Chapter 278: Judgment! (Please Subscribe!)

Chapter 278: Judgment! (Please subscribe!)

Bernard turned his gaze toward Karen.

Right then, within the bundle of silk threads resting nearby, two suddenly snapped.

Wisps of black patterns instantly bloomed across Bernard's body, like lashes of lightning, binding him fast and exerting their crushing force.

Concurrently, a grey halo manifested above him, exuding a palpable aura of profound weakness.

Bernard's expression contorted in agony, yet he uttered no sound, silently enduring the assault.

Karen, meanwhile, slowly picked up the mass of threads, his fingertips idly plucking at them.

At this sight, Bernard's expression eased; the black lines on his skin and the grey halo above dissolved into nothingness—not because he had broken free, but because he had decisively surrendered his resistance.

The array had triggered itself precisely because it sensed Bernard attempting to marshal the power within his body.

After all, Mr. Eisen had inscribed the formations directly onto him, with some even seeping into his very flesh.

These arrays might not have been of the highest tier, incomparable to forbidden-grade formations, but they possessed the terrifying advantage of absolute proximity.

It was the difference between a match burning before your eyes and a match burning inside your heart.

Karen had been prudent enough and had laid down sufficient preparations; under such circumstances, the possibility of an accident was virtually nonexistent.

"Have my descendants offended the Church of Order?"

Clad in his canonical robes of Order, Karen was instantly recognizable.

Bernard's voice was raspy; though he had never truly died, having just awoken from a prolonged state of suspended animation, his bodily organs could not recover so easily.

Moreover, Karen noticed a glint of dark crimson swirling deep within Bernard's pupils, as though a crescent moon of the Dark Moon had been embedded in his eyes.

Back at the Ankara Hotel, Ophelia had deployed a spell to discern truth from falsehood, relying on the Sword of Alius to react.

Count Recar had also invoked the name of the sea to monitor the veracity of Karen's words.

Now, Bernard was employing a similar method, though his technique was far more covert and, naturally, possessed a higher level of perception.

This meant that, from here on out, falsehoods were out of the question.

Yet, this was precisely the sort of atmosphere Karen desired for their conversation.

Karen smiled faintly and said, "No. It just so happens that I belong to the Church of Order."

A look of relief washed over Bernard's face as he smiled and said, "That is well, that is well. I was truly worried my descendants might have erred and provoked the great Order."

"Presently, Dark Moon Island and Order stand as partners."

"Truly? That is wonderful. It seems Dark Moon Island has developed to the point where it can be of service to the great Order."

Bernard did not ask why he had awakened, nor why he was here; he deliberately bypassed the core issue at hand, a classic gambit of negotiation.

It was a tactic Karen knew intimately, one he frequently employed when speaking with patients—never touching their core sensitivities at the outset, but rather engaging in a long, seemingly trivial exchange to gather more useful intelligence.

"Yes."

"I truly cannot wait to return to the island and see it for myself."

"It appears you recognize this place?"

"Yes, I do. In my youth, I was fond of snake gallbladders; that bitter, fishy taste was always my favorite, and this island catered perfectly to that craving."

"Indeed, there are many snakes on this island."

"Do you enjoy snake gallbladders, sir?"

Karen shook his head.

Bernard continued, "Then I suggest you try the wine I brewed with them. Pual drank it once, and she was quite fond of it."

The first tentative probe had been made.

"Miss Pual? Dark Moon Island is filled with tales of the romance between you two."

"Is that so? Ah, that remains the greatest regret of my life. We could have truly loved each other, yet we were forced apart by our respective duties."

"It sounds poignant and quite helpless."

"You look very young. Do you have someone you love?"

"I do."

"Please cherish her. Do not end up like me, recognizing your folly only when all is lost."

"When I am back home, my beloved and I sleep together every night. She gently strokes my chest, massaging away the exhaustion of my day, and in the morning, I tuck her in, admiring the sleepy curve of her lips."

