Mobilization of the Artifact Spirits!

"Life is like a generous old man. He loves giving us presents, but while some people unwrap the box to find a pleasant surprise, others find only a fright. "In short, whether it's what you wanted or not, you don't get to refuse delivery." "So, Karen, are you mocking me?" "A little, perhaps." Karen lifted his glass, took a sip of water, and continued as he set it back down, "I apologize. The part about the syringe made me lose my composure for a moment." "Hah. I'm not even treated as well as a breeding boar." "Perhaps you could visit a pig farm in person. Maybe..." "Maybe what?" "Maybe you'd feel better. If you look closely enough, you might still find a few advantages you have over a breeding boar." "I thought you would sympathize with me." "You ought to sympathize with me. Activating a communication array just to talk about this... do you have any idea how many magic crystals were consumed while I listened to you rambling?" "Our friendship cannot be measured in money." "You should also factor in the maintenance costs of this friendship. Next time, just give me a telephone call. Seriously." "Are you that short on vouchers?" "I've had quite a few expenses requiring vouchers lately." "Then once my department is set up, some of the funding can flow through your hands." "What do you mean?" "You don't understand what I mean? A department's expenses are huge anyway—legitimate ones, murky ones, a whole mess of them. You permit your people to provide services for me, and I'll roll the expenses into my budget." "As a friend, I'm worried you'll come out on the losing end." "It's not my own vouchers anyway. I have a fixed operational budget each quarter; whatever isn't spent can't be cashed out directly. Besides, Karen, you're the local tyrant here. Running a department in Yorktown without dealing with the Whip of Order is simply impossible, isn't it?" "You seem to have forgotten that your fiancée is about to become the Regional Chief here. No one should be giving you trouble over matters like this, not to mention your noble status." "This has nothing to do with her. Besides, an exalted background doesn't mean smooth sailing down in the regional districts. I'm not that pedantic and naive; I'm not a toddler in kindergarten." That metaphor sounded rather familiar. It seemed a certain someone loved using it to describe those esteemed "Holy Children." A realization dawned on Karen, and he asked, "Who suggested this to you?" "You guessed it? Heh, that Investigation Department Chief who lent me his office. I thought what he said made a lot of sense." "Mm, yes." Karen gave a slight cough and added, "Your eye for people has always been remarkably sharp." "In short, I have only one condition: my special appropriation funds can be funneled through you, but you must promise to procure a few more things like that six-winged angel for me." "Things of that caliber aren't ornamental roadside flowers in a park that you can pick whenever you feel like it." "Still, I believe this is the simplest and quickest way, isn't it?" "Fine. Next time, you can just get straight to the point instead of laying such extensive groundwork." "That was just secondary. My romantic troubles were the real reason I contacted you this time. After all, besides you, there's no one else I can even speak to about this. I even have to keep up a lie around the others. "By the way, how long does your leave last? I want to get a drink with you." "I'll be back tomorrow, but I have a lot on my plate recently. Your matter will have to wait in line." "Huh? A friend's affairs are of so little consequence to you?" "It's precisely because we're friends that I feel comfortable making you wait." "Heh." Mavaglio gave a cold laugh. "In light of your attitude toward your friends, I'll be sure to speak ill of you in front of her over the next few days to make your future work that much harder." "In light of what you said earlier, your fiancée probably detests you. Badmouthing me in front of her is far more likely to backfire—she'll probably find me all the more agreeable." Mavaglio: "..." Cutting the operation of the communication array, Karen shook his head with mild resignation. "Chief, I truly never expected the Holy Child to have a side like this," Muri said with a smile. "Quite childish, isn't it?" Karen asked. "I can tell he treats you as a genuine friend." "I can tell as well, but his emotional entanglement almost derailed my own business." Karen took out the Laks copper coin, laid it flat on his palm, and instructed Muri, "Go keep watch outside." "Yes, Chief." Muri stepped out of the communication room and took up a