There were seven castles within the barrier in total. In the original proposal, twelve had been planned, because the believers of Order had a deep fixation with the number twelve; whenever a count fluctuated around twelve, they would always find a way to level it out by adding or trimming.
Fortunately, Alfred had stepped in to halt and prune the project in time. The architectural design team had been furious over this, believing Alfred had desecrated their artistic creation. Had Karen not been leading troops on the front lines at the time, they probably would have marched straight before him to lodge a protest.
Now, allocated by function: two castles were used as office buildings, one as an interrogation building, one as a prison, two as priest dormitories, and the last temporarily served as a recreational and cultural activities center.
Because the Yorktown Region's Whip of Order would not be moving over and this barrier was used solely as office space for the Discipline Department, in terms of space utilization, it was an extravagant luxury.
If there had been five more castles, one might genuinely have been turned into a pig farm just to avoid letting it go to waste.
Karen walked into his office. It was a spacious suite comprising six rooms in total. At the entrance were two offices. One was for Philomena—a security office; unlike the open-plan layout of the past, Philomena could now sit in a fully enclosed space and gnaw on braised pig trotters personally stewed by Madame Tangli and brought by Richard.
The other was for the person in charge of the Discipline Department's practical day-to-day affairs, effectively an all-purpose secretary—a post that awaited Karen's formal appointment.
Between these two rooms ran a hallway leading straight to Karen's ministerial office.
The style of the ministerial office drew inspiration from the Whip-Wielder's office, except the glacial environment was replaced by winding green waters. The desk sat by the water, the reception table rested in a pavilion over a small bridge, and another small private meeting room was set beside a "cliff waterfall" at the stream's end, shielded by an excellent embedded warding array.
The remaining three rooms were Karen's bedroom, washroom, and study, not only extraordinarily spacious, but also maximized for defensive wards and privacy.
Purr, Kevin, young Kanna, and Xili could all live here. In the future, Karen could truly treat his workplace as his home, striving and dedicating himself to the cause of Order year-round without a day off.
Recalling how much effort and cost Neo had expended back then just to decorate an office, and looking at his current accommodations, Karen felt a slight twinge of nostalgia.
Still, it truly couldn't compare to the pleasant surprise he had felt when he accidentally took over Neo's office back then.
It was like a toy one cried and screamed for as a child; once grown up with an income of one's own, buying it no longer brought that same thrill and joy.
Beside the waterfall, Karen and the others sat down while Leon prepared tea and refreshments.
Karen said, "As for the Regional Chief of the Yorktown Region, Leon, you will take on the post."
*Plop.* Several ice cubes slipped into a glass all at once. Leon was certainly not feigning excitement; he was genuinely stunned.
"Minister, my capabilities..."
Alfred smiled gently. "There is nothing wrong with your capabilities."
The former Head Bishop had kept his grandson by his side to groom him from an early age. Following the tragedy in his family, he had converted all his sorrow and indignation into drive for his work, and when it came to professional competence, he had long surpassed the bar.
To be sure, serving as Regional Chief required not only solid professional competence, but also the alignment of other factors. However, because Karen's Discipline Department was situated right within the Yorktown Region, all Leon needed to do as Regional Chief was "keep his head down and work hard."
Karen had only these three highly capable subordinates for administrative affairs. If he wanted to keep the Yorktown Region securely within his base of power, the post of Regional Chief had to be held by one of his own.
Even with Bern, Karen did not want him to undergo the "Awakening" only after death, but rather hoped for a seamless transition upon "Awakening," so he could continue occupying the position of Regional Head Bishop.
Desperate times called for pragmatic measures. Against the backdrop of the Return of the Gods, it was sometimes truly difficult to keep one's conduct graceful and refined. In the past, Karen would never have asked the Whip-Wielder to his face for appointments on behalf of his own subordinates.
"Minister... Minister..."
Leon's emotions were rapidly welling up, on the verge of boiling over.
He had known that following this man would surely guarantee a bright future, but he hadn't expected everything to happen so quickly. Was he truly about to sit in the seat of Regional Chief, equal in standing to his grandfather?
"No tears. Pour the water again, and calm down."
