Chapter 677: To See Loya

Chapter 677: Going to See Loya

Pointing his finger at the corpses on the ground within the painting, Cullen turned to Piaget and asked, "What kind of clothes are they wearing?"

Piaget raised both hands in a gesture of helplessness. "I have no idea. Whenever I paint, images just flood my mind. If it weren't for Mr. Bede, I wouldn't even know I was painting York City."

Mr. Bede spoke up, "Cullen, are you trying to ask if those fallen bodies are clad in the Armor of Order and the Robes of Order?"

Cullen fell silent.

Mr. Bede continued, "I can only say that sometimes, a single scene can be interpreted in very different ways."

"I understand, I know," Cullen said, rising to his feet. "May I take this painting with me?"

Piaget nodded instantly. "Of course, you may."

Mr. Bede, however, pulled out a black market card and handed it to Cullen, saying, "The fee for the manuscript must certainly be paid. This has nothing to do with the relationship between you and me."

Cullen knew that Mr. Bede was not greedy for money. The Allen Manor was no longer the dilapidated place it once was; as long as he was willing to contact the estate, he would never lack the vouchers needed to travel everywhere with Piaget.

Yet he chose not to do so. Perhaps this journey itself held its own unique discipline and perseverance.

"The exact amount?"

"As for the specific amount, once the scene in this painting manifests, you can have someone deposit the corresponding vouchers into this card. Hehe."

"Very well, I understand."

Mr. Bede bent down, refolded the two silken scrolls, tucked them neatly back into the fountain pen, and finally handed the pen over to Cullen.

Slipped the pen into his pocket, Cullen inquired, "What do you two plan to do next?"

"We are just temporary workers, and our trial period ends tomorrow. Rest assured, we came here to admire the bonfire feast, not to throw ourselves into the flames to burn."

Cullen looked at Piaget and asked, "Has it been hard on you, this past period of time?"

"It has been very fulfilling," Piaget replied. "Every time I pick up my brush to paint, I feel as though Linda is standing right beside me, keeping me company."

Mr. Bede suddenly interjected, "In that case, I shall stand as far away as possible whenever you paint from now on."

"Uh..." Piaget shrugged. "You know that is not what I meant, Mr. Bede."

"I must leave now," Cullen said. "Shall we have dinner together once this matter is resolved?"

Piaget smiled. "Splendid."

Mr. Bede said, "Everyone has their own journey to walk. I believe the true respect one can show to a beautiful landscape is to move immediately toward the next one after admiring it."

"I feel that there is no need to go to such extremes with many things," Cullen said, looking at his prospective father-in-law. "I believe Eunice looks forward to seeing her father, Madame misses her husband, and Lord Anderson cares deeply about his youngest son."

Mr. Bede shook his head and countered with a question, "Why don't you return home then?"

"I... it is not yet time for me to go home."

Mr. Bede walked over, patted Cullen on the shoulder, and said, "The same goes for me."

Piaget asked, "So, are we to begin our farewells now?"

"What else, Piaget? Your work has already been sold. The rest of our journey will be much more comfortable," Mr. Bede remarked.

"Oh, very well, you call the shots, sir." Piaget stepped toward Cullen and pulled him into an embrace. "My dear friend, if you could change back to your original appearance, I feel this embrace would be somewhat more natural. Otherwise, it always gives me a rather peculiar sensation."

"My apologies, I cannot fulfill that request for the time being."

"I truly do quite like York City. There are many things here that I care about."

Cullen nodded and said, "Indeed. After the psychological hospital went bankrupt, you didn't even pay your employees their severance."

"Cough..."

"Alright, we must resume our work. I believe our Minister Cullen is about to become very busy as well." Mr. Bede pulled Piaget back. Before stepping out the door, he paused and turned deliberately to Cullen. "Remember to go back and visit Eunice more often."

"I will, sir."

"No, you won't. I even suspect the frequency of your correspondence with my daughter is lower than that of most pen pals. Perhaps the only time you think of her is when someone asks if you have a girlfriend and you reply that you already have a fiancée."

"How could that be."

"Hehe." Mr. Bede gave a meaningful smile. "When are you returning home?"

"Less than two years from now. A year and a half, perhaps."

"My daughter was a granddaughter-in-law personally selected by your grandfather. I believe the thing the old gentleman wishes to see most when he wakes up is his grandson..."

"Getting married, right? I know."

"No, it is to see his grandson standing before him holding a great-grandson. If you exert yourself now, a year and a half is completely sufficient time."

