Sneaking Out with the Captain

This answer was remarkably candid, and quite blunt. However, the two did not lapse into an awkward silence for long... "Do you like the climate here?" "I do. I've heard you mention that it stays like this throughout all four seasons." "Yes." "Living here must be very comfortable. When I'm old, I could come here to retire." "You mean return here to retire. You belong here to begin with." "Then I can take this opportunity to try hard, and hopefully find a sense of belonging here." "The Council of Elders wishes to meet you. Of course, they will send representatives." "When?" "A specific time hasn't been set yet." "Mm, the island must be very busy lately." "That's not the reason. It's because my uncle is returning soon. He isn't coming back for the negotiations between the two churches; he's making a special trip just to meet you." "Your uncle?" "Tafman, naval commander of Dark Moon Island. He is stationed in the outer seas year-round." "A special trip just to meet me?" "Yes." "It is an honor." Ophelia turned around to face Karen. A faint fragrance drifted from her—not from perfume or incense, but completely natural and refreshing. Somehow, an image surfaced in Karen's mind of the first time he had seen her, clad in that colossal armor and wielding the Sword of Arius. "What are you smiling at?" "I was just thinking of the first time we met." "Is it funny?" "A little." "Still, this meeting isn't nearly as unforgettable as that one at the Port of York docks. I feel it's rather ordinary." "That's normal. If something unexpected happened every single time, it would feel too staged." Ophelia nodded, looked at Karen, and said, "You've lost weight." "You've gained some." "Hehehe..." Ophelia chuckled softly. "Walk with me." Karen glanced around. Though the living quarters were spacious, this was a hotel after all, with people coming and going. Ophelia walked ahead along the riverbank. Karen glanced at Richard and the others standing in the distance, but still chose to follow. "How have you been lately?" Karen asked proactively. "Quite well. Everything has gone smoothly. The Church of Order's war against the Church of Samsara—from the declaration of war to its end—left even us profoundly shocked. Especially how the instrument of surrender was actually published before the Church of Order even declared war." "Mm, I was very shocked as well." Ophelia opened her palm, revealing a dark red gemstone. It emitted a faint crimson glow that enveloped the two of them. This was a very fragile isolation barrier; its purpose lay precisely in its extreme fragility, so that anyone attempting to eavesdrop with a spell would pierce it and trigger an alert. "The island has gained a new understanding of the Church of Order's might. Reading about things in books and truly experiencing them in reality are entirely different matters. Previously, we only knew the Church of Order was formidable, but we never imagined it was this powerful. Most importantly, throughout the war against Samsara, the Church of Order's First Knight Order was never even deployed." "Tactical factors played a part. Regardless, it was a surprise assault." "Yet it remains a fact that the Church of Order didn't use its full strength. Perhaps only half? Or a third? The impact of the First Knight Order is immeasurable; after so many years of peace, no one can predict how terrifying the current scale of the Church of Order's First Knight Order actually is." "However, the First Knight Order is a reserve built purely to be consumed." "Yet who would willingly force them to consume it?" "True enough." "I believe these negotiations between Order and Samsara are an opportunity for Order to redefine the rules for the entire ecclesiastical circle." "I don't have any information on that for now. My rank is still a bit too low." "Your rank... Speaking of which, I'm quite curious. When I saw your name on the list of delegates arriving on the island, I was very surprised, since the negotiator sent by the York City Region is Bishop Wolflen." "I was somewhat surprised as well." "Someone is backing you—or rather, someone is backing your captain, right?" "Likely. My captain is very enigmatic." "Your relationship with him?" "Very good." "The Council of Elders' stance is that they don't expect you to climb the ranks rapidly; they only hope you can expand your influence as much as possible—that is, your network of connections." "I understand." "Take your time, don't feel pressured. We consider you one of us, but we won't ask you to selflessly sacrifice for the island simply because you are one of our own. We are in a mutually beneficial relationship." "I know." "If you encounter any difficulties, you can reach out to me through Allen Manor. We originally intended to set up a communication array at Allen Manor, but establishing one there seems to present some difficulties." "Once I return, I'll find someone to set it up." "Mm, that's all I needed to say for now. Nothing else. As for the rest, we'll have to wait until my uncle returns in a few days and brings representatives from the Council of Elders to meet with you again." "All right." Karen was very cooperative regarding Dark Moon Island's arrangements, because Allen Manor had already shown him the trade ledger. The profits from the Dark Moon Island–Port of York route alone were remarkably substantial, even though a considerable portion would inevitably have to be shared with others. Therefore, no matter what, one had to show respect to their financial benefactors. Ophelia stopped walking, and Karen halted as well. The two stood in silence for a brief moment. "This is to make future contact easier. After all, we need some pretext to let you come out." "Actually, I