Have Me Kill You Personally?

The VIP car was parked quite far from the Norton residence. This time, it wasn't to conceal their identities; after all, they had come to pay their respects and could walk in openly and uprightly. The main reason was that there were simply too many vehicles. Any further ahead, there were no parking spots left, and reversing out wouldn't even be an option. People with any semblance of status across the church circle—relevant departments throughout the York City Region, reporters from various newspapers, and even representatives of other churches' liaison offices in Yorktown—had all rushed over to join the spectacle. Primarily, the higher-ups had set the tone exceptionally high and clear, so everyone went along with the prevailing wind without the slightest qualm. Besides, for those who had come just to watch the show, whether they would harbor other thoughts after someone actually died remained to be seen, but the overwhelming majority were here just to see a dead man. It was much like a secular crowd watching someone about to leap from a building; a large portion secretly hoped they would jump already, just so they could let out a gasp. Neo tapped the steering wheel with his hand. "I wonder if my funeral will have such grand fanfare when I die." "If you're willing to make your identity public, I think it probably will." "Would even a remnant of Light draw this many spectators? Nowadays, it's considered unusual if a month goes by without a few manipulated Light remnants dying." "If it's announced that you inherited the Mad Pope's legacy, that will be an entirely different story. "Your remains won't just avoid cremation; they'll hollow you out, rub and stuff you with spices for preservation, and send you on tour for exhibitions across major churches by invitation. "It would be like holding countless funerals all at once. What we're seeing right now would be considered small-scale." "Would they charge an exhibition fee too?" "The price would definitely have to be negotiated. Too cheap won't do; it wouldn't match your net worth." "Heh." Neo chuckled as he parallel-parked. "Other subordinates flatter their superiors with sweet words. You, on the other hand, have already planned out every step for embalming my corpse." "I was merely following where you led the conversation." "Then let's take a look at this one first and gain some experience." Neo parked the car and stepped out. "With it being this jammed, not even a hearse could drive out." "They can just carry the coffin out on foot," Karen said. "Who's going to carry it?" "Look over there." Two columns of garrison knights clad in armor marched forward in unison, nearly a hundred strong. Their destination was clear: the Norton family's villa. In the middle of the ranks, Karen also spotted Bishop Bern. Bishop Bern noticed them as well. More accurately, standing among the garrison knights draped in his bishop's robes, he had been brazenly sweeping his consciousness across his surroundings, completely unconcerned with the feelings of those he scrutinized. After all, no one dared object. Bishop Bern stopped in his tracks, while the garrison knights continued onward into the Norton estate. "Is he waiting for us?" Neo whispered. "Seems so." "Let's wait another moment. If he's not waiting for us, going up to greet him would be terribly awkward, wouldn't it?" "Mm, let's wait a bit longer then." After standing there for a while, Bishop Bern still hadn't moved. "It really looks like he's waiting for us," Neo said. "Is he going to take us inside for a tour?" "Don't know." "Then let's go over and say hello." "Mm." Karen and Neo walked over and bowed in salute to Bishop Bern together. "Greetings, Lord Bishop." Bishop Bern smiled and said, "Everyone who should come has already arrived, yet you two are late." Karen apologized, "The hearing took place today, so we only came over after court adjourned." "Oh, right. I almost forgot." Bishop Bern, who had personally defended Dolph's 'grandson' not long ago, had completely forgotten about the court trial of Dolph's son today. One could only say that the twists of life were perpetually wondrous. However, Karen didn't believe he had actually forgotten. It seemed more like a statement of attitude—signaling that whatever happened in the past could now be put out of mind by everyone. "Come inside with me. Let's see how far along our Lord Bishop has prepared." Leaving it at that, Bishop Bern turned and walked inside. With the arrival of the garrison knights, the mourners who had gathered near the villa were all 'ushered' out. When Karen stepped into the villa's garden, he found it completely packed with "sails." This was a funerary