The Chosen Ones

The banquet was not particularly lavish, but it was held to a very high standard—even the servers wore Order clerical robes. This did not mean Paxio's grandfather had arranged for church personnel to work as servants in his home; rather, old Mr. Jemal still held the post of vice principal at Saint Antis Higher Church School. Whenever he needed extra hands for a gathering at home, the student council officers immediately organized people to help out. It was not a formal assignment, but entirely voluntary. Paxio's parents did not work in the Dinge Region, so only his grandparents lived here. Following proper etiquette, Karen and the others were led by Paxio to greet his grandparents. The two elders were very kind—or at least appeared very kind—and extremely learned. They offered words of encouragement and praise to every young person, never using the same phrasing twice. Once the formalities were over, those who enjoyed socializing went to mingle, those who appreciated good food went to eat, and those who preferred quiet found a peaceful corner. Karen chose a seat by the window, diagonally across from an orchestra playing soothing music. Ventura brought over a large plate of food and asked, "Captain, are you hungry?" Karen shook his head. "I noticed you barely ate at noon, Captain." "I drank too much coconut milk. I'm not hungry." The coconut milk from earlier that day had not been pure coconut juice, but a blended drink. It didn't taste overly rich, but the sugar content had likely been high, leaving Karen still without an appetite. "Are you really not going to eat?" Ventura asked again. "Do your best to eat more and make up for my share too." "Yes, Captain!" Ventura chose a table close to the buffet station and sat down to focus on eating. Karen leaned against the wall, twirling the coin Instructor Piro had given him. It felt cool and pleasant to the touch. Lying on the beach during the day beneath blue skies and white clouds on a deck chair, then leaning here tonight with a glass of iced lemonade listening to music—today had indeed been a thoroughly relaxing day. However, because Karen had been gazing in one direction in a daze, the girl playing the violin mistook his gaze for staring at her, her cheeks flushing bright red. "I've noticed you really like solitude, but you're not antisocial." Muri sat down across from Karen, glanced over his shoulder at the violinist, and asked, "Am I blocking your view?" "Not at all." Karen shook his head and shifted his posture. "Socializing is a need, and any need has its limits. We've spent almost all our time together recently, so that need is thoroughly saturated. I just wanted to cherish a moment alone, because solitude is a need too." "Haha, should I leave then?" "If you have nothing to do, stay and sit." "Yeah, I've got nothing to do." A waiter happened to pass by. Muri snapped his fingers and lifted a glass of red wine from the tray. "My family owns an estate here as well. The scenery is similar to Paxio's place, but the elders at home don't like living here, so it's always sat empty. In the future, you can bring your fiancée here on vacation. Just let me know." "All right, thank you. I like this place very much, and I'm sure my fiancée will love it too." "I can tell. Haha, I've been to Wien before. Only after going there did I realize why the Wien people were so keen on being pirates centuries ago. In a cold, damp place like that, if you don't do something fierce and hot-blooded, your whole body would freeze stiff." "True. Wien's climate really is grueling." "Hey, Karen!" "Karen, there you are!" Leon and Laure appeared not far away. Evidently, they had also been invited to the evening banquet. Spotting Karen sitting there, they walked over together. However, the moment they saw who was sitting across from Karen chatting with him, their expressions grew visibly stiff. Muri turned his head toward them and asked Karen, "Your friends?" "Yes." Karen stood up and introduced them. "Leon, Laure, my friends from York City." Muri glanced at them without getting up. "Hello. I'm Muri." "Hello." "Hello." Karen knew that Leon and Laure surely recognized Muri, but Muri obviously didn't know them. Although they were all young masters from wealthy families, the gap between them was immense—one came from the capital circle, while the others were merely from a provincial capital. "Karen, we're heading over to greet the elders. We'll catch up later," Laure said. "Sure, talk later." Laure and Leon walked away. Muri took a sip of wine without giving them another glance. Once Karen sat back down, Muri smiled and said, "I originally thought an outstanding person like you wouldn't bother entertaining them." "They're good people." Karen remembered how during that meeting break, they had offered him extra food, and throughout the rest of the conference, the three of them had sneaked off to a small room to snack. Even after Leon learned of his identity, he hadn't gotten angry over the rumors circulating outside. Of course, none of that was within Muri's realm of consideration. In Muri's eyes, one had to match him in either status or talent to earn his respect. "Looks like I need to take back what I said earlier." "Which part?" "About solitude and being antisocial." "Actually, it's about survival," Karen said, taking a sip of his lemonade. "You've just always skipped over that." "Yeah, I admit it. Because of my family background, I might lack a bit of empathy for your circumstances." Muri swirled his wineglass. "Sitting here is pretty boring. How about we find a quiet palm grove and have a fight?" "A fight?" "Yeah." "I'd rather sit here and listen to the music," Karen smiled. "Don't tell me you came over in the first place just looking to fight