Alright

"Adjudicator Ruke?" "Yes, it's me." "Where are you?" "Why? You want to meet me?" "I will report this." "Report? Heh, do you dare?" "I don't see why I wouldn't. You are a wanted fugitive of the church. I'm quite curious where you get the nerve to say that." "I killed Pavaro with my own hands, and I am certain Pavaro was dead back then. So who on earth are you?" "I am Pavaro." "I don't think there's any need to keep up the act between us on this call, don't you think?" "I am not pretending. I am Pavaro." "Aren't you afraid your disguise will be exposed?" "Adjudicator Ruke." "Hm?" "You are welcome to report me." Silence fell over the other end of the line. Karen looked at Alfred with an impassive expression, waiting for the man's response. Since he had dared to borrow Mr. Pavaro's identity, he had anticipated this situation. Pavaro was dead; that was a fact. But the people who had killed Pavaro had forfeited their right to speak the moment their crimes were exposed. Finally, Ruke's voice sounded from the receiver once more: "You know I can't do that." "I hope you do. Or perhaps you can have whoever is currently sheltering you report it on your behalf." "Pavaro—I'll call you Pavaro for now—there are things both of us know full well in our hearts." "No, I know nothing of the sort. And that includes this phone call, which I will report immediately." "I came to make a deal with you, Pavaro." "I do not make deals with criminals who have betrayed Order." "I can give you plenty of point coupons, as long as you tell me how you became Pavaro!" "I have no idea what you're talking about. I advise you to turn yourself in right now and submit to the judgment of Order." "I could kill Pavaro a first time, and I can kill Pavaro a second time." "Even if you kill one Pavaro, tens of thousands more will rise up in his place. Can you kill them all?" "..." Ruke was silent. "In the name of Order, I hope you recognize your guilt. Turn yourself in, Ruke. How much longer do you think you can run?" "Is there truly no room for discussion?" "I've already told you: there is no possibility of negotiation between us." "You will regret this." "No, you are the one who will regret it. Anyone who stands against Order will face its retribution." *Click!* "Young Master, he hung up." "Yeah." Purr spoke up, "So, how do we handle this guy? Even though he doesn't seem capable of threatening us at all—well, unless he dares to come knocking on our door." "He won't dare," Karen said, shaking his head. "He's very cautious. After all, in his eyes, I'm someone bold enough to impersonate an Inquisitor of the Church of Order." "Then how do we deal with him?" Purr asked. "Young Master, should I investigate him?" Alfred offered. "Through the telephone office? He seems to have come from a Whip of Order squad himself; he wouldn't make such an absurd mistake. Besides, York City is simply too big. I didn't dare dangle any bait or let anything slip over the phone just now because I was worried he wasn't the only one listening." Purr reached out a paw and tapped the telephone. "So we can only passively put up with his harassing phone calls?" "For now, there's not much we can do—unless I had a Whip of Order squad under my command, and an elite one like Neo's at that." *** *Click.* The receiver was set back down. "Ruke, I think I must have been out of my mind earlier to believe what you said could actually be true." "Gengdi, please believe me. Do you really think I would use such a clumsy lie to deceive you?" "If he's an imposter, why didn't he leave you any room at all on the phone just now?" "You're a Whip of Order squad captain yourself! Is that so hard to figure out? He assumed someone was listening in on my end while I made the call!" "Heh." Gengdi stood up. "I only took you in for this period of time out of respect for our past relationship." "I know, I know." "Now, your time is almost up." "You've already harbored me. Aren't you afraid I'll turn you in after I leave and get caught?" "Just as Mr. Pavaro said on the phone, you can go ahead and report me. Let's see who believes the accusations of a fugitive." "Then... what about those point coupons? You don't want them either? The blood spirit powder business went on for so many years—can you guess just how vast a fortune Tyers accumulated? You should know that Tyers's assets weren't recovered during the raid. And there's Qihe's wealth too. I know exactly where both of them hid their fortunes." "I'm afraid I won't live to spend those coupons. Ruke, you'd