In truth, Karen could have advanced to Adjudicator long ago. His talent, his accumulation, his absorption, his opportunities—in every aspect, he had far exceeded the best imaginations of his peers.
However, the path he walked was unusual, and with Diss's example before him, advancing quickly was not his sole pursuit. Every step he took had to be deliberate and well-considered, for a single misstep could plunge him straight into a dark abyss.
Even so, Bishop Dolph's death had originally been the milestone Karen set for his own advancement.
And now, the time had indeed arrived.
Karen turned around, once again facing Bishop Dolph, who sat quietly with his head hung low.
Scenes from his memory were drawn out piece by piece, most of which Alfred had even recorded in his little notebook.
In one scene, Karen stood at the entrance of Pavaro funeral parlor. Upon learning that Inquisitor Pavaro's credit had been stolen by an Adjudicator named Vicolai, he had sworn an oath to kill the man.
In the interrogation room, when Vicolai compared Pavaro's family to bitches, Karen had passed judgment upon him.
In the courtroom, pressed step by step by Bishop Bern, Karen began to grasp the true essence of "Ankara's Story," re-evaluating the definition of adjudication.
The sentencing of Terisen, and now, watching Bishop Dolph dead before him.
These scenes began to overlap in Karen's mind.
For a long time in the past, Karen's understanding of "adjudication" had remained confined within the realm of dogmatism. In a world with gods and priests, idealism was not inherently correct; rather, under concrete analysis of specific circumstances, the boundary between idealism and materialism had to shift.
This was a path destined to be lonely. When you looked back, no one was following behind; ahead was pitch darkness, and the void on both flanks offered not a single foothold to steady yourself or grip.
Your eyes would be the sole light, and every step you took had to be worthy of your own gaze.
Karen closed his eyes, then opened them again. A bright gleam swirled in his pupils, and his whole presence sharpened with it, though the sharpness was quickly drawn in and concealed.
This subtle shift was naturally caught by Bishop Bern.
It seemed that Dolph's bestowal had indeed allowed this young man to break through his bottleneck so effortlessly and then settle his foundation.
Karen sensed that his control over the spiritual power in his body had elevated to a whole new realm. If looking at it before was like pools of water, now in his eyes, it was droplets of water stacked cleanly upon one another.
Opening his palm, a dense mass of the flame of Order flared up, rapidly shifting into the shapes of various small animals.
Right then, Bishop Bern reached out and took back the pendant. The barrier shattered, but a powerful gust of wind swept directly toward Karen.
Still testing him?
The wind blew across, and the flame in Karen's palm swayed, yet instead of being snuffed out, it grew even more vigorous.
Karen knew this was a test of his underlying power.
This bishop's habit was truly somewhat comical—he never missed a chance to exploit anyone or anything around him.
Bishop Bern finally nodded in satisfaction. Leaning forward, he asked with a smile, "Captain Karen, do you hate me?"
At this point, Karen could have chosen to play dumb and counter with a question asking why he would say that.
Except doing so would be underestimating the bishop far too much. Thus, after a brief silence, Karen nodded.
"I believe I will."
"Yes, you should hate me." Bishop Bern nodded. "I hope that in the future, I will have the chance to express my apologies and... make it up to you."
Earlier, you claimed letting me kill Dolph today was an apology for insulting me and Pavaro's wife and daughter in the courtroom, and now you want to continue making apologies.
If he truly were merely an ordinary "outstanding youth," he would have first been insulted by him, and then had his future path of cultivation severed by him.
Karen shook his head and said, "My Lord, I have no wish to cross paths with you any further. Would you please let me off the hook?"
"Yet I feel, Captain Karen, that you and I share great affinity. I imagine we will have many opportunities to deal with each other in the future. I truly appreciate you, Captain Karen."
"What is it about me you appreciate? Please tell me plainly, and I'll change it."
"Hahaha."
Bishop Bern pointed at Karen and laughed heartily. Once his laughter subsided, he issued an order:
"Someone come! Bishop Dolph has taken his own life. Place his remains into a coffin, carry him out, and release an obituary to the public."
"Yes, My Lord."
Garrison knights walked in and began carrying Dolph's body away.
"Until next time, Captain Karen."
After offering Karen that final farewell, Bishop Bern walked upstairs.
Karen remained behind everyone, watching Bishop Dolph being carried away by the garrison knights. He thought to himself: *Let's not meet too often in the future. I'm afraid that if I see you too much, I'll start wishing you were the one lying in that coffin.*
When Karen returned upstairs, he saw Neo already waiting for him, having even called Fannie and Peige over.
"How about you head back first?" Neo whispered with some excitement. "The haul this time is huge."
Karen knew full well what had happened, but still reminded him, "Watch how it looks..."
"When I handle things, don't worry."
Immediately afterward, as if realizing something, Neo snapped, "Hey, since when is it your turn to lecture me on how to do things? Here are the car keys. Hurry up and head back."
Karen nodded, took the car keys from Neo, and prepared to leave first.
