Mysterious: The Innate Sacred Body of Destiny

Chapter 379 The Wedding in Progress

"Leonard?!"

Several suppressed gasps rang out from a corner of the front row of the church. It was the members of the Tingen Night Watch squad.

"Why are you here?" Luo Yao, dressed in an elegant black suit, asked in surprise.

"Really? We all thought you wouldn't make it back." Even the usually taciturn Frye showed a rare expression of surprise.

Leonard didn't answer immediately. Instead, he straightened his slightly disheveled bow tie, which had become messy from rushing, and tidied his black hair before revealing his signature slightly lazy smile.

"Looks like I wasn't late."

Since it was inconvenient to talk while standing in the crowd, the veteran teammates tacitly moved to a quieter corner.

"I didn't expect you to actually make it back?" Sica teased, resting his arm on his hand. "We were all betting on whether you'd miss the captain's wedding."

"A very busy person."

"I rushed here as fast as I could," Leonard waved his hand helplessly. "I didn't sleep a wink all night in order to catch this earliest steam train."

"As an extraordinary being who 'doesn't sleep,' you don't need to sleep anyway, do you?" Siga bluntly exposed.

The "writer girl" whose writings couldn't be sold and the "poet classmate" who only plagiarized poetry started their usual banter again. The rest of the team was already used to it and even felt a long-lost sense of warmth.

"By the way, Leonard, how long will you be staying this time?" Rosanne, dressed in a formal gown, also came over and asked curiously.

"Ten hours." Leonard spread his hands, a regretful expression on his face. "Subtracting the travel time, that's all the time I can stay."

"—So rushed?" Rosanne asked, somewhat surprised.

"Well—there was a serious accident in Backlund recently—" Leonard sighed and explained simply, "I had to really squeeze this ten-hour vacation out of Captain Soster with great difficulty—"

"You've worked hard." Frye walked over and patted his former teammate on the shoulder.

At the same time, another former teammate, who was also today's best man, Cohen, heard the commotion and came over.

Leonard.

"Cohenley".

The two hugged tightly.

"Sorry I couldn't make it back for your wedding." Leonard released his grip and looked apologetically at his former teammate.

Cohenley's wedding took place around the time of the recent Backlund metro station incident. There were too many things happening and too much chaos at the time; he simply couldn't be there in time.

In fact, even now, the aftermath of that accident is not completely over. That's why he racked his brains to squeeze out this short ten-hour vacation.

"I know the Red Gloves' job is busy and dangerous." Cohen Lee understood. Leonard had joined the elite Red Gloves team, so being busy was normal, and it was understandable that he couldn't make it. They had also heard about the accident that happened at Backlund a while ago.

"By the way, Cohen, you're the best man this time, right?" Leonard asked.

"Hmm." Cohen nodded, then, unusually, cracked a joke, "If you had come back sooner, this position would have been yours."

This usually serious and stern colleague seems to have become much more cheerful thanks to the comforts of married life.

"Then I'll steal the captain's thunder," Leonard retorted, raising an eyebrow.

But his confidence didn't last more than a few seconds before he felt several meaningful gazes focused on him. "Okay, okay. The captain is the boss today, no one can steal his thunder." He immediately raised his hands, striking a pose of surrender.

"By the way, Cohen Lee, you were the best man, and you've just gotten married and have experience. Did the captain consult you privately?" Leonard asked again with a gossipy look.

"Yes, Captain, these past two days—" Cohen Lee recalled his experiences over the past two days and couldn't help but laugh.

"Can you imagine? Our usually calm and collected captain has been acting like a lovesick young man these past two days, so nervous. One minute he's asking me how to tie his bow tie to look dignified, the next he's asking me whether he should step in with his left or right foot first—"

"He was worried that he would embarrass himself at the wedding, that Daly would be unhappy, and so on—I had never seen him so anxious."

"Yes, this is the first time we've seen our captain so flustered," Rosanne chimed in with a smile.

In her heart, Dunn has always been a reliable elder, a father figure, and a pillar she can always trust. Seeing her "father" act like a child, flustered and disoriented, is such a fascinating contrast.

