He had long "known" Karen was a god, and had constantly compared him against the various lords of the last era, ultimately arriving at a single conclusion—Karen was Ranidal's inheritor.
Ranidal was a deity who, though outside their church's pantheon, maintained close ties to it.
Yet now, that conclusion of his had been thoroughly overturned.
Foden had no time to ponder who Karen might be if not Ranidal, because when one stood in the palm of a deity and could clearly feel the breath of a god...
Whether that being was a proper subordinate of yours or an unfamiliar deity suddenly made an immense difference.
Furthermore, with the veil of mental familiarity stripped away, the unilateral crushing weight from a higher plane of life brought with it the most primal, instinctive terror.
Fortunately, the Whip-Wielder was, after all, the Whip-Wielder. No matter how panicked he felt inside, he could never break down in tears or lose his composure.
Facing Karen, Foden nodded gently and answered, "Mm, I know."
To deliver such a brief reply without the slightest tremor in his voice truly tested his mettle.
Immediately after, Foden raised the bar of difficulty for himself.
Turning back toward Ranidal on purpose, he half-raised his hand and said, "What I ordered... see to it... promptly!"
The Whip-Wielder shouted the final word, projecting the resolute firmness of a superior.
Though in truth, by the end of that sentence, his breath had nearly failed him and his voice almost cracked, forcing him to yell it out.
Ranidal blinked. Although he had just been weighing whether to swat Foden dead moments ago, now that Karen had arrived, he naturally couldn't do anything.
Foden was just about to take flight and leave the god's palm, but in the next instant, the "ground" beneath his feet moved on its own—the moment his feet left the surface, the ground proactively rose to meet the soles of his feet.
Ranidal shifted his palm of his own accord, carrying Foden right before Karen at the entrance to the barrier.
Karen signaled Kanna to descend. The little bone dragon unfurled her body, coiling around the god's palm.
Foden pushed off once more and landed on the bone dragon's back. In that moment, his heart finally settled.
If war broke out with a god and it came down to a life-and-death clash, it wouldn't have mattered as much. Even knowing defeat was certain, one would still clearly know what to do, and death would simply be death. It was precisely this kind of quiet, face-to-face solitary encounter—where the line between friend and foe was blurred—that was the most agonizing.
Then, Karen propped open the barrier with his dharma body and carried Foden away.
Ranidal peacefully resumed his original posture, lowering his head to look back into his divine kingdom.
"Hm?"
A glance was all it took for Ranidal's divine eyes to widen in fright. Siti was actually on the verge of forcibly breaking through the seal! If his mind had wandered a moment longer, Purr might have been done for.
Kevin immediately used two fingers to tap and flick at the divine kingdom beneath his feet. After a series of meticulous adjustments, he finally restored the balance.
"Whew..."
Having done that, Kevin let out a long breath.
Earlier, when capturing those temple elders, he had barely exerted any effort. Yet staging this arena match now had genuinely exhausted him.
Still, watching Purr's joyful smile inside the divine kingdom, Kevin smiled along with her.
Even the night sky seemed to clear.
...
"Whip-Wielder, this is the High Priest's decree."
"Mm."
Foden took it. Though the contents were brief, they outlined roughly what had transpired in the Temple.
Although there had been no rigorous deployments—and many aspects had relied on "improvisation," which was to say luck, to push forward—judging by the outcome, it could not have been better.
Karen smiled. "Starting today, the Temple will be subordinated to the Holy See, subject to the High Priest's control."
Foden nodded. "Karen, you've rendered great merit this time. Our High Priest is a man who metes out rewards and punishments with absolute clarity. Just wait; a new appointment will be handed down. Who knows, he might even give you my seat."
"Whip-Wielder..."
Foden raised his hand to cut Karen off and continued, "The High Priest demands a proper conclusion to this matter. What are your thoughts on that?"
"This subordinate believes the High Priest means that since all the gains have been secured, our next step is to eliminate all negative fallout, bringing this funeral to an end in a joyous manner."
"It seems you already have a plan in mind. Good, I'll leave it to you to carry out. I just returned from outside, so I'll find a military tent to rest for a bit."
Foden unhooked his identification plaque from his waist and tossed it to Karen.
Karen reached out and caught it. This meant he would now wield the Whip-Wielder's authority to handle everything here with full autonomy.
"Yes, Whip-Wielder. Please rest assured, I will handle it properly."
