Karen felt that this dragon family drama had far too many plot elements. So many, in fact, that if it were made into a film, it would drag on interminably; the relentless succession of sensational hooks would leave the audience aesthetically fatigued, and by the time the credits rolled, the theater would likely be filled with snoring.
After a brief silence, Madame Anser took another puff of her smoke, propped her chin on her palm, and gazed at Karen, letting out a drawn-out, seductive murmur:
"Mmm..."
Whether Augie had been delayed by something or had grown anxious standing outside unable to hear the conversation within Karen's barrier, she pushed open the door and wandered in like a lost goose.
And the moment that lost goose walked through the door, she heard her mother making the mating call of the dragons at Karen.
Moreover, a secretion had already permeated the air, its scent carrying an exceedingly potent aphrodisiac effect.
Her mother had merely masked it through special means, leaving it odorless and invisible, yet very much present.
Augie knew all too well how terrifying the influence of such a scent could be. After all, even a minuscule secretion scaled to a dragon's colossal frame resulted in an appalling dosage.
Yet Augie found Karen, sitting across from her mother, looking as calm as ever.
For a moment, Augie was torn between exasperation and amusement. No matter the situation, this young man always maintained an effortless composure, subtly diminishing whoever was sitting opposite him.
In reality, Karen hadn't noticed at all—because it had never crossed his mind that the dragoness before him would dare to "poison" him!
The aphrodisiac scent Madame Anser emitted had entered Karen's body, only to be promptly purified by his constitution as faint contamination.
All it produced in Karen was a mild itching on his skin, which he subconsciously chalked up to taking a puff of that special Church of the Crypt medicinal smoke moments ago.
"Tell me, Minister Karen... to have a dragon submit beneath you, to savor the supreme thrill of standing above everything—do you truly have no desire to experience it?"
"I'm quite curious, Madame. Is there really any need to go this far?" Karen leaned back slightly, a leisurely smile gracing his face.
In matters of this nature, any normal person had desires, physical or mental. Karen rather enjoyed playing the game of "picking stockings" with Eunice, but Eunice was his fiancée.
The last time he had come anywhere close to wavering or slipping up had been on Dark Moon Island with Ophelia. When the island's royal princess had rested her head on his shoulder, Karen had felt an impulse to wrap his arms around her.
Yet he had held back even then. Why would he falter now?
Furthermore, in his constant struggle against the hunger addiction, Karen's self-control had steadily hardened across the board. In fact, whatever fierce craving struck him, recalling the sensation of striking his own soul with the Scythe of War was enough to sober him up in an instant.
"I am willing. It only depends on whether you are willing, Minister Karen."
Madame Anser leaned forward slightly. Naturally tall and voluptuous, the generous expanse of fair skin at her bosom looked like the most enticing resting place in the world for any male creature.
"Or perhaps... have my daughter join me?"
Madame Anser offered an even more seductive proposition.
But hearing those words, Karen felt a wave of nausea rise in his gut.
Not everyone who attained power and status sought mindless indulgence like a breeding stallion; that, precisely, was often the dividing line between beast and man.
A flicker of bewilderment crossed Madame Anser's eyes. She had deployed every charm and trick at her disposal, yet this young man genuinely showed no reaction whatsoever.
Was he even a man?
No, under the influence of the scent she had released, even a woman should have been dazed with lust by now.
Karen spoke up. "I don't believe I warrant such extremes from you. So I'd like to ask: why?"
Madame Anser reined in the scent, leaned back, and regained her dignified posture. "Because he holds you in very high esteem, and I trust his judgment."
"You mean that skeleton, Madame?"
"A skeleton? Yes, though I know that isn't his true self."
"Just because he admires me?"
Karen knew that the skeleton didn't merely look down and appreciate him from above; rather, it looked up with something akin to worship—though with a qualification: worship for his future self.
"Yes. I have known him for a very long time. He is a mysterious being endowed with supreme wisdom. The last person he held in such esteem—the person he instructed my husband to fawn over, even to the point of giving away our newborn daughter as his subordinate—is now the High Priest of the Church of Order.
"And so, I believe that if something were to happen between you and me, or between you and my daughter, it would be of immense help to our future."
"Isn't that a bit too casual? I don't mean your actions, Madame, but rather that in matters like this, one can simply refuse to honor the debt."
"He wouldn't admire someone like that. A person entirely devoid of responsibility, who only knows how to scheme and will sacrifice anything to climb—he has no respect for such people. Take my husband, for example. I realized long ago that while he helped my husband, he never truly thought much of him."
"Is there anything else regarding that skeleton?"
"That is all. He never conceals his false identities, yet that is his best disguise. If Order can track him down and capture him, I would be more than happy to see it."
"I will report the matter of that skeleton to my superiors."
"I can cooperate with you to amend my statement, though I would think that his appreciation of you would be a feather in your cap."
"Hardly. The Church of Order has no shortage of outstanding young talents. Being appreciated by a figure like him only makes me worry that the upper echelons might question my allegiance."
"Heh, it seems you have no need for such credentials."
"Indeed."
