Curse

The two of them sat on their respective beds, facing each other in silence for a long time. They exchanged looks, neither making any attempt to hide the searching scrutiny in their eyes. This time, Karen was the first to break the silence. "Captain, let's drop this matter here, shall we?" The captain asked with a puzzled look, "What matter?" "I heard Miss Ophelia might be coming to our Church of Order for training and development." "Oh, yes. Bishop Worflen mentioned it to me this morning. You see? Our earlier groundwork didn't go to waste, did it?" "Groundwork..." "Before you do anything, if you can prepare ten points, you should strive to do twelve. Study hard and contemplate the spiritual depth of what I just said." "Understood, Captain." "Besides, on that foundation, there's another matter. When it comes to training and development, which department in our church do you think is best suited?" "The Whip of Order?" "Bingo." "Is Ophelia joining our squad?" "No." "Phew..." Karen let out a long breath of relief. "Bishop Worflen's idea is to let her form a separate Whip of Order squad with herself as captain. When she's choosing her roster, who do you think she'll pick?" Karen asked in surprise, "Giving her that much freedom?" "Because Dark Moon Island is handing over command of its fleet. That's the island's mightiest force, and the strongest one in these waters. Compared to their offshore fleet, a single Whip of Order squad captaincy is almost embarrassing to offer in return." "That's true." "And that is precisely why Bishop Worflen let go of all his lingering grievances and was willing to facilitate this. Naturally, it still has to pass through the regional administrative office for procedure, but since it's a decision handed down by His Eminence the Cardinal, it's merely a formality. While you were out this morning, Patriarch Vina made a special visit to Bishop Worflen with Miss Ophelia. I could tell it was meant as an apology. After all, his daughter will be staying in the York City Region for at least three years, so they certainly need to smooth over the resentment from the failed marriage alliance. They gave him plenty of face, and since this ties into the alliance between the church and Dark Moon Island, from Bishop Worflen's attitude, he seems to have completely forgiven Miss Ophelia." "That's good to hear." "Heh, he only forgave Miss Ophelia. He never said that included you." "Uh..." "Still, you don't need to worry. After watching him these past few days, Bishop Worflen isn't a bad person. Look at that kid Leon. He has his pampered-heir habits, but his manners and conduct are decent enough—the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree. Any normal elder would be furious if a grandchild's marriage was mysteriously ruined. He definitely finds you an eyesore, but he won't go out of his way to target you. You can rest easy on that. However, keep your guard up and rein in your scheming next time." "Wait, Captain, who was it that spread that rumor about me in the first place?" The chief culprit behind the whole thing was the captain himself. He had instructed his squad members to spread the rumor to raise the Hound Squad's profile after their transfer from Sangpu City to York City, making it easier to land assignments. "Ahem... That was so long ago. Let's not waste our energy dredging it up." Karen yawned. He was exhausted. The captain continued, "When she arrives, you should take the initiative to report to her squad. In any case, your relationship with her used to be just a rumor, but this time around, how many times have the two of you walked in and out of the hotel together? It's like bean paste in your pants—even if it isn't shit, no one's going to believe you." "I'm not going." "Don't throw a tantrum." "I'm not throwing a tantrum. I simply love our Hound Squad." "Karen." "Yeah?" "Even hounds need to mate." "..." Karen was speechless. "And breed new hounds. Think about it: if she becomes captain, there will be an official roster slot. But she's new to the Church of Order and unfamiliar with everything. If you go, who will truly be the captain? That way, won't you soon build a Hound Squad of your own?" "I still don't want to leave." "Whether you leave or not isn't actually your call. You don't have an official roster spot in our squad. Theoretically, when an external squad member receives an official placement, higher-ups can transfer you directly without needing your consent at all." "They can force people like that?" "That's called dedicating oneself to the God of Order. How could you call it force? Thinking that way is very dangerous; it shows you aren't devoted enough to the God of Order. Besides, Memphis and Richard, as external squad members, can be transferred over with you. Also, to look out for you, I plan to have Fanny and Peige transferred to her squad to help out as well. Look, just like that, your squad will instantly have five official members. Find seven more, and you'll be at full strength." "Wait, things have already been arranged to this point?" "Yeah, Bishop Worflen already went over the preliminary plan with me. He was even worried I'd refuse to let you go. Think about it—a distinguished Chief Bishop came to consult my opinion. How could I have had the cheek to turn him down?" "So, Captain, you're only consulting my opinion after you've already sold me out?" "It's all dedication to the God of Order. What does it matter where you do it?" "You can't do this." "Protest denied." The captain stood up, patted his belly, and said, "I'm hungry. Let's go eat." "Wasn't a meal delivered?" "I want to eat out." "I want to sleep." "Then sleep. I'll take the others out to eat. We aren't leaving until three days from now. Miss Ophelia won't be returning with us because she needs to wrap up affairs on Dark Moon Island, so you have plenty of time to mentally prepare yourself." "Good night, Captain." "Good afternoon." The captain walked out of the room, thoughtfully closing