"This..."

"Have a few more children. Leave one behind to learn painting from me."

"That is out of the question, Mr. Bede."

Piaget asked curiously, "Why is that?"

He actually quite fancied the idea of being a painting mentor to Cullen's future children.

"Alas." Mr. Bede sighed with a touch of helplessness, answering Piaget, "This involves the deeply ingrained religious discrimination within the heart of the Minister of the Inquisitorial Department of the Church of Order."

With that, Mr. Bede pulled Piaget along and departed.

Not long after, Richard walked back while wiping a lipstick stain from his neck.

"Finished talking, Cullen?"

"Finished."

"Phew, wonderful. Madame Baulifa was truly too passionate; she said I look just like her long-deceased husband. I used to think only men used that kind of line to strike up a conversation with women, but it turns out it works both ways."

"Let us go, we can head back now."

"Oh, right."

Cullen and Richard stepped out of the mansion. Memphis drove the vehicle over to pick them up.

Once seated inside the car, Cullen spoke to Memphis, "This matter is of grave importance. Other affairs can be set aside for now."

Memphis glanced through the rearview mirror at Richard sitting in the back, then nodded.

"Pfft..." Richard burst into laughter, pointing at Memphis. "What could he possibly have going on?"

Memphis asked, "Back to the Tribunal?"

Cullen hesitated for a moment before saying, "Yes, back to the Tribunal."

It was half past two in the afternoon when they arrived back at the Tribunal. Cullen declined Lucy's afternoon tea and called Wick into his room first.

Moments later, Wick emerged to announce that all personnel he had brought into the Tribunal were to cease their current work immediately and enter a state of absolute silence.

This meant they were to do nothing at all, yet they were strictly forbidden from leaving.

In the kitchen, Lucy, who was personally grinding coffee, gently nudged her husband and

"Darling, will you look down on me for saying this?"

"Of course not. Listen, the doorbell is ringing. Go and greet the guest, it should be someone Karen called over."

"Alright, alright."

Duck washed his hands, dried them with a towel, and walked out of the kitchen to the foyer. He opened the door and found an old man in a black coat standing outside.

"Hello, please come in."

"Mm."

The old man nodded, stepped inside, and followed Duck's lead up to the second floor.

"Karen, the guest has arrived."

Without waiting for a response from within, the old man reached out and opened the door himself, his appearance shifting as he did so.

"Chief..."

Duck recognized who the old man was.

Bern glanced at Duck and said, "I'll need a glass of iced coffee, thank you."

"Right away, Lord Chief!"

As Duck walked downstairs, he felt his legs grow somewhat weak. As the son-in-law of a bishop, he knew he shouldn't be so spineless, but he simply couldn't handle that kind of pressure after all.

After delivering the coffee, the doorbell rang once more. Duck went to open it and saw Alfred standing at the threshold, holding the hand of a cute little boy.

"Where is the Minister?"

"In the room on the second floor." Duck knew Alfred; the man had brought gifts to his house before.

"Very well, thank you."

Alfred led the boy inside by the hand.

"Um, would you like something to drink?" Duck asked.

"No need to trouble yourself."

Alfred declined, but he noticed that Duck had crouched down to ask the little boy.

"Would you like something to drink, sir?" Duck asked again.

The little boy shook his head.

Alfred led him up to the second floor, and the boy remarked, "Somewhat clever."

Alfred nodded. "Indeed."

The little boy added, "Even if you see through it, you ought to pretend you didn't. That is why truly clever ones are rare."

Alfred remained silent, knowing that the boy was referring to his young master's uncle-in-law.

The moment the little boy pushed the door open, his appearance transformed instantly into that of the dwarf, Sousse.

Inside the room, there were only four people in total: Karen, Bern, Sousse, and Alfred, who had purposefully brought a chair to sit behind the door with pen and paper to take notes.

"It seems things are truly grave," Bern said with a smile.

Sousse rubbed the bridge of his nose in a touch of helplessness. "Why are there always so many troubles in York City?"

"Allow me to recount the entire matter to you both first. It all began with a deviant demon captured last night..."

Karen narrated the events, though he blurred and omitted certain details and key points.

Bern lifted his coffee, took a long draught, and smiled. "A six-winged angel."

Sousse hopped down from his chair and crouched on the floor. "The secret of the return of the gods."

