Karen had never had any particular fondness for cars. He had driven his second-hand Ponce until now without ever thinking of replacing it; after all, he had grown attached to it.
Yet once he got behind the wheel of a VIP car, it truly felt impossible to go back. The handling was as smooth as silk, like chocolate.
Evidently, the only flaw with expensive things was that they were expensive.
The car pulled up in front of the funeral parlor. Karen stepped out, and Alfred walked over on his own initiative.
"Young Master, Vic has been settled in."
"Good. By the way, after dinner, take Muri with you to the regional Whip of Order headquarters building. Head to the Discipline Inspection Committee Office on the second floor to find Neo. Neo is going to investigate Vicolai next, and he needs assistance from you and Muri."
"Understood, Young Master. Should we drive Neo's car back to him?"
"No need. I plan to drive it to Allen Manor tomorrow."
"Very well, Young Master. After all, driving a VIP car on an investigation would be far too conspicuous and flashy."
"Haha, alright. I'm going to take a bath and get some proper rest."
"Yes, Young Master."
Karen returned to his master bedroom. Purr was sitting on a cushion, and Xili was squatting beside her, drying off Purr, who had just taken a bath.
Hearing the door open, Xili turned her head and called out happily, "Young Master, you're back!"
"Oh, stupid big-butt, you shouldn't turn around when you speak right now. Your Young Master's physical conditioning has improved tremendously lately, so I'm sure he'd much rather look at your back while you're squatting, meow."
"I'm going back to the manor tomorrow. Are you coming with me?"
As Karen spoke, he walked past them and casually tapped Purr on the head. Purr held her head in annoyance.
"Hah, going back to the manor tomorrow for sure—you just can't wait, can you, meow?!"
"I'm going to take a bath."
"Remember to use cold water, meow!"
Karen stopped in his tracks, looked at Purr, and asked, "Why does it feel like you've gone into heat the moment you got home?"
"Heh." Purr tilted her head and stared at him. "Believe it or not, once I go back to the manor with you, I'll stick to Eunice like glue the entire time! No, I'll sneak into the drawers and shred all those stockings with my claws so you won't have any left to tear!"
"I was originally planning to make fish with pickled mustard greens tonight. Xili, is there any fish at home?"
"Yes, Young Master, I just bought some from the market this afternoon."
Karen turned his gaze back onto Purr.
Purr immediately piped up, "Oh, heavens, who could possibly have the heart to ruin a long-separated couple's chance to be alone? That would be utterly cruel and immoral!"
Karen walked into the bathroom, took a shower, and then went to the kitchen to cook a simple dinner. The main dish was the fish with pickled greens. After setting aside a separate portion for Purr, Karen finished off the rest with a bowl of rice, then headed into his study.
Sitting down behind the desk, Karen spaced out for a while before picking up the telephone. After going through multiple transfers and waiting for a considerable while, his cousin Mina's voice finally came through the line.
"Hello, Inmeles Funeral Parlor."
"Mina, it's me."
A brief silence hung on the other end, followed by an ecstatic cry: "Brother Karen!"
Karen rarely called home. Even with Rasma's promise of concealment, Karen still preferred not to take too many risks—at the very least, he couldn't afford to be reckless.
"Brother Karen, how are you doing in Wien?"
"I'm doing very well. What about you?"
"I'm doing great too! Mom and Dad are well, Aunt is well, my little brother and sister are well, and the family business is thriving! Oh, right, last time Mom said you paid off the mortgage, Brother. On your end..."
"I'm fine. Your Teacher Eunice's family is very wealthy."
Karen didn't want to explain too much about the money; either way, he had a perfectly good shield.
"Ah, okay, I understand. Dad's back! Dad, answer the phone—it's Brother Karen!"
Hurried footsteps clicked across the floor, and soon, Uncle Mason's voice came through the receiver.
"Well, well! The wandering man of our family has finally deigned to call home!"
There was a touch of lingering grievance in Uncle Mason's tone.
