13 Mink Street

Chapter 172: Grandfather’s Influence

Everyone removed their masks and introduced themselves to Karon by name, and he did his best to memorize them. The standard configuration of a Whip of Order squad was one captain and twelve members. Karon felt that this seemed to correspond to the God of Order and His twelve Knights of Order.

After a brief meeting, Nio led the others out of the room first. They would continue protecting from the shadows, even while Ophelia was inside Ankara Hotel. That was because most successful assassinations happened in places people considered safe.

Karon, Paige, and Fannie, however, would be staying in their suite, ready to answer summons from Ophelia across the hall at any moment.

”Who needs a shower?” Paige asked.

”I do,” Fannie said.

Paige then looked toward Karon and said, ”You don’t need one? We’ll be attending the banquet tonight. Come wash up together; it will be faster.”

Karon said, ”You two go first. I’m worried the room across the hall might call for someone in a moment.”

”Alright.” Paige and Fannie went into the washroom to shower;

Then, with a clatter, the wall separating the washroom from the sitting room was actually pulled open from the inside, leaving only a single pane of glass as a barrier, allowing for extremely high visibility.

Holding his wineglass, Karon stood up and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, admiring the sea view with his back to the washroom. Very soon, Paige finished showering and came out. She stood beside Karon and said, ”The sea view here is not beautiful. There is not the slightest feeling of sun and sand, only coldness.”

”Do we get vacation time? I mean the kind where we can actually go on holiday?” Karon turned to look at Paige, and only then realized she was completely naked. Her muscled body had sharply defined lines, and scars could be seen everywhere, giving her the feel of a sculpture.

”Could you get me a cigarette?” Paige looked at Karon and asked.

”Of course.” Karon took the cigarette case and lighter from his pocket and handed them over.

Paige shook her head.

Karon drew out a cigarette, brought it to her lips for her to grab, and then lit it for her. Paige exhaled a ring of smoke and said, ”We do get vacations. Back in Port Mulberry, we vacationed for many years. You’re unlucky, because we have only just come out of an extra-long holiday and entered a real working state.”

”I like being busy too,” Karon said.

”How did you figure out Miss Ophelia’s identity?” Paige asked.

”On the left breast of their clothing, there was a pattern. The number of crescent moons indicates family status.”

”Oh, I thought it was just decoration.” Paige smiled. ”You know, I like people who use their brains the most.”

”Paige, your clothes.” Fannie tossed Paige’s clothes over. Having already dried herself off, Paige began getting dressed. ”Karon, give me a cigarette too.”

Karon went to hand one to Fannie. She had clothes on, but only covering her upper body. Her long, full thighs were especially striking from her exposed lower half. Unlike Paige, there did not seem to be many scars on her body.

”Well, am I pretty?” Fannie asked with a smile after lighting her cigarette.

”Yes, very pretty.”

”Compared to her?”

”You are a soft oil painting, while she is an exquisite sculpture.”

”Hehehe.” Paige laughed.

Fannie then said, ”What I mean is, compared to that girlfriend or fiancée of yours, how do I compare?”

”She is younger than you, and prettier too.”

”...”

”...”

Using her fingertips, Paige pinched out her cigarette and asked, ”Karon, do you know what kind of words hurt people the most?”

”The truth.”

”Damn it!” Paige angrily slammed her fist into the sofa.

Fannie lifted her brows and said, ”Do you not know that women are like fine wine, and that their true flavor comes from the accumulation of years?”

”But I am still young, and not yet at the age to drink aged wine.”

”...”

”I can first drink lighter wines while listening to light music. I think that when I am older, when I want to drink something with more depth, the woman by my side will have gone through the same years of maturation with me. I enjoy that kind of shared pace. There is no need to skip steps and admire scenery unsuited to my age.”

”Damn it!” Fannie cursed as well. In a huff, the two women quickly got dressed and returned to work mode.

Karon felt that he had perhaps found a way to deal with workplace harassment. To be precise, the atmosphere within the squad was not that of a traditional workplace, and when he first came into contact with them, he had been too cautious and had too many concerns.

This place was a pack of hunting hounds, stripped of worldly restraints. Just as Captain Nio had said, no one among them was clean. The reason the captain kept calling Karon ”proper” was probably because after spending so long with this group of squad members, Nio was no longer used to what standard propriety looked like.

