Chapter 501: Obstructors Are Considered Apostates!

Chapter 501: Those Who Obstruct Shall Be Deemed Apostates!

Among those present, Karen held the lowest rank; otherwise, he would not have been left without even a chair to sit on.

Although he had declined it of his own accord, had he truly possessed the status to sit, no one else would remain seated while he stood.

Yet, Karen harbored no fear toward these two bishops.

It was not out of youthful arrogance or a deliberate desire to boast and show off, but rather because his current position and the political winds he intended to ride made it certain that he would deeply offend the two bishops before him.

He had come today to arrest Vikole, and though the current setting lacked the crowd he preferred and desired—forcing him to consider moving to another venue—the arrest itself was non-negotiable, and thus Bishop Dolph would inevitably be offended.

If he wished to elevate his own team and shoulder the responsibilities and power of the Whip of Order, a collision, or even a rupture, with the current vested interest group—the Regional Management Office—was unavoidable, and the Chief Bishop would be offended as well.

Since offending them was inescapable, there was truly little left to fear.

At that moment, Wick took the initiative to fetch a chair and placed it behind Karen;

this was not done at Karen's prompting, but in short, anyone who could become Lasma's student and be taken out to sea by Thyssen was bound to possess competence.

Karen sat down and said, "The canonical articles state quite clearly that the Whip of Order is responsible for internal surveillance and scrutiny, wiping away the dust upon order; therefore, to ensure the independence of the Whip of Order, the punishment of its members falls under the internal disciplinary inspection department of the Whip of Order, and external systems have no right to interfere."

"Heh." Dolph smiled. "Young man, when I was your age, I too enjoyed dreaming."

Karen smiled in return. "Yes, one must always have dreams. How dull life would be without them."

"Hahaha." Dolph laughed even louder, pointing at Richard. "I originally thought you came to protect him, but now it seems you want to drive him to his grave, hahaha."

Delon wanted to characterize the incident as a mere brawl between two young men, to be resolved with compensation and an apology;

Dolph wanted to elevate it into a confrontation between the Guman family and the Norton family, forcing Delon to back down and sacrifice Richard;

Karen's words just now provoked Dolph's laughter because, in his eyes, Karen had transformed the matter into a conflict of interests between the Whip of Order and the Regional Management Office;

once any conflict is dragged into the vortex of factional struggles, the grievance itself loses all meaning, leaving only a simple matter of taking sides based on interest.

How could the Regional Management Office ever allow the lower and middle echelons of the Whip of Order to regain their independence and rebuild themselves? Dolph knew he was unpopular, but with Karen's move, those bishops who usually detested him would now be forced to support him, including the Lord Chief Bishop himself.

Wolfrun felt a sudden throb of anxiety; earlier, this young man had promised him that the Whip of Order and the region would surely be unified under his leadership, which had sounded pleasant enough, but now he had suddenly veered off course, directly instigating an opposition.

The young are, after all, young, always fond of viewing matters in such simplistic terms.

"Ahem..."

Wolfrun cleared his throat and spoke up, "I originally intended to act as a mediator. After all, we are colleagues and devout believers in the God of Order. But now, I see this matter can no longer be resolved by simple mediation and conciliation.

Guards, go to the Disciplinary Department and fetch a few people to explain to us how such a matter should be judged. We must listen to the opinions of professionals, must we not?"

Old Man Delon's face turned ashen; he knew the situation had completely slid into an uncontrollable abyss.

Richard remained standing there, his expression calm. He trusted the Director, and he trusted Karen. Most importantly, regarding this matter, he felt he had done right, and his conscience was clear.

Sitting in his chair with his hands clasped, Karen spoke, "Lord Chief Bishop, I have no intention of instigating a feud between the Whip of Order and the Regional Management Office in our York City Region. At the very least, I do not wish to fire the first shot or be the first to taste the bitter broth.

However, I cannot simply watch my subordinate be ruined under the oppressive power of a bishop. It is not that I wish to stir up trouble, but Bishop Dolph has left me no retreat.

Upon my return from the Island of Fire, the Hand of the Whip presented me with a book on behalf of the High Priest; it was the latest edition of the Regulations of Order."

