Chapter 311: Pet Physical Examination

Chapter 311 Pet Physical Examination

Having dealt with the captain, Cullen hung up the phone and looked at Kevin first, saying, "Just a joke."

Kevin immediately wagged his tail.

"The captain is actually a decent person."

Kevin's tail instantly stopped wagging.

Purr extended a cat paw, patted Kevin, and consoled, "Just consider it a sacrifice for your good friend, the Radio Goblin. After all, he can communicate and converse with you."

Kevin turned his head to look at Alfred.

Purr, of course, knew exactly what kind of character Cullen had; unless personal interests were involved, he detested all unnecessary risks.

No matter how enticing that thing was, it would be difficult to move him.

Because Cullen had been raised in luxury by Dis.

Therefore, the reason Cullen had agreed to that captain's request, and even made an appointment to explore the burial ground of the phantom beast Compasini together later, was entirely for Alfred.

Hmph, goblin!

Alfred took a deep breath and spoke, "Young Master, I feel this matter is extremely dangerous. You should still..."

"Alfred, let me just ask you one question: is Compasini's stuff useful to you?"

"Your subordinate... Your subordinate can gain a boost by devouring it, because the Incubus Eye can fully merge and absorb it."

"That is enough then." Cullen smiled slightly. "It's worth it."

"Young Master..."

"Alright, we are all friends, so let's not say anything too sentimental. The stronger your power, the more you will be able to help me in the future, isn't that so?"

"Yes, Young Master!"

"Get some rest. Oh, by the way, this tooth is for you."

"Aren't you going to hand it over to your captain?" Alfred asked.

"Do you think he would return my five thousand Order Vouchers?"

"Probably not."

"Then you might as well keep it." Cullen stretched his back. "Alright, I'm going to rest. You and Kevin..."

Alfred spoke, "We will strive to refine that egg by tomorrow morning."

Purr added, "In fact, that egg is more anxious than we are."

...

"This is the investigation report regarding Cullen. Your father and I have already read it. Take a look yourself."

"Alright, Mom."

Bart reached out and picked up the report.

A middle-aged man and woman sat facing each other on chairs, their postures upright, both exuding an air of authority.

The man spoke, "I asked a friend in the Scout Battalion to request this report from the region. It can only be called an official report, as no one was dispatched for a specific investigation, but quite a few things can already be seen from it."

The woman spoke, "The only striking part of this report is the rumor between this Cullen and the princess of Dark Moon Island."

"Yes, other aspects look very ordinary."

"The more ordinary it is, the more abnormal it becomes."

Bart put down the report, looked at his parents, and said, "Dad, Mom, do you mean Cullen is hiding his identity?"

"Son, Mom believes there are geniuses in this world. In Mom's eyes, you belong to this category. Mom also believes that Cullen, whom you admire, is also a genius, perhaps even higher in talent than you, but he is by no means a simple orphan."

"Haha, yes. Just based on the fact that he competed with Chief Bishop Wolfrun's grandson for a woman, and in the end, not only could he follow Bishop Wolfrun to Dark Moon Island but also have his name submitted for this selection list upon his return, the clues can be seen. The person behind Cullen can make a regional Chief Bishop, the number one person on the surface, feel apprehensive, even to the point of swallowing his own pride."

"Furthermore, that Richard whom he carried 'up the mountain' is a descendant of the Guman family. Although the Guman family is merely a family of Jurists, their status is very special in the York City Region.

Quite a few formation masters in our chivalric order are students of Delon Guman.

To be able to snatch a woman from the Chief Bishop's grandson and be friends with the Guman family's grandson means that he and they are actually in an equal relationship, or rather, the former is highly likely to surpass the latter.

Just like when you go out, Son, you basically hang out with those younger generation kids in the chivalric order, because your circles are close, so you can play together."

"You actually don't need to mind these things. You also don't need to hold a grudge over whether he hid his family background from you. In any case, what you admire is his strength. If you can be friends with him, it's best to be friends; it might be beneficial to your future development."

