Pig Swill

"I actually have plenty of virtues. I'm really quite curious why you never bother to learn any of the good things about me." "Then, since you know full well that you have shortcomings, why don't you correct them?" "Because I rely entirely on those shortcomings to make me happy." "Happiness is contagious." "Heh, looks like you got plenty of rest. I've noticed your tongue only gets this sharp when your mind and body are in top condition. Personally, I still prefer how you look when you're gravely injured—that stubbornness where you're clearly frail as a twig, yet insist on maintaining your proper composure." "Are you talking about yourself? Every time you were lying in the church hospital and drank some water, you deliberately waited until I left before calling the nurse in to change your sheets." "How did you know that?" "Whenever I went to visit you, I passed by the nurses' station, and the nurses there were always more than eager to share your condition with me—in exquisite detail, in fact." "Sounds like they must have taken me for an elder you deeply revere and care about." "Then you'd better pay extra attention to your safety." "Hmm?" "Among the elders I revere, there aren't many left who can still stand on their own two feet to talk." Neo: "..." "I'll be troubling you with the work ahead, then." "You're being far too polite." "Indeed. I was only being polite for the sake of it." "Leave the specific investigative legwork to your manservant. As for the extortion and blackmail, I'll take charge of that personally." "I have complete faith in your professional expertise." "Still, you have to handle two things—well, just one, really. After all, relaying instructions once they come down from above hardly counts as work." "I'll keep Commander Daan properly managed. I'm heading over to report to him in a moment." "Right, yes. As long as you manage him, we're golden. He's the one who gets the latest indications of intent from the top, and intent means revenue. Ah, this truly is a delightful assignment. In the past, something like this was simply unimaginable. Perhaps this is the true meaning of hard work?" "It's merely a means to an end." "Ah, right, I forgot you have grander ambitions. But sometimes, a man shouldn't make life so exhausting for himself. You should learn more from me—that's how you live a relaxed life." "If you'd like, we can first have a discussion about which of us actually lives a more relaxed life." "All right, shut up." Just then, a black crow flew through the sky and alighted upon Karen's shoulder. Karen caught it and unfurled it. "Commander Daan wants to see me." Neo remarked, "By all rights, he ought to stay put in one spot and wait for you to take the initiative to report in. Now that he's reaching out to you on his own, it means he probably has another task for you to handle." "Most likely." Karen smiled faintly. "Before assigning me another errand, he'll probably give me word about the formal establishment of the task force." "Heh, most likely. The official dispatch won't arrive that quickly, but once he reports it up and the higher-ups nod, it's essentially set in stone. The rest is just paperwork." "Alright then. I'll go see Commander Daan first. Keep yourself busy." "Don't worry about it. Leaving this place in Alfred's hands for now is more than enough. I need to head over to the embassy first to meet our resident diplomatic priest stationed here. Lainos, was it?" "I've met him." "What sort of person is he?" "He probably doesn't like taking bribes." "Oh?" "But he won't refuse a bribe either. He'll give you that face." "That's fine, then. I was genuinely worried I'd run into someone strictly impartial. With his help, my extortion will be far more efficient. I'm planning to give him some equity for technical consultation." "Suit yourself. What we're splitting is the profit anyway." "Then how about giving me a lift first? Taking a carriage is a bit slow and delays the investigation. You know how it is—time is point coupons." Karen glanced at Lady Augie, who showed no reaction. Immediately after, Karen reached out and grabbed Lady Augie's arm. Seeing this, Neo reached out and caught hold of the other side. "To the embassy first," Karen instructed Lady Augie, then turned to Neo. "Mind the cold." "Huh?" *Whoosh!