In truth, what Foden had given him was merely a novel that the High Priest enjoyed reading.

But... who could possibly verify it?

Would anyone call Foden now to ask if he had given a young subordinate a copy of the Regulations of Order?

Or use a communication array right this moment to ask the High Priest if he knew about this?

Karen paused for a moment before continuing, "The Hand of the Whip meant that the Whip of Order wishes to rebuild its long-abandoned structure across the various regions. The Hand of the Whip holds great expectations for me, hoping I can set a good example."

Dolph scoffed disdainfully, "Boy, do you truly think we old men were frightened into our positions? If so, you vastly underestimate us, truly. And as for you, brat..." Dolph looked at Richard, "bear in mind, the one who has truly ruined you is this captain of yours."

Wolfrun spoke, "The York City Region resolutely upholds the will of the High Priest, and I myself hope to see the Whip of Order grow stronger, thereby helping our Holy Church flourish.

However, at times, if certain viewpoints, perspectives, and measures are too radical and extreme, then even if the initial intention is good, the development of the situation will turn sour instead.

The young may not fully grasp these principles, for in their eyes, the world is strictly a matter of right versus wrong, black versus white. That is incorrect.

Managing a region is no easy task for the Holy Church; it is the culmination of generations of painstaking effort. We old men have a duty to safeguard it.

Therefore,

on this matter, let us still defer to the opinion of the Disciplinary Department as our standard."

Wolfrun had already clearly signaled his bias, the underlying implication being: do you young people truly think you can tear open a rift in the York City Region through such simplistic means?

That was far too dismissive of the old men who occupied these seats.

When traveling for councils, Wolfrun's seat would not be high, as many preceded him, and he would tremble and sweat before figures like the Cardinal Bishops—but that was outside. Within his own domain, he possessed ample confidence.

If the affairs of a Holy Church could truly be decided solely by a single word from the High Priest, with divine decrees executed flawlessly one after another, that would be a church found only in dreams, not reality.

Standing behind, Wick listened with growing anxiety. He understood Karen's desire to protect Richard, but the chosen method seemed somewhat irrational. Yet, after a moment's hesitation, he still did not step forward to speak on Karen's behalf.

Ultimately, he did not believe that someone whom Lord Thyssen favored and paved the way for would truly be so naive.

Faced with the forceful suppression from the Chief Bishop, Karen maintained his smile. He pointed toward Vikole, who was standing stiffly there, and asked Richard:

"Are the ladies he tortured dead?"

Richard replied, "No, I stepped in just in time to save them, but they all sustained severe injuries."

"Have they been safely settled?"

Recalling the message from the Black Crow he had received upon setting out this morning, Richard nodded.

"They have all been settled."

"Can the witnesses be found as well?"

"Yes, they can be found."

"Very well." Karen nodded. This was a clash born of chance, likely triggered by that previous probe where Filomena had aggressively sliced open Vikole's carriage. Vikole had lacked the courage to strike back, turning his resentment upon himself in impotent fury; he had then come to the pastry shop street to vent his frustration, attempting to reclaim his virility by torturing others.

The psychological profile of such a person was quite easy to read: seemingly arrogant on the outside, but utterly insecure within, easily driven to emotional extremes.

Looking further at Bishop Dolph's conduct and manner of speech, Karen wondered if the Norton family suffered from some hereditary mental illness.

Now that the incident had occurred, however, Neo's style of handling things ensured that all details and loose ends would be thoroughly managed; both witnesses and material evidence would undoubtedly be well protected.

Yet, such evidence was usually useless, because Vikole was the bishop's grandson. Did Delon not know how to fabricate evidence showing his own grandson acted righteously? Could Chief Bishop Wolfrun not see the underlying truth of the matter?

Delon simply knew that pressing the issue was futile, while the latter simply did not care.

"Hey, what do you mean by asking all this?" Dolph glared at Karen with a look of utter disdain.

Karen said, "Using the sacred power of the Church's faith to harm ordinary people violates Chapter Two, Article Five of the Regulations of Order, to be sentenced according to the severity of the circumstances. You ought to thank Richard; had he not intervened and your grandson actually tortured those ladies to death, his punishment would have been the total erasure of all traces of his existence."