better leave." "The opportunity is right in front of me, and I don't want to give it up! The man pretending to be Pavaro pulled it off, and so can I! I can start over in the church with a brand-new identity. I don't want to lose everything I have in the church!" "You're crazy." "Gengdi, trust me. Go investigate him. I'm begging you to investigate him! You'll definitely find that he isn't Pavaro. He must have left traces behind. He really isn't Pavaro! If you can uncover his true identity, it'll be a massive case with extraordinary significance. It would be a tremendous achievement for you too, wouldn't it?" "And what about you? Do you want to investigate him, or do you want to learn how he disguised himself so you can hide yourself?" "I... I don't know! I don't want to lose what I have, but more than that, I can't accept this! Why do I have to hide like a rat while the man I killed gets to live with dignity? I can't accept it, I really can't!" Ruke clutched his head, his face twisted in torment. Gengdi sighed. "In two days, I'll arrange a ship for you to leave Wien. You should just leave—go somewhere the church's reach doesn't extend yet." "I don't want to leave. I feel like I still have a chance. Gengdi, in two days, I'll take you to the place where Tyers hid his fortune. We can split it fifty-fifty, alright?" "If it were for those point coupons, I wouldn't have sheltered you in the first place." "I know, I know. You're a good person, Gengdi. I've always known that." "Then in two days, leave. Whether you give me point coupons or not, this is the last thing I can do for you for old times' sake. I have business to attend to, so I'm heading out first." Gengdi pushed open the door, walked down the stairs of the apartment building, and got into his car. The vehicle drove out through the compound gates. Sitting in the passenger seat, Gengdi spoke up: "The call just now..." "I heard it all. Did you forget you were carrying the item I gave you?" Gengdi pulled a blue seashell from his pocket and handed it back to Neo, who was driving. Neo shook his head, pulled two more seashells from his pocket, and placed them in Gengdi's hand. "A fairly handy communication tool. Here's a set for you, but keep up with regular maintenance so it lasts longer." "Thank you, Captain." "Don't thank me. I should be thanking you. I knew you had a past relationship with Ruke, which is why I had you actively respond to his contact. You did very well. Consider this a joint operation between our two squads. Once we learn where Qihe and Tyers hid their wealth, our squads will split the assets. As for him, we'll kill him and report it as a successful capture." "Understood, Captain. But what I wanted to ask is... what Ruke said..." "Are you doubting Pavaro's identity?" "He sounded very certain." "A drowning man will instinctively grasp at anything within reach—even a straw, even a straw that exists only in his own imagination. Haven't you seen cases like that before?" "I have, but he was an..." "There's no difference. He's no longer an Adjudicator. Right now, he's just a fugitive." "Yes, you're right, Captain Neo." "I'll take personal charge of what follows. Don't go doing anything pointless, or it might bring you trouble." "Understood, Captain. I'll follow your orders." "Alright, this is where I get off. Drive yourself back." Neo pulled the car over to the side of the road. "Captain, if not for you, I wouldn't have dared to respond to Ruke, let alone maintain contact with him." "Are you blaming me?" "No, of course not. It's just because I know that by following you, Captain Neo, there's always broth to drink no matter what mission we undertake." "It's meat to eat." "Yes, yes, meat to eat." Neo's figure dissolved into a plume of black mist, vanishing from the driver's seat. Gengdi took a deep breath, slid over behind the steering wheel, and restarted the engine. *** "Xili, is everything ready?" "All ready, Young Master. Mr. Alfred has already loaded everything into the car." "Good." Karen walked out to the parking area in front of the funeral parlor. He popped the trunk, checked the piles of food stacked inside, and shut it again. "Young Master, would you like me to accompany you?" "No need. I only sent you last time because I wasn't home. This time I'll go myself—consider it a chance to clear my head. Also, the tutor is coming for the first lesson today. Go keep them company and pay attention to their personality. If they aren't suitable, we'll replace them." "Understood, Young