Breakfast was brought into the room. Karen cast a glance over it and noticed a great deal more fish on the table today, neatly arranged across several platters.
The main reason was that Old Anderson had received a scolding from the Old Ancestor yesterday, so he had deliberately instructed the head chef to change up the breakfast style in an effort to curry her favor.
Unfortunately, this spread severely dampened Karen's morning appetite. Had it been that sort of fish aspic, he could have enjoyed it—it went delightfully with porridge. But looking at these plates of pan-fried, grilled, and raw sliced fish paired with various styles of Wien bean paste, Karen couldn't help but instinctively frown before even taking a bite.
It seemed that the longer he stayed in Wien, the stronger his aversion to Wien bean paste became. Then again, that was also because he had never truly intended to adapt to or accept it.
Sitting down, he picked up a hard-boiled egg and peeled it. There was no soy sauce. After a moment's hesitation, he decided against making do with Wien bean paste. He took a bite; even plain, it tasted wonderful.
Was this Allen Manor's "free-range egg"?
Should he arrange for Allen Manor to send some to his funeral parlor on a regular basis in the future? That shouldn't count as living in luxury and abandoning his drive to strive forward, right?
After finishing the first, Karen began peeling a second.
Just then, Purr rolled over in bed, stretching lazily and yawning as she chuckled. "Eating so many eggs first thing in the morning? Looks like you expended quite a lot of energy last night and need to replenish quickly."
"Heh."
"Let me make this clear beforehand: I didn't peek! I only saw a certain someone take a bath in the room before going over, and then take another bath before getting into bed after coming back. Heheh, meow."
"I'm used to bathing before going to sleep."
"An explanation is just a cover-up, and a cover-up confirms the fact."
"Eat your breakfast. It's all fish."
"Hmph, does he think just because I'm a cat I'll eat any fish? That Young Anderson has a block of wood for a head!"
***
"Do all of you have pig brains?!"
Sitting in his wheelchair, Neo cursed furiously at everyone present.
"You clearly sensed the target's strength, so you should have recognized the gap! Why didn't you report it first? Why didn't you call for backup first?!"
Gendy and the others stood before Neo with lowered heads, silently enduring the reprimand.
Only in Karen's eyes did their squadron leader seem like a troll who lived for amusement. In reality, Neo possessed immense prestige and an intimidating presence in the eyes of the other squad members.
Back when they discovered the Rax copper coin, Gendy's squad had arrived just in time to provide backup. Before the battlefield had been cleared, Neo had been afraid the spoils would slip through his fingers and nearly had Karen toss the coin into the middle of Gendy's squad to report them as casualties.
He was a true hunting hound.
Right now, this hound was furious because his subordinates had suffered a disastrous setback on a mission. He had once comforted Karen, telling him to get used to the revolving door of squad members, and he could take it in stride himself. What he could not tolerate, however, was a pointless loss brought on by the simplest procedural negligence.
"Wheel me inside."
"Yes, Squadron Leader."
Fanny wheeled Neo into the house ahead. In the entryway, Gray lay unconscious on a stretcher while two church healers administered treatment beside him.
"Will he wake up?" Neo asked.
"We are very sorry, my lord. The chance of this subordinate of yours ever waking up in his lifetime is only thirty percent. Even if he does wake, the damage to his soul and body will reduce him to an ordinary person confined to bed for the rest of his days, requiring constant care."
"Are there no other methods? I mean methods beyond standard church reimbursement—we can pay in point coupons."
"None, my lord. This is fundamental damage. That he is still breathing right now is already a miracle in my eyes."
"I understand. Thank you for your trouble." Neo glanced at Fanny.
Fanny produced a stack of point coupons, stepped forward, and slipped them to the two healers.
The church hospitals of the Church of Order also handled emergency callouts. In principle, they were part of the church system, but they operated with relative independence. For Whip of Order squads that frequently faced danger, maintaining good relations with these church doctors was essential. Otherwise, even if they dared not openly undermine internal solidarity within Order, it was all too easy for them to invent excuses and drag their feet when an emergency arose.