As he recited the sub-clauses, the image of old man Thyssen wielding the Scythe of War on the Island of Fire naturally surfaced in Karen's mind.

"Boy, have you still not woken up from your daydream?"

Ignoring Bishop Dolph's mockery, Karen continued to point at Vikole. "Violently resisting the lawful enforcement of the Whip of Order and causing harm to its personnel violates Chapter Five, Article Thirteen of the Regulations of Order, to be sentenced according to the severity of the circumstances.

Richard's injuries are severe, so this particular clause will be applied with extreme severity.

Furthermore, when a clergyman of the Holy Church of Order violates the Regulations of Order, the sentence shall be compounded. Both of the aforementioned clauses apply."

"Heh... Hahaha..." Bishop Dolph doubled over with laughter. "You truly have amused me, truly."

Seated at the head of the table, Wolfrun silently rested his hand upon the lid of his long-emptied teacup.

Cullen rose from his chair and bowed once more to the Chief Bishop: "Lord Chief Bishop, I have told you frankly what I intend to do, and you have given me your answer. I have always respected your character. Once, in your presence, I was filled with trepidation, but your tolerance made me feel a sense of warmth. Moreover, your grandson Leon is a good friend of mine.

Because we belong to different systems, natural conflicts will arise between us regarding certain matters, but these things will not alter my respect for you. You are a benevolent elder."

Bishop Dolph urged: "Call the men from the Enforcement Department up here, Chief. I do not wish to delay any further time."

Wofulen remained silent, gesturing for Cullen to continue.

"We are all just foolish youngsters in your eyes, and of course, I would never assume that achieving success in one's endeavors could be so simple. Furthermore, using this kind of matter as a breakthrough is truly a bit too disrespectful to you, and far too disrespectful to all the Lord Bishops of our York City Parish.

I know that even if this matter escalates, it is impossible for us to win. I, and those around me, would most likely be viewed as the fuse of the conflict and be transferred away from the York City Parish."

"Boy, are you losing heart now? Do you want to admit defeat? Heh, then stand back obediently for me!"

Cullen turned around, facing Bishop Dolph.

Purr possessed a pirate-like habit, which was a fondness for giving people nicknames; right now, Cullen had also given Bishop Dolph a nickname in his heart: Dolph the Lunatic.

"Lord Bishop Dolph, if you insist on ruining Richard, then I can only choose to make this attempt that is bound to fail, and my future will be completely cast in shadow because of it.

But the higher-ups of the Whip of Order, after suffering a setback in the York City Parish, will always need to find a way to salvage some face, will they not?

Your grandson has severely violated the *Regulations of Order* with ample evidence; using him to provide that face is most appropriate.

In addition,

I am also quite curious about one thing. Even if he is an adjudicator transferred from a clerical role, I still know Richard's martial skills—he is considered at the very bottom of our squad. Yet, Adjudicator Vicolas was no match for Richard. Could it be that he was ambushed by Richard?

If he was not ambushed, could there be some other secrets hidden within?

All of this, I shall write into the investigation report."

Cullen walked toward Dolph, then came to a halt right in front of him, staring straight into his eyes:

"I can lose my future, but I will absolutely make you lose your grandson!"

If you want to drag people into a factional struggle, fine, but if you leap into this whirlpool, you must be prepared to get your clothes soaked through.

Dolph's eyes widened, staring deathly at the young man before him.

Wofulen stroked his white beard once more, his mood easing up; that old mad dog of the Nat family should finally quiet down now.

Clearly, Elder Dolph understood Cullen's meaning. He could win, and the opposition could lose, but they were, after all, a local parish pushing back against a decree from the Holy See.

The Hand of the Whip would be furious, and even the Grand Priest would not look favorably upon such a display of local powers banding together. After losing, they would inevitably seek some sort of compensation, delivering a warning blow in other areas—for instance, upon his grandson Vicolas, especially given that the other party already held the so-called evidence firmly in hand.

Bishop Dolph ground his teeth and said:

"You are mad!"