"How blissful. It is truly enviable."

"Bliss is born of contrast. Hearing your story makes me feel all the more fortunate."

"Hahaha, of course. I am honored to serve as a stepping stone for your sense of bliss. Are you here on business?"

"Yes, on business."

"That is quite a distance. It cannot have been easy to reach this place."

"It was manageable. A teleportation array belonging to the Church of Order has been established on Dark Moon Island; coming from Wien takes but an instant."

"Splendid. It seems the bond between Dark Moon Island and the great Order is close indeed."

"It is."

"I am fond of Wien's thick paste; I find it a wondrous flavor that truly awakens the palate."

"I am not particularly fond of Wien cuisine."

"Pual felt the same. She found Wien cuisine grew tiresome quickly. I often suspected her love for exploration was merely a pretext to forage for exotic delicacies; she was quite the glutton."

"Oh, is that so?"

"For her sake, I specifically learned how to cook."

It seems your culinary skills are lacking.

Karen drew a cigarette from his pocket, brought it to his lips, and struck his lighter.

This was a subtle hint, a sign that he was losing interest in the topic, and he trusted Bernard was perceptive enough to read it.

"Do you like Dark Moon Island?"

"I do. The climate here is very pleasant."

"Since you hail from Wien—forgive my bluntness—compared to that place, Dark Moon Island is paradise."

"I can agree with that."

"You would surely love the hospitable people of the island as well."

"Yes, indeed. Though, it is the people of Dark Moon Island who prefer me."

"Oh? Tell me, which lady of our island possesses the fortune to share a beautiful romance with you?"

Clearly, Bernard understood that this referred to a second woman.

Holding the cigarette, Karen looked at Bernard and said, "She calls you ancestor."

"An alliance by marriage? Oh, I hope she has not disappointed you, and I hope you will treat her kindly."

"I will. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, she will succeed as the patriarch of the Dark Moon clan in the future."

"Really? Oh, heavens, then she must still be of my direct lineage. How wonderful. This means the relationship between Dark Moon Island and the Great Order will be even more unbreakable.

Let me think. I must have left some treasures in certain places back then. You can go dig them up and give them to your future children. Your children will be the crystallization of Dark Moon and Order.

I am truly overjoyed. Really, nothing is more delightful than waking up to find one's family has developed so well."

"Actually, my meeting her was entirely a matter of luck."

"The blood-colored rim silhouettes the footsteps of your arrival. Every meeting, acquaintance, and even love that seems accidental is a specific arrangement made by the Dark Moon, by fate."

"The exact same words, I have said to her as well."

"Oh, is that so? It seems my story spread long ago, or perhaps, you have always paid attention to our Dark Moon Island."

"Actually, it was the people on Dark Moon Island who noticed me."

"As they should. I can feel your extraordinary nature."

"They believed my surname is Allen."

"You are from the Allen family? You and Purr belong to the same family? What a coincidence, haha, ah, excellent. It seems my descendants have successfully established a connection with the Allen family."

"They felt that the union between her and me would be the best interpretation and conclusion to a beautiful story, and it would also make it easier for her to become the sole candidate for the next patriarch."

"Mhm, of course. You also have the identity of Order. I believe Dark Moon Island will develop better and better in your hands and hers."

"Mhm." Karen flicked the cigarette ash and added, "They believed I am a descendant of Purr."

Bernard: "..."

This was the first time Bernard's expression management completely spun out of control.

Because he instantly associated it with Karen's previous sentence, "the best interpretation and conclusion to a beautiful story," which, combined with the earlier conversation buildup, implied a certain possibility.

"Heh, what else did they say about you?"

Karen turned his face, looked at Bernard, and smiled:

"They actually said I am the descendant of you and Miss Purr. Tell me, isn't that ridiculous?"

"This is truly a misunderstanding. How dare they speculate on your identity like this, haha, a misunderstanding, absolutely a misunderstanding. Miss Purr and I were truly in love, but we never..."

