"Discipline Inspection Committee Office... The Discipline Inspection Committee?"
Karen asked, "Is it an internal inspection department?"
"Yes, exactly, just as you thought. In plain terms, we have the authority to inspect all clergy in this region—provided, of course, that they've committed disciplinary offenses."
"Then doesn't that overlap with the Whip of Order's duties?"
"It doesn't, because the Whip of Order operates on a broad scope. Our work is merely a small fraction of the Whip of Order's traditional duties, understand? After all, inside a church, there are far more serious and noteworthy matters than ordinary infractions and misconduct as we usually understand them. For instance, wouldn't a person like me pose a far greater threat within the church than an ordinary corrupt priest taking bribes?"
"That really is a vivid example you just gave."
"This is our current assignment now. I'm the Director of the Discipline Inspection Committee Office, and you're the operations battalion commander under me. I am your direct superior, and you are my direct subordinate. Understood?"
"Understood. The two of us call the shots in this office."
"Right, that's exactly it."
"Actually, I anticipated being assigned to the York City Region Whip of Order Headquarters, but I didn't expect a post like this."
"Trust me, this position has great prospects. It's a place where you can make real achievements. After all, the wind from above has shifted; they want to rebuild the middle and lower tiers of the Whip of Order, and working along with the prevailing wind usually saves a lot of worry and effort."
"Mm, I hope everything goes smoothly."
"Come on, let's get out of the car and take a look inside. Let's see our new working environment. Both of us have our own new offices."
After stepping out of the car, Neo led Karen into the seven-story office building. Its architectural style bore a faint resemblance to the High Court of Wien.
Of course, it certainly hadn't borrowed from the High Court of Wien; it could only be the High Court of Wien that had borrowed from it.
By the main entrance stood a desk, behind which sat a white-haired old man in reading glasses, browsing a newspaper.
Karen asked in an undertone, "Didn't you say the wind had shifted? I remember when I came here last time to complete the paperwork, there were several young security guards at the door."
Now the young guards had been replaced by an old man, somewhat reminiscent of how a residential development changes after all the units are sold out.
"This gentleman is a senior. After retiring, he requested to be rehired. Right now, he's the deputy head of our security section. Well, the head position is still vacant."
"All right, understood."
Karen stared at the old man reading the newspaper, instinctively wanting to view him as a 'sweeper monk'; but on second thought, this place used to be a retirement home. Would an outstanding person endure staying here until retirement? No, putting it another way, wouldn't even the most outstanding person be worn down and ruined after spending a long time in such an environment? Seen that way, the 'sweeper monk' theory seemed quite overblown.
"Hey, my dear Director Neo."
The old man put down the newspaper, pushed up his glasses, and greeted Neo.
"Old Coya, haven't seen you in a few days, and your spirits are as brisk as ever."
"That sounds strange coming from you. Almost makes it sound like if you didn't see me for a few days, I should be lying in a coffin."
"Isn't that our second home?"
Believers of the Church of Order had never been superstitious or squeamish about coffins; instead, they generally harbored a special fondness for them.
"Come off it. I'm not qualified to enter the First Knight Order anyway, so lying in one wouldn't do me any good. This must be Karen, eh? Ah, I should say Battalion Commander Karen."
"Hello, Mr. Coya."
"Hello, hello, haha. Just as young and handsome as in the newspapers. A while ago, Order Weekly even printed your memorial portrait. Honestly, you're the first person who made me realize a memorial portrait could actually look good."
"Thank you."
Karen could tell that Old Coya was unconsciously exuding an attitude of being on equal footing with the two of them.
"Say, Neo, about that matter I talked to you about last time. You said it had to wait until Battalion Commander Karen returned before deciding. Now that Commander Karen is back, can you help me out?"
Neo said nothing, glancing at Karen to signal that Old Coya should ask the person in charge directly.
Karen smiled, intentionally remaining silent.
Old Coya's eyes shifted behind his thick lenses, and he spoke up of his own accord: "It's like this, Battalion Commander Karen. I have a grandniece who previously worked over at the Church Affairs Building. Now I'd like to ask you to help transfer her here. What do you think?"
"I'm sorry, I just arrived and don't know the hiring process here yet. I assume there's a specialized department in charge of such matters?"
"Haha, it's just a matter of a word from you, Battalion Commander. You still have authorized roster spots. I've checked the roster; you should have two vacant establishment quotas under you."
"There were originally, but someone pulled strings and filled them ahead of time."
"How can that be? The Director already promised me."
"There's nothing I can do about that either."
"Is there really no way? Sigh, I've worked here all my life. Even if there's no exceptional merit, there's decades of hard work. I thought that if my old face begged for a favor, it would still carry some weight. Who knew..."
"There really is no way. The other party is a student of the former High Priest. When he comes to work here in a few days, you'll see him, venerable sir."
Old Coya: "..."
