Awkward

"It really is surreal." "Isn't it? You just killed their people, and next thing you know, you have to turn around and protect them. That's why the recurring theme of this world is always absurdity." "Fortunately, although many were injured in this mission, nobody died. Profit-wise, we made quite a haul." "What, would you have done something different if someone died?" "Yes." "That kind of thinking is a bit too extreme. You need a plan when you do things—don't just act on impulse. Be rational." "I'm surprised that of all people, you're the one advising me against being extreme." All along, the one who acted the most extreme, the most radical, and the most recklessly on impulse was you. Neo shook his head and said, "It doesn't matter for me. Sometimes it's not that I feel life lacks a bit of fun and thrill, but without them, I feel like I wouldn't even be able to go on living. "But you're different. The path you're walking right now is great, and your future will be even better. Your future development is destined to reach another tier. It'd be too much of a shame to throw that away." Karen could hear the concern in Neo's words. Although this squadron captain was somewhat erratic and offbeat nowadays, there was no denying that he treated Karen impeccably. "I understand." "Fine, I know you didn't really take it to heart, but whatever." Neo took a small bottle from his pocket, poured out two red capsules, and tossed them into his mouth. Karen sniffed and asked, "Neurostimulants?" "Yeah. Sometimes I just can't bring myself to focus, so I rely on this to get through." "Taking too much is bad for your body." "Were you going to tell me it's addictive, too? Relax. I can't guarantee there isn't a drug that could get me hooked, but I can guarantee I'd never be willing to spend the money to buy it." "That's surprisingly convincing." "Come on, tell me everything that happened during this mission." Karen pushed the wheelchair as he recounted the story. By the time he finished, the two had already left the hospital grounds and arrived beside a small river outside. Sangpu City suffered from severe industrial pollution, so much so that the air seemed to have an extra layer of coal dust suspended in it. The river had long turned black and foul-smelling, yet lush vegetation still grew along its banks, where all kinds of mosquitoes and insects held a lively party. Much like people—whether natural or man-made, no matter how harsh the environment was, one could always find a comfortable angle to lie down. Karen touched the hem of his clerical robes and activated a miniature insect-repelling formation. Neo remarked, "I really didn't expect the depths of the Congas family tomb to be so exciting." "Yeah, I didn't expect it either." "Even less did I expect that you've been working on such a grand plan all this time. Do you think there's any difference between you and that Mr. Gandilo?" "Probably not." "No, there is." Neo pointed at the foul river beside them. "He runs on the bank, while you swim in the water." "Both are feeling their way forward, aren't they?" "Except the entrance is at the bottom of the river." "The way you're talking today makes it exhausting to keep up." "Heh, for once I felt like being profound. By the way, if I die one day, will you put me into a coffin?" Karen fell silent. "What? Afraid that once I have your assurance, I'll act with even less restraint and push things past the limit, worried I might really screw myself over one day? Well, either way, thanks for your concern." "No, I was calculating the coffin's purchase price and routine maintenance costs, wondering whether to charge you monthly or annually." "Is that how you arrange it for others, too?" "No. You hold a special place in my heart; they can't compare to you." "Heh." Karen continued pushing Neo forward. Up ahead was a late-night street stall selling grilled sausages. Neo asked, "Did you bring money?" "I did." "Buy two. I'm hungry." "All right." Karen stepped forward, ordered the sausages, turned around, and walked back to Neo. Neo reached out with both hands and took both grilled sausages, letting out a chuckle. Karen brought his other hand out from behind his back, holding yet another grilled sausage, and took a bite. Neo saw this and shrugged. "Oh, how boring." The two of them ate their grilled sausages as they circled along the hospital's outer wall, intending to head back through the back gate shortly. Neo suddenly asked, "Do you ever feel lost nowadays?" "No, because I've been quite busy lately." "True. Being busy can't solve your troubles, but it keeps ninety-nine percent of them