"Dad, Mom, you..."
Santos made a "shh" gesture, and Aisli immediately shut her mouth.
Promptly, Aisli's mother, Selina, took the fountain pen from her daughter's hands, unscrewed the end of the barrel, and flicked it downward. Three black butterflies fluttered out, landing respectively on the faces of the three people present.
Once the butterflies settled, their wings spread open, forming screens of black light that neatly wrapped around each of their heads.
This was a method of message transmission similar to a black crow. It was more secure than a black crow, could transmit more information, and allowed communication over a certain distance. It had only one drawback... expensive materials.
Because of this, the priests of the Church of Order still preferred to simply pick up spell paper, or even tear off a piece of cloth from their clerical robes to fold into a black crow, rather than use these butterflies.
Neither Santos nor Selina carried any on their person, as they had no need for such messaging in the research institute under normal circumstances—they had dedicated assistants and monster beasts assigned to communications. However, they knew their daughter kept one on hand.
Right now, "communicating" this way was actually the safest option.
Selina spoke: "Phew... that cat's bone age is nearly two hundred years."
Santos followed: "The dog's bone age is only eight years."
"In every single strand of that cat's fur, I detected remnants of fire-attribute power. Though the quantity was low—so low it was virtually negligible—it was present in every strand. Every single one!
"Even for a top-tier monster beast, achieving such a state is exceedingly difficult, just as an ordinary human cannot forge every single part of their body into pure muscle.
"This means the cat I examined is either currently in a weakened state, or it deliberately suppressed its power before me. Yet its foundational constitution is simply too perfect. It's hard to imagine what kind of sight it would be at its peak, or if it chose not to suppress its strength.
"As a fire-attribute monster beast, it can smelt fire-attribute power into every part of its body. No—it has already achieved complete harmony between fire-attribute power and its own physical form, perhaps even its soul.
"I dare assert that, to some extent, it once stood at the pinnacle of the fire-attribute system."
Santos said, "The dog I examined has nothing abnormal in its fur. It's just an ordinary dog."
Aisli stood off to the side. Although she was listening, she had no idea what to say.
So that black cat wasn't just not an ordinary pet—it was a top-tier monster beast?
Remembering how affectionate that black cat had been toward Karen right before her eyes... Earlier, she had only thought it was the natural fondness between a pet and its owner. But now, replacing that black cat with the concept of a top-tier monster beast, the mental picture instantly took on a completely different flavor!
A top-tier monster beast, being so affectionate with Karen?
Aisli's thoughts drifted back to the selection: the image of Karen carrying dead weight, walking up the mountain step by step, and ultimately stopping there to guard the gate.
And even while guarding the gate, he had let the three of them pass first. That was an absolute, transcendent confidence.
Selina turned to look at her husband and asked, "Then why do you look so terrible as well?"
Santos swallowed hard. "The golden retriever I examined is indeed an ordinary golden retriever. But have you ever seen a golden retriever bearing several hundred seals from the Church of Principles?!"
Speaking up to this point, Santos grew visibly agitated. "What kind of dog could possibly deserve several hundred Church of Principles seals? What kind of household would be willing to expend hundreds of seals on a single dog?"
Finally, Santos spread his hands:
"I suspect a soul worthy of such treatment is sealed inside that dog's body. The dog is probably nothing more than a vessel."
If Karen were standing in the workroom right now, and if the three of them weren't communicating through a transmission spell, Karen would probably have genuinely sighed in admiration:
*True professionals!*
"With that cat, I tested its soul fluctuations," Selina said. "Though the fluctuations weren't strong, it took an extraordinarily long time before I heard an echo."
Aisli knew this was a spell used to gauge the soul strength of monster beasts, similar to dropping a stone into a deep pool and measuring the depth by the echo.
Humans and monster beasts were the same in this regard: on the spiritual plane and in terms of spirituality, they could be likened to a pond or a reservoir. Weak fluctuations meant the current water level was not high, but a long-delayed echo meant that, setting aside the current water reserves, the reservoir itself was immensely vast and deep.
From this, one could infer how terrifying the beast's foundation must have been at its peak—when that reservoir was completely filled!
Hearing this, Santos forced a bitter smile. "Right up until I sent that dog out, I never heard an echo at all."
Selina's eyes widened.
Her husband's response could only point to two possibilities.
Either the dog was dead—which was plainly untrue, as the dog was clearly alive, ruling out that scenario entirely.
That left the second and only other possibility: standing by the edge of that dog's reservoir and dropping a stone over the precipice... the stone had never hit the bottom.
Selina asked, "Just what kind of dog did you examine?"
Her cat could at least be compared to a top-tier monster beast, because all the testing data aligned. There were precedents and analogies to be found in the top-tier monster beasts she had handled in the past and the notes left behind by generations of departmental predecessors.
But the one her husband had examined...
Santos said, "If I haven't misidentified it, what I examined should be... a golden retriever?"
