His dog had once mentioned that it had helped the God of Samsara dump trash into the Gate of Samsara.
Back then, Purr had mocked it: Running errands for this main god and then another—serves you right that you ended up sealed away in the end.
So, were Gaitanbert and Furnites also tossed into the Gate of Samsara by Raniedal back in the day?
Karen decided that once class was over, he would return to his room and call home to ask. The trainees' phones at the base hotel probably weren't tapped, right?
"You have three missions this time."
Barat walked to the front of the podium, resting the small of his back against its edge.
"The first mission, and the least important one, is to seek your own opportunities inside the Gate of Samsara—to find souls compatible with you and form soul contracts with them. Naturally, they will be choosing you as well.
"However, you can rest assured on one point: once you come out, the church will arrange specialists to examine you.
"If the compatibility is high and the soul is obedient, all will be well, and you will foster each other's growth.
"If the compatibility isn't high, the church can help you seal the soul, gradually unsealing it in stages as you grow in strength later on.
"The church can even help negotiate with the soul on your behalf. After all, you qualify for this treatment now, and your standing will be even higher once you emerge from the Gate of Samsara.
"In short, under normal circumstances, as long as you can bring the soul out, the church can handle everything that follows.
"As for abnormal circumstances...
"Well.
"If you truly contract a peculiar soul that causes complications beyond help even after you emerge, don't find it strange. No matter how low the probability, it still exists.
"Just like taking a teleportation circle—theoretically, there's always a risk of malfunction that causes your body to collapse directly.
"Even we believers of Order can lose our way, can't we?"
Barat picked up a cup of water, took a sip, and continued:
"The second mission is to reach out and locate certain factions within the Gate of Samsara to gather intelligence.
"There is something the church has suspected for a long time without concrete evidence: the origins of many prominent families within the Church of Samsara today have always remained a mystery. The church suspects they may be connected to the Gate of Samsara."
Barat had phrased it quite tactfully.
Karen understood what Barat and the church's higher-ups meant. His dog had told him that the Simonsen family—the current royal house of the Church of Samsara—had originally originated from inside the Gate of Samsara.
At the time, Karen had even remarked: Had the Church of Samsara been reversely corrupted by the Gate of Samsara?
It was just that Barat couldn't state it openly; directly speculating about the origins of the Church of Samsara's royal clan—the family of the contemporary Gatekeeper—was rather taboo.
Still, what was the purpose of investigating this?
Karen knew that the Church of Order was not like the Church of Principles. The guiding spirit of the Church of Principles was that everything served scientific research, whereas the Church of Order acted with clear, calculated intent in everything it did.
So, had the church not yet abandoned its further plans regarding the Church of Samsara?
"The third mission: before you enter the Gate of Samsara, the stationed priests accompanying you will give you tokens belonging to Gaitanbert and Furnites—essentially their relics. One per squad. Once inside, attempt to resonate with them.
"Before they 'disappeared' back then, they were carrying out a secret mission. The church suspects that part of the results may still be in their hands, or at least some information regarding those results.
"All right, these are the three missions given to you by the church. The handbooks and detailed notes will be distributed to you shortly.
"Finally, I am pleased to inform you that you will not set off for Samsara Valley until three days from now, which leaves you three days to rest. I hope you enjoy yourselves.
"Class dismissed!"
All the trainees below stood up and bowed toward Barat on the podium.
Once Barat stepped out of the lecture hall, everyone visibly relaxed.
The training was over. Though brief, and though the instructor had lacked teaching experience, everyone had benefited immensely.
Muri looked at Karen and asked, "Should our two squads hold a meeting together? I think it's best not to cut into our leisure time later. Oh, right—tomorrow I'll take you all on a sightseeing tour of Saint Antis."
"All right, thank you."
"Then let's head back to our rooms to rest for a bit. In a little while, I'll bring my squad members to your room?"
"Sounds good."
