Chapter 282: The Rebellious Descendant

Although Karon felt deeply uncomfortable about wearing Bernard’s mask, at present, he had no better option.

Break the window and flee? His physical condition was currently far from ideal. The process of punishing Bernard and then cleaning up had already consumed a tremendous amount of energy. Although he had successfully fused with the Darkmoon Eyes and doubled his maximum reserves, the issue remained that he still required sufficient rest to replenish himself.

Additionally, because of the Torathos incident, all of Darkmoon Island’s forces had been mobilized. Although they were returning to their standard positions, it was like a group that had already completed a warm-up. If Karon tried to run now and Tafmann pursued him with his men, the matter would very easily attract attention and the involvement of other factions as well.

Earlier, the captain had managed to catch every faction off guard by first stirring up trouble at the Palace of Remembrance, and then taking advantage of the chaos to awaken Torathos. However, such an opportunity would not come a second time.

Fine.

If Karon refused to use Bernard’s mask simply because he hated Bernard, and placed himself in even greater danger because of that, would that not just allow Bernard to laugh himself to death all over again?

Karon could not allow his own disgust to get in his way.

Mm. You’re already dead, yet I’m still using your face and identity. That counts as a punishment too.

Yes, that’s right.

Whenever necessary, people could always find a suitable reason to make peace with themselves. Karon touched his ring and put on Bernard’s mask.

He was not worried in the slightest about failing to impersonate Bernard. First, he possessed extensive experience wearing masks and assuming identities.

Second, although this mask was not made from Bernard’s actual skin, the effect it produced was even better than an ordinary skin mask. Bernard’s appearance was perfectly imprinted in every detail, from head to toe.

Third, and most importantly, the man outside, though he was Bernard’s descendant, had never actually met Bernard before. So in terms of familiarity alone, Karon was undoubtedly better acquainted with Bernard than Tafmann.

Outside the door, after the incident last time where “Phileas” had infiltrated the house and used the teleportation array, this villa, which should be a place where one could relax and lower their guard, had become the exact opposite for Tafmann.

Especially the master bedroom.

He had deliberately not installed special protections there, nor stationed dedicated guards nearby. Of course, when Torathos had charged at the city earlier, even the Palace of Remembrance that housed their ancestor’s remains had lacked sufficient protection, much less the villa.

Even so, Tafmann paid exceptional attention to the door to the master bedroom. He could even remember the thickness of the dust lining the gaps between the doorframe.

Before opening the door, he had not known someone was inside. He had only suspected that during the island’s earlier crisis, someone might have entered the room and perhaps already left again.

But the moment he opened the door and saw the figure standing within, the man’s mind went blank.

Returning home and discovering a thief inside still fell within the range of normal understanding, but seeing one’s ancestor who had died more than one-hundred years earlier standing before you completely exceeded the limits of ordinary thought.

Tafmann’s first instinct was that the individual was a fraud, yet the aura emanating from his ancestor felt incomparably real, especially those Darkmoon Eyes.

The moment those eyes settled upon him, Tafmann clearly sensed pressure arising from the depths of his bloodline itself. It brought about an overwhelming impulse to submit from the bottom of his heart. If not for the power of Light supporting him internally, he might already have dropped to one knee.

How could this possibly be fake?

Furthermore, there was another point. The ancestor’s remains had only just vanished. That itself served as powerful proof.

“Has it quieted down outside?”

“It has...” Tafmann’s emotions were extremely complicated.

“I guessed as much. Phileas and the others couldn’t bear to do it. They were always good people.”

“Yes...”

“But he disturbed me; interrupted my slumber.”

“You...”

“Do not be afraid. I never truly died. Through special means, I entered dormancy because I am waiting for the day three years from now. If I succeed, then our Darkmoon Island, our Darkmoon bloodline, will usher in a new era of glory.”

“I...”

Even now, although Tafmann was speaking politely, he still had not addressed the figure before him as “Ancestor.” Karon understood clearly that the admiral of Darkmoon Island’s offshore fleet was absolutely not someone easy to deceive, but that did not matter.

