Interlude

"Well then, I'll leave wrapping up the rest to you." Bern stretched lazily as he spoke. Sitting across from him at the opposite desk was Vic. Vic reached out with both hands and patted the two stacks of dossiers on his desk, each piled almost as tall as a grown adult. On Bern's desk sat roughly the same volume of files. He gave a wry smile. "With this many files, when will I ever finish?" Bern picked up his coffee cup, took a sip, and said, "I've already handled the hardest part for you. No matter how tough the rest is, it just comes down to spending more time and energy. You still have plenty of time, whereas mine is running short." "Don't say such things. I believe you will live a long and healthy life." "Regardless, being able to orchestrate something like this is deeply gratifying and fulfilling." This great purge was destined to go down in the annals of Church history; both its scale and far-reaching impact were exceptionally rare. However, partly because the High Priest's declaration had come first and drawn an overwhelming share of attention, and partly because very few of the purge's targets belonged to the true pinnacle of the high echelons, there was a certain lag in how both insiders and outsiders perceived its magnitude. For the moment, only those with true discernment could see clearly what this maneuver truly signified. It meant that the Whip of Order's second-in-command had, through the purest developmental path of the Whip of Order, completed his baptism of self. Much like a specific religious rite, the number two figure had solidified his standing both "legally" and "traditionally." If something unexpected were to happen to Foden now causing him to step down, and if the High Priest did not change or intend to overturn his current governing course, Karen would be the most rightful heir to succeed him as the next Whip-Wielder. It sounded somewhat absurd, yet it was fact. Every system possessed its own core values; one's image and positioning had to align with those values. Bern stood up and said, "The Minister should be returning soon." Vic glanced at the raven on his desk and said, "A bit later than planned." "Then it's time for me to head home." "In such a hurry?" "I still have plenty of matters of my own to attend to. In this world, there is never an end to things that need doing." "Haha, quite right, sir." Bern walked to the door, paused, and looked back to see Vic already seated and back at work. Sensing Bern's gaze, Vic halted his pen, looked up at Bern, and asked, "What is it?" "I just feel... it's a bit perfunctory." Vic pointed the tip of his pen at his own face. "Meaning me?" "Yes." "Tsk..." Vic clicked his tongue. "Alright then." With that, Vic stood, straightened his clerical robes, and bowed to Bern in salute. "Safe travels, sir." Bern returned the salute. Vic added, "I won't touch those files on your desk." "You know, sometimes I feel like you people are playing some kind of game. It's built on a completely absurd logic—it couldn't possibly be real—yet you play it so earnestly, never tiring of it." "Life and work are already stressful enough, so perhaps we're just paying attention to maintaining a healthy work-life balance." "A rather flippant answer. Sounds like you're intentionally brushing me off." "That wasn't my intention. Only the one who makes the rules of the game has the right to decide who can join us in playing. Until that's determined, none of us has the standing to treat you as one of our own in advance, nor can we take it upon ourselves to hand you the instruction manual." "So, what's the difference between you and that batch of fundamentalists?" "Toward God, we are fanatical, we are devout, we are steadfast. Hmm... it seems there really isn't any essential difference." If one insisted on finding a distinction, it was probably that God seemed to have always despised that lot of "fundamentalists." "Then I shall head back first. Wish me luck." "May you receive quite a fright." "A most distinctive blessing." Not long after Bern left, Alfred pushed open the door and walked in. Vic immediately threw his hands in the air and cried, "Oh, my dear Mr. Alfred! Have you come to rescue me?" "The workload does look quite heavy." "Indeed it is. Many of these files cannot afford any delay, because we don't have enough detention cells—nor... execution grounds. Fortunately, the Expeditionary Space has always lacked cannon fodder. These sinners of Order are just right to be thrown in there to atone for their sins." "Well, do your best. I won't be able to help you; I must set off to receive Purr and the others." "You seem quite averse to doing this kind of work now," Vic said with an exaggeratedly mournful face. "Yes. Because keeping your head buried in work makes it very hard to look up in time to show your unshaded face when the murals 'snapshot' you." "Your foresight is truly profound." "Why else do you think I mentored you both before? Wasn't it precisely to hand off this sort of work to you and Leon?" "Fine, I'll get it