Bern set down his coffee cup and said, "Come, now we can divide up whose dereliction of duty it actually was, to let so many people from the Abyss slip in without us noticing a thing."

"Bern, do you mean to say our Whip of Order is incompetent at its job?"

Karen raised his hand and said, "Judging by the retrogressive archives and records, the Abyssal Cult has been preparing for this angel for a very long time, well before either of you assumed your posts. Therefore, neither of you bears any responsibility."

Bern licked his lips and said, "Then this time, it requires mobilizing the garrison."

Sousse asked, "Is your influence over the garrison still intact?"

Bern replied with candid honesty, "My influence on the surface is gone."

Sousse said enviously, "Then this is the perfect opportunity for you to use this matter to reclaim part of the garrison's command."

Last time, Bern had lent the garrison to Karen so he could storm the Whip of Order building. Although he was promoted to Chief Bishop afterward, many of the shadow forces originally under his control were stripped away. This was precisely the chance to win back what he had lost.

Bern said, "I should be the one envying you. If we can seize that angel and learn the secrets of the gods' return beforehand, your merit... should be enough to elevate you out of this region."

Sousse waved his hand. "Moving up is really nothing to envy. Once you reach the Dingge Region, you have to start from the bottom as a lackey all over again. Instead, look at the two of you, holding actual power in this region all this time. How comfortable that is."

Karen listened silently to the two leaders flattering each other and envisioning the future. In truth, if it weren't for Piaget's painting, he would probably be joining in right now.

But the problem was, since the corpses of Order Knights and Order Priests appeared in Piaget's painting, it meant the Church of Order had intervened, yet still... failed?

That six-winged figure floating in the air had clearly broken free of its shackles.

Bern said, "Let us do this: we must lay out the plan in the shortest time possible to ensure no accidents or oversight occur. I will secretly deploy the garrison to ensure the outside world notices nothing."

Sousse said, "The Whip of Order will lock down that urban area the moment the operation begins, ensuring it will not cause too much collateral damage."

Subsequently, both leaders turned their gaze toward Karen.

Sousse spoke first. "Karen, the specific operational proposal will be left to you. Once you finish it, hand it over for us to review."

Bern echoed, "Yes, make it quick. It would be best to have the first draft ready before midnight tonight. Just imagine yourself as the Chief Bishop and your regional director; theoretically, any support and power you can mobilize can be written into the proposal. If there are things that require immediate arrangement and execution, just send word directly to the two of us."

"I understand, I will do so."

Karen did not decline and accepted the task. The Regional Management Office and the Whip of Order needed someone to integrate the forces of both sides, and no one was better suited than he.

Both leaders stood up and left the bedroom.

Karen did not go out to see them off but remained sitting by the bedside. Alfred closed the door and walked over to Karen.

"Young Master, when I came here, I received a message from the Allen Manor. Mr. Bede, who has been away traveling for a long time and has not returned, wrote a letter inquiring about your wedding arrangements with Miss Eunice.

I suspect Mr. Bede might have something he wishes to discuss with you."

"I have already seen him, and Piaget too."

"Oh, is that so?" Alfred was somewhat surprised.

"Piaget made a painting and gave it to me—no, he sold it to me."

Looking at it this way, even if he hadn't run into Mr. Bede and Piaget at the mansion, Mr. Bede would have sought him out, at least to pass this painting along to him.

He knew his current position and understood that if such an event occurred in York City, it would be impossible for him not to be involved. Thus, his prospective father-in-law still cared for his prospective son-in-law.

Karen took out Mr. Bede's fountain pen and handed it to Alfred. Upon opening it, Alfred immediately recognized the material of the scroll and remarked with a sigh, "How luxurious."

When he unrolled the scroll and observed it closely, Alfred's eyes widened.

"This..."

"What do you think, Alf?"

Alfred immediately composed his expression and said:

My lord, my view is this:

If a prophecy cannot be altered, then its existence or absence makes no difference at all;

If a prophecy can be altered, then its existence or absence likewise makes no difference at all.

Do you truly think so?

Yes, my lord. In the past, I believed many things were predestined—such as how you, my lord, would ultimately become a great entity. But since following you, walking forward step by step, and studying your words and deeds piece by piece, I have realized that when we are completely focused on the path beneath our feet, the noisy clamor beside our ears can, in truth, be entirely ignored.

I have no way to take this painting out to show them.

Indeed, the matter of the Cult of the Wall God remains far too sensitive. After all, it is a heresy designated by the Order.

