Admirers

*Thump... thump... thump...* Tapping echoed from the adjoining private booth. Ashley, who had been sitting in her chair, rose in an instant and planted herself in front of the wall. When facing the unknown, standing before one's superior was standard procedure for any subordinate—that was the rule. Karen slowly stood up from the sofa, adjusted his clerical robes, and walked to the wall. Reaching out, he took Ashley by the shoulder and pulled her back a short distance. *Crack, crunch...* A crisp grinding sound rang out as a rectangular slab was carved from the other side of the wall, before toppling toward Karen with a dull thud. Karen raised a hand, conjuring a binding spell that gently arrested the falling slab while stifling the dust that otherwise would have billowed outward. Standing on the other side was Lord Augie. Lifting her hem slightly, she wiped the finger she had just used to slice through the wall. Karen shifted his gaze, avoiding her long, shapely bare legs. For reasons unknown, ever since they met today, Karen had felt something was off about this frost dragon. She gave him the bizarre impression of an auntie running a pastry shop who kept fluttering flirtatiously, urging him to step inside and sample a freshly baked treat. In any case, it felt forced—so forced that Karen instinctively wanted to keep his distance. Miss Daina walked over, looking somewhat perplexed. "Heh, so you're right next door." Lord Augie reminded her, "Miss, it is likely because Karen shares the same treatment tier as us." "Oh, really?" Miss Daina glanced at Karen. "Your tier is that high?" *Is it really that outrageous to match yours?* *You rely on nepotism; I rely on political heritage.* Karen smiled and replied, "I suspect the accommodations here are simply rudimentary, so they put us together without bothering about tier distinctions." "Can't you just admit it openly?" Miss Daina pouted. "Even though you gave me a sound beating yesterday, I was the one who made the first move. If my skills were lacking, I deserved it. It's not like I'm going to run off and tattle on you." "Miss, we were merely sparring." "Oh, Sister Augie, do you see? That's just how he is. Honestly, from the way he speaks and carries himself, someone might think he's in his fifties or sixties. You can't pick out the slightest fault in him. But when he was clobbering me yesterday, he looked delighted! He even launched me with a greatsword like a golf ball. I bet he slept like a baby last night." *You actually guessed right.* Lord Augie did not chime in. After all, her current perception of Karen was thoroughly warped. The more properly Karen behaved, the more uncomfortable she felt inside. If he had reached out and grabbed her backside while on the earth dragon earlier, she might have felt more at ease. Because she had tampered with her own memories, whenever reality failed to match what she fabricated, her mind would constantly reinforce psychological cues, telling herself that the memory was distorted. It was like helplessly picking at a scabbed wound on one's arm—one slip, and a tearing agony followed. Naturally, this was not Karen's fault. She had simply overestimated her literary talents, clumsily inventing such an absurd memory merely to justify her aversion to him. She would have been far better off asking Master Purr to ghostwrite it for her. Just then, a knock sounded on the door. Miss Daina called out, "Enter." She seemed to have forgotten that she was not in her own booth. The door swung open to reveal a waitress clad in a red gown, beneath which trailed a serpent's tail—a true lamia. Behind her stood an elderly man, accompanied by a young man in dark red armor. The youth wore no helm, letting a mane of flowing blond hair spill over his shoulders. The waitress was visibly taken aback by the hole in the wall, but she still turned to Karen first and said, "Lord Karen, two esteemed guests from the Church of the Great Axe wish to call upon you." The older man took a step forward and offered Karen a salute. "Praise the God of Strength. Section Chief Karen, I am Esinla. I work in war-beast breeding for the Church of the Great Axe." Within the Church of the Great Axe, they had always maintained that their lineage traced back to the God of Strength, which was why their customary greeting was 'Praise the God of Strength.' The outside world, however, never recognized this claim. The God of Strength had been a formidable chief god three eras ago—even earlier than the God of Eternity—before eventually falling. Furthermore, the Church of the Great Axe was now merely a mid-sized church. Expecting other orthodox churches to acknowledge its claimed antiquity was out of the question. "Praise Order. