While Karen read through the interrogation transcript, Dake felt a bit uneasy. It wasn't that he thought his notes were messy or crude—ordinarily there was no one to compare them to, and without comparison, there was naturally no perceived gap.
Rather, Dake felt that what had come out of the interrogation was simply too absurd.
It was so preposterous that if Karen hadn't been waiting upstairs and he hadn't needed to hurry and show him the case's progress, he would have interrogated the aberrant demon a second or even a third time.
Karen looked up at Dake. Dake's back immediately stiffened, and he blurted out instinctively, "Minister Karen, I'll go re-interrogate her right away."
"No need," Karen said, shaking his head. "It's likely true."
"True?"
"Because if she wanted to weave a lie, she wouldn't make it this absurd. Only reality could produce a situation like this."
"That... what you say makes a lot of sense."
"However, there is an omission here."
"Please enlighten me."
"The criteria for the targets being harvested." Karen lightly tapped the transcript with his finger. "I believe that when she targeted vagrants, she had specific requirements. Not just any vagrant would have this opportunity."
Even if it was subcontracted, what was submitted still had to pass inspection. What could distinguished guests of a private salon have in common with vagrants on the night streets?
Actually, there was something—for instance, individuals who had once been qualified to enter the salon, only to end up broke and destitute on the streets.
"Understood. I'll go question her to fill in the blanks right now." Dake turned around immediately and headed back down to the basement.
Once again, he felt completely outmatched by the young man's sheer professionalism. The previous time had been during the day regarding his own request, when the young man had bluntly pointed out that many of the bad debts assigned to his name belonged to other people.
Reaching the door of the interrogation room, Dake took a deep breath and sighed inwardly: *Indeed, some positions really can't be attained through luck alone.*
In the living room, Karen handed the transcript to Richard and instructed, "Call the department and notify..."
Karen had originally intended to say Neo, but recalling that Neo had seemed somewhat unstable lately, he hesitated to call on him unless it was a matter of life and death.
As for Alfred, Karen was already consciously avoiding piling more tasks on him, as his existing responsibilities were already far too heavy.
"Notify Vic. Have him come over immediately."
The Light remnants' previous operation had been too intense; even though they were on the official payroll, they still had to go dark recently to lie low, leaving Vic with plenty of free time.
Richard got up to make the call. When he finished, he walked back while reading the transcript and asked, "Do you think there's something unusual about this?"
"Yeah. The more abnormal it is, the more reason there is to dig deep. I have a hunch this might be a big case."
With that, Karen looked over at Lucie standing nearby and said, "I'm sorry, but I'd like to requisition this place as my temporary office. Would that be all right with you?"
Lucie immediately smiled. "Of course, no problem at all. Thank you for your support."
In truth, Karen's last statement had been meant for her, and she had clearly understood it.
If this was a major case, her husband would undoubtedly have a chance to prove himself. Using their home as a temporary office meant that even as the Whip of Order's forces were being mobilized, Karen was still willing to keep her husband tied to the investigation. When the case was cracked and merits were distributed, her husband's share of the credit would be thoroughly secured.
Lucie couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion. In the past, whenever her husband managed with great difficulty to accomplish something, his peers and superiors would carve it up and rob him of the credit. What was worse, they used church workplace rules to do it, leaving him with nowhere to vent his frustration even if he was furious.
Now, however, it seemed Minister Karen was genuinely willing to look out for her husband.
*Phew, my husband can finally receive support without having to rely on the Guman family's backing.*
In fact, Lucie was mistaken. One way or another, her husband was ultimately still relying on her family.
Soon, Dake came back up with the missing details.
"Artists?"
"Yes, Minister Karen. Instrumentalists, singers, dancers, writers, and so on..."
The female aberrant demon's targets were bankrupt artists who had become vagrants. In that case, the targets of that private salon were likely current prominent artists and celebrities?
What kind of peculiar requirement was this?
Karen silently took a cigarette pack from his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and held it between his lips. Just as he was about to light it, he paused and glanced at Lucie.
Lucie quickly gestured. "Please, make yourself at home."
Then she placed a teacup in front of Karen to serve as an ashtray.
Karen remembered Dake was a heavy smoker who would fumigate the flower garden outside every time before entering his father-in-law's house, yet there wasn't a single ashtray at home.
Reluctantly, Karen put the cigarette back.
After pondering for a moment, however, Karen picked it up again. Disregarding what his aunt might think, he lit it.
He took a drag. These were the cigarettes Uncle Aisen had given him, and an intense kick hit him immediately, feeling as though someone had drilled a hole in his head and poured an entire bottle of medicated oil inside.
Karen lowered his head involuntarily; smoking it for the first time, he was truly not used to it.
Yet as he exhaled the smoke, his consciousness sank into a deliberate state of detachment, just as he had hoped. Replaying the details of the transcript in his mind now, a new hypothesis immediately formed.
After stubbing out the cigarette, Karen leaned back against the sofa. "Richard, head to the department right now and compile an analytical summary of all recent investigative reports concerning the Church of the Abyss."
