"Huh, looks like Karen won't be coming home for now. He'll probably head to the office. After all, coming straight home to take a bath and sleep right after finishing a major mission would look inappropriate, so he'll go to the office to bathe and sleep."
In this world, Purr felt that when it came to understanding Karen, it could rank... Was first place Alfred or Neo?
It should probably rank... Purr turned its head to glance at the dog grandmother lying on the chair, and for a moment, it actually felt a little unconfident.
"Come on, let's go inside and give you a bath. Then it'll be time for you to 'eat' and sleep."
Kanna looked down at the unfinished popcorn in her hands and replied, "I hate 'eating.' It puts me right to sleep."
The research institute had drawn up a menu for Kanna—which could also be called a "feeding list." It consisted entirely of extraordinarily precious ingredients and herbs refined through special methods. The only drawback was probably that its effects were too potent, requiring sleep to aid digestion after consumption.
Purr smacked Kanna's head with a paw. "Are you really afraid of sleeping? You just don't want to take a bath before bed!"
Kanna did not argue, tacitly admitting it.
She truly hated bathing, believing it to be the most pointless thing in the world. As far as her physical sensation was concerned, if the goal was cleanliness, scrubbing her entire body thoroughly with a wire brush would be far better than simply rinsing with water and lathering soap.
Yet this cat wouldn't let her sleep in the dog bed, insisting she sleep in Karen's bed;
and to sleep in Karen's bed, she had to bathe first;
hence, she could not understand why those female researchers at the institute who examined her all dreamed of getting into bed with Karen. Didn't they find bathing troublesome?
Even so, Kanna had still not learned how to refuse the cat's commands.
Thus, she obediently hopped down from the balcony and handed the leftover popcorn to the maid, Xili.
Holding the popcorn box, Xili squatted down, still thoroughly shaken by what had just happened.
Kanna asked Purr curiously, "What is she afraid of? Afraid I'd fall and die?"
A physically powerful bone dragon had never possessed the concept of falling to death since birth.
Purr replied, "Oh, she's worried you'd break the floor tiles if you fell."
"Oh, so that's why." Kanna believed it.
Purr looked at Xili and said, "Big Butt."
"Ah, yes!" Xili stood up immediately. "Miss Purr, what are your instructions?"
"What did Alfred call you about just now?"
"It's like this, Miss Purr. Mr. Alfred asked my mother and my aunts to go over to another place called the 'Moon' Apartments to cook for the tenants who just moved in. The pay is double what it used to be!"
Hearing this answer, Purr froze for a moment.
Xili had been personally trained by Purr and Karen, so her skills in pastry and cooking were now quite high. But what was the cooking level of Xili's mother and aunts?
They had lived through hard times; what they excelled at was taking the coarsest, cheapest ingredients to make meals that filled the stomach most easily.
So, barring any surprises, the primary diet for that group of priests from the Moon God Church for the foreseeable future would be flatbread paired with Wien bean paste.
The trouble was, their Holy Child had paid for their living expenses in advance using point coupons!
"Ugh, that Radio Demon is truly terrifying. To think he could be stingy and exploitative to such an extreme. I just hope he doesn't go crazy and dock my coffee."
"How could that be? Mr. Alfred has always done his utmost to meet your standard of living. He's a kind and upright man," Xili said, immediately speaking up for the Alfred she respected.
"Oh, a kind and upright man? Have you forgotten that when he recruited you as a maid, he required you to wear jeans and stick out your butt?"
Xili answered at once, "I am very grateful to Mr. Alfred for granting me this opportunity. That didn't actually bring me any distress, because back then, my distress was my family's survival."
Purr fell silent.
Little Kanna said, "You feel ashamed."
Purr ruffled Kanna's white hair with a cat paw. "I really ought to take you back to the research institute for a re-examination to see whether your race is a bone dragon or a psychology dragon."
"You are repenting."
"Alright, shut up, meow! You really should be sent to live with that Fischer girl. I'm sure the two of you could chat delightfully all night long."
"Is she your enemy too?"
"What enemy?"
"Like the woman downstairs just now."
"She isn't."
"What about her?" Kanna looked at Xili.
"She isn't either. Karen has never touched her butt."
Xili blushed.
"Then what about your great-great-great-great-niece?"
"Come on, Xili, get in here and help! I'm giving her a three-hour bath today!"
Entering the bathroom, Purr and Kanna soaked in the bathtub together.
Then, wearing only her undergarments, Xili stepped in and began washing Kanna first.