It sounded like an absurdly pointless remark, but Selina knew that within his field of expertise, her husband was famous for never speaking nonsense. His current state meant the shock in his heart surpassed her own by countless bounds.
Santos continued, "Several hundred Church of Principles seals, and every single one is interlocked, seamlessly fused together without the slightest conflict. Fusing just two seals is ten times harder than maintaining an isolated seal... To stack hundreds of seals and keep them functioning in perfect harmony—the sheer difficulty...
"I even suspect the person who placed these seals on the dog was a Temple Elder of the Church of Principles... Only the very pinnacle of the Church of Principles could arrange such an unfathomable configuration of seals!"
"R-really?" Selina asked.
"The head of our department's array team lacks the ability. Even the array team leader of the S-rank department above us, whose specialists deal exclusively with sealing the remnant souls of ferocious beasts, couldn't achieve this level. I am certain of it.
"Most importantly, this dog is in good health. Good heavens, it's carrying hundreds of seals!
"That's equivalent to an ordinary person carrying a dozen great mountains on their back while remaining in fine physical condition.
"Setting everything else aside, if we delivered this dog to the S-rank department above us to use as a research model, they would go absolutely wild!
"This dog is a living textbook! It could even help the S-rank department usher in a new era of sealing ferocious beast souls!
"If we handed it over to the Church of Principles—no, if we merely leaked word of this dog's existence to them—the heads of their corresponding departments would probably form a delegation, come down on their knees, and beg to have this dog, at any cost!
"And yet,
"even that,
"is merely exploiting the dog's outermost, superficial value.
"You can hardly fathom what is sealed inside its body, or what kind of existence could possibly warrant this caliber of sealing!"
"Aisli." Selina looked toward her daughter. "Are those truly Karen's two pets?"
"Y-yes..." Aisli was already thoroughly spooked by the contents of her parents' discussion, her voice nearly trembling with tears. "Just outside, I saw them being very affectionate with Karen."
Santos and Selina exchanged a glance.
Selina said, "Let me summarize the examination results once more. If that cat isn't deliberately suppressing its strength, it means it's in a weakened phase. Once fully restored, it is undoubtedly a top-tier monster beast. Furthermore, although it looks like an ordinary cat, I cannot understand how it managed to feign having an unawakened intellect.
"Oh, it was deceiving me!
"Of course. It's impossible that its intellect hasn't awakened, yet it acted so ordinary. It possesses high-level cognition, which means the maturity of its wisdom even surpasses that of a top-tier monster beast.
"If a family adhering to a family faith system possessed this cat, the entire house would only need to spare no expense in nurturing it back to its peak. Relying on this cat alone, they could elevate their whole family!
"In addition, I detected a door inside this cat."
"A door?" Santos asked in confusion. "A contractual bond?"
"Yes. I didn't dare probe deeper for fear of alerting the cat, but in my spiritual perception, a door definitely exists."
Santos gritted his teeth and said, "A symbiosis contract."
Selina froze in astonishment, then nodded. "Can you guess who the other party to that symbiosis contract is?"
There was no need to guess; the answer was obvious.
Selina exhaled a long breath and said to her daughter, "Aisli, you should be thankful he chose not to stop you when you were heading up the mountain. An entity capable of anchoring a first-tier family faith system entered a symbiosis contract with him solely to support his individual growth."
"Mom, even without you telling me, I knew back then I wasn't his match."
When she had struggled just to speak and her mind had been numb and muddled, that guy had spoken with effortless fluency while mercilessly mocking her. Even then, the gap between them had been glaringly obvious.
Especially when he had been sitting there—Aisli knew full well that if he had wanted to bar their way, she would never have gotten past.
Santos said, "As for the dog I inspected, there's no need to summarize. It isn't a subject I have the qualifications or conditions to handle. But there is one thing I want to mention: relations between the Church of Principles and our Church of Order have always been amicable. By custom, starting roughly from the Inquisitor stage, members of both churches often seek out a partner from the other side.
"The Church of Principles provides our Church of Order with intellectual and experimental support, while we provide them with protection and the martial force required to secure materials.
"Perhaps such cases are rare in our research system, but in the other branches of our church, it is practically an unspoken convention.
"So, what I mean is, the figure from the Church of Principles capable of laying down hundreds of formations on that golden retriever... the partner from our church paired with them..."
Selina said, "Could it be Karen's family?"
Santos added, "Look at Chief Bishop Worflen's attitude as well..."
Selina said, "Karen's family has a Temple Elder."
A Temple Elder—an existence that transcended every department and system, standing above the entire church.
Legend had it that the immediate blood relatives of every Temple Elder's family received the blessing of Order itself.
Selina could not help but glance at her daughter again. In this world, most mothers choosing a son-in-law were not being snobbish for their own sake, but considering their daughters' futures. As someone experienced in marriage, she knew full well what life had in store once the initial sweetness of romance faded.
Perhaps wealth was no longer their primary concern; they cared more about academic and spiritual advancement. Especially for researchers like them, the project budgets allocated to the department each year had to be fought over by every office. Research, after all, was an endless pit of resource consumption.