"Yes, Minister." In official matters, Richard addressed him as Minister; in normal daily interactions, he still preferred to call him Karen.
Karen pulled his badge from his pocket and tossed it to Dake. "Inquisitor Dake, go to the Church Affairs Building now and pull all official records concerning the Church of the Abyss's Yorktown Liaison Office—personnel movements, material supplies, anything documented in the archives."
Dake caught Karen's badge and nodded at once. "Yes, Minister Karen."
His own clearance wasn't high enough, but Karen's was more than sufficient.
"Also, treat that aberrant demon well. She will have a chance to redeem herself through meritorious service."
Dake turned immediately to two of his subordinates and ordered, "See to it."
"Yes, Boss."
"Yes, Boss."
Richard returned to headquarters, Dake took two subordinates to the Church Affairs Building, and the remaining two servants went down to the basement.
In the living room, only Karen, Lucie, and Lucia were left.
Karen looked at Lucia and asked, "You can go get some rest. You have church school tomorrow, don't you?"
Lucia nodded, bid her mother goodnight, and retreated to her room.
Had Karen been a middle-aged minister, she might have forced herself to stay and keep them company—after all, with everyone else out, leaving her mother alone with him would have felt somewhat awkward. But Karen was very young, and youth erased much of the greasy discomfort.
In truth, Karen's remark had been slightly abrupt; subconsciously, he regarded Lucie and Dake as relatives, thereby overlooking the propriety of the situation.
"Shall I pour you some more water, Minister?"
"Are there ice cubes? I prefer ice water."
"My oversight. Mother did mention it to me, actually." Lucie soon brought over ice cubes and sat down on the sofa across from Karen.
Karen said, "It's plain to see that you lead a very happy life."
"Yes, very happy." Lucie rested her chin on her hand, looking at Karen. "Yet most people always start by asking why I married my husband."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes. From the moment we got together until Lucia grew this big, that question has never stopped."
"Must be annoying, isn't it?"
"No, not at all." Lucie shook her head. "I quite enjoy telling people how much I love my husband."
"Heh." Karen smiled and nodded.
"Isn't it the same for you, Minister Karen? If I recall correctly, your fiancée comes from a minor family's belief system?"
*A minor family's belief system, is it...*
*Good thing Purr herself isn't here to hear that.*
"Yes, that's right."
"You must have encountered similar questions quite often, Minister Karen."
"It's not so bad for me."
Lucie switched hands to prop up her chin and said, "True. In family dynamics or romantic choices nowadays, men seem more readily accepted when 'marrying down,' whereas women who do the same easily run into conflicts with established social preconceptions."
Karen set down his water glass and remarked, "I support equality between men and women."
"Still, objective reality is objective reality—at least for now, it doesn't change according to human will. That's why people find Minister Karen's fiancée quite normal, yet they tend to scrutinize Dake and me much more."
"That is indeed true."
"I feel that as long as I am content and happy, that's enough. I chose what I consider happiness and don't make excessive demands. Perhaps that's why Father and Mother have never really liked Dake.
"I actually had an older sister, but she passed away early. My sister was brilliant, once the pride of Father and Mother, so they had projected her shadow onto me.
"Yet I disappointed them.
"After getting married, my work, my formation research, and my personal cultivation level all ground almost to a halt. Father and Mother probably think it's Dake's fault.
"But I know it has nothing to do with him. Growing up, I lived somewhat in my sister's shadow. Of course, I don't resent her. When she died I was still young; Aisen was older than me and closer to her, but I remember she was very kind to me as well.
"I truly couldn't compare to her. When it comes to personal talent and ability, I simply couldn't do it. Jurist really is my limit. My innate talent is mediocre."
A Jurist claiming her talent was mediocre... seemed somewhat inappropriate.
Yet within the Guman family, that was indeed the case.
In terms of formation mastery, Delon could be called the foremost authority in the York City Region. Uncle Aisen had squandered many prime years due to his mental illness, yet after meeting Karen, his formation expertise had achieved breakthroughs in a short time.
Even Richard, while not particularly outstanding in the frontline squad and incomparable to someone like Philomena, belonged to the upper tier among ordinary believers and the pampered heir circles. One had to keep in mind that before meeting Karen, Richard had lived virtually free-range—with a mentally unstable father and an absent mother, he had lacked any motivation to cultivate.
Therefore, while bloodline determinism was wrong, completely ignoring objective realities was equally misguided.
Lucie sighed. "So, I don't demand too much of Dake either. I know he has always been diligent and hardworking, and that's enough."
Karen remarked, "Most inner troubles in this world stem from one's personal desires exceeding their actual abilities."
Hearing this, Lucie nodded slightly in contemplation.
Karen continued, "Especially in a marriage, once one party's desires outstrip their abilities, true happiness becomes hard to find."
"Hehehe, what you say makes a great deal of sense, Minister Karen." Lucie covered her mouth with a laugh. "Yet you aren't even married yet—how can you see through marriage so clearly?"