"I have always been at ease with how you handle things; after all, you accomplished even this affair almost flawlessly." Foden paused, then decided to warn him, "However, aside from being scrupulous with rewards and punishments, our High Priest has another habit. When he finds you useful, he will squeeze out every bit of your value as thoroughly as possible."
"Do you believe the High Priest will assign me even more difficult tasks?"
"Keep it clear in your mind; there's no need to say it aloud. Most of the time, we don't have the luxury of choice anyway. You must have seen mm-mm..."
"Hm?"
"You must have seen how ruthless mm-mm can be—you saw it this time, didn't you?"
Foden placed his hand against his neck and made a slicing motion.
Karen nodded. "I did."
"In short, he is a leader worth following, but by no means a benevolent one."
"Yes, Whip-Wielder. I understand."
Karen realized Foden likely expected him to deal directly with the High Priest far more often in the future, and was sharing his experience in advance.
After Foden left, Karen slipped the plaque into his pocket. Turning around, he saw little Kanna, who had shifted back into human form, playing with two sapphires in her hands.
Ukonga had very generously gifted her the gems set into his twin scimitars. At the moment, Ukonga was still chatting with Neo by the river, and Karen had only just returned from cutting his roommate gathering short.
Although Neo's timely intervention had stabilized Ukonga's injuries, his spirits and mindset had plummeted to rock bottom.
For Ukonga, Grandpa's success meant the most absolute defeat. Failing to obtain the Order-aligned godhead fragment he desired meant his existence was nearing its end.
Originally, he might have held on for a few more years, but after such grievous injuries, his life had likely entered its final countdown. That was why he could dismantle his primary weapons and give the pieces away.
This was hardly giving gifts; he was clearly distributing his inheritance.
Little Kanna fiddled with the sapphires. The gems glowed, casting ripples of light before her like a mirror, replaying the scene from inside the barrier.
Seeing this, Daina walked over to watch along.
...
"Prepare yourself. In a short while, I'll send people over to take the wounded elders back for treatment."
"What I ordered... see to it... promptly!"
...
"Huh, why did it record this?"
Little Kanna clearly hadn't figured out the functions of her new toy yet.
Karen felt a bit puzzled. Reasonably speaking, the Whip-Wielder wasn't someone to show off his presence before Ranidal for no reason.
Even if he were curious to see a real god, looking from afar would have sufficed. People going to a zoo to look at lions knew to keep behind the iron bars rather than climbing in to interact with them.
The Whip-Wielder had always been cautious and meticulous. Was this abnormal behavior due to some misunderstanding on his part?
Karen pursed his lips and waved to Daina. "Daina."
"Commander, your orders?"
"Find some memory crystals and copy this recording onto them. Circulate them through the corps, and send a copy to internal church publications like Order Weekly. Let everyone admire the calm demeanor of our church's Whip-Wielder when facing a deity."
"Yes, Commander." Daina then asked, "Do you have any other orders, Commander?"
"This is the primary mission. We must dispel the negative impact this affair has caused inside and outside the church. Did you think I was merely trying to flatter my superior?"
"No, no, no, not at all! I understand, Commander!"
Daina walked over to little Kanna and asked with a beaming smile, "Would you like to come with big sister?"
"You can take them. Just give them back when you're done."
Little Kanna handed the gems to Daina.
Daina froze for a moment, not expecting little Kanna to be so generous.
Although Daina was the High Priest's adopted daughter and held an exalted status, in terms of actual treatment, she truly couldn't compare to the little bone dragon. The small satchel Kanna carried on her back was a divine artifact, and the stature of her teachers and the caliber of her assignments were outright luxurious.
"I'll return them to you the moment I'm finished."
Once Daina left, Karen patted little Kanna's head. "Come, let's clear the field here first."
Karen returned to the barrier. Not long after he sent out a signal, Alfred and Vic arrived at his side. He had entered earlier to summon them as well, only to find the Whip-Wielder and Ranidal in a "silent standoff," leaving him no choice but to escort the Whip-Wielder out before heading back in.
Alfred reported, "Young Master, all the wounded temple elders have been settled. Though their injuries are severe, none are in mortal danger, and they can be moved at any time. In addition... this is a letter left for you by Mr. Hoffen."
Alfred drew a sheet of paper from his coat, its edges shimmering with a faint golden luster.
Taking the paper, Karen asked, "When was this given to you?"
"This subordinate returned to the third-floor study at home and found it on the desk. Mr. Hoffen undoubtedly left it for you intentionally. It can be used as a portable communication formation, and you can write a reply on it using formation script."