have plenty of freedom. My captain basically grants any request I make." "Still, we need to wrap things up." "Wrap things up?" "Yes. For today, for right now. Leon and the others are still standing over there, and many eyes are watching. We need a proper conclusion." "All right." Ophelia leaned forward and pressed her forehead against Karen's chest. Karen knew this Highness before him had no idea how to express intimacy toward the opposite sex. Yet this press of her forehead was quite forceful, striking Karen's chest with enough impact to make it ache. Slowly, Karen raised his hands and rested them on Ophelia's shoulders. It wasn't overly intimate, but the gesture conveyed the point. After a long moment, Ophelia straightened up. Without uttering a word, she turned and walked forward, waving her hand. Her carriage and guards immediately followed. Karen remained where he was, watching her board the carriage before turning to head back. Richard took off his mask, an exaggerated grin spread across his face—a smile that made Karen feel so warm he wanted to remind Richard's father to spend more time with his son. Leon crossed his arms. Seeing Karen return, he merely offered him a smile tinged with slight disdain, expressing a subtle touch of resentment just so, before turning and stepping through the courtyard gate with a sigh. Richard sidled over. "Karen, why don't you just stay on Dark Moon Island? A princess, man!" "Why don't you stay?" "Even if I wanted to, she'd have to want me! Dark Moon Island is great. Look around—it's bigger than imagined, and there are more people than expected. Living here with a princess would genuinely be delightful." "She and I..." Karen instinctively started to say there was nothing between them, but saying that now felt pointless. "She and I haven't reached that point." "Impressive!" Richard gave Karen a thumbs-up. "So you mean you want to marry the princess and take her back to Wien?" "Could you focus a bit more on work?" "The problem is, we don't have any serious work. I asked the captain—under normal circumstances, we only need half our people on standby in the courtyard. Even when the formal talks start the day after tomorrow, all we have to do is escort His Grace the Bishop's carriage to the outside of the venue. Two of us will go inside with the bishop and the secretary, while the rest can roam freely. If lunch is handled inside the venue, most of us only need to see His Grace off in the morning and line up to welcome him back in the evening. For the entire day in between, there's no work at all." "Is that so? That really is leisurely." "Exactly." "You could take Mr. Memphis to the Mermaid Theater to broaden his horizons. You know how introverted he is. Take him out to have some fun, and once we're back in York City, he'll definitely be grateful to you." "That's what I was thinking too! Ah, I just can't stand seeing someone be introverted." "Heh." Not long after they returned to the courtyard, the hotel sent staff with food. The dishes were not particularly elaborate, but they made up for it in generous portions, and guests could place reservations in advance. The meals were delivered in five antique-style ceramic vats, with utensils stored on the lower shelf of the dining cart for guests to help themselves. Staff would arrive at set hours every day to collect and wash them. This arrangement was primarily because everyone's lodgings were scattered, and gathering for meals would take too much travel time and cause unnecessary hassle. Karen carried two trays back to the room, handed one to the captain, and the two sat on the edge of their beds facing each other as they ate. "I get the feeling she came today specifically to see you." "Mm," Karen acknowledged. "Hey?" The captain said with slight surprise. "Your tone has changed." "I have a fiancée, as you know, Captain." "So, you're feeling moral guilt?" Karen shook his head. "Morality is a yardstick meant to govern oneself." "Not that it matters anyway. Dark Moon Island doesn't practice monogamy. Do you know why Bernard is so famous here? The hotel we're staying in is named after him. Because as the clan patriarch, he married only one wife in his entire life." "Captain, can we change the subject?" "All right, all right, let's change the subject. What should we talk about... Once we finish eating and it's completely dark, come out with me." "Where to?" "To steal something." "Steal something?" "Yeah. Why else would I arrange for you to share a room with me? It makes it easier for the two of us to move around." "Is it something important?" Karen said with some reluctance. "There's a hot spring pool here. I was planning to soak in the hot springs tonight." The hot spring pool wasn't in the courtyard; there was a Hot Spring Valley within the hotel grounds that one had to go to. "I don't know what it is, but that 'thing' in my head has a spatial memory here. Just like the photo studio last time—I triggered a location memory, and only after stepping inside can I recall 'its' memories." "That person... visited Dark Moon Island before?" "He did, definitely did. He probably even left property here, though I doubt it's sitting vacant now. In the past, Dark Moon Island refused entry to church factions, but if someone slipped in under an alias without preaching or proselytizing, there was no problem. After all, the maritime trade here has always flourished." "Could it be another small teleportation array?" "Unlikely. Teleporting from York City to the outskirts makes sense, but teleporting from Dark Moon Island to Dark Moon Island? Wouldn't that be insane?" "Only you know the answer to that question, Captain." "I asked the attendant and inquired about that direction. The attendant