Chapter 171: Warrior Karen!

Chapter 171: Warrior Cullen!

Although the Vien Empire stubbornly enforced the Maclay language family across its colonies, Maclay remained merely one of the world's primary tongues, far from the only one;

for instance, in the region where the Dark Moon Island lay, the official language was not Maclay, but Siderson.

Even within the same linguistic family, regional cultural variances could imbue speech with highly distinct local flavors, to say nothing of the vast chasms created by entirely different language groups and the diverse cultural backgrounds behind them.

Certain localized styles of greeting were less like mere dialectal variations and more akin to the cant or argot shared between different factions and trades, such as "the pagoda suppresses the river demon" or "the earthquake shakes the high ridge, a stretch of streams and mountains elegant for eternity";

literal translations of such phrases often drifted miles away from their true intent, rendering them entirely inadequate, if not nonsensical.

It was much like the phrase "down-to-earth" that Cullen had used; only Alfred had truly grasped its essence, whereas in the ears of Purr, Kevin, and those they passed it on to, the phrase sounded more like "receiving the breath and will of the earth," aligning itself perilously close to the doctrines of the Church of the Earth Mother.

Of course, Purr certainly had no intention of sabotaging Cullen, as she had no reason to dig a pit for her own great-great-great-great-niece.

The true reason was that, for the sake of her beloved pickled cabbage fish, Purr had wracked her brain to scrape together every scrap of information regarding Dark Moon Island left in her memory to pass along to Cullen.

This included a moment beneath a long-ago sunset, when a handsome young clan chief gazed at her profile and murmured to her: "It is the mottled shade beneath the twilight of the dark moon that allows me to see the true you."

In the end, his profound affection was met with utter indifference from the girl before him, who merely asked in a thoroughly perfunctory manner:

"Oh, what does that mean?"

The young chief's expression had dimmed, and with a touch of melancholy, he forced an explanation:

"It is just a common way we greet friends when we meet on Dark Moon Island."

Purr had passed this exact phrase and its explanation on to Cullen;

because back then, she had cared nothing for this young chief who kept pestering her despite countless rejections, and consequently, she had failed to grasp the deep affection in his words or the true meaning they conveyed.

To Cullen, uttering a piece of local slang in a diplomatic setting was meant as a gesture of respect, akin to how, in his past life, foreign guests would clumsily recite an ancient poem, drawing warm applause and cheers from the crowd.

He knew perfectly well that Neo had placed him in this position precisely to break the ice, because the Neo Squad lacked no capable fighters; what they lacked was someone presentable and decorous.

And then, he crashed and burned.

However, this King Kong Barbie did not feel insulted; using her current appearance, she fashioned the persona of a playful, mischievous girl and handled the situation with perfect grace.

Seeing their young mistress respond in such a manner, the rest of the delegation suppressed their emotions, and not a single soul spoke up to berate Cullen for his disrespectful and insulting behavior;

Cullen was also basking in the reflected glory of the Church of Order, for if the power dynamics between the two factions had been reversed, his words would likely have sparked a severe diplomatic incident.

Vanni and Peg, however, looked at Cullen with slightly altered expressions; they truly had not expected this young colt, whom they had been teasing just moments ago, to be quite so fierce.

The King Kong Barbie stepped into the carriage, Cullen and Vanni followed, and the business sedan began to move.

Yet, the ripples of the incident had not dissipated; they were merely confined within the walls of this vehicle.

"You seem quite familiar with our Dark Moon Island?"

Ophelia had not removed her armor, and sitting face-to-face with Cullen in the carriage, she appeared remarkably imposing.

Cullen replied with utmost honesty, "My apologies, My Lady. If I were truly familiar with the customs and culture of Dark Moon Island, I would not have been so abrupt and offensive."

At a time like this, it was impossible to admit outright that he had misunderstood the phrase, as that would only inflict secondary harm; any explanation would have to wait until they were away from prying eyes.

"It matters not. In my understanding, you Vienese have always possessed such a character—free-spirited, romantic, and unconstrained. I think it is wonderful."

"Yes, thank you for your understanding."

"On the ship over, I read the diary of a Vienese poet, and I found myself wondering, 'Oh, is it truly so?' Now I am certain that it is indeed the case.

Have you read that book?"

"Would the book My Lady read happen to be The Secret Diary of Rozin?"

"Exactly, that is the one. It seems you have read it as well."

"Yes, I have."

"Tell me then, is everything written in that diary entirely true?"

"No."

"Oh, no?"