Karen felt a twinge of guilt. He had originally thought his choice wasn't wrong; living a second life, one ought to go out and truly see the world.
Yet sometimes, people fell into the trap of doing something simply for the sake of doing it.
Once you had seen the world, what then?
Thinking back now, if he had stayed on Mink Street, waiting for business with his uncle every day, setting up memorial halls together, staying with his family... that kind of life would have been very warm and cozy as well.
Karen covered his mouth with a hand and yawned, letting out what felt like a sigh.
On the other end of the line, Uncle Mason seemed to catch the sound of his breath, and his tone instantly softened. "Karen, my words still stand: if you ever feel uncomfortable out there, come back right away. There will always be a place for you in this family."
"Uncle, I'm doing very well in Wien, so don't worry. It's just that due to some special circumstances, I can't contact you often. I apologize for that."
"It's fine, it's fine. I know you're an independent child. Just make your own decisions out there."
"Uncle, how is Grandfather doing now?"
"Still in a coma. The doctor said he probably won't wake up—what was that word again? Oh, a vegetable. The weather's been nice lately, so I push your grandfather outside every day to catch some sun.
"To be honest, I've started feeling a bit of regret myself. If I hadn't always been bent on running off when I was young, wanting to make a name for myself... how wonderful it would have been if I had stayed by Father's side to keep him company.
"Especially after your parents passed away, Father must have been so lonely all on his own."
"Haven't you come back now, Uncle?"
"It's not the same. I came slinking back after losing everything, and your aunt returned after a divorce. Sigh.
"Even after coming back, I hardly ever went on walks or chatted with Father. Now that I have the time and know what to do, Father just keeps his eyes closed and can no longer answer me."
"Uncle, Grandfather won't blame you. Grandfather has always supported his children in choosing their own paths. Whatever the outcome, he can take it in stride, because experiences and living are an inherent part of life."
His second son had gambled away everything in the stock market, and his youngest daughter had gotten divorced and returned home with her daughter. Frankly, to Grandfather... that hardly counted as anything at all.
"Alright, your uncle doesn't need comforting from you. Take good care of yourself out there, understand?"
"You too, Uncle."
Aunt Mary and Aunt Winnie were not home. Karen chatted with Uncle Mason for a bit longer before hanging up.
"Is everything alright at home?" Purr, her fur already dried, walked into the study and asked.
"Everything's fine at home. Uncle Mason has been wheeling Grandfather outside lately to soak up the sun, take walks, and chat. He said he regrets not having done so before."
"Heh." Purr burst into laughter. "What's Mason doing getting all melodramatic and sentimental? He makes it sound as if he would have dared to walk and chat with his father before Diss fell into a coma! Every single time, he was scared out of his wits like a mouse seeing a cat.
"Mary and Winnie were the same. Even after living together for all those years, they still trembled every time they saw Diss."
"That does seem to be true." Karen gave a helpless smile. "You've completely washed away the somber mood I was just building up."
"That's because you're still young." Purr leaped onto the desk. "Because I've lived a long time, I've experienced the deaths of my elders, and I've experienced the deaths of my juniors."
"Fair enough." Karen reached out and patted Purr on the head.
"This is a new bathwater scent, prepared for me by Ashley's mother. Does it smell nice?"
"It smells nice."
"Get some rest early. You look exhausted."
"Yeah, I really need a good sleep to get back into shape and adjust to the time difference."
When he woke up, it was eight in the morning. He had slept deeply. After taking a shower and freshening up, Karen went into the kitchen, where Xili had already prepared a bowl of noodles for him.
After finishing his meal, Karen planned to set off for Allen Manor, but he saw neither Purr nor Kevin in the courtyard.
"Young Master, Miss Purr went out this morning."
"Went out? With whom?"
"With a gentleman I hadn't seen before, named Vic. Miss Purr told me to tell you that she won't be returning with you; she's going to a place called the point coupon shop."
*Went to the point coupon shop with Vic?*
*Did she catch a newcomer sucker to fleece?*
"Xili, I need to head out. I won't be back tonight."
