While moving toward the gate, Arlo started thinking.
"From the look of this palace, it's filled with cultivators. I can't physically deal with the Evolution Order while being a Cognition Order user."
————————————————————————————————
What Is an Order? The Hermies Utilization Taxonomy
Rovelt J. Hermies classified all Anima users into the following system:
Utilization Orders
A utilization order describes the following:
->How a user interprets Anima
->Their primary method of usage
->The purpose of conversion
There are eight fundamental orders:
1. Cultivation Order — Evolutionary Refinement Users (ERU)
2. Invocation Order — Phenomenological Invocation Users (PIU)
3. Cognition Order — Neuro-Computational Users (NCU)
4. Dominion Order — Authority-Imposition Users (AIU)
5. Manifestation Order — Conceptual Materialization Users (CMU)
6. Assimilation Order — Adaptive Consumption Users (ACU)
7. Resonance Order— Spiritual Resonance Users (SRU)
8. Entropy Order — Entropic Degradation Users (EDU)
————————————————————————————————
Arlo, being a Cognition Order user, zoomed in on the guards' faces and began analyzing their expressions, posture, and breathing patterns to calculate the safest responses.
Agnes stepped forward first.
"Has the Royal Council started yet?" she asked one of the guards.
The guard replied with a cold gaze.
"No. There's still some time before that. Right now they're holding a court session — a public hearing. So, are you going in or not?"
Arlo smiled politely.
"Yes. As a merchant, I was invited to the council regarding cattle taxes. But a public hearing sounds interesting as well."
The guard stepped closer to Arlo and lowered his voice.
"If you're attending the council about cattle taxes, be careful. I heard the king's getting pressured by the nobles. Don't say something ridiculous in there."
Arlo raised a brow.
"Pressuring the king? So there's a faction trying to force foolish policies through?"
He paused before speaking again.
"Is this because of the succession issue? I heard the king has forty-four concubines."
The guard snorted.
"Yeah, you got it. The Crown Prince was poisoned and has been in a coma ever since. That means the children of the concubines suddenly have a chance at succession."
He glanced around cautiously.
"The concubines' families want the king to step down before the crown prince wakes up."
The guard waved them onward.
"Anyway, enough politics. Go inside."
Arlo entered through the massive gate.
A gigantic courtyard stretched before him. Stone pathways divided the gardens, and armored guards stood at nearly every corner like statues carved from iron.
Arlo walked toward another guard.
"Sir, do you know where the Royal Court is?"
The guard pointed toward a distant building.
"Go there, take a right turn. You'll see another yard. Take a left, then another left. There'll be a large door."
Arlo activated Codex to memorize the route.
A sharp vibration rang inside his skull.
"What happened?"
A translucent screen appeared before his eyes — visible only to him.
[Anima reserves running low. Suggestion: Turn off Codex.]
Arlo immediately disabled it.
"Right turn..." he muttered while walking. "Then the yard..."
He entered another courtyard.
A massive mango tree stood proudly at its center, its branches spreading like a green canopy over the stone ground.
"Then left... then another left..."
A huge door appeared before him.
But the guards stationed there were suddenly called away by another guard, likely a higher-ranking officer.
The entrance remained unguarded.
Arlo approached the door carefully and pushed it open just enough to peek his head inside.
Then his soul nearly left his body.
"Oh shit... This isn't the court. It's a bathroom."
He slowly began closing the door while shaking his head.
Inside, several women bathing froze in horror as a random man's face appeared through the crack.
"WHOOOO IS THAAAT?!"
The scream exploded through the palace.
Every nearby guard immediately turned toward the sound.
The guard who had given Arlo directions suddenly widened his eyes.
"Wait... was it right... right... left?"
Even inside the royal court, the scream echoed faintly.
King Yi Li Raya's body instantly stiffened.
He was a remarkably handsome man despite the countless scars covering his body. White hair rested over sharp features, while a rough stubble beard framed his face. His lean muscular build gave him the appearance of a warrior rather than a ruler.
Yet the moment he heard the scream, countless thoughts spiraled through his mind.