He only needed to fool Tafmann briefly. As soon as an opportunity to leave opened up, he could simply remove the mask, change his robes, and slip back to Bernard Hotel. Then, he could stop worrying about everything.

“Has Darkmoon Island become a dog of the Church of Order now?”

“Yes... yes, it has.”

“Heh. This really is ********.” After receiving confirmation, Karon let out a long string of curses.

Such profanity was deeply characteristic of Darkmoon Island, while also perfectly matching Bernard’s personality.

During the earlier torture, Bernard had hurled plenty of insults at him, so Karon merely picked a few of the more suitable ones for his own use.

Tafmann froze momentarily. The profanity used by this “ancestor” did not exist in any external records. It could only be found within his true journals, which were viewable exclusively by the clan leaders and extremely close members of the highest upper-echelons.

Everything felt so real, yet Tafmann still harbored doubts.

What he still did not realize was that the last time he had felt this same unease was the last time as well, when he had faced the injured Karon after his return. Everything had been flawlessly detailed at that time as well, yet he still could not shake the feeling that something was wrong.

However, while Tafmann had dared to openly probe Karon and even had issued some vague warnings, he did not dare do such things to the individual before him.

Even though this person was also Karon.

“Forget it. This is still acceptable. It appears like your generation has managed things fairly well. Darkmoon Island truly has developed, as otherwise, you wouldn’t even qualify to become Order’s dog.”

Tafmann genuinely did not know how to respond to that statement, despite having once said something very similar to his elder brother.

“Restore the Palace of Remembrance to its original condition. Let outsiders believe I’m still lying there.”

“Yes.”

“I need to find another place to resume my slumber. Three years from now, I will awaken once more. When that time comes, I’ll bring you with me to that place.”

“Yes.”

“Send someone outside to find an ordinary carriage. I’m leaving. I do not wish anyone to know where I’ve gone.”

“Yes. Please wait in the study while I arrange everything.”

“Fine.” Karon entered the study and sat behind the desk.

A short while later, Tafmann entered as well. His head remained slightly lowered as he stood between the door and the floor-to-ceiling window.

Karon sighed. “If not for the limitations imposed by my awakening period, I truly would have liked to stroll around the island again. If one ignores the places damaged by Torathos, the island is far more beautiful now than it was back then. What a pity. I’ll have to take a proper look next time I awaken.”

“I can notify the current clan leader and his heir immediately and have them arrive as quickly as possible. Would you like to meet them?”

“The fact that I’ve revived is something only you should be made aware of. In truth, if your strength were not sufficient, then the moment you laid eyes upon me, you would already have become a corpse.”

“Yes. I understand what you mean. Please rest assured. There will not be a third person who learns of your revival.”

Karon could meet Patriarch Veynar, but the problem was Ophelia.

Last time, even when he had been masked, Ophelia had instantly recognized him with just a single glance.

This time, although he wore a flawless mask, Karon truly lacked the confidence that he could deceive Ophelia. If she recognized him, danger aside, the main issue would be the embarrassment.

Soon afterward, someone knocked on the door. Tafmann walked over and ordered, “Clear everyone out.”

“Yes, Admiral.”

After waiting a short while longer, Tafmann opened the door and gestured respectfully for Karon to proceed.

Karon stood and walked out of the study before descending the stairs.

Every guard within the residence had disappeared. Only a single carriage remained in the courtyard. The coachman sat atop it with a blindfold over his eyes.

Karon entered the carriage, and it soon departed from the villa.

Through a crack in the window, Karon noticed that they were traveling to the south of the city.

After estimating his timing, Karon determined that if Tafmann was not personally following or had sent someone to trail the carriage, he had reached a safe point to disembark.

Even if Tafmann was following, this was still a safe point, because the dense city architecture and crowded population, combined with the chaos caused by civilians who were only just returning after being evacuated, made the streets extremely chaotic. It was the perfect opportunity for escape.

Once the carriage left the city and reached open terrain, escaping would become much more difficult.

