When they went downstairs the next morning to check out, the innkeeper's upper body was wrapped in bandages, reeking of herbal medicine. His face, swollen as big as a pig's head, sat behind the front desk, waiting specifically for Karen and the others to come down.
The checkout process was straightforward. Karen tossed over the sole room key and ignored the thick envelope the innkeeper produced. Inside was likely their lodging fee from the previous night—and in all probability, considerably more than just the lodging fee.
Karen did not take it, however. A lodging fee was a lodging fee; one thing had nothing to do with the other.
As for having Philomena beat the man to the ground the night before, part of it was that the innkeeper's remarks had crossed the line and earned him a thrashing, but it was also a test between the two sides. This was a smuggler town without legal constraints, governed only by tangled gang interests. For unfamiliar outsiders in such a place, pure tolerance and retreat would only invite more trouble. Had they not beaten the innkeeper before checking in, the night would never have been so quiet and peaceful—the man himself might even have sent people to "drop by" during the night.
Inside a carriage parked by the entrance, Neo was sipping milk and eating a sandwich. Karen had reserved a room for him the previous evening, but he had never come up to stay. He had probably talked business too late into the night and simply decided to rest in the carriage.
While the others waited outside, Karen stepped into the carriage first.
Neo said, "Everything's arranged. The other side is thrilled. I imagine the welcoming ceremony won't be lacking."
"Isn't the timing a bit too rushed?" Karen asked. "I'm worried they won't have time to prepare."
"Subjective initiative can be terrifying under specific circumstances. I asked about the situation. Even though war has been declared, the official fighting hasn't started yet. The atmosphere has been laid on thick, but chaos hasn't broken out. This is the optimal window for us to step in."
"That's good, then." Karen smiled. "The worst-case scenario would be our arrival and their public announcement being immediately followed by a decree from our church recalling our squad."
"If that happened, it would only prove our church is an impenetrable monolith—united as one, without any internal factional disputes. Ha! A divine church without factions? Does that sound possible to you?"
"Impossible."
"It mainly depends on Bernie... no, even more on how the Whip of Order headquarters and Whip-Wielder Foden handle things after the fact. If he can withstand the pressure and make this fait accompli stick, every one of us will get promoted and placed in key roles as soon as we return."
"In truth, we've already backed him into a corner." Karen picked up the last sandwich from the plastic bag beside Neo and took a bite. "A squad made purely of Whip of Order members—if pressure within the church forces us to be recalled, it'll be a slap in the face to the entire Whip of Order."
"Exactly. The details depend on our own execution, while the big picture depends on the power plays of those big figures. We just need to do our part. Oh, damn it, didn't the inn provide breakfast for you? I haven't eaten my fill yet!"
"After Philomena thrashed the innkeeper last night, his breakfast this morning was a bit overly attentive. Steak stuffed into bread—far too greasy. I couldn't stomach it."
Neo sighed and remarked wistfully, "Honestly, I really dislike places like this. Low-end disorder, lacking any of the pure charm of true chaos."
"You're in remarkably high spirits today, waxing poetic so early in the morning."
Neo grinned. "Hey, I just think today's a fine day."
Karen, chewing on the sandwich, coughed twice before responding, "May all our wishes come true."
...
This smuggling town had more than one private teleportation array. A guild controlled the largest site, which had originally been where Neo planned for them to teleport from.
Now, they could switch locations. A stronghold controlled by the Moon God Church also possessed a teleportation array.
It was just... a bit cramped.
Richard gestured at the array circle before him, looked back at his companions, and asked hesitantly, "What happens if someone gets squeezed out halfway through teleportation?"
Mars answered, "A certain part of your body will make it across, and no one will even know where the rest gets lost."
Neo clapped his hands and spoke up: "The teleportation array here is rarely activated to begin with. Even when it is, it's only to transport a few important figures. It truly can't handle a group of more than six. But it's not a big problem. I already discussed it with them last night—the array can be temporarily expanded."
