Alfred drove the hearse into Allen Apartments. Xili’s two uncles and her youngest uncle-in-law ran out ahead of time to open the gates.
“Sir, do you need a late-night snack prepared?” Xili’s mother stepped forward and asked.
“No need,” Alfred replied, waving a hand.
At that moment, Muri spoke up. “I’d like to propose that we gather for a brief meeting right now. The goal is to build mutual understanding and trust between us. Some of us only met today, and while others went through the selection training and trials together, there hasn’t been time for in-depth communication. Starting today, we’re teammates who will have each other’s backs. I think learning a bit more about everyone’s daily habits and hobbies would help us mesh better. What does everyone think?”
Richard raised his hand in support. “Sounds good to me.”
Ashley nodded. “I’m in favor too.”
“Mr. Alfred, what about you?” Muri looked at Alfred.
“Of course, Vice-Captain.”
Alfred was well aware that Karen had appointed Muri as vice-captain. Muri’s proposal wasn’t meant to establish his own authority, either; he genuinely wanted to foster a strong team spirit from the start.
Although everyone had chatted pleasantly earlier during the meal in the funeral parlor’s backyard, Karen’s presence had kept them somewhat guarded.
Muri felt as though the entire squad feared Karen—or rather, held him in deep awe.
Smiling, Muri said, “Then let’s all head to my room.”
Alfred turned to Xili’s mother and instructed, “Prepare some tea and coffee... Does anyone want iced water?”
“Me.”
“Me.”
“Me.”
A cluster of hands went up.
“Prepare some ice cubes, too, along with whatever snacks we have on hand.”
“Yes, understood, Mr. Alfred.”
The group made their way into Muri’s room, sitting on the floor around the coffee table since brand-new carpets covered every inch of the floor anyway.
“I imagine there’s no need to introduce our families, right?” Muri began. “Everyone received the squad roster. What we’re mainly here to share are personal interests and daily habits. I’ll start. In my spare time, I like reading and listening to music. Oh, and following the captain’s instructions, I’ll be going to the cinema fairly often.”
Alfred chuckled. “That shouldn’t be difficult. I’ll arrange to convert an empty room in this building into a small screening room and hire someone specifically to run the projector.”
“Thank you for the trouble, Mr. Alfred.”
“Think nothing of it.”
“Oh, Vice-Captain Muri, your hobbies really don’t match your image at all,” Ashley teased with a grin.
Muri answered, “Sometimes the image you project day-to-day is just a habit. Many people’s interests have nothing to do with their profession. Just like—would you have believed earlier that our captain is such a good cook?”
“I’d believe it,” Ashley said. “A handsome man who can cook—what could be a more perfect fit? Right, Blanche?”
“Yes,” Blanche agreed.
Alfred pulled out a small notebook and jotted down: *Handyman.*
“Let’s continue. Who’s next?”
The others began sharing their interests one by one.
Ashley said she enjoyed dissections, though she had little interest in ordinary cats and dogs; only dissecting monster beasts excited her. So during future missions, she could take charge of cleaning up and handling any live or dead monster beasts and aberrant demons they encountered.
Alfred recorded in his notebook: *Mortuary Makeup Artist.*
Mrs. Lake was indeed an experienced mortuary makeup artist, but she was an ordinary human. Handling special remains would be highly inconvenient and leave her vulnerable to harm and corruption. Alfred figured that someone capable of taking things apart could also put them back together; Ashley was well-suited to develop in that direction.
Blanche said she liked figurines and dolls, and enjoyed designing and sewing clothes for them by hand.
Alfred wrote: *Assistant Mortuary Makeup Artist.*
Bart and Mars had no particular hobbies, so Alfred marked them down as *Handyman*, just like Muri.
Ventura shyly came up with one after some hesitation: he liked practicing poetry recitations in the washroom in front of the mirror when he was alone.
Alfred noted beside his name: *Doorman.*
Memphis glanced at Richard beside him, his lips twitching.
Alfred half-expected Memphis to announce that his hobby was going home to beat his son.
Fortunately, Memphis merely said, “In my spare time, I do a bit of carving.”
