"Yo, you're back. Didn't feel like hanging out a little longer with your cute little girlfriend?"
The moment Shin stepped back into the hotel suite, a familiar voice reached his ears.
Turning toward the sound, he saw Raven lounging on the sofa in the living room, one leg crossed over the other. Her white bathrobe barely concealed her mature, alluring figure. Her short gray hair, damp from a recent shower, clung to her neck like silk strands, droplets of water trailing down her swan-like neck.
Shin didn't answer. He simply stared into her wine-red eyes.
Seeing the boy's direct gaze, Raven cleared her throat and turned her head slightly, feigning nonchalance. "I wasn't stalking you, alright? It's just that the floor here is really high up."
They were staying in a luxury hotel with high floors and massive floor-to-ceiling windows.
For regular people, seeing what was happening on the street from this height would be impossible—but Raven was a sniper.
"We're just friends."
Shin tried to explain.
Though he had many thoughts about Kiana, none of them included those kinds of thoughts.
"I get it, I get it," Raven nodded with a knowing look. "World Serpent doesn't interfere in its members' personal relationships."
As long as no classified information is leaked.
Shin pressed his lips together, then sighed softly. "Kiana's only fourteen."
He truly didn't understand what went on inside these people's heads.
In Shenzhou, if a student was caught dating this early, the school would call their parents immediately.
"And you're only fifteen, aren't you?"
Raven shot back, clearly missing the point entirely.
Shin rolled his eyes but chose not to argue with someone whose brain seemed permanently tuned to trashy channels.
"Any updates on the mission?"
He grabbed a glass of water and sat across from her, genuinely curious.
These past few days, Raven had been gone from before sunrise till deep into the night. This was the first time he'd seen her in the suite this early.
"Finally got a lead." Raven massaged her shoulder and sighed tiredly. "Been dealing with those damn Mafia guys nonstop. Total headache."
"Oh? Want me to help?"
Shin perked up, interest piqued.
He really did want to get a taste of the infamous Sicilian Mafia.
"Not happening."
Raven shut him down without hesitation.
She had no intention of letting the boy get tangled up with that kind of filth.
"I'm a good fighter, you know."
Shin didn't back down so easily.
Sure, Raven was currently operating at the level of an S-rank Valkyrie from Schicksal, but anyone who knew understood what that really meant.
S-rank Valkyries were supposed to be able to fight Herrschers—but when it came down to it, they usually went down faster than anyone expected.
If Shin were to throw a serious punch at Raven right now, he'd probably have to drop to his knees immediately and beg her not to die.
Well, except for monsters like Durandal. She was in a class of her own.
Seeing the boy's persistence, Raven sighed and rubbed her forehead. "The Mafia here in Sicily... are World Serpent people."
"...Huh?"
Shin was genuinely surprised.
Sicily sat right on the Mediterranean coast, and the floating island that housed Schicksal's headquarters was directly above the Mediterranean. So, World Serpent had planted eyes right on Schicksal's doorstep?
Although, technically speaking, World Serpent's base in the North African desert wasn't that far from the floating island either.
"The head of the Mafia around here is a World Serpent operative. Codename: Orca," Raven explained, clearly pleased by Shin's reaction. "Orca provides intel and funding to the organization, and in return, we offer tech and combat support. It's a partnership, really."
Technically speaking, the arrangement between Orca and World Serpent was closer to how Anti-Entropy handled their Executors. World Serpent didn't have full control over him.
After all, the guy bought his way into the organization.
And that's exactly why dealing with him was such a pain. Problems popped up all the time.
Knowing all this, Raven had intentionally kept Shin out of it. She didn't want him to be tainted by the Mafia's filth.
Some of the things those people did made even her want to puke.
Shin nodded. "I see."
He'd only joined World Serpent a few days ago, so it was no surprise he didn't have access to personnel files on senior operatives.
"Alright, I'm turning in. These past few days have worn me out." Raven waved a hand as she stood and made for her bedroom. "You should rest too. We're heading out at midnight sharp."