Memphis said, "The price of a temporary expansion is turning this teleportation array into a single-use disposable."
Neo replied, "They know the cost and are willing to bear it. This is trivial to them. So, my dear array formation masters, get to work. I know this won't take you long."
Mars and Memphis stepped forward to begin expanding the array. An expansion predicated on destructive dismantling was hardly difficult.
Richard had been standing nearby watching when Memphis waved to him. "Come over and help with the calculations."
"Sure, right away!" Richard stepped up eagerly, manifesting a Rubik's cube in his palm, and began excitedly assisting with the fundamental calculations.
Standing nearby, Karen observed this and could only sigh inwardly that fatherly love was gentle most of the time—except, of course, when he was beating you.
In barely an hour, the expansion was finished. Memphis preheated the array to synchronize with the receiving node on the other end, then turned to Neo and Karen. "The expansion on the other side's teleportation array is finished as well. Teleportation can begin."
Neo stretched and shouted, "Let's go, folks!"
Even after expansion, the array circle remained somewhat tight, giving everyone the familiar sensation of squeezing into a crowded elevator. Fortunately, none of them had brought much luggage—nearly everyone carried just a single bag. In these conditions, even if one wished to pay a baggage fee, it wouldn't be an option.
A burst of light flared. After a bumpy journey lasting a full quarter of an hour, the group emerged on an island.
"Ah—"
Richard clutched his crotch in apparent agony.
Blanche asked with professional concern, "What's wrong?"
Richard's face flushed, and he hurriedly waved off her inspection. "Nothing, just got a cramp in my leg from the shaking."
Then he looked suspiciously at Bart and the others. "None of you got cramps?"
Bart teased, "Spend less time at pastry shops. Look how weak your body is."
Richard said helplessly, "No, this was just a minor accident."
Richard's issue was merely a brief interlude. Outside the teleportation array stood a group of Moon God Church priests clad in yellow clerical robes.
Leading them was a bald man. He was very young and handsome, with blue amber eyes radiating the luster of wisdom. Like Salayina, he went barefoot.
"This is the grand welcoming ceremony?" Purr asked dubiously from Karen's shoulder.
Karen explained, "Envoys visiting Yorktown arrive by ship; they don't teleport straight into the city either."
"Oh, so that's how it is. Sorry, I never mingled in official circles back then," Purr said, gazing out across the azure sea ahead and the faint outlines of islands visible in the distance. "I love the ocean. The feeling of the sea has long been ingrained in the Allen family bloodline."
"Then why didn't you turn into a dolphin?"
"Your courtyard doesn't have a private swimming pool."
"Fair point."
Neo stepped forward. The bald man offered a bow, but Neo draped an arm directly over his shoulder and steered him off to the side.
The young bald man was clearly unaccustomed to such familiarity, but he did not resist.
"I'm Neo. How should I address you?"
"Mota."
"All right, Mota. Your post?"
"I was once one of the candidate Holy Children. At present, I hold no specific office; I am the coordinator responsible for receiving you all."
"Right, right. Let's be blunt. You know our identity, yes?"
"I do. You are an observation delegation from the Church of Order, representing its will."
"I'm asking about our real identity."
"This..."
"You should know that too. After all, we teleported here from that place. You ought to understand: we came here on the instructions of certain high-ranking figures from one faction within the church, bypassing the collective decisions of church leadership.
"What we want is fame, fortune, and political capital. We're a bunch of gamblers, you see?"
"I understand..."
"You need us to project influence outward on behalf of the Church of Order, so it's a win-win, right?"
"Yes, of course."
"Our goals align."
"Yes, our goals align."
"So for what comes next, you're all prepared?"
"Though time was limited, everything is ready."
"Good. Oh, right, one more thing." Neo produced a stack of teleportation array receipts from his pocket. "Getting here wasn't easy for us. To avoid detection from above, we took a detour. These are our receipts. Reimburse them for me first."
"Uh... right now?"
"Of course. What kind of observation delegation doesn't get its travel expenses reimbursed?"
"If possible..."