"Understood, Young Master. Please be careful on the road."
Just then, the phone in the study rang. Alfred wasn't home, so after a moment's hesitation, Karen went back to the study to answer it. Neo's voice came through the receiver.
"Is Karen home?"
"It's me, Director."
"Thank the gods you haven't left to see your fiancée yet."
Karen sighed. "I'm already regretting answering this call."
"Haha, it can't be helped! Work comes first. When a woman asks whether work is more important or she is, the answer is always singular: work."
Karen wanted to retort, but ultimately refrained. Neo was merely joking about interrupting his trip to visit family; snapping back would only hurt his feelings.
After all, Neo had lost the woman he loved precisely because of his dedication to work.
On the other end of the line, Neo fell silent for a moment as well.
In life, certain wounds never truly healed, and in the course of daily routine, one would inevitably bump into them when least expecting it.
"Director, are you at the headquarters building right now?"
"No, we're in a telephone booth beside Kumquat Avenue. I figured sending an origami raven to fetch you would be too slow, so I thought I'd try calling your funeral parlor directly."
"That's pretty out of the way..."
"Yeah, out in the suburbs. We found a movie theater out here. Heh, there's some interesting stuff inside. All I can say is that Vicolai and his family are playing quite a big game."
"You've already uncovered results? That fast?"
He had only given Neo the investigation target yesterday afternoon, and Neo had already turned something up by this morning?
Moreover, it had to be something crucial, or Neo wouldn't be contacting him at a time like this.
"That manservant of yours—Alfred, that is—I had him shadow Vicolai first. In the early hours before dawn, he followed him straight to that movie theater. It was as simple as that, because Vicolai didn't bother covering his tracks at all. He never imagined anyone would tail him."
"What's wrong with that movie theater?"
"The theater is just a front. Its real function is a sacrifice and transfer venue. You can go there to 'sell' your spirituality and soul power, and they'll pay you in point coupons. Of course, you can also go there to buy, if you need it.
"It's a bit like blood donation in secular society—or rather, selling blood."
"Director, how come you're so familiar with places like that?"
"Well, a man is bound to be short on cash from time to time. You know how it is."
"Haha." Karen felt somewhat helpless. "Vicolai went there—he must have been making a purchase, right?"
He couldn't possibly be there to 'sell blood.' After all, even though the Norton family had a poor reputation among the bishop circle of the York City Region, their family foundation was exceptionally solid.
"I'm suspecting now that this venue isn't just a simple black-market 'blood bank.' It offers deeper services."
"Deeper services?"
"Yes, exactly. Spirituality is one thing; if you overdraw it, you can recuperate, and as long as they don't drain too much, it won't cause severe damage to the body. But soul power essentially amounts to selling off your lifespan. Ordinary priests have no means or opportunity to replenish soul power.
"Running this kind of business purely on a voluntary basis keeps the operation relatively small. So... the way to deepen it is to keep priests in captivity.
"Think about it: Vicolai is an adjudicator, and his family has power. Even in your funeral parlor, don't you have two servants running errands and watching the house? How could he not have subordinates at his disposal?
"If it were purely a purchase, he could have just sent someone to buy it back. Spirituality and soul power can both be sealed in bottles made of special materials or empty spirit stone husks.
"Yet he went in person. I think that points to a serious issue. It's like a VIP customer going to the restaurant in person the moment a rare delicacy arrives so he can taste it fresh.
"By the way, you've met him before. Did you notice anything abnormal about the fluctuations of his spirituality?"
"Are you suspecting that his realm and strength were artificially pumped up through this method?"
"Either his body or soul suffered an injury that led to premature decline, or his natural talent is abysmal and he used this method to force his way up. He was originally a clerical worker who transitioned to an adjudicator, so the strength requirements weren't high. But if he couldn't even meet those modest requirements and had to rely on absorption and infusion, then he's got massive problems."
"When I met him, my realm was fairly low, and we didn't exchange blows, so I'm not certain."