from having the time to affect you—just like ninety percent of insomnia can be resolved by exhausting all your energy during the day." "Are you building up to something?" "Is it that obvious?" "Yes." "I recently received some news from Bertha. A group of Light remnants is organizing an attack, and their target is the Ankara Grand Hotel." Karen sighed. "Sigh. Who's using them this time?" "Unclear. Could be the Moon God Cult, could be some other religion, or it might even be our own Church of Order." "Do they never learn their lesson?" "They don't have a choice. What the remnants of Light fear most isn't defeat, but being forgotten. "Sometimes, even knowing it's a pit of fire, they still have to jump in. Because if they don't try to do something, they'll slowly end up like the remnants of the Mural God Cult." "At least Rielsa made a stir." "When the God of Light makes a stir, that's when things will get truly exciting." Neo took out a handkerchief, wiping his hands as he continued, "I'll have Bertha dig deeper into this operation and try to secure more concrete intel." "If it were just that, it hardly seems worth you deliberately building up to it, Captain." "It is about this, but the leader heading the Light remnants' faction this time is no ordinary figure. He went missing for sixty years and only returned last year. His name is Zach Aikodir." "Unless he went missing as an infant, he must be quite old by now." "Perhaps. But the place where he vanished... cough..." Neo coughed lightly. "You know I've been investigating the God-Burial Grounds all this time. Word is that before he disappeared, he was shouting about finding the God-Burial Grounds, seeking divine aid there to revive the Church of Light." During the previous era, both the God of Light and the God of Order had gone to quell the rebellions in the God-Burial Grounds. The God of Light had adopted a gentler approach, pacifying the God-Burial Grounds. Once Light faded and Order arose, the God of Order's method of dealing with that place was rather more "Orderly." In the end, he simply sealed the God-Burial Grounds completely, cast it into the void, and banished it for eternity. Karen's dog had once lent a helping hand back then—akin to the God of Order handling the killing while the dog handled the burying. However, his dog had never been completely honest, having secretly left behind his own coordinate beacon. "You suspect that old man named Zach found the God-Burial Grounds and returned from there?" "It's possible, isn't it?" "I don't think it's very likely," Karen said. He still placed more faith in his own dog. "Fine. But regardless, it deserves attention, because this whole affair is a bit too smooth. A smooth plan, smooth secrecy, smooth rumors—everything seems entirely too normal. "Doesn't that sound like your mission this time?" "My mission?" "The angler cast his bait, only to find the bait was too heavy and dragged him into the water to drown. In short, I have this premonition. Be careful when you're on security detail. Trust my gut—it rarely misses." "Understood, Captain." Karen pushed Neo back into the hospital. "By the way, how long until your subordinates recover?" "The initial treatment was very prompt, so there's no risk of corruption. As for their physical injuries, they'll heal quickly." "Yeah, the timing should work out. There are still ten days before the Moon God Cult's Holy Child and his entourage arrive. That's plenty of time for you all to recover." Just then, Fanny walked over and reported, "Squadron Captain, Gendy just phoned in with a report. They need backup." Neo shook his head rather helplessly. "I swear, aside from being obedient and well-behaved, this Gendy has no other virtues. Notify Gray to take his people and reinforce his mission." "Yes, Squadron Captain." Karen looked down and asked, "What happened?" "A few cases of Order servants going missing recently occurred in York City. Gendy's squad has been handling the investigation." "Is it serious?" "Not serious at the moment. Only servants have gone missing so far. As for specifics, we'll have to see how things develop. All right, I'm heading back. When are you bringing your squad back?" "If nothing else comes up, I'd like to wait a few more days." "I'll let you know if anything happens." "All right, Captain. Um, are you taking a car back?" "Of course. Since I'm stuck in a wheelchair with nothing else to do anyway, driving only costs a bit of gas—it's cheap. Only someone out of their mind would take a teleportation circle." "Yes, I completely agree." "So, having heard that, shouldn't you take the initiative to offer