Secret Mission

Laughter repeatedly drifted up from the first-floor living room. Leaning against the doorway of the second-floor kitchen, Aunt Mary said to Karen with some helplessness, "Your uncle and that friend of yours named Neo are getting along remarkably well." "He gets along well with anyone." "True enough. Your uncle is the kind of person who can make friends with anybody." Karen smiled faintly. He had been referring to Neo, but he didn't explain. Instead, he placed five bowls of white fungus soup onto a tray. Dinner was already over; this was dessert. "Aunt Mary, could you ladle out the rest from the pot and distribute it? I'll bring these up to Grandpa first." "Oh, alright." "Hahahaha! Right, right, right! Exactly!" "That's what I was thinking too, hahahaha!" Uncle Mason and Neo's laughter echoed from the first floor again. Uncle Mason had probably drunk too much. Neo wasn't drunk, but he was certainly drinking merrily. Picking up a ladle, Mary said, "That friend of yours seems to be planning to lodge with us. He asked me to arrange a room for him in the basement, but how could we put a guest in the basement? I was thinking of having him share a room with Lunt." "He wants to stay here?" Karen was somewhat surprised. "Hasn't he mentioned it to you?" "No. But let him do as he pleases. Let him stay in the basement; he won't be afraid. Don't let him share a room with Lunt—he'll lead Lunt astray." Lunt was at an age where he had too much energy and nowhere to vent it. Running into someone like Neo at this age would ruin his entire life. "Is that really fine?" Aunt Mary hesitated. Although the house was large and had many rooms, the household had grown as well. There really weren't any spare guest rooms—even Ms. Molly went back to her rented place after work. "He won't be scared. He likes that kind of environment." "Then... all right." Carrying the tray of white fungus soup upstairs, Karen pushed open the door to Grandpa's study. Grandpa merely gave a nod, while Mr. Hoffen began straightening his clothes, seemingly forgetting he was only a spirit body whose clothing was conjured from thin air. "Grandpa, this is yours." "Grandpa Hoffen, this is yours." "Mm, good." Old Hoffen stroked his beard while picking up a spoon. Karen placed two more bowls before the two candles, lit them, and stood in silence for a moment before turning back toward the desk. "Grandpa, Neo wants to stay?" "Mm, yes," Old Hoffen took over the reply first. "He wants to stay here and have Diss guide his cultivation." Karen nodded. "That's not bad." Diss asked, "Are you leaving?" "Yes, Grandpa, I'll be leaving tonight. There are many matters to attend to on that side." Old Hoffen asked, "The Garden of Life? How much time is left?" "Based on current projections, less than a month." Old Hoffen pursed his lips and remarked wistfully, "So fast." All three people in the study knew what had caused things to accelerate. Old Hoffen asked again, "Did you get promoted?" "I took on an additional post, concurrently serving as the High Priest's Secretary-General." "Heh, that's your primary post; your original one is the concurrent one. Not bad. Diss, this High Priest of yours is a man of his word after all." Diss glanced at Old Hoffen and reminded him, "It'll be your turn soon." "You..." Old Hoffen's spirits instantly sank. "Grandpa Hoffen, what kind of agreement did you make with our High Priest?" "This..." Diss said, "For your sake, your Grandpa Hoffen didn't hesitate to become the number-one traitor of Principle in church history." "Thank you, Grandpa Hoffen." After hearing himself called Grandpa several times in a row, Old Hoffen's expression improved considerably. Diss took a mouthful of the soup and said, "All right, go attend to your business. If anything comes up, inform your Grandpa Hoffen in advance using that piece of paper." "Mm, all right, I will." Karen stood up and left the study. Glancing into the second-floor kitchen, he noticed there was still some white fungus soup left. He packed a bowl and headed down to the first floor, where he found Neo and Uncle Mason sitting on the mortuary slab, drinking merrily. "You really want to live here?" Karen asked. "Your cat and dog can live here, so why can't I?" Purr and Kevin would be staying here for a while. Kevin was staying due to his special identity, while Purr needed time to recover and make a breakthrough. Originally, Wien had been Karen's home turf—the most secure and secretive. But