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Esinla." "Pardon the intrusion. I happened to learn a bit about your deeds and felt a certain curiosity toward you. More importantly, it was this boy, my student, who begged me to bring him here to meet you. Rob, come greet Section Chief Karen." The young man in dark red armor stepped forward. Rather than offering the standard clerical etiquette exchanged between church priests, he extended his right hand. Karen reached out and shook it. No underhanded test of strength took place. "Section Chief Karen, I've admired you for quite a while. I kept track of your recent exploits in the newspapers. To be frank, I often lay in bed reading reports about you until I burst out laughing." *Ahem...* The elder, Esinla, coughed lightly in warning. "Haha, just pure admiration. You know, it's young blood. We simply can't stand those old fogies sitting up top, but you went and kicked them down one by one." Karen smiled gently. "I merely carried out my duties in accordance with the Code of Order." "Still, now that I see you in person, I find myself not admiring you so much after all. You're just too young. The newspaper photographs didn't convey it nearly as strongly, but in reality, you look even younger. I'm twenty-one this year. What about you?" "Seventeen." "Really seventeen? I assumed the age in the intelligence reports was a clerical error, but it's actually true. So, right now, my feelings toward you are..." "To put it in the vernacular of Wien, our tempers seem properly seasoned to sit in the same bean paste jar." ... "Meow." *(He actually used Wien bean paste as a metaphor.)* "Woof." *(And he hates Wien bean paste the most.)* "Meow." *(Yet he seems better at inventing proverbs about paste jars than the people of Wien. I bet he made that up on the spot.)* "Woof." *(Alfred has plenty more where that came from. They have their own dedicated, mature lexicon.)* "Meow." *(True. Still, that blond kid looks like Karen's rebellious fan.)* "Woof." *(Yes, you're right.)* ... "Exactly! That's the spirit! I, Rob Moresis, am happy to call you a friend, and I'd love to knock on your door tonight with a barrel of wine to share a drink!" "The honor is mine." Rob smiled, stepped forward, and opened his arms. Karen did not refuse, stepping forward half a pace to exchange a hearty, warrior-style embrace. "Of course, if possible, I hope after we drink, we can have a fight—just a plain and simple brawl." "Hmph," Miss Daina snorted softly. Rob noticed her, but not knowing her identity, he assumed she was merely Karen's attendant. Being ignored like this made Miss Daina intensely uncomfortable. She had half a mind to shout who she was, but then... her brow furrowed. She realized she held no official rank. If she blurted out whose adopted daughter she was here... she would feel thoroughly disgraced. No self-respecting person would cheerfully proclaim to the world that they were a useless freeloader enjoying privileges purely through backdoors and connections. Rob turned to Esinla. "Let's go, Teacher." "Very well. Section Chief Karen, we will trouble you no further." "I look forward to our next meeting," Karen replied. As he walked out the booth door, Rob made a drinking gesture at Karen, and Karen nodded in return. The lamia waitress pulled the door shut. Ashley remarked with a grin, "I had no idea our section chief was this famous now." Being greeted by members of other churches when traveling abroad, and having them openly state their admiration, was certainly a tremendous boost to one's prestige. Ashley's excitement largely stemmed from seeing the idol she followed finally making waves beyond their own circles. And it was true. If the Vicolai case had earned Karen considerable renown within his own church, the recent 'six bishops case' had broadcast his name far beyond the Church of Order's borders. Those bloodhound journalists were certainly not idle; in this era, church newspapers wielded terrifying reach and influence. Lord Augie spoke up. "The armor on that Rob isn't ordinary. It looks like Heroic Spirit Armor." The main reason the Church of the Great Axe remained a mid-sized church was that its congregation was small and its territory limited. While the God of the Great Axe was the deity they worshipped, this god claimed to have inherited the mantle of the God of Strength. Thus, from the moment of its founding, the church had been somewhat anomalous. It was akin to a fallen church rebuilding itself from the ashes under a new guise. Mr. Hoffen's notes on the Church of the Great Axe had described it as a church built atop a legion phalanx. Its predecessors had been a company of mercenaries, but those mercenaries were devout, well-organized, and