"Alright, then we'll proceed on both fronts. While investigating the movie theater, we'll arrange for someone to stage a probing assassination attempt on Vicolai. The goal isn't to kill him, but to ascertain his true strength. Some people possess a high realm but don't know how to fight, but that presents itself differently. Let's test it first. Have... Muri go. Ah, no, he hits too hard, and his family's fighting style is far too recognizable.
"Right, Karen, send that Felscher girl. She specializes in this sort of thing, and with a slight disguise, no one will be able to tell her identity."
"Alright, I'll call her over and leave the arrangements to you."
"Have your manservant arrange it. Even though we've only worked together for one night, I already have the urge to fire Fanny and hire your servant as my secretary."
"If he's willing, be my guest."
"Haha, you really aren't afraid of me poaching your man?"
"Go ahead and try."
"Then that's that for now. Our exact location is a hotel by Kumquat Avenue. What was the name of the hotel again?
"Right, it's called 'Whiplash Love.'
"Oh, damn it, no wonder there were so many bizarre fixtures in the room just now. I thought you guys had brought torture devices from home."
"Alright, I'll head over right away."
"Before you come, stop by the Lemar Pottery Studio and pick up two temporary masks. I already placed an order with him earlier."
"Director, did you pay for them?"
"Of course not! Settle the bill for me; you'll even get a discount if you go pay."
"Fine."
"Then hurry over. If Vicolai really did imprison others to siphon and infuse power into himself, and we secure concrete evidence, then I guarantee he's finished.
"Because such conduct is clearly classified under the *Code of Order* as cult-like and corrupted. It is an extremely severe, inviolable clause.
"If he drained them harshly, treating the captives as disposable consumables and sucking them dry... heh, then his only path left is the Order Execution Ground."
"I think that probably is the truth."
"Trust me, Karen. Even if Vicolai really was just acting on a whim, running off to that theater before dawn to watch a horror movie, drink a soda, and eat half a tub of popcorn, we could still manufacture evidence linking him to the whole affair."
"Director."
"Hmm?"
"What I want is the truth."
"Hmm?"
Neo on the other end of the line clearly didn't understand why Karen would suddenly say that.
"In my book, he was already sentenced to death the moment he tried to steal Mr. Pavaro's credit."
"I know. I had great respect for Mr. Pavaro as well, so I fully support you taking him down."
"What I want is more incriminating evidence, so that when I strike, it feels all the cleaner."
"Alright, I understand what you mean. It seems you ran into a few things during this trip."
"Yeah. Thanks for your trouble, Director."
"Don't mention it. I'm glad to see how much you've grown. Maybe you're right; I should change my old habits too. After all, times are different now. I should try to make myself look bright and great... bah, sunny, noble, and upright.
"That way, if the higher-ups try to throw us out as scapegoats in the future, it'll make it harder for them to pull off.
"Oh, right, there's another very important matter that concerns how we write the investigation report for our office. We must have an informant or tipster to launch an investigation against a bishop's grandson.
"Otherwise, the higher-ups will think our office has lost its mind, targeting bishops right after being established and reinstated. Even though... well, that really is what we're doing, I still think we should cover our tracks. Otherwise, it'll severely hinder our future work.
"So, do you have a suitable informant on your end?"
"I do."
"Who?"
"Mr. Pavaro."
"He's dead. Oh, wait—'he' isn't dead yet."
"Yes, 'he' isn't dead yet. But if this crime of Vicolai's turns out to be true, then as the informant, Mr. Pavaro can finally die.
"We can fabricate evidence showing that Mr. Pavaro was silenced in retaliation. That way, after 'his' death, he can be memorialized and mourned by the Church."
Neo's voice came through the receiver:
"But, Karen, you just reminded me not to 'manufacture evidence.'"
Karen smiled.
"But Mr. Pavaro *was* murdered to keep him quiet for exposing the darkness.
"I buried him with my own hands, and his headstone didn't even bear his own name.
"I,
"and the Church,
"owe him a real funeral."
Chapter 496