now, nowhere was safer or less cause for concern about causing a stir than Luojia City. Earlier, when his God's Shepherd advancement succeeded and triggered the manifestation of the Gate of Order, the Temple hadn't even bothered to check in. Were it not so troublesome to move and too time-consuming and laborious to rebuild, Karen would have considered relocating the performance hall of Allen Manor right here. Uncle Mason asked curiously, "Karen, are you heading out?" Neo chimed in, "He's off to beat up gods." Hearing that, Uncle Mason burst out laughing. "Hahahahaha!" Karen sighed and reminded Neo, "Make the most of your time." Neo rolled his eyes at Karen. "Kanna, time to go." "Mmh, okay." Little Kanna climbed out of a coffin and stretched lazily. "Being dead must be so nice, getting to sleep in such a comfortable place." Karen replied, "Most people who die can't afford such an expensive coffin." Stepping out through the courtyard gate, Karen saw Alfred walking over with an umbrella. Both of their clerical robes possessed rain-repelling enchantments, so holding an umbrella was purely performance art. "Young Master." "Has everyone else been arranged?" "Everything has been settled, though our manners at the table seem a bit unsightly." Secretary-General to the High Priest was a position that could carry great or small authority. Previously, that forceful High Priest had never kept a secretary by his side; after all, he possessed enough boundless vigor to handle all affairs of the Holy See by himself. Now that the post existed, Karen hadn't held back in the slightest. Before even formally assuming office, he had already issued a flurry of official dispatches under the name of the High Priest's Office, reassigning his subordinates' posts while allocating corresponding resources. For instance, the necromancers Morindi and Madam Gandiro now had a large-scale necromancy research laboratory dedicated entirely to their work. A combat intelligence consulting laboratory had also been established for Diknuo, nominally in service of Karen. "Given what time it is, why worry about table manners?" Karen shook his head. "I don't believe the High Priest would fault me over such things." "You're right, Young Master." The two walked down the street toward the church. At the entrance, Vic was already prepared to depart. Seeing Karen and Alfred arrive, he immediately asked: "Minister, are you here to see my teacher?" "Mm, let's see him." "Understood. Please follow me." Vic unlocked the church doors and led Karen inside. "Teacher, our Minister has come to see you." In what had originally been the living quarters behind the church sat a gray-haired old man, with wine and food set before him. He wasn't chained or mistreated, though numerous seals had been placed upon him. Some had been personally laid down by Mr. Hoffen, while others were cast by Kevin. It had to be said that in terms of seal treatment, Rasma stood at the pinnacle of the world. After Karen entered, Rasma kept his eyes fixed on him without letting it interrupt him draining his glass of wine. "Hey, kid, can't you just give me a quick death and kill me already?" Behind Karen, Vic raised an eyebrow, quietly hoping his teacher would keep provoking the Minister. Karen drew an internal document from his sleeve and placed it before Rasma. It contained the latest intelligence on the Garden of Life; in the photograph, the three islands at the center of the Black Sea were steadily rising. Rasma's expression instantly turned grave. In bewilderment, he asked, "How could things deteriorate like this all of a sudden?" Karen sat down across from Rasma and said, "Keeping you here is to prevent my identity from being exposed if you were to leave." Rasma said sourly, "Even if you're a remnant of the Light, with your status as Diss's grandson, what do you have to fear from being exposed?" Rasma had shouted similar words to Diss that night outside the doors of No. 13 Mink Street, except back then he meant the Temple would show leniency to his grandson for Diss's sake. Now, however, for Diss's sake the Temple wouldn't just refrain from punishing him—they would proactively help conceal his grandson's special identity. Karen shook his head. "I have my reasons for keeping it secret for the time being, so I can only inconvenience you a bit longer. Let us put the past behind us. I believe the Temple has certainly let it go by now." Rasma drank another cup of wine without speaking. "Our doors are always open; you're welcome to visit anytime. Drink less wine—it's not good for your health. You can go drink tea and chat with Grandpa and the others." "*Burp...