Chapter 260: Meeting!

Chapter 260: The Meeting!

The Dark Moon is only fit to reflect the shadow of Order.

Taffman knew that was a polite understatement; the true meaning was that the Dark Moon was not even worthy of carrying Order's shoes.

Yet, Taffman did not grow angry at these words, for what Karen spoke was the truth.

Everyone knew the Church of Order was powerful, but this war waged by Order against Samsara had made everyone realize that Order was, in fact, far mightier than anyone had previously imagined.

Therefore, whether from the perspective of personal development or the advancement of a faction, Dark Moon Island could simply never compare to the Church of Order.

Taffman spoke up, "I can understand you, but as an investor, your ambition might mean our investment will never see a return."

Karen asked in response, "If I weren't here, would you have stopped investing in others?"

"You make an excellent point." Taffman nodded.

It was a question of long-term investment versus short-term returns.

However, Taffman was well aware that once Karen made this decision himself, there was no longer any possibility of short-term returns for Dark Moon Island; you could not drag someone back to Dark Moon Island and force their head down to make them marry.

That would be the most short-sighted choice.

"I look forward to seeing how far you can go within the Church of Order. As I just said, I quite like your temperament."

"Thank you for your appreciation."

"Heh, good. Continue with your rest."

Taffman walked out of the room, and after the attendant at the doorway closed the door, his expression instantly turned sullen.

He walked into his study, sat back down in his chair, his fingertips gently stroking a blood-ruby ring.

He had to admit that he could not see through Karen.

As a man who had spent half his life riding the waves of the great ocean, he instinctively suspected everything, because the sea was a master of deception; one moment the sky could be clear for ten thousand miles, and the next, a tempestuous storm would erupt.

Without reason, without cause, without evidence, he simply suspected that within this incredibly solid chain of clues, there might exist some unknown, hidden truth.

It was absurd, because if it truly were a human arrangement, it would be an immense undertaking indeed, yet its purpose would merely be to win the favor of his niece?

But here lay the problem.

Taffman knew his niece already held feelings for Karen due to their last contact in Vien. This time, when the two met, it was Karen's apparent coldness that, unsurprisingly, drove his niece to tell him she wanted to sever those feelings.

Add to that his earlier conversation with Karen, where the young man had clearly articulated his grand ambitions, his desire to keep climbing the path of Order, and had even unabashedly expressed his disdain for the Dark Moon, bringing up the words of Lady Perle to back it up.

To deliberately forge all of this just to swindle his niece's heart?

Yet throughout it all, it was he who had actively rejected and pushed away the idea of their relationship progressing toward marriage.

Taffman's brow furrowed tightly; it was far too contradictory.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

"Enter."

The study door was pushed open, and Ophelia stood at the threshold.

"Uncle."

Taffman noticed that his niece did not step inside the study; she merely wished to greet him before immediately asking for his permission to go visit the man who had just saved her.

He had always regarded Ophelia as his own daughter, and seeing her like this now, a wave of helplessness rose within Taffman's heart.

"Is the banquet over?"

"Yes, Uncle."

Tonight, his brother had hosted a banquet for several bishops, including Wolfrun, to cultivate closer relations, and his niece had accompanied them. As soon as the banquet concluded, she had rushed straight back here.

"He is awake. Go see him."

"Alright, Uncle."

Ophelia closed the study door.

"Ha..."

Taffman gave a self-deprecating laugh, looking down at the blood ruby in his hand.

He felt that he still preferred leading fleets to wage war against pirates and other island factions, because he knew that the opponents he faced on the sea, though troublesome, could be defeated through his own operations and strategy.

But regarding those high-and-mighty orthodox churches, he knew all too well that even if he won ten battles in a row, he could not change the massive disparity in strength, whereas his side only needed to lose once, and Dark Moon Island would be utterly destroyed.

He did not like dealing with unbeatable opponents—or rather, no one did.

Taffman rested his hand against his forehead,

muttering to himself:

"The remnants of Light..."

...

The bedroom door opened, and Ophelia stepped inside.

Karen was currently leaning back against the bed, holding a cup of tea the attendant had just brought in, taking a sip.

Ophelia walked up to Karen, sat down at the edge of the bed, and asked with concern:

"How is your injury recovering?"

"Fortunately, I received your personal medical care, otherwise my wounds might have healed long ago."

Hearing this, Ophelia's expression stiffened slightly, and she fell silent.