If one had substantial backing, not only would no one dare fight over funding and resources, but one could even obtain extra approvals, securing more comfortable research conditions to put ideas into practice.
Most importantly, the young man was exceptionally handsome.
Seeming to sense her mother's thoughts, Aisli blurted out, "He doesn't think much of me. He said I'm not pretty."
Selina pressed a hand to her forehead.
Santos said, "Stop thinking about such things. Aisli's temperament is different from yours and mine. In the future, it's better to find a young man from within our department—ideally someone talented but without backing. That way, after they marry, we can still watch over them. Otherwise, with her wretched temper, I truly fear they'd be fighting for a divorce within a few years."
Fathers often saw things more clearly.
"All right, it's time to go out. Let's hurry and compose ourselves. As long as we understand his family background in our hearts, that's enough, but we must keep it strictly confidential. Karen's elders arranged this trial for him deliberately; there's no need for us to meddle. Keep your mouths shut."
"I understand, Dad."
Aisli knew her father was directing those words at her.
"Building good relations is never wrong. Setting aside his family background, his own innate talent ensures his future prospects won't be low either. This isn't just beneficial for the final selection or the subsequent trial in the Gate of Samsara—it will be advantageous in the long run."
Selina reminded him, "The nurturing plan..."
"We do it. Formulate it according to the standards for top-tier monster beasts. Provide all the necessary supplements, reagents, and everything else. We can just deduct the costs from our stipends. It's worth it."
"Yes, it's worth it."
...
Outside, Karen had been waiting for the three inside the workroom to emerge.
In his arms, Purr remained somewhat dissatisfied. Even though it had disguised itself on purpose, being called an ordinary pet still ruffled its pride: *I can pursue simplicity, but you can't call me shabby.*
Alfred stepped up behind Karen, resting a hand on his shoulder, his voice transmitting into Karen's ear: "Young Master, the telephone in the workroom didn't pick up any sound. I suspect they are using a communication spell to confer in secret. I believe they may have discovered the abnormalities in Purr and Kevin."
Karen nodded and replied in his mind, "Normal. That's their livelihood."
"Young Master, could this lead to any complications?"
"No. I'm already used to it."
"Hm?" Alfred was momentarily taken aback. "I am dull-witted and fail to grasp your meaning, Young Master."
"Don't worry. They will fill in the blanks on their own."
Karen lowered his head, glancing at the silver ring on his finger.
"When I want to climb higher and seek greater development, it's inevitable that people will notice things. But it's no big deal. As long as I don't say anything myself, they will only assume my background is terrifying.
"Besides,
"my background really is terrifying."
Having experienced this so many times, Karen felt he was already getting used to it.
Although both he and the Captain concealed themselves, the two had chosen entirely opposite paths.
The Captain was accustomed to hiding in the dark, keeping his true self invisible to everyone.
Karen, on the other hand, preferred to walk beneath dim streetlamps, listening to the whispers of onlookers while nobody could clearly see the face behind his mask.
Until one of them slipped up, there was no telling which path was superior.
The door of the workroom was pushed open, and Santos stepped out with his wife and daughter. Holding two sheets of paper, he handed them to Karen.
Karen reached out and took them.
"These are the nurturing plans my wife and I prepared for your two pets, Mr. Karen. They should provide excellent results for the nourishment and recovery of their bodies and souls."
Karen noted the word "recovery."
At that moment, Kevin rubbed his head against Karen's trouser leg.
Karen asked, "Excuse me, but the crown of my dog's head hasn't grown fur in a long time. Can this be treated?"
"It should be no problem. I have already taken this symptom into consideration. If Mr. Golden Retriever... cough...
"If you...
"If you wish for your dog to look better, we will treat this condition."
"Thank you very much indeed, Mr. Santos, Mrs. Selina. If conditions allow during the final selection, I will assist Aisli."
Standing nearby, Aisli suddenly felt as if she were a generation younger than Karen.
Santos hadn't expected Karen to be so straightforward either. He felt even more favorable toward the young man and immediately replied, "Then thank you very much, Mr. Karen."
At this point, Mrs. Selina couldn't resist asking, "Mr. Karen, are you married?"
"I have a fiancée, ma'am," Karen answered at once.
"Oh, really? Congratulations."
Hearing this answer, Mrs. Selina felt a wave of relief instead.
"Then we won't disturb you any longer. We shall take our leave."
"I'll see you out."
Once seated inside their car and driving away, Mr. Santos and Mrs. Selina let out long sighs of relief, slumping back into their seats.
After seeing off the Santos family, Karen returned to the backyard study and sat down.
Alfred retrieved a glass of clear supernatant liquid from the spell preservation cabinet. The extraction and purification were already complete; the Young Master only needed to ingest it to obtain the [Heart of the Sea God].
Purr, riding atop Kevin, strode into the study and cried out excitedly:
"Little Karen, time to drink your medicine!"
Chapter 313