"Yes!" Leon sniffed hard, forcing back his tears. Though it felt stifling not to fully vent his emotions, he knew the Minister wanted to skip past the emotional display and get straight to business.
Still, Leon had already resolved to go home tonight and burn paper offerings for his grandfather.
"Vic, that office outside is yours. From now on, you'll be in full charge of the Discipline Department's affairs just as you were back in the region. Only report what's necessary."
"Yes, Minister!"
Vic appeared far more composed, a generous, joyful smile openly spreading across his face.
Karen was a leader willing to delegate power. Working under him might be exhausting, but it was immensely fulfilling. For Vic, who had once been sidelined and given the cold shoulder, he loved his current situation.
Finally, Karen nodded at Alfred, who returned the gesture with a smile.
There were no longer positions for Alfred either in the region or in the department, but this was by no means a slight.
In the past, Karen had lacked personnel and resources, requiring Alfred to fill in gaps everywhere. Fortunately, this aberrant demon from Rhost City had always possessed an extraordinary capacity to learn, successfully taking on multiple roles in succession.
Now, it was time to liberate Alfred. He would no longer hold any public-facing posts, but would instead operate from the shadows, comprehensively integrating the resources of Karen's faction to handle matters unfit for the public eye.
With the assignment of tasks concluded, the three chief secretaries rose and took their leave.
Having returned "home," Karen could finally head into the washroom he had been longing for, soak in a bath, change into pajamas, and lie down in bed.
There was still much work to do, many people and affairs to handle, but that didn't stop him from getting a good sleep right now.
He closed his eyes.
Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, a faint sound of cutting through the air came by his ear, like branches brushing against a windowpane.
Karen opened his eyes. There was no movement at the window, and the sound that had echoed in his mind just now felt intimately familiar.
Reflecting back, Karen remembered: that was the sound made in many previous dreams as the Scythe of War swayed back and forth at him.
Karen got up, walked to the bedroom door, pressed the mirror hanging on it, and asked, "Has a visitor arrived?"
Vic's voice came from the other side of the mirror: "Minister, the Child of God has come to visit."
Evidently, Vic hadn't originally intended to disturb Karen's rest.
Karen looked down, glancing at the bare back of his hand. Sighing, he dispelled the drowsiness from his mind and said, "Arrange the meeting."
"Yes, Minister."
Mavaglio was ushered into the office, arriving at the pavilion over the stream, where he saw Karen seated and waiting for him.
The Child of God remarked with mild grievance, "Look at that, a promotion really changes things, doesn't it? Even I have to wait in a lounge to see you now."
"I was about to go to sleep. Since returning from the front lines these past few days, I've been too busy to get any proper rest."
With this Child of God, the more casually you treated him, the more comfortable he felt.
"Honestly, I didn't want to come disturb you so urgently either, but I really had no choice." Mavaglio sat down opposite Karen.
"What happened?"
"Uh..." Mavaglio hesitated, finding it difficult to bring up.
To break the ice, Karen asked casually, "Where is your wife? Why didn't you bring her along?"
"I was afraid bringing her here might provoke her."
"Ah, right."
Theoretically, Karen had replaced Gaspol's position to obtain the series of opportunities that followed, fighting his way to his current status.
Without that admission ticket of "Regional Chief," Karen wouldn't have even qualified to compete for the position of Corps Commander of the Whip of Order.
Though anyone could appear untroubled on the surface, emotional ripples were inevitable inside, especially for a formidable career woman like Gaspol.
"These days, I dare not let anything upset her, for fear of affecting the fetus..."
"What?"
Karen looked up in surprise.
"Heh heh." Mavaglio rubbed his hands excitedly. "Is it really that surprising? Isn't it just my wife getting pregnant?"
"No, my surprise lies in whether a syringe could actually be this efficient."
"Slander! That is outright defamation!"
"Is that how history gets distorted?"
"Our feelings for each other are quite good now! This child is the fruit of our love."
"Right, forced love is still a kind of love."
"Hey, hey, hey, why aren't you happy for me at all?"
"How do you want me to celebrate? Doing the math, while I was amid raging artillery fire on the front line, were you braving a hail of bullets in the rear?"
"Bah, aren't we both contributing to the church? Just a different division of labor."
