Ambush

The line of reasoning from his direct superior took Karen somewhat by surprise. Sus, however, remained absorbed in his grand vision and continued, "Look, do you think we could turn our branch into an 'Exchange Student Cultivation Base for Foreign Churches'?" "Your idea..." "Quite a few churches have that need right now. You're the only one who can make this happen because of your special background. Truth be told, the only reason they're willing to send people here is because of how unique you are. If you can bring in another batch, we can skim another cut. As long as we launder those vouchers into stipends and don't commit any fundamental blunders, higher-ups won't penalize us even if they investigate. This is practically earning vouchers lying down!" "But, sir, if we do that, our reputation..." Luring them in and fleecing them was indeed satisfying. Not only could they pocket the initial "connection fee," but the subsequent "living allowances" would provide a steady, long-term stream of income. If they dared withhold payment, their people could simply be assigned to the most hazardous, high-casualty missions to undergo "tempering by blood and fire." It was essentially holding hostages and threatening to execute them if vouchers weren't paid—a sustainable method of draining the pond to catch all the fish. However, their reputation would be completely ruined. "Ah, that has nothing to do with me. I'm only going to be here for a few years anyway. With your abilities, the merits I share over these years will be more than enough to get me promoted to the Dinge Region." "So..." "It's all about bargaining." Sus rubbed his small hands together. "You take the bad reputation, and we split the profits. Then you take a look around headquarters to see what gray areas catch your eye that I can hand over." "This..." "Anyway, I'm just here for a few years to rack up merits and leave. I told you right from our first meeting that I wouldn't stand against you. As for after I'm gone, when the next successor arrives and finds all the power at headquarters has been seized by you, that won't have anything to do with me either. It's not like I can arrange for my son to inherit my seat, hehe." Many people suffered from a common misconception: that power flowed from the top down, and that once an official appointment arrived from above, the newly installed leader would immediately grasp control over the department. In reality, power almost always flowed from the bottom up. Even if someone were the nominal supreme leader, subordinates could easily ensure that official decrees never made it past the office doors. Power was a dynamic concept; at its core, it remained a struggle between people. Even after a High Priest took office, a series of factional struggles was required to truly seize control of the church. Otherwise, they would end up just like Rasma—a noble mascot. Still, Sus's stance caught Karen off guard. The man was conceding far too much and far too decisively, giving off the impression of someone scrambling to escape a bursting cesspool. "To tell you the truth, I've noticed a few telltale signs." Sus let out a sigh. "Do you know what a white glove is?" Karen nodded. His own household had a very noble pair of white paws. Sus licked his lips. "I've realized that because of your past notoriety, your age, and your current post—due to all sorts of reasons, really—you know deep down that it's virtually impossible for you to ever get promoted again in this lifetime. You wouldn't disagree with that, would you?" "No." "Add to that the matter with the Church of the Crypt, which you handled exceptionally well. And now with the Church of the Desert, the higher-ups gave me such a blatant hint... In short, everything is relative. The higher-ups aren't going to just watch you and Bern sit idly here; they'll find trouble for you. Tasks like dancing on the edge of a blade won't be in short supply down the road. Tricky, dirty, exhausting jobs where a single misstep pins the blame on you will only multiply." "Are you afraid, sir?" "Of course I am! I'd rather rake in more operating funds, restore the headquarters, make everything on the surface look pretty, and then let you do all the hard work while I rack up seniority and get out before you stumble. I really have no desire to fight anymore. After all, I still have a way out. There's no need for me to fight you for a seat in this whirlpool. It's pointless. That's my honest thought." "I understand, sir." "So, look into this 'exchange student' business more proactively. Now that we've separated from the Regional Administrative Office, the funding allocated from above isn't even enough to fill the cracks between our teeth. In short, headquarters... is short on funds." "Rest assured, sir. I will make the arrangements." "I trust your capability. In any case, you handle the work, and I'll handle kicking back, haha." ... A snowfall formally ushered in the winter of Wien. Karen reached out, catching a few snowflakes in his palm and watching them slowly melt. Ever since arriving in Wien, he had detested the weather here. You could say that for people living in this place, encountering a sunny day felt like running into their first love again. No wonder Wien's ancestors were all pirates in the early days. Rather than toughing it out here, sailing out to pillage was far more appealing. Well, the same held true today. The colonies of the Wien Empire combined were far, far larger than the main island. It had never changed its true nature; under the veneer of "modern civilization," it had merely learned to don a gentleman's coat. The VIP car pulled up ahead. Leon stepped out and opened the door, and Karen climbed inside. Philomena and the others were still lying in the hospital. Their injuries were no longer severe, but Karen insisted they strictly follow the recuperation regimen. They were all young and full of potential, and Karen was unwilling to overdraw them. However, this