"I read it in an issue of a Church of Principles journal. You know them; they study everything."
"Yes, that's very true."
"I'll go check on that aberrant demon."
"Shall I show you the way?"
"No need. In fact, you should get some rest too. You have work tomorrow. Given my connection to the Guman family, you really don't need to be so courteous with me."
Lucie shook her head and answered, "But this isn't the Guman house. It's the Menet house."
Menet was Dake's surname.
Karen shrugged. "You deserve your happiness."
Heading down to the basement, the two servants stationed there opened the door to the interrogation room for Karen and tactfully stepped outside.
The conditions inside the interrogation room were quite good, with intricate formations arranged with great care—ordinary inquisitions certainly didn't enjoy such treatment, but that was what happened when an inquisitor had a Jurist wife who specialized in formations.
The female aberrant demon sat in the interrogation chair, wolfing down a sandwich dipped in Wien bean paste with desperate haste.
When Karen entered, she continued cramming food into her mouth while staring at him with wide eyes, looking like... a pathetic little lamb.
"Eat slowly. There's no rush."
The female aberrant demon immediately set down the unfinished sandwich and gulped down a large mouthful of water, forcing the food down her throat. She understood full well that "eat slowly" meant: *Stop eating, I have something to say to you!*
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Karen Silva..."
"It's you!"
"You know me?"
"It's hard not to know your name, but I didn't know what you looked like, because... church-published newspapers are too expensive for someone like me."
"Then let's keep it simple. I want to make a deal with you."
"How could I dare make a deal with your honorable self? Please give your orders, and I will carry them out unconditionally!"
"Tomorrow, resume your daily routine as usual. Understood?"
"Understood! You don't want to alert them because of me. But to be frank with you, for bottom-feeders like me, even if I disappeared for a day or two, they wouldn't get suspicious—I'm far too insignificant."
*It seems it really is subcontracted layer after layer,* Karen thought.
"Still, I don't want any slipups, no matter how small the probability."
"Yes, I understand, I will do it! Also, if you need me to act as your informant on handoff day to help you catch people, I have no problem with that either!"
She had voiced everything Karen intended to say before he could even speak.
"I will poison you."
"No problem! Poison me as you like! I believe my loyalty will earn me the antidote!"
"Heh."
"In my eyes, your name is like the sky above. Please don't doubt my present loyalty."
"This is an opportunity I am granting you to atone for your crimes through service. If things go smoothly, your contribution to Order will exempt you from your prior punishment."
"I'd like to..."
"You have conditions?"
"Yes... I want to become an external aberrant demon."
"You have no right to propose conditions."
"Yes, I was wrong! But I just wanted you to know, so that when you see my outstanding contributions and total loyalty, you might consider it."
"Resume your meal."
"All right, thank you! It's delicious. I love bean paste the most, really."
*You miscalculated this time. I hate Wien bean paste.*
Karen exited the interrogation room. As he walked upstairs, he stroked his chin. It turned out his name carried this much weight in the aberrant demon circle.
Entering the living room, Lucie stood by the telephone and said to Karen, "A call from the Church Affairs Building. It's the Head Bishop's office, asking for you."
"All right."
Karen took the receiver and held it to his ear. "Hello, this is Karen."
"Please hold, Minister Karen."
On the other end, an aide was likely passing the receiver to Bern.
"Karen? Something come up?"
"Not many leads yet."
"I say, can't you take a rest?"
"At this hour, why are you still working in your office?"
"Keep me posted at all times, in case it turns out to be something major."
"Rest assured, I will. I would never pass up an opportunity to let you take the fall for me."
Standing nearby, Lucie drew in a sharp breath. She knew the person on the other end was the Head Bishop.
Although her father was also a bishop now, the difference between bishops was vast, and as for the Head Bishop... his position was truly preeminent.
Hanging up the phone, Karen knew that Dake's use of his badge to retrieve archives had alerted Bern, who feared he was about to cause another major incident—especially one involving foreign affairs.
Just then, the phone rang again right after being put down, and Karen picked it up smoothly.
"Hello, this is Richard."
"It's Karen."
"Minister, I've already pulled the relevant investigative reports and am compiling the summary. Vic has already left and should arrive shortly."
"Good. By the way, Richard, I need you to do one more thing for me. That salon operates on a membership system, right?"
"Yes, members only. New members require recommendations from three existing members to qualify for admission."
"Help me get two membership cards. Remember, don't alert them, and the faster, the better."
"Well... Karen, earlier at my aunt and uncle's house, Auntie, Uncle, and my little cousin were all there, so I was too embarrassed to say..."
"What do you mean?"
"I already have a membership card for that salon. I registered under the name of a writer—called Richard."
"Heh... But I need two."
"Um, I have two."
"Hm?"
"After getting one under my own name, I felt it wasn't very convenient. You know, going to that kind of place under your real name is never a good look.
"So I got another membership card under the name of a pianist...
"Called Aisen."
Chapter 672