Can't Wait

"Tell me, how much condolence money do you think is appropriate?" Neo held a stack of coupons in his left hand and an envelope in his right, looking quite torn. Karen replied helplessly, "If it really hurts your wallet that much, you can just stuff some newspaper inside." "Wouldn't that be a little inappropriate?" "Either way, I don't think the Bishop will be in the mood to open envelopes at a time like this." "True. Coupons only hold circulating value in the hands of the living. According to the Church of Order's Regulations on Order Coupon Issuance, burying coupons in a grave is illegal. So legally speaking, there's no real difference between stuffing coupons or newspaper." "Mm, you make a lot of sense." "Then we have to order a flower basket, right? Buy a larger one?" "It can't be larger than the ones sent by the higher-ups. Pick a smaller one." "Right, that's definitely something to be mindful of." The first meeting of the joint law enforcement departments had concluded successfully. Next came the time for everyone to play along and hype up the atmosphere together. Still, creating a spectacle was fine, but the work at hand had to be done. "Alright, I'm heading to court." Karen straightened the cuffs of his clerical robe. "Come with me." "Ha, you weren't stage-frightened the first time, so why be shy now? You need someone to hold your hand?" "I'm worried you'll slip away and get up to something while I'm in court." "Is there truly not even a shred of trust left between us?" "What I mean is, I can look the other way regarding whatever you want to do, but it has to happen right under my eyes." "Karen, you don't have the authority to order me around. I am your superior. I feel like you've been overstepping your bounds more and more lately—and that manservant of yours, do you know how soon after I fell asleep last night he woke me up just to deliver a report? I think we really need to clarify our hierarchy once again." "Fine. I'll go report you right now as a Light remnant." "Heh, then I'll drag you down with me." "Be my guest. You'll be hanged, while I'll be placed on an altar. My promotion might even come faster." "Look at Vic. He doesn't seem to be doing so hot. What do you have to be so smug about?" "Leaving aside the fact that Rasma hasn't condensed a godhead fragment yet, even if he did, the higher-ups know he wouldn't blow up the Temple of Order for a student. My grandfather already blew it up once." "Fuck!" "Let's go. Together." Karen entered the courtroom. Far fewer spectators had come to listen this time, with only a scattering of reporters present. The main reason was that the biggest sensation outside remained Bishop Dolph's suicide note; at any given moment, the public's attention could only fixate on a single matter. Inside the iron cage, Terisen sat confined, his face clouded with worry and anxiety. Had the courtroom been crowded and lively today, he would not have worried as much; it was precisely this desolation that gave him an extremely ominous foreboding. Once the courtroom grew empty, wouldn't his verdict simply be decided at their whims? In truth, last time had been the exception. Under normal circumstances, an Order Tribunal was staffed from top to bottom by people from the Whip of Order. Once they dragged you up there, how could they possibly slap their own faces? However, what took Terisen by surprise was the addition of another desk beside him. Madeline, formerly the director of an office under his jurisdiction, was seated there along with two clerks. This sight reignited a spark of hope in Terisen's heart, causing him to overlook the small detail that Madeline had not cast a single glance in his direction from start to finish. Karen stepped up to his place, exchanged nods of greeting with Madeline across the aisle, and sat down. Starting today, the regional Law Enforcement Department would also have a hand in these proceedings. It looked somewhat incongruous, yet it was the inevitable byproduct of political compromise. Chief Judge Gaspol led the judges into the courtroom. Soon, punctuated by the crack of a whip, the day's trial was declared open. Alfred delivered the statement of charges, followed by Vic presenting the chain of evidence. Once they were finished, Karen stood to deliver the final summary report. Karen's closing remarks were straightforward: he directly subsumed Terisen's case into the broader series of cases concerning the Norton family, appending a brief reflection on doctrine and moral stance. With no broadcasting formation today and only a modest number of reporters in attendance, Karen did not overly indulge in theatrical emotion, remaining reserved and succinct. After finishing, he considerately accommodated the requests of the journalists below by leaning closer to Terisen's iron cage, allowing the photographers to capture an excellent angle. This had been Neo's express requirement, and it reflected the wishes of the higher-ups as well. Subsequent public relations resources from headquarters would be heavily poured into Karen, so he had to play his part. After all, with the headquarters officially consolidating power, the desolation of the past would soon be history. While Bernie's position as department head was rock solid, the 2nd and 3rd Disciplinary Inspection Offices would undoubtedly open beneath him, along with other directly attached operational battalions. To avoid being washed away by the next wave, Karen had to seize this window of opportunity to build up sufficient political credentials and prestige. Once Karen concluded his part, Terisen waited anxiously for Madeline to present a defense on his behalf. But Madeline merely stood up: "Our side has no objections." Terisen froze. A savage sneer slowly spread across his face; had he not been bound by heavy suppressive shackles, he would have chosen the most direct form of resistance. In fact, he had not lacked the opportunity to do so before, but ingrained familial thinking had led him to follow standard procedure, only for the final outcome to prove utterly ruthless. Seated in the gallery where Karen had forced him to stay, Neo looked at Terisen