to cover the teleportation circle fee so your convalescing squadron captain can return to his home in York City more comfortably?" Karen pulled out a hundred-riel note, placed it into Neo's hand, and said, "Of course. Here's your gas money." ... Neo left, and Karen walked back to the inpatient building alone. Philomena's ward was still lively. Looking in through the glass window, one could clearly see the impatience written across Philomena's face. Once Karen walked in, that impatient expression was tucked away. Everyone else had returned to their respective rooms, but Ashley, Blanche, Richard, and Ventura were sitting on the adjacent companion beds, playing cards. Karen walked over, picked up the sleeping Purr, and reminded them, "Perhaps you could consider giving others some peace and quiet to rest." Richard shook his head. "It's fine! I'm playing on Philomena's behalf, and I've won a ton." "Points?" "No, riels." "Then play as much as you like." "Yes, Captain!" Karen carried Purr back to his room. A while later, the card game over there apparently broke up, and Richard walked in holding two bananas. "Heh heh, the pretty nurse at the desk thought I was witty and charming, so she specially gave me two bananas." With that, Richard spotted the large fruit basket sitting on the cabinet beside Karen's bed. "Tsk..." Richard smacked his lips. Fine, he was used to it. "Karen, don't you ever get lonely?" "No," Karen said, lying down on the bed. "Are you lonely?" "A little." "Then you can pay a visit of sympathy to the pastry street in Sangpu City and listen to the women's life grievances." "Bah, not that kind of lonely." Richard sat down beside Karen's bed, eating his banana as he spoke. "I feel like I need to find my foothold in our squad. Right now, it's so awkward for me. For formations, there's Memphis and Mars, both way better than me. For healing, there's Blanche, whose priestly healing effects are much stronger than mine." "You're a versatile jack-of-all-trades. You go wherever you're needed. Isn't that great?" "Are you consoling me or praising me?" "Praising you." "Fine, I'll believe you then. But I think some of my abilities could still use further development, like... Jerry." "Who's Jerry?" "The name I gave the little cutie inside me. I think its potential can be enhanced and developed further." "When we get back, just beg your dad to beat you a few more times." "No, that's not what I mean. My thought was, could I ask Ashley's parents for help? You know, they've done a lot of research in this field. Maybe they could..." "Richard." "Yeah?" "That worm of yours cannot see the light of day. You can trust Ashley, but that doesn't include her parents." "All right, I understand." "I'll keep an eye out for you. Wait for my word." Karen planned to ask Neo when he had the chance next time; Neo held Mr. Philias's memories in his mind, and perhaps there was a plan for developing the worm further. "Alright, Karen, then I'm good." Karen waved a hand at him. After Richard left, Karen picked up the newspaper beside him and flipped through it casually. It wasn't the Order Weekly, but the Sangpu Daily. It gave extensive coverage to the news that a large contingent of purple-haired laborers, answering Mr. Luther's call, were preparing to stage a demonstration. The racial massacre targeting the purple-haired people in York City that night had caused Mr. Luther's influence to spread even further. Prior to that, many purple-haired people hadn't been keen on participating in such political movements. For one, their work was grueling and survival was already hard enough; for another, they had always viewed themselves as outsiders, never imagining they could obtain rights through political activism. Karen couldn't help recalling the Order priest bodyguards he had seen beside Mr. Luther on the street that day. Perhaps that night's racial massacre was merely a catalyst, and the developments that followed were still unfolding according to some grand plan. At times, Karen couldn't help but feel perplexed. Even though he was part of the Church of Order himself, he always managed to feel a sense of unfamiliarity toward this religion. This church had not only produced Diss, but now also the Gandilo couple... and who knew what other figures had left behind their obscured footprints throughout the long river of Order's history. After reading the paper for a while, Karen took a shower and went to bed. During the days following the completion of a mission, sleep was always extraordinarily sweet. In the morning, Karen was awakened by the sound of running water in the bathroom. Opening his