"Great, settled then."
Everyone left the lecture hall and returned to their respective rooms.
Ventura poured Karen a glass of ice water, well aware of his captain's unusual fondness for it.
"I'll take a shower first. Ventura, dial this number, and let me know when it gets connected."
"Yes, Captain."
Ventura walked over to the telephone and began dialing. Because the two regions were so far apart, a call like this took a long time to patch through.
Over such distances, sending a telegram was actually more practical, but the timeliness was poor—and Karen had no way of interpreting a reply full of "woof woofs."
The hotel had communication formations available, but that was a public setting with staff nearby, so it had also been ruled out.
By the time Karen came out of the shower, Ventura had gotten through. Karen took the receiver, and Purr's voice came from the other end:
"Dear little Karen, how's the training going over there?"
"Very well," Karen replied to Purr. "There's something I need to ask Kevin."
"Woof!"
Kevin's bark came through the receiver.
Ventura headed upstairs to give them privacy.
"Kevin, do you remember Gaitanbert and Furnites?"
"Woof!"
"He says he doesn't remember."
"Back when you dumped trash," Karen reminded him.
"Woof!"
"He says who goes rummaging through trash bags when helping someone take out the trash?"
"All right." Karen nodded. "Then never mind."
"Woof! Woof!"
"The stupid dog asks if news has leaked from inside?"
"Yes."
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
"The stupid dog asks if your church wants you to bring those two out? The stupid dog wants you to be careful—things might not be that simple, and it could very well be a trap."
"I know. I'll be careful. All right, stay safe at home."
"You too, Karen."
After hanging up, Karen leaned back on the sofa.
In truth, he wasn't particularly worried about the dangers of heading to the Gate of Samsara or entering it; conspiracies, shady dealings, and the like were things he took in stride.
Moreover, although Barat had outlined three missions in advance, Karen would only firmly carry out the first. As for the other two, it depended on the situation. He wouldn't gamble his life and the lives of his squad members; at least for now, he hadn't seen an incentive compelling enough to make him take such risks.
Ventura had just finished showering and come downstairs when the doorbell rang. He opened the door to find Muri and the others, who had arrived much earlier than expected.
The commotion in the hallway also alerted their teammates in the adjacent rooms, and Bart and the others soon opened their doors and came in as well.
The small living room instantly felt cramped. There wasn't enough seating on the sofa, so most of them sat cross-legged on the carpet.
Muri spoke up, "That third mission—I really didn't see that coming. What are your thoughts?"
Karen answered directly, "Primarily fulfill the first mission, fulfill the second if convenient, and treat the third as a matter of luck."
"Completely the reverse of Instructor Barat's requirements." Muri chuckled. "I think the same way. All right, Karen, why don't you share what you know about the inside of the Gate of Samsara? We have some materials on our end too; once you're done, I'll see if I can add anything."
"I don't know much, and it's rather general, but I'll share what I have first."
Karen related the information he had obtained from his dog, paring away the unnecessary parts.
Afterward, Muri shared the information from his side as well.
Combined with what Barat had explained in the afternoon lecture, a basic framework emerged, though it still felt somewhat nebulous.
Pasio remarked wistfully, "I imagine even the Church of Samsara itself isn't entirely clear on what's going on inside the Gate of Samsara right now."
"We'll take it one step at a time," Muri said. "I propose that once we enter the Gate of Samsara, our two squads don't split up—we act together."
"Agreed." Karen nodded.
"When acting together, Karen, you will hold command authority," Muri said.
"All right." Karen did not decline.
In an unknown and dangerous environment, smooth and clear command was vital. There was no room for false modesty here, as he had no desire to leave his fate in someone else's hands.
The doorbell rang, and Ventura went to answer it. A hotel room-service cart was pushed in; it was dinner time.
The server handed out boxed simple meals, one by one.
The quality was actually quite good. Karen opened his meal box to find a well-balanced, refined spread of meat and vegetables.