me?" "No, just feeling a bit bored. If you don't want to, forget it." "Let's stick to the music. Once we reach Samsara Valley, our nerves will be taut again." "True." Muri patted his pockets and asked, "Do you have a cigarette?" "I do." Karen handed him a pack and a lighter. Muri unwrapped it, pulled one out, placed it between his lips, and lit it. "I've been going crazy these past few days. That lousy hotel at the training base didn't even provide cigarettes." "Heh." Karen chuckled. "Let's go for a walk outside." "All right." Muri smiled too. The two squad captains stood up and left without disturbing anyone else. After stepping outside, they walked straight toward the back of the estate until they found a secluded palm grove. "A pity we didn't bring weapons. Does that affect you?" Muri asked. "Not really. It's just passing the time, not a real fight." "When trading blows, it's only fun if you take it seriously, isn't it?" Muri took off his clerical robe, revealing the muscles of his upper body. Beneath the moonlight, the scars covering them were clearly visible. Bart also had a lot of muscle, but he had very few scars. "Ever since I was little, my grandfather had the uncles in the family train me individually. I grew up getting beaten up." "That's also an expression of love." "Heh." Muri laughed. "How do you manage to talk nonsense with a straight face?" Karen shook his head. Muri reminded him, "Aren't you taking off your robe? If it gets dirty, going back to the banquet will look improper." "It's fine. It won't get dirty." "Fair enough. I really like how you talk so deadpan. Knocking someone like you flat on his back will definitely give me a lot more satisfaction." "Come on, then." "Here I come." Muri bent his legs and sank into a crouch, his muscles instantly tightening. A glowing buckler materialized at his left arm, while an intimidating short blade appeared in his right hand. Behind him, a battered silhouette took form. "You have a family faith system?" Karen asked in surprise. "A long time ago, yes. Not anymore. My family dedicated everything to the Church of Order long ago. See the shadow behind me? He is my ancestor, but he was also a devout believer of Order. "I'm not using a family faith system; I'm using spells. It just requires my bloodline to activate them." Karen nodded, understanding. The Benda family's ancestor had done the exact opposite of his grandfather Diss. The former had brought a family faith system into the Church of Order and merged it, whereas his own grandfather had extracted a family faith system from within the church. Purr had once said that if the Allen family continued to decline, what awaited them was the fate of being reduced to breeding stock like pigs or dogs. In truth, the church circles operated the same way. Where did so many systems, frameworks, and departments come from? Were they all developed in-house? Ha, how could that be possible? *Buzz!* Muri charged forward. Karen spread his hands, and four chains of Order materialized on each side, lifting his body completely off the ground. As Muri lunged, Karen retreated swiftly. When Muri closed the distance again, Karen waved his left hand, and a wall of Order flames rolled straight toward him. Muri rammed through it with his buckler, his entire body coated in a dull yellowish sheen as he shattered the Order flames. Immediately afterward, however, he saw three Order Cages materialize beneath his feet, in front of him, and above his head. *Roar!* With a low roar, Muri swung his short blade to slash through the Order Cage in front of him. Yet as he leaped free, a cluster of Spears of Punishment burst into existence around him. *Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!* A series of explosions rang out, sending plumes of dust into the air. Karen cast his gaze downward and brought his hands together, conjuring a prismatic layer resembling mirrors beneath him. *Bang!* The ground under Karen collapsed as Muri lunged out from below. Slashing furiously, he shattered the prisms, but as Karen fell back, more and more prisms formed before Muri. If Muri broke seven at once, Karen would thoughtfully supply ten more. For a long time afterward, Muri was like a wild bull, relentlessly smashing through Karen's spells, while Karen maintained distance, hurling spell after spell that he rarely had the chance to practice before. Muri wanted to use this war of attrition to drain Karen's reserves of spirituality. Karen knew what Muri was after, but he didn't care. It was just play anyway. The stalemate dragged on. Muri never got the result he wanted. His initial confidence turned to doubt, and doubt turned into sheer bewilderment. Finally, after Karen had tested each of his other spells twice, he spread his hands, palms facing down, and a foundation began to coalesce beneath his feet. Seeing Karen about to summon even the Black Prison Castle, Muri raised his hands in surrender. His shield and dagger vanished instantly as he shouted: "I'm done playing!" Karen waved his hand, dispelling the foundation. The chains of Order supporting his body receded inside him, and his feet finally touched the ground. "I lost," Muri said. In truth, Karen was slightly astonished as well. This squad captain's strength—especially the power stored within his body—was truly terrifying. It was only because the final trials had mainly targeted phantasmal beasts that his combat potential had been constrained. In a genuine head-to-head fight, even Bart would be no match for him—in fact, almost no one in the entire roster would be. "I know you have a way to close the distance rapidly, but you didn't use it." "Yeah, I do, but using it comes with a cost, and the damage is hard to control. We were just messing around, no need