Chapter 493: Promotion

Chapter 493 Promotion

Originally, the York City district boasted a landmark structure, the York City District Ecclesiastical Bureau Building of the Order of Sacred Light, though that edifice had tragically collapsed during an operation to apprehend a traitor, an event Cullen had witnessed firsthand, which was precisely when he had first met Richard.

The replacement bureau subsequently selected was situated in the suburbs, with its teleportation array arrayed across what had once been an underground parking garage.

For some reason, every time he entered or exited this place, Cullen could detect the distinct scent of machine oil.

Although he trusted that those responsible for cleaning the area likely utilized purification spells for deep cleansing, the habit of frowning and wanting to cover his nose upon seeing the environment was one he simply could not break.

Yet, after smelling the briny tang of the sea for so long, encountering this scent of machine oil suddenly felt remarkably familiar and brought a comforting sense of belonging.

Laurel and Lyon, leading a cohort of clergy, stood waiting here to receive them.

"Welcome back safely."

Laurel stepped forward, intending to embrace Cullen.

Noticing that journalists were still snapping photographs along the perimeter, Cullen stepped forward with a smile on his face to return Laurel's embrace.

Once he parted from Laurel, Lyon also advanced, opening his arms wide, leaving Cullen with no choice but to share a brief embrace with him as well.

During the embrace, the shutters of the journalists' cameras clicked incessantly.

Lyon smiled and said, "You have worked hard this time."

"To serve the Sacred Light is my duty; it is no hardship."

"A banquet has been prepared for you all, would you care to attend?" Lyon inquired.

"Is it permissible to decline?" Cullen asked.

"Of course, it can be canceled at any moment, after all, my grandfather felt that since you have just returned, you must surely be homesick and undoubtedly exhausted."

"Then please convey my gratitude to the Chief Bishop for his thoughtfulness toward his subordinates. I shall pay a personal visit in a few days to express my thanks."

"Oh, at present in York City, I suspect no one wishes for you to pay a visit, haha."

Hmm?

What was the meaning behind those words?

Cullen perceived something unusual within that remark, but the present environment was clearly unsuitable for discussion.

After the welcoming ceremony concluded, Cullen did not rush to lead his subordinates out of the parking garage—no, the teleportation array hall—but instead sat down to rest in a cafe located in a corner of the grand hall, ordering an iced latte.

As to why he ordered only a single cup, it was because it felt improper to occupy the space for rest without purchasing anything;

As to why he ordered *only* one cup, it was because the cafes and eateries in the teleportation array hall were exactly like the airport dining Cullen had experienced in his past life, which is to say, exorbitantly expensive.

This single cup of iced latte cost ninety-nine Order Vouchers, truly cheap, not even reaching a hundred Order Vouchers.

Originally, the monthly acolyte stipends of Pike and Dincom would have sufficed for them to come here and drink a cup, leaving them with one voucher coin remaining... and if the taxi driver happened to be an avid collector of commemorative coins, it might just carry them home.

"Blanche, Marth, do you intend to return home?" Cullen inquired.

The homes of Blanche and Marth were not within the Vienne district, though Cullen did not ask Muri; even though his home was in the Dinger district, Cullen believed Muri certainly had no desire to return home to visit relatives at this time, only to be beaten by his grandfather once more.

Blanche and Marth exchanged a glance; evidently, they wished to return, as they had been away for a considerable duration this time, and news of their "demise" had even circulated at one point, meaning it was high time to return and reunite with their families.

Cullen looked toward Alfred: "Go and assist them in purchasing their tickets."

"Yes, Young Master."

"As for the others, you may draw a sum of voucher coins from Alfred to purchase some gifts for your families to take back."

"There is no need, Captain, this time we were a self-funded observation group, there are no mission rewards," Ventura stated with utter frankness.

Generally speaking, when a leader offers to distribute benefits to everyone, and an individual suddenly steps forward to urge consideration for the leader's hardships and requests a reduction in benefits, that individual is bound

"Uncle."

"Hmm? Is there something else?"

"Be careful not to arouse suspicion."

Mr. Eisen nodded immediately, saying, "I understand. I will maintain my past habits."

"Mm."

Karen watched Mr. Eisen's retreating figure, sensing that his uncle still harbored a lingering fondness for maintaining those old habits.

Rising, he picked up the latte from the table and took a long draught. After a moment's hesitation, he carried it outside, where Alfred stood waiting.

"Where are Muri and Wick?" Karen asked.

"Young Master, Muri took Wick upstairs to the voucher shop to purchase some supplies first. Afterwards, Muri will take Wick back to the Allen Apartments to get him settled."

"Alright, good."