Karon inhaled deeply, opened the carriage door, and leaped out.

The moment he landed, he rushed into an alley between buildings and began weaving rapidly through them.

From Nio, Karon had learned far more than just how to entertain himself.

In truth, there were many things worth learning from the captain.

After completing a full sequence of evasive maneuvers and route changes, Karon immediately reversed course and backtracked. This was to confirm whether someone was pursuing him.

As expected, he spotted a man wearing a snake-head mask standing in the distance. That man was following him.

Karon had seen the captain wear a similar mask before, but the man up ahead was clearly not Nio.

There was no need to guess the man’s identity, because he had not even bothered changing clothes. He had merely thrown on a mask, and one sleeve hung empty where an arm should have been. Tafmann’s disguise was beyond shoddy.

Karon turned and resumed fleeing. Tafmann pursued from behind. Within the section of the city, the two engaged in a prolonged game of cat and mouse.

After realizing he still could not shake Tafmann off, Karon finally stopped moving. It was inconvenient to use many of his concealment Arts, given the current circumstances. Relying solely on the speed enhancement he received from the Darkmoon Blade was insufficient to escape Darkmoon Island’s naval commander.

After all, this was a man capable of fighting the captain to a standstill.

The masked Tafmann appeared before Karon.

“Is there something else?” Karon asked.

“Bernard.” He directly called “him” by name.

A smile appeared at the corner of Karon’s lips as he looked at this rebellious descendant of “his.”

“What did you call me?”

“Bernard. Aren’t you?”

“Heh heh. I am.”

“I believe that many matters in this world are often extremely complicated. So in most situations, I first choose my position before deciding how to think and act.”

“That is very proper.”

“So, from the standpoint of a direct descendant of the Darkmoon bloodline, I believed my elder brother was more suitable to govern Darkmoon Island, so I relinquished the patriarch position to him.

“From the standpoint of Darkmoon Island’s protector, if the Light remnants gather too large a force, they will pollute this island and attract the attention of the orthodox churches. Therefore, I regularly eliminate them. My hands are stained with a great deal of Light’s blood.

“But...” Tafmann spread open his left hand, and a white flame ignited upon his palm.

“When Torathos charged toward the city, I tried to stop it at all costs. Unfortunately, I failed. Torathos originally possessed the ability to corrupt most of Darkmoon Island, yet it chose to stop. And Phileas personally extracted the corruption from my body that was left by an evil spirit.”

“So? Are you helping Phileas’s side take revenge against me?”

“I have no standing to seek revenge against you. At that time, you were the clan leader. I can understand your decision.”

“Then what do you mean to do now?”

“I simply believe that you should go to a certain place and apologize before their remains.”

“You want me to apologize to them? Have you gone insane?”

“I have not gone insane. This has always been how I think. This was the grudge between you and Phileas from more than a century ago. You buried them alive. A hundred years later, they returned for revenge, yet ultimately, they chose to stop. We owe them. Therefore, Mr. Bernard, please accompany me to mourn them.”

“How could I possibly have a descendant like you? Did that evil spirit corrupt your mind, or have you already been corrupted by Phileas?”

“Yes, I believe that is the case. I’ve been completely corrupted by Light. I can no longer continue convincing myself that Light is merely a tool for action, like the large-caliber magic crystal cannons aboard my flagship, merely weapons used to destroy enemy vessels. It seems I truly was naive.

“I will not attack you. I only need you to accompany me there and mourn them. Afterward, you may leave. No one will disturb you again.”

“I will not apologize to them!”

“It is me.” Tafmann paused briefly. “I need you to apologize.”

“And if I refuse?”

“Then I will attack you. I am currently injured and have not fully recovered. I do not know how much strength you have regained after awakening, but you should be capable of killing me.

“But I will still attack. I need you to do this.”

“You planned this from the beginning?”

“No. Before you boarded the carriage, I still had not decided, but as soon as the carriage started moving, I understood.”

“You understood that you should pursue me?”