* They took off. *** "Oh, my dear Minister Neo! It is a true honor to meet you. I imagine you must be here regarding the task force's investigation. Please rest assured, our embassy will offer every ounce of assistance to the Whip of Order's work. "What would you care to drink? I'll have my secretary prepare it. Red wine or coffee?" "Um... do you happen to have any scalding-hot boiled water?" *** "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" "Yes. I intensified the frost on his side. I thought he wouldn't be able to endure it, but to my surprise, he was remarkably resistant to the cold, so I added a puff of my dragon breath." "Why do that?" "I figured if I played a prank on him, you would be quite pleased." "Are you trying to flatter me?" "You could say that." "Fine. Don't do it again." "Are you pleased, or not pleased?" "Honestly, not quite as pleased as you imagined." "Do you need me to accompany you down there?" "No need. You can go look for your mother now. I think the two of you are overdue for a talk." "Talking to her won't yield any results." "A conversation doesn't have to yield a result. More often than not, it's just so there are no lingering regrets." Karen walked down the slope. Augie had not flown him back to the hospital—the task force's temporary headquarters—but had brought him to a riverbank instead, as that thunder-horned rhinoceros was grazing below. Commander Daan sat by the water's edge, gazing at the black river unique to the underworld as it flowed before him. Karen descended the slope. "Commander." With his back still turned to Karen, Daan nodded and said, "I've already spoken to the higher-ups. Since you happen to be here, you will assemble the task force to carry out the investigation into this incident." "Thank you for the opportunity, Commander." "Spare me the pleasantries. Show it through practical action." "Understood. Please give your orders." "Ten days from now, take some time to kill someone for me." Daan tossed a scroll toward Karen, which Karen caught smoothly. "The scroll contains the location coordinates as well as a diagram showing how the sealing array there functions. There is an undead creature imprisoned inside. Go kill her for me." "Yes, my Lord. I will see the mission through." Daan was slightly surprised. He turned sideways to look at Karen and asked, "You agreed that quickly? Aren't you going to ask how powerful she is, or whether you and your people even possess the ability to kill her?" "We in the Whip of Order consider obedience to orders our absolute duty." "I don't like listening to slogans, largely because most of the time, I'm the one who has to shout those useless slogans." "This array is formidable and meticulous, bound directly to the prisoner's soul. I can easily activate the array first to wear her down. Once she's thoroughly exhausted, I can step in and finish her off." "You've already read through the scroll? That quickly?" "Did you forget what I told you, Commander? I am an array formation master." "I know array formation masters generally have stronger soul power than average, but not to such an exaggerated degree. The array information recorded in that scroll is quite dense." "Please rest assured of my capabilities." "I like this confidence of yours. Heh, I hope no accidents happen when you go to kill her." "None will. I will be careful." "Furthermore, there is one more thing to keep in mind: regardless of the final outcome, this is a private matter." "Yes, I understand. This is my private affair." "Heh, I didn't expect our communication to go so smoothly. Are you already accustomed to doing this sort of thing?" "Not at all. It's simply that I believe 'a private matter' is merely a phrasing used when something is inconvenient to make public. I believe whatever you command me to do must have its intrinsic significance; it is just inconvenient for me to know it." Daan rose to his feet, lightly brushing off the blades of grass clinging to his armor. "I won't let your efforts go unrewarded." Pausing for a beat, Daan added, "The weakening of the Dragon lineage and the suppression of the Sage lineage have already become a consensus." Karen understood. This was his compensation. This knight commander, who appeared so upright and unyielding, was actually very savvy. By telling Karen this, Daan was effectively outlining the boundary for skimming profits. Underneath that line, they could rake in as much as they possibly could. After all, Karen and Neo's task force operated at the middle tier. Without knowing the leadership's true intentions, squeezing too aggressively could easily provoke a severe backlash—the powerful factions and grand families of the Church of the Crypt might complain to the Church of Order, or even ignite more violent clashes. If that happened, it would count as a misstep, and a disciplinary offense of the highest order. Yet squeezing too lightly meant leaving vast amounts of wealth on the table. Indeed, in Neo's school of economics, earning less wasn't merely smaller profits—it was a straight loss. With this clear boundary, risk was minimized while profits could be maximized. It was just like back when Karen was on security duty: he had reported the amount of tea money