"Yeah, it is a misunderstanding. When Purr found out about this, she was simply furious."

Bernard: "She... she... she is still alive?"

"Aren't you still alive? Why can't she be alive too?"

"Did she come to the island as well? Was it her who asked you to get me out?"

The honorific title Bernard had maintained earlier was forgotten this time.

It was palpable that he was terrified of the possibility that Purr might also be on the island.

This terror stemmed not only from the resentment Purr might feel due to the love stories he had fabricated, but more importantly from...

Karen noticed that Bernard's peripheral vision flicked to his side. He was looking at the coffin of Jennifer next to him.

This was enough to prove that back then, Purr not only had a bad temper, but more importantly, she possessed immensely powerful strength.

When Purr was at home, she had said that once her strength recovered, she would go to Dark Moon Island and overturn Bernard's grave. She had no intention of doing such a thing stealthily.

Karen shook his head and said, "She didn't come. She is at home."

"The Allen Manor? Whew, how wonderful. Learning the news that she is still alive makes me truly overjoyed."

"At my house."

"At... your... house..."

"She likes me to rub her belly. Every time I rub her belly, she giggles nonstop, clings to my hand, and curls her whole body up."

"She fancies the spot on my shoulder. Every time we are outside, she likes to lean against me here."

"She loves eating the dishes I cook. At home, she begs me to cook for her almost every day. For this, she always agrees to many of my requests and forgives many of my mistakes and offenses."

"Every time I am about to go out, she always admonishes me not to look at other women outside. Even at home, she repeatedly emphasizes to me that I can only love one person in this lifetime."

"Oh, right, she shares a bed with me every night."

Bernard's face began to flush. The wheel of the Dark Moon in his eyes told him that the man before him was not lying.

Black lightning appeared on him once more, but he immediately reined in the power that had just surged within his body due to his anger. His eyes had already reddened, and this redness had nothing to do with the Dark Moon.

Bernard spoke, "She and you should be the truly perfect match."

Karen smiled.

Gritting his teeth, Bernard continued, "To

"You should know full well how we must act when facing the remnants of Light. Paul hates me for it, and rightfully so, but I do not regret my actions back then. Even if I had to do it all over again, I would choose the exact same path.

Those hypocritical, masterfully disguised remnants of Light—they deserved to die, and they deserved to be purged!

If I hadn't done what I did, the Dark Moon Island we know today would not exist. They would have destroyed this beautiful island, causing everyone on it to be utterly ruined by their madness!"

"Mr. Philias, and his followers, were a group of good people."

"How can you say such a thing? They were heretics, demons cloaked in a white facade! They are masters of using hypocrisy to bewitch the hearts of men, all to achieve their filthy ends!"

"You know, I originally thought that if I didn't act this time, Paul would surely come to Dark Moon Island specifically to seek revenge on you once she found out. I figured I would just do it in her stead, saving her the trouble of making a special trip.

Furthermore, after arriving on this island, I discovered you weren't just fabricating stories to move yourself; you were truly desecrating her, insulting her. She is, after all, the person who shares a bed with me every night. This behavior of yours made me exceedingly uncomfortable."

"I admit my mistake, I admit my..."

Karen snapped a silken thread, and a burst of soul-fire flared up from Bernard's chest, roasting his very spirit—an agony of the most extreme kind.

Unable to endure the torment, Bernard let out a wretched scream.

"When I am speaking, would you mind not interrupting me?"

"I won't... I was wrong..."

The soul-fire gradually flickered out, leaving Bernard's face a ghostly, ash-white pallor.

"More importantly, I discovered that Mr. Philias and his band of followers were truly a group of good people. I have never seen a collection of souls so genuinely kind.

You claimed that if you hadn't killed them, they would surely have brought destruction upon Dark Moon Island in the future. Yet they did no such thing, not even when the opportunity laid right before them.