guard post outside. At the same time, to be safe, he held a smooth, round pearl. The pearl had a calming effect on the mind, which served well at this moment to protect him against any leaking influence from the Laks copper coin. The pearl had been sent to him by his family, though Muri knew it was likely a gift from his grandfather, given his recent promotion. Yet, although he had accepted the item, Muri had long since ceased to harbor any affection for that household. A ray of light shone from the ring on Karen's fingertip, and a silver mask settled over his face. Spurred by Karen, the Laks copper coin began to awaken. As the coin's artifact spirit, Luoya should respond. Soon, Karen sensed a whirlpool of consciousness ahead waiting for him to enter. Without hesitation, Karen "surged" straight inside. After passing through a pitch-black "tunnel," Karen sensed a gaze sweeping across the area. This was the "eye" tasked by the Church of Order with guarding the containment space—supposedly originating from a formidable ferocious beast. Before long, the gaze swept past. Seizing the gap, Karen pushed onward. Finally, the darkness gave way to a starlike luster. Karen materialized above a platform, in front of which rested a transparent box holding two Laks copper coins. "Who are you...?" A woman's voice drifted over. Karen turned and saw a woman clad in a long blue gown appear by his side. Or rather, it was he who had abruptly appeared beside her. "Mm..." Luoya, who had presumably been asleep, rubbed her eyes. The moment she caught sight of Karen, she rubbed them even harder. "Huh? Why am I still dreaming?" "Luoya, you're not dreaming," the woman in the blue gown said. "Oh!" Luoya sprang upright at once, crying out in delight, "Brother Karen, is it really you?" Hearing that form of address, the woman looked at the silver-masked man with a complicated expression. Clearly, she was no stranger to the name "Brother Karen." "It's me, Luoya." "Sister, my Brother Karen came to see me! Heehee!" Luoya hopped down and reached out to hug Karen's arm, only to find her hands passing through him. Here, powerful artifact spirits possessed bodies that were practically corporeal, whereas someone like Karen, who had entered via soul consciousness, was the one lacking substance. The woman was plainly full of questions, but she promptly turned around and cautioned, "Mind the timing of the next sweeping gaze. I'll keep watch for you, just in case someone drops by for a visit." "Okay, thank you, Sister!" The woman vanished. "Brother Karen, you have no idea how good Sister is to me. She's taught me so many things! Heehee, she's completely trustworthy. Oh, right, Sister's true form is a harp—Goddess Mills's harp!" *Goddess Mills's harp?* *The divine artifact belonging to his dog's dream goddess?* "Brother Karen, did you come to see me?" "I came to ask for your help, Luoya." "Great, great!" Luoya balled her tiny fists at once. "Helping Brother Karen makes me so happy! Hehe." "You just did me a huge favor not long ago. Have you forgotten?" "That didn't count! That was official business, not personal. This time, it's definitely personal, right?" Luoya knew that if it were official business, her Brother Karen would submit an application through formal procedures rather than coming to see her secretly like this. "Yes. I have a partner in a symbiosis contract." "Oh? Brother Karen's symbiosis partner must be an incredibly powerful monster beast!" "Mm, yes. It's pitch-black all over, with razor-sharp claws, and it can breathe molten lava." "That sounds amazing!" "However, we've faced a long-standing problem: due to past severe injuries, its strength is severely restricted..." "Then doesn't that mean it can't help Brother Karen much?" "Indeed. I'm preparing to address this issue now, which requires a surgery. But because a symbiosis contract is involved, the surgical risks are immense. I have an outline in hand, but the plan might not be fully mature. So I'm hoping you can ask some artifact spirits here who possess expertise and insight in this area to help refine it. Can you manage that?" "Of course, no problem!" Luoya patted her small chest. "I can get them to help, leave it to me!" There was a particular bunch of artifact spirits whose enthusiasm she could absolutely mobilize! "Thank you, Luoya." Karen spread his palm. At the same time, in the communication room of Allen Manor, the physical Karen spread his palm as well. Resting in his hand was a scroll bearing an imprint of the surgical plan. Karen was using his soul consciousness as a bridge to reproduce the imprint here for Luoya. After all, though his consciousness was