If you disguised yourself as a little white rabbit, they would only bare their teeth at you and be unable to resist pawing you around, but when you bared your teeth back at them, they became more comfortable, because they were already used to that mode of getting along.

At that moment, the doorbell rang. Karon walked over and opened the door. It was the middle-aged maid. ”Miss would like to find someone to help her understand the customs and local character of Veyn. Which of you would be suitable?”

Fannie said nothing. Paige said nothing either. When unsuitable people were in such a moment, they knew enough to keep quiet.

”I will come right away.”

”Very well, Mr. Karon.” Karon followed the maid into the room opposite.

Paige said, ”Could it be that our new member has actually managed to win over the young lady of the Darkmoon family?”

Fannie said, ”A love between people from mismatched households is destined to be a tragedy.”

”I don’t like hearing that. Anything is possible.”

”It’s impossible. He will probably explain in person that he misspoke at the dock.”

”That makes sense. If I didn’t know he already has a girlfriend, I would really think he doesn’t like women at all. Damn it! He actually just said that we’re old!”

”From his girlfriend’s point of view, he is someone worth relying on.” Fannie smiled. ”It’s rare to meet someone so steadfast in matters of feeling. The last one was...”

Fannie stopped speaking, and Paige’s expression also faded. Because the last one was... the captain.

***

Ophelia had already taken off her armor. The ”muscle Barbie” had finally returned to her true appearance, which was that of a very dignified and elegant young woman.

When Karon entered, she had apparently just finished bathing. She was seated by the floor-to-ceiling window, and was using a small nail file to trim her nails. Her nails were not long, likely because of martial practice.

Her armor was not light, and neither was her sword. When she had guided its blade along the back of his hand, Karon had sensed an extremely subtle control of force. That meant this young girl had not merely been playing dress-up, but possessed formidable strength of her own.

Most importantly, the seven crescent marks on that armor meant it had been made for her alone.

”Good evening, miss.”

”Mm.” Ophelia looked at Karon, smiled, and asked, ”Do you drink ice water?”

Several glasses sat before her, along with a pitcher of water and an insulated bucket filled with ice.

”My stomach is not very good. The doctor advised me not to drink anything too cold.”

”Oh, is that so? What a pity. I like ice water very much, because it calms me down quickly. Sinra, pour Mr. Karon a cup of black tea.”

”Yes, miss.”

So the middle-aged maid’s name is Sinra.

”Sit down.”

”Thank you, miss.” Karon sat down across from Ophelia and said, ”Miss, I need to offer you a solemn apology for what happened at the dock. Because I only half understood Darkmoon Island’s culture and traditions, I created a misunderstanding.”

”Hahaha.” Ophelia shook her head. ”It is alright. I am not angry. After all, what woman would be angry over a young and handsome gentleman confessing to her? I found it quite interesting, because I knew Mr. Karon must have mistaken the meaning of that phrase.”

”I truly am very sorry.”

”Alright, let us put that matter behind us. By the way, Mr. Karon, other than reading, what else do you like?”

”Horse riding.”

”Oh? So Mr. Karon is very skilled on horseback?”

”No. I can only be said to have just begun. My fiancée is very skilled.”

”Hmph, stingy man.” Ophelia reached out, picked up a piece of ice, and put it into her mouth, chewing it with crisp crackling sounds. ”Ah, I suddenly feel a sense of disappointment, just like when one of you men sees a beautiful woman, only for her to open her mouth and start talking about her fiancé.”

At that moment, the maid Sinra handed Karon a cup of black tea and said at the same time, ”Mr. Karon is really taking a beautiful misunderstanding too seriously. After all, who would treat it as real and actually take it to heart? Heh.”

Karon caught the faint mockery in the maid’s words, implying that he had actually thought their miss might take a liking to him. After all, what the Darkmoon family feared was the Church of Order, not one mere squad member from the Whip of Order beneath it. The gap in status between the two sides was enormous. How could such a misunderstanding possibly become reality?

Ophelia glanced at her maid, but said nothing. Karon cooperated by revealing a slightly awkward smile. ”Yes, I was taking it too seriously.”

