Chapter 578: Temple of Order!

Chapter 578: The Temple of Order!

Behind Karen was the highway boundary marker, where no one stood;

Behind Voden was a crowd of people, but they were all far away, and no one dared to release their consciousness to probe the Whip-Bearer, and even if a few individuals had sensitive hearing, they would very consciously "cover" their ears at this moment.

The disparity in identity and status often provided a better isolating effect than an obscuring barrier.

Thus, the conversation between Voden and Karen could only be heard by the two of them.

This was the method Karen had told Purr about, the simplest and most efficient; just like that female dragon, he too had "sealed" or "erased" a portion of his own memory.

In this way, you no longer had to use a needle to cautiously mend a spider's web, because you had already burned it clean with a single fire.

He said... yes.

A simple sentence was equivalent to settling the matter once and for all:

First, I did not kill the assassin.

Second, the former Grand Priest killed the assassin.

Third, the former Grand Priest told me to tell you that publicly, it must be said that I killed him.

Having worked in the Whip of Order for so long, Karen was already a true professional; by deflecting his usual working mindset slightly, he naturally knew how to act to make himself the hardest to investigate for problems.

Voden remained silent for a moment, then turned around, faced everyone, and spoke:

"The assassin has been executed!"

Everyone froze for a second, obviously caught somewhat off guard by this sudden conclusion, but very quickly, everyone raised their arms and let out cheers that were not quite in unison.

Karen's eyes still carried a touch of "bewilderment" that had not yet faded,

Except that in his heart, he was still slightly dissatisfied with the current situation.

If only Whip-Bearer Voden could raise his own arm and shout to everyone: "Congratulate our Chief Karen for successfully killing the assassin!"

And then everyone would raise their arms and shout together in unison: "Karen! Karen! Karen!"

That would be perfect.

But... obviously this was impossible, it did not fit the Whip-Bearer's identity, and even less the cultural atmosphere of this Church.

Fortunately, Voden's words could be considered a definitive characterization of this "merit" of his.

Next, he really could start looking forward to what kind of reward he might receive; it shouldn't be limited merely to propaganda and coupon rewards, with a high probability, he could secure a promotion.

As for claiming credit, Karen really felt no shame at all; even if he encountered Bishop Worfullen and Leon expressing their most sincere gratitude to him next, he could respond with utter composure.

The assassin was killed by Rasma, that was true, but why was Rasma here?

So the assassin's death, when traced back, still had to be counted on his grandfather's head, and he, the grandson, was merely receiving it on behalf of the generation.

A carriage pulled by undead warhorses, its entire body enveloped in the fire of Order, drove up from the distance; the driver was a bare-chested man, which looked somewhat unrefined, but the man's muscles were densely covered with mysterious runes, and when his eyes swept over, Karen sensed the air around him freezing invisibly.

Three people stepped down from inside the carriage: one wore divine robes, one wore armor, and one held a priest's wand; the three of them saluted Voden together:

"Greetings, Whip-Bearer."

Voden gave them a nod, then went straight into that carriage.

As for these three people, they began to use voice transmission techniques to first state their identities, and then began organizing all the priests here and the priests continuously arriving later to carry out an orderly evacuation.

Sitting on Karen's back, Purr gently patted Karen's neck with her tail, meaning: Are we just going to be left out in the cold like this?

Karen let out a soft cough, signaling her not to be anxious.

After all, that carriage hadn't left yet.

Not long after, another carriage arrived; the specification of this carriage appeared to be a grade lower, and Karen had actually seen it before—outside the teleportation array hall of every grand region, this type of regulated carriage would be parked there.

But Karen himself had never ridden in one, and basically had never seen anyone else ride it, for a very simple reason... too expensive.

For most priests stepping out of a teleportation array, they would rather enter the secular world and hail a taxi; only those with water in their brains would use this kind of carriage.

At this moment, two people with water in their brains stepped down from this carriage.

They were Voden's personal secretary Marine, and the other was Karen's highest superior in this grand region, the York City Grand Region Whip-Holder Harry.

It could be seen that Harry was very bewildered, because he could not comprehend what this scene of organized evacuation on site was all about.

However, when he fixed his gaze upon Karen, his expression visibly relaxed a great deal.

A bit like Philomena, finally able to find a "place" where he could anchor his attention.

Harry stepped forward, wanting to speak to Karen, and Karen was already prepared to salute, but over there, Marine, who had just walked to the carriage where Voden was to receive instructions, walked over:

"Region Chief Harry."

"Yes."

"You may go back."

"This..."

An embarrassed expression appeared on Region Chief Harry's face; the assassination case occurred within his jurisdiction, and he had rushed over as the number one man of the York City Whip of Order, only to have to return inexplicably;

When he walked out of the teleportation array and the department heads under him as well as the bishops of the grand region came to question him, how was he supposed to explain what exactly he had come here to do on this trip?

"The assassin is dead, killed by Karen."

Marine provided such an answer.

"Yes."

Harry nodded, looking toward Karen, preparing to offer a few words of encouragement in his capacity as the grand boss, but Marine interrupted him once again:

"Region Chief Harry, obey the order."

Harry shut his mouth, turned around to walk to the position of the carriage where Voden was, saluted the carriage while standing outside the door, and then sat back into his own carriage.

Karen, still standing in place, began to ponder whether the expenses for his own region chief to ride this carriage back and forth would be reimbursed by the region.

Marine bent down, hoisting Augie up with one hand, while using the other hand to pick up the bones on the ground, even putting them to her nose to sniff.

Originally, there should have been a dense residual aura of Light on the bones, but Karen certainly wouldn't make such a low-level mistake; on the way back, he had used Order Purification to repeatedly rub and scrub the two pieces of bone.