"Where are we going?"
Shin asked.
"I'm taking you treasure hunting."
Raven glanced back with a confident, almost seductive smile.
At midnight, Shin climbed into Raven's car as they sped toward the outskirts of Raymonlet, the lights and bustle of the city shrinking in their rearview mirror.
"The moon's really round tonight," Shin murmured, gazing out the window.
By the lunar calendar, it was the fifteenth day of the eighth month—the Mid-Autumn Festival back in Shenzhou, a holiday for remembering loved ones.
But Shin was all alone in this world. There was no one to miss him.
"Yeah." Raven glanced up at the sky, hands steady on the wheel. "Funny thing is, the moon's the reason we even made progress on this mission."
"Hm?"
Shin tilted his head curiously.
"You've heard of Raymonlet's legend, right?"
Raven prompted.
"The knight from a thousand years ago?"
Shin replied.
The city was named after her, Raymonlet. A thousand-year-old knight.
Though her family line was long gone, her story had endured. The most famous of which...
"A thousand years ago, a monstrous tsunami struck Sicily. The waves were so dark and towering they reached the heavens, throwing the entire island into chaos."
Raven began the tale, her voice low.
"The great Raymonlet walked across the sea and, with a single swing of her sword, calmed the storm and cleared the skies."
Shin's expression shifted to one of awe. "So it's real?"
This tale had been recorded in local history books, but history was... well, subjective.
The recorder's imagination often shaped the facts.
Maybe Raymonlet had just saved a few people during a regular storm?
With time and retelling, even a drizzle could become a divine act.
But if Raven was investigating it, then the story must hold some hidden truth.
"Based on my research, Raymonlet was likely a natural Stigmata awakener."
As she spoke, Raven gave Shin a sidelong glance.
"We're looking for the Stigmata she left behind, aren't we?"
Shin asked, frowning slightly in thought.
If the story was true, then Raymonlet's power had to be absurd. To stop a disaster capable of wiping out the entire island with a single sword strike… that kind of strength was beyond mere Stigmata.
He doubted even he could do that without drawing on Herrscher-level power.
Stigmata alone had limits.
At least, in Shin's experience, they weren't enough to calm a natural disaster.
"Maybe." Raven shrugged. "There's also intel suggesting Raymonlet held a powerful relic from the Previous Era."
"Ah, so it's a relic after all... This treasure hunt just got way more interesting."
Shin's eyes lit up.
Most relics from the Previous Era were extraordinary. Among them, the Keys of God were the most famous.
But even those that weren't part of that series could be terrifying in their own right. You never knew what kind of crazy tech MOTH had stashed away.
Like that unbreakable holy sword said to cut through space—Durandal.
Anyone who dared say Durandal wasn't on par with a Key of God would get knocked out on the spot by a certain strongest Valkyrie.
"Don't get your hopes up too much. You never know what you'll actually find out there."
Raven cautioned in a jaded tone.
She'd been burned by high expectations before.
The intel might promise a legendary blade, but when you got there, all you'd find was a Rusted Sword of Bravery and a Shield of Glorious Resolve.
Shin nodded, acknowledging the advice.
Gazing out across the moonlit fields, he turned toward Raven. "So, what does all this have to do with the moon?"
The legend hadn't mentioned anything about it.
"One old record claims that, at the end of her life, Raymonlet ascended to the heavens and entered the divine realm upon the moon."
Raven looked up at the glowing white disc above. "And that day just so happened to be a full moon."
Shin: ...
A sword that calms the seas, an ascent to the moon... what kind of ridiculous mashup was this?
Next she was going to say Raymonlet pulled her sword out of a rock.
Still... a full moon, huh?
He thought back to the Honkai beast he encountered in the sea earlier that day.
He didn't know what the full moon signified yet, but if it was important enough to be recorded, then it must hold some special meaning.
He couldn't help but feel excited.
Under the moonlight, the boy's lips curled into a crooked smile.
*********
Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!