thank you for your hard work, Captain Neo." Ophelia stood up and bowed to him.
"No, Miss Ophelia. We have a purpose in tabulating our losses right before you."
"Please, speak freely."
"There is a tradition in the Church of Order, one shared by other churches as well: once a protection assignment concludes, the protected party typically presents the security squad with a few mementos.
"In that little box of mementos, you might consider tucking in a few more point coupons."
"Of course. It is only right."
"The other matter is: if higher-ups wish to replace your security detail, please refuse them. I believe that even though four of my members must temporarily step aside to recover, my squad remains the best guarantee of your safety."
"That is also as it should be. If I hadn't insisted on going out, we wouldn't have encountered this tonight.
"Furthermore, once the talks conclude, I will submit an application to the Church of Order requesting that your squad continue escorting us on our return journey, since you will also need to escort the missionaries to Dark Moon Island."
"You truly are a gracious young lady."
"And you are an exceptional captain, leading a most elite squad."
"Found her!"
Fanny walked over, bringing the maid Xinla with her.
"Miss! Miss, are you all right? It's so wonderful that you're safe, truly wonderful! When I got out of the car and ran this way earlier, I tripped and banged my head on a rock and passed out. I failed to protect you, Miss, waaaah..."
Xinla rushed before Ophelia and began sobbing, blood indeed trickling down her forehead.
Just as Ophelia prepared to comfort the maid who had once served her mother, Fanny spoke up:
"Please rest assured, Miss Ophelia. Miss Xinla's injury is nothing serious. Judging by the freshness of the blood on her forehead, the cut was made very recently, likely just before I found her. Furthermore, based on the angle of the wound, she probably smashed her own forehead with a rock."
"..." Xinla froze.
"Still, Miss Xinla likely had nothing to do with this incident. She was merely terrified after getting separated, hid somewhere too frightened to come out, and then worried about your displeasure once it ended, so she inflicted the injury on herself."
Certain things were obvious to everyone, but stating them aloud in public yielded a vastly different outcome. To some extent, Miss Xinla's career as a maid was effectively over.
Fanny glanced at Karen standing beside the captain. She was venting on Karen's behalf—after all, this maid had spent the entire car ride making snide remarks at him.
"Xinla, once we return, go to the delegation to recuperate. Panmiel, select another person from the delegation to serve as my personal maid."
"Yes, Miss."
"Miss... no... Miss!"
Ophelia reached out and shoved Xinla aside. Members of the Church of Order were watching; she could neither pretend nothing had happened nor allow Xinla to continue serving her. Doing so would bring disgrace upon Dark Moon Island.
Captain Neo waited until the matter was settled before speaking:
"Now, the mission continues. Escort Miss Ophelia safely back to the hotel."
...
By the time they returned to the Ankara Hotel, dawn was already breaking.
Once inside the hotel, Neo's squad effectively disbanded for the time being.
The lightly injured escorted the wounded to the church hospital for treatment, while Neo himself had to head to the relevant church departments to deliver a formal debriefing.
As for that Rax copper coin, Karen had kept it wrapped in his clothing the entire time. Upon entering the hotel's main doors, under Captain Neo's watchful eye, Karen handed it over to a group of priests in white clerical robes.
After verifying the item, the priests sealed it away in a containment box, not uttering a single word from start to finish, and departed immediately once finished.
Neo explained to Karen: they were from the Sealing Administration.
It was a department dedicated to sealing and storing dangerous artifacts, subdivided into teams and ranks. The highest-ranking management team oversaw a dedicated sealed space; anything permitted inside was at least an artifact-level relic.
Certain artifacts, after treatment, repair, or the application of specific seals, could be released for circulation within the church. Naturally, other items were destined to remain sealed forever, as any leakage could easily spark catastrophe.
Before Neo left to deliver his report, he added an extra remark to Karen:
"Legend has it that within the sealed space rests a ferocious beast personally sealed by the God of Order back in the day. Every minute, its eye sweeps across the sealed space, keeping watch over everything inside."
...
Ophelia and Panmiel returned to their room, while Karen, Peige, and Fanny entered the suite across the hall.
The room had already been cleaned and was spotless, even carrying the lingering scent of a cast purification spell.