eyes, he habitually turned his head toward his pillow, but didn't see that fluffy black figure. He got up, walked to the washroom, and opened the door. There, on the sink basin, was Purr, rubbing shampoo over her own head. The sink drain was plugged, and the accumulated water had turned into Purr's little bathtub. "You're awake," Karen said. "Did I wake you?" Purr asked. "No. It was time to get up anyway." Purr continued looking at herself in the mirror. "My whole body felt a bit sour. Aseroth's stomach was filthy to begin with, reeking of salted fish." "I thought you wouldn't mind that smell." "How could I not mind? I used to do deep cleanings for its father all the time back in the day." Karen stepped up to the sink, pumped some shampoo into his hand, and began rubbing Purr's head. Purr simply gave up washing herself, narrowing her feline eyes to enjoy the head massage. When Karen reached out to pump more shampoo for her body, Purr instantly snapped her eyes open and reminded him, "Body wash!" Karen chuckled and asked, "What's the difference between body wash and shampoo to you?" "Of course there's a difference! The ritual of daily life lies in these fine distinctions. Otherwise, why would you like eating wontons instead of just eating meat lumps served with sheets of dough?" "Mm, you have a point." "Speaking of which, this is a hospital. Are you hurt?" "I'm fine." "None of your subordinates ended up in the morgue, did they?" "None." "Phew, that's good." Purr let out a long breath. "I imagine a lot must have happened." "Yes." "I'll go ask the Radio Pixie. I can't be bothered making you repeat it all—don't want you tiring yourself out." "All right." Karen began rinsing Purr, then picked up a dry towel to wipe her body down. "Sigh, it's still more comfortable when Big Butt washes me. You really don't know how to take care of someone." "My specialty is taking care of dead people." Karen patted Purr's rear and added, "Besides, when you turn back into a human in the future, even Xili's might not be as big as yours." "Oh, sure enough. When a man says he doesn't mind you gaining weight, you'd be a fool to take him seriously." Karen opened his hand, conjuring a fireball. He lifted Purr up, holding her before the flame to dry her fur. Suspended there while Karen dried her, Purr grumbled in dissatisfaction, "The sun is up now. I could just lie on the windowsill and dry off slowly in the sunlight. Who does it like this?" "I plan to discharge everyone from the hospital." "Heading back to York City?" "No, back to Allen Manor." "Leaving your squad behind?" "Bringing them along to visit the manor as guests." "Oh, then put me down, quick!" Karen set Purr down. Purr shook her body, closed her eyes, and soon a layer of fiery glow enveloped her completely. Yet she felt no pain at all; on the contrary, she looked quite comfortable. Before long, Purr's fur had quickly dried itself. Then, seemingly finding it a bit too dry, she let out a "Meow," condensing a thin layer of water mist over herself to give her skin a deep moisturizing treatment. Karen could use Ancestor Allen's dual-attribute abilities, and Purr, being bound to him through a symbiotic contract, could now borrow them as well. Very quickly, Purr's coat became supple and glossy once more. "You know, you could take a bath using much simpler methods." Purr glanced at Karen and retorted, "You have the nerve to ask me that? Who uses the washroom at home the most often?" "Mm, very true." "By the way, should we call Young Anderson first and tell him to prepare a reception?" "Is that necessary?" "You have so many young masters and ladies in your squad, and their statuses are far grander than that dead queen back then. It'd be a waste not to ride on the coattails of such noble standing." "Alright, whatever you say." Karen walked to the nurses' station holding Purr and dialed Allen Manor. After the servant who answered took the message and reported up, the panting voice of Old Anderson soon came over the line. Mm, it sounded like he was out of breath from running over in a rush to answer the call, but Karen hadn't heard the sound of a cane tapping against the floor. One could only say judge the intent, not the act—the man had certainly put effort into his performance. "Hello? Is this Young Master Karen?" "It's me. Today..." "Eh, Your Highness?" Old Anderson let out a confused murmur, and then the receiver was taken over by someone else. Immediately following, a voice somewhat familiar to Karen came through from the other end: Ophelia: "What about today?" Why was she at Allen Manor? Karen answered, "How's the weather today?"