A mask of agony immediately settled over Kanna's face. She disliked others touching her body. Dragons were proud creatures; according to dragon philosophy, she was currently being desecrated by an ordinary human.
Swishing bubbles with its tail, Purr admonished, "Control your temper. Karen treats ordinary humans with more respect than he does priests. You should be ashamed of the racial prejudice you're showing right now, because it goes against the doctrines of Order."
Kanna said, "But Order discriminates against us."
Purr's gaze sharpened. "Who's been feeding you such heresy?"
Kanna shook her head, refusing to betray the source: "Woof."
"That dog is dead."
"Was it wrong?"
"No, but you shouldn't think that way. A lot of the time in this world, there is no clear dividing line between right and wrong."
"I don't understand."
"Just listen to me, because listening to that dog won't lead to a good end. Look at it—if it had done well for itself, would it be living as a dog right now?"
Kanna: "You should be ashamed of the racial prejudice you're showing right now."
Purr: "..."
Little Kanna reached out, placed her hand on Xili's buttocks as the maid was scrubbing her back, and gave it a squeeze.
Thinking it was just a little girl fooling around, Xili paid it no mind.
Little Kanna gave it another light smack:
*Smack~*
Like a plump, pale dolphin, it rippled with waves.
Little Kanna asked, "Is having a big butt an advantage?"
"Theoretically speaking, it's suited for bearing children."
Hearing this, Little Kanna reached around to feel her own.
Purr said, "Stop groping yourself. You're so scrawny you barely have any meat on your bones—you'll definitely have a difficult labor later."
Xili chimed in, "Kanna isn't scrawny at all. She's a very healthy young girl. Miss Purr, you shouldn't scare her like that."
Kanna glanced at Xili. She resented Xili chiming in at this moment, but she took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed her annoyance.
Xili began washing Kanna's hair. Purr was allowed to sit on her head and hair, but for anyone else to touch her, especially her head...
Little Kanna clenched her fists, enduring the discomfort.
Purr lectured, "When someone shows you goodwill and is helping you, you should be grateful. Any negative feelings right now are inappropriate."
Little Kanna closed her eyes, adjusting her emotions.
Purr continued, "The stupid dog can teach you many truths, and it understands the doctrines of Order better than most people in this world, but it has never understood what Karen truly thinks in his heart. On that front, you can communicate more with the Radio Demon in the future. He understands Karen's mind better—sometimes, I even think he understands Karen better than Karen understands himself.
"Besides, didn't you just say that Order discriminates against dragons?
"Right now, an opportunity lies right before you. You can change yourself first, and then follow Karen. In the future, you might be able to change dragons while also changing Order's perception of dragons.
"Don't be like Augie—that frost dragon who only has petty cleverness. She's too foolish; the opportunity was right in front of her, yet she didn't know how to seize it. Of course, your opportunity is far better than hers anyway."
Kanna opened her eyes, looked at Purr, and said, "I just don't want any existence towering over my head."
Purr laughed.
Deliberately mimicking Karen's tone, it said, "*Ahem,* above our heads, there shouldn't be anything in the first place."
After the bath, Kanna sat before the dining table. Following Purr's instructions, Xili brought out thirty-six small boxes. Each box contained small, cube-shaped... food of various colors.
Kanna picked up a piece, popped it into her mouth, swallowed it with difficulty, and picked up a second piece. She ate with great distress, as these things tasted terrible.
Looking at its freshly dried fur in the mirror, Purr urged, "Eat faster. Finish them all before you get sleepy. Do you know how many of your kin could only dream of being treated like this? Do you know that throwing even one of these into dragon society would cause them to fight tooth and nail over it?"
Chewing and swallowing vigorously, Kanna countered:
"Why don't you eat it?"
"Why should I?"
"Because you need to recover too."
"All I need to recover is Karen."
"Why can't I do that?" Little Kanna asked.
"Because you and Karen are equals."
"Then what about you?"
Purr shouted, "Xili, give her an extra portion today! A growing child needs to eat more!"
...
As Alfred walked into the headquarters building alongside Karen, he reported, "Young Master, Miss Eunice had Boger deliver a letter. In it, she said she knows Her Highness Ophelia has arrived in Yorktown and would like to invite Ophelia to the manor as a guest. The two of them have been keeping up a correspondence."
"Oh?"
"Young Master, I have reviewed all the commercial and personal correspondence between Allen Manor and Dark Moon Island. Miss Eunice and Her Highness Ophelia have genuinely become good friends now. In their letters, they discuss fashion design together without involving any other matters."
"Why didn't Eunice call me directly?"
