Getting an ID

Ivy Cemetery. Mr. Pavaro's grave was placed right beside Ms. Annie's after all. This had been Mrs. Lake's arrangement. After the burial and backfilling of the earth, Alfred crouched down before Ms. Annie's headstone with a carving knife and engraved a line of words: "Thank you for showing me the tenderness that comes from the sea." Once finished, Alfred turned and carved onto Mr. Pavaro's headstone: "Thank you for showing me the true light." The funeral had been simplified after all, leaving no time to custom-order proper headstones, so they could only carve the words on the spot. Mrs. Lake bowed her head in silent mourning before both graves. After a long while, she turned and smiled at Karen, signaling that she was done. Karen offered no further mourning. Everything he wished to say had already been engraved by Alfred. On the way back, Karen drove the hearse carrying Mrs. Lake toward the funeral parlor, while Alfred followed behind in his car. Sitting in the passenger seat, Mrs. Lake looked out at the night scenery and said, "Everything seems peaceful now. The moment I watched the soil being shoveled in, it felt as though life had finally returned to its proper track." "Yes, back on track. Funerals are ultimately a way of sorting things out for the living." "You are very familiar with funerals, I can tell. Oh, I mean the procedures of the service." "I am." "In the future, will you run this funeral parlor?" "I will." "That's good, that's good. In truth, I know myself—I don't really know how to run a business. And my temper always tends to flare up." "My friend told me that his wife used to be very gentle. He always felt guilty, believing his own negligence had caused her temper to turn worse and worse." A smile touched Mrs. Lake's face. As he drove, Karen glanced at Mrs. Lake in the passenger seat. "You remind me of one of my elders." "Oh? One of your elders?" "Yes. Just like you, her temper isn't very good, and she likes to scold people, but deep down she is very kind. Incredibly kind." Karen thought of Aunt Mary. Back at home, whenever he went into the bathroom to bathe, there was always a clean set of sleepwear laid out for him. When he finished and walked into his bedroom, a fresh set of clothes for the next day would always be waiting on the bed. Aunt Mary was a woman who could scold you from head to toe, but also a woman who would look after you from head to toe. Mrs. Lake said, "I'm honored. She must be an elder truly worthy of respect." "Yes, and she is about your age." "Is that so?" Mrs. Lake asked. "Then... do you miss home?" "I've already brought up my family. What do you think—do I miss home?" Home... wasn't it simply family? "I'm sorry. Forgive me." "It's fine." "In the future—I mean, regarding the funeral parlor and everything else, I'll listen to you." "All right." Karen did not refuse, because this was precisely what Mrs. Lake wanted. Right now, she probably only wished to take good care of her two daughters; everything else was merely a burden to her. The hearse pulled into the funeral parlor grounds. The lights inside were on, but no one was around. "Where are Pike and Dinkum?" "They used to live here, but later they rented a place nearby for themselves," Mrs. Lake said. "By now, they've clocked off." "So only Doreen and Dora are at home?" "Yes." Doreen and Dora were the pet names of Mr. Pavaro's two daughters. In the Maklai language, it meant "God's gift." "In a few days, someone will whip those two fellows into shape," Karen said. "Are you going back?" "Yes." "Why don't you rest here instead? You could sleep in the study—oh no, the bedroom." "No need, perhaps in a while." "All right." Mrs. Lake bowed to Karen and walked back into the shop. Karen got into Alfred's car, touched his ring, and shifted back into his original appearance. "Let's head back." "Right away, Young Master." Alfred drove back to the apartment. Once home, Karen took a bath and lay down in bed. Little John shared a room with Alfred; Alfred slept on the bed while he slept on a floor pallet. Even though he had already gone to bed, upon hearing Karen return, he got up immediately and brought Karen a glass of ice water and the newspaper. The boy had originally been born a young master himself, accustomed since childhood to being waited on by others. Now, he had to serve someone else with all his heart. Yet he didn't find this bitter at all. Serving Karen gave him a sense of security; as long as he remained useful, he would stay protected. Karen took a sip of water and said, "After some time passes, I'll have Alfred arrange a school for you." "Young Master, I think staying here is wonderful. I can look after Miss Purr and Kevin." "You can take care of them after school." "Yes, Young Master." Little John dared not talk back any further. "Go get some rest." "Good night, Young Master." Little John stepped out and closed the door. Karen didn't read the newspaper. After finishing his water, he intended to go to sleep since he had to head to the funeral parlor tomorrow morning. At this moment, he suddenly found himself missing his previous job. When there were no appointments, he could go an entire day without visiting the clinic, whereas now he had to show up for work every single day. Purr