present, he couldn't carry a single physical sheet of paper across. Yet Karen still underestimated the difficulty of conducting mental imprinting in this space. He attempted to condense the mental imprint several times before him, but failed every time. "It seems I can't manage it," Karen said rather helplessly. The plan was intricate, with immense stakes riding on every step. Karen couldn't simply dictate it to Luoya on the spot. If he wanted her to enlist the aid of other artifact spirits, she had to have a complete, tangible plan in hand. "Brother Karen, you can't do it in this state. You still need an array to reinforce the connection." Right now, Karen was merely "communicating" through the mutual attraction between the silver mask, the copper coin, and the artifact spirit. In truth, Karen possessed a method to borrow Luoya's power to a certain extent, but that required setting up an array. "My manservant is already setting up the array. Once it's ready, I'll contact you again. I made preparations for both possibilities beforehand." "Ah, so your trip wasn't wasted, Brother Karen! Using an array will require me to make a few preparations in advance as well to conceal any commotion." "I know. You told me before. Wait a moment for me." "All right, Brother Karen, I'll be waiting for you!" Just then, Karen sensed the sweeping gaze drawing near once more, and he immediately retracted his consciousness. *Buzz!* Inside the communication room of Allen Manor, the silver mask on Karen's face faded away. His body swayed slightly before steadying itself. If communicating with Mavaglio earlier had merely consumed a few magic crystals, then communicating with Luoya just now had taken a genuine toll on his soul strength. Fortunately, his soul was sufficiently robust. Any other priest of his rank might have suffered a shattered soul from a single transmission. Heh, for that, credit also had to go to the Scythe of War. No matter who it was, if they were struck by that thing from time to time and survived, it was practically impossible for their soul strength not to increase by leaps and bounds. Karen stepped out of the communication room. Muri asked, "Chief, is it done?" Karen shook his head. "I still have to borrow the power of the array from Alfred to finish it." "I'll accompany you." "Mm." Karen walked out of the castle and, accompanied by Muri, entered the performance hall. At this moment, in the central area of the performance hall, Alfred was meticulously laying down the array. Seeing Karen approach, Alfred smiled and said, "It seems it wasn't successful. But please rest assured, Young Master—in another two hours, this subordinate will have it finished." "Let me help you set it up." "There's no need, Young Master. The more complex segments of the array have already been completed. What remains is purely filling in the lines and coloring." Karen nodded, walked over to a coffin, and said, "Then I'll go chat with Old Saman and the others for a while." "Very well, Young Master. I will notify you once it's complete." Standing in place, Karen closed his eyes. A black Chain of Order materialized beneath his feet and sank into the coffin before him. He entered Old Saman's consciousness first. Unsurprisingly, Karen found Count Rekar there as well. Ever since Karen had opened a "conduit" between them, the two had frequently gathered in this dreamlike existence. Even though their temperaments didn't align, there were only the two of them here. A sage and philosopher of the Church of Principles had once written in his diary: *How can one be certain that one is still alive? Ah, I am lonely.* Karen's arrival delighted them. Karen patiently sat down and recounted some of the recent happenings in the outside world. Once the recounting was finished, Karen felt a bit parched. Old Saman brought over a cup of tea and handed it to him. Karen took the teacup and glanced at the tea. Drinking tea here—wasn't that pure self-deception? Still, Karen soon drank more than half the cup. After all, wasn't feeling thirsty from "talking" here just as much of a self-delusion? "Your promotion came so quickly," Count Rekar remarked with feeling. "For the time being, it seems I've hit the ceiling," Karen said. "No, you are still young," Count Rekar said with utter seriousness. "All the winds and waves of this world fear a young sailor!" "Mm, thank you." Karen stood up. The conversation was over, and he prepared to leave; Alfred outside was likely nearing completion as well. Before departing, however, Karen took the initiative to say, "I will find a method to keep you continuously awake as soon as possible. I believe that time will not