*Carving?*
Alfred felt a pleasant surprise. He genuinely hadn’t known Memphis was skilled in that area. He immediately jotted down: *Coffin Maker.*
After a brief pause, Alfred added one more word behind it: *Assistant.*
Naturally, the funeral parlor’s primary coffin maker ought to be himself. If Memphis was skilled enough, serving as his assistant would be the most suitable arrangement.
Richard looked around; it was his turn.
Memphis turned and glared at him. Alfred knew Memphis was worried Richard might say his favorite thing was going to pastry shops to eat sweets.
Richard spoke up: “Lately, my hobby has been studying trauma treatment.”
Alfred wrote in the notebook: *Master of Ceremonies.*
Finally, it was Alfred’s turn. He put away his notebook and smiled. “In my spare time, I enjoy studying linguistics and writing systems, mostly ancient and extinct ones.”
Tea, drinks, and snacks were brought in, and everyone continued chatting casually.
Nearly two hours passed before the gathering finally broke up.
Richard’s room was next door to Memphis’s. As the two walked back together, Richard leaned against the hallway parapet and sighed.
“I feel like all of them are so strong.”
Memphis said, “You can catch up to them.”
Richard shook his head. “It feels really hard, but I’ll do my best.”
With that, Richard patted Memphis on the shoulder and smiled. “Not seeing you for a while, I actually missed you quite a bit. How about you? Did you miss me?”
Memphis nodded.
“It’s great that you’re in the new squad too.”
“Isn’t Karen here as well?”
“Karen is the captain. It’s different. Phew... A mission better come soon. Money’s really tight lately.”
Memphis pulled a stack of point coupons from his pocket. “I still have some here. You can take them for now.”
“Tch, why would I borrow your money when I don’t have anything serious to spend it on? I’m not shameless like my old man.”
***
Following the squad’s inaugural feast, Karen spent an entire day resting at home. On the morning of the third day, he looked in the mirror, examining his reflection. His complexion had finally returned to normal.
“Was my face really that terrifying that night?” Karen asked.
Pu'er replied, “An ordinary person couldn’t even endure hot wax dripping on their skin, let alone having a flame roast their soul directly.”
“Was dripping wax already a thing back in your day?”
“Probably because electric lights hadn’t been invented yet in my era.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Are you heading out?”
“Yes, to visit my captain, and pick up the plan for the tomb-raiding mission while I’m at it.”
“He finished it?”
“He’s been lying in bed for two days; it should be done. When nothing else is distracting him, his efficiency is actually quite dependable.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to send him straight to a hospital bed the next time something needs doing?”
“Not a good idea. I suspect that if we went another round, I’d be the one lying in the bed.”
“Oh, my little Karen is always so modest.”
“The tomb is in the waters off Sangpu City.”
“Will you need me to summon Aseroth to help then?”
“Of course. It will also serve as preparation for retrieving the Rax copper coin later. That coin is also on the seabed, though further offshore.”
“Which means I get to come along on this tomb-raiding mission too?”
“Yes.”
“Hehe, wonderful!”
“Alright, I’m off.”
Karen had intended to ask Alfred for the car keys, but Alfred wasn’t home. Neither the hearse nor the black Ponce was around; only a high-end pink Mitz sedan was parked outside.
Ten people lived in the apartments now. With no assignments over the past two days, the squad members were free to shop, sightsee, and stroll around York City. Between ordinary tourist spots and Church landmarks, there were plenty of places to visit and enjoy.
Meanwhile, Alfred was busy making living arrangements for everyone, so transportation at home had suddenly become tight.
“Captain, are you heading out?”
Muri, who was sitting on a courtyard bench reading a book, stood up and asked.
He had no interest in wandering around town. During the day, he spent most of his time reading books borrowed from Karen’s study at the funeral parlor; at night, he would return to the apartments, watch two movies, and head to sleep.
This “warrior” of the Benda family was surprisingly literary at heart.
“Yes, I need to make a trip.”
“I’ll accompany you, Captain. Oh, here are Ashley’s car keys.”
“Why do you have her car keys?”
“Spares. She handed out several sets so everyone could use it whenever needed.”
“Alright.”