Ophelia said, ”I truly find Veyn’s climate a little damp. I don’t much like this environment. Darkmoon Island is better; It is spring all year round.”

“That truly sounds like a place one longs for. I really would like to see it one day.”

”Darkmoon Island forbids outsiders from setting foot on it, Mr. Karon,” Sinra reminded him.

”Yes, yes, I was careless.”

Ophelia frowned slightly and said, ”Darkmoon Island always welcomes true friends to visit as guests. Sinra, go downstairs and see if they have arrived. Help bring up the luggage, and bring my books over.”

”Yes, miss.”

The maid had been sent away, and Ophelia looked back at Karon. ”She is my mother’s personal maid. She has stayed in the household too long, so the way she looks at people is a little...” Ophelia made a circling motion with her finger. ”You understand.”

”She is only fulfilling her duty, just as our squad does by protecting your safety. It is simply responsibility.”

”In truth, I am even more curious about Allen Manor. Do you know how that family is doing now? I would like to hear some concrete information.”

”To answer your question, miss, because I once worked in procurement, I have had some contact with Allen Manor. The Allen family’s current situation is not very good, because their family bloodline has been withering for several generations in a row.”

”Oh, I see. What a pity. In that ancestor’s diary, that Miss Allen was described as a true prodigy.”

”This is a fate no family can escape. Where there is a peak, there will naturally be a trough. That is the rule.”

”The rule...”

”Just as when they declined, miss, did you not arrive?” Karon naturally did not mind helping Allen Manor gain a few more benefits.

”Yes.” Ophelia nodded. ”Your words are quite philosophical.”

”You flatter me, miss.”

After that, Ophelia continued chatting with Karon about Veyn’s local customs and characteristics. His former work had consisted largely of making conversation, so he was able to keep the topics going with her the whole time.

Fannie eventually rang the bell, indicating that there was only one hour left before the banquet. Ophelia needed to arrange her evening gown, so Karon took his leave and returned to the room across the hall, where he took a shower.

When the time was about right, Ophelia, accompanied by the female warrior and the maid, with Karon and Paige behind her and Fannie leading in front, entered the banquet hall.

The banquet hall was inside the hotel. The scale of the event was lavish, and there were many guests. Moreover, the guests present could no longer be described as ”the powerful and noble.” Their strength and influence had long surpassed the traditional upper class. To describe these people as mere nobility would be an insult.

Ophelia continuously toasted and chatted with high-ranking figures of the Church of Order, while Karon followed behind her.

The reason for the arrangement of close security detail, and the reason Ophelia was only permitted to bring along two personal attendants of her own, was precisely because an assassination attempt could sometimes be concealed within a delegation itself;

The assassin might not necessarily come from enemies, but from a family’s internal power struggles. Thus, separating Ophelia from her own delegation was also for her safety. Even if she would die, she could not die on the Church of Order’s territory. She had to first return home and die after the talks were concluded.

Three Bishops from the York City region personally attended the event. Two of them delivered a few formal words and then departed. The remaining Bishop stayed a long while as the host, and even led Ophelia onto the stage to address the night’s guests.

Karon and Paige did not have to stand there like grim-faced bodyguards either, because that would have spoiled the scene. So their expressions also had to remain as composed as possible, and at the same time, they were free to partake of some food and drink.

”This blood sausage is delicious.” Paige placed a blood sausage on Karon’s plate.

Karon took a bite. It did not contain even the slightest trace of gaminess, only incomparable freshness. As someone skilled at cooking, he sensed that the ingredients involved were already beyond the bounds of his original understanding. ”What kind of blood was used to make it?”

”The blood of a demonic beast.” Paige smiled.

”Oh, no wonder. It really is delicious.”

So this was what the truly luxurious class ate?

”If you think it’s good, then eat some more. These are hard to find outside. If you buy them with credits, it is extremely expensive.”

”Yes, you are right.” Karon personally picked up several more blood sausages and placed them on his own plate. He and Paige then resumed following behind Ophelia as she moved through the banquet, gnawing on blood sausages at the rear.

”There are even more expensive things. When Miss Ophelia gets close, I’ll grab some for you,” Paige whispered.

”Alright.”