"No, no, no. Clear the travel expenses on here first, and only then will we set out for the Mipos Archipelago. If you don't have point coupons on you, you can just make up the difference with a sacred artifact, magic stones, or whatever."
Mota pulled a blue gemstone from his robes.
"A spatial raw gem? Oh, heavens, and such a large one! Isn't it exhausting carrying that around? Let me help lighten your load."
"Um, Mr. Neo, I believe this raw gem should be more than enough."
"Well, I didn't include the bus fare from the Niagara Island teleportation array to the smuggling town. That female bus driver was a real rip-off, charging us an arm and a leg in point coupons. Barely covers it, so I won't haggle over the details with you.
"Now, don't think we only care about point coupons. This is the foundation of our cooperation. You know we took a massive risk coming here and put our political futures on the line, so we need to secure as much material backing for ourselves as possible. Understand?"
"I understand, and I appreciate your position. Then shall we..."
"All right, let's head out. Oh, by the way, this one covers the trip here. You still owe me another, since the return trip requires travel expenses too."
"When you return, you should be using official teleportation arrays..."
"The fare is secondary. Who wouldn't prefer sitting on a sofa sipping coffee and reading the newspaper, rather than suffering the jolts of a teleportation array? Am I really just calculating travel fees with you? I haven't even billed you for the bodily stress and injury! Look at that fellow in our squad... Hey, Richard, does it still hurt down there?"
"Doesn't hurt anymore, Captain!"
"See? What a sensible lad. It clearly cramped up down there, yet he insists on pretending he's fine."
"Captain Neo, let me be frank with you. Your tea money and various expenses were prepared long ago. We simply hope you will cooperate closely. None of this will be lacking. In the face of war, everything else is trivial."
"Why didn't you just say so earlier? Fine, we'll settle the accounts once we reach our destination." Neo waved a hand and shouted, "All right, everyone, let's move!"
The group made their way to the shore. Mota stepped barefoot onto the water, brilliant yellow ripples spreading beneath his feet. Suddenly, his body was lifted high as a massive red octopus surfaced beneath him.
"Everyone, please."
They boarded the octopus, which began gliding toward the main island of the Mipos Archipelago in the distance.
Purr muttered quietly, "Nowhere near as magnificent as my Aseroth."
Karen reached out to stroke its head. "Yes, yes, of course."
Then Karen nudged Kevin lightly with his foot—the dog was actually trying to gnaw on the octopus's flesh.
"Didn't you get breakfast?" Karen asked.
Kevin looked up at Karen with an embarrassed grin.
As the distance closed, Karen sensed countless awakened wills stirring beneath the surrounding waters. That meant many more sea beasts lurked nearby. Given that this was the front line of conflict, they were undoubtedly forces assembled for war.
"It seems the Moon God Church holds formidable power at sea," Karen remarked.
"The vitality of the ocean is no less than that of the land," Purr said, then called toward the front, "Look, warships."
The Mipos Archipelago possessed numerous ports. Along the perimeter of the harbor, rows of warships lay anchored. They varied in size but were arranged in strict order, all uniformly flying the insignia flag of the Moon God Church.
Secular nations had already advanced into the ironclad era, yet those ironclads were negligible before these seemingly "wooden" warships. One could even argue that compared to the era of Count Rekar, the ironclad era represented a regression.
Though the warships in the port appeared to be made of wood, their durability vastly exceeded that of ironclads. Internal arrays not only granted them extremely sturdy barrier capabilities, but under array enhancements, their sailing speed was something ironclads could never hope to catch. They could even levitate and fly.
As for offensive power... even disregarding the priests aboard, the magic crystal cannons alone made the firepower of ironclads look laughable.
"The Dark Moon Island fleet wasn't on this scale, was it?" Karen asked. He had never seen Dark Moon Island's fleet with his own eyes, but he knew they maintained an offshore fleet answering directly to them.
"Its scale and precision certainly can't match a fleet from an orthodox church," Purr said, tilting its head. "But if they avoid a decisive head-on battle and stick to guerrilla tactics, they can make life miserable for you."