Muri drove while Karen took the passenger seat. Two grown men riding in that car felt rather odd.
The route to the Church hospital wasn’t difficult. Situated on the outskirts, it was directly accessible via the ring road. Evidently, the Church didn’t want emergency patients dying in traffic.
Muri went to park and didn’t follow him inside. After showing his identification, Karen walked into the inpatient area alone. Pushing open the ward door, he found Neo lying in bed, chatting animatedly with a female doctor, who was covering her mouth and giggling non-stop.
When Karen stepped inside, the female doctor froze for a moment, offered a few perfunctory words of medical care, and promptly left the room.
“It seems I interrupted our Squadron Captain?”
Neo pointed toward the door. “A priestess who loves adventure. I’m nurturing the seed of adventure from her youth, urging it to sprout, so that when I get discharged, she gets discharged too and joins my Whip of Order squad.”
“You were actually talking about work?”
“What else, romance?”
“That wouldn’t be out of the question either. A good mood aids recovery.”
Karen sat down by the bedside, picked up an orange, and began peeling it. As he pulled off a segment, Neo opened his mouth. Karen popped the segment into his own mouth instead, then frowned slightly.
“So sour.”
With that, he broke off the remaining segments and shoved them into Neo’s mouth.
Neo chewed. “Tastes sweet to me.”
“Must be your injuries—your sense of taste hasn’t recovered yet. Or perhaps the medicine is leaving a bitter taste in your mouth.”
“I’m recovering quite well.”
“Still wetting the bed when you drink water?”
“Heh.”
“By the way, my squad has officially formed. Ten members currently. I think I’ll keep two slots open for now instead of rushing to fill them, so it’ll be easier to recruit suitable people later.”
“You don’t want Paige and Fanny anymore?”
“That’s not what I mean. I can always borrow them if the need arises.”
“Just admit you’ve outgrown them. Hypocrite. But fair enough—keeping two vacant slots does make things easier down the road.”
“So, Squadron Captain, what about the plan?”
“Finished.”
“I knew your efficiency wouldn’t disappoint.”
“Because there was nothing else to do.” Neo pulled a dossier from under his pillow and handed it to Karen. “There’s still an element of risk, so be careful.”
“I know.”
“Read through the plan when you get back. I’ve outlined the overall operational procedure and key points. For transportation, I set it as that sea beast from last time. Can you still summon it?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Also, I’ll pull some strings with old contacts to have two Sangpu City Whip of Order squads apply to monitor and clear that stretch of water under the guise of an anti-smuggling investigation. That way, no one will disturb you while you raid the tomb.”
“Very thorough of you. But the kickbacks are coming out of your pocket, right?”
“Heh.”
“There’s one more thing I want to remind you of. I forgot to mention it that day.”
“Speak.”
“You...”
Karen raised a hand, erecting a simple barrier.
“The figure behind you is the Last Mad Pope. His madness refers to supreme blasphemy against the gods. There is a special organization in this world that is extremely vigilant against that school of thought. The tragedy that befell Philias and his companions back then bore their fingerprints.”
“I don’t need your reminder. I’m no fool. When it comes to hiding, I’m far more skilled than you. If our identities ever get exposed, the breach will definitely come from your end.”
“I was merely offering a well-meaning reminder. Well, that’s all. I’ll head back and study the plan.”
“So pragmatic? Should I have withheld the plan until the very end? This feels like parents dividing up their inheritance, only for their children to abandon them immediately after.”
“Shall I go call that doctor back for you?”
“Did you bring cigarettes?”
“I did.” Karen pulled out a fresh pack. “The hole in your lung is healed already? You can smoke?”
“See, I knew you aimed your blade straight at my lung on purpose!”
“I think you should thank me for deliberately sparing your heart and head.”
“Oh, yes, thank you ever so much.”
“Still, I really envy you, Squadron Captain—being able to check into a Church hospital for treatment so openly.”
“My bloodthirsty aberrant demon bloodline isn’t exactly a secret; the higher-ups know about it. If you ever make your secrets public, you could go straight to the executive hospital for bishops in the Dinge Region to get circumcised.”
“I understand your meaning. Next time, I’ll stab somewhere else.”