"Certain parts were excised. For instance, Rozin himself once had an affair with Her Majesty the Queen, but this portion was omitted during publication because even he never anticipated that fifty years after his death, Her Majesty would still be alive."

"Hahahahaha!"

Ophelia burst into laughter, slapping her thigh as she did so, causing a metallic clanking to ring out from her armor.

"Her Majesty passed away not long ago, so a new edition of The Secret Diary of Rozin will likely be published soon. When it is, I can mail a copy to you, My Lady."

"Splendid, splendid. You must do so, do not forget."

Jokes about the Queen's age had long been used by other nations to poke fun at the Vienese, and the Vienese themselves would mock it in private, though it was rarely brought into the open out of basic respect for the royal family.

Within church circles, however, no such taboos existed; even Purr had remarked that her family had declined to the point of having to accompany the Queen for afternoon tea. To the truly orthodox great churches, the so-called royal taboos were nothing more than a laughingstock.

"How much longer until we reach the hotel?" Ophelia inquired.

Vanni replied, "About twenty minutes, My Lady."

"Oh, I should like to divest myself of this armor soon, for I worry I might leave a dreadfully heavy psychological shadow upon my suitor, and that would hardly be beautiful."

Vanni smiled and said, "We will arrive shortly. There will be a simple welcoming banquet this evening, attended by three Bishops from the York City Diocese to greet you. There are no itinerary arrangements for tomorrow, allowing you ample rest, My Lady. The exchange conference will officially commence the morning after next, but as it is merely an exchange, you need not attend in person; your assistants may handle the preliminary intentions."

"So the formal talks will take place in two days?"

"Yes."

"What a thoughtful arrangement. You have been most considerate."

"It is only our duty."

"Two days, then. But I have grown utterly weary of the ship, and I wish to step outside for a breath of fresh air rather than remaining cooped up in the hotel. Would that be permissible?"

"We will need to request permission and file a report with our superiors regarding this. If you truly have such a need, we shall provide an answer after you arrive at the hotel and the welcoming banquet concludes.

However, to ensure your safety, we must know your itinerary in advance—that is, the places you wish to visit."

Ophelia smiled,

and asked:

"Are you familiar with the Allen Manor?"

Vanni was taken aback, completely unaware of it. She turned to Cullen and asked, "Cullen, do you know of it?"

The Allen Manor had once been highly renowned, belonging as it did to the family of a former pirate armada leader, but the decline of recent generations had caused it to fade from mainstream circles. It was entirely natural for Vanni to be ignorant of it, for it indicated at least that the Allen Manor had kept itself clear of unlawful deeds...

After all, no ordinary family wished to be vividly remembered by the Whip of Order.

Cullen feigned deep thought, though he was actually hesitating; in the end, he decided to speak, because whether he admitted to knowing of the Allen Manor or not, Vanni and the others would find out the moment they reached the grand hotel, and if Ophelia truly wished to go, she would likely succeed anyway. Thus, it was better to seize a bit of the initiative himself.

"The Allen family was once a notorious pirate lineage in Vien, and the legends of their ancestors still linger in many adventure tales. Today, the family oversees the production of certain workshop industries, most of which supply our Church of Order. Their manor lies to the west of York City."

"Yes, exactly, that is the Allen Manor," Ophelia said. "You certainly know a great deal."

Cullen replied, "I simply enjoy reading novels."

Vanni smiled and said, "We shall submit the request, My Lady, and report the outcome to you after the banquet. Though I believe it should pose no issue."

"Thank you, and thank the Church of Order."

Cullen asked, "Does My Lady wish to visit the Allen Manor because of the pirate stories as well?"

"Pirates? Ah, yes. Our family did indeed have some contact with the pirates of the Allen family in our history. However, I am here upon the orders of my family elders, traveling to the Allen Estate to sweep the grave of an old acquaintance."

Upon the orders of her family elders? Was that infatuated young patriarch still alive?

How could he have survived until now? Purr was only alive today firstly because of the Finger of the God of Light, and secondly because she had turned into a cat; through various strokes of luck and coincidence, she had attained a much longer lifespan.

A long life must surely come with a price, and being a cat for a hundred years was the price Purr had paid;

So, what about that man?

And... sweeping a grave?

That cat was probably still sipping coffee in his apartment right now, yet someone was already preparing to go and sweep her grave.

The problem, however, was that within the ancestral cemetery of the Allen Estate, there was no grave for Purr Allen.

"Miss, would it be convenient to disclose what kind of old acquaintance this is?" Karen asked, immediately explaining, "We need to assess the emotional disposition between the Dark Moon family and the Allen Estate to determine the security level."

Karen directed the second half of his sentence while looking at Vannie.