Karen immediately set down his teacup and said, "It was only a joke. Thank you for taking care of me; this kind of treatment isn't something just anyone can enjoy."

Ophelia shook her head and asked, "How do you do it? To be so optimistic right after waking up from a severe injury?"

"As long as I haven't been laid in a coffin, I must try my best to maintain a good mood to face life."

"And after you are laid in a coffin?"

"Then by doing so, I can maintain muscle memory after being laid in the coffin. Perhaps I'll even keep smiling after death."

"What would you like to eat?"

Karen was startled. "Are you going to cook personally?"

"No, I will instruct the chef to prepare it."

"Anything is fine."

"And then, what should be done now?" Ophelia asked. "You saved me, you didn't die, you were severely injured, you woke up, I am now sitting by your bedside, you are very optimistic, and because the injury was treated in time, it isn't a major issue... What about me? What should I do now?"

"You can face life with a smile."

"You are brushing me off."

"No, I am not."

"You are precisely brushing me off," Ophelia said with conviction. At the same time, a trace of a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, though this smile was somewhat cold. "If I were to say that I will continue to care for you, or express my feelings for you, you would surely bring up your fiancée again to stall me, or inadvertently deflect the topic."

"Would I?"

"You would."

"So, it turns out we understand each other so well."

"Since I was a child, I have basically been able to get everything I wanted."

"That is not a good way to educate; you must never spoil your children like this in the future."

"So, to hell with propriety!"

Ophelia swore; it was the first time Karen had ever heard the noble princess use such language.

Then, Karen found his hand caught by Ophelia. He did not pull back, but in the next instant, Ophelia’s fingers intertwined with his own. Karen attempted to draw his hand back, but it wouldn't budge.

Judging from their previous experience facing the captain together, he was no weaker than Ophelia in terms of spells, but as a Dark Moon warrior, Ophelia far surpassed him in sheer physical strength.

She had repeatedly fallen into a disadvantage when competing in close combat with the captain, but that was the captain, after all.

When Ophelia exerted her strength, it became unrealistic for Karen to break free, and he noticed that as he applied force, Ophelia increased hers as well.

Ultimately, Karen relented and stopped resisting, because pushing any further would mean using spells and breaking into a full-blown brawl with Ophelia on the bed.

The cold smirk on the corner of Ophelia’s mouth did not fade. Having seized Karen’s hand, she leaned her body forward, wrapped her other arm around his waist, and pressed her face against his chest.

Instinctively, Karen wanted to reach out and remove the princess's hand from his waist, but as if sensing his movement, Ophelia tightened her embrace beforehand, holding him even closer.

She shifted her head against Karen's chest, finding a comfortable angle to rest.

"Sorry, it's my first time resting my head on a man's chest. I have no experience."

"Well..."

"You can keep resisting, it's fine. Even if you weren't injured, you're no match for me in close quarters, let alone now when you're carrying wounds."

"No need..."

Once, a woman named Paige had complained to Fannie, saying she regretted not forcibly devouring Karen when she first met him in the captain's office, because after a while, she realized she could no longer beat him.

Clearly, Ophelia was not about to make the same mistake Paige did.

Karen remained sitting on the bed, and Ophelia continued to lean against him just like that.

There was no sorrow or hesitation on the princess's face; she seemed to have found clarity—no, the guidance of the Dark Moon.

She was no schoolgirl; she didn't like to act tough only to cry in secret. She was a princess, a warrior.

If mutual affection was impossible, then she would first make herself happy unilaterally.

Having seen through this, her heart suddenly grew bright and clear.

"Ophelia..."

"Oh, please don't say those words to ruin my current mood, alright?"

"But..."

"Please put your hand on my back; that would be the proper thing to do."

"But..."

"Can't you grant me even this tiny request? Just think of it as helping a friend."

Karen placed his hand on Ophelia’s back.

Ophelia continued to lean against Karen’s chest, her expression relaxed and at ease.

"Do you hold your fiancée like this too?"

"I do."

"Is she very considerate, very gentle?"

"Yes."

"She wouldn't be like me, not even knowing how to lean properly, would she? I don't mean she's highly experienced; I mean, maybe I'm really not the type you like. You prefer the gentle and quiet ones, don't you?"

"It's fine, just answer me normally. I only want to hear the true answer."

"Yes."

The moment the word "Yes" left his mouth, Karen felt the grip around his waist tighten even more. So much for it being fine.

