Chapter 446: Fight to the Last Person

Chapter 446: Fighting to the Very Last Man

Descending the stairs in the morning to check out, Cullen and his companions found the proprietor waiting behind the front desk. His torso was bound tightly in bandages that exhaled a sharp scent of medicinal herbs, and his face was swollen to the size of a pig’s head.

The checkout was a swift affair. Cullen tossed the single room key across the counter, ignoring the thick envelope the proprietor held out—it likely contained last night’s lodging fee, and in all probability, a great deal more.

Yet Cullen left the envelope where it lay; room board was room board, and a line was drawn between matters.

As for setting Philomena upon the man the previous night, it was partly because the proprietor’s words had indeed crossed a line and warranted a thrashing, and partly because it served as a probe between both parties. This was a smuggling outpost, a place bereft of legal constraints where only gang interests dictated terms; to show docility and retreat as newly arrived outsiders would only invite further trouble. Had they not beaten the proprietor prior to check-in, the night would scarce have been so peaceful, and the man himself might well have arranged a midnight visitation.

Within a carriage parked by the entrance, Neo sat drinking milk and eating a sandwich. Cullen had reserved a room for him the night before, but he had not come up to sleep, likely having spent the night resting in the carriage after their talks ran late.

While the others waited outside, Cullen stepped into the carriage first.

"Everything is arranged," Neo said, breaking the silence. "The other side is quite thrilled. I imagine the welcoming ceremony will not disappoint."

"Is the timing not a bit too rushed?" Cullen inquired. "I worry they will not have sufficient time to prepare."

"The subjective initiative of people in specific moments can be terrifying," Neo replied. "I inquired about the situation. Though war has been declared, the formal conflict has not yet commenced. The atmosphere has been set, but the stage has not yet fallen into chaos. Our entry at this precise moment is optimal."

"That is well, then." Cullen smiled faintly. "The worst-case scenario would be our arrival coinciding with their propaganda, only for our Church to issue a decree demanding our immediate recall."

"That would only prove our Church is a monolithic entity, united and free of internal factional strife. Heh, a divine church without factions—do you think that possible?"

"Impossible."

"It mostly depends on Bernie... no, even on the subsequent arrangements of the Whiplash of Order Headquarters and High Inquisitor Foden. If he can withstand the pressure and freeze this matter in place, we shall all be promoted and heavily relied upon the moment we return."

"We have essentially hijacked him already," Cullen said, taking a bite of the last sandwich from the plastic bag beside Neo. "As core members of the Whiplash of Order squad, if we were forced back by internal church pressure, it would be a slap in the face to the entire Whiplash of Order."

"Indeed, exactly so. The details depend on our own execution, while the grand scheme relies on the political maneuvering of those great figures. We need only play our parts well. Oh, damn it, were you not provided breakfast at the inn? I am still far from full!"

"The proprietor had Philomena give him a beating last night, so the morning breakfast was a bit too obsequious. Steak sandwiched in bread—far too greasy for my stomach."

Neo let out a sigh, remarking wistfully, "Truthfully, I quite dislike such places. A low-end disorder, yet utterly lacking the charm of pure chaos."

"Your spirits are remarkably high today, casting poetry so early in the morning."

Neo laughed. "Heh, I have a feeling today is a good day."

Cullen, still chewing his sandwich, could not help but cough twice, replying:

"May our wishes be granted."

...

This smuggling town possessed more than one private teleportation array. A guild controlled the largest, which was originally where Neo had planned for them to depart.

Now, however, the destination could be altered; a stronghold controlled by the Lunar Church also housed a teleportation array.

Only... it was a bit cramped.

Richard measured the array circle before him with his hands, then looked back at his companions, asking with doubt, "I want to know what happens if one is squeezed off halfway during teleportation?"

"A portion of your body will arrive," Marz replied, "while the rest will be scattered, its whereabouts entirely unknown."

Neo clapped his hands and spoke up: "The teleportation array here is rarely activated to begin with, and even then, it only transports a few figures of consequence. It truly cannot bear a collective transit of more than six people, but it is of little consequence. I negotiated with them last night; the array can be temporarily expanded."

"The cost of a temporary expansion," Memphis interred, "is rendering this teleportation array a single-use object."