"Sigh, Old Coya, you see, my hands are tied. It's not that we won't give you face, but sometimes things really can't be helped, right?"
Neo patted Old Coya on the shoulder and signaled Karen to follow him inside.
Walking up the stairs, Neo asked with a chuckle, "Seems like we really have great chemistry. Did you guess that I wanted you to reject him?"
"No, I just didn't want to grant the favor in the first place."
Neo froze for a moment, suddenly feeling Karen seemed a bit different from before. He had initially assumed Karen used Vic's identity because he picked up on Neo's hint that he could refuse the old gatekeeper.
He simply didn't want to give it, so he didn't give it. That made sense, but it was somewhat different from Karen's usual polite and tactful conduct.
"That old fellow has some ability and some connections. Exactly how much of either, I'm not clear yet. He's worthy of respect, but not excessive respect—like moldy Wien bean paste: it has a distinct flavor, but you're best off not poking it with a stick. Still, fortunately, your squad has deep connections. In this world, the best way to reject personal favors is to have the hardest connections."
"I believe you've said that to me before."
"Who told you to keep upgrading your roster? Even a student of the former High Priest pulled strings to join. Tsk, tsk."
"He belongs to the faction that was suppressed. He only came here because he truly had nowhere else to go," Karen explained.
"As long as it scares outsiders, that's enough. As for what really goes on at the very top, who down below could ever know?" Neo pointed ahead. "Come, here's your office."
A plaque hung on the door: Operations Battalion Commander Office.
Karen stepped into his office. It was a suite, complete with a private bathroom and a rest bed.
Furthermore, it looked freshly renovated, though purification methods had been used to clear out any residual smells.
Hanging on the wall was a painting titled The Loneliness of Music. In the painting, a pianist played in solitude; upon getting closer, the figure moved, and melodious piano music drifted out.
On the other wall stood a special potted plant, dotted with purple flowers, which could purify the air and repel insects.
Even the carpet came with self-cleaning and humidifying functions, powered by an internal array.
The rest bed had a massage function, and the shower head was crafted from special metal, allowing sensitive adjustments to water temperature and flow rate.
In short... this office of his was absurdly luxurious.
Karen felt that if he had decorated it himself, he would never have spent such an exorbitant amount. This wasn't luxury; it was prodigal waste. If Purr saw him working in an office like this, she probably wouldn't feel any guilt when drinking coffee in the afternoon;
mm, she might even feel it was unfair and demand more expensive coffee beans.
"Well, satisfied? I set it up specially for you." Neo clapped Karen on the shoulder.
Karen smiled, not rushing to reply, because an idea occurred to him.
"Director, what about your office?"
"Mine is right across the hall from yours, haha."
"I'd like to take a look."
"Nothing much to see, really."
Karen walked out of his office and went across the hall. Pushing the door open, what met his eyes was an office slightly larger than his, but without a partitioned lounge. His earlier room had clearly had a partition added, along with plumbing modifications.
Here, there was only a bench and a desk. The four walls had distinct cracks, and the window rattled in the wind, producing a howling whistle—obviously leaking air.
Neo smiled. "Personally, I prefer a rustic, minimalist style."
Karen didn't spare Neo's feelings, saying bluntly, "Previously, you were the battalion commander, so you renovated the battalion commander's office early on. Then, to your surprise, you suddenly got promoted, and the renovated office became mine?"
That was the only explanation.
Neo licked his lips and said, "Now that you know the truth, shouldn't you compensate me a bit for the renovation costs? Do you know how much effort went into every single item in your office?"
Karen shrugged and reminded him, "The modification you promised to do on my second-hand Ponce isn't finished yet."
"I thought you were going to say this offsets the modification fee."
"Out of the question."
Karen sat down on the bench in Neo's office and leaned back. The bench let out a creaking groan.
"Director, I think you should replace this first."
"Usually, whoever sits on this bench is someone I hope will take the hint and leave early."
"True enough."
Neo pulled his chair over, sat down across from Karen, and said, "Now, let me tell you about our office's current staffing."
"Go ahead."
"Under me right now, besides you, there are only two assistant quotas: Fanny and Paige. I brought both of them here."
"Mm, and then?"
"The operations battalion... is your squad."
"So our office consists of only us?"
"Directly affiliated with official establishment status, yes, just that many. I'm the Director, and you're the direct squad of this office."
"What about your original squad?"
"Wend became captain. My squadron leader position was taken over by Gendy."
"In other words, if needed, your original squad and Gendy's squad can also be mobilized?"
"Yes, exactly. But you need to think bigger. Theoretically speaking, we can send official dispatches to all Whip of Order squads in the York City Region requesting their cooperation with our work."
"Requesting?"
"Because there's no way to compel them."
"What about compensation?"
"Basic salary, stipends, and all other benefits are increased by fifty percent compared to before."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Karen leaned forward, and the bench beneath him groaned again.