*Young Master, you don't seem to take the initiative to call her much either.*
"Young Master, Miss Eunice likely didn't want to disturb your work. Therefore, regarding the invitation to visit, I hope you will grant approval. I believe Her Highness Ophelia would also like to visit, but she probably didn't mention it today because of the matters concerning the Moon God Church."
Eunice and Ophelia had already met before; it was just that Ophelia probably wouldn't dare visit Allen Manor without his permission now like she used to.
"You make the arrangements."
"Yes, Young Master."
Karen entered his office, took a bath, and went to sleep, almost exactly as a certain cat from the Mural God Church had predicted.
However, he did not sleep for long before Richard knocked on the door and entered. "Karen, I pulled a record of a teleportation formation order. Mavaglio will arrive in Yorktown tonight."
As a supervisory department, once the Whip of Order was running normally, obtaining such data was completely routine. Richard had set up a special list; whenever someone on that list arrived in Yorktown or other cities in the Wien Region via teleportation formation, he would receive a notification.
Karen got up and washed his face in the bathroom. It was always hard to lift one's spirits when sleep-deprived.
He knew Mavaglio was coming, but he hadn't expected him to arrive this quickly.
"Karen, are we heading to the Church Affairs Building now?"
After all, the man was a Holy Child of exalted status, and Richard had ranked him very high on his relationship list.
Karen glanced at the clock and shook his head. "No need to go receive him. I'll rest a bit longer."
Since they were friends, there was no need for such formalities. Karen sat back on the bed and asked, "Where is the Six-Winged Angel currently placed?"
"Sealed in the special storage room in our building's basement. Personnel from the Containment Space Office and our region's Formation Department are applying seals to it, preparing it for transport.
"Oh, right, my grandfather is here too. He's overseeing it."
Karen stood up once more, took his priestly robe, and put it on. "Let's go have a look."
The special storage space was a facility rarely put to use. Located on the same floor as the dungeons, it was generally used only for the temporary storage of certain special items.
At that moment, the body of the Six-Winged Angel lay upon a platform, various seals glowing across his form.
Old Master Delon put away the Rubik's cube in his hand and said to those around him, "All right, that should do it. Although this angel is still 'alive,' he is currently in a state of suspended animation, so there isn't much danger."
Everyone nodded in agreement; they had already sensed this during the sealing process.
Just then, Karen walked in, and the other priests bowed to him.
"Minister."
"Minister."
Karen returned their greetings, then bowed to Delon.
"The rest of you, step out for a moment. Minister Karen and I have something to discuss."
"Yes, Bishop."
"Yes, Bishop."
Delon's gaze fell upon Richard, who had leaned in to inspect the angel upon entering. Richard pointed to himself in surprise; Delon pointed toward the door. Richard smiled, turned around, and left with the others.
"You weren't injured during the mission, were you, Karen?" Delon asked with deep concern.
"I'm fine. Everything was planned out, so there was no need for me to take risks. What is the actual state of this Six-Winged Angel?"
"Not good. Right now, he's more like a medical vegetable. In truth, he is already dead, yet his bodily functions still retain a degree of so-called vitality.
"I even suspect that even if we transport him to the Dinge Region and have awakening masters attempt to awaken him, it won't succeed... because he seems to be nothing more than an empty shell already."
"Does that mean his existence is meaningless?"
Delon shook his head with a smile, pointing at the angel before them. "Even so, he is a treasure trove from head to toe."
"That's good, then."
Karen noticed Delon's hands rubbing together continuously, his gaze sweeping over the angel below without pause. Taking advantage of the moment, he asked, "Lord Bishop, could you explain the operational logic of these seals to me?"
"Certainly!"
The old man seemed as though he had downed a glass of brandy in one gulp; his spirits soared instantly, and he began explaining the seals placed by the various departments.
Karen wasn't doing this purely to humor the old man. No matter how gifted he was, accumulating experience required time to settle. In this regard, while Old Master Delon's achievements might not compare to Mr. Hoffen's, or even to Mentor Piro from the Dinge Region, his wealth of experience could still offer Karen a tremendous "fortune."
The Six-Winged Angel before them ended up serving for a while as a teaching cadaver.
As the lecture drew to a close, Delon licked his somewhat dry lips and smiled. "Actually, what I just explained probably won't be of much practical use to you. These are specialized seals internal to our Church of Order's system, and you won't encounter them much."
Karen smiled and nodded. "Yes, but learning more is always beneficial. It makes it easier to compare and understand things in the future."
"Right, your attitude toward learning is truly commendable, unlike that boy Richard..."