"They are aware of the price and willing to bear it," Neo answered. "All of this is a small matter. So, my dear formation masters, to work. I know this will not occupy much of your time."

Marz and Memphis stepped forward to begin expanding the array; an expansion based on violent deconstruction was truly of no great difficulty.

Richard had been standing aside watching, when Memphis signaled to him with a wave: "Come over and assist with the calculations."

"Right, coming!" Richard approached with great eagerness, the Rubik's cube condensing in his palm as he excitedly began to assist with the foundational calculations.

Standing nearby, Cullen observed the scene and could only reflect that paternal love is gentle in most instances—save, of course, when it takes the form of a beating.

Scarcely an hour passed before the array's expansion was complete. Memphis warmed the array to echo the receiving point on the other side, then addressed Neo and Cullen: "The expansion of the receiving array on the other side is also complete. Teleportation may begin."

Neo stretched his limbs and called out, "Let us move, boys!"

The expanded teleportation array remained somewhat confined, giving everyone the distinct sensation of crowding into a daily elevator. Fortunately, they carried little luggage—essentially a single bag per person. In such an environment, even if one wished to pay a freight fee, the facilities would not permit it.

A flash of light erupted, and after a turbulent quarter-of-an-hour journey, the group materialized upon an island.

"Ah..."

Richard groaned in discomfort, clutching his groin.

"What is it?" Blanche asked with professional concern.

Richard's face flushed red as he hastily declined her examination, saying, "Nothing, just a cramp in my leg from the tossing."

Then, Richard turned a suspicious gaze toward Bart and the others, asking, "Do none of you experience cramps?"

"Spend less time in the pastry shops," Bart teased. "Look how frail your body is."

"No, this was merely a minor mishap," Richard muttered helplessly.

Richard’s predicament was but a brief interlude. At that moment, outside the teleportation array stood a gathering of Lunar Church clergymen clad in yellow divine robes.

Leading them was a bald man, young and exceptionally handsome, whose blue-amber eyes shone with the luster of wisdom. Like Salaina, he went barefoot.

"Is this the grand welcoming spectacle?" Purr inquired, perched upon Cullen's shoulder.

Cullen explained, "The delegations arriving in York City all come ashore by steamship; they do not teleport directly into York City."

"Oh, so that is how it is. My apologies, I have never mingled within official circles before," Purr said, gazing out at the azure sea ahead and the faint traces of islands visible in the distance. "I love the ocean. The affinity for the sea must have long since integrated into the Allen bloodline."

"Then why did you not turn into a dolphin?"

"Your courtyard lacks an independent swimming pool."

"Fair point."

Neo stepped forward. The bald man offered a bow of respect, but Neo simply reached out and slung an arm around the man's shoulder, guiding him to the side.

The bald youth was clearly unaccustomed to such familiarity, yet he offered no resistance.

"I am Neo. How do I address you?"

"Mota."

"Very well, Mota. Your position?"

"I was once one of the candidate Holy Sons, and currently hold no specific office. I am the overseer in charge of receiving you all for this occasion."

"Oh, excellent, excellent. Let us be plain. You know our identity, yes?"

"I do. You are an observation delegation from the Church of Order, representing the will of the Church of Order."

"I am asking about our true identity."

"This..."

"You must know it as well. After all, we teleported from that place. You should understand that we came here under the prompting of a certain faction of high officials within our Church, bypassing the collective decision of the Church's supreme leadership.

As for us, what we desire is fame, fortune, and political capital. We are a band of gamblers, do you understand?"

"I understand..."

"You need us to represent the Church of Order to project influence externally, so this is a win-win scenario, correct?"

"Yes, of course."

"Our objectives are aligned."

"Yes, our shared objective aligns perfectly."

"So, for what comes next, are you all prepared?"

"Though time was limited, we are indeed ready."

"Good to hear. Oh, by the way, there is one more thing." Neo pulled a stack of teleportation array receipts from his pocket. "It wasn't easy for us to get here; we even took a detour just to avoid detection from above. These are our travel receipts, if you could kindly reimburse me first."

"Uh... right now?"

"Of course. Is it even fitting for an observation delegation's travel expenses to go unreimbursed?"

"If it pleases you..."