"Then we shall take our leave. We have stabilized this subordinate of yours; as for the two bodies inside, we leave them to you, my lord."
"Understood."
The two healers departed.
Gendy muttered quietly from the side, "People are dead, and they still take tips."
Neo glared at him, making Gendy shudder in fright. He truly feared Neo—not only because Neo had saved his life, but because he knew just how ruthless Neo could be.
Paige spoke up: "When the church requires church hospitals to be responsible for their own profits and losses, such a state of affairs is inevitable."
Neo gave a cold laugh. "Did you all come here to hold a symposium on church healthcare reform?"
Everyone lowered their heads once more.
Fanny wheeled Neo's wheelchair into the living room. The living room was the crime scene and had been preserved. Against the east wall behind the sofa, the space once occupied by a grandfather clock and an oil painting had been replaced by two corpses.
Rebar commonly found on construction sites impaled their chests, pinning them to the wall. Both wore Order robes, their hands fixed crossed behind their necks, resembling a diver's classic takeoff pose.
Neo's gaze drifted downward. There were bloodstains beneath them, but the blood had not spread over a large area.
These two were members of Gendy's squad.
During their previous encounter at sea, Gendy's squad had been ambushed by remnants of the Sea God Religion. Although they were ultimately rescued, several members had been lost in the incident, and these two were recent replacements.
Piecing together the reports and clues received earlier, Neo immediately formed a picture in his mind: two young, newly inducted Whip of Order members, eager for merit, had charged in rashly, hoping to capture the target on their own, only to be easily overpowered.
With wounds so severe and their bodies suspended on the wall, very little blood had dripped down; their souls had also been drained dry, and no spiritual power remained within the corpses to perform an "Awakening." This meant that after they were subdued, the murderer must have used them in some sort of sacrificial ritual.
Gray had probably tracked them down when the ritual was well underway, but instead of calling and waiting for backup, he had charged straight inside.
Neo turned his head toward Gray lying comatose outside, his expression growing solemn.
Fanny asked in confusion, "Why did the killer spare Gray's life? Looking at the reported time this place was discovered and the time Gray was injured and fell unconscious, there's a long gap in between. So it wasn't a case of our people arriving before the killer had time to finish him off. Furthermore, Gray is in a deep coma, and the healers aren't even sure if he'll ever wake, which rules out the possibility that the killer intentionally spared him to deliver a provocative message to us."
Neo closed his eyes, let out a sigh, and said, "Because... it was full."
***
Time swiftly passed from day to night, and night returned to day.
At Neo's insistence, the incident was submitted under the high-priority classifications of "premeditated retaliation" and "sacrificial incident." Higher authorities dispatched additional forces to investigate accordingly, but two days passed without a single lead on the culprit.
Neo sat before the floor-to-ceiling window of his office, gazing at the traffic streaming along the road below, lost in thought.
"Squadron Leader, fresh news just arrived. Two more priests are dead. A married couple living in a suburban villa. The wife worked in the Church Affairs Building, and the husband was a member of a Whip of Order squad. The manner of death is almost identical to the two from Gendy's squad—both were nailed to the wall. Here are the photographs."
Neo didn't take the photos, only glancing at them. "The frequency has increased."
"What?"
"Judging from the date of the very first case, the interval between incidents is noticeably shrinking. It fed, digested, and now it gets hungry faster. What does that mean? It digests faster. It's growing... or rather, recovering."
"Squadron Leader, citing insufficient evidence, the higher-ups rejected your report's speculation about a 'sacrificial incident.'"
"Because using Order priests as sacrificial offerings carries implications that are simply too enormous—and too terrifying. Even though the higher-ups formally rejected my theory, they have certainly taken it with utmost seriousness. I have no doubt that beyond our investigation channels, other forces have already been deployed to join this hunt."
"Still... there are no leads. The crime scene has already been inspected."