Walking to the entrance of the Academic Administration Building, Karen spotted the family's black secondhand Ponts parked alongside a luxury VIP carriage.

Seated in the hearse was Richard, while Neo occupied the VIP carriage.

Evidently, Neo, having returned a step earlier, had already unpacked his treasured VIP vehicle.

Richard climbed out of the car, stepped over to Philomena, and then, noticing Mr. Eisen emerging behind her, called out to him:

"Haha, Memphis, it's wonderful to see you back safe and sound."

Mr. Eisen gave Richard a nod.

"Go on back then, Memphis, I won't see you off," Richard said with a wave of his hand to Mr. Eisen, before promptly shifting his gaze back to Philomena.

Karen noticed that both Mr. Eisen’s steps and expression faltered for a fraction of a second before he silently departed.

"What is it?" Richard asked Philomena. "Heheh, I really didn't expect you to initiate a conversation with me."

Philomena looked at Richard and said, "When I heard the news that you weren't dead, I was very glad."

"Oh, is that so? Thanks. I understand. Without me around, you'd be quite awkward in the squad. After all, trying to get familiar with another teammate all over again is simply too painful."

"Mm."

"So, I still have my uses in the squad—making the second strongest powerhouse in our team feel a bit more comfortable. That is my function."

What Richard did not know was that his utility extended beyond this single point, for he had also brought about the direct alignment of another node.

"Mm."

Philomena harbored no resentment about being ranked below Karen, for she held the exact same view herself.

Richard asked, "Do you need me to see you back?"

"No need."

"Don't be polite. I think your grandmother and my grandmother get along quite well."

"That is because you do not understand women."

As the famed "Young Master Eisen" of Pastry Shop Street,

he could only nod at this moment:

"You are right."

Philomena departed, and Richard watched her retreating figure for a short while.

Richard, who had always considered himself the squad's dead weight, was delighted to have found his own point of utility, while Philomena was equally pleased to have found a grounding anchor within her team. It was a stable relationship born of mutual need.

……

"Young Master, I feel that Miss Philomena and Richard seem to get along quite well, though it doesn't feel like it's developing into romance. It resembles more of a pure friendship between a man and a woman."

Purr opened her eyes at this moment and remarked, "Radio Sprite, at the very beginning, Ophelia also believed that she and Karen shared a pure friendship. Do you believe that?"

Alfred countered with a question, "Can Richard even be compared to the Young Master?"

Purr, who instinctively wanted to argue back, froze for a moment, then admitted, "True, there really is no comparison."

"Beep, beep..."

Just then, Neo honked his horn in impatience.

Karen handed Purr over to Alfred. "Take Purr, Kevin, and the others home first. I am going to have a chat with Neo. He returned early, so he should possess more information."

"Very well, Young Master."

Curled up in Alfred's arms, Purr let out a yawn and muttered, "Why does it feel like this Neo behaves every single time like a wife welcoming home her traveling husband, always showing up to pick Karen up?"

"You should just go to sleep."

……

Karen first went over to greet Richard, who ran forward and gave Karen a hug. "For some reason, I just knew you wouldn't meet with disaster."

"I also knew you wouldn't meet with disaster," Karen responded with a smile.

Because your father did not sense any harm coming to you.

Richard glanced over at Neo and said, "Then you and the Captain go discuss official business first. Shall I take the others back?"

"Mm, be careful on the road. And go home early."

"It's fine. My dad went off traveling to who-knows-where lately anyway, heheh. Philomena says I don't understand women, so I think I'll head down to the pastry shop later to have a good chat with a few of the aunties there. I feel like I actually know quite a lot."

"Mm." Karen patted Richard on the shoulder, then walked over to the VIP carriage and slid into the passenger seat.

While starting the engine, Neo handed Karen a thermos and a bottle of water.

Karen smiled. "Such sudden thoughtfulness makes me a bit unaccustomed."

"Hey, you've earned it."

"How so?"

"I returned earlier than you all, and then my position received a new arrangement. This definitely has nothing to do with me; it was engineered on your end."

"A position?" Karen asked as he dropped in some ice cubes. "What is the new position?"

"You'll know when we get there. Let's keep it as a little surprise for now."

"Tell me about your matters..."

"Tell me about your matters..."

The two spoke in perfect unison.

Neo pressed the horn once and said, "Let me go first."

Neo then recounted his experiences in the Mipos Archipelago.

"What about that woman and the little girl? Did you bring them back?"

"Damn it, shouldn't you first ask how I revealed my identity to that Samsara Commander named Lango? Shouldn't you inquire how calmly I approached him to state my status as part of the Order Observation Delegation after putting my own face back on? You could even ask me about Ryan, and that moving sentiment regarding 'what constitutes true light.'

