Karen changed into a black clerical robe. The assembly required uniform attire; rather than providing security for Chief Bishop Wolflen of the York City Region, they were more like an honor guard representing the York City Region at the event.
After all, Karen's side hardly needed to worry about real security. Plenty of the church's forces were attending the negotiations. On top of that, although Dark Moon Island was nominally neutral third-party territory, it was effectively an ally of the Church of Order. Dark Moon Island would certainly take full responsibility for both parties' safety—or at least for the Church of Order's side...
Peige and Fanny drove over to pick up Karen. It was not the VIP car, as vehicles were unsuitable for teleportation.
While the rides had started out as mere courtesies, Karen's growing role and rising status within the squad naturally brought these "in-squad perks and privileges."
"Are you bringing your sword too?" Peige asked when she saw Karen get in with his sword case slung over his back.
"Yes, bringing it along."
Although it was not appropriate to draw this sword on Dark Moon Island, it was, after all, a "token" given to him by Dark Moon Island. By all reason and sentiment, it made sense to keep it with him if possible.
The car pulled up before the Church Affairs Building. Everyone carried their luggage inside and took the elevator to the eighteenth floor. Just around the corner from the elevator was Neo's office.
It was not as high-class as the office in the old Church Affairs Building with its private elevator, but the new office was more spacious, even boasting its own recreation room.
Quincy and Zema were playing pool.
The captain was not in the office, but Mr. Memphis sat on the sofa in the corner.
Karen was somewhat surprised to see him. It seemed his uncle had truly brushed aside his primary duties as a Jurist to focus entirely on experiencing life in the Whip of Order.
"Come on, everyone gather your luggage. Luggage needs to be teleported separately. Remember, no living things inside."
"Does a little bird count as a living thing?" Marlo joked.
"Then I hope your little bird rots away during the teleportation."
"Hiss... so vicious!"
Marlo quickly clamped his legs together, then glanced at Karen.
Karen smiled at Marlo, and Marlo smiled back before scurrying off to watch the pool game. Anyone could see that Marlo was terrified of Karen; after all, Karen had once nearly blown his head off with a gun.
"I didn't expect you to come," Karen said, sitting across from Memphis and pouring himself a cup of water.
"I felt like coming, so I came." Memphis picked up the cup Karen had just filled and took a sip.
Facing Karen actually made him very nervous.
Karen had no choice but to pour himself another cup.
Just then, Richard walked in carrying several sets of clerical robes. He had clearly gone to fetch clothes for the others. The Church Affairs Building offered garment storage, repairs, and magical array enchantments.
Of the three external squad members, two sat there sipping tea while Richard bustled about alone. Yet he did not feel mistreated; if anything, he was beaming.
When someone jokingly asked about the bruise on his face, he bluntly admitted that his old man had beaten him at home.
Fanny called out, "All right, take your positions and check your appearances."
Everyone stopped fooling around and began straightening their uniforms in earnest. Finally, they all silently put on their silver masks.
Having learned from last time, Karen did not cut corners by wearing the mask his grandfather had left behind, donning the standard squad-issued one instead.
At that moment, the captain walked into the office, his mask held in his hand.
"Fall in!"
Everyone stood up and formed ranks.
They had never practiced parade drill, nor was there any need to strive for rigid uniformity; their matching robes, masks, and similar auras already created a harmonious presence.
Karen remembered that the first time he had seen Neo's squad, he could clearly sense their extraordinary nature.
Though three external members had joined recently, Karen and Memphis undoubtedly raised the team's overall strength, and even Richard was not the type to drag his feet.
"This mission is simple, but the simpler the mission, the less room there is for mistakes. I won't demand that you monitor your posture every second, but I want you to remember that we are attending these negotiations as victors! So get your spirits up—understand?!"
"Understood!"
"Understood!"
"Move out."
Neo led the group out of the office and down the elevator to the basement. The basement was vast and deep, housing numerous teleportation arrays. Each array was separated by walls of barrier stone, a material that not only served as a partition but also shielded against neighboring energy fluctuations.
Karen saw Wolflen speaking with two red-robed bishops. Behind Wolflen stood Leon and Laure.
The two young lords were clearly accompanying the delegation to Dark Moon Island, though their presence was not strictly an act of resume-padding.