Still, compared to the point-coupon delicacies they had eaten yesterday, it was rather humble.
Muri looked puzzled. "You eat this?"
Aisli spoke up, "We're used to eating quickly so we can hold meetings, discuss, and study."
Bart chimed in, "Exactly. Wasting precious time indulging in food is a crime against one's own life."
Muri nodded and said to the server, "Bring our meals here too. We'll eat in this room as well."
"Right away, my lord."
The server left. Before the people in the room could chat much longer, the doorbell rang again.
Upon opening the door, the server pushed in a cart with identical simple meals, distributing them to every member of Muri's squad. Everyone on Muri's side looked at one another in bewilderment.
Muri asked, perplexed, "Is this our meal?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Our meal..."
All the members of Karen's squad lowered their heads to eat, pretending to know nothing.
Karen spoke up, "He must have misunderstood your instructions and thought you wanted the same thing as us."
Muri smiled. "Seems that way."
"Let's eat first. In a bit, I'll share some things about the Church of Samsara. When I was on missions with the Whip of Order in the York City Region, I dealt with them."
"All right, let's eat, everyone. Save time," Muri instructed.
Members of both squads finished their meals at lightning speed.
Karen recounted his experience clashing with the brother and sister from the Church of Samsara's Simonsen family, omitting their identities while focusing on analyzing their combat habits and weaknesses.
Everyone listened attentively, for they all knew danger lurked not only inside the Gate of Samsara, but also among the people entering alongside them.
No one could guarantee that the Church of Samsara, having been knocked flat on the surface, wouldn't try to reclaim some face inside the Gate of Samsara.
At eleven that night, the discussion concluded.
Muri stood up and signaled that his squad members could leave, though he added warmly, "Let's head out together tomorrow. We'll take you to the most beautiful spot in Saint Antis—which happens to be Pasio's home."
Pasio spoke up, "I only remembered when I called home earlier that tomorrow is my birthday. It's perfect timing with the training ending, so come have fun, everyone."
"All right," Karen agreed.
"No need to prepare gifts. Your presence at my birthday party is the best gift, and nobody has time to prepare anyway," Pasio added.
"All right," Karen agreed readily.
After seeing Muri and the others off, the rest of Karen's squad returned to their respective rooms.
Ventura once again laid his bedroll on the floor outside Karen's bedroom. In his mind, his revered captain might drop dead in his sleep at any moment.
After telling him once more to sleep upstairs and being refused, Karen let him be.
Once Karen lay down in bed, Ventura, lying on the floor, suddenly thought of something and spoke up: "Captain, maybe I shouldn't go to the party tomorrow."
"Why?"
"The party will definitely run late, and we're leaving first thing in the morning. That way, no one will be here to order the tobacco and alcohol."
"Don't worry. That director will order them for us. He only needs to process the accounts; he can even skip the step of delivering them up here."
"Really?"
"Yes. Attending the party also helps foster the relationship between our two squads. After all, once we enter the Gate of Samsara, we'll need to watch each other's backs."
"Mm, I understand, Captain."
One thing Karen appreciated about Muri was that the two of them saw eye-to-eye on the big picture. For instance, that evening Muri had first asked his views on the three missions; only after confirming Karen's attitude toward them did the matter of unified command come up.
Presumably, Muri had worried that someone like Karen, lacking a prominent family background, might be overly eager to distinguish himself and climb the ranks—a mindset that inevitably led to recklessness and risk-taking.
Whereas Muri, supported by his family, could afford to be far more composed.
What Muri didn't know, however, was that this "orphan" was even more composed than he was.
The next day.
The birthday banquet began in the evening, but early that morning, both squads set out for Saint Antis's Amber Bay.
The scenery here was breathtaking. One could see both the boundless expanse of the open sea and the exquisite, tranquil azure waters close in. Mansions stood one after another along the shore, protected by boundary barriers around their perimeters.