Karen opened the pack. As he reached for a cigarette, Neo shook his head. “Not for me. There’s an old professor from the Church of Principles in the ward next door. Good guy. We ran into each other during yesterday’s physical exams and chatted a bit. He helped supplement some information that happens to line up with this tomb-raiding mission.”
“Information?”
“He suspects the family is ‘Congers,’ a bloodline that died out over a century ago. The specific details are in the plan; read them when you get back. Now, go over to the room next door. If his student caregiver isn’t around, go in and secretly light a cigarette for him as a favor in return. His student won’t let him smoke.”
“Does he have a hole in his lung too?”
“Yeah. Caught cheating on his wife and got stabbed by her. Nearly didn’t make it.”
“Heh...”
“Looking at his wounds, though, they’re just like yours—laced with personal grievance, yet delivered with enough surgical precision not to kill.”
“His wife isn’t an ordinary person?”
“Are you stupid? Why else would someone from the Church of Principles be admitted to a Church of Order hospital? He only qualified as a family dependent through his wife.
“That’s why our Church of Order and the Church of Principles favor working partnerships. That lesson was bought with thousands of years of blood and tears. Those who get married serve as cautionary tales.”
“Getting stabbed for cheating sounds pretty normal to me,” Karen remarked.
“Fine. When your fiancée wakes up and stabs you, I’ll comfort you the exact same way.”
Karen stood up and walked over to the neighboring ward. An old man lay inside alone, without any caregiver. Karen pushed open the door and stepped in.
The old man looked at him in confusion.
When Karen produced a cigarette, the old man’s face broke into a smile like a blooming daisy.
Karen placed it between his lips and lit it. The old man took a deep, greedy drag and blew out a ring of smoke.
“Ah, wonderful...”
Karen smiled.
“Young man, the guy next door sent you?”
“Yes, he’s my squadron captain.”
“Be careful during the tomb raid.”
“You guessed that yourself?”
“Naturally.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“Give me another one.”
Only then did Karen realize the first cigarette had already been smoked down to the filter. The old man wasn’t merely smoking it; he was practically inhaling it whole.
Karen lit another for him.
The old man reminded him, “Put the rest of the pack in the bottom drawer for me. I set up an isolation barrier there so my student won’t find it when she comes in. Also, purify the room before you leave so she doesn’t catch the smell of smoke.”
Just then, a gust of wind surged from behind Karen.
“Watch out!” the old man shouted.
Karen dodged aside instantly. Where he had just stood, an elderly woman in Order clerical robes materialized.
Extending a hand toward Karen, she said in a low voice, “Order Cage!”
The old man immediately yelled, “Take me hostage!”
Hearing this, Karen didn’t hesitate. He opened his palm, and a ball of Order flame hovered directly over the old man’s chest.
The elderly woman instantly canceled the Order Cage, glaring at the old man.
The old man complained, “I begged the lad to give me a smoke. If you want to vent your temper, take it out on me! Why attack a young man? Aren’t you embarrassed? Besides, I’ve barely healed a bit—go ahead and stab me twice more if you like.”
“You old fossil! The doctor told you that for the sake of your health, you aren’t allowed to smoke anymore! Did that go in one ear and out the other?”
“Did the doctor tell you that stabbing someone multiple times in the chest is even worse for their health?”
“Those are two entirely unrelated matters of principle! Whoever gives you cigarettes, I won’t let them off!”
Karen noticed the old man’s expression begin to shift. It was a masterclass in emotional manipulation. Sure enough, the longer a marriage lasted, the more refined the acting became; that was how veteran actors were born.
“Then don’t let yourself off first! Back when we were courting, you stole plenty of your father’s point-coupon cigarettes for me to smoke.”
A look of reminiscence and longing appeared on the old man’s face.
“Back then, an entire month of my allowance couldn’t buy a single pack. My colleagues were green with envy. And back then, you used to light my cigarettes for me with your own hands. You’d lie in my arms, strike a match for me, and say you loved the smell of tobacco on me.”
A murky tear welled in the corner of the old man’s eye.
He sighed wistfully,
“The smoke back then was truly fragrant.”
Chapter 401