If it were merely a question of heresy, Cullen added, I believe those two would turn a blind eye. After all, they both know and have agreed to harbor an organization of Light remnants to do their bidding. What worries me more is that Piaget's painting might be drawn with too much accuracy.

That is a possibility. The Wall God, Rielsa, once charged out of the Gate of Samsara. Though she was merely a walking corpse at the time and could not truly be called a god, Lady Linda seemed to have deliberately left the legacy of the Wall God to her husband.

Mr. Piaget's current position is somewhat akin to the Godson of the Cult of the Wall God, while Mr. Bede is like... his squire.

Heh.

Cullen could not help but laugh.

Alfred laughed along with him. Evidently, he too recalled the scene from years past when he had vowed with absolute certainty to become his lord's squire.

Go draw up the action plan with Vick.

Please rest assured, my lord, we will give it our all.

Those two still have a hidden condition. You caught it, didn't you?

Your subordinate understood. They hope this region will resolve the matter internally to secure the interests they each desire, rather than leaving it to the higher-ups to handle.

That is correct. Help me apply to Chief Bishop Burne right now; I wish to go to the Fenced Space Management Office of the Dingle Region to see Lax's copper coin.

Burne just said that if there is anything that needs doing, we can send word to him to arrange it. With his status as Chief Bishop, this will be quite simple.

In truth, the York City Region also had a Fenced Space office, but Cullen did not wish to meet Loya here. She worried that Loya's descent might cause the copper coin inside the mansion to react directly.

Very well, my lord. Your subordinate shall apply immediately. You may set out for the teleportation array hall now.

That copper coin should currently be helping the angel maintain its so-called vitality. Therefore, if Loya's assistance is included in the plan, it would mean the angel essentially comes with its own built-in seal;

Furthermore, Loya could use her own power to detonate it from the inside while an offensive is launched from the outside, striking from both within and without, which would greatly reduce the difficulty of the mission.

Yet, on the six-winged angel in this painting, no trace of the copper coin could be seen.

This was precisely why his lord now needed to see Loya first; his lord wanted to deliberate with Loya in advance.

My lord...

Is there anything else?

Your subordinate feels that the absence of the copper coin's trace in the painting—could it mean that the copper coin had already fallen into your hands by that time?

This Lax copper coin was something his lord had reserved long ago, only it had been delayed due to other matters and there had been no time to seek it out.

But looking at it now, this was instead a good thing. Had they gone to seek it out earlier, they would likely have collided with the people of the Abyss; it was even possible that the coordinates given by Loya had long since become useless, and the people of the Abyss had already laid their hands on it.

Ah Fu.

Your subordinate is here.

A great many people died. Cullen pointed at the scroll on the floor. How can you be so certain that among the many people lying dead on the ground in this painting, there is no you, no Vick, no Richard... and no myself?

...

The Sea of Abyss.

The ancestral home of the Abyssal Religion, this was a space filled with a black ocean, where divine halls floated upon the dark waters.

The cluster of divine halls resembled a fleet of temple ships more than anything else.

For untold ages, this place had always followed a certain law: at any given moment, the divine halls on the periphery would break away from the fleet and vanish into the depths of the black sea, while ancient, long-lost temples would drift back to rejoin them.

Only, this process of breaking away and rejoining was incredibly slow, measured in units of years. A divine hall might have a premonition of its departure this year, but it would only detach gradually, requiring a full decade to vanish completely from sight, let alone to be explored.

The priests of the Abyssal Religion had more than enough time to evacuate the personnel of the relevant temples. Of course, there were also those who preferred to vanish along with the temple. This could last anywhere from a few centuries to over a millennium. When the temple finally floated back, no living soul would remain within, leaving behind only carvings and written inscriptions.

At this moment, at the very highest point of the central Abyssal Main Hall—which would never detach or dissolve—stood a group of figures clad in gold-trimmed divine robes. Their gaze looked out toward a misty, faintly visible divine hall in the distance.

According to records, that place should be a plaza. Legend had it that before the God of the Abyss set out to forge a path to Heaven, he had once rallied his troops and taken an oath there. In the mythological narratives of the Abyssal Religion, it was called "Heaven Square."

A year ago, the shadow of "Heaven Square" appeared, meaning it was about to return to the temple cluster.

According to the Abyssal Religion's own records, the last time Heaven Square vanished was at the end of the previous era. History had grown chaotic during that period; in short, what followed was the conclusion of the last era and the beginning of the current one, an era where the gods did not appear.