Why must you insist on asking about a infant a few months old and an ordinary woman?"

"Because I don't have much interest in those things. I only wish to know how you settled that mother and daughter."

"I settled them in my home. Does that answer satisfy you?"

"That doesn't sound like your style."

"I have many homes; though I didn't buy a grand villa because it's too troublesome to maintain, I own several apartments. One of them is right above Fannie's. I placed them there and gave them a sum of reles. Fannie will help me keep an eye on them a bit. I don't usually live there."

"That doesn't sound like your style." Karen took a large gulp of ice water. "It's just the same name, nothing more."

"I think this is exactly my style. Deliberately ignoring them would mean I truly care and am being forced. I'll just treat it as her good luck that the child shares Elysa's name. For the sake of my Elysa, I'll look after them a little."

"Mhm, that makes sense." Karen took another sip of ice water, and then he began to recount his experiences during this period.

"Oh, why do I get the feeling that Mavalio likes you a little?"

"Squad Leader, sir, there's really no need for you to force it like this. When I was telling the story just now, I used 'he' instead of 'she'."

"Those gods have surpassed the boundaries of human desire; when it comes to things like 'love' and 'affection,' there are absolutely no gender boundaries. They have already transcended the constraints of normal ethics and morality.

For instance, Mavalio's grandfather would still call him lord."

"Heh."

"But your grandfather really is incredible, knowing so many powerful figures. Lord Techisen, tsk tsk, if placed in Wien, wouldn't that be equivalent to a retired minister?"

"That is actually quite a normal thing."

Neo nodded and said, "True. When your child grows up in the future and I see him, if I can recognize him, I will look after him too."

Karen echoed, "Right, and then my child will mention this to a friend of his who gambled away his entire estate, and that unlucky friend will lament, 'Wow, the friends your father knows are so amazing.'"

"Hahahahaha!"

Both of them burst into laughter.

Neo corrected, "A son is too early, let's make it a grandson. It gives a greater sense of passing eras, and it also gives me a bit more time to climb the ranks."

"I have always found it hard to understand why a remnant of Light like you is so obsessed with climbing the ranks within the system of Order. Do you really want to achieve the exploit of being the highest-ranking undercover agent of Light within Order in history?"

"I feel like I am proving the greatness of Order. Look at me, steeped in Light, yet still a faithful believer of Order."

"I'm afraid that once you truly climb high, you might suddenly change one day."

"Have I lost my mind? Philias didn't even change my faith, so could I change it on my own? If it could really be changed, I would have bowed my head to Philias long ago."

"True enough."

"By the way, Captain..."

"Call me Squad Leader."

"By the way, Squad Leader..."

"Call me Regimental Commander."

Karen pursed his lips, nodded, and cooperated:

"By the way, Regimental Commander..."

"Call me Brigade Commander."

"By the way, Brigade Commander..." Karen paused, looking at Neo.

Neo smiled,

and shouted:

"Call me Director!"

"Director?"

"Aye!"

"I want you to help me investigate someone. His grandfather is the archbishop of the York City region, named Vicolai."

"You want to kill him?"

"I want to gather evidence of his crimes."

"You want to kill him?"

"I want to punish him according to the Regulations of Order."

"You just want to kill him, and you want to find more solid reasons to kill him, so you feel more comfortable in your heart when you do it."

"Yes, exactly."

"Heh." Neo smiled, and then the car came to a stop.

Here was the headquarters of the Whip of Order for the York City region, a building that was originally very quiet and remained very quiet now, a place that, in Karen's impression, was only responsible for receiving and sending documents and stamping seals.

"Then let us go and investigate him. As our first case, the grandson of an archbishop, it is quite a fine appetizer."

"Our first case?"

"Upon my return, I was originally promoted to Brigade Commander. Thanks to you, I only held that position for a few days before being promoted again. Now I am the Director, and you are currently the captain of the action brigade under my command."

"Director of which office?"

Neo cleared his throat and said, "Ahem, listen closely now."

"Alright." Karen poured a bit of ice water from his cup to wash his ears, indicating he would listen intently.

"Damn it!"

"What's wrong, Director?"

"Nothing, it's just that your action of washing your ears makes me feel very refreshed. Next time Bernie calls me to assign work, I will bring a bottle of water over to wash them too. The effect will definitely be excellent, and I believe Bernie will shout in excitement just like me."

"Mhm, so, Director, which office are we actually in?"

"The Office of the Disciplinary Inspection Committee, subordinated to the Headquarters of the Whip of Order for the York City region!"

———

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