Chapter 202: Heated Negotiation

Chapter 202 A Fiery Negotiation

Merely suspicion

Yes

I will report this detail up the line

Very well Captain

Karen turned and walked back to his suite

Upon the bed Vannie and Pegore were still fast asleep Pegore had kicked the blanket down to the floor preferring to sleep on her stomach while Vannie wore a silk nightgown of a style that proved far more alluring than wearing nothing at all

They must have heard the earlier ringing but because Karen was on watch they would immediately fall back to sleep unless he woke them a testament to the trust placed in a teammate

Of course their current sleeping postures were a display of an even deeper level of trust

Karen stood by the bedside his brow furrowing slightly

Reconstructing the scene after he had pushed the room service cart inside earlier many details now struck him as deliberate

It was the target who had suddenly felt the urge to drink with him yet he had only taken a single sip as if executing a calculated performance for an audience ensuring Karen could testify to his drinking

And the moment he finished that sip his inclination to chat vanished entirely claiming he was tired

However this suspicion was practically useless

One could interpret it as a deliberate disguise to win the trust of the upper echelons of the Order of Order

One could also interpret it as him knowing the high officials still harbored suspicions so he intentionally used this method to prove his innocence

The only one who could truly know the truth was likely that space worm

Karen gave his neck a gentle twist suddenly feeling a touch of gratitude gratitude that he possessed no grand sense of belonging to the Order of Order therefore it sufficed to simply perform his own duties let the higher ups ache their heads over weighing decisions and balances

To quietly complete the mission and secure his points that was the true path

Bending down to retrieve the blanket and draping it once more over Pegore and Vannie Karen sat back on the sofa taking a cigarette from the pack Vannie had left on the coffee table and turning it over idly in his fingers

Unwittingly he had shaken most of the tobacco out of the cigarette by the time the morning dawn finally cast its light through the French windows

Karen picked up the receiver beside him there was no tone meaning he could not dial out but very quickly he heard the sound of someone picking up on the other end

Hello hotel front desk how may I assist you milord

Breakfast

Is that for three persons

Yes

Milord do you have any special requests

Bring up some more cigarettes

Very well milord please wait a moment they will be delivered shortly

Ordering cigarettes was something Pegore had taught him they would bring clothes but absolutely never extra cigarettes anyway expenses incurred during a mission could be reimbursed by the Church so if they ran short they could simply have the Ankara Hotel front desk bring them up charging it to the room which the squad did not have to settle themselves

The cigarettes provided by the Ankara Hotel contained certain special ingredients unavailable on the outside they could be purchased at the administrative building store but only with points

However to keep appearances decent one could not demand them by the crate but only by the carton

Before long Marlo’s voice came through the blue seashell at Karen’s ear

Breakfast

Karen stepped out of the room and walked to the elevator when the doors opened he saw his young cousin once more

A whole day had passed and Richard had spent nearly all of it inside the elevator save for brief bathroom breaks and no one ever entered this particular lift except for personnel authorized on this floor

This meant that for the entire day he had been essentially confined to a closed space left to his own reflections

Yet he showed not the slightest hint of complaint every time the doors opened he appeared full of energy and this was no act for Karen failed to detect even a trace of dissatisfaction in Richard’s microexpressions

Putting himself in those shoes Karen felt that given the same family background if a team relegated him to such a post during his first mission he would certainly feel a sense of imbalance

Thus his young cousin’s ideological awareness was higher than his own

Richard pushed the breakfast cart out then turned and stepped back into the elevator

Karen picked up a plate using tongs to gather some bread and sausage the breakfast for three was not divided into three neat portions in fact it was ample enough to satisfy six or seven adults

Setting the full plate down Karen walked back over and pressed the elevator button it had not gone down remaining on the same floor and when the doors opened again Karen stepped inside holding the plate and a large glass of orange juice

Subsequently the elevator doors closed

Richard looked at Karen with some confusion and Karen asked Have you had breakfast yet

