Chapter 517: Brother Karen! (Large Chapter)

Chapter 517: Brother Cullen! (Mega Chapter)

Anything touched by the divine was an existence of supreme sanctity and nobility, all the more so in this current age where the gods themselves had vanished from the world.

Sacred artifacts, moreover, were divided into a strict hierarchy of tiers.

Broadly speaking, the loftier the strength and status of the master, the higher the grade of the artifact; the instruments of the Main Gods typically possessed terrifyingly cataclysmic power.

In finer terms, given the backdrop of this era, the better preserved a sacred artifact was, the higher its rank.

A complete, undamaged sacred artifact could perfectly manifest its full capabilities, and therein lay its ultimate value.

An intact artifact like the Scythe of War was enshrined deep within the Temple of Order; relying on its singular presence, it could almost prop up an entire institutional system.

The Lachesis Copper Coin was also counted among the intact artifacts; though it had been rent asunder, there remained—at least from what could currently be seen—a chance to gather its pieces and restore it to wholeness, which was precisely where its worth resided.

The Church possessed dedicated systems and specialized departments for the utilization and maintenance of its own artifacts, while a separate, specific space was designated to seal and store those stray pieces recovered from the outside world.

Within the Church of Order, the faction specifically tasked with managing that sealed containment space could form an independent network all its own.

After all, the history of the Church was hardly sparse with accounts of natural disasters unleashed after an artifact had been lost; when dealing with items left behind in the mortal realm by the gods, one could never be too solemn or too meticulous.

In short, the value of a sacred artifact could not be measured by points tickets; unless a Church had truly degraded to absolute ruin, such an item was strictly not for sale. Even within their own ranks, let alone desiring to possess it, merely wishing to borrow it temporarily required not only a willingness to pay an immense price, but also a scrutiny of whether one's status and position within the Church truly merited the privilege.

Even the Archbishops of the York City Area lacked the qualification to own... no, they lacked even the qualification to touch a sacred artifact; the most they could probably do was feel its texture and steal a glance when handing it over, merely to appease a dry craving.

And once it was surrendered, barring any miracles, that artifact would have absolutely nothing to do with you ever again.

Thus, when Cullen spoke to the Chief Inquisitor, requesting the summons of a "sacred artifact" to serve as material evidence, it practically sent a shockwave through everyone in attendance.

In fact, the sheer fervor surrounding the artifact's appearance instantly eclipsed the trial itself.

Undoubtedly, the moment Cullen put forward this application, the number of people watching the live broadcast via formations across the various sectors and institutional departments began to skyrocket.

Bishop Bourn looked at Cullen and spoke, "Can a sacred artifact truly testify on your behalf?"

Cullen nodded and replied, "Does the Bishop not know? Within the Lachesis Copper Coin, an artifact spirit resides."

Bourn did not answer, his gaze merely narrowing slightly, because he truly did not know.

This was not because his status was insufficient; in truth, his rank made him perfectly eligible to know, but the problem lay in the fact that the moment the Lachesis Copper Coin was confiscated by the Guardian of the York City Area, it had been immediately transferred into the sealed space.

The internal research conducted on artifacts within that sealed space, along with the departments authorized to study them, would never make their findings public, and Bishop Bourn was not driven by idle curiosity to specifically investigate or inquire about that particular copper coin.

But when Cullen spoke with such absolute certainty, declaring that the Lachesis Copper Coin possessed an artifact spirit, Bishop Bourn understood—Cullen had undeniably been present on that day.

So, before he became a God's Servant, before he joined the Whip of Order, and before he took up his post at the Pavaro Tribunal, he had already been investigating the Qihe case alongside Inquisitor Pavaro.

*Ah...*

In truth, Bishop Bourn had long been clear on the reality of the matter. He knew what kind of man Dolf was, and he had a fair idea of what kind of man Vicolais was, so he had already leaned toward the conclusion that Vicolais had stolen the credit belonging to Inquisitor Pavaro.

Who could blame him when the boy's grandfather was an Archbishop?

As for his previous offensive against Cullen, it was nothing more than playing the fool while knowing the truth; everyone spoke only of factions, and no one cared for the facts.

