Sudden Turn

Karen stared at the red spreading across the carpet and pursed his lips. Was this an omen? At a time like this, Karen couldn't deceive himself into thinking it was merely a coincidence. If you had already imagined things sliding toward an unpredictable abyss, then in all likelihood, they really would head in that direction. For he already knew why the Holy Child of the Moon God Church had specifically requested Ophelia to receive her, and he also knew that a remnant of Light who had supposedly returned from the God-Burial Grounds would lead a team to launch an attack during this event. Most importantly, this was the very first official mission since he had formed his squad. It almost felt as if, without an unexpected turn of events, it wouldn't be worthy of such a dazzling, elite lineup. "Captain, should I take the carpet away?" "No, leave it. It looks quite nice like this." Karen stepped out of the car, stretched, and said, "Let's go greet them." The cruise ship docked, and the gangway, lined with a golden carpet, was lowered. Karen frowned slightly. Looking closer, he realized it wasn't golden, but bright yellow, though the two shades were very close, especially under the sunlight. In fact, every major church placed strict restrictions on the use of "gold," because only those who had condensed a godhead could radiate a golden aura, or even golden blood. In the Church of Order, only the divine robes worn by Temple Elders were trimmed with gold embroidery. The first to disembark was a group of warriors in yellow armor. Bearing long spears, they marched down in synchronized, orderly steps. Furthermore, as the front rank stepped off the gangway, they did not split to either side to clear the way in time. Instead, they kept marching straight ahead, the tips of their spears already wavering right in front of Karen. Ophelia instinctively moved to step back and make way, but glancing at Karen in front of her, she saw him shift from holding his hands before him to clasping them behind his back, so she stayed put. Karen could not retreat. It was true that they had accepted a security detail, but in the traditions of the Church of Order, the Whip of Order squad dispatched on such occasions was effectively an honor guard. Their role was ceremonial, which meant they represented the face of the Church of Order. In the end, just as the spearheads were about to touch Karen, the spearmen veered to either side. Karen quietly brought his hands from behind his back to the front again. At the same time, he thought to himself how pointless it all was. What was the need? Once the spearmen had lined up, a woman in a long dress walked down from above. She looked very young, perhaps not even twenty. Her dress was neither glamorous nor luxurious, but rather plain. She walked barefoot, looking remarkably like a woman strolling through grass in an oil painting. This had to be the contemporary Holy Child of the Moon God Church. However, Karen wasn't sure what her name was yet, because the Moon God Church practiced a ritual known as Yuehua. Each Yuehua was equivalent to a rebirth, and a new name would be chosen afterward. On the dossier, she had seven names, and Karen had no idea which one she would go by. Yet, the fellow trailing beside the Holy Child who looked like a manservant seemed awfully familiar... Karen rapidly compared him against impressions in his memory and soon found a matching slot—it was the leader of the group that had ambushed his squad in front of the Congers family crypt. Is this guy an idiot? For an avatar puppet, all he did was put on a mask without altering any details of his physique? Sains stepped to the side and said to Karen, "This is our church's Holy Child—Lady Salayina." Salayina, was it? That was the new name she took after her seventh Yuehua. Karen rested his arms before his chest and spoke, "The Church of Order welcomes your arrival, Lady Salayina." Salayina smiled at Karen. Like an innocent, worldly-naive girl, she pinched the hem of her dress and curtseyed to him, then quickly shifted her gaze to Ophelia, who stood diagonally behind Karen. "Holy Child, we will first arrange for you to return to the hotel. Your guards and accompanying delegation, please wait a moment; dedicated personnel will handle their arrangements and transportation." "Alright. Thank you for your trouble." Salayina got into the VIP car. As her manservant, Sains did not sit beside his Holy Child, but took the seat across from her. Thus, when Ophelia boarded, she could only sit beside Salayina, while Karen sat abreast with Sains. The VIP car started up and began heading toward the Ankara Hotel. On the outer perimeter, members of Karen's squad provided covert protection from the shadows. Further out, numerous Whip of Order squads assigned to joint defense were patrolling. This was a treatment that neither the Holy Child of the Church of Pamires nor Ophelia had received when they arrived. After all, the status of a Holy Child from an orthodox church was completely different. Inside the car, Salayina showed no reserve whatsoever, directly clasping Ophelia's hand and remarking, "Do you practice swordsmanship regularly?" "Yes." "Ah, the warrior's path is not easy. Your hands have grown rather coarse. You should take better care of them. Look at mine; I've always paid great attention to such things." Ophelia replied, "There is no helping it. Dark Moon Island is a small place. People from small places must learn to pick up weapons to protect themselves and those around them." "There are other ways, such as obtaining protection that comes from true family." "But external protection remains external in the end. Pinning all hope on outsiders is not a choice any sensible person would make." "Then what about Order?" When asking this, Salayina pointedly