tradition in Wien; because Wien was an island deeply influenced by pirate culture in the past, a custom developed of sending white sailboats to express condolences. Of course, this custom was generally reserved for more formal funeral occasions and rarely seen in ordinary funerals, as sending a white sailboat required having at least a title of nobility. Not just anyone was permitted to send one. Seeing this scene, Karen couldn't help but find it slightly amusing; he was actually witnessing papercraft art here. The white sailboats were all left outside, rustling loudly in the wind, while the flower baskets were crammed indoors, lining the perimeter of the living room and piled high like an ocean of blossoms. Neo found a spot to place the flower basket they had bought on the way. Next, he spotted a table covered with envelopes containing condolence money, many of which had already spilled onto the floor. Karen noticed that Neo's gaze fixed straight upon it. Neo placed his own thick condolence envelope on top. If one were to play a game of slapsies with paper packets using the envelopes on the table and floor, Neo's would undeniably be a trump card. After placing it down, Neo stepped over to Karen and whispered, "So much condolence money... it's making me genuinely tempted." Karen consoled him, "Don't be tempted just yet. For all we know, they might all be stuffed with newspapers." Neo shook his head. "Not a chance. Hard to believe there's anyone else as shameless as us." Karen found Neo's point terribly convincing and couldn't refute it. Still, Karen reminded him, "You, not us." "You were the one who gave me this brilliant idea in the first place. You want to detach yourself now? Besides, this condolence money was sent in the name of our office." "Heh." Bishop Bern, walking ahead, chuckled. Naturally, Neo knew that Bishop Bern could hear those behind him speaking. Although he had kept his voice down, it wasn't too quiet; and even if he whispered, a bishop whose consciousness was so openly cast outward would undoubtedly hear him. Sometimes, one needed to use this method to close the distance. You had to make the other person find you interesting before there was any possibility of further developments. Beyond the living room lay a smaller reception parlor. Garrison knights were already stationed there, and several women of the Norton family sat inside, their faces filled with dread, panic, and unease. Bishop Bern paid them no mind and kept walking. Moving further in brought them to the true core of the building. In front of the entrance leading down to the basement sat three coffins of different colors. The black one was sent by the York City Region Whip of Order Headquarters, inscribed with the name of Regional Chief Harry. The dark-red one was sent by the York City Regional Administrative Office, inscribed with the name of Head Bishop Wolflen. There was also a dark-yellow coffin. Karen had originally assumed it was from the Wien Region, but upon leaning in closer, he found that it was actually sent by the Liaison Department of the Dinge Regional Administrative Office. This was quite intriguing. No matter how much the local atmosphere was drummed up, it should have only affected the York City Region or the entire Wien Region at most; yet the Dinge Region had actually lent a hand and sent a coffin too, which could hardly fail to spark speculation. When even a department from the capital region sent you a coffin, it basically meant some high-ranking figure up top could no longer stand by and decided you had better die sooner rather than later. Karen couldn't help sighing. "Ah, I almost feel a bit sorry for Lord Bishop Dolph." Bishop Bern turned back, looked at Karen, and smiled. "I do too, a bit." Neo rolled his eyes inwardly. *You feel sorry for him? Weren't you the one who told him to write the suicide note?* Bishop Bern pointed at Neo and Karen. "According to regulations, the Whip of Order must send someone along. How about this: I won't bother calling Bernie; you two can stand in for him. I don't think Bernie will mind, right?" Neo immediately replied, "Before we came, the director gave his instructions." In truth, he hadn't, but Neo figured Bernie wasn't someone who enjoyed watching spectacles, so tedious and exhausting chores like this were better handled by subordinates. Bishop Bern didn't question it and headed straight down toward the basement. On both sides, garrison knights held luminous crystals, illuminating the way. After going some distance deeper, Karen saw Bishop Dolph's two younger sons standing there, their expressions dazed. For them, today was the day their family was shattered. The family that had once provided them with