left him severely shorthanded. Vic had gone to take charge of the Light remnant division, leaving Alfred alone to juggle numerous affairs. Karen had phoned the hospital, hinting that that "bat" could return to work in a wheelchair and promising to request an Outstanding Worker medal from the Regional Chief at the end of the year. Yet that "bat" clearly lacked political awareness. Not only had he hurled curses over the phone, but he had subsequently applied to use up his annual leave, determined to rest to his heart's content. Karen knew full well that no matter how severely injured Neo was, as long as he hadn't died and had weathered the initial crisis, his recovery was extraordinarily rapid. For him, there was only "critical condition" transitioning directly to "fully recovered"; there was no such thing as a "minor injury" phase. To this, Karen could only sigh: A remnant of Light through and through, his heart truly does not belong to Order. "Head, everything is in place. They are expected to arrive at the rendezvous point in an hour." "Mm." Karen nodded. The delegation from the Church of the Desert had not arrived by ship, nor had they traveled directly to the Church Affairs Building via teleportation array. Instead, they had gone first to Sangpu City before transferring to Yorktown. This had been their own request, under the pretext of maintaining travel secrecy. In Karen's eyes, however, it looked like children playing games, thinking themselves clever. Still, since they insisted on putting on this show, his side had to alter the routine security plans. The VIP car parked beside the highway, not far from a service station to the rear. Both sides of the road were wide open, and with the heavy snow continuing to fall, it served as a natural ambush site. This had likely been part of their plan as well; they probably hoped to be ambushed to stoke Order's anger toward the Desert Church even further. The trouble was, based on the information Karen had obtained from Sus, Order was blatantly considering whether to vent their fury on them first. Thus, while he was their protector right now, a few days from now—midway through the conference or right after it concluded—he might very well turn into their executioner. This shift in role was rather amusing, and Karen even felt a flicker of anticipation. Soon, a motorcade appeared ahead, escorted by eight teams of the Whip of Order, presenting an imposing sight. Only when someone stepped out from the opposite side and walked toward them did Leon step down to open the door for Karen. Karen stepped into the snow in his boots, a smile on his face, waiting in place as he observed the approaching figures. According to intelligence, the delegation was led by three individuals. One was an elderly man named Elanga Boning, who had once held a high post in the Desert Church while quietly laboring his entire life to revive the Church of the Desert. The fact that the Church of the Desert's secession had reached such scale was inseparable from his efforts. To the Desert Church, Elanga was a seasoned turncoat, an enemy within. The second was a plump, middle-aged woman with a large mole near the corner of her mouth, named Miki Jacques. Her family had long worshipped the Desert God from the shadows and served as the leading clan among the underground revivalists, complementing Elanga from the dark while he operated in the light. Finally, there was a boy roughly Ventura's age named Luther, surname unknown. In the propaganda of the revivalists, he was hailed as the inheritor of the Desert God. However, the dossier Karen had received from above explicitly noted that he was a fake. Evidently, Order's relevant departments had investigated and confirmed the child's identity long ago; he was merely a propaganda figurehead used to rally support. Among the three, the plump woman named Miki had "Caution" marked in her file, signifying substantial personal strength. In verified records, she had successfully assassinated senior priests of the Desert Church on multiple occasions. Just how senior... Translated to Order's ranking, she had slain at least three Bishops. Her unrecorded kills were undoubtedly far more numerous. Although they were "assassinations," and the targets might not have specialized in combat, she was clearly not someone to be taken lightly. Elanga was the first to greet Karen. "Praise the Desert. You must be Head Karen. It is an honor to meet you here. Having you receive us in person fills us with trepidation." "Praise Order. It is my duty. You are friends of our Church of Order; no courtesy is too great." Elanga introduced his companions to Karen. "This is Madame Miki. Her family has remained steadfast in their oath to the Desert, never wavering." "Greetings, Head Karen." "Greetings." "And this is His Highness Luther, inheritor of our great Desert God." The boy looked at Karen and offered a reserved smile, clearly practiced. Karen returned an even more professional, reserved smile. Then, completely ignoring this "Holy Child," he gestured for them to board the vehicle. Miki chimed in, "Head Karen, His Highness is greeting you." "Oh, I didn't hear anything. I'm not deaf, so is His Highness a mute?" "Head Karen, do you realize what you're saying?" Karen frowned slightly. "Are you trying to gauge my church's stance toward this conference through my attitude? If so, I'm sorry to disappoint you; I have no dealings with the dignitaries overseeing the meeting. If not, are you deliberately trying to provoke an incident here? If that's the case, I can gladly oblige." Elanga stepped in immediately to smooth things over. "A misunderstanding, purely a minor misunderstanding. Come, Your Highness, Madame Miki, let us get in the car." The three entered the vehicle. Luther sat in the middle, flanked by Elanga and Miki on either side. Karen sat alone across from them. Due to the prior verbal clash, the atmosphere inside the carriage was rather stifling. Elanga attempted several