"Fanny, that is precisely what worries me most. I'm debating whether to submit another suspicion to the higher-ups—one that is doomed to be rejected immediately."
"Squadron Leader, you mean...?"
"With so many people searching, not a single lead has been found, yet the killer continues to pick out targets with precision... Putting myself in their shoes, I suspect the killer is very likely one of our own insiders."
"If you submit that theory, it will certainly be shot down."
"I know, but I think it should still be put on record. Heaven forbid the killer is mingling among the very people hunting them—maybe even scouting their next target under the pretext of conducting an investigation right now. Go draft a report in my name and submit it. To put it rather coldly: even if it's rejected, should my guess prove correct in the end, it will earn me some impression points with leadership."
"Yes, Squadron Leader."
"Oh, right. Is Karen back yet?"
"Not yet. He seems to still be at Allen Manor with his squad. After all, there are still several days before his security mission begins. Should I notify him to bring his squad back to provide backup?"
"Forget it. Having his squad wouldn't add much, and lacking it won't be missed. Let him keep resting."
"You always seem so partial to him."
"Do I?"
"Yes, all of us have noticed."
"All right, then I'll hide it better in the future."
***
"We're here, Captain. Right here," Bart said.
Karen brought the car to a halt. There was indeed no road left ahead.
Stepping out, Karen noticed distinct hoofprints on the ground, along with rutted tracks from carriage wheels.
"It's just up ahead, but everyone will need to walk a short distance," Bart called out to the group.
Ashley complained sourly, "Why pick such a remote place?"
Bart replied, "Because the knight order isn't permitted excessive interaction with the outside world. All sites associated with the order are rather out of the way."
"Do you live here?" Ashley asked.
Blanche smiled and answered on Bart's behalf, "No. Usually there are garrison towns near the knight order's camps, similar to small cities. They have dining and entertainment venues, and even pastry shops like the ones Richard loves most."
Philomena turned her head to glance at Richard.
Richard shrugged rather helplessly. Over the past few days at Allen Manor, he had been getting along well with everyone. That was how people were: once familiar, they loved making these kinds of playful jabs.
Bart said to Karen, "Captain, up ahead is the military base hospital. It's only fully activated in wartime, when even doctors from church hospitals are assigned here. During peacetime, it's only open to the knight order. The recruitment physical examination office is located there, though because the knight order recruits once every three years, conditions in some aspects can be a bit rudimentary."
"That's fine."
Karen naturally didn't mind. What he cared about was the knight order's stamp. Once he completed his physical examination here, any high-ranking figures wishing to inspect his records in the future would find an examination report from this very facility. Every metric would testify that he was an unimpeachably "clean" Order priest.
After walking inward for a distance, they encountered a massive stone pillar. Bart stepped forward to adjust its orientation, then hung an identification tag from his person onto it. Soon, the view ahead distorted, revealing a barrier resembling a curtain of water.
Stepping through, they found a circular crater surrounded by cliffs on all sides, housing a sizeable castle within.
A troop of armored knights riding undead warhorses appeared before Karen and the others.
Bart immediately handed over everyone's credentials and invitations. Once the inspection was complete, the lead knight lifted his visor.
"Uncle Xiali? What are you doing here?"
"Made a blunder, demoted here to guard the hospital." Xiali raised an eyebrow and looked at Karen.
He could clearly sense that Karen was the leader among these young people.
"Captain, allow me to introduce you. This is my father's comrade-in-arms, Battalion Commander Xiali. He and my father are very close."
Xiali looked at Karen and grinned. "Close enough that I'd let my daughter marry him."
Bart cleared his throat and said to Xiali, "Uncle, this is my captain, Karen."
"I know of you. A young man with a boundless future." Xiali urged his horse forward and extended a hand toward Karen.
Karen extended his hand. After a brief handshake, they both let go; there was no dramatic test of strength or hidden probing.
"Bart, I'm regretting it now."
"Regretting what, Uncle?"
"I feel I should give more thought to my daughter's future happiness. For instance... Captain Karen, are you married?"