"Did someone die?"
"Was there another poisoning?"
"An assassination attempt?"
"A coup?"
"A hidden cultivator?"
"Another succession plot?"
The king's breathing grew heavier.
Then he forcefully calmed himself.
"No... perhaps it was just a mouse."
He rubbed his temple.
"I am overthinking again."
Meanwhile, outside the bathroom courtyard, Arlo sprinted back toward the mango tree.
Guards rapidly gathered around him.
One of them grabbed his shoulder.
"Who are you?"
Arlo replied without hesitation.
"I came to attend the public hearing. I was about to leave when I heard a scream. That's all."
The guards exchanged glances.
Technically... that sounded believable.
Mostly.
One finally nodded.
"You're free to go."
Arlo nearly ascended spiritually from relief.
"Thank you."
This time, he carefully followed the directions.
"Right. Then left."
A massive decorated door stood ahead.
One of the guards opened it for him.
And the moment Arlo entered, the atmosphere changed entirely.
Standing near the entrance was a filthy, ragged woman trembling uncontrollably. An infant cried weakly in her arms while she supported herself with a wooden stick.
Not a single coherent word came from her mouth.
She was blind.
Even the guards lowered their heads in pity as she slowly tapped the floor with her stick, moving carefully through the hall.
Arlo silently approached her and gently grabbed her hand.
"Follow me."
Her fingers tightened around his instinctively.
As he guided her toward the throne, Arlo noticed something horrifying.
Her tongue had been sliced off.
His expression darkened.
This was not his responsibility.
He knew that.
But something inside him refused to walk away.
He escorted her before the throne before stepping aside among the spectators.
The crowd immediately erupted into noise.
Some booed her.
Some pitied her.
Others looked disgusted.
At the center of the hall stood the Chancellor.
King Yi slowly raised his hand, silencing the court.
The Chancellor opened a scroll.
He cleared his throat.
"In today's royal court, under the authority of His Majesty, the Great King Yi Li Raya, we gather to deliver justice to this woman."
He gestured toward the slave tattoo branded onto her forehead.
"Yes, slavery is legal within this kingdom. However, the welfare of slaves remains the responsibility of their owners."
His voice hardened.
"Her master used her as a prostitute."
The court became silent.
"That crime is punishable by death."
King Yi leaned forward.
"Tell me, Chancellor Gin... was she beaten? Starved?"
His eyes lingered on the woman.
"If so, treat her wounds and feed her first. Justice can wait."
Gin lowered his head respectfully.
"We treated her as best we could, Your Majesty. We sought cultivators with healing abilities, but many refused outright."
His jaw tightened slightly.
"Some stated they would not waste their powers on insects."
Murmurs spread through the hall.
"A few attempted treatment, but their cultivation levels were insufficient to fully heal her injuries."
King Yi's face darkened.
"Give me the full context."
Gin inhaled deeply.
"Her name is unknown. Her master never gave her one. Even if she once had a name, we would never know it now."
He looked toward the blind woman.
"She is mute. She cannot identify her culprits because she is blind."
The king asked quietly,
"Can she write?"
His voice sounded weak.
Distressed.
Gin shook his head.
"No, my lord. She is uneducated. She was born a slave."
King Yi grabbed his forehead.
"Then how are we supposed to know who did this?"
Even the citizens began discussing possibilities among themselves.
One citizen raised his hand.
The king gestured for him to speak.
"My lord, my name is Toi. I believe her master must be wealthy or powerful. Ordinary people cannot afford slaves."
Another citizen immediately added,
"Or perhaps a rich family fell into financial ruin and resorted to selling her body."
King Yi nodded slowly.
"She may be blind and mute, but she is not deaf."
His eyes sharpened.
"Could we not simply list the noble houses, wealthy families, declining sects, and merchant clans?"
He leaned forward slightly.
"She only needs to react."
Gin hesitated.
"It is possible, Your Majesty... but there are countless names. And those clans and sects will not cooperate willingly."
Silence filled the court once more.
No one had an answer.
Then Arlo slowly raised his hand.
"My lord... I have an idea."