"No, no, no. Let's settle the travel expenses on this stack first, then we shall set off for the Mipos Archipelago. If you aren't carrying any point vouchers on you, you can just grab a sacred artifact or a magic stone to make up the sum."

Motta fished a blue gemstone from his clothing.

"A spatial origin stone? Oh heavens, and such a large one at that. Don't you find it exhausting carrying this around? Let me help share your burden."

"Um, Mr. Neo, I believe this single origin stone should be more than sufficient."

"Well, I didn't calculate the bus fare from the Niagara Island teleportation array to the smuggling town. That female bus driver was truly ruthless, charging us quite a lot of point vouchers. This is barely enough, so I won't fuss over the minor details with you.

Now, do not think that we only care for point vouchers; this is the foundation of our cooperation. You know we came here at great risk, wagering our political futures, so we must secure as much material assurance for ourselves as possible, understand?"

"I understand, and I appreciate that. Shall we then..."

"Very well, let us depart. Oh, right, this one stone covers the journey here. You still owe me another one, since returning will require travel expenses as well."

"When you all return, surely you will be taking the official teleportation array..."

"The travel expenses are secondary. Who wouldn't prefer sitting on a sofa, sipping coffee and reading the newspaper, instead of having to come over and experience the turbulence of a teleportation array? Am I really calculating travel expenses with you? I haven't even factored in the physical toll and damage endured by our bodies. Look at that one in our team... Hey, Richard, does it still hurt over there?"

"It doesn't hurt anymore, Captain."

"See, what a sensible child. Even though that area is clearly cramping, he still forces himself to act as if nothing is wrong."

"Captain Neo, let me be plain with you. The entertainment expenses and all other arrangements for everyone have long been prepared. We simply hope you will cooperate fully; none of these things will be lacking. In the face of war, everything else is trivial."

"Shouldn't you have just said so from the start? Fine, we'll settle the accounts once we reach our destination." Neo waved his hand and shouted, "Alright, everyone, let's move out."

They arrived at the seashore. Motta walked barefoot onto the water's surface, and bright yellow ripples appeared beneath his feet. Suddenly, his body was hoisted aloft as a massive, entirely red octopus emerged beneath him.

"Everyone, please."

The group stepped onto the octopus and began to approach the main island of the distant Mipos Archipelago.

Purr murmured in a low voice, "Far inferior to my Aceros."

Cullen reached out to stroke its head, saying, "Yes, yes, yes."

Then, Cullen lightly nudged Kevin with his foot; the dog was actually attempting to bite into the flesh of the octopus.

"Did you not get any breakfast?" Cullen asked.

Kevin looked up at Cullen and smiled sheepishly.

As the distance closed, Cullen sensed countless awakening wills beneath the surrounding sea surface, meaning there were many more sea beasts nearby. Given that this was a conflict frontline, they were likely forces intended for war.

"It seems the Lunar Church possesses immense power within the ocean," Cullen remarked with emotion.

"The vitality of the ocean is no less than that of the land," Purr said, shouting toward the front, "Look, warships."

The Mipos Archipelago featured string after string of harbors, and currently, anchored at the outer perimeter of the port were warships of various sizes, arrayed in perfect neatness, all uniformly flying the insignia flags of the Lunar Church.

Secular human society had already progressed to the ironclad era, yet those ironclads were not even worth mentioning before these seemingly 'wooden' warships. It could even be said that the ironclad era was a regression compared to the era of Earl Recar.

The material of these warships in the harbor appeared to be wood, but their resilience was far greater than that of ironclads. The various formations within not only granted them an incredibly sturdy protective shield capability, but under the blessing of these formations, their speed once the sails were raised was something an ironclad could never hope to catch up to. They could even hover and fly.

As for offensive power... even if one completely ignored the clergymen aboard, just those magic crystal cannons alone were enough to make the offensive capabilities of ironclads seem like a complete joke.

"The Dark Moon Island fleet isn't this large in scale, is it?" Cullen asked. He had never seen the Dark Moon Island fleet with his own eyes, but he had always known that Dark Moon Island possessed a fleet directly subordinate to the outer seas.

"In terms of scale and precision, it certainly isn't as large as a fleet of an orthodox church," Purr tilted its head, "but if they don't engage in a decisive frontal battle and instead wage guerrilla warfare, it will make things extremely unpleasant for you."