"My captain has a fiancée," Bart answered.
"Aha!" Xiali pointed at Bart. "See? Always saying no with your mouth, but the moment I mention marrying my daughter off to someone else, you care after all!"
Bart was exasperated; he simply hadn't wanted his captain to be dragged into such pointless embarrassment.
"The invitations say you've come for physical examinations, right?"
"Yes, Uncle. We just came off a mission and many of us were injured, so we wanted to undergo a comprehensive examination."
"Ah, I see. Off you go then."
"Yes, Uncle."
Xiali waved to Karen. "Farewell, my young captain."
"Farewell, Lord Battalion Commander."
"Oh, haha, I'm just a patrol squad leader now."
After parting ways with Xiali's patrol, Karen and the others headed toward the castle under Bart's lead. Although the castle sat within the "crater," a wide belt of greenery stretched between the buildings and the cliff walls.
Many people dressed in patient gowns were resting here, either sitting on benches or simply lounging on the ground, and their numbers were substantial.
"Is the injury rate in knight order training this high?" Karen asked Bart curiously.
After all, the war between Order and Samsara had ended some time ago.
Bart shook his head. "There's annual sick leave, and people treat it as vacation. Although the place is a bit confined, the environment is quite nice. Best of all, you can dodge training for a while and slack off."
Mars chuckled. "When I was little, my father often brought me to the military base hospital to hang out. It's an unspoken perk in the knight order."
Bart nodded. "The fundamental reason is that many of the knight order's regulations were handed down from the era of the God War. But in this era, large-scale religious wars have rarely erupted. Rules suited for wartime don't quite fit anymore, yet they can't be amended, so this is just an alternative way to give everyone some breathing room."
"Oh, so that's how it is."
Entering the castle, they first took their invitations to register. As scions of knight order families, Bart, Blanche, and Mars were exempt from registration and examination fees, while everyone else had to pay two hundred Order coupons.
Karen told Alfred to pay for everyone, but Bart declined, bringing out his own coupons to cover the cost.
"This was my responsibility in the first place, haha."
To do someone a favor only to nickel-and-dime them at the very last step would be utterly foolish. Compared to a meager fee, securing the invitations had been the truly valuable part.
Seeing this, Karen didn't insist on competing with Bart; he simply considered it a lavish feast paid for in coupons by Bart.
What followed was straightforward. Everyone received a checklist of examination items and went room by room to complete each check according to the schedule. Once finished, they would head to the recruitment examination office for stamping.
Only with that final seal would it carry full validity, proving that one was a qualified recruit—even though Karen and the others had no intention of enlisting.
Karen also noticed that the physical checkup came first, yet was by no means the primary section. Below it were various evaluations concerning the soul, faith, and similar subjects. Evidently, the Church of Order placed far greater weight on the ideological and political purity of candidates for the knight order.
The group split up to undergo their respective examinations. First came the physical checkup, conducted by a female military doctor who looked fairly young—likely under thirty—and tall.
Richard stood behind Karen and whispered, "Good grief, she has a huge ass."
Putting on gloves with her back turned to the entrance, the female doctor let a faint smile touch the corner of her lips.
"Still, it's way behind your maid's."
The doctor's smile froze.
The first to be examined was Karen. After removing his priestly robe, he was instructed to lie on a stone slab bed densely carved with runes. As he lay down, the runes activated, and a warm sensation washed over him.
The female military doctor ran her hands across Karen to inspect him, finally offering a smile: "You ought to strengthen your physical conditioning. Of course, if you plan to enlist in roles such as array master or priest, you don't need to worry too much about it."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Karen put his clothes back on and stepped out, while Richard walked in.
After stripping down, Richard lay on the stone slab and smiled.
"Big Sister, you're really gorgeous, and you have such a wonderful figure."
The doctor smiled, then picked up something resembling an oversized metal corkscrew from the instrument tray.
"Roll over onto your stomach. Hemorrhoid check first."
Richard: "..."
Chapter 424