Furthermore, Bishop Bourn was almost entirely certain that the young man standing opposite him had not conjured up the complete truth either.

Yet one thing was certain now: this young man had participated in the investigation of the Qihe case back when he was not even a God's Servant, accompanying a powerless, virtually marginalized inquisitor to launch an investigation against a Law-Expounder.

This young man... was a fine piece of work.

Once this matter concluded, it would be wonderful if he could come over to his side; he would personally tutor him, make him his student, and then help pave the way for him.

For Bishop Bourn knew very well that the line he stood upon belonged to the shadows, and the greatest adversary faced by those on this path was the loss of self once the inner resolve wavered—even his own son had once stood on the precipice of losing his way, well, and still did now.

What a pity he hadn't listened seriously to Delius earlier; his son's words back then must have been a hint to him.

Now, after this affair ended, could he still poach him over to his side?

If the sacred artifact truly possessed an spirit as he claimed, and if that spirit was willing to come forward to verify the specific events of that night, then the outcome of this trial... had likely already been decided.

No one would suspect the spirit of a sacred artifact of lying, for it was far too noble, and far too proud.

It was like the wealthiest tycoon in Vienna appearing in court to testify in a dispute between two beggars; no one would believe he would favor either side, because everyone trusted that he could have no conflict of interest with two beggars.

Only,

could one truly summon a sacred artifact possessing an spirit to testify in court?

...

Old Man Delon felt a sudden wave of dry heat in his throat, his hands instinctively crossing to rub against each other.

Earlier, he had briefly thought Cullen had lost, right up until Cullen announced the introduction of his physical evidence.

However, the old man still felt a sense of unreality in his mind.

What a shame; had he known, he would have brought his old companion along today. She would surely have loved to witness this scene.

As family members, whether it was him or Richard, they could have easily brought her inside.

A sacred artifact, a sacred artifact...

Yet, Delon suddenly realized he would likely have work to do shortly, because if the tribunal approved the provision of the evidence, they would need to construct a communication formation here to link with the sealed space, which would require his own hand.

Delon's gaze darkened.

In his entire life, there were not many things that truly aroused his wrath.

To put it bluntly, when he received the news of his eldest daughter's sacrifice, he was struck by immense grief, but he could tell himself that she had sacrificed herself for the Church.

But this time, someone was attempting to ruin his grandson right before his eyes.

Fortunately, though he had been somewhat slow to realize and somewhat muddled, the matter had at least not slid into an abyss of absolute regret while he was in his daze.

Since that was the case,

whatever you need me to do now, I shall do it!

...

"The sacred artifact, the Lachesis Copper Coin, that source of sin?" Philomena asked.

"Yes, that's right, the source of sin."

"I have seen it," Philomena said, a sudden frown crossing her brow.

"You've seen it?" Richard asked curiously. "Where?"

"During the final selection trials at the Ogurev Fortress."

"Oh, right, I remember now. I think I heard Muri and the others mention that experience when they talked about it."

"Heh." Philomena suddenly let out a low laugh.

This left Richard utterly bewildered.

Philomena turned her face slightly, glancing at Muri who sat over there; back then, Muri, like her, had not been part of Cullen's squad.

Richard asked, "Do you think that artifact can really be summoned to testify?"

Philomena hesitated for a brief moment, then nodded firmly, replying:

"It can, it absolutely can."

"Why? How have you come to believe in Cullen so much now?"

Philomena looked into Richard's face and answered:

"I could even suspect now that during the final selection trials, our captain... he cheated."

"Cheated?"

Philomena recalled the scene after the Lux Copper Coin appeared during the final selection.

For a moment, the proud and aloof girl found herself utterly at a loss for words.

She felt no resentment; through their subsequent interactions, she clearly perceived that Karen surpassed her in every aspect, including combat, her own greatest strength.

On Fire Island, everyone else had merely created the external conditions for Karen, leaving him to face the hunched youth alone—that was the ultimate proof.

When you knew beyond a doubt that someone was stronger than you, even if they won by cheating, you wouldn't feel much resentment or anger; you only found it... somewhat amusing.

Aisly asked, "The Lux Copper Coin? Why does that sound familiar?"

"It appeared during the selection trials," Blanch reminded her. "The Source of Guilt, the artifact sealed by the God of Lux."