A pale blue glow shone from Karen's fingertips, unraveling the seal upon the paper. As the text revealed itself and Karen read it through carefully, his brow furrowed.
"Grandpa is going to the Eternal Ruins."
Vic said in surprise, "He isn't coming back?"
Alfred replied, "He should return after his visit. It certainly won't take too long."
"Grandpa said he will return before the anomaly occurs in the Garden of Life."
"Lord Diss will help us intercept the deities."
At the Black Sea of the Garden of Life, it was known that at least two chief gods would return. Furthermore, although Augurev was a branch god of Order, the power of an Order branch god could sometimes rival that of a chief god.
That meant three chief gods, with the possibility of other deities returning alongside them.
The gulf between deities was wider than that between mortals. Despite Ranidal's present majesty, in the previous era he had only served as a chief god's white glove, running errands.
The Order Knights should have no problem dealing with ordinary deities, but chief gods... If their side lacked a deity holding down the line, the pressure would be crushing.
Karen said, "Have Ranidal turn back. We can clear the field."
"Young Master, the duel between Purr and Siti hasn't ended yet."
"How much longer are they going to fight? Send word—tell her not to play around too long. Either let Siti go after venting her anger, or just kill her."
Many temple elders had been grievously injured this time, but none had actually died. If Purr truly wanted Siti dead, Karen could accept it; an "attrition quota" had already been part of his expected plan anyway.
"Grandpa was still too gentle. Not a single person died on the Temple's side either."
"Young Master, I believe Lord Diss viewed them as your future assets."
"Then help me transfer the assets first, Ah Fu."
"Understood, Young Master. This subordinate will arrange the handover of the elders at once."
At that moment, Vic asked tentatively, "Um... Minister, what about my teacher?"
"Your teacher can't be released for now. He knows my true identity. Since he has already lived on Mink Street for quite a while, he might as well stay here a bit longer until my grandpa returns."
Vic suggested, "We could kill my teacher first, then reawaken him..."
Hearing this, Alfred couldn't help but chuckle. "You truly are a filial student."
Vic said as if it were only natural, "I'm securing benefits for my teacher."
That was certainly true. Rasma had already served as High Priest and was currently a temple elder; if he wanted another promotion... his only option was to die.
Karen remained silent.
Alfred caught on immediately and said, "Rasma is somewhat special. There's no need to kill and reawaken him purely to control him. Though we haven't tested it, there should be a limit to how many 'resurrected' individuals the Young Master can maintain at once; otherwise, the previous God of Order wouldn't have had only twelve Order knights. As for us, our remaining coffins are limited. They must be saved for more critical moments; otherwise, we'd have to cast people out to take in newcomers, which isn't ideal."
Vic nodded in understanding.
Yet he couldn't help feeling a twinge of wistfulness. In the early days, figures like Count Rekar and Madame Gandilo could be placed straight into coffins. Now, even his own teacher didn't qualify for one.
Karen handed his own plaque along with the Whip-Wielder's to Alfred. "Handle the remaining matters. I still have arrangements to make."
"Please rest assured, Young Master."
Seeing Karen about to leave, little Kanna tugged lightly on his sleeve. "I want to go cheer for Big Sister Purr."
"Go ahead, then."
"Is it okay?" Kanna still remembered her duty.
"It's fine. I won't be going far."
Karen left the barrier and returned to the riverbank.
Ukonga's body lay on the riverbank, a soft white light shimmering over him as it repaired his flesh. His head rested neatly atop a mound of earth.
Neo sat opposite him, chatting face-to-face.
"To see you again at the end of my life brings me comfort, Philias."
"Likewise, Ukonga."
"After all, you all died before me. For a father like me, it was nothing short of psychological torture."
"Believe me or not, I could find a fishing rod right now and use your head as bait."
"You wouldn't. You're such a gentle, upright man—how could you be so mad?"
"Sigh, have you forgotten how the Church of Light perished?"
"That wasn't entirely your fault. Budalas once told me that it wasn't a matter of him winning and you losing; rather, the two of you were merely standing at the culmination of several millennia of struggle. Even if you two had swapped positions, Light would still have perished."
"And what about Order today?" Neo asked.
"What? Are you referring to the return of the gods? As long as our Lord and the branch gods return together, my Church of Order will remain the world's foremost church."
"Would the Church of Order still be the Church of Order, then?"
"You..."
Neo looked out over the river's surface, a touch of melancholy in his voice. "Light perished because it strayed from true light. If Order strays from true order, it won't be far from destruction either. A church with such profound foundations is rarely brought down by external pressure; the root of genuine turmoil has always lain within. Do you dare claim the true motive behind your operation was solely to eliminate a threat to the Temple and nothing else?"