“No. I understood that everything in the past has already passed. What matters is grasping the present and the future. Just like Mr. Phileas and the others. They abandoned revenge and chose a new journey.

“I will remain on the island for another three years. During that time, I will help my brother stabilize the island’s situation, strengthen his authority as the clan leader, and I will help my niece Ophelia to secure her position as heir. At the same time, I will train a new commander for the offshore fleet. Three years should be enough to finish these matters.”

“And after three years?”

“I will put on a white robe and embark upon my own journey.”

“It’s hard to imagine that someone whose hands are stained with so much of Light’s blood could still shamelessly say such things.”

“Which is harder, letting go of guilt or letting go of hatred? Mr. Phileas let go of hatred. Why can’t I let go of guilt?”

“So you really have been corrupted.”

“Yes. Corrupted.”

Karon was speechless. Tafmann had actually pulled this on him.

“Your time is limited. Please decide quickly.”

“I agree.”

“Please return to the residence with me.” Tafmann hailed another carriage.

Karon boarded it, and Tafmann entered as well. The carriage returned once more to the residence. However, there was another carriage waiting outside of the entrance. It was a royal carriage.

“That is Ophelia. She’s the next generation’s heir,” Tafmann explained.

Karon said nothing.

“I’ll have her avoid us.” Tafmann stepped out of the carriage. Soon, Ophelia’s carriage departed, and Karon’s carriage pulled into the villa.

Once the coachman left, only Tafmann and Karon remained within the building. They again ascended the staircase.

Upon reaching the master bedroom door, Karon commented, “If you’d figured this out earlier, I could’ve saved more time.”

“Everything requires a process of understanding that cannot be skipped. Besides, even if I had figured it out, I still needed to find a mask.”

“You can take it off now.”

“No. I cannot face you without a mask.”

“I came back from snake island earlier,” Karon said. “Isn’t it possible that I’ve already mourned them?”

“That is absolutely impossible, due to how selfish you are.”

Karon felt Tafmann was entirely correct.

The man continued, “You went there to pursue someone, didn’t you? Were you after Mr. Phileas’s parasite? That’s the only explanation I can think of.”

“Yes. That’s correct, but I failed to catch him.” Karon naturally followed along. “I wanted him dead, but his luck was good. I arrived one step too late.”

“Mr. Phileas has already departed. I can sense it.”

“If not for that parasite, my slumber would not have been disturbed. Therefore, he deserves to die.”

Tafmann nodded and entered the master bedroom, once again adjusting the chandelier to activate the array.

At that moment, he asked, “Where do you think Darkmoon Island’s future should head? I mean, should we actively engage with the outside world or continue remaining low-profile?”

How was Karon supposed to answer that? Clearly, Tafmann was asking on behalf of his elder brother regarding Darkmoon Island’s future development path. And there truly was no more suitable person to consult than “Bernard.”

Karon replied, “A useless dog will only be slaughtered for meat.”

Now that Darkmoon Island had become a dog of the Church of Order, he did not believe they still possessed the luxury of quietly developing while reaping benefits. The Church of Order was not that benevolent or charitable.

“Yes. I understand. The clan leader wishes for Ophelia to go to Veyn as the next generation’s heir and undergo exchange training within the Church of Order. According to your meaning, I will choose to support this decision.”

Karon: “...”

This was effectively no different from sending a hostage, ensuring the next generation would maintain a good relationship with Order. Also, if Ophelia went to Veyn, it would have nothing to do with exile or banishment. The moment she departed, she would become the inevitable next clan leader of Darkmoon Island. If a new candidate dared emerge, then the Church of Order would absolutely intervene and suppress all opposition on her behalf.

But... was it still possible to take his words back now?

The array activated. Karon and Tafmann were enveloped in white light before arriving upon Snake Island.

The first thing Tafmann noticed was the newly carved words upon the gravestone.

His expression froze.

Hi, we’re setting sail again!

Karon’s expression changed as well.

He suddenly realized he had left behind a fatal oversight; He had smoked cigarettes in front of the gravestone.