"No need to be so utilitarian, as long as you have that awareness in your heart. In addition, the Vice Commander sought me out for a talk today. He hopes you can strive to obtain that quota. I feel that inside the Gate of Samsara, it is not just a trial.

The Vice Commander did not speak entirely plainly, perhaps he was merely conveying the Commander's intention, but I know that if you can return safely from the Gate of Samsara, you will be nurtured as the true future in the Third Chivalric Order, and even upon your confirmation, you can directly serve as the Commander's guard."

"Dad, Mom, please rest assured, I will succeed."

...

As the first dawn broke, this city had not yet had time to fully awaken from its deep slumber.

A VIP car drove up and stopped at the entrance of the Pavaro Funeral Home.

Dincom, who was responsible for the night watch and snoring last night, was already awake and sweeping the floor. Seeing the appearance of this VIP car, he subconsciously assumed that Vanni and Pegg were coming to see his boss.

But fixing his gaze, he realized something was wrong; though it was a VIP car of the same model, the details of the body were different.

The VIP cars driven by Vanni and Pegg, whether applied for during security missions or the one currently assembled by the captain himself, had many arrays embedded inside, which caused the car body to look slightly bloated, whereas this one did not.

The car door opened, and a young girl stepped down. After getting out, she looked at the funeral home, frowning and yawning.

"Smack!"

A woman who came down from behind slapped the back of the girl's head directly, scolding, "Who are you showing that frown to?"

"Mom, coming to a funeral home first thing in the morning, isn't it normal to frown?"

"To beg someone, one must have the attitude of begging someone."

"Beg what kind of person? It would have been fine to just have the items delivered; you two just had to come in person."

A man also stepped out of the car at this moment, criticizing Aisley, "Since we are here, there is definitely a purpose."

The woman echoed, "You don't understand. If you can ultimately enter the Gate of Samsara, after you return, not only can your internship status become permanent, but a separate office will even be opened for you to lead your own team."

"Huh?" Aisley covered her mouth. "That exaggerated?"

She knew how high the level of the department her parents belonged to was. Owning a separate office there meant she could lead a project team and enjoy the treatment and resources granted by the Sacred Church.

"If it weren't for that, would we need to be so enthusiastic as to come in person first thing in the morning?" the woman asked back.

"But who knows what method will be used during the final selection? It's enough to just keep up a polite relationship with him. I've already done that; at the critical moment, I still have to rely on myself, don't I?"

"No," the man corrected. "Inquiries have been made through similar departments in other regions, and they also have children participating in this selection. There is a peculiarity to this selection; it appears to be for individuals separately, yet the selection in each region allows one to obtain help by relying on those around them."

"Huh?"

"The York City Region can be considered the one that covered it up the most. Several other regions have seen instances of securing quotas by forming cliques, and people are already complaining. For example, that Cullen you mentioned carried a friend up the mountain. If it weren't for his friend being unable to endure the altitude himself, and if that Cullen hadn't made things difficult for you in advance, there is a high probability that Cullen could have brought his friend along to obtain a quota.

But why must everyone be arranged within the same illusion?"

"Isn't that simpler?" Aisley asked.

The man smiled, "I consulted that master formation specialist in the Church whom I helped treat when her formation beast was injured last time. Her answer was that doing this would place a heavier burden, whereas one illusion per person would have a much lower maintenance cost—infinitely lower, in fact. An illusion, when conducted for a single person, is definitely much easier than when conducted for a group of people, because variations and more accidental factors will arise between people."

"Father, what do you mean?"

"It is intentional. The final selection will highly likely rely on teamwork. Aisley, you must understand that the purpose of this selection is to secure twelve spots for the trials at the Gate of Reincarnation. It isn't meant to pick out the twelve most outstanding individuals of this age group—though, of course, the twelve chosen in the end will certainly be exceptional.

The purpose of the selection is to find a team most suited to undergo the trials inside the Gate of Reincarnation."

"I understand, Father."