The formal talks requiring Miss Ophelia's personal attendance were scheduled for tomorrow morning, which meant Karen and the others had the entire day to rest.
"Who wants to shower first?"
"I'll sit for a bit," Fanny said.
"I'm having a few cigarettes." Peige waved a hand.
Karen walked into the bathroom, washed up, came out draped in a hotel bathrobe, and sat down on a clean bed.
After what they had gone through the previous night, Karen was no longer awkward or reserved.
Precisely because of this, Fanny and Peige lost the amusement of teasing the newcomer. Everyone got along much more naturally; seeing Karen walk out in only a bathrobe, neither woman teased him further.
"Right, remember earlier when you dropped me? Karen was about to catch me, but you flung me away again."
Fanny began dredging up old grievances.
Peige dismissed it casually. "You have no idea how much force you were thrown with. I was afraid he'd fracture his bones trying to catch you."
"Then your eyes failed you. Our new recruit is far braver than you think."
"You've tested him?"
"Yes, he's quite good."
"How did it feel?"
"You can try it yourself next time you get the chance. He saved my life today."
"Looks like we'll have to bump up his combat ranking in the squad."
"I'll adjust it upward, though the captain should already have a good idea."
"I really don't think that was what the captain had in mind for him at the start." Peige picked up a sugar cube from the coffee table, strolled over to Karen, and offered it to his lips.
Karen reached out, took it, and popped it into his mouth.
Peige said, "Our haul this time was bountiful. Oh, right, while sorting through the spoils, I spotted a decent spell pistol."
"What model?"
"A Sava-7. Redeeming one from the church store would run about five thousand Order coupons."
Fanny said, "Give that one to Karen."
"Naturally, that's what I meant. I don't want to see him swinging that basic-issue snub-nosed revolver around anymore either."
Fanny looked at Karen. "I'll help you mod and upgrade it, and pair it with special spell bullets of my own making. I won't charge you for labor, just the materials—about twelve hundred Order coupons."
"All right. Thank you." Karen nodded.
"You're welcome."
Even though Karen had just saved Fanny's life, that couldn't be used as leverage. Helping one another and even saving lives was expected within a squad.
As for helping one another out, favors were fine, but when it came to coupons, accounts had to be kept clear. That was the rule.
Peige consoled him, "Don't worry, don't worry. Once the stuff we don't need gets liquidated on the black market, each of us should walk away with at least ten thousand Order coupons. That silver human-faced centipede was packed with prime materials from head to tail."
"That much?" Karen was somewhat surprised.
At least ten thousand Order coupons per person—then what about the entire squad? Keep in mind, that was the liquidated price after setting aside everything everyone needed. For instance, that Sava-7 spell pistol they had just mentioned would go straight to Karen because he needed it, rather than being sold off.
"Besides, the reward for this reactive mission should be considerable too. It depends on what the higher-ups decide to hand out. Let's hope they aren't too stingy," Peige chuckled.
Fanny said, "Now that we're in York City, we don't have to take on other people's missions and have a cut skimmed off the top like before. They wouldn't dare make it so obvious here, so our earnings will definitely be much higher than in the past."
Peige sighed with feeling. "Yeah, York City's a good place. Earning coupons goes so much faster here. That way, our development will be much quicker."
Karen had never felt a particularly tight link between coupons and his personal growth.
Of course, that wasn't because he was uniquely extraordinary, nor because he was aloof, and it certainly didn't mean coupons played a negligible role in one's progression. It was simply because no one else had two pets at home capable of rubbing off suitable high-grade spells for him.
At the same time, he could rely on personal goodwill from time to time. Take the ring on his finger: Lemar hadn't charged him a single cent, and Karen had even made five hundred Abyss coupons off him in return.
His growth path was actually far more extravagant, involving conditions that coupons alone couldn't purchase.
"I think I'll get some sleep first," Karen said.
Lying down on the bed, he felt a profound exhaustion washing over his mind.
"Go to sleep, sweetie." Fanny blew Karen a kiss.
Karen closed his eyes and drifted off.
This sleep lasted a very long time, for he had overlooked—or rather, failed to realize—one crucial detail. Though he had deployed both the Sea God's Armor and the Dark Moon Blade the night before, their toll had remained within manageable limits. The greatest drain had actually come when his consciousness crossed through the Rax copper coin into that sealed space.