*" Rasma let out a drunken burp and asked, "Is that dog still at your house?" "Mm, he is, but he won't bite you again." With a gloomy expression, Rasma said, "As if I'd be scared of him! He's just taking advantage of having a higher realm than me." Karen smiled, genuinely amused by the old man before him. As someone capable of chasing in Grandpa's footsteps, he was indeed no ordinary figure. Even after having been personally battered by a god, his mindset remained unaffected, and he was even still defiant. "I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be on my way. If you want news of the outside world, you can go to Grandpa's study, though you still cannot transmit messages outside. Take care of yourself. Order still requires your devotion." Karen placed the packed bowl of white fungus soup on the table. "I made this myself, to help you sober up." Rasma lowered his head and continued eating, ignoring Karen. Karen stood up and walked out with Alfred and Vic. Somewhat unwilling to give up, Vic asked, "Minister, can't you really kill my teacher?" Rasma: "..." *** "Minister Karen." "Minister Karen." Along the way, the clerics at the Whip of Order headquarters bowed in greeting to Karen one after another, their faces marked with mild surprise, not having expected the Minister to come here. Watching Karen's retreating figure, they began whispering among themselves: "Why did the Minister come here?" "Yeah, hasn't he already been promoted to the High Priest's Secretary-General?" "What do you know? This fully shows that our Minister values personal bonds and never forgets his roots." The first thing Karen did upon arriving in the Dinge Region was not to report to the Holy See, but to visit the Whip of Order headquarters. This choice was not made to build a persona of someone who never forgot his roots, but simply because he felt it was what he should do. After the Mink Street Incident and his experience strolling along the street with the God of Order, Karen's style of conduct had become far less contrived and considerably more composed. "Minister Karen." Vigulin rose and bowed to Karen. "Please announce me to the Whip-Wielder." "Please go right in." Vigulin directly opened the office door for him. Karen nodded to him and stepped inside. The moment he entered, he saw a giant round sphere—no, a dragon's head wrapped in bandages. Little Kanna covered her mouth. "Mmh, big dumb dragon, are you going to die?" Augie opened her eyes, glanced at Karen and Kanna, and wanted to greet them, but lacked the energy. Little Kanna walked over and stroked Augie's dragon horns. "Big dumb dragon, you definitely have to hold on. Making a coffin for you would be way too expensive." Augie turned her head away, not wanting to deal with Kanna. Foden stepped out from behind the desk and walked over to Karen, who bowed to him: "Greetings, Whip-Wielder." Foden sighed and pointed at Augie. "She was stepped on by that one; the veterinarian examined her and said she has a rather severe concussion." "He actually came here?" Karen was somewhat surprised. "He passed through here on his way to the Administrative Temple. Fortunately, he didn't deliberately harm anyone; he merely commandeered the church's teleportation arrays along the way, and the only casualty was this dragon of mine. Has contact with that side been established?" "It has been fully established. Whenever the divine church requires it, that one and the deities around that one will answer the call and intervene." "Mm, that's good. Go report to the High Priest." "Whip-Wielder, do you have any other instructions?" "There's no need to be so polite. We no longer have a strict superior-subordinate relationship." "Whip-Wielder, for Order." "Heh, you brat." Foden raised a hand and patted Karen on the shoulder. Both of them needed this slightly intimate gesture to readjust their new dynamic. "Whip-Wielder, then I shall head to the Holy See." "Teleport directly from my office; it's more convenient." "That would be improper." "Nothing improper about it. The High Priest's avatar was here just a moment ago. He guessed you would come to me first upon arriving in the Dinge Region, and instructed me to send you directly from here." "Understood, Whip-Wielder." Just as Karen was about to wave for Kanna, Foden