No

Karen handed him a fork and sat down seeing Richard still standing Karen gestured Sit down eat first

Oh alright

Richard sat down obediently and began to eat

Karen took a sip of the large glass of orange juice then handed it to Richard who took it and took a deep gulp as well

Is it dull Karen asked

Richard shook his head saying This is my post and my duty

Mmh perform your work well the Captain and the others will surely note your attitude and you will be assigned to a better position next time there is a mission

But I believe guarding the elevator is a very important post because there are arrays safeguarding the hotel perimeter and inside between every floor and every room there are barriers of arrays and restrictions including inside this elevator which has its own array

Therefore anyone capable of entering this floor must pass by me this place is very important

Yes Karen nodded

Richard took a bite of sausage and continued When Bishop Berne went down he seemed to be contemplating something his mood appeared somewhat hesitant and undecided

Oh Karen was rather surprised his young cousin was actively observing everyone and most importantly was willing to share it with him

This meant that his long standing affinity for Karen was because he genuinely regarded him as one of his own

Bishop Berne grandfather once mentioned him saying that although he is a lowest ranked first tier bishop in the York City Region his true influence is not as simple as it appears on the surface a first tier bishop of the York City Region is very likely just a simple identity he currently requires

Bishops were distinguished by tiers from one to nine rising sequentially though in the normal sense this was merely tied to treatment and benefits

In truth the internal structure of the Order of Order or rather most churches suffered from a common issue namely that position realm authority and influence these four aspects could never be truly aligned in a neat sequence

From divine servant divine inspired divine shepherd to inquisitor adjudicator and lawgiver followed by regional bishop and then higher regional bishop for instance the York City Region was equivalent in rank to a nation like Rulan while the Wayne Kingdom Region surpassed the Rulan Region a distinction somewhat like a municipal civil service system versus a state civil service system

The reason it felt chaotic was that a large portion of the realms and official titles within the Order of Order overlapped the exact same form of address could represent either a position or a realm of power

In extreme cases if one’s contribution was grand enough or status high enough even a divine servant could serve as an inquisitor or an even higher post because even in the iron fisted Order of Order those solely responsible for fighting did not constitute the majority

For example his own grandfather Dis had always been an inquisitor yet even Lasma would feel fear upon entering the city where grandfather resided

To take an immediate example Richard was a divine shepherd but his credentials marked him as a divine servant while Karen had attained the realm of an inquisitor yet still held the credentials of a divine servant

Only above the rank of lawgiver would realm and position finally uncouple employing distinct expressions

And the cause of this chaotic system lay in the fact that the development and expansion of a religion was inherently uneven it was not like ink dropping into clear water blending smoothly into gradual shades instead it had endured a long history of constant tug of war among various religious factions before arriving at a relatively stable yet dynamic equilibrium

When he first learned of this Karen had mentally compared the phenomenon to the era of warring warlords where this grand marshal or that great commander could round up a band of bandits and hand out ranks of colonel or major general calling themselves brigade or division commanders position rank territory faction and combat capability were almost entirely a tangled slurry of mud

Yet, regardless, a Tier 1 bishop of the York City Archdiocese was already a lofty station. If such a position was merely being used as a temporary cover, just how high was Bishop Bourne’s true status and authority?

After all, he was capable of placing his own son as a mole within the Pamires Cult, an endeavor that ultimately culminated in the boy becoming the Son of God; Bourne had undoubtedly pulled strings behind the scenes to facilitate that.

"I think Bishop Bourne might have had some doubts in his mind," Richard said. "And those doubts seemed far heavier than when he first got into the elevator."

He had looked even more weighed down by care after seeing his own son?

Karen trusted Richard’s observation, for even the finest actors could not maintain a performance around the clock, and Richard’s post was so utterly mundane that it was easily overlooked. Those entering and exiting the elevator likely wouldn't bother to consciously mask themselves in front of him.

"Furthermore, there’s the Captain."

"The Captain?"