offered to Bishop Bern and volunteered to turn it over, only for Bishop Bern to wave it off. It was an unspoken rule. Commander Daan clearly understood as well that even if another task force were brought in, the payoffs and kickbacks wouldn't be any less. It was tradition... and even more, custom. In the terms of secular nations, the Church of Order was the imperial sovereign, while the Church of the Crypt was a colony... If a colony wasn't pillaged, fleeced, and milked dry, how could it even be called a colony? Daan opened his palms and laughed softly. "I suppose I ought to find a few more topics to chat about, but I'm not in the mood for the moment." "I can tell that your spirits are low, Commander. The personnel transferred from the York City Region's Whip of Order have already arrived, and the investigation is underway, so please put your mind at ease. Your subordinate shall take his leave." "If you aren't in a hurry, stay and sit with me for a bit." "Uh..." "What, unwilling?" "No, it is this subordinate's honor." And so, Karen sat down by the riverbank as well. The scenery here was hardly pleasant. There was no bright sunshine, nor any gentle spring or autumn breeze; even the water was black, and the surrounding grass had a dull, grayish cast. Commander Daan sat there in utter silence. Karen could guess that he seemed to be engaged in a sort of remembrance and mourning. It likely had to do with the person he had ordered Karen to execute, and through that person, had stirred up memories of bygone days. As for Karen himself, he truly was just sitting there to help set the atmosphere, allowing the man to recapture the feeling of sitting by a riverbank with his former companions. This sit lasted for several hours. Finally, Commander Daan raised a hand. "Go attend to your business." "Yes, Commander." Karen rose, gave a salute, and departed. Lady Augie had gone to see her mother, which meant Karen had to make his own way back to the hospital. He had not traveled far in the form of black mist before a dark shadow caught up behind him. Karen halted, and Philomena's figure emerged from the shadow. Yet her movements were distinctly stiff and unnatural—this was a substitute puppet created using a scroll, crude and low-grade, with utility similar to an upgraded black crow. Its sole advantage was that it allowed for brief verbal communication. "What is it?" Karen asked. "My assignment is complete. I originally intended to report to Minister Neo, but I cannot sense his location, and the black crows cannot track him either, so I could only come looking for you." "Oh, he should be at the embassy right now. There are boundary arrays isolating the place, so it's normal that the black crows can't sense him." Still, if they hadn't sensed him after all this time, it only proved that Neo and Ambassador Lainos were having a splendid chat. In all likelihood, the two of them were currently drafting their extortion plans. "Shall I report to you?" "Mm, go ahead." "There is only one restaurant in this main city that specializes in Wien cuisine. It's a tiny, obscure shop called Old Ville's Wien Cuisine. That is the result of my mission report." "And what was your mission?" "Minister Neo ordered me to locate the most delicious Wien restaurant in the main city and keep it under surveillance. I am currently keeping watch outside the restaurant in person." "Oh, alright." "Are you coming? It's dinner time, and Old Ville, the shopkeeper and cook, is already preparing the evening meal." *He wants me to go eat Wien food right now?* Karen desperately wanted to decline, but after hesitating for a moment, he nodded. "Alright, I'll head over right away." He had sensed Philomena's resentment. Her resentment was directed at Neo. In this world, ever since her grandmother passed away, Karen was the only person whose orders she obeyed willingly. When Neo gave her an order, she would choose to comply out of respect for Karen; she still possessed that much sense of the collective. But this order from Neo was frankly somewhat... insulting. Everyone else had been assigned concrete investigative duties, yet Philomena alone had been sent off to find a restaurant. Then, considering the rallying speech Neo had given after announcing the assignments—though it was full of calls to "slaughter and kill," the real intent was to demand that everyone adopt an uncompromisingly tough stance. Perhaps Neo was worried Philomena would take that toughness too far, lose control of herself, and genuinely set out to massacre people left and right, which was why he had fobbed her off with this chore. She understood that, and understood more and more these days. The once thoroughly autistic girl had now grown sensitive and suspicious—or rather, internally