comfortable lives and abundant cultivation resources was declared ruined this very day. Even how their own fates would be arranged remained unknown for now. Bishop Bern entered the deepest part of the basement. Garrison knights had already set up a perimeter here, but under Bishop Bern's command, they all withdrew. When Karen and Neo stepped inside, they saw Bishop Dolph sitting there, sipping red wine. His hair was neither disheveled nor was he raving mad. On the contrary, he had groomed himself impeccably—far more meticulously than when attending formal events under normal circumstances. Bishop Bern pulled up a chair and sat facing Dolph. Karen and Neo stood side by side in a corner; there was no room for them to speak here for now. In fact, timing was everything. Arriving earlier might have prevented them from getting in at all. After all, wasn't it obvious from the white sailboats and flower baskets left outside that checkpoints had been established previously? Only after the garrison knights entered had the Norton family's internal defenses been thoroughly dismantled. Bishop Dolph tilted his head, looking at Bishop Bern with a smile. "The sun hasn't even set, yet here you are." "Once it's dark, the roads get tricky. The coffin has to be transported out eventually." "I want to wait a bit longer. I want to wait a bit longer." "There's no point in waiting any longer." Bern shook his head. "To be honest, we're all very curious why you did this. In our understanding, you aren't the kind of person who would die just to preserve dignity." "Indeed I am not." Dolph nodded. "But explaining all that now is meaningless. That person... abandoned me, abandoned the Norton family. Though, of course, that person might simply be powerless to help." "So you delusionally hoped to use this method to coerce that person into stepping in for your family?" "What's the point of saying this now? Bern, I beg you, let me wait until the sun sets. Can I?" "You can't even see the sun in this basement." "Yet I know the sun is there! I know he is there!" "I don't care to wait, and neither does anyone else. This farce of your Norton family must come to an end." "Heh, a farce?" "When you do wrong, you must face punishment. The tribunal has already passed judgment on your family." "I don't feel I did anything wrong. Even now, I still don't think I made a mistake." Holding his wine glass, Dolph stood up. His gaze shifted from Bern to Karen. "I remember you said many righteous-sounding words at the tribunal that day. But do you know that my Norton family is not the root of the ugliness—only a corner of it?" Karen originally didn't intend to answer, but seeing Bishop Bern sit there in silence, he could only reply, "I know." "You know. Heh, you know, so all of you are hypocrites. Kid, you're indeed very handsome. Standing in the tribunal playing the emissary of Order and justice, do you feel radiant? "But do you have any idea that in my eyes, you're nothing more than a noisy, dress-up clown?" Karen inhaled, looked up at Bishop Dolph, and replied: "Actually, the same goes for you." Neo looked at Bishop Bern's back with slight puzzlement. He couldn't shake the feeling that the steerage of this conversation was odd, as if Bishop Bern was intentionally guiding it. Clearly, he and Karen had only tagged along by chance to spectate. How had the focus shifted onto Karen? "Heh... heheh... Hahahaha..." Bishop Dolph laughed uproariously. "Truly interesting, interesting! I'm just watching all of you put on an act. But as you acted, you pushed me—the one with the worst acting skills—right off the stage." Karen answered, "If the stage loses one of your kind, it's a good thing either way." Regardless of whether others were dirty, you certainly weren't clean. "I feel wronged," Dolph said, thumping his chest. "Deeply wronged! I know what so many people have done in secret—including you, Bern! Is your hand stained with any less blood? "If judged strictly by the Code of Order, you should have been executed hundreds of times over!" Bishop Bern nodded. "Indeed." "Yet all of you want me dead! I refuse to accept this! I refuse!" Bishop Bern spoke up, "Actually, whether you accept it or not doesn't matter, and no one cares. Our Captain Karen is right. One less of your kind is one less, and that's for the best. I often feel ashamed that I share the title of regional bishop with someone like you." "Hahahaha!" Dolph stuck out his tongue and began twirling his body around. In his crimson bishop's robes, he looked like a stage actor wildly venting his emotions. Immediately after, he looked at Karen once more and asked: "I have whistleblowing materials here detailing crimes committed by other