The Opening Move!

Welcomed in by Karen, Madame Tangli stepped into the cell, and the emotions she had been brewing the entire way here were completely thrown into disarray. Was this being in prison? Did this look anything like being locked up? Deep down, the old lady remained an "outsider." Even though she had married a believer of Order, and even though she had given birth to three Order priests, she was still an outsider. Even on the day Karen ordered the garrison knights to charge the headquarters building, when the doting grandmother had watched anxiously from afar, the only preparation she had made was that if everything collapsed, she would charge in and protect Karen as they fled Wien. Her mindset still clung to the habits of her youthful travels and adventures. Even after decades of being a virtuous wife and loving mother, with hands that had simmered countless pots of soup, she had never forgotten how to grip a blade. She firmly believed that a blade could solve ninety-nine percent of the world's problems; as for the remaining few it couldn't solve, it was simply because one's blade wasn't sharp enough. In the entire Guman family, setting aside Richard and Aisen who were semi-involved insiders, the only one who truly understood that Karen wouldn't suffer any hardship while locked in this cell was Old Master Delon. The mental script she had prepared was essentially useless now, leaving the old lady in a state akin to an actor who had forgotten her lines on stage. Karen took the initiative to chat with her, easing the atmosphere and warming up the mood. By the time the old lady said goodbye to Karen, stepped out of the cell, and made her way upstairs, she had the uncanny feeling that she hadn't come to visit an inmate at all, but had toured her grandson's new apartment instead. The main act she had prepared so carefully had turned into a mere opening theme, over before she could even savor it, leaving Madame Tangli feeling thoroughly unsatisfied. It was like going to the market: even if you didn't buy any prime cuts of meat, you still had to bring home a bunch of scallions just to prove you hadn't wandered around for nothing. Madame Tangli immediately remembered her earlier promise. Glancing around, she discovered that the young girl who had been standing at the foot of the stairs was now gone. Seeing his wife's roving gaze, Old Master Delon instantly understood what was on her mind. After all, having served as her whetstone for most of his life, whether the blade had dulled or not was hard to say, but the groove in the stone had long since been worn into the exact shape the blade liked best. "My dear, let's go home. The young lady has probably finished her shift," Delon urged. "But I made an agreement with her." "My dear, she just doesn't like to talk. She's a bit introverted, but she isn't stupid." "That won't do. My main purpose in coming today was for her. I need to train her properly; otherwise, how will she protect my grandson?" Hearing this, Richard, who had been accompanying his grandmother all along, felt a surge of profound emotion from the bottom of his heart! Old Master Delon glanced at his grandson Richard, vaguely feeling that this grandson of his didn't seem worthy of his grandmother's touching sentiment! "Where is she? Richard, go call her out for me!" "My dear, take my advice, let's go home." "Yeah, Grandma, why don't you and Grandpa go home and rest first?" Madame Tangli lowered her head and sighed, adopting a forlorn, mournful tone: "Ah, when you get old, no one listens to a word you say anymore." Old Master Delon froze. Having spent most of his life with his wife, he knew her temperament inside out. There was no way she was genuinely wallowing in self-pity—this was clearly the prelude to an eruption! "Richard, go call the Felscher girl over to accompany your grandmother on a walk." "Uh..." Richard still hesitated. "I am here." Philomena stepped out from the corner ahead. "Good. A walk." Madame Tangli lifted her head, her expression calm and placid as she walked forward, Philomena following behind her. "Are you going?" Delon asked Richard. Richard answered immediately, "I am." "Do you have nothing to do here?" Delon countered. "I really don't seem to have anything to do, yeah." "Then why haven't you come home all these days if you had nothing to do?" "Having nothing to do is a work problem, but going home just because there's nothing to do is an attitude problem." "Hmm, that makes a lot of sense. You did the right thing." Delon and Richard walked out of the headquarters building together. Just as the group was about to get into their carriage, another carriage happened to drive in. A woman stepped down from it, sporting enchanting red hair, her gaze carrying an air of reserved dignity and authority. Though she wore Order clerical robes, they did nothing to conceal the enticing curves of her figure. "Your Highness Ophelia!" Richard immediately stepped forward to greet her. Ophelia looked at Richard, offering a slight smile as she nodded to him. "I applied for a prison visit." "Yes, I'll take you in right away." Richard waved to his grandfather, then pointed ahead toward Philomena standing with his grandmother. Old Master Delon nodded to his grandson, signaling that he understood. With that, Richard led Ophelia into the headquarters building. Madame Tangli, walking ahead, swept a glance over Ophelia's retreating back and remarked, "That build—she looks like she'd bear strong children." Madame Tangli was a martial path practitioner herself, and Ophelia was a Dark Moon warrior; naturally, she believed the sturdier a young girl's frame, the better. Still, glancing down at Philomena beside her, she nodded. "You aren't bad either." Philomena asked, "Where?" "Nowhere. Every bit of you." Philomena frowned. She disliked vague answers like that; they felt like a waste of time. She preferred Karen's commanding manner of speaking, which let her know immediately what to do next without having