A Huge Surprise for the Investigation Team!

Trust was a subtle thing. Sometimes it appeared indestructible, only to shatter at the slightest tap; at other times, it seemed loose and fragile, yet proved remarkably resilient. Karen felt the latter regarding Hiderode. He felt he could trust Hiderode to keep this secret for him, though naturally not merely because the teacher was divorced. Rather, Karen considered Hiderode a smart man. Those well-versed in history were often adept at discerning the true essence of matters. Hiderode ought to realize that the person Ukonga sought was not an enemy. Furthermore, that had been a story set within a single dormitory. Whoever was involved, they were most likely classmates and companions, and their relationship tended toward the affectionate sort. On this basis, if Hiderode reported Karen, Karen would not be hunted down and killed in revenge by Ukonga's people. Meanwhile, Hiderode himself would have to face Karen's retaliation. He truly lacked any motive to do such a foolish thing. At his age, and with his granddaughter having found a good match, even if he amassed immense wealth and connections, it would pale in comparison to his grandson-in-law's status as a Child of God. His insistence on conducting "student screening" was probably just an ingrained habit and personal academic curiosity. Besides, since his academic research diverged from the modern mainstream, he was more than happy to slack off and skip teaching classes. "Of course, Karen, if you're willing to share a little of those secrets with me, that would be wonderful." Hiderode looked at Karen expectantly. Seeking and uncovering historical secrets scratched the deepest itch in his soul. Karen often saw this expression on Neo's face—whenever an opportunity to reap some profit arose, Neo couldn't help but rub his hands together. "Teacher, I'm willing to share with you, but now isn't the right time." "I know, I know. Whenever you feel it's appropriate, tell me, even if it's just minor scraps." "No problem at all," Karen smiled. "I know you're very interested in the Mad Pope, Teacher." "Yes, the Mad Pope is one of my primary research subjects." "Because of my work, I've met the successor to the Mad Pope's lineage. I can arrange for you to meet him, Teacher, or even conduct an exclusive interview." Upon hearing this, Hiderode's eyes widened instantly, half with excitement, half with dread. Although his assessment of the God of Light and the Church of Light during lectures with Karen had been objective, that did not diminish his real-world sensitivity and wariness toward Light remnants as an Order priest. After a moment, Hiderode nodded vigorously. "Alright!" "I'll arrange it as soon as possible." "I'll await your word, haha." "Then I will take my leave, Teacher." "I'll see you out." "No need, Teacher. Please get some rest." Karen departed. Hiderode let out a long breath, sank onto the living room sofa, poured water from his thermos into a teacup on the coffee table, and lifted it. "Who would've thought that at my age, I'd encounter something so thrilling?" After sighing in wonder, Hiderode took a sip. Instantly, his complexion changed. He spat it out at once, clutching his throat with both hands as he gagged frantically. It wasn't because Karen felt uneasy and had deliberately poisoned him to silence him. Hiderode cursed furiously, "Gaspol, damn it, you threw cigarette butts in here again!" *** On the open ground outside the guesthouse, the giant crab was finally gone today. This left Karen feeling a slight tinge of regret; after all, in the memory visions, he had just eaten crab claws. The crab Dicaroste had broken in half certainly wasn't as massive as this one, though bigger wasn't always better—the meat could easily become tough and stringy. When Karen entered the guesthouse and walked through the first-floor dining room, he saw a group of teachers and students gathering inside—the same crowd as before. A gray-robed figure sat alone at a table adjacent to them, with various bottles of liquor laid out before him. He ate nothing, only drank. As Karen passed by his table, the gray-robed figure looked up and glanced at Karen, and Karen caught sight of him from the corner of his eye. The gray-robed figure was quite ugly. His face was covered in pits and craters, looking like dense little volcanoes sprouting across his skin. The hand lifting the wine glass showed obvious chitinous plates, and he pinched the glass between his thumb and index finger like a pincer. Was he the human form of that giant crab? Powerful monster beasts often possessed the ability to take on human form, like Lady Augie, or his own Little Kanna. "Hey." The gray-robed figure