"Wait a second."
"Hmm?"
"Do you have any hobbies? You know, converting some items into coupons is a real loss—the selling price is never the same as buying them back."
"Books, maybe."
"Oh, the Nortons don't have a habit of collecting books. That's why they're so stupid."
"Coupons, then."
"All right, that'll do for now. Go back and get some rest. Aren't you still preparing Inquisitor Pavaro's funeral? Let me know once the time is set."
"All right."
"Wait one more second!"
"Something else?"
"You advanced? Adjudicator?"
"Yeah."
"Did something happen down there just now?"
"Yes."
"Is it worth telling me?"
"As a secret..."
"I'll give you a one-percent cut from my share."
"It's worth it."
"Is it worth me dropping my work right now to listen?"
"Not worth it."
"Fine, then after I'm done. That's all for now."
"Yeah."
Karen walked out of the Norton villa. After starting the VIP car, he backed and maneuvered back and forth for a long time before finally maneuvering it out without a scratch.
In truth, minor scratches were completely normal for a car; Karen simply couldn't stand Neo's endless nagging if he noticed. The man was obsessed with treasuring this vehicle.
Karen had originally planned to return to the headquarters building first, hand over his work matters, and then head home to play with his cat. But before he had driven far, he saw an elderly lady standing in a roadside flowerbed, gazing toward the distant Norton villa.
Beside the old lady stood Philomena.
Mrs. Felscher?
Karen frowned slightly. In truth, he had another reason for returning to headquarters: to check on Mr. Dalis's condition. He hadn't expected to run into Philomena and her grandmother first.
Fortunately, Karen hadn't listened to Neo's thrifty lectures and had kept up his habit of turning on the concealment formation while driving. So when he drove past the intersection, Mrs. Felscher and Philomena didn't notice him.
Unless he stopped right now or made some distinctive move, in their eyes, this VIP car would appear completely ordinary.
Karen did not stop. Instead, he drove further away, parked, got out, and doubled back on foot. He had intended to find a spot to closely observe this "deeply affectionate" grandmother and granddaughter pair, but soon saw Philomena arriving in a car driven by none other than Richard, with Leon sitting in the back.
Richard spotted Karen and immediately pulled over.
"Karen!"
"Captain!"
Karen walked up. Philomena, sitting in the passenger seat, stepped out at once and said, "My grandmother has gone back."
"Ride in my car."
"All right, Captain."
Karen waved to Richard and Leon, then led Philomena into the VIP car.
"My grandmother is paying close attention to the Norton family's affairs," Philomena said. "In the past, aside from hunting down that person, I've rarely seen her care so much about anything."
"Did she tell you to check on Dalis?"
"Yes. She instructed me to go back and check. I was going to ask for your instructions, Captain."
"Dalis won't be held for long. He'll probably be released by tomorrow. Your grandmother will find out on her own."
Karen frowned and reached out to open the glove compartment. Sure enough, inside he found the Thunder Cult's special-issue cigarettes Neo had stashed away.
*Hah, knew Neo would hide them here!*
Seeing this, Philomena asked, "Would you like me to light it for you, Captain?"
"Next time you don't need to ask. Just do it."
Philomena shook her head. "A lot of times I can't guess what you all mean."
"You can still guess with me, right?"
"Yes." Philomena nodded. She was somewhat afraid of Karen, and because of that fear, she was not entirely indifferent to him the way she was toward others in her "dreams." Face-to-face, she inevitably observed him with deliberate attention.
Lighting a cigarette and taking a puff, Karen felt his pain ease. These cigarettes from the Church of Thunder... or rather, this psychiatric tonic, was truly suited to his current state.
"What I can tell you now is that Dalis is a test subject your grandmother selected. Right now, she wants to see the results."
"A test subject regarding my family's curse?"
"Yes."
"Once Grandmother sees the results, she'll make her move, won't she?"
"I believe so. Stay at the headquarters building for the next few days. Don't leave without my permission, and don't go out to see your grandmother alone. In case I'm not around... if you must go out, it has to be with me present. Understand?"
"I understand."
"Louder."
"Yes, Captain!"
Karen nodded, pleased with the socially withdrawn girl's response.
The car arrived outside the headquarters building, and Richard and Leon, who had been following behind, stepped out of their car as well.
Karen walked into the building, intending to go straight to the detention center, but saw Memphis walking toward him. Uncle had already returned to the team.
"There's something..."
Karen stopped immediately and asked, "What is it?"
"Richard's grandfather and grandmother want to bring some food to treat everyone."
Grandmother and Delon were coming?
"When will they arrive? Is it dinner?"
"No, a late-night snack."
A late-night snack...
In that case, he would have to wait until after the late-night snack was over before returning to the funeral parlor.
"Understood."
Seeing Karen agree, Memphis smiled.
"You've worked hard lately, Captain."
"Not particularly hard. After all, the results turned out well." Karen smiled back at Memphis, then pointed inward. "I need to make a trip to the detention center."