Leon was the candidate the Church of Order intended to push for a political marriage with Dark Moon Island. Although Dark Moon Island's enthusiasm for the marriage had cooled considerably of late, his grandfather was attending the negotiations as the representative of the York City Region, so it was natural to bring him along.
It was a way of... being prepared, just in case.
There was no worry that the people of Dark Moon Island would view the Church of Order as desperately pushing for the match; having just concluded the war against the Church of Samsara, the Church of Order had tremendous confidence.
As for Laure, he was Wolflen's secretary. Having lived on Dark Moon Island for a period during his youth, he was familiar with the place and had naturally been chosen.
By regulation, each region sent only one bishop—usually the Chief Bishop—accompanied by a secretary, and, by tradition, a Whip of Order squad served as an honor guard.
Leon was brought along as an exception and did not take up an official slot.
Neo stepped forward and stood beside Wolflen. Wolflen glanced at Neo, nodded, and continued giving instructions to the two bishops.
Karen suspected the Chief Bishop was not genuinely that busy; staging this performance right before departure was likely to project the impression that the York City Region could not function without him.
Laure was already taking notes in his ledger; his duties had begun.
Leon swept his gaze across the gathering. Karen guessed he was looking for him.
Then Karen watched Leon walk up to Richard, throw an arm around his neck, and say with a grin, "Remember to bring snacks this time."
"Did you mistake me for someone else, Leon?"
"Hm?" Leon froze.
Richard took off his mask, looked at him, and pushed Leon's arm off his neck. "Why are you being so disgusting?"
Clearly, Richard and Leon knew each other.
"Why is it you?" Leon asked, baffled. "When did you join the Whip of Order?"
"A long time ago."
"Then why didn't I see you during the last mission?"
"I was on covert protection."
Richard did not mention that his covert protection had involved working as an elevator attendant for a week.
Evidently, Richard and Leon were merely acquaintances. After all, unless a Chief Bishop's household established a true generational foundation, the Guman family—with four Jurists—was hardly inferior in standing. More importantly, the Gumans were no ordinary family of Jurists.
"Hah, where's Karen?" Leon asked.
"Over there. Why, you know each other?"
"Yeah."
Leon looked toward Karen, and Karen took off his mask.
"You could have greeted me when you saw me coming instead of making me mistake someone else for you," Leon complained with a smile.
Karen replied, "I smiled, and I nodded."
The last time they had met in the corridor of the Ankara Restaurant after a mission, Leon had merely nodded and smiled at him before walking past.
Leon clearly caught the reference, but he took no offense. While picking and choosing how to treat people was the privilege of young lords like him, Karen paying him back in kind actually felt oddly refreshing.
"So petty."
"Heh."
Leon took a few steps toward Karen, stopped before him, and lowered his voice. "I'm being dragged to Dark Moon Island again. I'm sure the rumors about Ophelia's visit to Wien have reached them by now. Do you know what that means for me?"
"Losing face."
"I don't actually care about losing face; it's mostly my grandfather. So once we reach Dark Moon Island and you interact with him, be careful."
"I trust that the Lord Chief Bishop would not penalize a loyal follower of Order over mere rumors."
"Trust me, if he weren't my grandfather, I wouldn't believe a Chief Bishop could be so petty either."
"Leon!"
"Here, Grandfather."
Leon was summoned by his grandfather. Having finished his instructions, Wolflen nodded to Neo.
The group stepped into the teleportation array. Wolflen stood at the very front, with Leon and Laure behind him, and Neo's squad bringing up the rear.
The array activated. Karen felt his body enveloped by a strange medium, followed by a rush of wind. In the blink of an eye, everyone appeared in a new environment.
This seemed to be an underground chamber where a colossal array had been erected.
More than twenty other teams of identical composition were present, and more continued to teleport in.
The bishops did not converse with one another, standing quietly in their places.
The Whip of Order squads stood behind their respective charges, everyone reserved and orderly.
About ten minutes later, the massive array ahead roared to life. From its center, a blue gate of light slowly emerged.
Starting from the front, the teams began stepping into the gate of light one by one.
When it was Karen's turn, Wolflen led the way, and the others followed. The moment Karen crossed the light gate, all his senses vanished instantly—a far more severe disruption than the earlier teleportation.
This meant the previous transit had been short-range, likely remaining within Wien's borders, whereas this was a true long-distance teleportation, placing a real strain on the body.
