Descent!

Alfred was stunned for a moment, and then the corners of his mouth, which he had only just pulled back into check, began to curl upward uncontrollably. In the end, he simply bent double, clutching his chest with one hand, and once he was fully braced: "Hahahahaha!!!" No matter the time or place, Alfred always held himself to the highest standards of decorum, firmly convinced that some inadvertent "instant" at any given moment might one day become a classic mural. Only by maintaining constant self-vigilance could he ensure that his positioning, stature, and lighting on that mural would be flawless. Right now, however, Alfred couldn't hold it in. He even slammed his palm repeatedly against Karen's desk, producing loud thuds. Karen, who had only just caught his breath, took one glance at Alfred and burst out laughing all over again. Whenever either of them tried to stop, a single exchange of looks would set off another round of helpless laughter. They truly couldn't stop, tears welling up in their eyes. Finally, both grew weary from laughing, the muscles of their cheeks aching. Karen leaned back in his chair, panting softly, while Alfred propped himself against the edge of the desk, dizzy and relying on the desk to keep his balance. It was worth noting that both possessed formidable spiritual power, enough to drink spirit potions like water without ill effect; this alone showed how wild and unrestrained their laughter had been. The last time they had laughed this hard was on the second floor of that townhouse on Mink Street—the first time Karen had met Alfred. Back then, Karen had not yet formally encountered the occult underbelly of the world, and Alfred, dressed in a wine-red suit at the front gate downstairs, had brought with him the absolute oppression of an alien demon. In that tense atmosphere, Karen had inexplicably cracked up. His laughter had then set off Alfred and Madame Molly, especially that unforgettable grin of Madame Molly's. "Heh heh..." Karen gave two dry chuckles. Alfred chimed in silently with a knowing thought: "The sight of Madame Molly smoking really was dark humor at its finest." Karen nodded. "Yes, indeed." Master and servant were far too familiar with each other; some conversations didn't even need to be spoken aloud, the words playing out silently in each other's minds. Neo had once mocked Daliwenluo, telling him that no matter what the Bald Faction tried, they could never outdo that manservant—the bond between that servant and their young master was beyond imagination. "Last time, Siti, two other temple elders, and Rasma descended upon Luojia City together, alongside an escort of Order priests. This time, I am the commander of that priest force. I suspect that when the time comes to actually move, the higher-ups will assign me an elite regular regiment freshly rotated off the front line to command in their stead, marching straight into Luojia City." "I believe your guess is spot on, Young Master." "Ukonga is the officer in charge of this operation. The Whip-Wielder told me Ukonga would take me as his student, and the Whip-Wielder wants me to use that relationship to carry out the High Priest's will when the time comes." "Ukonga? The elder who has lived for over a thousand years?" "Yes." Karen proceeded to recount the events at Pangxi Manor to Alfred. "I turned down Siti. And Rohan—the elder who had a tug-of-war with me and caused me to fall into the Pangxi family's sealed grounds—had his slot snatched by Ukonga." "Young Master, I fear danger lurks behind this." "I know. I even suspect he might have already 'recognized' me." "Then you must still be cautious, Young Master." "There's no other choice. Whether he recognized me or not, I have to jump into this 'teacher-student relationship.' After all, this involves Mink Street. It involves my home." Other dangers could be avoided in advance once foreseen, but some matters had to be faced head-on, even with full knowledge of the peril. "Young Master, the temple's stance is likely clear-cut: they are probably inclined to eliminate the hidden threat of Lord Dis and retrieve the remaining godhead fragment in his hands. If the High Priest's stance differs from the temple's, that makes things very intriguing." "We'll see what specific instructions he gives me when the time comes. At any rate, being able to lead troops back to Mink Street already gives me a certain degree of initiative. The last time the Church of Order came, Grandfather locked me in the study, and I couldn't do a thing." At this, Karen interlaced his fingers and rested his chin on them, continuing: "I'm very curious what expression Rasma will have when he sees me." Alfred reminded him, "You must bring Vic along." "Ah Fu." "Yes, Young Master?" "You truly understand how to enjoy life." ... After concluding that series of formalities, Karen went to sleep. He slept for quite a while; he hadn't waited until dark to turn in, yet by the time he awoke, it was already morning. After showering, freshening up, and changing into a clean priest robe, he walked out