"Understood."
Beyond the submerged sea beasts and the ring of warships outside the harbor, endless rows of military tents stretched out along the shore as they approached, extending beyond the horizon.
A force of this magnitude represented only a single point along the front line.
Muri walked up beside Karen and remarked with feeling, "This war is going to be on a massive scale."
Karen nodded. "Yes, because the Moon God Church came out on the losing end last time."
After the war between Order and Samsara ended, the Moon God Church had impatiently begun encroaching upon their former ally's territory, only to be repelled by several small-scale counterattacks organized by the Church of Samsara, losing considerable face. This time, they clearly intended to crush their opponents with sheer accumulated foundation.
The giant octopus reached the harbor pier, where a walkway had been laid with a black carpet.
Carpets were rarely black; Karen noticed the seawater below was tinged with black dye, suggesting it had been hastily colored.
Soldiers lined both sides of the port, flanked by several tiers of priests, and beyond them stood an ocean of local believers. Plainly, as a holy ground of the Moon God Church on the war front, the people's fear and insecurity regarding a full-scale war had all been transferred onto this arriving observation delegation from the Church of Order.
The target of their declaration was the Church of Samsara—and not long ago, the Church of Samsara had been flattened by the Church of Order in a single day.
Neo walked up beside Karen and asked, "Is the speech ready? You won't be nervous going up there shortly, will you?"
"Weren't you supposed to give the speech?"
"I'm only handling the opening formalities. The closing summary is on you. Your image suits it better than mine. Are you ready?"
"Ready. It was originally written for you anyway."
"Same difference. Give it your all. Look, so many reporters over there—remember to strike a good pose. Who knows, after this, that photo might end up behind iron bars."
"Are you getting nervous?"
"I'm getting excited." Neo licked his lips. "When fighting starts, I'll demand they let us observe from the front line. It's bound to be fascinating. Last time, the 'First-Day War' ended so fast, and the battle reports were clamped down on tight. It was over before I could even get a taste—hardly satisfying."
Mota stepped onto the carpet and gestured invitingly to Karen and the others.
Karen noticed a group of figures standing upon the leadership platform ahead.
Purr whispered a reminder: "The one in the center should be the Holy Ground Bishop, roughly equal in status to the Chief Bishop of your York City Region. The highest leadership of the Mipos Holy Ground has come out in full force to greet us. This is quite the reception—when Salayina visited the York City Region, Wolflen didn't even go to the port to receive her."
"It does make one reflect," Karen whispered back to Purr as he walked forward. "Just a few days ago, I was at the port receiving Salayina, and now I'm the one stepping off a 'boat' to be received by the Moon God Church."
"That's fate, little Karen. It's just that wondrous and deceitful."
At that moment, a voice rang out from above:
"Welcome to the observation delegation from the Church of Order!"
In an instant, thunderous cheers erupted across the entire port.
Led by Mota, Karen and the others walked onto the high platform. After Neo delivered a few formal, perfunctory opening remarks, he yielded the floor to Karen.
Karen looked at the seashell before him, recognizing it as a voice-amplifying device. Below, a massive crowd of reporters began snapping photos frantically; because Neo's opening had been terribly dull and bureaucratic, everyone was desperate to hear something more explosive.
"We shall stand forever alongside the faithful of the Moon God Church, and even if we must fight to the last man, we will never retreat!"
The moment his words fell, enthusiastic cheers exploded throughout the venue, and smiles broke across the faces of the bishops of the Mipos Holy Ground seated upon the rostrum.
Karen bowed in courtesy, then stepped back several paces, moving out of range of the seashell.
Purr whispered, "I thought you'd speak a bit more subtly to leave yourself some wiggle room in case we bet wrong. I didn't expect you to drag the Church of Order straight into the water."
"Didn't leave wiggle room? What did what I just said have to do with the Church of Order?
"We'll always stand by to watch the show—and fight to the Moon God Church's last man."
Chapter 447