Cigarettes were a region-specific product. The ones he normally carried in his pocket had all been purchased in York CIty. Although the cigarettes themselves had already burned away, the butts remained and had not yet decayed.

Thus, if someone truly investigated, it was entirely possible for them to identify the brand from the cigarette butts and determine the distribution region of that brand.

There were only two churches’ forces on the island. The Church of Reincarnation barely had influence within Veyn to begin with, and its forces there had already been completely wiped out during the recent conflict. Once a cigarette brand unique to York City appeared here, it would almost certainly reveal that the parasite was among the dozen or so members of the York City delegation.

At that point, whether Darkmoon Island investigated the matter themselves—which would actually be the better outcome—or reported it to the Church of Order and left the investigation to them instead, then the result...

...would probably end with Karon and the captain playing rock-paper-scissors to decide who would have to turn themselves in first.

Tafmann spread both hands open, summoning a mass of Light fire that instantly incinerated the nearby weeds and cigarette butts, leaving the ground completely clean.

He then looked at Karon, gestured politely, and said, “Please mourn them.”

Karon commented, “You deliberately destroyed those cigarette butts.”

This was not him trying to be annoying, nor was he deliberately acting shameless after benefiting. He simply needed to behave in a manner consistent with Bernard’s character.

Tafmann pointed at the gravestone. “He already understood the spirit of Mr. Phileas and the others. He will no longer seek revenge against Darkmoon Island. This matter should end here. There is no need to pursue it further.”

“If I did not still need to continue sleeping, the first thing I would do would be stripping you of your position and throwing you into prison.”

“If nothing unexpected happens, by the time you reawaken, I will already be Light vermin. At that point, you may still do exactly that.”

“Heh.” Karon performed a mourning bow in the direction of the burial pit.

After that, Tafmann led Karon into the cave.

The moment they entered, Tafmann’s attention was immediately drawn to the large pit that had been burned into the ground, yet he still said nothing. Naturally, there was no possible way he could imagine what had been burned there.

Karon looked toward the stone coffin containing Genevieve’s remains. Heh, didn’t expect to see me again so soon, did you, Miss Genevieve?

***

The mourning concluded.

Tafmann stood alone at the seaside, signaling that “Bernard” could depart first through the teleportation array while he himself remained a little longer.

Karon very much wanted to tell him, “You should spend more time looking at the sea, because your real ancestor still hasn’t fully dispersed yet.

Soon, Karon returned to the master bedroom on the third floor of the residence through the teleportation array. Without wasting another second, he immediately went down the stairs, climbed over the courtyard’s rear wall, leaped outside, then removed his mask and changed his clothes.

Upon returning to the hotel, he pushed open the gate to the courtyard and found Eisen and Richard sitting beside the pond. The moment they saw Karon finally return, Eisen lowered his head and resumed feeding the fish bread crumbs, while Richard approached and softly whispered, “The captain covered for you. Nobody realized you were gone.”

“Good.” Karon nodded and entered his room.

He found Nio lying on his bed, asleep. Even when Karon entered, the captain did not open his eyes.

Tafmann underwent such a massive change. Will the captain also...

Karon sat beside the bed and stared at Nio’s face. At that moment, the Captain suddenly spoke, “Praise Light.”

Karon froze momentarily.

The captain opened his eyes. He turned to Karon with a smile and asked, “Did I scare you?”

Karon shook his head.

“I awakened the final fragment of memory belonging to Phileas. It’s the most secret family motto inherited by the Phileas family from the Mad Pope. Want to hear it?”

Karon nodded.

The captain sat upright on his bed and stared at Karon with a very serious expression before saying each word slowly, “Can the God of Light truly represent Light?”

Karon licked his lips.

The captain asked curiously, “I’d like to know, did your grandfather leave behind a similar family motto? To some extent, I think your grandfather resembles the Mad Pope somewhat. I mean no disrespect. Quite the opposite, I greatly admire them.”

“Yes.”

“Let me hear it.”

“Raised by a—” Karon coughed lightly before continuing, “Can the God of Order truly represent Order?”