"Yours is still yours, mine is still mine. The direct benefit brought by this promotion of ours is... a fifty percent increase in basic compensation?"
"Theoretically speaking, yes."
"Then let's discuss the non-theoretical side." Karen adjusted his mindset. "Our authority has increased."
"Yes, exactly. I thought you'd need me to comfort you."
Karen shook his head. "The ceiling of our department can be very high, and the floor can be very low. It mostly depends on how we conduct our work. If we do it well, we can mobilize other Whip of Order squads to assist us unconditionally. If we do it poorly, even kneeling down and begging them won't work."
"Right, that's the logic. But I have great confidence in myself and in you. As we build things up step by step, we'll have the chance to become the most practically powerful and influential office under the York City Region Whip of Order Headquarters. I believe before long, when we walk down the street and run into other Whip of Order squad captains... Oh no, running into them on the street is too stupid. We'll issue a notice, and those captains will bring their own stools, sit right here, and listen to our meeting."
"Heh."
"Actually, we need to seize the moment. Why do you think Old Coya requested to be rehired? Because he saw the rising trend of the Whip of Order. The tailwind is right here. The faster, better, and more we do, the bigger the benefits will snowball. All right, let's talk specifics. I was busy renovating recently... no, busy gathering intel. This time it just so happens—Vicolai, the grandson of a bishop, is perfect to be our first case. I'll go investigate him right now, but I need to borrow some of your people."
"Sure, no problem. You can contact Alfred directly and have him assist you."
"Then go ahead and tend to your business. Once the investigation yields results, I'll notify you. I know you must be eager to go see your fiancée right now."
"Yes, Director."
Karen stood up, preparing to leave.
Neo spoke up: "By the way, there's one thing I must tell you in advance. We have operational procedures, so extrajudicial lynching is not permitted."
"I understand."
"However, if he resists arrest and refuses to cooperate in the face of evidence, a few accidents are inevitable."
Karen nodded. "We should minimize the possibility of accidents as much as possible."
Neo picked up: "Or make the accident look more like an accident."
"Aren't you giving me a ride back?" Karen asked.
Neo tossed the car keys directly to Karen. "Drive my VIP car back. Tonight or tomorrow morning, have your manservant bring that fellow from the Benda family here to find me."
"You're not going back today?"
"Work is an indispensable part of my life."
"All right, Lord Director."
After Karen walked out of the office, Neo sat down behind his desk. He opened the cabinet beneath the desk and took out a thick stack of dossiers. Names were written on all of them; the names of all the bishops in the entire York City Region could be found here.
In one respect, Neo hadn't lied: he hadn't spent all his time on renovations. He truly had been preparing to make a big move all along. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gathered dirt on all the regional bishops—though much of it was inflated and consisted mostly of rumors.
"Vicolai Norton..."
Neo began flipping through, finding the file on Dolph Norton—Vicolai's grandfather.
"This Lord Bishop has about the worst popularity and lowest reputation in the regional circle." Neo rubbed between his eyebrows. "Earlier, I was hesitating over whether going after a bishop right off the bat would be too reckless. I originally intended to pick one after finding our footing here, and then break some big news. Karen has actually provided me with a good angle: first the grandson, then the son, and finally this old bishop himself. Line them up and take them down one by one. Turning it into a serial report will make the momentum last longer and maximize the benefits. I refuse to believe your whole family is clean."
Footsteps came from outside the door.
Neo didn't put the dossiers away, but stood up.
Moments later, Bernie's figure appeared in the doorway. The minister in charge of headquarters logistics remained logistics minister today.
"I heard your operations captain is back."
"Yes."
"Why didn't you bring him to see me?" Bernie shook his head. "I specially brewed coffee in my office waiting for you to bring him over."
"I thought you had gone to the Dinge Region and hadn't returned yet."
"Mm, I just got back as well. Will he be coming to work tomorrow?"
"He's taking leave."
"He takes leave, and you do the work?"
"That's how our division of labor works."
Bernie walked up to Neo's desk, looking at the thick stack of dossiers and the alarming names written on them. "Quite an appetite. Easy to burst your belly."
"So hungry my eyes are turning green. Not having a feast just won't satisfy me."
"Neo, I can only give you one solemn warning..."
Neo picked up the water cup on the desk, opened the lid, poured a little water into his palm, and rubbed his ears.
"Go ahead, I'm listening carefully. This is surely important."
Bernie paused for a moment, then spoke: "If things go smoothly, higher-ups will continue to back us, just like with the observation delegation last time. If things don't go smoothly, you and Karen, including me... will all be pushed forward as sacrificial offerings. And..."
"And what? Keep going, I'm listening."
Bernie picked up Neo's water cup, poured a little water into his own palm, and rubbed his ears.
"This routine isn't bad. Very creative."
Chapter 495