to... think. "But you have to remember: when looking for a man in the future, find one with a good body, too." Philomena asked, "Would anyone look for one with a weak body?" "I'm not referring to duration." Philomena frowned. "What does duration have to do with the body?" "I mean, if you find someone with strong physical constitution, the children you bear in the future will have great constitutions, too. Otherwise—look at me, is my body strong?" "Yes." Philomena could occasionally sense a terrifying murderous aura from this old lady. "Yet just because I married a guy who messes with arrays, none of the three children I gave birth to could follow my path. Their physical fitness is decent among ordinary people, but in my book, it's not up to par. Sigh, their father seriously dragged them down." "What about the Section Chief? I mean, Karen." "At first, I thought that boy was rather frail. But after a while, I suddenly noticed his physique had become remarkably good. I have no idea what he's been eating." "Bone soup, probably." "Really? I'll make some for Richard to nourish him one of these days." "Mm." "All right, come on, let's get in the carriage." After taking her seat inside, Madame Tangli said, "If I remember correctly, that Dark Moon Island princess carries feelings for Karen?" "It seems so," Philomena answered. "Looks like it didn't work out." Philomena nodded again. "It seems so." "Poor child," Madame Tangli sighed. "The best person often isn't the most suitable one. When you think someone is just too good, it usually means the gap between you is immense. Only by choosing the one most suitable for you can you find happiness for the rest of your days." At that moment, Old Master Delon had just climbed into the driver's seat. Madame Tangli asked, "Isn't that right, my dear?" "Ah, yes, yes, absolutely!" ... "You lucky brat. So many people doting on you: your grandfather, your maternal grandmother, and me." "Heh." Karen lay down on the bed, preparing to sleep. But barely had he closed his eyes when the sound of the dungeon door opening echoed from above once again. Even before the person came down, Neo knew who it was and chuckled directly, "Are you regretting picking a cell facing mine? If you'd known, you should've chosen the innermost one so it wouldn't disrupt your business." "Is a bloodthirsty aberrant demon's brain filled with milk?" "Being in prison easily leads to emptiness and loneliness, and suppressed emotions need a release. Besides, you're at an age where you could drill right through a steel plate." Hearing this description, a faint smile curled at the corners of Karen's lips: "That's the first time I've heard that phrase since leaving Rojia." "Obviously! Who hasn't gone through that age? At sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, you're practically a walking mating engine. How about this: I switch cells and set up an isolation barrier for you?" Karen looked at Neo and shook his head helplessly. There were certain jokes Neo could make at Karen's expense with complete abandon, but Karen couldn't return them in kind unless Neo forgot about Elisa and found another woman. Yet that was clearly impossible. This guy was plainly acting like a rogue, exploiting his moral shield to fire away relentlessly at Karen. Ophelia walked down, accompanied by Richard and Alfred. "Oh, my dear Princess Ophelia!" Neo offered a languid greeting gesture. "Lord Neo," Ophelia returned the greeting. "Did you know? When we were sleeping last night, that guy surnamed 'Silva' next door called out your name thirty-three times in his dreams." Ophelia smiled in reply. "Then he must have called Eunice's name at least three hundred and thirty times." "Haha!" With the jokes concluded, Neo sat back down on his bed, while Ophelia stood before the bars. Karen opened the cell door once again, gesturing for her to come inside. "Your prison life is remarkably leisurely," Ophelia remarked with a smile. "It's decent. Want something to drink?" "No need." "What brings you here?" "It wasn't specifically to visit you. Rather, I happened to have a mission in Wien. But since the assignment is in Sangpu City, I traveled through the night to Yorktown. After your incident occurred, the island's council of elders ordered me to come and sever ties with you. After all, the island didn't want to get caught up in this storm." "Oh? So, are you here to sever ties?" "The moment my visitation request was approved without any hassle, I discarded that suggestion in my mind." "And then?" "And then, the integration between the island and the Church of Order is accelerating. In fact, our Dark Moon Island has already lost command over the open-sea fleet. In exchange, more of our islanders are permitted to enter the Church of Order for their own advancement. Before, the island had been negotiating a plan with the Church of Order: to form a small unit of Dark Moon warriors to be integrated into the church's system." "A good idea." In truth, this could be seen as closing one's eyes and enjoying it once resistance proved futile, but as the weaker party, they had no choice. After all, had Dark Moon Island not chosen Order back then, they would have been swallowed by the Moon God Church—whose absorption of lunar faiths was tender and affectionate only in mythological narratives, while in reality, it was exceedingly brutal. As for choosing integration with the Church of Order, the most evident example was Muri's Benda family. The round shield and short blade deep within Muri's soul clearly bore the hallmarks of an inherited lineage system. Perhaps, within several centuries or a millennium at most, there would be a family or faction within the Church of Order that, while believing in Order, possessed souls coursing with Dark Moon attributes. "I came to discuss whether the Dark Moon warrior unit coming from the island could be stationed in Yorktown." "Why here?" "Because you will probably never be promoted again and will remain in Yorktown