Just then, Dincomb stepped forward and asked, "Excuse me, are you looking for someone?"

Aisley spoke up, "We are looking for Karen. Is he home?"

"The master hasn't woken up yet. I will go and inform him for you, please wait a moment."

Dincomb immediately returned to the backyard to deliver the message.

Having received the word, Alfred, Kevin, and Pu'er—who hadn't slept all night and were keeping a close eye on the refinement process—noted that the egg had now been wiped of all consciousness, turning into a blue liquid within a spell container, though it still required another round of purification.

"Guests? Alright, I understand."

Alfred delivered the last vial of purification reagent into the flask. In another three hours, the liquid in the flask would separate into layers, and the clearest liquid on the top layer would be the final product required.

Alfred placed the flask into a sealed cabinet, one equipped with its own formation array, which he had scrounged from the black market.

"Ah~ we're going to sleep, so sleepy, meow."

"Woof!"

"Mm, go and rest. I will go see what kind of guests they are. If it's nothing important, I'll have them wait in the front parlor; the young master hasn't woken up yet."

Alfred arrived at the front parlor, and the moment his eyes fell upon Aisley, he instantly knew these guests were of no ordinary status.

For after the last dinner gathering, he had been the one to pick up the young master. Although he only drove Ventura back, Aisley and Bart had also walked past the front of his car. As an excellent butler, accurately remembering the appearance and identity of everyone associated with his young master was the most fundamental professional requirement.

Ventura's family background was quite ordinary, but the other two—one was a scion of the Knights, and the other hailed from a high-level research institute within the Church.

Could these be her parents?

By the time he walked from the doorway to stand before Aisley and her parents, a warm, welcoming smile already graced Alfred's face.

"Miss Aisley, welcome. And these two are?"

In greeting Aisley, Alfred did not dare overdo it with exaggeration, omitting things like "my young master was just speaking of you last night" or "my young master has always kept your character close to his heart."

For Alfred knew precisely what issue had always troubled his young master the most; he certainly did not dare dig a pit for his young master when it came to matters between men and women.

"Hello, I am Aisley's father, Santos, and this is my partner, Selina. Aisley mentioned that Mr. Karen keeps two pets at home. Her mother and I felt that simply sending over some pet supplements might not be quite thoughtful enough. After all, supplements aren't things to be taken lightly; those that can be eaten indiscriminately usually have no effect anyway.

Therefore, we came here specifically to inspect them for you in person, so as to formulate a plan that can guide these two pets to develop in a better direction."

Alfred maintained his smile, but his heart skipped a beat.

What? They were here to make a growth and development plan for Pu'er and Kevin?

Alfred felt that the two pets in his household didn't seem to need any further development or evolution. After all, they had just cooperated with him to finish refining the heart of a high-ranking Sea God Church believer—a feat that, for cats and dogs raised by any other household, would absolutely be considered of immense difficulty.

Yet Alfred did not dare refuse outright. He decided to consult his young master first. Most importantly, the other party's status and position were right there; though they only belonged to a research department, the higher a research department was, the more its influence rivaled that of departments with real administrative power.

"Please wait a moment and have some tea, the three of you. Oh, you haven't had breakfast yet, have you? I'll have someone prepare it while I go inform my young master."

"Very well, go ahead." Santos showed no arrogance whatsoever.

"Dincomb, pour the tea."

Walking to the backyard, Alfred spotted Xili just stepping out of her bedroom door and instructed, "Guests have arrived. Prepare breakfast."

"Yes, Mr. Alfred."

Alfred walked to the door of the master bedroom and knocked.

A moment later, the door opened, and it was Kevin who opened it.

"Is the young master awake?" Alfred asked.

"What is it?" Karen's voice came from the inner room.

"Young master, Aisley and her parents are here. They say they want to perform an inspection on Pu'er and Kevin."

Pu'er, who had just lain down on the bed, abruptly scrambled up, wondering aloud, "What?"

Kevin also pricked up his ears, as if he had misheard the words.

"At the front door?" Karen asked.