glanced at Karen, who sat before her. Ophelia replied, "Order respects Dark Moon Island." "Sometimes, respect is merely a sheen of oil floating on the surface." "At least it is present." "Sigh." Salayina leaned back, resting her chin on the back of her hand as she looked at Karen, asking with a smile, "I heard that Captain Karen and our Miss Ophelia once shared a bit of history?" Karen replied, "Those are merely rumors." Salayina shook her head. "Really?" Karen shrugged, adopting Salayina's present demeanor—an easy, relaxed posture as though chatting with an old friend—and said: "If you don't mind, Holy Child, after this trip, rumors might spread about you and me as well." "Insolence," Sains barked, his face darkening. Salayina pointed a finger at Sains and said, "Insolence." Sains immediately smoothed his expression, and his posture, which had been taut as though poised to punish the offender at any moment, softened at once. Salayina said, "I dislike being interrupted when chatting. You know, some people simply don't understand how precious a pleasant conversational atmosphere is." "You are quite right." Salayina looked down at the carpet beneath her feet, sniffed, and remarked, "A very sweet fragrance. Is there more?" "Blanche." "Yes, Captain." Blanche immediately began pouring drinks for everyone. Taking a sip, Salayina asked, "What brand is this?" "Milady, I brewed it myself," Blanche answered. "Oh? Really? It's delicious." "Thank you, Milady." "It has petal essence added, doesn't it?" "Yes." "I love petals." Throughout the journey, Karen's heart remained half in his throat. He had been very worried about an ambush en route to the hotel; after all, it wasn't as if he hadn't experienced such things before. When they finally entered the Ankara Hotel, Karen breathed a sigh of relief. At least the most uncontrollable phase was over. Inside the Ankara Hotel, one didn't have to worry about attacks from the outermost perimeter. The check-in process was quick, followed by the elevator ride. Every stage was a layer of defense, and the hotel suite was the safest place of all. "Milady, please come in." Salayina walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the sea and sky outside, and murmured with emotion, "I really like the view here. Captain Karen, is the weather in Wien often like this?" "Yes, Milady. Truly clear days in Wien are rather rare." "I love this feeling. It looks like a rendered painting, carrying a sensation I can hardly describe..." An ink wash painting? Karen said, "A beauty of artistic conception, capable of drawing out one's emotions." Hearing this response, Salayina turned around to look at Karen in mild surprise, then looked at Ophelia and smiled. "I understand now." Ophelia did not chime in. She needed to maintain the appearance of being unfamiliar and distant with Karen. In truth, her relationship with Karen now was primarily one of cooperation. For instance, the trade route between Dark Moon Island and Allen Manor provided Karen with a steady stream of profits. Otherwise, how could the construction and layout materials, as well as the operational maintenance costs for the coffin arrays in the manor's auditorium, ever be covered? Well, that was fine too; relationships forged on mutual interest were often the most unbreakable. What surprised Karen slightly was that Salayina had no maidservants. Instead, the manservant Sains was already drawing bathwater for Salayina in the bathroom. Were they staying in the same bedroom with him attending to her so closely? Could it be that this Sains was a eunuch? "Your afternoon tea will be delivered shortly. If you have any special dietary requirements, please inform me tonight. For safety reasons, the menu cannot be changed on the same day. There will be a welcoming banquet at eight tonight. In the meantime, you may rest." "Very well." "Then we shall not disturb your rest. I will come to remind you fifteen minutes before eight to head to the banquet." "Mm." Karen and Ophelia stepped out of the room and closed the door. Ophelia looked down at her hands, and only then did Karen notice a scarlet blush beneath the skin of her palms, looking like a burn. Yet she had endured it all along without revealing the slightest abnormality. Earlier in the car, Salayina had caressed her hands for a long time. Even then, she had been testing Ophelia, and in a very direct manner. "I'll have Blanche come treat you," Karen said. "It's nothing." Ophelia gave her hands a shake. "A minor issue." Then, Ophelia looked into Karen's eyes, silently communicating: *She tested me, but in all likelihood found nothing. So, please be careful.* Karen nodded to her. When Ophelia walked toward her own room, Karen opened the door to his room across the hall. The moment the door clicked shut, Karen's expression darkened. He was angry. "Blanche, go to Ophelia's room and help treat her hands." "Oh, right away, Captain." Blanche stepped out. Karen sat on the sofa. Ashley brought him a glass of ice water. Seeing her captain's grim expression, she refrained from speaking further. "Get some rest," Karen said, nodding to her. "Yes, Captain." Ashley opened the suite door and returned to her own room. In reality, one could request specific room arrangements, or offer to cover part of the difference out of pocket. Thus, in all probability, the reason Karen had previously shared a bed with Fanny and Paige was simply that Neo had been unwilling to spend the money. This time, Karen had submitted an application in advance, and the hotel had approved it without making him pay extra—all because Alfred had hit it off splendidly in conversation with the tea-selling lover of the hotel's logistics director. Indeed, you could always trust Alfred's charm. Karen took a sip of water, then gently rubbed the space between his brows