be far off." "Ah, we're in no hurry." "Yes, please take good care of yourself." Karen nodded. He knew the two of them were bound to be anxious. If they had simply died, they would be free of worries, which might have been better. Yet he had revived them, which was now equivalent to keeping them in "prison" while fully conscious. Without this glimmer of hope to sustain them, they were essentially enduring a form of torture. It was just that Karen himself didn't know when he would awaken that particular capability of the Chains of Order. It always felt tantalizingly close, yet separated by a sheet of window paper that he had no idea how to pierce. Leaving the dreamscape, Karen opened his eyes and found himself back in the central area encircled by the twelve coffins. "Young Master, this subordinate was just about to call you. Hehe, it is finished." Karen swept his gaze over the array on the ground. It was an amalgamation of several magic arrays. Taken individually, none were particularly difficult to construct; with enough array materials on hand, Karen could have quickly assembled them with ease. The complexity lay in integrating several critical nodes so they wouldn't interfere with one another during collective operation. That required spending a vast amount of time and energy to fill in the gaps through the most laborious methods. "If an emergency arises in the future, we probably won't be able to rely on Luoya's power." "Yes, Young Master. However, given your current position, emergencies ought to become rarer and rarer. Besides, aren't Muri and the others here?" Alfred rubbed his wrist lightly. "With their loyalty, Muri and the others will always stand before you, winning you the best possible opportunities." "Yes, Chief," Muri chimed in immediately. "Mm, very good." Karen could only sigh in his heart. It seemed Alfred's ideological education work had been progressing exceptionally well lately. The array activated. Karen held the Laks copper coin in his left hand and the scroll in his right, the silver mask covering his face once more. The next instant, a black vortex materialized beneath his feet. The vortex expanded before contracting into a circle of half a square meter, gradually taking on tangible form. Under normal circumstances, Luoya could channel a portion of her power out through this opening. This time, however, Karen needed to deliver an object inward. Bending down, he dropped the scroll into it, and the scroll vanished from sight. ... "Listen up, all of you are a bunch of useless bums! You've slaved away researching prison breaks for countless ages, launched countless escape attempts, and every single one failed. I feel embarrassed on your behalf!" Luoya had changed into a set of black clerical robes. Hands on her hips, she unceremoniously mocked the crowd of artifact spirits standing around her. This circle of artifact spirits spent every day either breaking out of prison or plotting to break out. They met failure after failure, yet never gave up. To a certain extent, this served as an exceptionally high standard of screening: anyone who could endure until now while maintaining drive and passion possessed an undeniably trustworthy "political stance." At the very least, they would never snitch! "Luoya, do you have any idea what you're saying?" "Little girl, don't think that just because we usually indulge you, you have the right to speak to us like that." "We only protect you because you're the youngest, so you won't get bullied." "How dare you defile our glorious cause!" "Looks like I need to teach you a lesson, hehe." The woman in the blue gown stood off to the side in silence. She wasn't pondering how "Brother Karen" had gotten in; rather, she wondered why Luoya's "Brother Karen" possessed an aura that made her feel so comfortable—an unfamiliar yet profoundly intimate sense of familiarity. At the thought, a flicker of guilt appeared in the blue-gowned woman's eyes as she looked at Luoya. Luoya had constantly told her how wonderful and charming her "Brother Karen" was, and it seemed... it might actually be true. Otherwise, she couldn't explain where this bizarre goodwill had come from. How could she feel a sense of closeness without having even seen the man's face? "The method of escape you've been desperately seeking—I've already found it! A mysterious and great existence has formed a connection with me, and he possesses the ability to enter and leave this containment space! "He promised that one day in the future, he will take me out of here and grant me true freedom! "Now, I make the same promise to all of you: the day I leave, I will take you all with me!" "The little