As his senses returned, Karen felt a soothing warmth. A gentle sea breeze brushed against him, bringing a peculiar sensation of delight.
Opening his eyes, Karen found himself standing inside a palace built of white stone, archaic and solemn, perched atop a mountain peak.
From here, one could gaze out at the distant ocean and the densely packed yet orderly towns below.
Dark Moon Island, where spring reigned year-round.
Karen's first thought was that Dark Moon Island was much larger than he had imagined, and naturally far more populous. It was not ruled by a single family; rather, the islanders shared a collective faith in the Dark Moon.
Of course, now that the Church of Order had established a mission here, the islanders had a new choice of faith.
Ahead stood a row of carriages with attendants ready to receive the Church of Order's negotiators. Karen noticed that the horses pulling the carriages each bore a single horn upon their heads. The carriages themselves were inlaid with magical arrays, offering shock absorption superior to any luxury car.
Going from Wien to Dark Moon Island gave the distinct impression of stepping from a civilized society into a fantasy world.
Yet, in truth, this was the world's real face.
Even if colonial armies had entered the era of muskets and ironclads, the cold-steel cavalry that had ridden out of that mountain cavern remained the most terrifying force in this world.
Many people were looking around just like Karen. Not only his teammates, but members of the other Whip of Order squads were doing the exact same thing. Most were visiting Dark Moon Island for the first time, naturally marveling at its unique culture and scenery.
"Ahem..."
Neo cleared his throat lightly, and every squad member immediately snapped to attention.
However, the captain had not spoken to correct their posture. Instead, he pointed at the unicorn-drawn carriage ahead and said:
"Riding in that is definitely more comfortable than a car, and it won't necessarily be slower."
Then the captain added:
"But among ordinary people, how many are qualified to ride in a carriage like that?"
Neo looked around before concluding, "The world outside isn't how things ought to be; it's how things are under Order."
Bishop Wolflen, just about to step into the carriage, paused. He turned to look at Neo and nodded.
"You are quite right."
Neo bowed his head to Bishop Wolflen.
However, the bishop seemed disinclined to deliver a sermon on foreign soil. Offering Neo an appreciative smile, he stepped inside.
Leon and Laure boarded as well, and the carriage began to move.
Neo had his squad form two columns flanking the carriage as escorts.
Accustomed to executing missions in cars, Karen felt as though he were acting in a historical drama—all that was missing was a blade at everyone's hip.
Thinking of that, Karen asked Fanny ahead in a low voice, "Where is our luggage?"
Fanny pointed nearby. "The luggage is being sorted and dispatched over there. It'll be delivered to our lodging shortly."
"Understood."
Karen nodded.
Inside the carriage, Wolflen said with half-lidded eyes, "That captain is quite perceptive."
"He's the captain of the well-known Hound Squad," Leon introduced at once.
"In that case, the one linked to Miss Ophelia in the rumors is in this squad too?"
"Yes, Grandfather, but they're just rumors."
"I'm not so petty as to hold that against him." Wolflen waved a hand. "Dark Moon Island is not our church's servant, after all. She has the right to choose for herself."
"Yes, Grandfather."
"Still, when we return, I will have to ask the department responsible for arrangements what they were thinking. Assigning this squad to me—were they betting on my magnanimity?"
Clearly, Bishop Wolflen had spotted the issue.
By all rights, the coordinating department would never make such a blunder as assigning someone their superior might dislike to the same trip.
It was precisely for this reason that Neo had not even attempted to pull strings to secure this assignment when he caught wind of it earlier.
Laure interjected, "My Lord, next we are heading to the Bernard Hotel. It's the only hotel on Dark Moon Island that hosts outside guests, situated halfway up this mountain—Mount Kenna. The hotel is expansive and features hot springs, perfect for recuperation. You might enjoy a soak in the hot springs tonight before resting."
"Good, noted."
On the way down the mountain, they passed through a palm-lined promenade. The cobblestones on the ground were iridescent, giving the path an exquisite appearance.
Karen took in the scenery along the road as he walked. Ever since his Awakening, he had stayed either in Ruilan or Wien, neither of which boasted a pleasant climate; even their summers were never this warm and humid.
Dark Moon Island was practically a resort paradise.
Because the scenery was so lovely, the journey did not feel long at all, and the party soon reached the mountainside.