the door behind him. Karen sat by the edge of the bed for a while longer, then got up, took a bath in the washroom, changed his clothes, and lay down on the bed. Exhausted, he had barely settled into a sleeping posture before drifting off. When he woke, the sky outside was somewhat dim. Had he slept until evening? The room door was pushed open, and the captain walked in carrying a tray. Karen noticed that the captain had changed into a different set of clothes, which prompted an unpleasant suspicion in his mind. Did I sleep for a whole day and night? "Had enough sleep?" Neo asked, sitting on the edge of the bed while eating a curry-like rice dish with a spoon. "Yeah." "You weren't injured or overdrawn, yet you slept for so long." The captain picked up a glass beside him and took a sip of water. "Looks like you had quite a harvest that night." "It was all right." "A secret?" "Captain, you already owe me several secrets." "Heh." Neo shook his head. "Brewing a secret takes time." Karen stood up, finding that his stomach was aching with hunger. "Miss Ophelia sent the martial artist at her side to invite you to dinner. I came in to wake you, but you happened to wake up on your own. I suspect the island's Council of Elders wants to meet you. Just go. You have to go eventually; you can't just take benefits without doing anything in return." "All right, I understand." After washing up, Karen put on a clean clerical robe and walked to the courtyard gate, where he saw Panmiel waiting for him beside a carriage. "Apologies for the delay." "You're too polite, Mr. Karen. Please, get in." "Thank you." After stepping inside the carriage, Karen immediately reached out and opened the small drawer. It was stocked with plenty of pastries—rarely eaten, but replaced fresh every day. Karen took out a plate and began eating them with his hands. Seeing this, Panmiel promptly poured a cup of tea for him. "Thank you." "Take your time, sir." "Yeah, I'm starving. I just woke up." After polishing off a plate of pastries, Karen felt his hunger had only just been staved off. He was about to take out another plate when the carriage arrived. The dinner was hosted in a private courtyard within the hotel complex. It was closed to outsiders, reserved during this period for the leadership of the Dark Moon clan to entertain the senior figures of both churches. Stepping down from the carriage, Karen walked up the stairs and passed through the main doors. He saw Ophelia, dressed in traditional local attire, waiting ahead. In this outfit, she looked somewhat playfully charming. However, so much had happened in her family recently that she was visibly thinner than when he had first arrived. "Sorry to disturb your rest." "Not at all..." Ophelia naturally reached out, looped her arm through Karen's, and called inside, "Father, Elders, Karen is here." Seeing this, Karen didn't pull his arm away. Inside the hall stood a square table—not strictly a perfect square, but far squarer than the long banquet tables of aristocratic families. Ophelia and Karen sat on one side, Patriarch Vina sat opposite them, and Elder Qimaer and Elder Luomiu sat on the flanks. Elder Qimaer bore obvious injuries. Though treated with spells, the bruises were still clearly visible and would require time to heal. Elder Luomiu wore thick spectacles, was short in stature, and kept a constant, beaming smile. The spread of dishes on the table was sumptuous, but what left Karen between laughter and tears was that, seemingly out of a deliberate effort to show how much they valued him, they had prepared a full table of Wien cuisine, complete with nearly ten large bowls of different sauces. Finding ten varieties of Wien soybean paste on Dark Moon Island was definitely no easy feat. After brief opening remarks, Patriarch Vina expressed his apologies to Karen, explaining that this meeting, which should have been arranged long ago, had been postponed until now due to the recent string of events on the island. Karen replied while picking out foods he could eat, not nervous in the slightest, responding naturally and appropriately. After all, having role-played both their ancestor and their junior, he had long grown accustomed to handling them with ease. Elder Qimaer's speech was somewhat disjointed, likely due to a mild concussion sustained when Dorons's head was blown up. Elder Luomiu mainly discussed internal affairs within the Church of Order and Karen's future career path, his words hinting at a desire to help Karen plan his career. But Karen kept deflecting, avoiding any deeper discussion; his career path was not something Luomiu needed to worry about. As for Patriarch Vina, he mainly chatted about local customs and culture, ranging from Wien to Dark Moon Island and on to countries across other continents. It was evident that the patriarch had traveled extensively. Ophelia basically sat beside Karen, occasionally helping him with food and rarely speaking. The meal lasted nearly two hours. Just when Karen thought the plates would be cleared for dessert and further conversation, Patriarch Vina took the initiative to deliver closing remarks. Though a bit surprised by how briskly it ended, Karen cooperated, exchanged customary pleasantries, and stood to take his leave. Ophelia walked Karen to the door, then naturally let go of his arm. "Thank you for coming all this way." "It's what I should do. After all, I took the point coupons." "I'm heading to Wien." "Oh, really? That's wonderful." "If all goes as expected, we'll see each other in York City." "Yes, I look forward to it. When you arrive, dinner is on me." "It's still early. Walk with me a little longer?" "I haven't had enough rest yet." Ophelia leaned forward, bringing her face close to his, and said, "Are you trying to force me to get rough with you right here?" "You're going to get rough with me just because I won't walk with you?" "I went to look for you at noon. Your captain said you were asleep, and told me that after hearing