"The Captain took the elevator up quite early."

"Yes, I know about that."

It seemed the Captain had been hiding on this floor all along, waiting for the drug to take effect.

"When the Captain went back down, I could feel that he seemed to be laughing."

"Laughing? Did you hear his voice?"

Karen remembered that the Captain had been wearing a mask tonight.

"His shoulders. They were trembling, ever so slightly," Richard said.

"Ah, so that's how it was."

When going down, the Captain must have just finished his conversation with him, during which Karen had shared his own suspicions. So, what was the Captain laughing about?

"Your observations are very important," Karen said. "The next time there is another mission, I will arrange for you to be by my side."

"Alright." Richard smiled, looking thoroughly delighted.

After finishing breakfast with Richard, Karen stepped out of the elevator and pushed the dining cart back to his suite.

The blanket had once again been kicked down by the two women.

Because the sunlight from outside had already streamed in, replacing the dim, warm glow of the room, the scenery upon the bed could be seen with greater clarity—and indeed, it appeared far fairer.

Vanny was naturally fair-skinned, possessing a voluptuousness that was uniquely hers.

Peggy, if one were to look past the scars upon her body, was actually fair-skinned as well.

From this angle and against this backdrop, the scene on the bed resembled an oil painting: two women presenting two distinct forms of beauty and texture.

Karen rested his hands on the dining cart, admiring the view appreciatively for a moment.

Since it was beautiful, it was only natural to look; after all, they did not mind to begin with.

Peggy opened her eyes, sat up, and stretched toward Karen. "I smell food."

"Yes, wash up and have breakfast," Karen said.

Naked as the day she was born, Peggy stepped off the bed, walked over to the dining cart, and asked, "Can I pretend I just woke up and am still groggy, just to steal a quick kiss? That way, I can start today's work in an excellent mood."

"Then the good mood of my day would be ruined."

"Why?"

"Don't you know how bad a person's breath is when they first wake up? Let alone the fact that you smoke and drink."

"Hah... Heh... Heheheh!"

Peggy glared at Karen, her eyes wide with fury.

"Karen, the thing I regret most right now is that when we first met, I didn't take you by force right there on the sofa in the Captain's office!"

"A pity, but you no longer have that opportunity."

Peggy turned around, swaying her hips twice as she bent over away from Karen, and said:

"But I wouldn't mind if you used that greatsword Miss Ophelia gave you to leave a few red welts right here on me."

Vanny sat up from the bed and laughed, "Oh, starting so early in the morning? Is this the desperate game of trying to salvage one's wounded pride and shattered charm?"

Peggy shot back at Vanny, "I'm not the only one who needs saving. Haha, I didn't see you wearing this kind of lingerie last time. It seems you care quite a bit too."

"Let's eat breakfast. There is a welcome banquet this morning. I imagine that since we are under radio silence, the banquet will be very simple, with few attendees. We probably... won't even be qualified to eat," Karen said.

Peggy: "You are entirely right."

Vanny nodded and said, "That is indeed the case."

The two women went into the bathroom to wash up, while Karen sat down on the sofa, leaning back slightly and looking out the window. For some reason, an image of Eunice involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

Having washed and dressed, Vanny stepped out of the bathroom, laughing as she ate her breakfast:

"Are you thinking about your girlfriend?"

"No, I am thinking about what happened last night."

Peggy happened to walk out of the bathroom at that moment and cursed, "Oh, damn it, do the two of us lack even the ability to make you think of your girlfriend now!"

Karen replied, "After all, we are not in the same age bracket."

"Fuck!"

"Fuck!"

The two women swore in unison. Vanny raised her middle finger at Karen, while Peggy fiercely bit off a piece of a grilled sausage.

Next came the period of waiting.

At half past ten, Karen, accompanied by Peggy and Vanny, knocked on Delius’s door. Delius opened it, dressed in yesterday’s divine robes. He looked in exceptionally good spirits, exuding a solemn and holy aura; it was hard to imagine him in the state he had been in last night.