They arrived at the hotel. Looking down from higher up, Karen had already seen its layout. It was not a towering modern structure like Ankara, but deliberately preserved a classical aesthetic, divided into courtyard villas. It had a touch of the Eastern style Karen was familiar with, though the details leaned toward ancient Greece.
Barring any surprises, each team would have its own courtyard, complete with a private scenic pond.
Comfort would certainly not be an issue—none of the claustrophobia of high-rise living—but as a conference venue, it had the drawback of stretching out the assembly time before meetings.
They reached the hotel entrance: Bernard Hotel.
Looking at the massive sign, Karen had not expected to encounter Purr's pursuer so soon. It also reflected Mr. Bernard's standing in Dark Moon Island's history.
Attendants guided the carriage deeper into the estate. The carriage could drive right up to their assigned quarters, where it would remain, staffed with a dedicated butler, driver, and attendants.
Each day of the conference, the Chief Bishop would need to travel by carriage, as the meeting hall—though within the hotel grounds—was quite a distance away.
Bishop Wolflen took the master suite, while the other rooms on either side were standard doubles for the rest of the party.
Richard was about to share a room with Karen when Neo spoke up first: "Richard, you room with Memphis."
"Oh, all right." Richard did not dare disobey the captain's orders.
Neo looked at Karen. "You're with me."
"Yes, Captain."
Fanny announced, "The luggage has been brought over. Come collect your own."
Karen retrieved his luggage and unpacked it in the room.
Neo flopped straight onto the bed. "There are no assignments today or tomorrow. We only need three people on standby here to answer any summons; the rest can take this chance to look around the island and have fun."
"What a great assignment."
"Indeed. Being on the winning side is always relaxing. By the way, do you think Miss Ophelia knows you're here? If she knows and doesn't come see you, that would be rather improper of her."
"Captain, there really is nothing between Miss Ophelia and me."
"Keep talking. I believe you."
Just then, Laure appeared at the door and knocked. Karen went to open it.
Laure nodded to Neo, and Neo nodded back from the bed.
Laure then turned to Karen. "Want to go out for a stroll? I'll be the guide. Leon's coming too, and I called Richard."
Strictly speaking, all three of them were young lords. Including Karen was quite an honor.
"Go take a walk; it's a rare opportunity," Neo said with a chuckle.
"All right," Karen agreed.
"Come on, I'll take you to try some local Dark Moon Island specialties." Laure clapped Karen on the shoulder, gesturing for him to come out.
Karen stepped out to find Richard and Leon already waiting in the courtyard.
"I meant to ask earlier—what happened to your face? An injury from a mission?" Leon asked.
Richard nodded. "Yeah, that's right."
Leon asked, "Which aberrant demon specifically targets the face?"
Just then, Laure and Karen walked over. Laure held up his wallet and said, "Order coupons can be used directly on Dark Moon Island now. You all brought some, right?"
"Isn't the organizer treating? You cheapskate, Laure," Richard grumbled.
"Dinner's on me, but the post-dinner activities—like checking out Dark Moon Island's special Mermaid Theater—aren't suitable for someone else to treat. You negotiate with the mermaids using your own point coupons; it doesn't go through the front desk."
"Mermaid Theater? What kind of place is that?" Richard asked.
Laure explained, "Just a local pastry shop on Dark Moon Island."
"All right then, I'll go get my wallet. Karen, if you didn't bring yours, don't bother; I'll share some with you later."
Leon laughed. "You two are really close."
Richard said, "Of course. Karen and I are good brothers."
With that, Richard went back to his room, where Mr. Memphis was sitting on the bed, staring blankly.
Richard pulled his wallet from his bag and said, "I'm going with them to try the local pastry shop. Heh."
Mr. Memphis looked up at Richard.
Richard did not notice the gaze behind him. He opened his wallet, took a look, and sighed. "Sigh, my savings could have let me have a blast here, but now only half is left. My dad is such a piece of work."
Saying so, Richard clapped Memphis on the shoulder. "I'm going with others, so it wouldn't be right to drag someone else along, but don't worry—when I get back tonight, I'll take you out separately."
Memphis frowned, staring at Richard.
Richard misinterpreted the look, assuming the man doubted his endurance. That was unacceptable!
He immediately thumped his chest and declared:
"Don't worry, it's just twice in one day—no problem at all! I'm still young, not an old man like my dad."
Chapter 251