called out to Karen. Karen paused and looked at him. The gray-robed figure asked, "Why are you wearing a mask?" Karen replied, "Caught a cold. Don't want the wind in my face." "Heh," the gray-robed figure chuckled. "Could it be you're some big shot deliberately trying to conceal your identity?" "Is there something you need?" Karen asked. "Nothing. I just don't like seeing someone with a shell on their face." "Don't you have one yourself?" "I'm different from you. My shell is my skin, a part of my body." "Same here. The mask is part of my body." "I understand. That's a primitive common ailment of you humans." "However, I can take my mask off. Can you?" "Oh, hahaha." Just then, a middle-aged man holding a wine glass stepped away from the crowd of teachers and students across the way and greeted the gray-robed figure, "Lord Indman, what are you chatting with him about?" The gray-robed figure ignored the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man didn't take offense. He sat down next to the gray-robed figure, swept a glance over Karen, and said, "Student, go to the counter and fetch the bottle of wine I checked in. Just tell the staff it was checked by me, Risens." Immediately afterward, the middle-aged man flattered the gray-robed figure with a fawning tone, "Lord Indman, this is insect wine I specially prepared for you. You'll definitely love it." "Is that so? Heh, then I'll have to have a taste." "Of course, of course." Risens glanced at Karen and urged, "Student, why are you still standing there? Hurry along." Karen ignored him and walked straight toward the staircase. Karen understood that the teacher named Risens had ordered him to run errands simply because he was wearing the plainest Order clerical robe—lacking any indicators of rank or department, essentially a blank-slate robe. In the academy, a blank Order clerical robe was basically the students' uniform. Moreover, this was right outside the academy gates. Though Karen wore a mask, it was evident he was very young. Thus, it was completely routine for a teacher to order a student about. Furthermore, in Risens' eyes, he probably believed he was giving a helping hand to this student who had been talking with Lord Indman. However, Karen had no interest in putting on a show to blend in with them. Naturally, he wasn't angry at the teacher's attitude, nor did he feel slighted or oppressed—he wasn't that sensitive, nor did he have time to waste on such things. Watching Karen walk away, Risens found it somewhat amusing. "Students these days are so disobedient." Indman couldn't help laughing, a grating, creaking sound issuing from his throat. He said, "Risens, no wonder you haven't been promoted after all this time." "What do you mean by that?" "He's no student. While it's true he's very young, his bearing and mannerisms definitely aren't those of a student. He either holds a high rank himself or comes from an eminent family. And you might have just offended someone for no good reason yet again." "I didn't mean to offend anyone. I was thinking of having him sit down and share a drink with you once he brought the wine." "That's precisely your problem. You're worse at reading people than a crab. Sigh." "Lord Indman, I really don't know how to respond to that." Risens stood up to fetch the wine himself. Just as he returned, uncorked the bottle, and poured it for Indman, he saw the young man coming down again, followed by a woman and a little girl. Karen was preparing to leave the academy to rendezvous with Richard, who had gone ahead. Before departing, however, he had to settle their belated lunch here. Finding a table and sitting down, Karen handed the menu to Little Kanna and asked, "What do you want to eat? Order whatever you like." Little Kanna didn't take the menu. Instead, her eyes were fixed hungrily on the gray-robed figure at the distant table, and she swallowed hard. Clearly, the dish she craved was sitting over there drinking wine. Or rather, that dish was thoughtfully marinating itself in alcohol. Karen warned, "He cannot be eaten." "I know," Little Kanna nodded. "I can eat anything. Whatever it is, it's better than pills." Karen took back the menu, checked off some dishes himself, and handed it to the server. He didn't bother asking Philomena what she wanted to eat, knowing the girl suffered from indecisiveness in daily life. "Lord Indman, are you feeling unwell somewhere? Would you like me to take you to a veterinarian after lunch?" Risens asked with deep concern, seeing Lord Indman squirming constantly in his seat. Indman shook his head. "I'm fine." He merely felt uneasy all over. An intense sense of foreboding washed over him, though for the moment he couldn't