spoke up, "Let her stay to keep Augie company." "All right. Kanna, stay here for now. I'll pick you up once my business is finished." "Okay, I'll stay with the big dumb dragon." Little Kanna transformed into a bone dragon and moved to Augie's side, gently patting Augie's dragon head with a skeletal claw: "Good girl, you must rest well and recuperate. You're already so dumb; if there are any lingering aftereffects, you'll be even dumber." Augie had originally resisted this touch, but for some reason, she now sensed a soothing aura emanating from Kanna. Even her dizziness and nausea were eased by it. After Karen completed his God's Shepherd advancement, even the Allen family had reaped dividends, so Kanna, who shared a master-servant contract with him, was naturally not left out. Moreover, it had further stimulated the Dragon God's legacy within her. The Rebel Dragon God was the ancestor revered by Augie's dragon lineage; now, Augie was effectively bathed in the care of her ancestor. This detail was noticed by Karen, who had already stepped onto the teleportation circle. Unsurprisingly, his former superior had probably guessed something, which was why he had suggested leaving Kanna behind to heal his dragon. Thus, Karen had never truly succeeded in deceiving or hoodwinking the Whip-Wielder; it was merely due to special, objective circumstances that the balance in their relationship had always been maintained. After Karen teleported away, Foden smiled. He stretched, sat back behind his desk, picked up a document, and casually leafed through it while softly humming a tune. He was in a great mood. Starting today, he could bid farewell to being caught like the filling in a sandwich, because the Big 'Mm-hmm' and the Little 'Mm-hmm' were now paired together directly. *** Karen materialized on the steps before the Administrative Temple. Mobiten, who had been standing there, was suddenly startled, his scalp tingling with numbness as he relived the sensation of when that one had appeared here last time. Only when he clearly saw who it was did Mobiten breathe a long sigh of relief: "Minister Karen... no, Secretary-General Karen, you're finally back." "Mm." Karen nodded to Mobiten, climbed the steps, and entered the Administrative Temple. Before he had taken many steps, a stream flowed beneath his feet to usher him forward. Karen arrived at the tea area surrounded by flowing water. Inside the communication array before the High Priest, the scene within the Garden of Life was being synchronized in real time. "You're here." "Greetings, High Priest." "Sit." "Yes, High Priest." Without looking up, the High Priest asked, "Has contact with that side been established?" "Reporting to the High Priest: that side has promised me they will heed the summons of Order." "Mm." The High Priest nodded with satisfaction, then pointed at the communication projection before him. "I have no need for you to remain by my side for office work. You possess military experience, so go coordinate all operations within the Garden of Life in my name." "Yes, High Priest." "In addition, I have a secret mission to entrust to you." The High Priest finally raised his head and looked at Karen. "This mission has no time limit, no required pace, and no expected outcome." "Please instruct me, High Priest. Your subordinate will spare no effort to accomplish it." The High Priest took a puff of his cigar and slowly exhaled a plume of smoke. His deep, piercing gaze cut through the haze, staring straight at Karen: "Our Lord has returned." Karen's mind clenched. "This is not an expectation, not a prayer, nor a prophecy... Combined with the recent anomalies that have suddenly erupted in the Garden of Life, I believe this is, in all probability, a fact. "Only, our Lord must still be very weak and frail right now—perhaps not even awakened yet. "The Lord may not even have realized who he is." Karen's thoughts settled back into calm. "What do you think we should do under these circumstances?" Faced with this question, the instinctive choice Karen had made when confronting the "God of Order" instantly flashed across his mind: unleash the hunger addiction and try to devour her! Karen immediately answered: "We must seize every moment to find our Lord, and then protect our Lord's safety to the death." A satisfied expression appeared on the High Priest's face. Leaning back slightly, he smiled at Karen and said: "Very good. Then this arduous task is entrusted to you."