inside the iron cage and sighed softly to himself. He had fought Terisen before; Terisen's personal strength was actually quite impressive. To be caged and sentenced like this... well, Neo did not pity him, but he did feel a twinge of regret. At the same time, he secretly cautioned himself: if he ever found himself in a similar predicament, he must never let them capture him and drag him before a tribunal—unless the one defending him was Karen. Gaspol delivered the verdict: not obliteration, not even death, but "exile." Terisen would be dispatched to an extremely perilous and brutal region to perform pioneering hard labor. In truth, he was being made into high-grade cannon fodder, giving his death some lingering value to the Church. To a certain extent, such a place was a fate worse than death; dying would be the only true release. If the Norton family were still intact, they might have pulled a few strings. While he could never return, he might at least have secured some preferential treatment. But barring any surprises, the Norton family would likely perish before he did. There was another reason Terisen had been spared capital punishment: his father had already published a suicide note. To ensure the big fish took his own life smoothly and plausibly, the little fish could be granted a sliver of mercy. Everything served the overarching atmosphere. The verdict was delivered, and the court adjourned. Madeline took the initiative to walk over to Karen, smiling. "Captain Karen, I believe we will be dealing with each other quite often from now on." "Indeed. It is an honor to work alongside you." Madeline extended her hand to Karen—a handshake was quite rare among priests. Karen reached out and shook Madeline's hand. She appeared to be between thirty and forty, with a mole at the corner of her mouth, resembling a school disciplinary dean. The post of director in the Law Enforcement Department suited her image remarkably well. Her hand was very soft, and meeting her gaze, one could scarcely resist the urge to probe the mature, seductive allure hidden beneath her clerical robes. Karen's mind cleared instantly. *Ah, this director follows the Spiritual path.* Madeline smiled, seemingly surprised that Karen had broken free of her psychological influence so swiftly. Nevertheless, she promptly added: "Captain Karen, I hope that in our future cooperation, there can be a bit more mutual respect—I mean between both of us." "Naturally." "Perhaps I can be even clearer. In principle, we will agree to most of the cases you bring forward. We should avoid clashing out in the open, unifying our stances privately before stepping into court. That way, the dignity of the Order Tribunal can be preserved." "Thank you. I appreciate your cooperation." This was a declaration made on behalf of the regional Administrative Office's Law Enforcement Department. They were willing to grant the Whip of Order maximum leeway, retaining only a provisional veto power. Karen suspected that Leon, that little rascal joining his squad, had played a part in this. Since the path of open conflict was no longer viable, the next step was to be as harmonious as possible. In return, Karen's side could not meddle excessively with the people they arrested or wished to put on trial. In short, Karen had no reason to reject such goodwill. In reality, this state of affairs was the last thing those in power wished to see. Superiors always preferred subordinate factions to engage in perpetual friction without tearing apart, running to the top crying for aid and sustenance. Yet nobody was a fool; since they could not afford a total fallout, they promptly smoothed things over like oil on water. After Madeline departed, Alfred spoke up, "Young Master, I'd like to make a quick trip home first." "Oh? Is there something urgent?" Karen had originally intended for Alfred to drive him and Neo over to the Norton estate to watch the spectacle. "Purr is almost out of coffee." "Alright, you go ahead then." Catching Karen's drift, Vic stood up with a smile, indicating that his schedule was wide open. Karen merely pointed at him and instructed, "You go handle the follow-up paperwork. Also, expedite the submission for Mr. Dalis's tainted witness proceedings and set a trial date." "Captain, isn't Bishop Dolph about to commit suicide anyway...?" "Whether he dies or not is his own business. We have to see our procedures through to the end. Chief Judge Gaspol hasn't returned to the Dinge Region yet, so go confer with her now and lock down a date. Once it's settled, let me know via crow, and I'll use it to nudge Bishop Dolph along." "Understood, Captain." "Also, Leon—the newcomer whose grandfather is our regional Head Bishop—show him the ropes. Later on, he can replace Alfred for court appearances. While his grandfather is still in office and hasn't retired, let him show his face as much as possible." "Got it." Karen offered no explanation to Alfred as to why his duties were being handed off, and Alfred held no grudge over it. In truth, whether Karen was present at headquarters or not, nearly all the administrative work and procedural legwork falling upon this operational squad captain was already being handled by Alfred. Strictly speaking, aside from appearing in court and attending a few pivotal meetings, Alfred acted far more like the captain than Karen did. Walking over to the gallery, Karen pointed first at Richard, then at Leon sitting behind him. Richard immediately flashed Karen an "understood" signal. Shortly after, Neo stood up and walked with Karen to the parking lot. The moment he slid into the car and started the engine, he grumbled: "That trial was completely pointless to listen to. You insisted on dragging me there to watch, wasting all that time." "Intuition told me you were itching to do something." "Karen, I really need to lecture you on this. You're actually acting on intuition?" "If you weren't planning something, you wouldn't have thought about stuffing coupons into an envelope for condolence money." "Actually, I wanted to let Dalis out and take him home to take a look. I'm very curious about how this curse will wrap up." "You're