bishops. Do you dare accept them?" Without hesitation, Karen nodded. "I accept." That answer caught Bishop Dolph off guard. Karen urged, "Where are the materials? Please hand them over." Bishop Dolph frowned. Clearly, he was unprepared, and Karen's response was not what he had anticipated. "You damn bastard!" Bishop Dolph flew into a rage, raising his arm as a suppressed blast of black thunder gathered in his palm. Bishop Bern reminded him, "The life and death of your entire family rests in your hands." Bishop Dolph opened his fingers, releasing the charge. He glared viciously at Karen and said, "Everything regarding my grandson was arranged under my direct orders, so I know you framed him. You little brat are the furthest thing from human." "That's because the one I dealt with was no human being." Bishop Dolph's gaze darkened, and an immense mental pressure surged directly toward Karen. In that instant, Karen felt as though he were standing amidst crashing waves, but he stood firm. Bishop Bern asked, "What was Terisen's sentence?" Resisting the pressure of the mental assault, Karen gritted his teeth and replied: "He was... sentenced to... exile..." Hearing this, Bishop Dolph closed his eyes, and the mental assault receded entirely. "Had enough of your tantrum?" Bern asked. Dolph shook his head. "I don't want to lie down and never rise again." "You know," Bishop Bern said, rising to his feet, "I didn't come here to persuade you." "I know. Your arrival means you must leave with a result." "It can be just you, or it can be your entire family. If you don't lie down, your whole family will lie down with you." "Heh, to think that one day I, too, would face such a threat." "Hurry up. Don't drag this out. Everyone is busy; no one can drop everything just to wait here for you to die." "Bern, I will curse you! No, not just you—I will curse all of you!" "Suit yourself." Bishop Dolph stumbled backward several steps before sinking back into his chair. "I want to ask one more thing: can I enter the First Knight Order?" "Do you deserve to?" Bishop Dolph struck his chest forcefully once more. "If I am awakened one day, I am willing to fight for the church!" "The First Knight Order is an honor. You do not deserve to share in that honor." Dolph sneered, "Heh, fine." With that, Dolph hurled the wine glass in his hand to the floor. "Will you do it yourself?" Bern asked. "I am a man who fears death above all. Suicide is out of the question. Even though I personally wrote and published that suicide note, I could eat it right in front of everyone. "I will sit right here." "Fine." "No—let him do it!" Dolph pointed at Karen standing in the corner. "Let him do it. This is my final request. Let him kill me. Let him strike!" "Dolph, don't assume I don't know what you're trying to do. You want to ruin his heart of faith, don't you?" On the path of faith, once a shadow was cast during a certain stage, one's entire life might grind to a permanent halt at that bottleneck. "Why can't you see it as a trial, Bern? "If he endures it, won't his path of faith become all the firmer in the future? "I'm giving him an opportunity—giving this outstanding youth of our region a chance to achieve even greater growth!" Bishop Bern raised his hand. A black pendant floated up, and runes materialized beneath his feet, forming a three-dimensional barrier. As the barrier emerged, the arrays within the basement seemed triggered to activate automatically, but in the next moment, as the pendant's light flared brighter, those arrays were completely suppressed. Dolph remained seated. Seeing this, he made no move to break the barrier; instead, he picked up a wine bottle from the floor, took a long swig, and laughed loudly. "Go ahead, Bern. Discuss all you want. Heh." Within the barrier, Bishop Bern said, "Karen, this is an opportunity I secured for you." *Huh?* Karen was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected Bishop Bern to say such a thing. Yet he quickly realized why Bishop Bern had brought him and Neo along. Bern was clearly here to carry out the mission of 'Dolph's suicide.' What he was doing was exceedingly dark and clandestine—something everyone could guess at, but which must never have tangible proof. Recalling Bishop Bern's earlier conversational tone with Bishop Dolph, including how he had steered the conflict toward him midway through to divert the trapped beast's fury onto Karen... He had done it on purpose. And Karen hadn't noticed it at all. Neo had noticed, but it hadn't been convenient to warn him, nor had he felt any need to. Bern said, "He won't dare to truly lay a hand on you, but before he dies, he will do whatever it takes to intimidate you and cast a shadow over your heart of faith. "Fail to endure it, and it will leave a crack in your faith, impairing your future breakthroughs. Endure it, and your heart of faith will become all the firmer and more solid. "I'm not fond of giving gifts, but this kind of gift is an exception. "At the tribunal, I insulted your relationship with Pavaro's wife and daughter. I said I would come to confess, and this is my gift of apology to you. "As for whether you accept it, that is up to you." *So, I'm supposed to kill this Lord Bishop with my own hands?