"Is your interrogation finished?"
"For now. But once my people arrive, there will be formal procedures to follow. Order will determine how to deal with this matter and the dragon lineage. All you need to do is cooperate unconditionally."
"I understand. But I also hope you will convey my request to the higher-ups."
"I will."
Madame Anser rose to her feet. Turning around, she saw her daughter standing behind her and smiled faintly. As she brushed past, she slapped her daughter's backside.
Smack!
The sharp crack set the office windowpanes vibrating.
"My daughter, a perfect mature form. You are destined to be stronger than both your father and me. All you lack now is time."
Augie ignored her mother.
"I thought you would take after me in personality, but it seems growing up in Order has made you rather introverted?"
Sitting in his chair, Karen shook his head slightly. It was only because Augie was in turmoil right now; in truth, Lady Augie's personality was remarkably similar to her mother's.
Just as her mother had said, she merely lacked time—much like fine Wien bean paste, which required years of aging to mature.
Damn it... why was he starting to use Wien metaphors in his own thoughts now?
"I'll step outside. Have a chat with Minister Karen. Who knows, perhaps he doesn't fancy older women like me, but prefers someone young and full of vitality like you?"
"Mother, please show some self-respect."
Smack!
The earlier slap had landed on her daughter's backside, carrying an underlying maternal affection, but this slap struck Augie squarely across the face.
"You have no right to speak to me like that! Do you have any idea how much your father forced me to sacrifice so he could climb to that position?"
Augie averted her gaze.
"Now that you're grown, you think you can use human etiquette and morality to lecture your mother? Don't assume only we dragons are wanton by nature. Those puny humans—they are the true source of all evil!"
At this point, Madame Anser turned to Karen and offered an apologetic look. "Not referring to you, Lord Karen. My apologies."
Karen didn't react.
"I'll take my leave. See you later, my dear daughter."
After Madame Anser left, Augie pointed at the chair her mother had just occupied and asked, "May I sit?"
"Of course. You are a tainted witness, after all."
Augie sat down and waved her hand.
Her gesture caught Karen's attention. He immediately raised his hand, conjuring a flame of Order that rose into the air, fluttering and shifting colors as if burning something invisible.
"What is that?"
"An aphrodisiac."
Karen was relieved. "Oh, your mother truly is playful."
"A dose like that would send an adult dragon into heat. Why didn't you feel a thing?"
"Because I carry a sacred artifact of purification on me."
Yes, I am a purifier myself.
"I just went to see Miss Daina. Her life is indeed no longer in danger. I wanted to ask approximately when I'll be able to take her back."
"I don't know; that's not for me to decide. But in all likelihood, you won't be leaving anytime soon."
"Why?"
"Because if your mother messes up her act, you will likely have to take her place."
"Me? Is that even possible?"
"Nothing is impossible. I haven't received instructions from above yet. In an extreme scenario, if our leadership decides to blow this incident wide open and initiate a full purge—such as actually deploying the knight orders here—then after the dragon lineage is purged, seeing a kin who grew up in Order might genuinely move them to tears, and they would immediately set you on a pedestal."
"I see." Augie stood up. "I've told myself countless times that I'm just a pet, a slave. But for some reason, it still feels uncomfortable at times."
Before Karen could reply, Augie continued:
"Perhaps you're right. It's just like how water tastes better with ice."
Karen frowned slightly. She was merely repeating the words he had said earlier, yet now he found himself somewhat unable to fathom them.
Augie left the office.
Twirling a fountain pen between his fingers, Karen felt rather relaxed. He was waiting for his people to arrive on one hand, and waiting for orders from above on the other. All he needed to do in between was manage the operation while seeing what benefits he could skim for himself.
The Dark Moon warriors from Dark Moon Island would be arriving soon. Bringing them fully under heel and forging them into shape would require an astronomical sum of resources.
Alfred had gathered records on the High Priest's background before, hadn't he? Could they investigate how the High Priest had accumulated his power and built his foundation back then? If there was a blueprint to copy, things would be far simpler.
Besides... hadn't that skeleton said he would give me the bone dragon?
Where on earth was the bone dragon now?
You said you worshiped me, so you wouldn't go back on your word, would you?
...
"Does what happened this time have anything to do with you?"
Inside a cave gleaming with an eerie red hue, Commander Daan stared at a red orb of light before him and asked.
Soon, a woman stepped out from within the orb. Her back sprouted countless tentacles resembling extended mucous membranes.
"I haven't stepped outside in all these years. Do you think it could have anything to do with me?"
"I haven't even told you what happened yet."
"Because I had no intention of hiding anything from you. Someone came looking for me not long ago. He wanted me to step forward when the time comes to plead for leniency on behalf of the Church of the Crypt."
"Who was he?"
"A skeleton. A very intriguing skeleton. He seemed to know some of my past, and not only that—he is also intimately familiar with you, with Foden, with... even with the High Priest."
"Then this matter has nothing to do with you. Fine, I'm leaving."
