Chapter 172: Grandfather's Influence

Chapter 172 The Grandfather's Influence

Everyone removed their masks and introduced themselves to Karen, who made a conscious effort to commit each name to memory.

The Whip of Order squad was structured with one captain and twelve members, a configuration Karen felt subtly mirrored the God of Order and his twelve Knights of Order.

After the brief meeting, Neo led the others from the room first; they would continue their protection from the shadows, even within the Ankara Hotel, for most successful assassinations occurred where security was taken for granted.

Karen, Pegg, and Fanny would remain in this suite, waiting to be summoned at any moment by Miss Ophelia across the hall.

"Who needs a bath?" Pegg asked.

"I do," Fanny replied.

Pegg turned her gaze toward Karen. "What about you? You will be attending the banquet tonight. Come wash with us, it will be faster."

Karen spoke up, "You two go ahead. I am worried someone might call from across the hall in a moment."

"Very well."

Pegg and Fanny entered the washroom to bathe.

Then, with a sudden click and a slide, the wall separating the washroom from the living room was pulled back from the inside, leaving only a single pane of glass as a barrier, offering exceptional visibility.

Clutching his wine glass, Karen rose and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window to admire the sea view, turning his back completely to the washroom.

Before long, Pegg finished washing and stepped out, standing beside Karen.

"The sea view here is not beautiful. It lacks even a hint of sun-drenched beaches; there is only a stark coldness."

"Do we get vacations? I mean, the kind where we can actually go on holiday?"

Karen looked at Pegg, only to realize she was entirely naked. Her muscles possessed a distinct, defined contour, and scars were visible across her skin, giving her the appearance of a sculpture.

"Could you get me a cigarette?" Pegg asked, looking at Karen.

"Of course."

Karen reached into his pocket to hand over both the cigarette pack and the lighter.

Pegg shook her head.

Karen drew a cigarette out, placed it between her lips for her to hold, and then struck the lighter to light it for her.

Pegg exhaled a ring of smoke. "We do have vacations. Back in Samp, we vacationed for many years. You are unfortunate, because we have just concluded an exceptionally long holiday and have only now entered a true working state."

"I happen to prefer being occupied," Karen said.

"How did you discover Miss Ophelia's identity?" Pegg asked.

"On the left breast of their clothing, there is a pattern. The number of crescent moons signifies their status within the family."

"Oh, I thought it was merely decoration." Pegg smiled. "You know, I am particularly fond of people who use their brains."

"Pegg, your clothes."

Fanny tossed Pegg's clothes over. Having dried herself off, Pegg began to dress.

"Karen, give me a cigarette as well."

Karen walked over to pass a cigarette to Fanny. Though she was dressed, she wore clothes only on her upper body; her long, shapely legs were highly prominent. Unlike Pegg, her skin seemed largely free of scars.

"Well? Is it beautiful?" Fanny asked with a smile after lighting her cigarette.

"Yes, very beautiful."

"How does it compare to her?"

"You are a soft oil painting; she is an exquisite sculpture."

"Heh heh heh," Pegg laughed.

Fanny, however, pressed on, "I mean, how does it compare to your girlfriend, or rather, your fiancée?"

"She is younger than you both, and she is more beautiful."

"..." Fanny.

"..." Pegg.

Pegg snuffed out the cigarette butt with her fingertips. "Karen, do you know what kind of words hurt the most?"

"The truth."

"Damn it!"

Pegg struck the sofa angrily with her fist.

Fanny raised an eyebrow. "Do you not know that women are like fine wine, and that the true, exquisite flavor comes from the maturation of years?"

"But I am still young, and I have not yet reached the age to drink aged wine."

"..." Fanny.

"I can start by drinking lighter wines while listening to light music. I imagine that when I am older and wish to drink a wine with deeper flavor, the woman beside me will have experienced the maturation of years right along with me, in perfect synchrony. I quite enjoy that shared pace. There is no need to skip steps and admire an unsuitable landscape at an unsuitable age."

"Damn it!"

Fanny cursed under her breath as well.

The two women quickly put on their clothes in a huff, settling back into their professional demeanor.

Karen felt that he had perhaps discovered the method to handle workplace harassment.

To be precise, the internal atmosphere of this squad was not that of a traditional workplace, and when he had first encountered it, he had been too cautious, harboring too many misgivings.

This place was a pack of hounds that had discarded conventional restraints. Just as Captain Neo had stated, no one here was clean. The reason the captain repeatedly described him as 'decent' was likely because, after spending so much time with these squad members, Neo had grown unaccustomed to normal decency.

If one disguised oneself as a helpless white rabbit, they would only bare their teeth, unable to resist tossing you about. Yet when you showed your teeth in return, they became comfortable instead, because they had long been accustomed to this mode of interaction.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Karen walked over and opened the door to find the middle-aged maid standing there.