playing with fire." "Isn't it fascinating? Terisen has been sentenced, Vicolai is dead, and once Dolph dies, the Norton family will be completely ruined. Even if Dalis is a tainted witness, so what? Even if his merits outweigh his faults, the Church will never give him a chance to make a comeback. His image is ruined, and his background check won't pass. I imagine the moment the Norton family completely collapses will be the moment the curse reaches its final fulfillment. It doesn't necessarily require every single family member to die. "What happened with the Felscher family might have been an extreme manifestation, don't you think? "Besides, Dalis said from the start that his father couldn't possibly be executed; the best-case scenario was being stripped of his post and placed under house arrest to reflect. So Dalis never intended to kill everyone in the family, but he did eat up all their familial fortune. "Perhaps it's because the Felscher family bore the first-hand curse from your grandfather, whereas the Norton family took a second-hand curse passed on by Madam Felscher? Like watering down liquor—dilute it once more, and it's bound to be weaker." Sitting in the passenger seat, Karen fastened his seatbelt as he looked at Neo. "If you're so curious, you could just pay a personal visit to Madam Felscher. After all, you're Philomena's superior, so conducting a routine home visit on a subordinate is perfectly normal." "Heh, I'm afraid I'd walk in and never walk out. That old woman is definitely insane." "There's an insane person even you fear?" "It's different. Turning mad against those close to you—I could never do something like that." Karen nodded, finding Neo's reasoning sound. Neo continued, "I just thought of something—what we discussed that night in the private dining room." "What about it?" "I think your grandfather was actually a very kind person." "Get straight to the point." Karen felt caught between tears and laughter; at times, Neo would deliberately make exaggerated displays of deference, just as he usually referred to Kevin at home as "that dog entity." "Your grandfather treated you very well, right? Is there any possibility that, since this curse nurtures the single fattest worm, that worm could conveniently be gifted to you, his grandson?" "What kind of logic is that?" "It makes total sense! If it were me, and I had planted two fruit trees there, originally leaving them to grow neglected, but now someone in my family was thirsty and wanted fruit—who do you think I'd give them to?" Karen shook his head. "No, he wouldn't." "Why are you so sure?" "Because although my grandfather helped me immensely, he never directly interfered or meddled. He preferred that I walk my own path, and that was also my own request." "Oh, so that's how it is." Suddenly, Neo slammed on the brakes. Karen jerked forward twice, held fast by his seatbelt. "What now?" Neo asked, "Karen, when do you advance to Adjudicator?" "When Bishop Dolph dies." "So... between you and Dalis, who is truly the final fat worm?" ... Inside the holding cells. Dalis sat on the ground. His older brother Terisen had been taken out to court; calculating the time, the hearing should have concluded by now, yet his brother had not returned. He rubbed his fingers together. Because he was a tainted witness, he had not been bound in the heaviest shackles. Although the suppression formations prevented him from breaking out, he could still manage minor spells. Just like now, a dandelion blossomed at his fingertips. Most of its fluff had already blown away, leaving only a tiny tuft in the center. Looking at it, Dalis smiled. "Father, hurry on your way." Leaning back, Dalis propped himself up with both hands on the floor and stared at the cold ceiling. "After you die, I shall inherit the glory of the Norton family." ... Philomena, Richard, and Leon walked together up to the rooftop of a building across from headquarters, where Madam Felscher stood waiting. She had sent a message instructing Philomena to meet her here. Although she could have entered headquarters directly as a family member, she obviously would not do so; even though headquarters had been desolate for many years, the defensive formations within were certainly still operating as normal. Philomena walked up to her grandmother and asked, puzzled, "Grandmother, why haven't you returned yet?" "I intended to leave. After all, I only left your father a single day's worth of dog food and water. But who knew an unexpected turn would happen, forcing me to linger a bit longer." "Why are you paying attention to Bishop Dolph's suicide note, Grandmother?" "Oh? My granddaughter actually guessed it." "Because that is the only major matter left." "I merely feel that everything is unfolding faster than I imagined. I thought this finale would be slightly calmer, but when the moment arrived, it felt as though someone stomped on the gas pedal." Philomena frowned. Madam Felscher pointed toward Richard and Leon standing in the distance. "I am curious—has my granddaughter started making friends now?" Karen had instructed Richard to stay close to Philomena over the past few days, while Leon needed to be integrated into the squad's dynamic. With Richard acting as the social glue, all three had ended up coming together to meet Philomena's grandmother. "Do I need to report that to you, Grandmother?" "Of course. I am very picky about friends, and I wouldn't want you getting mixed up with dull, tasteless ones." "Grandmother, are you ready?" Philomena looked directly into her grandmother's face. "Oh, it seems my granddaughter has prepared herself one step ahead. Heh, what a filial child. Grandmother hasn't doted on you in vain." Madam Felscher reached out, gently stroking Philomena's head, then leaned forward to pull Philomena into her embrace, whispering softly: "I know you have suffered terribly since childhood, but Grandmother promises you that very soon, you will find release. Grandmother will use your eyes to follow in his footsteps once more." "Yet he was the one who placed a curse on our family." "Nonsense. That was a blessing he bestowed upon your grandmother."