"Oh, right."

Then, the two girls, along with the others who had been in Karen's squad, fell silent.

None of them were truly fools. No matter how superb the acting, or how flawless the execution, if one deduced backward from this point, certain things suddenly made far more sense.

Promptly, everyone lowered their heads, attempting to mask their changing expressions with coughs, covered mouths, and forced deep breaths to keep from laughing out loud.

Muri smiled too, though it was a bitter one.

Yet he wasn't angry either; he just found it entertaining.

For him, he had witnessed even more astonishing secrets of the captain. If this had happened to someone else, he would be shocked, but happening to the captain, it felt entirely normal.

Ventura just sat there grinning, filled with pure joy and not the least bit surprised. He didn't see what there was to be shocked about regarding a mere artifact; didn't the captain keep an evil god as a pet at home?

In fact, he had fed it with his own hands and even rubbed its bald head!

...

"This wasn't in the proposal," Bernie said, looking at Neo. "Did you know beforehand?"

"I didn't."

"I won't blame you for deliberately hiding it from me to cooperate with him. You can tell me the truth."

"Director, I truly didn't know."

"Yet just now, you still seemed to have immense confidence in him."

"That's because he has too many trump cards..."

"No matter how hard I dig for secrets, I can't match the inventory he casually acquires."

Neo could only cough and say, "Because he has never disappointed me. You know, sometimes inertia is a thing without reason."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yes."

"About the Lux Copper Coin..."

"Director, during a past mission, I confiscated a Lux Copper Coin and handed it in. Karen was present during that mission as well."

"Was that when he made contact with it?"

"Probably not. I think what he said is true. That night, he must have been right beside Inquisitor Pavaro, right inside that sausage factory."

"It's true." Bernie’s brow smoothed out, and he let out a sigh. "In other words, all of this was a flaw he intentionally exposed, a bait he laid down, and Bishop Byrne actually bit."

"It should be... exactly like that."

"Bishop Byrne, he's no simple figure; his identity goes beyond that of a mere bishop. Remarkable. Splendid, truly splendid. I think the *Order Weekly* can run a special edition."

"But the artifact hasn't been summoned down yet."

"Things have reached this point; I don't believe Karen is gambling. It can only be said that everything was premeditated by him."

"Let's hope so." Neo could only phrase it reservedly.

Bernie raised his hand to massage his temples and said, "It's just Director Harry over there who's probably going to have a headache."

"The Regional Director?"

"He must be regretting it now. It's a guaranteed victory."

"However, it doesn't matter. Not every region can replicate what happened in ours. From a long-term perspective, local interests must yield to overall interests, mustn't they?"

"Director, I didn't quite understand your words just now."

"No, in fact, you do understand. I have inertia regarding you as well."

...

In the Whip-Bearer's office, watching the images displayed on the mirror before him, Director Harry stood up and repeatedly slapped his own face. Though not with great force, they were genuine slaps.

"That teaches you to be impatient! Impatient! Impatient!"

Just then, the door was pushed open, and his office assistant walked in, freezing instantly at the sight.

"What is it?"

"Director, down below, down below..."

"I know. The Chief Judge is one of ours; how could he not approve it? Prepare to receive the artifact. Has Delon and the people he brought left yet?"

"Not yet."

"Then invite them over to help. Remember, I said *invite*."

"Yes, sir."

At that moment, the telephone rang.

Generally, ordinary official calls would go through his secretary first, who would arrange whether to transfer them. Anyone able to call his office directly was either from a peer department or a higher-ranking one.

Harry picked up the receiver, and a man's raspy voice came from

From the other end of the receiver came another unfamiliar yet majestic voice:

"Greetings, Inquisitor Harry."

"Greetings."

"Please have the Chief Inquisitor send the official letter of application. We hope your side can set up the primary spatial communication matrix as early as possible. We cannot allow the true body of the artifact to leave, but the artifact spirit may do so."

"Thank you for your cooperation."

"Please, think nothing of it. It is our duty."

…

"This court approves the submission of supplementary evidence."

A clerk beside Gaspor spread a sheet of spell-paper before her and handed over a quill. Gaspor began to write the application, and upon finishing, drew out a stamp to leave her mark upon it.