came over and asked, "Karen, when is that point coupon reward coming in?" "It should be soon. Once it arrives, I'll allocate five thousand Order coupons to Alfred. In the future, he'll go to the black market to buy whatever materials you two need." "Mm, good." "I'm also hoping to master them soon." Dark Moon Blade and Sea God's Armor were two spells that could vastly enhance and diversify his combat capabilities at this stage, and they suited his traits well. However, passing down these two spells wasn't as simple as chanting incantations. It required crafting specialized scrolls to carry their mental imprints, which cost money in materials. Karen had already given the 500 Abyss coupons Lemar provided to Alfred, who had used them to purchase some materials for the cat and dog at home. Currently, the two were working on the foundational crafting. Once that was finished, blank scrolls would be needed to serve as the carriers. The required carrier scrolls were rather expensive. According to Purr, this was because the spells provided by her and Kevin were of a relatively high tier; only high-grade scrolls could flawlessly bear their mental imprints. On the black market, one such scroll cost a thousand Order coupons, meaning two would cost two thousand. Official channels within the Church of Order were cheaper. Karen had seen a price sheet on Mr. Pavaro's desk; purchasing one through internal church channels using Order coupons cost 800 point coupons apiece. The problem was that a bottom-tier Inquisitor spending nearly two months' worth of stipends all at once on such high-grade blank scrolls would easily draw unwanted attention. Getting them from the black market was far safer. His original plan had been to ask for point coupons from the Allen family through Boge. Now that he was about to receive a ten-thousand-Order-coupon reward, there was no rush to ask Allen Manor for them. Besides, Purr and Kevin still needed some time to complete their foundational preparations, so the timing would work out seamlessly. Cross-using spells from different faiths was possible for intelligent individuals with high comprehension, but doing so brought two unavoidable issues: First, it caused greater consumption of spirituality. Second, one could only utilize the basics, finding it very difficult to achieve higher-level mastery or further improve the spell. Additionally, one usually required a sacred relic corresponding to that specific magic system as a medium. For example, back in Rojia City, when that priest of the Berry religion had faced Grandfather, he had layered defensive spells from who knew how many different faiths upon himself—precisely because he possessed numerous sacred relics matching those respective belief systems. None of this posed a problem for Karen, however. First, his own "pool" was profound, and his accumulated spiritual power far exceeded anyone of the same level; second, his purification had utilized the power of Light. As Purr had put it, light-attribute power was an exceptional converter for the powers of all other attributes. This was one reason why traces of the God of Light appeared throughout the mythological narratives of various orthodox churches in the first two eras. It was also one reason why, after the Church of Light declined, the major orthodox churches had tacitly joined in stomping it down to ensure it could never rekindle. Karen had also been keeping up his study of internal spells belonging to the Church of Order during this time. Those he learned much faster, yet he was still looking forward more to the two spells Purr and Kevin were preparing for him. After all, even as an Inquisitor, Mr. Pavaro's combat capabilities had been quite ordinary. Sea God's Armor for defense. Dark Moon Blade for offense. At last, he could break free of the awkward situation where his only move was standing in place and hurling Spears of Punishment. As for the Inquisitor realm itself, he felt he was still just shy of it. He couldn't afford to rush. He had traversed the hardest path step by step from the start; if haste caused a misstep at any stage, everything achieved before would lose its meaning. With these thoughts in mind, Karen drifted into dreamland. ... When he woke, it was eight in the morning. After washing up, Karen walked downstairs and found Alfred busy in the kitchen, wearing an apron. A sizzle echoed out—the sound of hot oil being splashed over seasoning. "Young Master, the noodles are ready." Alfred carried two bowls of oil-splashed noodles out of the kitchen, set them on the dining table, picked up a pair of chopsticks, and began tossing them. Once mixed, Alfred said: "Please try some, Young Master." Karen picked up some noodles with his chopsticks and took a bite. "Very good." "Still a far cry from your level, Young Master." Alfred sat down as well, and the two ate their noodles together. After breakfast, Alfred drove Karen to Pavaro Funeral Parlor as usual. In the passenger seat, Karen transformed into the likeness of Mr. Pavaro. "Once everything is arranged properly, 'Mr. Pavaro' can leave home to take missions and earn point coupons for his two daughters. I won't have to wear this mask every day either." "Indeed, Young Master. You've truly had a hard time