* *I've absorbed God's bone, seen Rielsa with my own eyes, the Scythe of War virtually dominates my dreams, and I keep an evil dog at home...* *Just recently, in the memories of the silver mask, I even witnessed Grandfather slaughter the Norton family's ancestor. Grandfather already set the precedent for me.* *So really, what's the big deal? Why make it so grandiose?* Just as Karen was about to agree outright, Neo's hand suddenly dropped onto his shoulder. Neo looked at him with a solemn expression and said in a grave, concerned tone: "Karen, you must think through the consequences. Whatever you do, don't force yourself!" *Now that's what you call professional!* Even at a moment like this, Director Neo didn't forget to remind him: don't accept too readily, nail down the details. Karen took a deep breath, pressed his lips together, and patted Neo's hand on his shoulder before removing it. Then, turning to face Bishop Bern, he fell silent for a few moments, finally gathered his courage, looked up, met Bishop Bern's gaze for three seconds, and immediately shifted his eyes to Dolph sitting outside the barrier. In a voice that sounded calm on the surface yet carried a faint tremble underneath, he said: "My Lord, I accept your gift." "Very good." Bern was clearly pleased with Karen. Ever since their clash at the tribunal, he had greatly admired this young man. *Buzz!* The barrier was dispelled. Dolph asked, "Well, finished discussing? You'd better hurry up. Waiting to die doesn't feel pleasant in the slightest, after all." "We've decided," Bern nodded. "He will do it." "Heh... heheh..." Dolph looked at Karen. "I can be your ladder, helping you climb even higher." Evidently, his true thoughts were the polar opposite of his words. Bishop Bern turned around, waving a hand as he walked out. "I'll go upstairs to discuss future arrangements with your family. Since you're willing to die, your family will naturally receive some favorable treatment in how they are settled." Dolph cursed, "I can only promise not to lay a hand on him. As for anything else, I make no guarantees." "That will suffice." Bishop Bern stepped out of the basement hall and paused for a moment. Neo caught on immediately and followed him out. Immediately after, Bern dropped the pendant in his hand into the seam of the door. A new barrier materialized, isolating the interior from the exterior. Next, a wisp of black light beamed from the pendant directly into Dolph's glabella. Dolph offered no resistance, allowing the beam to enter. He knew it was a shackle, specifically placed by Bern to prevent him from going berserk. He could break free of it, but Bern could return here before he managed to do so. Neo asked with a worried expression, "Lord Bishop, won't there really be any accidents?" "Dolph is not a good person, but there is one thing beyond doubt: he cares deeply about his family. He won't strike Karen directly; he doesn't dare bear the cost." "Yet he is still a bishop... or was one. I worry whether Karen might..." "This is a rare opportunity, and he should cherish it, because it will be hard to find a second Dolph. I can sense that he is close to advancing to Adjudicator. What better opportunity could there be to provide him with an impetus, isn't that right?" Yet the one thing Karen never lacked was an impetus for advancement; he had even strangled several opportunities for advancement with his own hands. Neo could only nod. "Yes, your Lordship has thought of everything." "Let's wait upstairs. Oh, right, are you short on funds?" Bern asked. "Very, very short! We've only just started out and lack everything. You haven't seen it, but wind is still whistling through my office right now, and there aren't any funds to renovate it." "Then let's follow the rules. With so many members of the Norton family having committed crimes, their illegal gains must be tallied up. On behalf of the Whip of Order, make a preliminary inventory of their illicit income and assets." "Understood, my Lord. Rest assured, I will handle this properly and ensure everyone is satisfied." The underlying meaning was that everyone would get their cut. Normally, Bishop Bern wouldn't