high-strung—yet for her, this was already a massive step forward. Of course, another major reason was that Karen and Commander Daan had already concluded their "agreement." Helping him kill that person was predicated on the investigation being well underway and having spare manpower to draw upon, and the commander had given him plenty of time. If he returned to the hospital now, his only option would be to go to sleep. Sometimes, to keep from slacking off too thoroughly too early, one had to take the initiative to find something to do—such as biting the bullet and stomaching a meal of Wien cuisine. *** Karen arrived outside Old Ville's restaurant. It was a modest storefront with only a single entrance, though the space inside was quite long and narrow, furnished with long counters mounted along the walls. On the street outside, Philomena stepped out from the shadows where she had been watching and walked up to Karen. Karen frowned slightly. Philomena wore a look of confusion. When it came to Neo and Karen, her double standard was glaringly obvious. Neo's orders made her wonder if the man was out of his mind. Karen's displeasure, however, made her subconsciously scrutinize herself to see what she had done wrong. "When conducting surveillance, hiding in the shadows isn't a clever method. If your target is powerful and sharp enough, doing that only makes it easier for them to notice you. This is a public street. You could easily dress as an ordinary passerby and observe through the most rudimentary means—the results would actually be far better. In short, choose the most suitable method based on the surrounding environment." "Yes, I understand." "Do you have a ring on you?" "I do." At Karen's request, Mr. Lemar had already taken up a nominal post as a member of the Whip of Order's Operations Battalion. The man who once despised the Church of Order above all else was now drawing a stipend from Order himself. As soon as he took the post, he had offered up his stock of crafted goods. Now, nearly every member of Karen's squad carried a temporary ring capable of altering their appearance and aura. In return, Alfred had arranged an auxiliary squad member status for Lemar's sister, Serena. Karen touched the silver ring on his finger. His build, voice, and appearance shifted, transforming him into an unfamiliar, ordinary middle-aged man, while Philomena took on the image of an aloof, mature beauty. "Who chose that for you?" Karen asked. "Richard." "Good choice." "Really?" "It suits your temperament." The two stepped into the restaurant. Old Ville called out with hearty enthusiasm, "Hey there, folks! What can I get you? Tonight's special menu is right over here—set meals only!" Karen pointed randomly at one. "Two orders." "Right away! Just a moment, folks!" Karen and Philomena sat down at a spot near the back. As Philomena poured water for Karen, she asked, "I'd like to know: what is the point of keeping this place under surveillance?" The truth could not be spoken aloud, so Karen had no choice but to invent an explanation on the spot to salvage Neo's reputation. "The dossiers and documents I sent back—did you read them?" "Before coming, Mr. Alfred required every one of us to read them three times." "Right. That skeleton investigated me in Wien. I imagine that anyone who stays in Wien for long finds it hard to escape the dominion of Wien bean paste. Besides, even though I dislike Wien bean paste myself, in the eyes of others, I come with a bean paste vat permanently stamped on my forehead. "So, the skeleton's plan has succeeded, and he is a man of immense confidence—bordering on narcissism, in fact. Now that you've arrived and the investigation and manhunt are underway, if I were him, I would choose a place overflowing with authentic Wien flavor. "Cursing Wien food as pig swill while shoveling that very pig swill into his mouth, savoring that feeling of supreme self-satisfaction. "It's just like a murderer reading the newspaper reports about his victim while holding the silk stockings taken from her body to his nose to take a whiff—he wants to stretch out that lingering aftertaste for as long as possible." "Silk stockings?" "A type of sock." Philomena's expression cleared in sudden realization. "So that's how it is. I understand now. I had no idea Minister Neo's foresight reached so deep." *Phew... covered for him.* "There are many things worth learning from him. Pay closer attention yourself." "Yes, Minister." Karen picked up his water glass, preparing to take a sip to wash down his own nonsense. Just then, the door swung open, and a young man wearing a trench coat and a gray hat strode in. Resting his hands on his hips, he bellowed: "Ha! My dear Old Ville, I've come once again to taste that pig swill of yours!"