indefinitely. That suits the island's plans very well. We don't want this unit to be scattered and broken up; we want it to remain stable in one location as much as possible, where it can continue to take in and absorb our clansmen, securing a real foothold within the Church of Order. That way, even if we are completely assimilated into Order many years from now, we will still have a base—or rather, a new homeland." Karen looked at Alfred, who had come down with Ophelia. Ophelia explained, "Liaison between Allen Manor and Dark Moon Island has always been handled by your valet. I imagine you're too disinclined to care about mundane administrative matters, but this valet of yours... cares very much." Alfred immediately chimed in, "Young Master, I originally intended to report this to you, but I didn't expect Her Highness Ophelia to arrive so quickly." "It's fine." Karen waved a hand, signaling that he didn't blame Alfred. The main reason was that Karen disliked trouble and preferred being a hands-off boss; besides, Alfred's proactive arrangements were indeed handled exceptionally well. After witnessing the might of the garrison knights, Karen was eager to have a militarized force under his own command. While Dark Moon warriors certainly couldn't match the garrison in caliber, let alone the knight orders, they would undoubtedly obey his commands upon arrival. Yet what amused Karen most was that his "inability to be promoted"—or rather, "being suppressed forever"—had actually become an advantage here. Because he would most likely remain in this post indefinitely, it would guarantee "continuity of policy." "What do you think?" Ophelia asked. "I think it works, but the specific arrangements will have to wait until I'm out of prison." "All right, I'll go back and discuss it with the island's council of elders." "Will they listen to you?" Ophelia replied, "Sometimes, 'discussing' is merely to save their pride." "Mm. It seems your father's control over the island has increased considerably." "The power of Order will help my father settle all dissenting voices on the island, while my father need only serve whole-heartedly as Order's dog." "Aren't we all?" Ophelia stepped out of the cell and said to Karen, "I wish you a speedy release." "Thank you." Ophelia had arrived in haste and departed just as quickly. Once the sound of the door closing upstairs reached them, Neo said to Karen, "Having cast aside the hazy entanglement of romance to devote herself wholly to work and career—don't you think she's acquired an added layer of charm?" "You observed that closely?" "I'm merely telling you that in Wien's high-noble culture, mistress-and-lover affairs make up ninety percent." "And the remaining ten percent?" "Incest." "Fair enough." "So don't burden yourself with any guilt. You should've given her a hug or a parting kiss just now. From the start, she's sent you swords, money, and business, and now she's even bringing you troops. And in return, you went and dug up her ancestral grave. Tsk-tsk, truly a beast." "Who was it that actually dug up her ancestral grave?" "Don't obsess over petty details." "I merely admire your ability to rewrite your own memory. I clearly remember who was bouncing around like a toy poodle looking for thrills back on Dark Moon Island." "Bringing up old scores is pointless. Anyway, if I were you, I'd simply marry into their family and be done with it." "The people of Dark Moon Island don't have surnames." "Oh right, almost forgot. Then convert and follow their faith... Wait, no." Karen picked up a cup of water, took a sip, and said calmly, "In terms of religious purity—and even bloodline—I am higher and purer than anyone on Dark Moon Island." He had inherited the Eye of the Dark Moon, not to mention that one of the Goddess's ribs resided right within his body. Karen continued, "By conventional terms, I could be considered Dark Moon Island's Holy Child. They should be serving me in the first place." *Bang!* Neo slapped the cell bars, cursing with a laugh: "Damn! Tell me, how do you manage to be so elegantly shameless?!" ... The following morning, the silver-armored woman named Richel came downstairs with her subordinates. Arriving in front of Karen's cell, she spoke: "Team Leader Sus wishes to interrogate you." "Very well." Karen stood at the cell door, straightening his clerical robe. From the cell opposite, Neo called out, "Hey, what about me?" Richel ignored him. The cell door was unlocked, and Karen stepped out, stretching languidly as if savoring this rare moment of freedom after a long confinement. Led by Richel, Karen exited the dungeon and arrived at a meeting room on the second floor. Many unfamiliar priests stood at the stairwell entrance, presumably members brought by the investigation team. Entering the meeting room, he saw a short middle-aged man sitting inside. By visual estimate, the man was barely 1.2 meters tall. The chairs in the room were clearly unsuited for him; sitting on one, his legs swung freely above the floor. Beside the conference table, however, two small stools had been placed. Sus looked at Karen, greeting him neither warmly nor coldly: "Have a seat." "Yes, sir." Karen didn't head for the conference table. Instead, he walked over to the two small stools and sat down on one of them. Seeing this, Sus hopped off his chair, walking over to Karen while instructing Richel at the doorway: "Two glasses of ice water." "Yes, Team Leader." Sus sat on the stool opposite Karen and asked, "Are you used to living in the cell?" "It's decent. A prison cell is a good place for contemplation." "Oh? Really? Heh heh. What if you stay there too long?" "Then it gets stifling, and one would want a change of scenery." Sus nodded. "Indeed. I've stayed in Dinge Region for too long as well. It's very stifling, and now I'm thinking of finding a different place to catch some fresh air." Karen smiled faintly. "I think Yorktown is quite nice, Lord Regional Director." "Ha, my thoughts exactly, Minister Karen."