"Daan, we haven't seen each other in so many years. We've barely exchanged a few words, and you're already leaving? Besides, I took the initiative to set the stage because I wanted to keep talking with you. You may look dull and taciturn, but I know that back then, among our group, your mind was the most meticulous of all."
"You should know that our years apart were not because I was too busy to see you, but because I had no desire to see you. Furthermore, as an apostate of Order, being permitted to remain alive in this manner is already the High Priest's greatest leniency toward you for old times' sake."
"Hehehe... Daan, you've followed the High Priest for so long. Oh, right—you even personally killed companions who attempted to distance themselves from him. So you, of all people, should know what kind of man the High Priest we once followed together truly is.
"He is benevolent, wise, brilliant, and towering, yet he simultaneously embodies the exact opposite of every one of those virtues.
"Anyone who dares distance themselves from him is terminated and purged in the name of our original oaths.
"Aren't you even curious why I, as a traitor, was still granted the chance to live?"
"I am not curious. I believe all the High Priest's decisions have their reasons."
"Perhaps that is why you have been able to accompany him all the way to this day. Many, like you, Daan, place absolute trust in him—it wouldn't even be an exaggeration to say you revere him as a god. And many, like Foden, have harbored immense dread toward the High Priest from the very beginning.
"However...
"I can tell you now the reason I am still alive: because I am not an apostate. I am innocent!"
"Molindi, what meaning is there in saying all this now?"
"Before, I couldn't understand it. Recently, I figured it out."
"Does it have to do with that skeleton?"
"Yes, exactly. He was willing to lend his wisdom to resolve a doubt for me."
"And you? What did you pay in return?"
"What did I pay?"
The red hue receded completely, fully unveiling the depths of the cavern.
Connected behind Molindi's body was a colossal heart, and beneath that heart lay the massive skeleton of a dragon.
Daan pursed his lips and said, "That bone dragon... was nurtured by you?"
"He prepared everything. He is an exceptionally powerful necromancer—though he may be far more than just a necromancer. I merely lent a hand, nurturing a little creature. It was just good fortune that it didn't fail."
"Heh."
"Let us return to our previous topic."
"Did he tell you to say all this to me as well?"
"No, not at all. It's something I've been pondering all along, and once I sorted out my thoughts, I wanted to share them with you. Daan, are you a believer of Order?"
"Does that even need to be questioned?"
"Do you believe in the great God of Order?"
"He is the supreme being."
"Yes, exactly. On that point, you and I are the same. The reason we chose to follow the High Priest back then was that we believed the Church of Order could only become stronger and greater under his leadership."
"Molindi, what on earth are you trying to say?"
"What I want to say is: if one day, the High Priest we... no, the High Priest *you* follow, stands in opposition to the God of Order we revere, what choice will you make?"
"Are you telling a joke? The High Priest of the Church of Order standing in opposition to the God of Order? That is the most ludicrous joke in the world!"
"Daan, have you forgotten the last Mad Pope of the Church of Light?"
Daan suddenly fell silent.
"A Pope of the Church of Light could cry out that he did not believe the God of Light truly existed in this world. Why is it impossible for our Church of Order to produce a High Priest who blasphemes the God of Order?"
"You should know the High Priest's true identity."
"Mm, of course. The great Lord Tyrannus—author of the *Light of Order*, compiler of the *Code of Order*, the actual founder of the Church of Order.
"Heheh, Daan, we have both encountered Holy Children. Do you think our High Priest is the same as those Holy Children?"
"The High Priest is the High Priest; he cannot be compared to those Holy Children. In my eyes, the High Priest is the inheritor of Lord Tyrannus's will."
"Yet I discovered that from a very early time, our High Priest has been constantly suppressing the will belonging to Lord Tyrannus within his own body.
"The gods will soon return. The broken age of deities is on the verge of revival. When that time comes, the orthodox churches, the large churches, medium churches, small churches—their main gods and branch gods will descend one after another.
"The rules of Order will suffer a catastrophic shock. When that happens, as a knight commander, what will you do?"
Daan smiled. "I will lead my knight order, under the guidance of the God of Order, to continue fighting for Order. Even if the gods return, the rules of Order shall never be desecrated!"
At the end of the last era, the God of Order had already reigned supreme, and today, the Church of Order was the paramount faith. Even if the gods returned, what could they change?
"But... can the God of Order return?"
"If other gods will return, why wouldn't our God of Order return?"
"Hehehe... But what our High Priest wants to do is prevent the God of Order's return!
"Picture that scene in your mind: all the other churches welcome down their principal gods and branch gods, while our Church of Order—because of his obstruction—has no god capable of descending.
"You must know that nearly every faith's mythological accounts record how our great God of Order dominated the divine realm at the end of the last era, and how many deities fell for violating the rules of Order.
"And you must know even better how, over the thousand years since the Church of Light perished, our Church of Order forced the entire ecclesiastical world to relinquish the secular realm, and how we suppressed the resistance and fury of every church across the board!
"Hatred has been festering all this time. The seeds of vengeance sprouted and took root in their hearts long ago!
"If we continue down the path envisioned by the High Priest,
the only end awaiting our church
is ruin!"
Chapter 624