make such hints. He was scheming to annex an entire church; why would he waste his thoughts on minor matters like embezzlement? After all, theoretically speaking, the Church of Pamires practically belonged to his family now. However, establishing the joint law enforcement department meant not only sharing power, but also sharing profits. Power and profits went hand in hand. Therefore, representing the Regional Administrative Office, he had to establish this pattern personally and ensure it could function sustainably in the future. "Do you need me to assign people to you, or can you call over some hands of your own to help?" "Please rest assured, my Lord. I can handle it well." "Mm, good." At this moment, Director Neo, who had just been reminding Karen to mind his image and acting, couldn't resist lightly rubbing his fingertips together. Small wonder—he really had been broke for far too long. Although the debts from his last rooftop incident had been paid off, his savings had grown painfully light. It wasn't that Neo was truly greedy for wealth; rather, he knew very well that once he stayed penniless for too long, it might easily turn into having no regrets left in life. If he wanted to keep playing around, he couldn't walk around with empty pockets forever. Because deep in his heart, a voice had continuously been calling to him: *It's time to go down and chat with Elisa.* If he wanted an excuse to resist it, having coupons left to spend was a good one: *Wait a bit longer, otherwise even you'd call me an idiot.* *Sigh, isn't this all to help Karen modify his car?* Bishop Bern went into the study to rest. Neo walked into the small reception parlor and sat down before the ladies of the Norton family. He began: "Speaking with your best interests at heart, I must remind you that at this juncture, the more wealth the Norton family holds, the greater the danger becomes. "So, ladies, surely you wouldn't want to lose your most precious lives over wealth you have no power to protect, would you?" ... In the basement. Karen glanced back at the erected barrier, then turned to face Dolph. Opening his palm, a black Spear of Punishment materialized in his hand. He had said that once news of Dolph's death arrived, he would be able to advance to Adjudicator. Yet things had unfolded remarkably smoothly; in the end, it was actually he who would kill Dolph with his own hands. *Kill you, and I advance.* *I never believed Grandfather would leave your family to me. Your family is far too filthy.* *Nor did I believe Grandfather would leave the Felscher family to me. No matter how good other people's belongings are, they can never compare to what is one's own. Diss and I both believe in this truth.* *If Diss wanted to give me things, he could give so much more, and so much better.* *However, I truly relish this feeling—walking along my own path, seeing the traces Grandfather once left behind, touching the lingering warmth he left. It is wonderful, and comforting.* *Even though you are still slumbering, I don't feel lonely.* *You once dug a pit here, and now I've come to fill it in.* *Though separated by decades, we can still achieve this interaction across time.* *Perhaps this was what you wished to see, Grandfather. For this, you specifically came through the teleportation array to tell those you wished to tell: your successor will continue walking down this road.* Sitting in his chair, Dolph watched Karen approach step by step with spear in hand, smiling as he said: "I won't lay a hand on you to kill you, but I will leave you with an impression so profound that for the rest of your life, you will never escape today's shadow, forever trapped in the nightmare of this moment. "I will exist in your heart forever, and my laughter will echo in your ears for all eternity!" Karen shook his head, a faint, almost imperceptible smile gracing the corners of his lips. Within him, within his soul, and among the beings he had encountered, there were indeed many presences capable of leaving an indelible imprint on him. If Dolph truly thought he could leave such an imprint, that would be flattering Dolph far too much, while insulting them. After walking halfway, Karen stopped in his tracks. The basement hall fell into a moment of silence. With a sinister grin, Bishop Dolph asked, "Heh, what? Scared after all? Too terrified to step forward, afraid that your path of faith will be cut short right here with me? It's only natural. After all, you have a visibly bright future ahead of you. Fear is perfectly normal." Karen shook his head, indicating otherwise. "Then what are you waiting for? Why don't you dare come over?" Karen replied, "Are you ready?" "What?" "I'm giving you time."