"Understood."

Not only were there sea beasts lurking beneath the surface and warships arrayed at the harbor's edge, but as they drew closer to the port, rows of military tents could be seen stretching continuously beyond the horizon.

A scale this massive was merely one location on the frontline.

Muri walked over to Cullen's side and remarked with feeling, "The scale of this war is truly massive this time."

Cullen nodded, "Mm, because the Lunar Church suffered a loss last time."

After the war between Order and Samsara ended, the Lunar Church could not wait to begin encroaching upon their former ally's territory, only to be driven back by several small-scale counterattacks organized by the Samsara Church, losing a great deal of face. This time, they clearly intended to take the route of overwhelming them with their deep heritage.

The great octopus arrived at the shore of the harbor, where a walkway was laid with a black carpet.

Carpets were rarely black, and Cullen noticed that the seawater below was also tinged with black, likely dyed that way temporarily.

The sides of the harbor were lined with soldiers, while several layers of clergymen stood outside them. Further out were the local believers, a veritable sea of people. Clearly, as a sacred land of the Lunar Church on the frontline of war, the fear and insecurity of the people here toward a large-scale war had been entirely transferred onto the newly arrived observation delegation from the Church of Order.

The object of their declaration of war was the Samsara Church, and not long ago, the Samsara Church had been directly beaten into submission by the Church of Order in just a single day.

Neo walked to Cullen's side and asked, "Is the speech ready? You won't be nervous when you go up shortly, will you?"

"Shouldn't it be you delivering the speech?"

"I am only responsible for the opening pleasantries; the final summary relies on you. Your image is more suited for it than mine. Are you ready?"

"Ready. It was originally meant for you."

"It's all the same. Do your best. Look, there are so many reporters there. Remember to strike a nice-looking pose. Who knows, after this time, a few iron bars might be added in front of that photograph."

"Are you starting to feel nervous?"

"I am starting to feel excited." Neo licked his lips. "I will request them to let us go to the frontline to observe when the war starts. It will certainly be very interesting. The 'First Day War' last time was fought too quickly, and the battle reports were suppressed. It ended before one could even savor the flavor. Not satisfying at all."

Motta stepped onto the carpet and made a gesturing motion to invite Cullen and the others forward.

Cullen noticed a group of people standing on the leadership platform ahead.

Purr reminded him in a low voice, "The one in the very center should be the Bishop of the Sacred Land, holding a status similar to your York City Archdiocese's Chief Bishop. The highest-ranking leadership of the Mipos Sacred Land has come out entirely to welcome you. This reception is grand enough; when Sarafina visited the York City Archdiocese, Warfren didn't even go to the harbor to receive her."

"It brings quite a wave of emotion," Cullen responded to Purr in a low voice while walking forward. "Just a few days ago, I was welcoming Sarafina at the harbor, and now I myself am disembarking a 'ship' to be received by the people of the Lunar Church."

"That is destiny, little Cullen. It is just that wondrous and treacherous."

At that moment, a voice sounded from above:

"Welcome to the observation delegation from the Church of Order!"

Instantly, a thunderous cheer erupted across the entire harbor.

Under Motta's guidance, Cullen and the others walked onto the high platform. After Neo spoke some highly official opening remarks, he yielded the position to Cullen.

Looking at the seashell before him, Cullen knew it was a type of sound-amplifying device. A massive crowd of reporters below began to photograph the spot frantically; because Neo's opening remarks had been far too dull and official, everyone desperately hoped to hear something more sensational.

"We shall stand forever with the believers of the Lunar Church! Even if we must fight to the very last person, we will never retreat!"

The moment his voice fell, a passionate cheer erupted from the entire venue, and smiles appeared on the faces of the bishops from the Mipos Sacred Land upon the rostrum.

Cullen bowed in acknowledgement, then took a few steps back to leave the range of the seashell amplifier.

Purr said in a low voice, "I thought you would speak a bit more subtly, just to leave yourself some room for maneuver in case you gambled wrongly. I didn't expect you would actually dare to drag the Church of Order directly into the water."

"Did I leave no room? What does what I just said have to do with the Church of Order?"

"In any case, they would forever stand on the sidelines, merely watching the spectacle unfold, fighting to the very last soul of the Lunatic Cult."