"Actually, besides us, there's another companion who came too," Leonard suddenly said mysteriously.

"companion?"

Amidst the puzzled gazes of the crowd, Leonard curled the corners of his lips, turned, and walked out of the church.

A short while later, he returned, followed by an elderly man in a suit, with gray hair and a sprightly appearance.

"Old Neil?!"

The crowd gasped again, their eyes filled with unbelievable surprise.

"Everyone, it's been a long time." Old Neil greeted everyone with a smile, his voice still a little hoarse, but full of energy.

The wrinkles on his face seemed deeper than before, but his complexion was much more peaceful, and his eyes had regained their luster, showing no trace of his past loss of control.

"How could this old man like me miss such an important event as Dunn's wedding?"

Leonard continued to explain to everyone, "Old Neil has recovered a lot after receiving intensive treatment and purification from the Sanctuary."

"Although they cannot be completely free from surveillance, they can apply for short periods of time to go out, provided they wear special devices designed to stabilize their mental state and are accompanied by professionals throughout their time outside."

Leonard patted his chest, beaming with pride, and said, "That professional, that's me."

Upon hearing this, everyone was both delighted and moved. They all knew what Old Neil had gone through, nearly losing control completely and being sent to the Sanctuary. Seeing him recover so well and attend the Captain's wedding was the best gift imaginable.

"Melissa, do you know that young man from earlier?" Lorne asked the girl beside him in a low voice.

"I know him." The girl holding the orange cat nodded slightly, her gaze filled with nostalgia.

"He was also my brother's former colleague—I met him a few times when Klein was still around."

"His name is Leonard Mitchell."

"However, not long after that incident, he seemed to be transferred, apparently to Backlund as well," Melissa said, lost in thought.

"Oh, I see. You're an old colleague who came all the way from Backlund for the wedding."

"They have such a good relationship." Lorne thought to himself as he watched the group of people chatting familiarly in the corner in the distance.

Leonard Mitchell is a Night Watcher—so his group of old colleagues are most likely also members of the Night Watcher team—meaning that the Smiths are also Night Watchers.

So this so-called "Blackthorn Security Company" is just a front for the Church of the Night's stronghold!

No wonder I felt a strange restlessness in the spiritual atmosphere as soon as I entered the church, and some of the guests' auras seemed off—he glanced discreetly at the few rugged-looking, obviously irritable men to the side.

Those guys looked like "scapegoats".

However, since Klein Moretti used to work here, he should at least be a clerical worker for the church—

Doesn't the Church of the Night have any background checks? How could they let someone suspected of being a cult member in?

"By the way, about Klein—what did they say over there—" After exchanging pleasantries with his old teammates, Leonard left the court to prepare, but he couldn't resist asking about the name that had been on everyone's minds.

Upon hearing this, the smiles on the faces of his companions faded slightly, and the atmosphere became somewhat heavy.

Finally, it was Fry who spoke up to explain: "The final investigation report from the Sanctuary has been released. The major incident in Tingen has been confirmed to be unrelated to Klein."

However—there is still no reasonable explanation for his mysterious disappearance.

"Klein—he was a kind, good boy—" Old Neil suddenly spoke, his voice choked with emotion. He had already learned of the tragedy that had occurred in Tingen from Leonard.

"Well—at least he fulfilled his duties as a night watchman."

"Actually—" Leonard wanted to say something more, such as when he was on a mission in Backlund, he had accidentally noticed that someone's back looked familiar, very much like Klein—

But he swallowed the words back. He had no concrete evidence, and besides, it was the captain's wedding day; he shouldn't be saying these things.

Just then, Luo Yao, who had been quietly observing his surroundings, raised his chin and gestured in one direction: "Klein's brother and sister have also arrived."

Following the direction she pointed, Leonard saw Benson, dressed in a suit, politely conversing with the guests around him.

There was also Melissa, wearing a white dress and holding an orange cat, and—the man in a well-tailored suit standing next to Melissa.

It's him!

Lorne Disenke!

What is he doing here?!

Leonard's pupils suddenly contracted.