Simply put, secular wealth alone did not qualify one to purchase property here.
Pasio explained that this was a retirement development project open not only to the Church of Order, but also chosen by elderly figures from many other churches.
Of course, those elders were hardly lacking children by their sides.
In the morning, everyone played beach volleyball and soccer.
Karen did not participate in these sports. He simply lay quietly on a beach lounge chair, a glass of coconut milk in hand, soaking in the gentle, unhurried sunlight.
Lunch was a seaside barbecue. Karen ate sparingly, and in the afternoon, he continued his unsociable habit of lying there for a nap.
After sleeping for two hours, Karen caught the scent of smoke. Opening his eyes, he saw Bart holding a cigar, smoking it while striking a pose angled toward the sun.
Karen watched him for a moment before speaking: "Bart, your family was quite strict with your upbringing, weren't they?"
"Hm? Sorry, Captain, did I wake you?" Bart chuckled. "Uh, I suppose so. My parents were rather strict with me. How did you know?"
"You don't need to inhale cigars."
"Oh, really? I thought it was just like smoking cigarettes."
Karen turned to look around and found that after playing for most of the day, most people were now lounging in the afternoon sun.
Aisli, holding a bottle of milky-white essence, walked over alongside Blanche and asked, "Captain, would you like us to apply some for you? Paired with the sunlight, it nourishes the skin."
Hearing this, Bart glanced at his own bronze skin, then at the captain's fair complexion, and said, "I think the captain's skin is already better than yours."
"I have eyes!" Aisli glared at Bart in annoyance.
Bart laughed. "Just look at Blanche. Aisli, you ought to lose some weight."
Previously, everyone had been clad in clerical robes, which concealed what lay beneath. Now that they were wearing proper swimwear, their figures were on full display.
In truth, Aisli had a great figure—not fat at all, but nicely filled out where it mattered.
Blanche, on the other hand, had a model-like build. Clearly, Bart favored her type.
"Too bad Blanche likes someone of the captain's type. As for your build, those widows would love it."
"Aisli..." Blanche's face flushed crimson at the remark.
Karen did not join the conversation. As captain, he needed to maintain an appropriate distance from his female subordinates; jokes bordering on flirtation were often a tacit way people tested boundaries to draw closer.
Karen took another sip of coconut milk and looked toward Muri's squad, where several members had female companions beside them—presumably their girlfriends.
This was a wonderful place. If he had the chance in the future, he could bring Eunice here for a vacation. If they wanted to splurge, they could take a teleportation circle directly; it would be very convenient.
Muri walked over and asked with a smile, "How about a big group photo?"
Karen really wanted to tell Muri that taking a group photo before embarking on a perilous journey was terribly bad luck.
It readily evoked the image of some lone survivor years later pulling out a yellowed photograph to recount the tales of former teammates.
However, Bart had already summoned a team of professional photographers, so Karen couldn't bring himself to refuse. After all, the photos they produced were just like those in the *Order Weekly*—they moved.
Everyone from both squads gathered together. Some members' girlfriends wanted to join in the photo as well, but were glared back by their boyfriends.
Karen and Muri sat in the front row, flanked and surrounded by all the squad members behind them, smiles on everyone's faces.
*Click!*
"One more, my lords. My apologies, the spell's luminosity wasn't quite perfect," the photographer said with a smile after glancing at the instantly developed photograph, casually tossing it onto the sand.
Everyone cooperated readily, holding their poses.
*Click!*
The photographer cheered happily, "Haha, perfect!"
Pasio spoke up, "Everyone can go change clothes and attend my birthday banquet now. My grandfather invited quite a few old friends over."
Everyone went to change back into their clerical robes.
Karen casually picked up the discarded first photograph, only to find that within the moving image, two figures had become completely blurred.
One was Muri, seated beside him.
The other was Ventura, standing behind him.
Chapter 347