to get serious. Besides, you're skilled at close-quarters combat; I could tell from your clash with Instructor Liwen. You only used spells and didn't engage me in close quarters. Weighing it all up, with both of us holding back, you're still the one who won." "In a real fight to the death, who knows what the outcome would be?" Karen didn't care much about declaring a victor. "How is your spirituality so abundant? My body can store far more power than normal, but compared to your spiritual reserves, I feel a little despair." "Born with it, I suppose. When I was a kid, I often dreamed about the back of the God of Order." "Haha, hahahaha. Why does that sound like an excuse to brush me off?" "Heh." Muri put his clerical robe back on, stretched his limbs, and remarked, "After that brawl, my body feels much better. And I'm hungry." "I'm hungry too." ... The banquet was not yet over when the two squad captains returned to the estate. Karen filled a plate with food and sat down to eat in a slow, measured manner. Muri, on the other hand, brought over a massive bowl of staple food and two large bowls of entrées from the buffet. Sitting across from Karen, he dug in with a large spoon, shoveling food into his mouth and chewing voraciously. Karen smiled. "Eating like that, I'd almost be embarrassed to say I know you in public." "I pursue physical enhancement. Martial artists generally have huge appetites because we can digest it—and absorb it even better." Hearing that, Karen couldn't help but think of Ophelia. She ate a lot too. "Which girl are you thinking about?" Muri asked. "Hmm?" "You smiled." "Did I?" "That slight curve of your lips—you're definitely thinking of a girl, and it's not your fiancée." "Why is a martial artist like you so perceptive?" "Does being a martial artist mean I have to be crude?" Muri shook his head. "My family holds the hereditary position of captain of the High Priest's guard. That position isn't earned purely on brawn. In that role, there are countless people you have to observe—not just the High Priest, but everyone else. "Besides, the Department of Psychology at Dinge University was co-founded by my family's forebears." "Really?" Karen was somewhat surprised. "I'm interested in psychology too. We can discuss it more when we have the chance." "Sure, no... Wait, you changed the subject! Sounds like she's a girl you have feelings for but can't be with. Do you know what pure beauty is? It's what you can never have." Karen picked up his iced water, took a sip, and said slowly, "Your grandfather doesn't like you, does he?" Muri froze. "Your family is prominent, but growing up in that household, your life has actually been very suffocating. Not happy in the slightest." "I'm so optimistic and cheerful, though." "Which means you're very resilient. If I had to guess, your lack of happiness probably has to do with your mother. Growing up, you must have lived in an environment devoid of maternal love. I suspect that because of your mother, your grandfather was displeased with both you and your father?" "Who told you that?" "Coincidentally, I like reading psychology books in my spare time too." "Heh, hahaha." Muri laughed. "Damn it, I'm speechless with you. You're right. My grandfather is an extremely strict man. I have to be far more outstanding than my peers just for him to truly treat me as his grandson." "The grandfather in my memory is the exact opposite of yours. Whatever I wanted to do, he was always willing to help me achieve it." "You did that on purpose." "Yes." "Tell me, do you envy my family background? For example, my grandfather's status? I want the honest truth." "No." "Not even a little?" "Not at all." "You don't have to lie to me." "I'm not lying. Truly." "Haha, good. I acknowledge you as my friend." *You've misunderstood.* As the evening banquet drew to a close, Paxio stepped forward to deliver the closing remarks, thanking everyone for attending his birthday party. Only then did many people suddenly remember: *Oh, right, today was his birthday.* ... "Milord, the candidates have been chosen." The old man seated in the chair slowly opened his eyes. Kneeling before him was the photographer from that afternoon, who also held another identity: director of a Grade B department within the Church of Order's divination system. "Who are they?" "One is a youth from the York City Region named Ventura. Both parents are deceased, and his grandparents are grassroots clerks in the York City Region's Church Affairs Building. "The other..." "Why stop talking?" "The other is..." "Is it my grandson? Seeing you hesitate like this." "Yes, Milord. The other is your grandson, Young Master Muri." "I see." "Milord, the two of them were calculated and tested based on known parameters to be the most suitable candidates to replace those two as vessels. However, your subordinate can attempt to substitute..." "You said they are the most suitable, didn't you?" "Yes, but..." "It is all for the Church of Order. This is Muri's honor, and the honor of my Benda family. No alterations are permitted." ... Back at the hotel, Karen took a shower. Just as he lay down on the bed, Ventura spread his bedding on the floor by his bedroom door once again. "Ventura, are you planning on following me home in the future too?" "No, Captain. There are people at your home, so there's nothing to worry about. But out here, with just the two of us in the suite, I can't rest easy." Karen could only let him be. Before turning off the lights, Karen took the photograph from his clerical robe pocket, his fingertips gently rubbing Ventura's blurred figure. "Ventura, do you think you have good luck?" "I've always felt very lucky." "Oh?" "Before I was even born, I met that grandfather, and now I've met you, Captain."