formidable. Most importantly, their cohesion was vastly superior to that of the Crypt Church. To make a crude comparison: Order has twelve knight orders. If the Church of Order fell one day, and the members of a single knight order went elsewhere to establish a new religious organization, it would be much like this. Thus, while the Church of the Great Axe lacked broad influence, its raw strength could not be overlooked. As for Heroic Spirit Armor, it was an heirloom passed down from a legendary hero in the church's history, exceptionally rare and precious. Karen trusted Lord Augie's judgment. Furthermore, from Rob's earlier attitude toward his teacher, Esinla, it was clear which of the two truly held sway. Just then, another knock sounded. Miss Daina forgot once more that this was not her booth and called out, "Enter." The lamia waitress opened the door again. Behind her stood an elderly woman and a younger one. The old woman wore a gray clerical robe adorned with countless tiny bells, whereas the younger woman was dressed very skimpily—wearing barely enough to cover her vitals, accented by a few short strips of fabric. She was very slender, with a sharp jawline. Across the large swaths of exposed skin were numerous patterns resembling totems. Ashley bore similar designs on her arms, meaning this woman was a summoner. The old woman bowed respectfully to Karen. "Praise the God of Communing. Section Chief Karen, forgive the intrusion. I am an Itinerant of the First Circuit of the Church of Communing. The summoner I serve, Aimei, has long admired you and wished to pay her respects." "Praise Order. Greetings, ma'am." Karen then looked toward Aimei. "Hello." Aimei seemed to summon all her courage, stepping before Karen. Her hands crossed and pressed downward as she struggled to speak. In the end, she blurted out in a breathless rush: "It is an honor to meet you here, Section Chief Karen! I've been following news of you for a long time. Ever since I first saw you riding the hearse to the trials at the Gate of Samsara, I've clipped and saved every photograph of you published in the *Order Weekly*. In short, I really like you! Please forgive my presumption!" ... "Meow." *(This one is definitely a fan of his looks.)* "Woof." *(You're right.)* "Meow." *(That's why I stick around him. He's really popular with the ladies, and he knows it full well.)* "Woof." *(What about Miss Daina?)* "Meow." *(Even more ridiculous. She hated his guts, but after getting beaten up by him, her attitude clearly softened.)* "Woof?" *(Incomprehensible.)* "Meow." *(You don't need to understand. The two of you are opposite extremes.)* ... "Miss Aimei, your appreciation is my honor. It truly pleases me to hear your kind words." "Thank you, thank you, Section Chief Karen! Um, could I... could I have a hug? Just one, very gentle hug." "Of course." Karen opened his arms, lightly resting his loosely closed fists against her back in a polite embrace. Just as Karen was about to conclude the polite embrace, Miss Aimei suddenly hugged him tight, clinging to him like a sloth clinging to a tree—her legs wrapping around him as well. Then, leaping backward, she landed on the floor, took a deep breath, and bowed deeply to Karen. "Thank you! I am content!" "Haha, you are quite lovely." "Also, this is a gift for you." Aimei produced a crystal pendant and presented it with both hands. "Please accept it, Lord Karen. Thank you!" "Very well, thank you." Karen took the pendant and instinctively reached into his pockets, but they were as empty as ever. He never carried useless trinkets, and everything he did carry could not be casually given away. Surely he couldn't hand her a wad of Order coupons as a return gift? At that moment, Ashley stepped up from behind and slipped a bracelet into Karen's palm. Karen smoothly passed it to Aimei, saying, "A token in return." "Thank you! I will cherish it forever! Also, thank you for writing back to me last time, and for encouraging me in my studies!" "Indeed. No matter what comes, always believe firmly in yourself." "Yes! You are so right! Thank you once more, I won't disturb you any longer. I'm so thrilled—today is truly thrilling, thank you!" ... "Meow?" *(Karen actually wrote back to her?)* "Woof." *(Alfred probably replied for him. The office has been getting a lot of letters lately.)* "Meow." *(Ah, what a truly Angel-brand radio.)