"The young lady wishes to find someone to understand the local customs and culture of Wien. May I ask which of you would be suitable?"

Fanny remained silent, and Pegg said nothing either; those who were unsuitable knew to hold their tongues at such a moment.

"I will come right away."

"Very well, Mr. Karen."

Karen followed the maid into the room across the hall.

Pegg spoke up, "Could it be that this new member of ours has genuinely managed to pursue and win the young lady of the Dark Moon family?"

Fanny remarked, "A love between unequal houses is destined to be a tragedy."

"I do not care for that kind of talk; after all, isn't anything possible?"

"It is impossible. He will likely just explain his slip of the tongue at the pier to her face."

"True. If I did not know he had a girlfriend, I would truly think he had no interest in women. Damn it, he actually just called us old!"

"From the perspective of his girlfriend, he is a man worth relying on." Fanny smiled slightly. "It is rare to see someone so steadfast in his affections. The last one was..."

Fanny fell silent, and Pegg's expression darkened into a somber shade as well.

Because the previous one was... the captain.

…

Ophelia had already shed her armor, and the erstwhile "King Kong Barbie" had finally reverted to her original form—a very dignified and elegant young lady.

When Karen entered, she seemed to have just bathed, sitting by the French window and filing her nails with a small emery board. Her nails were short, likely due to her martial arts training.

That suit of armor was by no means light;

And then there was that sword—when she manipulated it to rest flat against the back of her hand, Karen sensed a subtle mastery over her strength. This meant that this young girl was far more than a mere cosplayer; her own strength was formidable.

Most importantly, the seven crescent moon emblems on the armor indicated that it was inherently her own custom-made suit.

"Hello, My Lady."

"Mm." Ophelia looked at Karen, offered a smile, and asked, "Would you like some ice water?"

Before her stood several glasses, along with a pitcher of water and an insulated bucket filled with ice cubes.

"I have a weak stomach, and the doctor advised me against drinking anything too cold."

"Oh, is that so? What a pity. I quite enjoy ice water, as it helps me calm down quickly. Xinla, please pour Mr. Karen a cup of black tea."

"Right away, My Lady."

So the middle-aged maid's name was Xinla.

"Please, have a seat."

"Thank you, My Lady."

Karen sat down across from Ophelia and said, "My Lady, I must formally apologize for the incident at the docks. My superficial understanding of the Dark Moon Island's culture and traditions led to a misunderstanding."

"Hehehe." Ophelia shook her head. "It matters not. I was not angry. After all, what woman would be vexed by a confession from a handsome young gentleman?

I found it rather amusing, for I knew Mr. Karen must have mistaken the meaning of those words."

"I am truly very sorry."

"Well, let us put the matter behind us. By the way, Mr. Karen, what else do you enjoy in your spare time besides reading?"

"Horseback riding."

"Oh? So Mr. Karen is quite proficient in horsemanship?"

"No, I am merely a novice. My fiancée, however, is excellent at it."

"Hmph, miser." Ophelia reached out, picked up a piece of ice, and popped it into her mouth, crunching it down. "Oh dear, I suddenly feel a wave of disappointment. It is just like when a man spots a beautiful woman, only for her to open her mouth and speak of her fiancé."

Just then, the maid, Xinla, handed Karen a cup of black tea and remarked:

"Mr. Karen truly takes a beautiful misunderstanding far too seriously. After all, who would take it as truth and actually harbor it in their heart? Hehe."

Karen caught the subtle mockery in the maid's tone, hinting that he genuinely believed her mistress could have taken a liking to him.

After all, what the Dark Moon Clan feared was the Church of Order, not a mere member of the Whiplash of Order beneath it. The disparity in status between the two sides was vast; how could such a misunderstanding ever become reality?

Ophelia glanced at her maid but said nothing.

Karen cooperatively offered a slightly awkward smile: "Yes, I suppose I took it too seriously."

Ophelia remarked, "I find the climate in Wien to be rather damp. I do not particularly care for the environment here. Our Dark Moon Island is much better—it enjoys eternal spring."

"That sounds like a fascinating place. I would truly love to visit."

"Outsiders are forbidden from stepping foot onto Dark Moon Island, Mr. Karen," the maid, Xinla, reminded him.

"Yes, yes, my oversight."

Ophelia frowned slightly and said, "Dark Moon Island always welcomes true friends as guests. Xinla, go downstairs and see if they have arrived. Fetch the luggage and bring my books over."

"Yes, My Lady."

The maid was dismissed.