"Do you need me to accompany you?"
Karen hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "No need."
"Captain!" Vic ran over quickly. "Captain, the minister just handed down an order. Bishop Dolph's obituary has been released, so Dalis can be freed."
"Understood. I'll go personally."
Karen walked toward the detention center, and Vic naturally followed along. Karen had no choice but to stop and say to him, "Go notify the kitchen to get ready. Richard's grandparents will be bringing late-night snacks tonight to treat everyone. Have them prepare so we can celebrate the conclusion of the Norton case."
"All right, got it."
Vic stopped in his tracks. Once Karen had walked off alone toward the detention center, he sighed. "Always so secretive. Why didn't you just tell me to become a kitchen hand?"
After his quiet grumble, he turned his head and saw Memphis standing there. Vic pursed his lips, realizing he had spoken out of turn, and quickly tried to smooth it over:
"Was the captain always like this? My personality is more straightforward, you know."
Memphis shook his head. "We only need to carry out what has been instructed."
"Right, of course. Well said."
Vic waved his hand and decided he might as well go clean the kitchen first.
...
"I need to see the suspect alone. Have everyone inside step out and give me a quiet environment."
"Yes, Captain."
After all the clerks inside the detention center were called out, Karen walked in by himself.
Arriving in front of Dalis's cell, Karen saw him sitting inside, reading a newspaper.
Karen reminded him, "Your father's obituary won't appear until tomorrow's special edition."
Dalis turned his head to look at Karen and smiled faintly. "Perhaps I should be grieving right now, but I am not."
Seeing how calm he was, Karen truly didn't know what emotion to adopt toward this grand scapegoat who had cursed his entire family to death.
If you said he did wrong, the relatives he cursed to death were truly scoundrels, and strictly speaking, it counted as placing justice above family.
Karen took out the key, unlocked the cell door, walked in, and sat on the chair across from Dalis.
His soul injuries had not yet healed; though his realm had advanced, it was not suitable for him to fight. And barring any surprises, this poor scapegoat before him had likely received the true bestowal, elevating his strength considerably.
Still, there was nothing to worry about. Dalis would have to be insane to take hostages and break out of prison now, when he was on the verge of being released.
Karen gave a light sniff, though, noticing that the air inside was remarkably fresh.
"I just came from your home. Now that your father committed suicide, the higher-ups will not make things difficult for the rest of your family."
"Thank the Church for its mercy." Dalis crossed his arms over his chest. "Thank the great God of Order for His blessing."
Seeing him do this, Karen could only mirror the gesture to play along.
However, just as Karen raised his arms, his injuries suddenly provoked a coughing fit. "Cough... cough..."
As if Karen's coughing had triggered him, Dalis couldn't hold it back either and began coughing as well. "Cough, cough... cough..."
Both men covered their mouths with their hands, and both coughed up blood.
There was no way to hide it. Even with their hands covering their mouths, the scent of blood had already drifted out, impossible to conceal from the other's senses.
Karen offered an explanation: "Injuries from when we captured those Light remnants last time. Still haven't fully recovered, sigh."
Dalis replied, "Worrying too much about my family lately flared up my old lung trouble."
"Everything has passed now. Please accept my condolences. The future of the Norton family depends on you."
"Yes, I know. I will pull myself together. After all, I must shoulder my responsibilities."
"Mm, get some good rest then." Karen stood up.
"Please take good care of yourself as well, Captain Karen, and tend to your injuries promptly."
Karen stepped out of the cell and walked toward the entrance. Reaching the entrance door, he opened it. The clerks standing guard outside looked at him attentively, but Karen did not step out; instead, after opening the heavy iron door, he pulled it shut again.
Immediately afterward, he shook the cell keys in his hand. The detention center's formation instantly took effect, concealing all traces of Karen's presence.
Karen walked back toward the cell. With poor ventilation in a prison cell, how could the air possibly smell so fresh? Unless someone had used a purification spell right before he arrived. So, what was he trying to cover up?
When Karen silently returned to the door of Dalis's cell, he saw Dalis slumped on the floor. Black blood was streaming from his eye sockets, and bulging pustules oozing foul-smelling fluid covered his entire body.
His expression was twisted in unbearable agony.
Karen disabled the key's link to the detention center's formation, revealing himself before Dalis.
Staring at Karen's sudden reappearance, Dalis froze.
Karen spoke, "The order just came through, Mr. Dalis. You are free now. You may walk out and embrace your new life."
Dalis stared blankly for a long moment. Then, as if suffering a total breakdown, paying no heed to Karen's status, he buried his face in his hands and wept bitterly:
"This curse is incurable! There's no cure at all! She lied to me, she lied to me, she lied to me!"
"Mr. Dalis."
Dalis slowly lowered the hands covering his face, looking toward Karen outside the bars in bewilderment.
Karen leaned down, drawing closer to Dalis across the iron bars, and whispered softly:
"You can lie to her too, you know."
Chapter 533