of the bedroom into the study, only to find Little Kanna sitting behind his desk reviewing documents. She had even copied his habits, twirling a fountain pen, frowning at times, and nodding at others. Seeing Karen emerge, Little Kanna hopped down from the chair at once, offering a shy smile. "Aya, you're awake! You slept for a long time." "What about you? Fully recovered?" "Uh-huh! After eating my fill and sleeping, I'm all better." "Ah, it's good to be young," Karen remarked wistfully, patting her head. "Mm, but you're very young too. Whenever we go out, those grandpas always call you 'young man.'" "Haha, true, but I often forget." "I'll get you some soy milk." "Thanks." Little Kanna brought a large cup of soy milk to Karen. It was still warm. Taking a sip as he sat down, Karen asked, "Any interesting news?" "Nope, it's all dry and boring, not interesting at all." Karen knew she had finished all her homework and was looking for something to do. "You can go drop by the other offices and see if they have anything interesting going on." "Can I really?" "As long as you don't cause trouble. I trust that our Kanna wouldn't do that." "Of course! I'm not that Augie." Karen nodded and opened his memo pad. He noticed an "appointment record" flagged by Richard, from Hiderod—Gaspol's grandfather and his history professor at Order University. Richard usually handled ordinary correspondence and phone calls regarding social contacts; anything that made it to Karen's desk was personally filtered by Richard as requiring his direct attention. The memos were not limited to Hiderod; there was also a semi-official letter from the Seniors' Club stating that the scheduled tour of the First Knight Order had been canceled. Karen frowned slightly. Touring the First Knight Order had been one of his advance plans; now that it was canceled, he would have to reschedule. Yet as he flipped through the latest itinerary, Karen was surprised to find an event added to the schedule for the day after tomorrow: attending a memorial service for Order priests who fell on the front lines. Location: Headquarters of the First Knight Order. So the event hadn't been canceled; it had been superseded. The Seniors' Club had canceled their visit simply because they could hitch a ride on this official event. While Karen's social correspondence was screened by Richard, his official schedule was managed by Alfred. Everything had been settled while he was asleep. Clearly, Alfred knew Karen would not decline this event—nor could he, as one of the very few front-line commanders currently rotated back. The Holy See was organizing a memorial service for priests killed in action on the front lines, and the entire event would be broadcast live via communication arrays. This carried immense political significance. Karen was certain the entire church sphere would follow it closely, especially the Allied Churches, who would be on pins and needles. The First Knight Order of the Church of Order was a true weapon of mass destruction. During the thousands of years when Order and Light stood locked in factional standoff, the Church of Light, which held the nominal advantage right up until its demise, never dared provoke an all-out, bare-knuckle clash with the Church of Order. What stayed their hand was precisely this slumbering knight order. Moreover, unlike other systems, factions, or powers that weathered away and decayed over time, the First Knight Order only grew stronger, for heroes of every generation within the church lay down within it after death, swelling its ranks. This memorial service was likely laying the groundwork for the next step: the desert war was finally drawing to a close. But who would serve as the "full stop"? Which church would be lucky enough to have their number drawn this time? Karen had a sudden premonition that he might find out very soon. Lately, the Whip-Wielder seemed to be constantly leaking secrets to him, though Karen still couldn't quite fathom why the Whip-Wielder was always revealing the private confidences between himself and the High Priest. *We'll see when the time comes. Maybe the High Priest will even hold a religious rite reenacting the God of Order's bookmark ceremony for Ankara.* Karen picked up the phone. Soon, Philomena's voice came through: "I'm... here... mm." "Connect me to Hiderod." "Al... right..." "What are you eating?" "Chicken. Stewed chicken, with lots of mushrooms and herbs." "Eating that first thing in the morning?" "Richard brought it. Madame Tangli simmered it all night." No matter how slow Philomena was, even she understood by now that Madame Tangli had made this especially for her; Richard was merely the delivery boy. Upon learning that Philomena was in a "breakthrough period," Madame Tangli had ramped up her feeding schedule. "Is there any left?" "Yes, plenty. I only finished one pot, and another pot hasn't been touched. Do you want some, sir?" "Bring me a bowl." "All right. Would you like more chicken or more mushrooms?" "Just broth." Setting down the receiver, Karen said to Little Kanna, "Go