with fingers that had just gripped the cold glass. The heavy sense of oppression in his chest grew increasingly intense. After a while, Blanche returned. "Captain, I've already treated Her Highness Ophelia's injury. It wasn't very serious, so please don't worry." Blanche immediately regretted adding the final "so please don't worry," as it felt rather superfluous. "Go rest. The banquet tonight might run quite long." "Yes, Captain. You get some rest too." "Mm." After Blanche entered the partitioned room, Karen stood up, planning to lie down on the bed for a while to ease the tension built up from the journey back. He then paused beside the bed, gazing at the oil painting hanging above the headboard—a portrait of Ankara, daughter of the God of Order. From the angle of the painting, when viewed from a distance earlier, she had appeared to be smiling. Yet up close, her gaze was deep and solemn, conveying an entirely different impression. For some reason, a thought surfaced in Karen's mind, and he murmured it aloud: "Can you bless this place?" ... "It isn't her." Inside a large bathtub, Salayina lay naked, while Sains stood beside her with a clear, unclouded gaze. "Then who could it be?" Salayina shook her head. "Our intelligence network will have to keep searching thoroughly. Fortunately, I prepared myself mentally for this long ago. Truly delicious, high-quality ingredients are never something you spot at a single glance." "Would it be hidden deep within?" "Or perhaps placed right before your eyes, where you would never think to look." Salayina's body began to quiver slightly. Fresh blood began to seep out from the pores across her entire body. She tilted her head back, an expression of torment surfacing on her face, but she was evidently well-accustomed to this ordeal. The water in the bathtub swiftly turned bright red, the woman's body floating within it. Sains took out the prepared flower petals, scattered them into the bathtub, stepped back two paces, and began to pray toward the tub: "You are the supreme Moon God; Your radiance shall shine upon me. I shall bathe eternally in Your holy light, offering You my unreserved devotion." Amidst the repeated prayers, the blood in the bathtub began to flow backward, reabsorbing into Salayina's body until the water turned clear once more. Salayina opened her eyes, exhaustion deep within them. "Sains, tell me, how much longer must I endure this torture?" "As the Hierarch said, the reason you suffer this affliction is that you are simply too extraordinary. The great Moon God merely wishes to caress you." Salayina stood up, and Sains draped a bath towel around her. "Yet originally, I would not have had to suffer such agony. If the White Moon Crown were still within our church, I could bathe in its light. Not only would I be spared this pain, but my connection with the Moon God would deepen as well. "If not for her stealing the White Moon Crown, successive Holy Children and those close to the Moon God in our church would never have had to suffer this agonizing torment. "How ridiculous it is... "That I am now staying in a hotel named after her." "Everything will be reclaimed," Sains said, gently drying her body. "Just as the Church of Principles predicted regarding the laws of historical development, the zenith of a truly supreme church rarely lasts more than a single era. And once past its peak, it seldom gradually declines; rather, it shatters completely. "I suspect that the sign marking the end of this era will be the shattering of the Church of Order." Salayina smiled. "But do you know how many years remain in this era? One year? A hundred years? A thousand years? Or five thousand?" "I do not know, but I believe that an era belonging to the Moon God will come." Salayina sighed and said, "Sains, not to disparage you..." "Please instruct me." "If that Captain Karen swapped places with you, the words he would use to comfort someone would probably make me feel far more at ease, rather than sounding like someone reciting scripture the way you do." "I am guilty." "Alright, alright." Without putting on a bathrobe, Salayina walked out of the bathroom and stood once again before the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the brooding, overcast sky. "Heh, the evocative beauty of artistic conception." ... The time arrived. Karen, Ophelia, Ashley, and Blanche stood before Salayina's door. After Karen pressed the doorbell, the door opened. Salayina had changed into a purple gown, exuding an aura of noble dignity, practically a different person from earlier that day—though she was still barefoot. "Milady, let us proceed to the third floor for the banquet." "Very well." The group walked toward the elevator. Salayina remarked, "Are we the only ones staying on this floor? It really is rather deserted. I actually prefer livelier surroundings." "This is to ensure your safety." "I imagine that in Yorktown, one could hardly find a safer place than this." "Indeed." Stepping into the elevator, Karen pressed the button for the third floor. Immediately, everyone's expressions changed drastically—because the elevator was not descending, but ascending! Karen instantly reached out to press the emergency brake, but to no effect; the elevator continued to rise. Immediately, Karen spread his palm, using a sensory array to attempt control of the elevator. This floor was assigned this specific elevator, and the elevator itself was a formidable defensive array; as security personnel, Karen had been provided the control array by hotel management beforehand. Yet it was still useless. The elevator seemed held by an enigmatic power, continuing upward. Watching the floor indicator lights climb rapidly toward the very top, Sains asked anxiously, "What is on the top floor?" Karen replied: "The Ankara Memorial Hall."