Cullen smiled and said, "If I weren't mad, how could I have formed an observation group to run off to the Mipos Islands? I just like to gamble, I just like to play. I don't even take my own life seriously, let alone some future.

You are a Lord Bishop, and the gap between us is far too vast, while the Chief Bishop is someone I have always respected;

The only thing I can achieve is this: if you ruin my subordinate, I will destroy your grandson."

Vic drew a shimmering book from his robe, lightly brushing its cover, and immediately a majestic aura flowed forth from within the pages;

Holding the book aloft, Vic said: "This is the *Regulations of Order* gifted to our captain by the Grand Priest through the Hand of the Whip, bearing the Grand Priest's own signature."

Cullen did not look back, but thought to himself: *You actually have this thing on you!*

However, Cullen did not dare to naturally reach out and have Vic hand the book over so he could open and display it himself, because he was deeply worried that upon opening it, the signature inside would belong to Rasma!

Muri stepped forward, pointing at Richard as he spoke: "Richard saved my life, a fact my grandfather also knows. The Benda family values this kindness."

Muri had long severed ties with his family and no longer cared about them, so... using the family carried no psychological burden at all.

Dolph stared blankly at the three young men before him. He had always considered himself arrogant and unbridled, but facing these three youngsters, he was entirely unsure of them.

Chief Bishop Wofulen picked up the wet mud from the floor again to start mixing it,

First tossing a clump onto Dolph's face,

Saying:

"Dolph, when young people get emotional sometimes, they really act without using their brains."

Immediately following that, Wofulen tossed another clump onto Delon's face, smiling as he said:

"Young people fighting amongst themselves—as long as no lives are lost, what sort of grand matter is that anyway?"

Delon immediately stood up and said, "The Chief Bishop speaks the truth."

However, Delon only dared to state his own stance; he did not dare look at Cullen, nor did he dare pressure Cullen now to make him back down. After all, regarding today's matter, Cullen was ultimately helping the Guman family.

Finally,

Wofulen raised the largest clump of muddy filth, just as he was preparing to toss it toward Cullen,

Cullen proactively turned to face Wofulen:

"I will have Richard go to the first-floor lobby of the Administration Building shortly, kneel down in front of everyone, and admit his mistake to apologize to Adjudicator Vicolas, as a way to express our regret over this matter.

As for the other compensations in vouchers, please name a figure, Bishop Dolph; as long as it is not too absurd, we are willing to accept it.

This is our attitude;

I ask that the Chief Bishop and Lord Bishop Dolph forgive my previous insolence. I am an orphan, so I hold a deeper affection for those around me and for my subordinates. I will never abandon anyone, ever.

But unless absolutely forced by circumstances, I do not wish for the conflict between the Whip of Order and the Parish Management Office to first play out in our York City Parish."

Uh,

Suddenly so obedient again?

This left Chief Bishop Wofulen, who was holding a large clump of invisible mud, somewhat at a loss.

However, he adjusted quickly, saying to Dolph:

"Is that sufficient?"

Then,

He added weight to his tone:

"Is that sufficient."

Dolph nodded somewhat reluctantly, saying, "I want to see sincerity."

He believed that on this matter, the other bishops would certainly stand with him, but he believed even more that the other bishops would gladly watch his grandson become the sacrificial lamb used to wrap things up after this political struggle ended.

Cullen bowed to Bishop Dolph: "I assure you, I will satisfy you."

Delon looked at his grandson with some conflict; kneeling down to apologize, in front of everyone...

"Richard, go to the first-floor lobby now, kneel down and apologize to Adjudicator Vicolas."

Without the slightest hesitation, Richard nodded directly and said:

"Very well, I obey the captain's order. I will go now."

Richard bowed to the Chief Bishop, bowed to Dolph, and finally, bowed to his own grandfather, Delon.

Delon swallowed and said, "Richard..."

"Grandfather, the responsibility for what I have done must certainly be borne by me."

With that said, Richard walked toward the office door.

Vikolai immediately urged the people around him, gesturing for them to quickly carry him over.