Master. Rest assured, I will look after things." "Alright, I'm heading out then." Karen drove over to Ivy Cemetery. It was dusk, very close to the cemetery's closing time. Karen drove straight inside and parked in the open space below the caretaker's cottage. Old Saman, with a pipe dangling from his mouth, stood on the steps with his hands on his hips and shouted down at Karen, "If I didn't call, you wouldn't even think to bring anything over, would you?!" Karen got out of the car, walked to the back, and popped the trunk, retorting bluntly, "Who knew you could eat so much?" "Is it me who eats so much? Is it?!" Old Saman jogged down the steps, rushed up to Karen, and raised a hand as if to hit him. Yet the moment Karen pulled out a packaged box of beef, Saman very naturally reached out and took it. "Is it fresh?" Old Saman asked. "I don't know. Either way, it's the same kind we use for steaks at my place." "Fine, I'll take your word for it." "Hold steady, there's more." Karen stacked a box of meatballs and a box of canned goods on top of the beef in Old Saman's arms. "I can't carry any more! I can't carry any more!" "Then let's leave the rest behind." "No way!" Old Saman turned around and wobbled toward his cottage like a roly-poly toy. Carrying a crate of soda, Karen thought several times the old man was about to tumble over, only for him to steady himself each time. "Hey, it won't all fit in the fridge," Karen noted. "It's fine, it'll fit, it'll fit! I just need to clear out some old stuff I couldn't bring myself to throw away." Old Saman squatted on the floor and began sorting through the battered refrigerator. Karen picked up a bottle of soda, walked over to Old Saman's desk, and struck the bottle cap against the edge of the wood—once, twice, three times. A chunk of the desk's corner sheared off, yet the bottle cap remained firmly in place. "Oh, good grief!" Noticing this, Old Saman jumped to his feet. "Can't you look for a bottle opener?!" "Too much hassle." Old Saman marched over, snatched the soda bottle from Karen's hand, popped the cap off with his teeth, and spat it onto the floor. "Here." Karen didn't take it. Instead, he grabbed another bottle and asked, "Where's the bottle opener?" "You brat." Old Saman took a long swig of the soda, let out a burp, and said, "I really don't see what's so great about this stuff. Liquor tastes far better." "Pity. I didn't bring any liquor." "I'm just reminding you to bring some next time." "How about I get you some industrial alcohol to mix with water yourself? That'd be very convenient." "Oh, then next time I'll have to crawl out of a grave to open the gate for you." "Heh. Tell me, how did you go through it all so fast? Are you hosting barbecue parties with the residents here every night?" "It's not like—" "I ate it," Neo's voice rang out from the doorway. Seeing Neo, Karen smiled. Rather than calling him 'Captain,' he picked up the bottle opener, popped open a bottle of soda, and handed it to him. Old Saman pointed at Neo. "It's him! He mooches dinner off me every single night, and he eats like a horse! I can never beat him to the food!" Karen said, "Then next time I'll bring over some good liquor to store at your place." "You little rascal! Am I not worthy of drinking your liquor?!" "I only ate a single bowl of macaroni at your place, and you've held it over my head ever since. And now you expect me to treat you to liquor?" "We look out for each other, don't we? Oh, right, your funeral parlor hasn't sent any business this way in quite a while. Has business gone down?" "We were doing renovations recently." "So that's it. I thought your shop had gone bankrupt." "It's not my shop." "Pavaro only has two daughters and no sons. Won't his family business belong to you eventually anyway? If Pavaro passes away early, forget about the family property and the daughters—even his wife will be left for you to take care of." "What nonsense are you babbling?" "It's not like that's uncommon. Didn't the boss of Kuchis Funeral Parlor die early, and the boss's wife ended up sharing a bed with the shop assistant? It's completely normal." Karen began searching around the room. "What are you looking for?" Old Saman asked. "Looking for the industrial alcohol you've got stashed away. I suspect you must have drunk some." "Shoo, shoo! I was giving you a blessing." Neo asked, "When will dinner be ready?" Old Saman's temper flared upon hearing this, and he was just about to snap back when Karen said, "Right away. I'll do the