Ukonga fell silent.
Neo continued, "You must recognize that deity."
"Yes, indeed. I recognize her."
"Then you should also know who she was closest to."
Ukonga smiled faintly. "I know. Her bond with our Lord was far closer than church history records."
"Since she has appeared here, you should understand what your Lord's attitude is as well."
"Are you saying... we actually lost to our Lord's will?"
"Your Lord might not approve of your actions, even if you act under his banner."
"Enough. I'm a dying man anyway; there's no point in parsing this any further. Regrettably, the mythological texts of our Church of Order never depict the world after death; they only tell us that death is the end of all things. Otherwise, I could fantasize that after my life fully ends, I might return to my Lord's divine kingdom, where he would open his arms like a father and welcome me into his warm embrace."
Neo asked, "Did you ever consider whether your Lord would want to embrace you?"
"You two are having quite a chat." Karen sat down. "Perhaps we could make it livelier by gathering everyone together."
"I suppose we could gather them, but I might not live to see that day."
Karen looked at Ukonga and said, "Call me 'Father,' and I can give you a piece of candy."
"Candy?" Ukonga snapped in irritation. "You people have practically stripped me bare, and yet I haven't heard a single respectful title from you!"
"I only took two of your gems as toys for a child. How is that stripping you bare?"
Ukonga gestured with his lips toward Neo. "Him! Aside from the flesh currently regenerating, he didn't leave me a single thing. He literally stripped me down to my skin! On top of that, he asked if I had any bearer cards from black market banks! Hah! How could I possibly use such things? The Temple is supported by the Holy See, and I barely step foot outside it once a century!"
Neo said to Karen, "That's why I suggested he draft a will. His family is still around, so he can stipulate the creation of a family trust managed by me. I'm very skilled at this, and I can help his family estate grow even further."
Karen teased, "If you really did that, ladders would be sold out across the market."
Neo snorted. "That's slander! There was someone whose family suffered a disaster before, and I helped him trade stocks—his assets multiplied several times over!"
Neo was referring to Leon, though he was meticulous enough not to give Ukonga any useful specifics.
Even so, in Karen's memory, Neo always seemed to turn a profit when managing funds for others—Karen himself had made a tidy sum thanks to him during the war between Order and Samsara—yet Neo managed to lose so heavily on his own investments that he nearly had to sell his car to pay off his debts.
Karen said, "The man isn't even dead yet, and you're already scheming to divide his estate. Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
Neo shrugged. "He's lived so long that he probably doesn't have much affection left for his descendants anyway. We're the closest people to him, right, Ukonga?"
Ukonga answered, "I can write a will, and I'll add an extra clause: every year when my descendants come to mourn me, they must bring along several heads of Light remnants."
Karen drew a silver mask from his pocket, having already pulled it from his ring on his way over.
"I am currently acting on the High Priest's decree to oversee the conclusion of affairs here. Diss Inmeles asked me to hand this to you, and had me pass along a message."
"A mask?" Ukonga looked puzzled. "Put it on me, let me try."
Karen placed the silver mask onto Ukonga's face.
In the next instant, Ukonga's head bounced right off the earthen mound. For the first time, Karen learned that a head could be so lively.
Yet as it fell, it bounced out of position, rolling down the slope of the riverbank straight into the water.
Splash!
It actually skipped across the water several times before sinking to the bottom.
Karen asked, "Why didn't you stop it?"
Neo replied, "I thought you were going to."
A moment later, Ukonga's regenerating body on the shore sat upright. A distinct power circulated within it, as if infused with newfound vitality.
Bang!
Ukonga's head flew up from the river and landed squarely back onto his shoulders, but the mask upon his face had vanished.
The mask indeed contained a godhead fragment; Karen had once worn it to impersonate a descending temple elder.
As for the original owner of that godhead fragment, not long after condensing it, he had been slain by Diss in accordance with the Code of Order.
Ukonga looked at Karen with grave seriousness and asked, "What did that man—no, he—no, Mr. Diss—have to say to me? No, what guidance did he give?"
Ukonga's emotions were fraying, which was understandable. He yearned desperately for an Order-aligned godhead fragment; it represented the new life he so desired.
"He said..."
"Quick, tell me! He must have an important task for me to carry out, or guidance regarding cultivation! This is critical to me—hurry, hurry, hurry!"
"If that's not enough, there's more."
Chapter 899