I was going to Wien, you were so happy you couldn't sleep all night, which gave you insomnia. You clearly already knew I was going to Wien, yet you stood here just now feigning 'pleasant surprise'?" Captain!!! "You know, sometimes the more thrilling something is, the harder it is to know how to express it. In those moments, it's easy to put on a deliberate show of calm and indifference. You understand, don't you?" "No, I don't." Ophelia shook her head crisply. "Karen, from now until I leave for Wien, I will treat you with great respect, but I also ask that you satisfy the requests I make of you." "You can't be this overbearing. You're of such noble status." "If you don't listen to me, I'll hit you. You can't beat me anyway. I've thought it through: this is the first time in my life I've ever liked someone, so why should I suffer grievances? I refuse to." You might not beat me right now... Unfortunately, he had teamed up with Ophelia twice recently against the captain, so she knew his strength well. If she suddenly discovered an explosive increase in his power—especially an absurd leap in the potency of his Dark Moon Blade—it would be impossible to explain. Just wait until you come to Wien. If you try to use force to coerce me then, we can have a real fight. Once I'm back in Wien, I can say I gained an epiphany about the power of the Dark Moon and refined my control over it. "Let's walk." "All right." "Karen, was I being barbaric just now?" "No, quite cute." "Your captain told me at noon that if a man has feelings for you, no matter how barbaric you act in front of him, he'll still think it's cute." Karen: "..." "Your captain is truly good to you. I can tell." "My captain is just like Elder Qimaer today. Before coming to Dark Moon Island, he suffered an accident on a mission and injured his brain." "How pitiful." "Isn't it?" "He told me that if I told you what he said, you'd scramble to accuse him of brain damage to ease the embarrassment." "Fine. What else did the captain say?" "He said there was once a lady named Elisa who won him over through relentless pursuit. Before that, he had never even imagined falling in love with anyone. I could tell that when your captain mentioned Miss Elisa's name, his eyes were full of tenderness. Living together now, they must be very happy, right?" "Yes, they are." *** "What did you think?" Patriarch Vina asked, leaning back against his chair. Elder Qimaer said, "A very steady young lady." Elder Luomiu ran a hand through his hair and said, "He was excessively calm and composed before us. According to the initial feedback Ophelia gave us about him, he shouldn't be capable of that. So he must be concealing some parts of his past. However, he doesn't seem worried that we might investigate—or perhaps he's certain we won't uncover anything." Elder Qimaer said, "That shows he has a mind of his own and can hold his ground. I like his boots." Elder Luomiu chuckled. "Still, things changed too quickly. The Church of Order has reached straight into our heartland, command of the offshore fleet is being taken from us, and our Ophelia is going to the Church of Order for training. Won't his role seem far less important than before?" Elder Qimaer countered, "You can't look at it like that. Ophelia is Ophelia, and Karen is Karen. Their roles within the Church of Samsara are completely different." Elder Luomiu said, "Qimaer, you'd better have the physician take another look at your head later. I don't think your injuries have healed properly." "Your butt is the one with problems." Luomiu: "..." Patriarch Vina spoke up. "Elder Qimaer is right. We cannot give up on Karen. Even if not for the present, we must consider the future. Tafman thinks very highly of him too, judging him to be extraordinary." Elder Luomiu nodded. "Very well, we'll proceed according to your wishes, Patriarch. I have no objection." Elder Qimaer said, "I don't have grapes either." After the two elders left, Patriarch Vina walked into the side parlor, where Tafman had been sitting and sipping tea the entire time. "You should have come out to meet him," Patriarch Vina said to his brother. "I didn't want to see him." Tafman smiled faintly. "I get jealous more easily than you, her own father." "The elders of the two factions in the council have agreed to my plan." "They know less than we do. If our knowledge were shared, they would be even more supportive of sponsoring Karen than we are." "Indeed. Sigh, perhaps that's why I felt a wave of pressure when facing him today. Clearly he was the one meeting his elders tonight, so why did it feel reversed?" "Ophelia going to the Church of Order means the next clan chief has been firmly settled. With the successor confirmed, your position is completely secure. Add to that the command of the offshore fleet being transferred to the Church of Order, and I feel I'll soon be able to put down this burden." "Do you truly have to go?" "Yes, I must." "This is too sudden, Tafman." "I underwent a baptism. You should be happy for me." "Happy that my brother is going off to become a remnant of the Light?" "Once I leave the island, I'll conceal my identity. I will be a brand-new me and won't cause trouble for the island." "You know that's not what I meant. I'm not used to losing you. Even though you've been with the fleet for years and rarely came ashore, I could always feel my brother standing beside me, helping me." "Brother, from now on, I want to live for myself." "All right. I respect your choice." *** York City. Pavaro Funeral Parlor, master bedroom. Kevin, who was sleeping on the carpet, had a dream. In the dream, someone lying in a coffin was hysterically roaring at him without pause: "Raniedal, I curse you to die a miserable death! I curse you to die a miserable death!" Smack! Raniedal slapped his own face with a dog paw. Purr, lying on the bed flipping through a romance novel, turned her head to look at Kevin on the carpet and asked, "What's wrong?" "Woof." "Oh, a mosquito bite."