* ... After Aimei departed, Miss Daina spread her hands and grumbled, "So, Sister Augie, why did we knock down this wall in the first place?" Lord Augie answered, "It was your instruction, Miss. I merely carried it out." Miss Daina shrugged. "We came all this way just to be an audience. Sigh, let's head back. I'm afraid more people might drop by." Despite her words, Miss Daina showed no sign of leaving. Instead, she asked curiously, "Are you really that popular?" Karen replied, "Because the Church of Order is the foremost church, any news concerning it naturally draws attention from across the entire religious world." "You're quite right. If you said that to my adoptive father, he'd be pleased." "Haha." Karen handed the crystal pendant to Ashley, but she stepped back, gesturing that she couldn't take it. "Hold onto it for me. When we return, give it to Alfred. As for that bracelet..." "It held no special meaning, so it was fine to give away." "File it as an expense with Alfred." "Understood, Section Chief." Right then, another knock sounded on the door. Miss Daina ruffled her hair. "Another one?" Karen called out, "Enter." The lamia opened the door. This time, no visitors followed. Smiling, she presented two portfolios. "These are the portfolios and records for the companions participating in this selection. Please review them, esteemed guests." "Thank you." As Karen took them, he asked, "Which set is mine?" "Both sets are identical." "Understood. Thank you." The lamia withdrew from the booth. Karen handed one set to Daina. Without so much as a glance, she tossed it onto the sofa. Purr hopped over, using her paw to flip through the pages. Lord Augie walked over to the sofa, leaned down, and watched the black cat. On the journey here, this black cat had rubbed against her rear more than once. Next, Lord Augie turned her gaze toward Kevin. Kevin was licking his paw, looking entirely like an ordinary dog. Having lost the memory of that fateful night, Lord Augie stood up and said to Karen, who was absorbed in his portfolio, "Both of your pets are quite remarkable." To act like an ordinary cat and dog in the presence of a dragon was proof enough of their extraordinary nature. Karen gave Lord Augie a polite smile, then looked back down at the portfolio. Lord Augie seemed to catch on to something, stepping back behind Miss Daina without another word. She realized that continuing to discuss the pets would only bring her distress. Yet this young man had recognized it before she did. *Damn it...* Lord Augie began to suspect whether, on that night at the Head Bishop's residence, he had forced himself on her, or if she had actively seduced him! Just then, a voice resounded from the circular platform below. "The first companion: Corps Commander of the Lizard Tribe, Mengba!" With no opening remarks or preamble, the Selection Assembly began just like that. Karen and Daina walked to the railing of the booth, looking downward. Standing on the circular platform was a hulking, completely white lizardman that looked as though it had albinism. This was obviously not a candidate either Karen or Daina needed to consider. Karen glanced at him briefly before returning to the portfolio. Even after turning to the final page, he saw no mention of the bone dragon. Miss Daina noticed as well and said, "Naturally, it wouldn't be in the portfolio. That is saved for the final, closed-door procedure." Karen remarked, "Judging by the preludes at the entrance, I suspect there might be a few unexpected twists." ... "Woof?" *(Is the scheme starting?)* "Meow." *(Yep, here it goes. Care to guess how it unfolds?)* "Woof." *(How?)* "Meow." *(The silly girl is going to beg him to compete for the bone dragon.)* ... "The Crypt Church wouldn't dare. This is my reserved gift," Miss Daina declared with utter confidence. "Unless the Crypt Church truly dares to break ties with our Church of Order." It was true that she was here through connections, but her connection was that personage. Because of that, she did not believe the Crypt Church would dare disrespect him. Karen continued laying the groundwork. "They might not challenge you openly, but they might opt for a compromise." "A compromise? Such as?" "Such as finding an excuse, establishing a threshold to wash their hands of responsibility, and turning the bone dragon into an open prize for everyone here to compete over. As you can see, the delegations from the other churches are largely their finest elites—talents earmarked for high grooming." Miss Daina pondered this for a moment, then said, "If it really comes down to that, Karen." "Yes?" "You must do your best to win it." Karen wore a feigned expression of difficulty. "Compete with you? Forgive me, I could never do such a thing." "It wouldn't be competing with me! If that bone dragon fell into the hands of another church, that would be a true disgrace—a disgrace to our Church of Order! So, if that situation arises, you must fight for it." Karen hesitated briefly, then nodded with a solemn expression. "You are right, Miss. I understand."