"Heh heh heh." Karen was genuinely amused, because the Child of God made a fair point.
"The temple sent people to examine her. Guess what the results were?"
Karen shook his head.
Mavaglio said proudly, "The spiritual power fluctuations are very pronounced, and there's a natural resonance with sacred artifacts of Order."
The implication was that the caliber of this child could no longer be described merely as exceptionally high; before even being born, the umbilical cord had already been stamped with the label of genius.
However, considering the influence of his status as a Child of God on offspring, it wasn't particularly surprising. Otherwise, Karen wouldn't have joked with him in the past, calling him a precious breeding boar that the church could never allow to leak outside.
"Does it place a heavy strain on the mother?" Karen asked.
Mavaglio froze for a moment, his expression shifting from earlier excitement to solemnity. He said, "Karen, you really are my good friend. You're the only one who worried about the mother after finding out."
Karen picked up his cup and took a sip of ice water.
Mavaglio was not prepared to be a father—or rather, his identity constantly shifted back and forth among labels like "Child of God," "Theisen's grandson," "father," and "husband," making him seem a bit neurotic.
"Karen, that's why I came looking for you. My wife's physical health is fine, but ever since she got pregnant, she's been heavily affected here..." Mavaglio tapped his forehead.
"Severe anxiety and emotional dysregulation?"
"Ah, yes."
"I understand." Karen nodded. "I'll arrange a part-time role for her, assisting the newly appointed young Regional Chief with certain affairs. As for keeping it secret, you'll be responsible for that; the temple certainly wouldn't want her overworking herself right now."
"Good heavens, Karen! I didn't even tell you what I came to ask, and you've already arranged it all! How do you manage to be so professional?"
"Heh."
"Sigh, how can I thank you? I suppose in the future..."
Karen rolled up the sleeve of his clerical robe, revealing the back of his hand, and said, "No need to wait for the future. As it happens, there's something I need your help with right now."
Mavaglio looked down at the back of Karen's hand. At first, he didn't grasp Karen's intention, but then he suddenly remembered something, his eyes instantly widening: "The mark is gone?"
The scythe mark on the back of Karen's hand had originally been personally branded on by Mavaglio during training within the church prior to entering the Gate of Samsara.
"Yeah. I scrubbed too hard while washing my hands, accidentally washed it off."
Mavaglio: "..."
"Help me put it back on."
Although that thing, the Scythe of War, was quite annoying, the Black Prison Castle was of great use to Karen.
Mavaglio asked, "Do you know that divine artifacts are categorized by tier?"
"I do."
"The God of War is a main god, and the Scythe of War is his primary divine artifact. Moreover, its preservation is exceptionally intact. The mark it leaves behind would persist on your soul even if you died."
"Do you want to hear a story? A story about how this mark disappeared?"
"Uh, can I?"
"Of course. I can make one up on the spot."
Mavaglio: "..."
Both exasperated and amused, Mavaglio stood up and paced in circles several times. Then he looked down at Karen seated across from him. "Are you sure you are still Karen himself? Are you that Karen Silva?"
"No."
"Heh... Fine, I won't ask. I'll put it back on for you, and I'll keep your secret, though I still can't fathom how on earth you washed it off."
"Can we do it here?"
"Let's go to my lab. I have an altar ready there; it's more convenient."
"Alright, then let me pay a visit to your wife first. After all, she is my former superior and senior alumna."
"Yet I heard you broke away from the Academic Faction long ago, and you even kicked out Andilao—and he's one of the faction's big leaders."
"Your work as the Child of God is truly leisurely if you have time to dig around for gossip like this."
"Who needs to dig for news about you? Whenever I have free time, I love lounging on the sofa reading the legendary tales about you in the newspapers. Right now, I've reached the part where you and that Child of God from the Moon God Church stripped naked and bathed together."
"That exaggerated?"
"It says that Moon God Child tried to seduce you, but you were so disgusted by her, thinking she was filthy, that you told her to get lost."
"That sounds rather implausible."
"It was written in the newspapers of the Church of Samsara. You know how those two churches beat each other's brains out a while ago."
"Now that makes sense."
Karen stood up and looked around.
Mavaglio asked, "What's wrong?"
"Thinking about what gift to prepare."