And now, Heaven Square was returning.

How much longer until Heaven Square can return to the main temple cluster?

It has been calculated. It will take at least ten years, and that is even with the trackers already pulling it.

If the perspective were shifted forward, a group of angels could be seen before Heaven Square. They had tied one end of the ropes to themselves, while the other end was hitched to the pillars of the plaza, exerting all their might to pull the plaza toward the main architectural complex.

This group of angels... were the trackers.

No one else could approach a divine hall that had not fully returned. The consequence of forcing one's way close was the rapid draining of life; even a temple elder could at most stay upon the temple for a single day before completely withering and dying.

Only the angels possessed the ability to approach it and remain immune to its effects.

Ten years is too long, we cannot afford to wait. How is the progress on collecting angel remains?

Many elite teams have already been dispatched to ancient battlefields and desolate spaces to search. We are even attempting to re-explore the Fallen Heaven, and we have lost quite a few people.

I do not wish to hear about losses.

Yes. Currently, some more angel remains have been discovered outside. After receiving blessings, they have all begun to show signs of 'revival.'

The fact that angels can revive inherently means that our Lord is drawing closer and closer to returning. Perhaps our Lord's gaze has already pierced through the barrier and arrived here; otherwise, why would those angels sealed in the storage halls open their eyes one after another?

Indeed. External angels have already been transported back in batches. Especially in Vienne, a six-winged angel has been discovered.

A six-winged angel? Even within the storage halls, an angel of such a high rank does not exist.

Yes. High-ranking angels only existed in Heaven at the end of the last era. He must be a remnant left behind after the collapse of Heaven.

Then why not hurry and transport him back? High-ranking angels often possess an angel captain sequence bonus, which can vastly increase the pulling power of these trackers and significantly shorten the time.

Furthermore, Vienne seems to be within the traditional sphere of influence of the Order. It is not safe there.

Because its vitality after revival is extremely weak, making it impossible to utilize a teleportation array. We are currently using the Lax copper coin, which was found at the same location, to sustain him, wanting to wait until his vitality recovers a bit more before executing the transfer.

Speed is of the essence. You must know, the one most sensitive to the return of deities is the Cult of Order. Those fellows in the Cult of Order clearly have a god of their own, yet they are extremely exclusionary toward the gods of other religions.

Please rest assured, it should be soon. Moreover, news just received states that the vitality of that six-winged angel has already shown a significant increase. I have already dispatched Lady Miliven to personally oversee and receive the teleportation matters.

Lady Miliven...

The Godsons of our religion are different from those of other sects. Many Godsons of other sects like to go abroad, but the Godsons of our religion only like to stay behind closed doors within the temples. Lady Miliven is already an anomaly among the generations of Godsons in our religion;

Furthermore, her inheritance is the spatial array. She is the successor of our religion's God Fenochi, and God Fenochi was a student of God Pamires.

Regardless, transporting that six-winged angel back quickly is what matters most. I have already smelled the scent of the opening of a new era. Whichever sect's main god can return first will very likely establish their status in the new era. Praise the Abyss.

Praise the God of the Abyss!

...

"Hello, here is your receipt... Milliven Joan?"

"That is me."

"Very well, your checked items will arrive in three hours. Please be sure to collect them."

"Three hours? Why will it take so long? I recall being told there would only be a five-minute delay when I checked them in."

"Due to an impromptu change, the teleportation circle for this sector must first facilitate a temporary transport."

"Ha, let me guess. Some grand figurehead needs to make a sudden trip, correct?"

"It is good that you understand."

"Sigh, honestly, forcing me to waste another three hours waiting here."

The girl muttered her grievances as she pulled a lollipop from her pocket and popped it into her mouth; with her crown of blonde hair, she looked altogether like a furious young lioness.

Then, she watched as two administrators escorted a young priest of the Order past her, the very same staff member who had just treated her with icy indifference instantly donning a rapturous smile.

The young woman pulled the lollipop from her lips and inquired, "Hey, who was that who just walked by? He's quite good-looking."

"That is our Honorable Minister Karen."

"Such a young minister? His family must hold immense influence, then?"

"No, our Minister Karen comes from orphan beginnings."

"An orphan? I am an orphan too, just like me. Heh."

"As if you could ever compare to our Minister Karen."

Crunch, crunch...

The girl bit the lollipop to pieces, turned on her heel, and scoffed under her breath:

"Ha, as if he is even worthy of being compared to me."