You knew yourself just how kind they were. Moreover, I believe you knew that if you had simply told them to their faces that you wished for them to leave, they would have chosen to depart without ever seeking revenge.

They would have embarked on a new journey with smiles on their faces."

Bernard fell into silence.

"Ah, I suppose I can only blame the fact that I encountered their gentle side, and that their kindness truly moved me, causing me to genuinely despise you.

But most of all, the blame lies in my sudden realization of just how much Mr. Philias and I resembled each other. He and I walked the same path, held the same beliefs, and shared... the same aspirations.

He was another version of me, and I another version of him.

You know, that point alone is enough to magnify my hatred for you a hundredfold!

Because you killed my comrade.

I began to feel afraid—afraid that what befell Philias might one day happen to me. I feared that in the future, many years from now, someone might discover my bones buried somewhere, learn of my fate, and pity me just the same, hah hah hah...

I do not know if such a thing will come to pass, but if it does, I hope that person of the future will avenge me, just as I am doing now."

Bernard stared at Karen, utterly uncomprehending. He truly could not fathom what this man before him was talking about!

For he did not know that in this world, there existed such a group of people—those who walked a path of questioning and doubting the gods.

Karen, who had always enjoyed smooth sailing until now, clearly perceived for the very first time the deadly perils that lurked along this path.

Would a god

allow you to step up, tier by tier, ascending to the heights to stand before him, just so you could question and criticize him?

It was highly probable that

just when you were swollen with pride, brimming with confidence, and feeling entirely secure, that very hand would descend to deliver divine punishment, to strike you down with celestial wrath, and to annihilate everything you possessed!

Just like Philias and his companions, who had played their lutes, sung their songs, and danced their dances, coming to a beautiful island through the introduction of his wife, where they met a gentle and refined young patriarch;

and then, their destinies were brought to an absolute, crushing end upon this very island.

How strikingly similar the prelude to all of this was to his own current situation!

Why did Dis wish for him to remain at the Inmeles home all along? Why, even after arranging his marriage and leaving behind so many helpers for him, did his grandfather still ask him several times if he was truly prepared?

Could it be that Grandfather did not know that, given his own talents, rising step by step within the church circles was practically a foregone conclusion? What else was there to worry about?

It was because Dis had long understood:

[The gods will not sit idly by and watch this happen.]

There was one matter Karen had mentioned just now but had not questioned closely: the fact that Bernard could clearly have just asked Philias and his people to leave. Bernard also believed that those kind-hearted souls would have cherished their hard work on Dark Moon Island, would not have retaliated, and would have even actively kept their activities secret, wanting to spare Dark Moon Island from the attention of the orthodox church and prevent it from being implicated.

Yet, Bernard had still chosen the most extreme method to slaughter them.

After killing them, Bernard had entered his slumber in this manner. What was the purpose and meaning of his slumber? What was he waiting for? Who had influenced him, and who had given him guidance?

The phantom garb of an Inquisitor manifested upon Karen's body. It was not the divine robe he wore physically, but a projection representing the majestic authority of Order's judgment.

"Bernard, now, on behalf of Order, I shall pass judgment upon you."

In a panic, Bernard cried out, "No, you cannot do this! I only killed people of the Light; I showed no disrespect to Order! You have no right to judge me! Everything I did aligns with Order's stance toward the Light! Your judgment of me violates Order's protocol!"

"You are right."

Karen nodded, and the phantom Inquisitor's robe fading into nothingness around him.

Bernard let out a long sigh of relief, hoping the other party was merely using this method to coerce him. Perhaps the man's goal was simply to force him to reveal that secret.

Right at that moment, a flash of white light erupted.

To his utter bewilderment, Bernard watched as the phantom of a divine robe of Light manifested upon the young man before him.

"You... you... how can you possibly..."

"Bernard, now, on behalf of the Light, I shall pass judgment upon you."

Bernard: "..."