pinpoint where it came from. Finally, as his gaze swept around, he looked toward the distant table, directly at the little girl who was staring at him. Seeing him look her way, the little girl broke into a smile, sucking on her finger. The dread came from her! Risens followed his line of sight and remarked, "Looks like he really isn't a student. He's staying at the guesthouse with his wife and child." "Risens, you'd better go apologize to him right now for your earlier conduct, and pray he isn't genuinely angered by your rudeness." "Er, Lord Indman, what makes you..." "The little girl beside him isn't his daughter. She's a monster beast that terrifies me. So, do you understand now?" "I..." Risens stood up immediately without the slightest hesitation. Trotting over to Karen's table, he bowed deliberately and said, "I'm terribly sorry. I apologize for my earlier behavior." "It's fine. There's no conflict between us, Teacher." Karen genuinely didn't mind, but that didn't stop the man from being thoroughly rattled. At that moment, the lunch was served. Karen took off his mask and prepared to eat. Upon seeing Karen's face, Risens' eyes widened. "You're... Director Karen?" "Yes, sir. I am about to eat now, so please do not disturb me. Thank you." "Of course! It's a great pleasure to meet you here, Director Karen. Please enjoy your meal." "You too, sir." Just as Risens turned to head back, he sensed a gust of dark wind whip past him, and Indman appeared right where Risens had just been standing. "Greetings, Director Karen. I am an instructor at the Nurturing Academy, Indman Kirill. It is an honor to meet you here." "This isn't our first time meeting, Mr. Indman." "Ah, yes. Staying here, you must have seen me. It's a pity I failed to recognize you in time." Karen began slicing the pork chop in front of him. Indman then shifted his gaze to Little Kanna and said in a slightly excited voice, "Are you... Lady Bone Dragon?" It was the first time Little Kanna had heard that title. She corrected him, "No, I am Lady Kanna White Silva." The tone and inflection of her self-introduction clearly mimicked Purr. At home, Purr often went on about "this lady" or "the eldest young miss"... When at home, Purr frequently taught Little Kanna etiquette. Little Kanna found it excruciating, yet she obeyed all of Purr's demands; after all, these rules were laid down personally by the Evil God Knight Miss. "Miss Kanna, please allow me to introduce myself. I am a descendant of the Amethyst Demonic Crab clan." Philomena asked in a low voice, "What is that?" Little Kanna whispered back, "A flavor?" Indman immediately continued, "My ancestors possessed a portion of bone dragon bloodline. Hence, my clan has always deeply revered bone dragons of superior heritage. I've read reports concerning Director Karen, and I know that by his side is a... oh no, an esteemed bone dragon of extraordinarily pure lineage." Karen frowned slightly, but said nothing, continuing with his meal. Mr. Hoffen's notes contained records of the Amethyst Demonic Crab clan. In truth, this clan didn't possess any bone dragon bloodline. Their ancestors were originally just ordinary monster beasts. By a twist of fate, a bone dragon of extremely high bloodline rank perished in their ancestors' habitat, and the crabs feasted on the bone dragon's remains, stimulating a breakthrough in their own bloodline. Later, through their own efforts and the Church's cultivation, they evolved into the giant adult crabs of today. Lord Indman might genuinely not know this; the clan legends he was aware of had likely been glorified. After all, the information from Mr. Hoffen was far more accurate. Even so, the Amethyst Demonic Crab clan seemed to harbor a primal reverence for bone dragons—provided it was a bone dragon of noble blood, not some mixed-blood subspecies. Nowadays, high-blooded dragonkin were exceedingly rare to begin with, and bone dragons were a minority even among dragons. Indman must understand Kanna's relationship to Karen. He knew that Kanna would be "raised" by the Church of Order and was guaranteed to reach her complete form in the future. "Lady Bone Dragon, if you ever have any needs in the future, you may command me, and I will do everything in my power to fulfill them." "Anything?" "Of course, anything!" "I want to eat crab meat." Indman: "..." Karen picked up an unused, clean spoon beside him and, with a smack, rapped Little Kanna on the head. "Mind your manners." Little Kanna clutched her head, feeling terribly aggrieved. The big crab had clearly said any request was fine! "Please wait a moment." Indman turned and walked toward the restaurant kitchen. Before long, he returned carrying a large platter in one