She then handed the application to the clerk, who went trotting out of the tribunal hall.

In the gallery, the old man Deron stood up.

However, Gaspor did not immediately declare a recess to set up the matrix; she was waiting for a reply.

For, in her experience, the Sealed Space had never been easy to deal with, and they were highly averse to such temporary requests, making the probability of rejection quite high.

Yet, the clerk returned almost as soon as he had left, though the application in his hand was gone.

Running up to the Chief Inquisitor, the clerk reported, "The District Chief's office says that the Sealed Space has already initiated contact and granted their consent. They request that we quickly prepare the matrix now."

Hearing this, Gaspor's gaze fell directly upon Karen, a faint smile touching the corners of her lips.

Had anyone claimed Gaspor felt no grievance up until this point in the trial, it would, of course, have been impossible. She was a Chief Inquisitor of the Whip of Order, and what she revered above all was the tradition of the Tribunal of Order, yet this time she had been forced to yield time and again before the local factions.

Now, she finally had the chance to slap them right back across the face!

"Crack!"

The whip cracked sharply.

Gaspor spoke, "I declare a temporary recess to allow for the preparatory work for the supplementary evidence."

Many in the gallery stood up at these words, and those across the grand district watching before the broadcasting matrices opened their mouths in astonishment, for the Chief Inquisitor's declaration of a recess meant that a divine artifact was truly being summoned to serve as material evidence!

Bernie stepped into the tribunal hall, walking straight toward Deron to hand over an official letter.

Deron opened the official application only to find it blank.

Bernie explained in a low voice, "It is being written and will be supplied immediately. Please lend your assistance first."

"Very well. Send someone to notify my subordinates to come back in. Furthermore, I will need men to transport more matrix apparatus from the department."

The old man agreed without the slightest hesitation. No matter who it was, so long as they could help him bring down the Dunn family, his Guman family would certainly help hold the line.

Just then, a director under Deron approached and reported, "Minister, the deployment can begin now. The corresponding matrix apparatus has already been delivered."

"Delivered?" Deron expressed his surprise. "When was it delivered?"

At that moment, Mr. Eisen, clad in the divine robes of the department, entered leading a group of men, bringing with them the required matrix apparatus.

Deron immediately walked up to his son and asked, "How did you get here?"

"I received notice," Mr. Eisen answered vaguely.

"What did you come here to do?"

"For the child," Mr. Eisen answered, just as vaguely.

"Heh, quite so." Old Deron patted his son's shoulder. "Give me a hand, let us do this together."

The deployment of the matrix to welcome the descent of the divine artifact began at once. Deron and Eisen each held a Rubik's cube aloft in their palms, issuing commands to the men below.

In the gallery, Philomena asked, "Aren't you going up to help?"

Richard scratched his head and said, "They don't need me."

Philomena spoke expressionlessly, "The journalists over there are taking photos."

"Do you mean to say I should go and leech off the family portrait?"

"I would leech too if I had a place to do so."

"Right, I understand."

Richard stood up, deliberately calling out to Mars as he went down.

Mars's hands had been itching for a while, so he followed Richard down.

Deron and Eisen saw their grandson and son come down, yet neither paid him any mind.

The men of the Guman family all carried a touch of stubbornness and taciturnity, unversed in expressing their emotions, particularly before outsiders.

Thus, the picture of three generations standing together twisting Rubik's cubes did not manifest; Richard and Mars sensibly helped by playing subordinate roles below to assist with the setup.

…

"What a heartwarming scene, wouldn't you say?"

In the living room of the Guman residence, a sphere floated, projecting the exact image from the tribunal hall.

"Yes, Mother." Kaixi nodded as she gently wiped away the moisture at the corner of her eyes with her fingertip, yet amid her emotion, she did not forget to ask in perplexity, "But Mother, how do you have the dynamic coordinates to receive the broadcast matrix here? Only departments above a certain rank are permitted to have this."

Setting up a private matrix at home to interface with a high-grade matrix of the Church of Order was a severe offense.

Madame Tangli glanced indifferently at her daughter-in-law and asked in return, "What, I have borne three inquisitors for the Church of Order, could I possibly be a spy?"