"You said that you and your fiancée met through a blind date arranged by both sets of parents."

"Mm, yes."

"If your first blind date partner had been me, would you have been with me?"

Karen hesitated.

"Answer me."

Ophelia urged.

"I would."

"Why?"

"Because you are also very beautiful."

"Do you only look at whether a woman is beautiful or not?"

"On a first blind date, if not appearance, what else is there to look at?"

"So, it's just because I arrived late, right?"

"Destiny, perhaps."

"Your definition of love is truly shallow, Karen."

The people of the Dark Moon Island grew up immersed in the love story of their ancestor, Bernard; they naturally viewed love with a romantic color.

Karen really wanted to tell her what the true nature of her ancestor Bernard's love story actually looked like.

"Ophelia, do you know why love stories are always so sought after in this world? Because people generally like to pursue things in artistic works that they cannot obtain in reality."

"Perhaps you think my definition of love is shallow, but you will find that I am already happier than the vast majority of people in the world."

"You're not older than me," Ophelia reminded him, "yet you always give off the impression of someone who has already lived a lifetime and seen through many things."

"That is probably just because everyone matures at a different pace. Perhaps I am a bit precocious. But, Ophelia..."

"Alright, I know. Don't worry, I won't ruin the relationship between you and your fiancée. Although there is no marriage law on the island, when I read works in Maclai, I can still find a resonance with monogamy."

"Don't carry any psychological burden either. I can even attend your wedding with a smile."

"But..."

"Rest assured, it's to offer blessings, not to cause trouble."

"Ophelia..."

"Alright, be quiet. I want to lean here a little longer."

A long time passed.

Sensing something wet and sticky on her face, Ophelia lifted her head in surprise, looked at Karen, and asked:

"What's wrong?"

"The wound... it split open."

…

Facts once again proved that injuries which might have healed long ago had only grown more severe under Ophelia’s meticulous care.

Fortunately, medical resources here were abundant, and after a fresh batch of physicians arrived late at night to treat him with healing arts, the night passed, and by morning Karen was able to get out of bed and wash up on his own.

Of course, this was also thanks to the Captain’s perfectly measured handling of the wounds.

"A message has already been sent to your captain, explaining your current situation. He said he would have someone else cover your shift so you can rest and recover properly here. Your captain really is a good man."

"Mm."

Indeed, he would have been more than glad to let Karen stay here and finish a full month of postpartum confinement with the child's mother.

"Are you still going back to the hotel today?"

"The conference opens today; I want to go and see it firsthand," Karen said.

"You care about this sort of thing?" Ophelia asked.

"Don't you?"

"The specific details of the conference can be read afterward."

Karen shook his head, saying, "It's different. I want to experience the atmosphere. Perhaps after sitting there listening for a whole day, I'll be too lazy to go back the next."

"If you find it boring, I can take you to look around other parts of the island."

Instead of refusing, Karen replied, "Alright."

Breakfast was sumptuous, especially that turtle egg—exquisitely fresh, scooped out with a spoon to eat, its taste truly intoxicating.

Karen felt that this turtle egg could even challenge the position of plain scallion noodles as the breakfast of choice in his heart.

Unfortunately, Karen heard from Ophelia's introduction that these turtle eggs were specially gathered for her by her uncle, General Taofman, during his voyages at sea; even for the Princess of Dark Moon Island, eating them every day was difficult, let alone for him.

Thus far, aside from his cat drinking coffee brewed from beans bought with points, the others had not yet reached the luxury of consuming food paid for with points.

After breakfast, Ophelia spoke, "Take my carriage back to the hotel."

Immediately following that, she added, "I will go to the hotel with you; I have things to attend to as well."

Riding in a carriage together and returning to the hotel in the morning was almost an explicit declaration of a certain relationship.

Karen found the feeling somewhat strange; generally, in relationships between men and women, it was the men who sought to actively declare the relationship and assert sovereignty, yet with Ophelia, it was completely reversed.

Oh no, if the roles were reversed, everything seemed to make perfect sense; Ophelia had clearly picked up the boyfriend's script, which meant he was...

"No need, I'll head back on my own."

Karen stepped out of the villa, crossed a street, and hailed a carriage:

"To the Bernard Hotel."

Just then, a female warrior also climbed into the carriage; though she wore a helmet, Karen knew it was Ophelia.