hand, bearing a massive serving of steamed crab meat drizzled in rich sauce. "Lady Bone Dragon, please enjoy." Indman bowed with one hand, then left the guesthouse accompanied by Risens—presumably heading back to the academy to find a veterinarian to treat his wound. Little Kanna picked up a fork and took a bite, immediately exclaiming, "Delicious!" Philomena joined in eating as well. The portion of crab meat was enormous, resembling a three-tiered cake. Karen didn't touch it at all, merely finishing the meal in front of him. Little Kanna asked, "Aren't you going to eat any crab meat?" "No, I just don't feel like eating it today." After an enjoyable lunch, Karen boarded the reserved carriage with Little Kanna and Philomena. In the carriage, Little Kanna said excitedly, "Karen, when are you going to school again?" "I don't know." "You'll come back in the future, right?" "I will." "That's great! When we come next time, the new flesh on his wound should have grown back." Karen thought about reminding Little Kanna that such inclinations hardly conformed to the etiquette of an aristocratic young lady, and that she would be scolded by Sister Purr once they got back. To his surprise, Little Kanna's next words were: "Next time, let's bring Sister Purr along! She'll definitely love eating it too." Karen fell silent, because he thought Little Kanna made a lot of sense. Meeting up with Richard at a hotel in the Dinge Region, Karen found that Richard had booked a large suite in advance. The three humans and one dragon didn't dally, resting early. The following morning, Karen arrived at the investigation team's assembly point, bringing along the two aides under his quota and one bodyguard who didn't count as human. Although this was the last batch of personnel for the investigation team, the headcount was by no means small—including aides, there were nearly three hundred people. Many had arrived two or three days early and had already organized private gatherings to network and bond, which was customary for official functions. Karen didn't feel any regret over missing out; he hadn't arrived early, but that was because he had gone to attend classes. The only slightly awkward thing was learning upon signing in that he was a team leader. His team had seven members, each with two aides. The seven members and their aides were waiting right by the check-in desk for him. All seven were Whip of Order directors from other regions, effectively colleagues from the same department system. Karen exchanged greetings and got acquainted with them, but before a full round of conversation could conclude, an order came straight down: the originally scheduled midday banquet and evening dinner were completely canceled, and their departure, originally set for the early hours of tomorrow, was moved forward to this morning. Immediately, carriages pulled up, and everyone hurriedly boarded to rush to the teleportation hall. Fortunately, the introductions that hadn't finished could continue inside the carriage. The directors rode in one carriage, while the other aides took the two carriages behind. Upon reaching the teleportation array hall, there was zero delay as they were immediately arranged into the teleportation formation. With a flash of white light, this batch of the investigation team along with their entourages were all teleported away. The teleportation had no transfers; it was direct, but the journey was quite long. By the time everyone stepped out of the teleportation array, many priests accustomed to sitting behind desks couldn't help slumping to the ground, having their aides massage them. This really wasn't them being delicate, for even Karen felt somewhat unwell; the turbulence during this teleportation had indeed been severe. Richard said in surprise and doubt, "Huh? Why are there so few people in the teleportation array hall of this Desert Church holy land? Makina Holy Land is supposed to be one of the top-ranking, bustling holy lands in the Desert Church's hierarchy." Soon, the others also noticed that something was amiss. Reasonably speaking, when personnel from the Church of Order's investigation team arrived, the Desert Church should have welcomed them warmly. Now, not only was there no welcoming ceremony, but there were hardly any staff around, and each of them looked panicked. Boom! Suddenly, a deafening explosion resounded from outside, followed immediately by violent tremors shaking the teleportation array hall. Those Desert priests who had been responsible for managing the teleportation array immediately abandoned their posts and began fleeing frantically in all directions, crying out as they ran: "We're doomed! The rebels have breached the holy land!"