*Creak...*
The door was pushed open by Richard, who asked in bewilderment, "Lord Bishop, did you call for me?"
Karen asked, "What is it?"
"Ah, the Holy Child has arrived. He wants to see the angel."
"Please invite him in."
"Right away."
Before long, Mavaglio walked in. He wore the robes of the Church of Order, but on closer inspection, one could see gold trim along the cuffs and collar—a style reserved exclusively for Holy Children.
Delon placed both hands over his chest and bowed to Mavaglio. "Greetings, My Lord."
"Hello."
Mavaglio extended a hand to support Old Master Delon's arm, signaling that there was no need to be so formal. But when he moved to support Karen, he discovered Karen hadn't bowed at all.
"Haha, Karen, see? I've come to have tea with you."
Mavaglio was far more cheerful than when they had last met. It seemed that being reassigned away from an oppressive place like the Temple had made his whole demeanor much lighter.
"Did you come for him?"
"Yes. Guess what new department I'm setting up after being reassigned to this region?"
"Research on war apparatus?"
Karen remembered that this was his area of expertise.
"Close, but a little different from what you imagine. My department's research topic—or rather, its central focus—is currently studying the biological data of a new generation of god-related creatures.
"Originally, I wasn't supposed to come until a few days later, but didn't an angel turn up here? So I came ahead of time.
"By the way, I've already submitted the application: my temporary research facility will be right here in your Whip of Order building. You don't mind, do you?"
"You should ask our Regional Chief about that."
"Your Regional Chief personally went to the teleportation hall to pick me up and agreed. Your Regional Chief is really an easygoing person."
"At your status and position, everyone around you is easygoing."
"Huh?" Mavaglio hovered his palm over the angel. "He's already dead."
"You're the expert. If you say he's dead, then he probably is."
"No matter, though. The body still retains vitality, so it still possesses immense research value. Heh, anyway, it won't affect my work."
Watching his grandson chat so naturally with the Holy Child, Old Master Delon couldn't help the smile tugging at his lips. It was like seeing one's own child making friends with an exemplary, top-tier student—something that always brought joy to an elder.
"Well then, I shall take my leave first," Delon said, preparing not to intrude.
"No hurry, Lord Bishop. I have some work to discuss with you later, and I might need to transfer some people from your departments. Why don't we have a meal together in a bit?
"Did you know Karen's culinary skills are fantastic? But he rarely cooks for others. Today you're benefiting from my presence, or he wouldn't be cooking for you."
Delon said immediately, "Then I certainly can't miss that. I'll wait outside; you two chat first."
Once Delon had left, Mavaglio said to Karen, "Setting up the office will be rather dull and will take some time. Why don't you take me around Yorktown to see the sights?"
"I don't have time."
"Are you very busy?"
"Busy."
"Didn't you just capture an angel? Another big mission right away?"
"In our line of work, things never stop."
"That's fine. Whatever you're busy with, I'll just tag along and watch. Treat it as getting familiar with the work environment in this region ahead of time."
"I'm taking advantage of this free time to visit my fiancée at her suburban manor."
"Hmm?" Mavaglio's face instantly lit up with a grin upon hearing this. "You met that princess from Dark Moon Island, didn't you?"
Karen answered with a question: "Are you sick in the head?"
"Ah, in such a rush to go see your fiancée. You've clearly seen that princess, and now you feel guilty toward your official fiancée, so you want to hurry back and be twice as good to her to make up for it."
"You are seriously ill."
"All right, then. I'll just come along with you back to the manor, and I can meet your fiancée while we're at it. After all, we're such good friends, aren't we?"
Bringing a Holy Child to Allen Manor...
Karen was genuinely concerned that he might sense that performance hall and awaken memories related to it.
That would be practically indistinguishable from turning himself in.
"I don't want to disturb my fiancée's life. I'll tour the sights with you after I return."
"How could it be a disturbance?"
"Your identity itself is a disturbance."
"Ah, so that's it. I understand."
Karen and Mavaglio walked out of the storage room. As soon as they emerged, Delon, holding a teacup, took the initiative to speak: "My aide-de-camp just reported that there is a banquet tonight. The Head Bishop and the regional bishops will be hosting a feast to welcome Your Lordship's arrival."
"Ah..." Mavaglio sighed with resignation, then turned to Karen. "You'll be going too, right?"
"I don't enjoy such social occasions, so I plan to return to the manor tonight. In fact, I'm leaving shortly. I'll treat you to a meal after I return."
"Sigh, all right."