times to lighten the mood and start a conversation, but Karen deliberately ignored the overtures, keeping his head lowered as he examined his fingernails. Karen wasn't giving them the cold shoulder out of spite. The real negotiations had already begun, and a firm stance here would lay the groundwork for the upcoming conference. He was merely following protocol. Halfway through the drive, Luther suddenly spoke up. "Head Karen, you are truly handsome." Karen paused briefly, offering no reply. Immediately after, Luther turned to look out the window. The motorcade was currently traveling along the coastal highway, which led straight to the Ankara Hotel. Just then, intense fluctuations of energy erupted from the sea. The sands on the beach began to churn, coalescing into a sand colossus that charged toward the highway. Yet without needing Karen's command, several teams of the Whip of Order emerged from the shadows on both sides to intercept the sand giant, while the motorcade itself pressed on. Elanga exclaimed, "Assassins sent by the Desert Church! Damn them, they truly cannot tolerate our existence!" Even on a theatrical stage, the old man's performance would have seemed slightly overacted. Karen said nothing, merely blowing lightly on his fingernails. At this point, it was anyone's guess who had really sent those assassins. After driving a bit farther, the motorcade reached an intersection. Leon activated the VIP car's concealing array. Another VIP vehicle slipped into the convoy to take its place, and while the original motorcade continued forward, Karen's vehicle turned down a side road where a security detachment had been waiting. The switch was complete. Luther chuckled. "Brilliant." As if worried Karen might misinterpret, he added, "Professional." Karen bent down, opened the vehicle's mini-fridge, pulled out a glass of iced soda, and said, "Help yourselves." With that, he drank on his own. Miki spoke up abruptly. "My disrespectful attitude toward the Church of Order earlier..." "Madame Miki, please be quiet!" Elanga snapped at the woman beside him. Still playing good cop, bad cop? Karen had caught the subtle nuances in her posture when she had boarded and sat down earlier. She projected a brash personality, yet her aristocratic mannerisms slipped through by instinct. Leon reported, "Head, the decoy convoy has come under attack." Karen nodded. "Order them not to break out. Hold defensive positions where they are, and dispatch reinforcements immediately." "Yes, Head." Elanga smiled. "Head Karen's arrangements are truly thorough." Karen remarked, "Had you chosen a safer way to arrive in Yorktown, we would have been even more thorough." "We had our own difficulties. Please understand." "I understand, but once you check into the Ankara Hotel, I will not permit you to breach my security protocols. My patience is limited, and I am responsible for the lives of my subordinates." "Yes, of course." No sooner had the words left his mouth than a cloud of sand and dust materialized in the sky ahead, swiftly swirling into a massive circle crackling with thunder. Moments later, a colossal arm draped in lightning slammed down toward the VIP car below. Leon engaged the vehicle's defenses instantly and hit the accelerator. *Hum!* *Boom!* The blow missed the VIP car and crashed behind it. The scattered lightning flipped two trailing security vehicles, but failed to damage the VIP car in the slightest. It was, after all, a high-end vehicle built by Neo at the cost of emptying his pockets, remarkably sturdy. "Notify the Regional Administrative Office, and signal the Guardians to handle this." "Yes, Head." Leon continued driving. For a considerable stretch afterward, no further attacks occurred. In the distance, the silhouette of the Ankara Hotel was already visible. By all accounts, they had fully entered safe territory, yet another ambush struck at that very moment. With a resounding boom, array fluctuations surged across the road, bringing the VIP car to a crawl. Simultaneously, barrier screens appeared before and behind them, cutting off the front and rear security vehicles and boxing the VIP car in the middle. It was an attack executed with pinpoint precision, completely isolating the protected targets from their escort. Karen, however, felt no surprise, as this was groundwork he had arranged himself. Indeed, he had orchestrated an assassination attempt so that when the true order came down, it would not feel abrupt for lack of buildup. From both flanks, a squad of attackers clad in Light robes and masks emerged, closing in rapidly on the VIP car. Karen drew the Sword of Diamans, pushed open the car door, and barked, "Defensive positions!" Miki gripped a blade and stepped out right behind him. Spotting the charging Light remnants, a sneer crossed her face as she said, "A bunch of trash." *Then why don't you charge in?* Karen scoffed inwardly. Going by the persona she projected, shouldn't she have rushed forward immediately to slaughter that trash? Why was she standing rooted to the spot, waiting for him to move? Miki had indeed been waiting for Karen to strike, but in the next second, she saw him drive the greatsword into the ground. With his hands freed, he began setting up a defensive array, even calling out an instruction to her: "Buy me some time to set up the array." Miki: "..." "Hurry!" Pressed by Karen's urge, Miki manifested a suit of sand armor around herself and charged forward. Yet the moment she lunged, one of the seemingly unremarkable Light remnants suddenly erupted with blinding radiance. Enveloped in the armor of a Radiant Knight, he slammed directly into the unprepared Miki, sending her flying. He even made a point of lingering for a second, giving Karen a clear look at his retreating figure. Who else could it be? Naturally, it was none other than the Head of Investigation, who, hard-pressed by the cost of living, had taken leave from Order to moonlight and earn extra cash under Light.