The welcome banquet was held in a small hall. Karen, Peggy, and Vanny entered the banquet hall, but there were only three long tables set up inside.

At one table sat Delius, Bourne, and the other archbishops, while the other two tables were occupied by the people Delius had brought and the negotiating clerks from the Church of Order.

Karen and the other two could only stand on the periphery. Far from eating, they did not even have chairs to sit on, serving merely as background dressing; it was truly a blessing that they had made a point of eating their fill at breakfast.

For a matter involving the merger of two churches, the presentation on both sides seemed somewhat modest, but considering that the results of the negotiations would be passed down to the true upper echelons of both sides for verification, everything before them appeared normal again.

There were no tedious speeches, nor any expressions of sentiment. The banquet proceeded very quickly; everyone seemed to be doing it merely as a formality.

Once the banquet concluded, the negotiations, which according to the original schedule were not due to start until two in the afternoon, were moved forward to begin immediately.

The conference hall was not large either, but this time no isolation barriers were erected. Since everyone present could not leave the hotel until the negotiations concluded, there was naturally no need for strict confidentiality.

The specific contents of the treaty did not need to be kept secret either, because a successful negotiation meant the Pamires Cult would be absorbed into the Church of Order, making them one family, while the consequence of a failed negotiation would be the annihilation of the Pamires Cult by Order, which would likewise leave only one family.

During the last meeting, Vanny and Peggy had been nodding off constantly, finding it a form of mental torture; fearing they might snore if they fell asleep, they had even asked Karen to pinch their thighs to keep them awake.

But this time, they showed no signs of weariness whatsoever. They sat up straight and listened intently, as though they had suddenly become immensely concerned with the future of the Holy Church.

First, Delius spoke on behalf of the Pamires Cult to outline their demands. To summarize, the Pamires Cult would externally declare its allegiance to the Church of Order, alter the mythological accounts in its scriptures, and maintain lockstep unity with the Church of Order regarding secular affairs and relations with other churches.

On the side of the Church of Order, Leon's grandfather—the Chief Bishop of the York City Archdiocese—presented their demands. In summary, the Church of Order would take over all shrines of the Pamires Cult, and the core of their doctrines must be based on the *Light of Order*, with the Pamires Cult's doctrines included merely as an additional volume within it;

The ecclesiastical apparatus of the Pamires Cult would be dismantled and integrated into various departments of the Church of Order, with particular emphasis placed on the spatial arts and the crafting of spatial sacred artifacts—fields in which the Pamires Cult excelled—which would see exclusive branch departments established under the Church of Order's administration;

The Messenger Space must open its gates to the Temple of Order, with a permanent teleportation array constructed between the two spaces, and the operation of the array would be controlled by the Church of Order.

The respective demands of the two sides could not merely be described as divergent; they were worlds apart.

However, just like conducting business, one had to ask for an exorbitant price first to leave room for haggling later.

Next, a fierce quarrel and debate erupted between both sides as they hurled pens and paper at one another, completely discarding any semblance of priestly dignity; even the herring-selling market matrons were more civilized in their disputes.

At the height of the shouting:

Three negotiating priests from the Pamires Church tore off their divine robes, fell to their knees, and bellowed, "If it comes to this, I would rather die than submit!"

Meanwhile, two adjudicators from the Church of Order rolled up their sleeves and roared, "What merger? Let us march straight into the Messenger Space and annihilate Pamires!"

Yet, both sides were dragged back by the members of their respective delegations, only to resume their shouting match.

Initially, Karen listened with great relish,

But looking at Delius, who was leading the delegation to fight for the best treatment and retained rights from the Church of Order, and remembering how he had once shouted before him: "Are you questioning my loyalty to Order?"

Alas, Karen sighed silently. Right now, what was old Salaman doing?

Probably,

He was currently discussing the finer details of his own funeral with Alfred.

—

Requesting monthly tickets!