fetch the broth." This would take care of breakfast without needing Xili to send meals over. Little Kanna dashed out and soon returned carrying a bowl of soup. A thick layer of oil floated on top. Karen frowned slightly—was Grandmother preparing postpartum meals for Philomena? "Kanna." "On it!" Little Kanna brought her mouth to the rim of the bowl and took a massive slurp, sucking up all the oil on top. The broth instantly became far clearer. Any tiny crumb scraped from the pills she ate daily and dissolved in water would be countless times richer and greasier than chicken soup. Of course, doing this for Karen proved he hadn't doted on her in vain. Karen then lifted the bowl and began sipping the soup. Halfway through, he remembered something and said, "Go ask next door if she forgot to place that call for me." "Right away!" Little Kanna went out to inquire and came back to report: "She told me to tell you she didn't forget and is making the call right now." "Sigh." Karen let out a sigh. Philomena made a fine bodyguard, but as a secretary, her work truly lacked polish at times. Little Kanna offered, "In the future, I can help with these things." She had finished her homework ahead of schedule for now, but once Purr returned, her workload would inevitably be increased. Thus, she desperately hoped to take on more work to substitute labor for homework. "We'll see." "Mmh..." Little Kanna pouted. "You're scared of Sister Purr." "That's not fear, that's respect." "Okay, respect. I respect her very much too. When is Sister Purr coming back?" "She'll return once she finds what she's looking for. If it's inconvenient to bring back directly, I'll take you along to meet her." The weapon left behind by Ankara might well be unusable by anyone else. If bringing it back proved too costly or created too much commotion, Karen would indeed have to make the trip himself. "Then let me calculate the timing." As she spoke, Little Kanna clenched her left fist and extended her right index finger, preparing to tap. The moment she began the motion, she froze, glanced at Karen, let out an awkward chuckle, and quietly drew her hands back. "Break that habit," Karen said. Little Kanna nodded, though she countered with a touch of stubbornness, "But it really works well." "That octopus probably ran into trouble precisely because it tried to divine me." Mulling over the causes of past events often revealed their subtle flavor in hindsight. That incident at Heartsea Manor seemed to have been Foden setting a trap with Karen as bait to reel in Buken. Yet even after realizing this, Karen felt no real resentment toward Foden. Foden had simply treated him too well lately—so well that being used as a cat's paw almost felt perfectly natural. "And then?" "That sort of divination hardly works against gods. Even Mural God Rielsa met an untimely end. If you keep putting blind faith in it, you'll be left with nothing but terror before the gods, forced to bow your head to them. Is that what you want?" "No way! We are equals with them!" The pride baked into her bones would never change. Back when Little Kanna was still a naive hatchling who only knew how to bark and meow, what she had received was an enlightenment from the "Rebel Dragon God." "Treat it as a tool, not a habit." "Mm!" No sooner had he finished lecturing the child than the telephone rang. Karen picked it up, and Hiderod's voice came through the line. Nowadays, not just anyone could call Karen directly; Hiderod had only earned a spot on the memo through Richard's connections. "Minister Karen, sir..." "Professor, what is it?" "Well, someone wants to see you." "I see. When?" "The day after tomorrow." "Could you help reach out and see if we can move it earlier? I have an important event to attend the day after tomorrow." "Yes, of course, but... but..." "Go ahead, Professor." "The person looking for you has been searching for you for a long time. You understand." "I know. Otherwise he wouldn't have contacted me through you." "Will this... cause you trouble? I didn't say a word, truly. The higher-ups just dumped this assignment on me, and I was completely bewildered." "It's fine, Professor. Please don't worry." "All right. As long as it's fine. As long as it's fine. Go back to your work then." "Take care of your health, Professor." Hanging up, Karen pressed his lips together. Ukonga... had recognized him. Karen picked up the receiver again. Muffled chewing sounds came from the other end; evidently, Philomena was still gnawing on a drumstick. "Put Hiderod through directly when he calls back later." "Un... der... stood..." For the rest of the day, Karen attended to his duties. In the morning, he reviewed and signed documents in his office. In the afternoon, he first inspected the interrogation castle, and at a quarter past three, took a seat inside the trial hall. The trial hall was vast, occupying an entire floor of the castle. What had once seemed an ostentatious, wasteful design now appeared remarkably prescient. Too many suspects had been rounded up recently; everything from