In any case, the banquet was full of important figures everywhere Karon looked, though he did not recognize a single one of them. After all, he was basically equivalent to an auxiliary police officer who had somehow ended up at an official banquet at city hall, except that this city happened to be one directly under the central administration. Who could he possibly know?

Yet with Paige’s guidance, Karon found a new world of food opening up before him. New ingredients meant new combinations and new flavors. The only problem was that such ingredients were hard to get. Even though Allen Manor was wealthy in the secular world, there was no way they could spend huge amounts of credits to buy rare ingredients for enjoyment. Only the church possessed such luxury and depth.

During the banquet, another small incident occurred. A handsome man in a white suit invited Ophelia to dance. She agreed, and danced a piece with him.

For a moment, the entire hall’s attention was focused on the two. It had to be said that in that atmosphere, they looked perfectly matched, like a golden boy and jade girl.

Taking advantage of the chance to move a little more freely, Paige led Karon to get some roasted meat as well and a large plate, which the two of them split between them. ”Charcoal-grilled drake, and this is the most tender jaw meat. This one plate costs 6,000 Order credits. I brought it all over.”

”Mm, alright.” Karon and Paige lowered their heads and ate the meat. Very soon, three months worth of Mr. Pavaro’s salary had been eaten away by Karon. At this point, the dance in the center was only half over.

”Who is that man?” Karon asked Paige.

Before Paige could answer, the maid, Sinra, who had been standing nearby and watching the two eat and drink their fill, replied. ”He is the grandson of the York City region’s Archbishop, and also a possible marriage candidate for miss. He is the true person seen beneath Darkmoon’s mottled afterglow.”

Archbishop? That’s one rank above Vicolay.

That was practically the equivalent of the top decision-maker of the Swillen region where Karon had previously lived.

And besides, “beneath Darkmoon’s mottled afterglow;” does that more or less mean a marriage ordained by Darkmoon?

Karon noticed that after giving that introduction, Sinra still showed a hint of mocking smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. Karon did not care about that. He could not be bothered to get angry with a maid. Instead, it was Paige who lightly nudged Karon with her elbow, then rapidly smacked her lips several times in his direction. He could not understand what she was saying, and she probably did not know herself, but she was definitely cursing the maid on Karon’s behalf.

Karon smiled and continued to sweep his gaze across the other foods that looked as though they might be very expensive.

Hah, some Bishop’s grandson, or the Archbishop’s grandson? So what? If Grandpa hadn’t fallen asleep, as the eldest grandson of the main branch of the Immers family, would I not be considered far more precious than all these grandsons?

The banquet ended. On the way back to the room, Sinra was ordered by Ophelia to go organize the gift list. Fannie went with the maid, as a local was needed to sort things out. Paige, in accordance with security protocol, went to meet the captain in the shadows to hand over the night’s procedural report.

In the end, the only ones who accompanied Ophelia into the elevator were Karon and the female warrior.

The doors closed and the elevator began to rise. Ophelia shook her wrist, then rubbed her neck and said, ”Whew, I am exhausted. The Church of Order is even more enthusiastic than I imagined. It seems that this time, the Church of Order is truly eager to reach a cooperation agreement.”

”Ahem...” Karon gave a light cough, indicating that he was still present.

”Hehehe.” Ophelia laughed. ”There is nothing there that cannot be said, Mr. Karon, so there is no need to mind it. This is something everyone already understands, as it is an open secret. Could it be that you do not know, Mr. Karon?”

”I do not,” Karon answered honestly. Nio seemed to know some details, but last time, the captain had not explained anything clearly or in detail before rushing on to tell Karon the story about hunting hounds and ducklings instead.

”Oh. It is simply that, in recent years, the major churches seem to have been receiving divine oracles and guidance more frequently than before. The gods, who have been silent throughout this epoch, seem to be showing signs of revival.” After a pause, Ophelia suddenly covered her mouth and laughed. ”Another matter is that a rumor is now spreading on a massive scale. The rumor says that the God of Order has already abandoned the Church of Order. Because Darkmoon picked up on something that I believe the other churches have sensed as well. It is likely the foundation of these rumors.

“That is, while every church has been busily receiving divine oracles and guidance, the Church of Order’s own Temple of Order, hehe, was actually blown up by its own divine power!”

”...”