cooking myself." Karen's culinary skill went without saying. Just as darkness fully settled, four dishes and a soup appeared on the small table set outside, every portion generous. "Tsk..." Old Saman sat on a stool, staring at the exquisite dishes he had never seen before. He couldn't help muttering, "If I were the boss's wife, I'd want to share a bed with you too." Karen walked over, untying his apron. "If your kitchen had a wider variety of seasonings, it would taste even better." Neo picked up a fork, speared a piece of beef brisket, and brought it to his mouth. "Very tasty." Not to be outdone, Old Saman immediately picked up his plate and dug in. "Mmm, really good." Karen pulled up a small stool and began eating at an unhurried pace. Twenty minutes later, Karen—who had initially worried he had cooked too much—suddenly realized he had made too little. "Should I make some more?" "No need," Neo said. Old Saman raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Hey, that's rare." Neo added, "We can have a late-night snack in a little while." Old Saman rolled his eyes at him. "And here I was wondering why your appetite had shrunk today." "I'm going to see Elisa and take a walk while I'm at it." Neo stood up and walked deeper into the cemetery. Karen began clearing the plates; the caretaker's cottage had so few dishes that if they weren't washed now, there wouldn't be any clean ones for the late-night snack. Surprisingly, Old Saman took the initiative to take the plates from him. "Go keep him company on his walk. I'll clean up." "Is the sun going to rise from the west tomorrow?" "Heh," Old Saman sneered. "I'm just afraid you won't live to see tomorrow's sun." "Cursing me?" "Hard to say. By the way, your cooking is genuinely great. Novel dishes too. I thought I wouldn't be used to them, but who knew they'd be so delicious." "One day, the pigs at a pig farm in Wien suddenly went on a hunger strike." "Hm?" "And then the farmer's wife cursed out her husband, asking if he'd mixed up the family's meals and fed them to the pigs again." "..." Old Saman fell silent. "Alright, since you're doing the dishes, I'll leave them to you. I'm going for a walk too." "Hey, kid." "Something else?" "I'm retiring soon." "Congratulations." "If you come over every evening and cook me a meal, then after I retire, I'll leave all the old furniture, old appliances, and odds and ends in this house to you. How about it? Good deal, right?" Seeing Karen remain silent, Old Saman urged, "What are you hesitating for?" Karen replied, "Hesitating over how to tactfully turn you down." "Get lost!" Karen chuckled as he walked down the steps and headed into the depths of the cemetery. But when he reached Elisa's tombstone, he found that Neo wasn't there. *Did the captain already leave?* Karen searched for a moment longer and spotted Neo standing before a headstone quite far from Elisa's. At the sight, Karen bit his lip, but he still walked over on his own initiative. It was... Mr. Pavaro's tombstone, right next to Mrs. Annie's. Of course, the names inscribed on them were not their real ones. "Captain, why are you here?" "These words are quite interesting." Neo pointed to the headstone before him and read, "'Thank you for letting me see the true light.'" "Yes, Captain. Quite interesting." "There's an inscription on the one next to it as well. Read that one too." "Alright, Captain." Karen leaned closer to the tombstone and read aloud, "'Thank you for letting me see the gentleness of the sea.'" Neo asked, "Isn't his wife angry, having their graves so close together?" Hearing that, Karen fell silent for a moment before straightening up. "His wife requested it herself." "Oh." At that moment, the conversation Karen had shared with Neo when they came to bury Elisa flashed through his mind: *"When did Inquisitor Pavaro pass away?"* *"A long time ago."* *"So you arranged the funeral?"* *"Yes."* Neo turned and began walking back toward Elisa's grave, and Karen followed along. As they walked, Neo spoke: "A fugitive named Ruke was recently discovered. I have Wend monitoring him. We'll carry out an arrest operation in two days." "He's an Adjudicator." "Yeah. So resistance will be fierce. We probably won't be taking him alive." "Captain, I have a request." "Speak." "I want to participate in this arrest." "He's an Adjudicator." "I know." "And?" "I still want to try." Neo crouched before Elisa's tombstone, reaching out to tidy the blooming white roses around it. After a brief moment, he answered: "Alright."