interrogations to court hearings had to run like an assembly line. Furthermore, with so many relatives, friends, and associates connected to the suspects, the hall was frequently packed to capacity. There was no helping it; those arrested lately were all big fish, and every big fish dragged a massive network in their wake. Karen sat at an elevated platform. He took no part in the trial, nor did he sit on the jury bench; his presence was solely to keep the room under control. Miguel served as the prosecution, presenting the case to the presiding judge and laying out the chain of evidence. The former chief secretary to the Whip-Wielder was much thinner now, yet brimming with energy. His mannerisms had shed their old timid caution, replaced by a resolute firmness. Karen couldn't help but marvel at how little time it had taken for the man to seem like an entirely different person. Trial after trial proceeded, the suspects lined up like cuts of pork on a slaughterhouse conveyor belt, stamped with inspection seals one after another. At that moment, Philomena approached Karen's side. "Minister, Hiderod is on the line." Karen nodded, rose, and left the trial hall. Returning to his office, he picked up the receiver: "Hello, this is Karen." "The meeting has been rescheduled." "All right, Professor. When?" "...Today." "Today?" Karen glanced out the window; dusk was already settling. "Professor, what about the location?" "There is no location. Just today." "Understood, Professor. Thank you for your trouble." "It's no trouble at all. Karen, be careful." "Don't worry, Professor." ... The setting sun dyed the evening clouds crimson. Karen sat on a small knoll in the center of the garden within the Discipline Department's barrier. Vic stepped forward. "Minister, I have posted dedicated personnel at the entrance to conduct inspections." "Mm," Karen acknowledged, picking up a glass of ice water and taking a sip. Vic asked, "Do we need more precautions? For example, warming up the defense arrays in advance, or transferring in more troops from the Whip of Order? At the very least... have everyone halt their current work and stay on full alert?" "No need. He's coming out in the open." Sending word through Hiderod was an explicit statement: *I know who you are.* Saying they would meet today without naming a place made the meaning even simpler: *You don't need to go anywhere. I will come to your door in person.* An absurd, exaggerated way of doing things, yet entirely in keeping with Ukonga's personality. Even after a thousand years, that man seemed unchanged from the reckless, flamboyant noble scion from the dormitory back then. Vic asked again, "Minister, when he arrives, I'll ensure his visit remains secret." This wave of temple elders taking students was meant to poach talents from the Holy See and place early bets on the contention for the next High Priest. Consequently, such contacts had to be handled with extreme care and secrecy. When Siti had sought to recruit Karen, she had secretly summoned him to Pangxi Manor. Although her stupidity had turned the secret into a public spectacle, her original intent had still been to keep a low profile; her intellect had simply fallen short. Just then, Alfred walked over and reported, "Young Master, it's all arranged." Vic asked out of curiosity, "Arranged what?" Alfred replied, "Crab legs. Sourced with great difficulty from the black market and rushed over via the teleportation array. They've already been handed over to Xili to prepare." Karen: "You went to a lot of trouble." "It is only my duty, Young Master." Thereafter, Karen sat waiting, with Vic and Alfred seated beside him. To any priest passing by on the perimeter, it looked as though the minister and his two directors were simply sitting together enjoying the evening glow. They waited and waited. The sun sank beneath the horizon. Then, another "sun" rose. A towering golden radiance, suffused with an aura of majesty, shone down from the crest of the barrier. In an instant, the colossal pressure struck terror into the hearts of every priest and staff member within the barrier. Security priests immediately began rallying, and defensive arrays flared to life. Karen, Alfred, and Vic all rose to their feet, gazing upward. Vic gasped, "This... how could he..." Karen commanded, "Vic, deactivate the defense arrays. Open the barrier." "Yes, Minister." The defensive arrays were deactivated and the barrier parted, splitting slowly from above like a colossal walnut shell. An immense, towering avatar, inscribed with swirling golden patterns, descended slowly from above. As the avatar touched the ground, every castle within the barrier began to tremble. Not only here—the entire Yorktown Region felt the diffusion of this sacred aura. Across Wien Island, as dusk fell this evening, the populace witnessed yet another radiant sunset glow. Throughout Wien, countless Order priests turned toward the light to worship and pray. Even Karen had never anticipated that Ukonga would descend in the most direct, forthright manner imaginable.