Ophelia looked at Karen and said, "She is my mother's personal maid. Having stayed at home for so long, the way she views people is a bit

"There are even more expensive ones over there. When the young lady walks that way, I'll fetch some for you," Peige whispered.

"Alright."

In short, this banquet was brimming with grand figures, none of whom Karen recognized. After all, his presence here was akin to an auxiliary police officer happening upon an official municipal gala by a stroke of sheer luck, and given that this city was a direct-controlled municipality, who could he possibly know?

Yet, under Peige's guidance, Karen felt as though a grand portal to gastronomy had been flung open; new ingredients promised novel pairings and unfamiliar, exquisite flavors.

The only trouble lay in procuring such ingredients. Even though the Allen Estate possessed immense worldly wealth, it was still impossible for them to squander vast amounts of point coupons simply to enjoy such rare delicacies.

Only the Church possessed that degree of luxury and deep-rooted heritage.

In the course of the banquet, another minor interlude unfolded. A handsome gentleman clad in a white suit invited Miss Ophelia to dance, and she acquiesced, joining him for a turn upon the floor.

For a moment, the attention of the entire hall converged upon the pair. It had to be said that beneath this ambiance they appeared a marvelous match, like a pair of celestial golden children.

Peige, seizing this window of slightly freer movement, brought Karen some more roasted meat—a massive platter, which the two of them proceeded to share.

"Charcoal-grilled drakon meat, and it's the tenderest jaw meat. This single platter costs six thousand Order coupons, and I scooped it all up."

"Mmh, good," Karen murmured, and together with Peige, they buried their heads in eating.

Before long, an amount equivalent to nearly three months of Mr. Pavaro's salary was completely devoured by Karen.

At that point, the dance in the center of the room was only half-finished.

"Who is that man?" Karen asked Peige.

Before Peige could answer, the maid Xinla, who had been standing beside them watching the two of them "gorge" themselves, replied:

"He is the grandson of the Chief Bishop of the York City Archdiocese, and a potential candidate for marriage with the young lady. He is one seen truly beneath the dappled shadow of the Dark Moon."

The Chief Bishop? That was one rank higher than Grandfather Vikole.

It was nearly equivalent to the primary authority of the Rulan Archdiocese where he used to reside.

Moreover, "beneath the dappled shadow of the Dark Moon" likely implied a union designated by the Dark Moon itself?

Karen noticed that after Xinla finished her introduction, a faint, mocking smile lingered at the corner of her lips.

To this, Karen paid no mind, for he could not be bothered to grow angry with a mere maid. Peige, however, nudged Karen gently with her elbow and rapidly mimicked a chattering motion with her mouth toward him. Though he could not comprehend her silent words—and she likely did not know what she was saying either—she was undoubtedly cursing the maid on his behalf.

Karen smiled, his gaze resuming its sweep for other ostensibly expensive foodstuffs.

Hah, the grandson of some bishop or Chief Bishop—if his own grandfather had not fallen into his deep slumber, would he, the eldest grandson of the Inmeres family, not be vastly more precious than these pathetic grandsons?

The dinner party drew to a close.

On the way back to the rooms, the maid Xinla was instructed by Ophelia to organize the gift registry, and Fanni accompanied her, since a "local" was required to untangle the complexities. Peige, following security protocols, went to conduct tonight's debriefing and handover with the captain hidden in the shadows.

In the end, the only ones accompanying Ophelia into the elevator were Karen and the female warrior.

The elevator doors slid shut, and it began its ascent.

Ophelia shook her wrists, then rubbed her own neck, sighing, "Whew, that was utterly exhausting. The Church of Order is far warmer than I imagined. It seems this time they are quite desperate to reach cooperation."

"Ahem..." Karen gave a soft cough, indicating his continued presence.

"Hehehe," Ophelia laughed. "There is nothing here that cannot be spoken aloud. Mr. Karen need not mind; these are matters everyone knows in their hearts, an open secret. Is it possible you were unaware, Mr. Karen?"

"I was unaware."

Karen spoke the plain truth. Neo seemed to know something, but last time Neo had failed to explain it clearly or specifically, in his haste to tell the story of the hound and the duckling.

"Oh, it is merely that in recent years, all the major churches seem to be receiving divine edicts and divine guidance far more frequently than before. The gods, who have remained dormant throughout this entire epoch, seem to show signs of awakening."

She paused.

Ophelia suddenly covered her mouth and giggled,

saying:

"The other matter is a rumor currently circulating on a massive scale, claiming that the God of Order has abandoned the Church of Order.

Because the Dark Moon detected it, and I believe the other churches sensed it as well—which is presumably the bedrock of the rumor;

namely, that while every other house is busy receiving divine edicts and divine guidance, the Temple of Order of the Church of Order—hehe—was actually blown apart by its own divine power."

"..." Karen.