"Mother, I did not mean it that way, I am merely surprised that Father would actually…"

Reclining on the sofa, Madame Tangli shifted her weight and smiled, "Do you know why I married your father?"

"Why?"

"Because, ever since that old thing began pursuing me back then, he has been wholeheartedly good to me. He keeps no secrets from me. What does a single dynamic coordinate matter? If I truly wished to, I could even obtain the secret design blueprints from the old thing's department.

Well, are you envious?"

Kaixi froze for a moment, but nodded nonetheless.

Madame Tangli offered her guidance, "Therefore, I have always looked askance at your choice to run away from home. If the man you chose for yourself does not suit your desires after marriage, then train him yourself. You must use methods and strategy, not avoidance.

Either you admit you lack the competence and are not a clever woman, or you must admit you were truly blind when you chose him back then.

Now that your man is more normal than before, do your part well. A life is something you manage yourself."

"I understand, Mother."

Just then, the image shifted back to Karen.

Karen sat there, holding a water cup, casually conversing with the two assistants beside him as he drank.

Seeing Karen, Madame Tangli felt her heart melt.

She truly, deeply doted on this grandson of hers.

She could even voice her thoughts without any reservation: compared to Richard, whom she had watched grow up before her eyes, she preferred this grandson now.

After all, as a grandmother, she carried no psychological burden, nor did she make any distinction between paternal and maternal grandsons. What did it matter if one was named Guman and the other Inmules? What did that have to do with her, Tangli? Neither was named Alter anyway.

Thus, while it appeared to the family that she always bought clothes for Richard and merely bought for Karen on the side, in truth, within her heart, Richard was the one who was the afterthought.

Interesting, very interesting.

"Hehehe."

Cassie was startled, wondering what it meant for her mother-in-law to suddenly burst into laughter.

As a daughter-in-law, she truly feared this mother-in-law of hers.

In truth, it was because Madam Tang Li had just recalled something from her own youth—how, whenever she looked at Dis, she felt as if he were bathed in light.

She truly could not comprehend how such a young man could exist in this world; when he stood there, his peers were entirely eclipsed by his radiance.

Ah, how could she have ever imagined back then that this incomprehensible "luminous man" would actually become her grandson.

Madam Tang Li remarked with a sigh, "This child feels different since he returned this time, more spirited than before."

"Yes, Mother, Richard has noticeably grown more mature and steady since his return."

Madam Tang Li nodded,

saying,

"Indeed, he is resembling his grandfather more and more."

...

The formation was being set up rapidly, yet more and more people began entering the tribunal and filling the gallery; gradually, seating grew scarce, forcing latecomers to stand in the aisles.

Those permitted entry had all had their identities verified; clearly, many had rushed to the scene the moment they caught wind of the news, eager to witness the descent of the divine artifact with their own eyes.

Today's trial had transformed first into a debate, and now, it seemed to have turned into an exhibition of divine artifacts.

Furthermore, the broadcasting formation had undergone a new round of reinforcement and amplification, likely because the number of receiving formations tuning in to these dynamic coordinates had increased.

In short, the atmosphere was growing increasingly fervent.

...

"La la la! La la la!"

Loya sat atop her sealing barrier, swinging her legs happily.

"Oh my, look how delighted you are."

"Of course, Sister, Loya gets to see my Brother Karen again, hehe."

"I envy you, being able to go out for a breath of fresh air again."

"Hmph, if it weren't to see Brother Karen, I wouldn't even bother going out."

"Did they give you the notification letter?"

"It was transmitted to me via a spiritual message; I know exactly why they want me over there."

"Mm, that is good then."

Just then, a rift bound by black iron chains appeared above, and an extremely oppressive voice echoed down:

"Source of Sin, ascend."

Loya stood up and shouted to the neighboring divine artifacts:

"Thank you all for your help! Hmph, they actually wanted to avoid the trouble and keep me from going out!"

With her hands on her hips, Loya's figure floated upward.

The barrier opened, and two Lux copper coins orbited each other to accompany her ascent; upon reaching the rift, Loya left the two coins behind, turned over, and donned the divine robes of the Lux Order, instantly lending her a solemn and dignified air, though the excitement in her heart remained entirely unchanged.

I am coming, Brother Karen!