Dolfo, his face grim, nodded to those few individuals; very soon, Vikolai was carried out, and Dolfo himself followed closely behind, clearly intending to personally savor this spectacle.

Wolfrun said, "I am tired, I shall rest for a while."

The Chief Bishop had no desire to join the excitement; after all, this was hardly a matter that brought glory to him, as the conflict between two families under his command escalating to this point indirectly showed his failure to govern his subordinates properly.

Delon stood up and walked out, his mental state rather poor, his form swaying slightly as he walked, until Karen stepped forward and reached out to support him.

"Thank you... Karen."

"It is what I ought to do."

"I actually wanted to tell Richard just now that if he was unwilling, he did not have to do it."

Karen responded, "Then why did you not say it just now?"

"I..."

"In truth, if you had mobilized your own department and your own connections, you could have generated a massive public outcry; the Chief Bishop simply did not want the situation to spiral completely out of control."

"How could they commit such an act..."

Hearing Delon's reply, Karen merely nodded in silence.

From a bystander's perspective, the old man was indeed one who truly looked at the bigger picture.

Karen acknowledged Delon's loyalty to the Church of Order, but he would never recognize him as his grandfather.

Uncle Eisen's warning was correct; he truly understood his father.

Yet Karen felt no disappointment in his heart, for he had never harbored any hope to begin with.

To compare other elders to Dis was simply too unfair; he remembered how Dis had protected him when he himself was suspected of being an evil god.

Entering the elevator, they descended.

The first floor.

The lobby, already densely packed, was now a sea of surging heads, and people stood along the railings of the second and third floors, looking down.

Watching a spectacle was human nature, especially when Richard dropped directly to his knees with a thud, instantly drawing the gaze of everyone around.

When Vikolai was carried over and set before Richard once more, Richard began to loudly apologize, making this spot the absolute center of attention; some had already recognized Richard's identity, for though the Guman family had always kept a low profile in this region, they were still quite famous, not to mention that the old man of the Guman family was a minister with actual authority.

Karen saw Dolfo on the second floor, surrounded by a crowd of high-ranking priests, a clear smile playing upon his face.

Old man Delon hesitated, taking no further step forward; he closed his eyes, his mouth slightly open, his fists clenched tight.

Karen did not know if this event would change the old man, and indeed, he had no interest in knowing.

Vic and Muri began to push open the crowd for Karen, and Karen walked inside with complete composure.

Richard knelt before Vikolai, having already shouted his words of apology, but because Vikolai remained silent, he was still kneeling.

Vikolai sneered in his slurred voice, "What a pity that I failed to turn you into a cripple this time, but I remember you, just you wait, next time..."

"A pity, you have no next time."

Vikolai turned his head, looking at Karen as he walked over.

"What do you mean by that?"

Karen ignored him, reaching out instead to help Richard up, and Richard stood.

"I will not comfort you."

Richard laughed, "Ha, it is like playing with a monkey; it was just so painful trying to hold back my laughter, I almost couldn't contain it just now."

"Our original plan was not this."

"The Director told me, and I had no choice; when I struck him, I was prepared to be beaten by him, who knew that as we fought, he would pant first."

"It is just as well; looking at it now, the live effect is quite good."

Vikolai shouted in fear and suspicion:

"What on earth do you mean!"

Vic and Muri, one on each side, forcefully shoved aside the two divine servants who had carried Vikolai over, flanking Vikolai right and left.

Muri produced a pair of restriction handcuffs, which Karen had personally witnessed binding Mr. Pavaro.

"Clack!"

Muri cuffed Vikolai's hands together.

Vic opened the book he always carried with him, drew out the investigation warrant from within, and handed it to Karen.

Holding the investigation warrant aloft with his left hand and gripping Vikolai's shoulder with his right, Karen said in a loud voice:

"Having received a report that Inquisitor Vikolai Naton is suspected of serious violations of rules and discipline, the Disciplinary Inspection Commission Office of the Whip of Order now issues this investigation warrant; Inquisitor Vikolai, please return to headquarters to cooperate with the investigation."

Karen raised his head slightly, looking toward the second floor where Bishop Dolfo stood, and continued:

"Those who obstruct shall be deemed apostates!"