done. I just hope Head Bishop Bern can come in earlier." "Where did he go?" "He clocked off and went home." "Understood." Alfred drove that black, second-hand Ponce to the inner section of the Teleportation Array Hall. While waiting, Alfred received word that his young master had returned as well. Alfred hurried over to the teleportation array where his young master was arriving. Karen was just stepping out, holding Little Kanna's hand. "Young Master, remaining behind alone without your security detail was far too risky." Nowadays, among those around him, only Alfred could still speak to him like this. "It's fine. Ukonga was by my side the entire time," Karen explained, then asked, "Why are you waiting for me here?" His return time had not been fixed in advance. "Young Master, Purr and Kevin are about to return as well." Little Kanna first cheered, "Sister Purr is coming back?!" Immediately after, Little Kanna pouted. "Sigh, Sister Purr is coming back..." Karen asked, "Didn't they say the day after tomorrow?" "The thorniest transportation issue was resolved faster than expected, and since it couldn't be delayed any longer, they hurried to teleport back today." "Alright, then let's wait together." "Also, Young Master, Head Bishop Bern has gone home to make preparations." "Give him a call and tell him that although I'm back, I still have one more matter to handle. Tell him to wait for me." "Yes, Young Master." Alfred immediately turned to place the call, while Karen and Little Kanna walked over to the designated teleportation circle. A moment later, Alfred returned. "Young Master, I couldn't reach Bern by phone. He isn't at home or at the office. I tried sending a black raven, but after circling out, it still failed to detect Bern's aura." "It's fine. He probably just wants some peace and quiet right now. Once that quiet ends, he'll resurface." After waiting for another quarter of an hour, the teleportation circle lit up. From within emerged the figure of Count Rekar. Purr was perched on his shoulder, and behind the count sat a golden chest whose surface runes flowed like liquid. "Young Master!" They were the first batch to return; the rest of the personnel were behind and would not be passing through here. Count Rekar bowed to Karen. "Oh, my dear little Karen, this cat missed you to death!" Purr leaped toward Karen. Karen caught her with outstretched hands and settled her onto his shoulder. Little Kanna raised her hands and bounced beside Karen, cheerfully calling out, "Meow, meow, meow!" Seeing this, Purr slid down from Karen's shoulder and landed squarely on Little Kanna's head. Little Kanna held up her backpack as if showing it off. "I know, I know, it's a very pretty backpack, meow." Little Kanna wanted to keep playing, but Purr pressed a paw against her forehead to stop her. She said to Karen, "Open the chest, little Karen. Next comes the moment to witness a miracle." Alfred asked, "Shouldn't we wait until we bring it back to the department before opening it?" "We can't, meow, because..." Karen asked, "Where is Kevin?" Purr pointed a paw at the golden chest. "The dumb dog is inside acting as the seal. Otherwise, there was really no way to transport this blade. If we'd forced the move, who knows how many souls trying to approach it along the way would have been shattered to pieces." Karen walked over to the golden chest and unsealed it first. The chest bloomed open like golden flower petals. Inside lay a rusted blade and a large golden retriever clinging tightly to the hilt, shedding fur frantically. "Woof." Kevin barked once at Karen, then gave a somewhat strained wag of his tail. There wasn't much acting in this display, for as soon as the chest opened, Karen had already sensed a razor-sharp slicing aura. One could only imagine the immense torment Kevin had endured throughout the journey. However, Karen did not immediately reach for the blade. Instead, he first set up a temporary isolating boundary. He worried that hastily picking up the blade and freeing it from Kevin's restraint might cause its leaking power to damage the surrounding teleportation arrays. Once everything was properly arranged, Karen reached out and gripped the hilt. At the same time, Kevin finally released his paws, kicked his legs, and rolled away. In an instant, an intense jolt shot straight into Karen's soul. The rusted Chains of Order within his body were triggered, and chains radiating an aura of majesty danced within the sealed teleportation hall. In the mire deep within his soul, chains crashed down one after another, plunging deep into the muck. Immediately after, the Hunger Addiction Sculpture surfaced, but its entire body was forcefully bound tight by the chains, restricting its movements. "Roar!" The Hunger Addiction Sculpture let out an enraged howl—carrying with it the disgust and indignation of an old rival making an unwelcome reappearance. Karen looked down, eyeing the Blade of Sighs in his hand with deep surprise. "This blade... can actually suppress hunger addiction."