Countless questions and anxieties flooded his mind. He almost rushed over immediately. But reason held him back. This was the Captain's wedding venue, a sanctuary under the goddess's gaze, surrounded by many ordinary guests unaware of the situation. Acting rashly could easily cause unnecessary commotion and disrupt this ceremony that was so crucial for the Captain and Daly.

Before he could come up with a solution, a slight, joyful commotion came from ahead.

Wearing a sharp tuxedo, Dunn Smith, accompanied by his best man Cohen Lee, finally appeared in everyone's sight.

He was nervously adjusting his cuffs, but when he looked up and saw Leonard and Neil in the corner, he froze on the spot.

At that moment, a complex mix of emotions—surprise, emotion, and relief—overwhelmed him, causing the usually composed captain's eyes to instantly redden. He opened his mouth, as if wanting to shout something, but the words seemed to get stuck in his throat.

Leonard and the others didn't approach to disturb him, but simply stood aside, smiling as they watched him. Old Neil, in particular, wore an expression of immense satisfaction, as if he were watching his own child grow up, on his wrinkled face. He nodded slightly, gesturing to Dunn.

After another long wait, the wedding was about to officially begin.

While everyone was distracted, Leonard secretly glanced in Lorne's direction. Then, he walked to a secluded corner, covered his mouth, and whispered something into the air.

A moment later, as if he had received some kind of confirmation, he breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the crowd.

At that moment, the church doors were pushed open again.

A woman in a pristine wedding dress, carrying a bouquet of flowers, walked in through the doorway, accompanied by her bridesmaids. She walked step by step down the flower-strewn aisle towards the altar.

Dunn, standing near the altar, swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. Watching the figure approaching, he couldn't help but break into a silly grin.

I'm so nervous, so very nervous.

Even when facing the most ferocious extraordinary beings, his hands had never trembled so violently. His mind was blank; he had forgotten most of the procedures he had memorized perfectly before.

My old problem of poor memory seems to have returned.

As Daisy walked toward him, she appeared calm and composed, with elegant steps, and even smiled and nodded to the guests on both sides.

But a closer look reveals that she is far from as composed as she appears. Her fingers, clasped in front of her and holding the bouquet, are tightening slightly until her knuckles turn white. Her heart is pounding, and countless thoughts are racing through her mind.

What if my skirt suddenly rips? What if I step on the hem? Goddess, please make everything go smoothly.

Finally, the two stood before the altar.

After everything had calmed down, the pastor who was officiating the wedding cleared his throat and solemnly announced, "Under the watchful eye of the Goddess of Mercy, I will witness a sacred marriage."

"Praise beauties, goddess."

All the guests present, who were followers of the "Goddess of the Night," simultaneously raised their right hands and tapped their chests four times clockwise, drawing a crimson moon.

This included Melissa and Benson. Rachel even jumped from Melissa's arms onto her shoulder, watching the scene with curiosity.

If he were using the identity of "James Scott," Lorne might also have feigned admiration for the goddess. But as "Lorne Disenk," he decided to show some respect for his own "God of Steam and Machinery," who, though not very prominent, was at least nominally recognized.

So, like the other guests who believed in other gods, he didn't make that gesture, but silently blessed the newlyweds in his heart.

"Ms. Daly Simone, do you take this man beside you to be your husband, to be your devoted husband? Do you take him, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, respect, cherish, and love him, till death do you part?"

Daly raised her head, first glancing at the "Goddess of Night" emblem hanging above the altar, then turned her head and looked deeply into the eyes of her lover.

Tears welled in her eyes, but her voice was unwavering: "I do."

Dunn could no longer contain his smile; it overflowed completely, and even the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out.

The pastor turned to him and asked, "Mr. Dunn Smith, do you take this lady beside you to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"

Looking into Daly's hopeful and loving eyes, Dunn took a deep breath and said loudly without hesitation, "I do."

"Therefore, under the gaze of the goddess, I hereby declare the marriage contract concluded."

The pastor closed the holy book in his hands, a kind smile on his face.

"You are now officially husband and wife."