Though brief—the captain had said it lasted under a minute—the toll had been astonishing.
Consequently, when Karen woke up, he discovered the brightness outside the floor-to-ceiling window looked no different from when he had first gone to sleep, and even the sun sat in the exact same spot. It left him dazed, under the impression that he had slept for only a short while.
Sitting up, he saw Peige lying beside him, sound asleep. She had a fondness for sleeping naked.
Karen tilted his head and zoned out.
"If Peige knew you were staring at her body so entranced, she'd be thrilled when she wakes up," Fanny said, walking out of the bathroom.
Karen shook his head; he hadn't been ogling her body at all.
"I feel a bit dizzy."
"Dizziness is normal. You've slept for a full day and night. Did yesterday's spells really drain your energy that badly? We'll have to consider your timing more carefully next time."
"It wasn't that. It was something else," Karen explained. "It won't affect my fighting."
He didn't want Fanny to misunderstand and place him in the rear during combat assignments. It wasn't that he was eager to rush to the front and slaughter enemies, but he didn't want the squad to underestimate his strength and fail to make full use of his capabilities when formulating battle plans.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Fanny went to answer it. "All right, understood."
Promptly walking back to the bed, Fanny said, "Miss Ophelia was quite worried about you. She apparently wanted to invite you for a late-night snack last night, but you were still asleep. Now she wants to invite you over for breakfast."
"Oh, all right."
After sleeping for so long, Karen felt hungry as well.
After washing up and changing into fresh clothes, Karen crossed the hall to the opposite room. When he pressed the doorbell, a new young maid opened the door.
"Mr. Karen? Yes, please come in. Miss is waiting for you."
Karen stepped inside and saw Ophelia dressed in traditional Dark Moon Island attire, hands resting on the sofa, legs crossed, watching him enter.
In addition, Karen noticed there were two dining carts in the room today.
"Mr. Karen slept for quite a while?" Ophelia asked.
"Mm."
Karen picked up a plate and began loading it with food.
"Was the incident yesterday... no, the day before yesterday, caused by a Rax artifact?"
"Were you not briefed?" Karen finished filling a plate and sat down.
"I was, but vaguely."
"Yes. A Rax copper coin—the Source of Sin."
"Ah, so that was it. How thrilling, and what a pity. In truth, that night I very much wanted to go resolve the problem alongside you all."
"Your status makes that improper," Karen said.
"I'll just have to look for another opportunity later." Ophelia's words carried hidden meaning.
Karen didn't press for details, though. He knew full well that even if orthodox churches remained wary of certain factions and forbade them from roaming freely, would those factions truly behave so meekly? It was simply a tacit understanding, so long as no one crossed the line.
Karen ate four plates of food, finally full.
"Are you attending the formal conference today?"
"Yes, and you'll need to accompany me as well. By the way, I turned down your church's request to swap out the security squad, insisting on keeping you."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. It is only right."
Karen stood up. "Please enjoy your breakfast. I'll head back first to wait before accompanying you to the conference room."
"Take one of the dining carts with you."
"May I?"
"As you can see, I had two prepared today."
"Thank you for your generosity, Miss."
Karen wheeled the dining cart back to his room.
When Fanny saw it, she cried out, "Heavens, you brought back another dining cart!"
"She had two prepared today."
"Don't worry, I'll help you two come up with names for your kids."
With that, Fanny walked to the bedside and delivered a sharp smack to Peige's backside.
*Smack!*
"Get up, time for good food!"
...
Inside the sealed space, Luoya sat atop her display case, swinging her legs while humming a tune.
At that moment, the gentle silhouette of a woman appeared before her. She was the item spirit of a harp—a gift crafted by the Sea God himself for his lover, Miers.
"Luoya, you seem very happy today."
"I sure am, Sister Luonidaier."
"Why is that?"
"Because yesterday, I dreamed that my older brother came to visit me!"
"How wonderful. Not every item spirit can dream."
"Mhm! At first I didn't even recognize him, and had to call out a few times just to be sure it was really him."
"Oh? Has his appearance faded in your memory?"
"No! It's because he was wearing a silver mask."
Chapter 179