"Yes, they have arrived."

"Why such enthusiasm..." Karen was somewhat perplexed. If it were merely an affair between young people, there was certainly no need for parents to get involved. "Could it be that they heard some rumors about the final selection and will have use for me?"

Karen felt that only this explanation could hold ground.

Aside from this, even if Aisley went back and told her parents that she fancied him and would marry no one else, it was impossible for her parents to make a special trip early in the morning to discuss wedding arrangements.

It definitely had to do with the final selection, because it was set to begin tomorrow morning, and they couldn't wait.

"An inspection isn't a bad idea either." Karen looked at Pu'er. "A good physique can also make it easier for you to recover as soon as possible and exert more of your current power, can't it? Oh, right, the premise is that you can store that finger away first."

Hearing this, Pu'er asked in confusion, "You said they specialize in breeding demon beasts?"

Karen added, "And they only breed rare demon beasts."

"But I still feel it's very strange."

"Woof!" Kevin wagged his tail excitedly.

It was plain to see that Kevin was very willing to improve his physical condition a bit.

Karen made the decision, saying, "Just treat it as going through the motions. We can't deny them this courtesy. Alfred, let them wait a moment while I wash up."

"Very well, young master."

Karen got out of bed and walked into the washroom.

"Woof!"

Kevin barked at Pu'er.

"No, I never thought about improving my physical condition. My dream has always been to change back directly. What about you? Have you ever thought about it?"

"Woof!"

"Isn't what you're saying utter nonsense? You never thought you would turn into a dog, so how could I have ever thought I would turn into a cat!"

"Woof?"

"That was just playing around, playing around! Turning into a cat used to be a hobby, but I never intended to turn a hobby into a profession."

"Woof."

"Mm, then let's just humor them. They are mainly here for Karen; we are just the accompanying free gifts."

After Karen finished washing up and changed his clothes, he walked to the kitchen to see Aisley and her parents. The three of them hadn't waited in the front parlor, but were instead eating breakfast inside the kitchen. Xili had served them wonton noodles according to Karen's taste.

It was evident that this suited their palates perfectly; they were eating very happily, and an empty bowl sat before each of them, indicating they had all asked for seconds.

In any case, within the Wien region where the heavy, paste-loving food culture reigned supreme, encountering people who knew how to appreciate light, fresh, and delicious food was truly no easy feat.

"Karen!" Aisley spotted Karen.

"You are Karen?" Selina discovered that Karen was unexpectedly good-looking, and could not help but look at him, then look back at her own daughter.

For a mother with a marriageable daughter at home, subconsciously sizing up eligible young men as potential matches is almost a matter of pure instinct.

Moreover, her husband had already analyzed that Karen's background was likely far from simple.

Santos rose to his feet and said, "Karen, Aisly told us at home that you were very handsome, but I never expected you to be this handsome—you look almost exactly like I did in my youth."

"Dad!"

"Hello, Uncle. Hello, Auntie."

Since they had swallowed their pride as people of high status to visit him in person, Karen was not about to put on airs; seeing how polite they were, he would naturally return the courtesy.

"I haven't had breakfast either, let's eat together."

Karen ate a bowl of noodles, chatting throughout the meal; the atmosphere felt remarkably like a visit from distant relatives.

He had initially assumed that given Aisly's personality, her parents would surely be the kind of scholars who were poor at socializing, but the reality was quite the opposite—the Santos couple were incredibly suave and polished.

Of course, they were likely haughty in their daily lives, but this time, where their precious daughter's future was concerned, they were willing to swallow their pride.

As soon as breakfast concluded, the Santos couple requested to proceed with the pet examination.

Karen naturally agreed, but the examination was arranged neither in his master bedroom nor in his study; instead, it was set up in the workshop that originally belonged to Mrs. Lake—the very place where she used to perform cosmetic work on corpses.

However, because Karen had changed the clientele of the funeral home, Mrs. Lake had not used that workshop for a very long time.

Purr and Kevin walked over; to