lately." Karen got out of the car and walked toward the funeral parlor. A commercial van was parked in front of the entrance. Subconsciously, Karen assumed that someone from the regional office had arrived. He had already copied out the statement Viclay wanted him to write and handed it to Dinkum to give to the courier, so the practical results of the scheme should be arriving by now. Sure enough, upon stepping into the funeral parlor, Karen saw a gaunt, middle-aged man standing inside alongside a young man who looked like a clerk. Both were dressed in black robes. "Inquisitor Pavaro?" "Yes." "I am Deputy Director Mi'ang." "Greetings, Lord Director." Mi'ang placed his hands over his chest, and Karen immediately mirrored the gesture. Together, they said: "Praise Order!" "Shall we head to my study?" "No need." Mi'ang smiled. "We can simplify the procedure somewhat. You won't mind, will you, Inquisitor Pavaro? After all, you have submitted suggestions to the Regional Administrative Office on several occasions about improving the church's bureaucratic atmosphere." "Oh, of course. That suits me best." "Mm. First, I would like you to confirm whether the statement regarding the Qihe case you submitted to the Regional Administrative Office is accurate and correct." "Accurate and correct." "Good, that will do." Mi'ang glanced at the clerk beside him. "Did you record that?" "Recorded, Director." "Inquisitor Pavaro, here is your Fifth-Class Inquisitor appointment document. Please keep it safe." "My gratitude to the region." "Additionally, this is a greeting gift entrusted to me by your new superior, Adjudicator Viclay, to hand over to you." "My gratitude to Lord Adjudicator." "Adjudicator Viclay is a very agreeable man. Becoming his subordinate is a reward bestowed upon you by the God of Order." "Heh." Karen let out a cold laugh characteristic of Pavaro. "Well, that covers it." Mi'ang pointed toward the vehicle outside. "I have other business, so I will take my leave." At that moment, the clerk whispered a reminder to him. "Oh, right. You now have an additional God's Servant quota. You have a candidate of your own to recommend, don't you?" "Yes, Director." The clerk took out a business card, smiled at Karen, and handed it over. "Lord Inquisitor Pavaro, you may send your chosen God's Servant directly to the Church Affairs Building behind the Wutong Street Police Station. They can have their identity verified and their dossier created at the processing service desk inside. Show this card to the person at the verification office, and it will be processed very quickly—provided, of course, that he is a God's Servant who believes in Order." Karen said, "Naturally." "Afterward, follow the address on the card to find me, or have your chosen God's Servant come directly to me, and I will transfer his file under your Inquisitorial Office." "Understood." "Is that everything now?" Mi'ang asked. "Director, there is one more thing," Karen said. "Oh? What is it?" "The region should also have a reward for me. If I remember correctly, it should be two thousand Order coupons." Mi'ang frowned and pointed at the gift box. "Isn't it inside the box?" "That is a gift from the Adjudicator to me, his subordinate. It is not the region's reward." An expression of displeasure crossed Mi'ang's face. He pulled two thousand Order coupons from his pocket, handed them to Karen, and said: "I forgot to bring the envelope." "Thank you." Karen accepted them. Mi'ang turned and strode away. The young clerk bowed to Karen and hurried after him. Karen knew that if he hadn't asked for the regional reward, it would have been pocketed. Normally, he wouldn't have minded sharing a cut like this, but since he was playing Pavaro right now, he definitely had to demand it! The promotion ceremony had been exceptionally perfunctory, and the questioning equally rushed. Karen knew this was Viclay's intentional arrangement—to demonstrate just how deep his connections ran. Yet in Karen's eyes, such posturing was like a mischievous monkey constantly flashing its red rear end. Pike and Dinkum immediately walked over. "Congratulations, Boss!" "Mm." Karen nodded, handed the two thousand Order coupons to Pike, and said, "Give this to Madame. Also, I've taken on a new mission and will be quite busy. I need to head out again right now and probably won't be back for a while, so when that newcomer arrives, make sure you welcome him properly." Dinkum grinned. "Don't worry, Boss! I'll teach the newcomer the ropes." Pike added, "Boss, we'll educate him well!" "Mm. I trust you can do it, and I'm very much looking forward to it." Karen nodded, turned, and walked out of the parlor. After sliding into Alfred's car, Karen opened the gift box first. Inside lay ten thousand Order coupons. Having counted them, he handed them directly to Alfred. Alfred took the Order coupons and placed them into his briefcase. "It's a nice box. Don't throw it away; save it to hold Viclay's head." "Understood, Young Master. By the way, where are we heading next?" Karen touched his ring, returning to his original appearance, and said: "To get my ID." With that, Karen sighed. "We need to hurry. If I don't get my God's Servant ID sorted out soon, I'll have already advanced to Inquisitor."