...

"Let's have something simple for dinner. Go prepare some flour and some ingredients; I will make oil-sprinkled noodles for everyone in the headquarters building. Everyone has worked hard lately, so it is time for a treat."

"Young Master, won't that be too tiring for you? Why not have hotpot instead?"

"Do you think hotpot only requires the broth? Preparing all those ingredients for dipping is where the real effort lies; it is better to just make noodles."

"I understand, Young Master."

Vic wanted to join the conversation but found no way to interject; he desperately wanted to ask: Is the divine artifact truly guaranteed?

Yet he feared that asking so would only make him appear more detached from the group.

From the look of things, however, everything seemed to be progressing according to the captain's plan; Vic could not help but feel a bit relieved that he hadn't played the smart aleck by offering a warning.

Theissin, you old dog, you really do know how to judge character.

Among my peers in this lifetime, except for a 'monster' like Mavallo, I have never truly admired anyone, yet this one... damn it! Why is a sliver of admiration actually creeping into my heart?

He loathed this feeling, for he considered himself a genius—a genius who should always hold his head high with pride!

After Karen finished speaking with Alfred, his gaze turned toward Bishop Bourne sitting opposite them; as for Viclay, who stood in the cage between them with an anxious, doubtful expression, he was tacitly ignored by both of them.

Bishop Bourne raised his water cup, offering a toast to Karen.

Karen smiled faintly but did not respond, instead setting down his own cup.

...

In the VIP gallery, Bishop Dolph's expression was exceedingly complex; sitting there, he wanted to stand up several times, yet had to force himself back down. Now that matters had reached this point, he could do nothing but fret with anxiety and obsess over potential losses.

"It cannot truly work like this... how could it possibly work like this... it is impossible..."

Chief Bishop Wolfrun ignored the reaction of his 'colleague' beside him, silently leaning back to assume a more relaxed posture.

Mm,

he even felt a slight urge to laugh.

...

Finally, under the management of the professional formation department, the summoning formation was completed.

Chief Judge Gasper led the judges back to their seats, while Delon kept his son behind to operate the formation with him, and everyone else stepped down.

By this time, the gallery area was packed to capacity, and many outside were barred from entering due to insufficient status.

"Crack!"

The leather whip snapped loudly.

Gasper spoke: "The trial resumes. Prepare to receive supplementary evidence now."

Karen and Bishop Bourne stood up almost simultaneously, both stepping out from their seats into the central area.

Bishop Bourne said, "Only the final step remains. It seems I can already rehearse the words of congratulations in my mind now?"

"In truth, I have no great desire to hear your congratulations."

"I know. What I need to do is apologize—no, to confess, for the words I spoke before."

"Not to me."

"Of course. Regardless of the outcome of victory or defeat, I will attend his funeral to confess and pay my respects to him."

Just then, Delon shouted: "Activate the summoning formation!"

The formation initiated, connecting to the sealed space, and the two sides quickly established a successful resonance.

Above the judgment hall, a colossal black vortex manifested.

Immediately after, a powerful, oppressive aura spilled from the swirling void, followed by the descent of a massive phantom copper coin, upon which stood a young girl in divine robes, her eyes closed.

The moment she appeared, the breath of an artifact instantly rippled outward.

The powerful figures present merely strained their shoulders slightly to stand firm, but most of those seated began gripping the edges of their chairs, while those standing reached out to support one another.

One had to realize that the physical artifact itself had not arrived, and more importantly, the Source of Evil had not actively released her aura; in fact, this was likely the result of her deliberate restraint.

Loya slowly opened her eyes, and in that instant, everyone present felt their hearts suddenly shudder, as if an imperceptible ember had flared into existence, waiting only for a single command from this girl to erupt into a roaring blaze.

The Source of Evil—when she appeared, the desires within human hearts would be infinitely pulled and magnified, precisely because she was so utterly pure.

Finally,

after her gaze swept across the entire hall, Loya's eyes fell upon Karen;

then,

she raised her hand and pointed at Karen,

speaking in a voice majestic, solemn, and laced with a touch of surprise:

"Oh, I remember you;

aren't you that devout believer of Order who stood by Pavarotti's side that night, defying death to bravely fight against Qihe?"