Vannie nodded and said, "Yes, this is very important."

"Oh, it is a very beautiful love story." A look of yearning appeared on Ophelia’s face as she continued, "An ancestor of mine once met and came to know a young lady of the Allen family upon the great sea. They adventured together, they traveled together, they faced all kinds of unknowns together, and they deeply loved one another."

Karen blinked, for he had a premonition that this story seemed to have lost its truth.

"But, perhaps it was the arrangement of fate that decreed these two lovers could never stay together forever. Under the guidance of the Dark Moon, that ancestor of mine had to return to Dark Moon Island to inherit the position of patriarch.

For in his heart, loyalty to the Dark Moon was undoubtedly placed above all else, much like your faith in Order.

Thus, despite how that young lady of the Allen family cried out and pleaded so agonizingly in the midst of the storm;

My ancestor still resolutely cast aside this romance, returned to Dark Moon Island, inherited the position of patriarch, guarded the family, and guarded the Dark Moon.

Yet in his heart, my ancestor always kept that woman close, she who had commanded his deep love and also his deep guilt. On Dark Moon Island, there is still a palace today, and into the center of that palace, a pool of living magma is channeled. This is the dwelling my ancestor built for her. He would often stay there, yearning for his past beloved and remembering that romance."

Karen felt that this "love story" must absolutely never be heard by that cat of theirs, otherwise she would surely go mad.

Vannie asked, "Then over all these years, did that ancestor of yours never send anyone to contact her again?"

"The Dark Moon

Fanny introduced him like a tour guide at a zoo, explaining the breed of animal trapped behind the glass.

"Oh, then I must buy him a drink too."

Ophelia was completely unfazed; Karen noticed that she even watched the blood dripping down the carriage window alongside the sliding chunks of flesh, licking the corner of her lips.

Then, lifting her glass, she took a deep gulp, a faint look of enjoyment washing over her expression.

The assassination attempt was swiftly strangled; a squad member wearing a black mask approached with a bucket and a cleaning rod, first scraping off the fragments of flesh, then using a finger to sketch a bloody heart on the window before wiping it entirely clean.

"Hehehe."

Ophelia watched the scene unfold, laughing with genuine delight.

Peggy restarted the car, and a quarter of an hour later, they entered the Ankara Hotel, an establishment named after the daughter of the God of Order.

This was presumably a hotel directly operated by the Church of Order, heavily guarded, where none who stayed were ordinary people; even royalty wishing to lodge here for a night had to line up and await approval.

Once the car was parked, Fanny led the way while handling the check-in process, while Karen and Peggy followed closely behind, escorting Miss Ophelia and her two companions all the way to their rooms on the eighteenth floor.

Miss Ophelia needed to freshen up and prepare for tonight's welcoming banquet; as her personal security detail, Karen and the others had rooms right across from hers.

After stepping into his room, Karen first washed his face in the washroom, then caught a faint rustle of movement outside, though this hotel not only boasted excellent soundproofing between rooms, but even between the individual chambers within a single suite.

By the time Karen hung up his towel and walked out of the washroom, he saw that in the small living room of the suite, besides Peggy and Fanny, a crowd of people wearing black masks sat on the sofas, each holding a glass of liquor, with some still bearing remnants of blood on their clothes, though it was likely not their own.

Neo stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a glass of red wine, turning around to look at Karen with a smile playing on his face.

Just then, one of the squad members wearing a black mask stood up, his voice recognizable to Karen as Marlow, the one who had worn the police uniform last time; Marlow swayed his body and shouted:

"Brothers, rise!"

Everyone stood to their feet.

"Come, let us offer our reverent worship to our newest member, Karen!

For he is the first warrior in the security history of the Church of Order to confess his love to his protectee the very moment they met!!!"

Everyone, including Peggy and Fanny, and even Neo, held their wine glasses in one hand while extending their other hand toward Karen, bending their knees and bobbing up and down in continuous worship.

"Worship our warrior, Karen!"

"Worship our warrior, Karen!"

"..." Karen.

At that moment, another person wearing a black mask changed his movements, drawing everyone's gaze; from his voice, Karen recognized him as Zema.

Zema crossed his hands before him, twisting his body and pointing his toes, drawing continuous circles on the carpet as he pinched his throat to say in an affected, bashful voice:

"Oh my, regarding your confession, could I think about it a little longer?"

"Hahahahaha!"

Everyone burst into a roar of laughter.

Then, Neo spoke: "Alright."

The moment the captain spoke, everyone fell silent and stood up straight.

Neo pointed to a glass of liquor