"No need. Just keep lending us your maid. While you were fighting on the front lines, she was working at our house. My wife and I both love her cooking."
"But now I'm back."
"Doesn't matter. In the future, my wife and I can just come over to your place to eat all the same."
"Let's go, to your home. Vic, prepare a carriage."
"No need for a carriage."
"Hm?"
"Our home is right here, just not in the same dormitory castle as yours. Look how beautiful this place is—quiet, with a great environment, perfect for prenatal care."
"Heh, you live here?"
"There are plenty of empty rooms. Besides, my wife has only temporarily stepped down; she still retains her rank and benefits within your Whip of Order system."
Walking out of the office castle and heading west for a short distance, they arrived at a dormitory castle. Inside was an elevator that took them straight to the top floor.
No wonder Mavaglio's home was not in the same building as Karen's. The top-floor suite with the finest view in the other dormitory castle belonged to Karen, so Mavaglio had settled for second best, choosing the finest suite in this castle instead.
As for whether doing so adhered to regulations, that was secondary. Mavaglio was the inheritor of Lord Marchettini, one of the Twelve Knights of Order. Within the church hierarchy, bringing up rules with beings associated with deities sounded rather awkward.
Fortunately, constrained by unwritten conventions, this Child of God was barred from encroaching upon the church's true core of power, serving merely as a research project leader.
Then again, considering that another Child of God had now become the High Priest, the unwritten convention had already been broken.
Mavaglio's home was warmly decorated. When Karen stepped inside, Gaspol came out to greet them. Her belly had a slight swell, not yet showing prominently. Upon seeing Karen, his former superior was very amiable and far more composed in her social demeanor.
Yet that only meant the problem was more severe: the more normal she appeared before outsiders, the more emotional pressure and backlash she endured in private.
After some pleasantries, Karen stated the purpose of his visit: "The post of Regional Chief was originally reserved for you, but hearing that you are pregnant, I had to make other arrangements. The person appointed is quite young, the former Head Bishop's sole surviving grandson. His capabilities are beyond doubt, but he may lack some experience and polish. I'd like to trouble you to act as his advisor. I will instruct him to learn earnestly from you."
Hearing this, Gaspol broke into a radiant smile. For certain people, work was their rest, relaxation, and entertainment.
With matters settled, Karen prepared to leave; he needed to go with Mavaglio to the laboratory to reapply the mark of the Scythe of War.
Gaspol spoke up: "Minister, could we ask you to give the child a blessing?"
Karen smiled. "But I don't seem to be qualified to be your child's godfather."
Mavaglio chuckled. "It's just a blessing. Humor us."
In truth, a priest's blessing held some efficacy in steadying a pregnancy for ordinary women, but this couple had no shortage of such means; they could even regularly receive therapy from designated divine artifacts.
Still, since the request had been voiced, Karen would not refuse. He held out his palm, hovering it over Gaspol's belly. A gentle halo of light appeared from his palm and slowly descended.
Everything went smoothly. However, as the radiant glow of the blessing entered the expectant mother's abdomen, Karen suddenly sensed a consciousness—faint almost to the point of being undetectable—surging toward him along his blessing.
This consciousness originated from the child in the womb, or more accurately, from something innate to the child.
Against this consciousness of extreme faintness, Karen could easily have crushed or ignored it. But after a brief hesitation, he chose to proactively connect with it.
The moment the connection was made,
something suddenly seemed to detonate within his mental consciousness. Karen wanted to glimpse the scene presented in that consciousness, but just as he prepared to act, he felt signs of his inner hunger addiction stirring and lifting its head.
Karen immediately abandoned the notion, severing the link with that faint consciousness.
It had to be said that Karen's choice was correct. Not long ago, the High Priest had successfully connected with it, having prepared three soul-type divine artifacts in advance as defenses, yet even so, the High Priest had paid an extremely heavy price.
Had Karen chosen to maintain the connection earlier and "look," then without any preparatory defenses, this newly appointed Minister of the Discipline Department might well have had to take medical leave for more than half a month.
Yet, though he did not see the vision, a voice resonated beside Karen's ears, as though steeped deeply in the vicissitudes of ages:
[Lord... I am in such agony...]
Chapter 823