girl has lost her mind." "Newly born artifact spirits are indeed prone to muddled thinking. I was the same back then." "Yes, exactly. She's fallen into delusions." "Luoya, you should be wary of your mental state. We artifact spirits can lose ourselves too." Luoya snapped, "Hey, hey, hey! Did you all forget what I just said? That's a mysterious and great existence!" "A mysterious and great existence... Luoya, who are you spinning stories for? Which of our former masters wasn't a great and mysterious existence?" "Exactly! Are you trying to say the one who connected with you is your God Laks?" "Hahaha! Since when did God Laks return? If he had returned, wouldn't our masters have returned as well?" "Oh, don't mock the little girl like that. What if some god really did return early and took a special liking to our little Luoya?" "What god would dare? This is the Church of Order's containment space. Even setting aside that big brute whose wide eyes sweep through here every day, the tight security of the Church of Order's Containment Space Department alone ensures no one can just wander in. "Even the deities of old wouldn't dare reach their hands directly in here, because that would be considered a grave provocation against the Church of Order." "Indeed. Doesn't he fear the wrath of the God of Order?" "Don't talk about little Luoya like that. What if the mysterious and great existence connected to her is the God of Order himself?" The gathered artifact spirits: "Hahahahaha!" Amidst the chorus of mocking laughter, Luoya crouched down. The surrounding artifact spirits assumed the little girl had been humiliated into tears and was crouching to bury her head and weep. Who could have foreseen that Luoya's next move would leave them with jaws dropped, utterly struck dumb? Before Luoya, a black vortex appeared, and immediately afterward, a scroll surfaced from within. Artifact spirits: "..." Everyone knew full well that this was definitely not an official channel used by the containment space to requisition divine artifacts. This was truly... a private channel! She could actually construct a teleportation array inside the containment space and successfully transport a physical object in! Although this private channel was far too small and fragile to allow an artifact spirit to slip through, let alone escape with their original divine artifact form, it had already surpassed all the achievements of this prison-break circle over countless years! Now that a fissure had appeared, could a rift, a tunnel, a total collapse... be far behind? Luoya held up the scroll and looked around, noticing that the eyes of all the surrounding artifact spirits were beginning to redden, their breathing turning heavy and ragged. "The facts are laid bare before you! First of all, we must keep this an absolute secret; we cannot let the other artifact spirits outside find out. You know as well as I do that in their eyes, we're just a bunch of idiots who've done nothing but waste our efforts for countless ages. "Besides, even if someone snitched, what would we gain? A slightly higher-class cell assigned to you by the Church of Order? We all know the Church of Order will never grant us the freedom we desire!" As Luoya spoke these words, she recalled the tone and bearing Brother Karen had displayed when she testified in court that day. Facts proved that her Brother Karen was the best in every aspect. Look—their emotions had been completely stirred up by her words! "Our former masters have either fallen, vanished without a trace, or died under the suppression of the God of Order. Although prophecies say they might return at some point in the future... "Just as you said, we are imprisoned in the Church of Order's containment space. Even if your former masters returned, would they dare come here to retrieve you and break you out? "Who's to say the God of Order hasn't returned as well? Heh. "Therefore, for those of us gathered here, whoever can grant us freedom is our new master! Do you agree?" "Agreed!" "That's right!" "As long as he can get me out, as long as he can give me freedom!" "For freedom, I'm willing to give everything!" "This is my dream! The dream all of us have pursued!" "We aren't like those spiritless artifact spirits whose fighting will was ground away by centuries of imprisonment! They don't even deserve to be called artifact spirits!" "Yes! Only our small group, clinging fiercely to our longing for freedom, has not disgraced the meaning of our existence!" "..." "Very good. Then next..." Luoya nodded with immense satisfaction, then raised the scroll in her hand high once more. "Let us carry out our Master's task together!"