Richard spoke up: "My Lord, your temporary office has been arranged. It's right next to our minister's. Our head of reconnaissance voluntarily gave up his office for your use."
"Oh, then I truly must make a point of thanking him."
Neo, of course, hadn't suddenly become generous. His reason was simple: the Holy Child's funding came straight from Temple channels, and even a temporary office required fundamental renovations. Since it was temporary and wouldn't be used for long, once Mavaglio moved to his new site, Neo would get a free high-end renovation.
"I'll accompany you to see your office," Karen said.
"Sounds good."
Karen and Mavaglio went upstairs and came to Mavaglio's office first. As Mavaglio pushed the door open, he said, "By the way, Karen, since I can't go, how about you take a gift to your fiancée on my behalf to extend my regards?"
Inside the office stood Ophelia. Having evidently just learned that her personnel affiliation had been transferred, she had immediately come over from the dormitory building to report to her new superior.
Mavaglio clearly recognized Ophelia. He could only grumble under his breath, "Oh, damn it, are your office isolation formations set up that well?"
Before opening the door from outside, he had no idea anyone was inside.
Ophelia stepped forward and said to Mavaglio, "My Lord, I am Ophelia, a staff member of your new department, reporting for duty. You may assign me my duties."
As someone who considered himself "Karen's good friend," Mavaglio instinctively began trying to patch up the remark he had carelessly let slip. He said to Ophelia:
"What I said just now was that Karen should help me pick out a local Yorktown specialty gift so I can send it to my fiancée."
Hearing this, Ophelia offered a polite smile.
"How about Wien bean paste?" Karen said. "Didn't you say your fiancée has a heavy palate and loves Wien bean paste most of all? You even said you love the smell of bean paste on her breath."
"Ah, yes, exactly! Her obsession with bean paste is downright incomprehensible. Karen, that's a truly wonderful suggestion."
"Then I'll prepare a vat for you. You can charter a dedicated teleportation formation in your name to ship it over?"
"Of course, no problem." Mavaglio waved a hand. "Make it quick, as fast as possible!"
Karen looked at Ophelia and said, "His department was just established, so there's nothing to do right now. I'm heading back to the manor shortly. Come with me—Eunice misses you."
Mavaglio: "Uh..."
Ophelia nodded. "All right. I brought her gifts and design sketches, which are back in my dorm room. Should I go get them now?"
Mavaglio: "..."
"Yes, go ahead. Wait for me in the parking lot in a bit."
Ophelia looked at Mavaglio. Though his eyes were wide with shock, he didn't forget to say, "Right, leave approved."
"Thank you, My Lord."
Ophelia walked out of the office, closing the door behind her.
*Clap!*
Mavaglio clapped his hands together and laughed self-deprecatingly. "Fine, looks like the clown was me all along."
"Do you still need to buy the bean paste?"
"Of course I do." Mavaglio sank onto the office sofa with a sigh. "Sigh, I really do have a fiancée."
"Sounds like a political marriage?"
"Yeah."
"Then she's probably not from an outside church, but from ours."
"How did you know?"
"Anyone who's raised pigs knows purebred stock isn't let outside the pen."
"Hahaha." Far from being offended, Mavaglio chuckled. "You're spot on. When the higher-ups assigned her to me, it was strictly to serve my status. My fiancée is twelve years older than me."
"I don't think that's much of an issue in a marriage."
"She's with the Whip of Order."
"I think marriage should be approached with a bit more caution after all."
"The higher-ups value her loyalty and competence. She is my wife, but also my bodyguard—or rather, she's in charge of keeping an eye on me. What's more, her rank is higher than yours.
"Karen, the agony of having a marriage assigned to you from above... you wouldn't understand."
"Mine was assigned the same way, but I'm very satisfied."
"Heh." Mavaglio stretched. "Right now, the silver lining is that I've been reassigned down to the Yorktown Region. Her high rank has a downside—it makes transferring very difficult, so the wedding can be delayed."
"Uh, there's something I think I should give you a heads-up on."
"Hm? What is it?"
"Our Regional Chief, Sus—the one you met just now—is actually about to be promoted and transferred to the Dinge Region."
Mavaglio's face instantly froze. He swallowed with immense difficulty.
After a long silence, Mavaglio spoke: "Why do I have a premonition that she's the one being transferred down?"
Karen nodded. "I also have a premonition that your fiancée might become the new Regional Chief of this region."
Mavaglio sat bolt upright, staring at Karen. "Karen, what should I do?"
"How should I know?"
"Put yourself in my shoes and help me think. What should I do?"
"I stand with my new superior."
Chapter 689