Ophelia held out her hands and said to Karen, "This way, you won’t have to worry about your reputation being affected, right?"

"Your armor is nice, more form-fitting than the set you wore when you stepped off the ship at our first meeting."

"Heavy armor is a hassle and takes time to put on. Besides, be careful when leaving the hotel lately; although that remnant of Light is dead, any potential accomplices haven't been caught yet, though a secret manhunt is underway across the entire island."

Karen nodded and said, "I hope they catch them soon, those damned bastards!"

The carriage began its journey toward the Bernard Hotel, and Ophelia spoke up: "Go to the side entrance. Our gentleman here doesn't like to be seen with me."

"Very well, milady. And sir, you really are no gentleman."

The Bernard Hotel was divided into several residential zones; the main entrance corresponded to the largest residential area, currently occupied mostly by members of the Church of Order, while the side entrance corresponded to the lodging area for the Church of Samsara, so although the two delegations stayed in the same hotel, they did not have much interaction.

On the road outside the side entrance of the Bernard Hotel, a group of people held up banners and shouted slogans loudly:

"We want peace."

"Oppose aggression, oppose religious war."

Seeing this scene, Karen couldn't help but ask, "Are there believers of the Church of Samsara on Dark Moon Island?"

Ophelia shook her head. "Not on the island, but a sacred site of the Church of Samsara is not far from Dark Moon Island. Dark Moon Island is a large island, but there are several smaller islands in the surrounding waters where many people believe in the Church of Samsara. They came here voluntarily this time, having registered upon entering the island, and won't be expelled during the conference. Once the conference ends, only the missionary outposts of the Church of Order can exist on the island."

"Then why don't they protest at the main entrance?"

"They are afraid of getting beaten."

The driver stopped the carriage. "Milady, sir, we have arrived."

Ophelia stepped down from the carriage and tossed a gold coin to the driver.

"Blessings upon you, generous lady."

Karen and Ophelia stepped out of the carriage.

Karen spoke up, "I'll go to the lodging area first to report that I've returned."

"I'm heading to the assembly hall."

"Mm, goodbye for now."

"Goodbye."

Karen was not wearing his divine robes, but rather the attire of an islander, nor did he wear a mask; he simply walked through the lodging area of the Church of Samsara in a perfectly ordinary manner and returned to the courtyard where he resided.

Pushing open the door, he walked inside; the courtyard was empty, as there was still a short time before the opening of the conference, and everyone was having breakfast in their rooms.

Karen pushed open the door to his room and saw the Captain sitting by the edge of the bed drinking coffee. Seeing Karen return, the Captain immediately set down his coffee cup, stood up, came over to Karen, and began inspecting his body:

"Hey, didn't I tell you? Not a single scar will remain. They certainly used the finest healing arts and elixirs."

"Captain, I hope next time you won't..."

Before Karen could finish his sentence, the Captain interrupted him: "Let me tell you a secret, there really are remnants of Light on this island."

"Isn't that just you, Captain?"

"Oh no, I mean, besides me. Yesterday while you were recovering, I took another stroll through the town and discovered the signaling mark where the remnants of Light gather. Well, theoretically speaking, this signaling mark was actually designed by 'me'."

"Because of what happened the night before last, Dark Moon Island is currently conducting a secret manhunt for the remnants of Light on the island, so it's normal that they were spooked."

"No, if they are facing a manhunt, shouldn't they descend further into silence and stay hidden? How could they possibly send out signals and actively gather together?

Although Bernard slaughtered those thousand-plus priests of Light back then, during that period, many islanders already believed in the Light; perhaps the seeds of Light took root on Dark Moon Island long ago.

Even in Wien, under the jurisdiction of our Church of Order, there are remnants of Light. Their ability to survive is truly formidable."

"Captain, what do you mean?"

"I suspect they might plan to do something during the conference. Are you planning to go inside and audit the meeting?

Then you and Memphis go ahead; each bishop can bring two guards to sit below."

"Then what about you, Captain?"

"After seeing the bishop into the assembly hall, I'll head out to find out what their objective is."

"How do you intend to do that?"

"Simple, I will just go and attend their meeting."

In Neo's capacity, blending into a gathering of the remnants of Light was easy, especially since the signaling mark was created by the "him" in his memories.

"Captain..."

"What is it? Is there something else?"

"Promise me you are only going there to gather information and attend the meeting."

"What else would I be doing?"

"Do not offer them any advice."