said the people living there all belong to Dark Moon Island's elite. So when stealing from a place like that, two people are best—one has to keep watch." "Captain, we're part of the official delegation, and on our very first day here, we're going to steal something?" "It's precisely because it's our first day that no one will suspect us. Besides, they wouldn't dare search this place anyway. That settles it; we set out after dark. Finish eating quickly and try to get some sleep to recharge your energy." "I already slept this afternoon." "You slept? You really went there just to sleep?" "Mm, took an afternoon nap." "Haha, going to a place like that with them, and you actually managed to sleep?" "I fell asleep." "No services?" "None." "That's a bit antisocial of you. I've heard the mermaid service on Dark Moon Island is a local specialty. The establishment Laure took you to couldn't have been cheap, right?" "I don't know. Someone else covered the bill." "Who? Laure, Leon, or Richard?" "Miss Ophelia picked up my tab." "Tsk..." For a moment, Neo didn't even know how to react. In the end, he could only shake his head with a laugh. "No wonder you could only take an innocent afternoon nap." ... Inside the carriage, Panmiel watched Ophelia sitting in silence and asked with concern, "Your Highness, what's wrong?" "I'm fine." "But your expression..." "Panmiel, have I gained weight lately?" "Not at all, I haven't noticed anything. Did Mr. Karen say that?" "Mm, he said I've gained weight." "Perhaps Mr. Karen was referring to somewhere else?" Panmiel boldly teased. She had seen her Highness's earlier gesture toward Mr. Karen; the two had practically embraced. "He has a fiancée. He told me from the very beginning that he has a fiancée." "Is that what concerns Your Highness?" Panmiel didn't believe Mr. Karen's fiancée could compare to her Highness. More importantly, Dark Moon Island was not monogamous; growing up on the island, she naturally embraced this culture. "He wouldn't even touch a mermaid. Would he be willing to touch me?" "Your Highness, how could you compare yourself to a mermaid? That is hardly appropriate." "Do you know? If he had been willing to touch that mermaid today, I might actually have felt happier. It would mean anything was still possible—that I still had a chance." "But if Mr. Karen truly had let that mermaid service him, he wouldn't be the Mr. Karen Your Highness admires, would he?" "Just now, I asked him where he went this afternoon. He told me he went to eat seafood. Then I asked him what he did afterward. Do you know what he answered?" "How did Mr. Karen answer, Your Highness?" "He told me he went out whoring." "I wonder... could it be that Mr. Karen already guessed it was you who placed the order for him? Asking his colleagues downstairs would have cleared that up quickly." "He must have guessed. It was supposed to be a tacit understanding, yet he chose the bluntest manner. That wasn't candor; it was proof that in his heart, he doesn't hold me in that place." "So... that's what it meant." "Panmiel, have you ever liked someone?" "I haven't, Your Highness." "Then do you know what it feels like to like someone?" "I... do not know." "I don't know either. It's just that before seeing him, his polite smile would sometimes float into my mind, and I'd instinctively want to smile. But seeing him today, looking at that same polite smile on his face, I could barely resist the urge to beat him up. At that moment, I really wanted to thrash him and toss him into the river!" Ophelia pursed her lips and continued, "Ancestor Bernard's notes put it quite accurately: *When you truly love someone, you cannot help feeling humble before them.* It seems it's time for me to rein in my emotions. There's no need to let myself remain awkward and humble. Ancestor Bernard also proved that even without love, one can still become a great person." With that, all other emotions vanished from Ophelia's eyes, leaving only the purest brilliance. Right then, someone called out from outside the carriage to announce, "Your Highness, General Tafman has returned to the island. He sent word inviting you to join him for dinner." "Where is my uncle? Has he not returned to the palace?" "No. The general is staying at Ginkgo Villa on the Downslope Heights." "Understood. I will go at once." ... Night fell. Karen and Neo stepped out of the room. At this hour, no one was in the courtyard. They didn't disperse into black mist either, simply walking out openly. Passing the room where Richard and Memphis stayed, the window was half-open, so they heard Richard boasting to Memphis about his wonderful experience with the mermaid that afternoon. He described it with vivid detail, making it sound thoroughly immersive. As passionate as he sounded now, the beating he'd receive once they got back would likely be just as passionate. Leaving the courtyard and walking out through the hotel's main gate, Neo waved down a commercial carriage waiting outside the entrance, just like a taxi queued outside a city hotel. Neo first gave the location of a café. The carriage took the two there; during the ride, they changed out of their clerical robes and into civilian clothes. Getting off, they didn't enter the café either, but headed in another direction. Their destination was likely not far from here. "Captain, do you remember the exact location?" "Not very clearly." Neo pointed toward a residential area perched on the elevated terrain at the foot of the mountain diagonally ahead. "It should be over there." "Then let's take our time searching." "It shouldn't be that much trouble. I should recall it once we pass the gate. I remember it was a fairly large villa, with quite a few ginkgo trees planted inside."