"Chief Karen."

"Yes."

"Get in the carriage."

"Alright."

Karen nodded, and when passing by that luxurious carriage where Voden was, he intentionally took a glance at the Whip-Bearer sitting inside; the Whip-Bearer leaned against the cushion, his hands crossed over his chest, his eyes closed.

Quite calm, everyone was an acting maestro.

Karen continued to walk toward the carriage that Region Chief Harry was sitting in.

"Chief Karen." Marine's voice came again.

"Yes." Karen stopped his footsteps and turned around.

Marine pointed at the carriage the Whip-Bearer was sitting in: "Please get into this one."

Purr's tail tapped forcefully against Karen's back, expressing the awkwardness on Karen's behalf.

"Yes, very well."

Kallen retraced his steps and boarded the carriage.

The interior was spacious. He chose a corner seat directly opposite Fuden, while Purr settled onto his lap, appearing exceedingly well-behaved and docile.

"Thud!"

Marlene threw Lord Auggie into the carriage compartment as if tossing a whole pig just purchased from the vegetable market.

Immediately afterward, Marlene stepped inside herself and closed the door.

Fuden opened his eyes, casting a brief glance at Auggie before him.

Marlene spoke on her own initiative. "I have checked her. She is in a wretched state, but out of any real danger."

Fuden nodded.

Sitting opposite them, Kallen could not help but think to himself: The seal personally set by the Whiplash is truly formidable. Even after being ravaged to such an extent, Lord Auggie remains in human form, unable to revert to a dragon.

"Should I assist Grand Captain Kallen with an examination and medical treatment?" Marlene inquired.

Fuden shook his head.

Marlene took her seat.

The carriage then began to move. It had to be said that the only flaw of an expensive means of transportation was likely its exorbitant cost.

Sitting inside and watching the scenery outside flash past almost into an illusion, one could well imagine just how swiftly this carriage was traveling. Furthermore, sitting within, not a single tremor of vibration could be felt.

Moreover, once the carriage began to decelerate, Kallen discovered that it had presumably entered the Administrative Headquarters. It then floated upward, bypassing not only all the steps but also all security checkpoints. No one dared block its path, and no one dared question its presence; it came to a direct halt within the teleportation formation halo inside the Formation Hall.

Through the carriage window, Kallen caught sight of numerous clergymen standing outside. More than half of them wore the crimson robes of bishops, and all stood there with deep reverence.

The Whiplash did not alight to exchange greetings. He remained leaning back in his seat, eyes closed, resting his spirit.

There was virtually no superfluous waiting time before the formation began to activate. Even if this "flight" had not originally existed, a temporary one would have been added to the schedule.

Kallen thought to himself: He wondered when he, too, might enjoy such "convenience" during his own travels.

Teleported along with the carriage and the coachman, Kallen found, upon the conclusion of the transfer, that he had likely arrived in the Dinge District.

Fuden sat up. Marlene opened the door, and he stepped down, with Marlene following him.

Kallen had initially prepared to rise as well, but seeing that Marlene had not carried Auggie down, he sat back down.

As expected, Marlene closed the carriage door, and the carriage resumed its journey.

Fuden stood in place, watching the carriage depart from his field of vision, his brow slightly furrowed.

Originally, he had come to the York City District because he had received a report, and the High Priest's decree to him had been: Something has happened in York City; go and look into it.

Having already arrived in York City, he could have remotely directed the capture operation from there, utilizing his identity as the Whiplash to mobilize the forces of various districts for a blockade. He did not need to take action personally, for his status was far too exceptional, and it could easily trigger external tension and misunderstanding.

Yet, he had received two decrees.

One came from the High Priest, and the other came from... the Temple of Order.

When he first received the decree from the Temple of Order, Fuden was quite surprised, because the High Priest had strictly warned the Temple not to interfere with the concrete operations of the Church. Yet now, the Temple had issued a decree to him, the Whiplash... who was also an almost publicly acknowledged confidant of the High Priest.

Fuden did not think they were being too arrogant; rather, he immediately realized that matters had grown grave—a severity that transcended the internal conflicts of the Church's factions.

Upon opening the decree, it demanded that he take personal action to stop all pursuing teams from entering that specific region.

The decree from the High Priest arrived subsequent to that, bearing the identical command, but the High Priest provided a fraction more information.

Fuden did not actually know the specific circumstances within that region, but at his echelon, not knowing certain things was predicated on his unwillingness to guess.

"Marlene."

"Present, Whiplash."

"Prepare the commendation order. I want to see a clear and visible effect from the reward."

Marlene offered a reminder. "Whiplash, he is still very young. His current position is already exceptionally high for his age. This subordinate worries that continuing to promote his rank at this time might cause undesirable trouble. If we were to provide material rewards instead..."

"Marlene."

"Present."

"I was once very young as well."

...

The carriage Kallen occupied drove into a tunnel and then entered an independent sector containing a teleportation formation, where the carriage came to a halt.

Where else was he being sent now?

Purr seemed to have already guessed something, her tail rubbing against Kallen's chest to trace out several characters.

The Temple?

Kallen nodded, signaling his understanding.

It appeared that matters involving Mink Street were all truly high-level taboos; he and Auggie were to be sent to the Temple first for investigation.

Regarding the investigation, Kallen was not worried. First of all, he had already completed his own Orderization; in the entire Church of Order, there were likely few who could be cleaner than himself.

Secondly, a conclusion could be drawn from Lasma's reaction: setting aside those like Lord Taisisen, within the Church, probably only Lasma knew of the existence of himself as Dis's grandson.

Those topmost executives only knew of Dis; they did not know of Kallen.

At this moment, Purr's body began to tremble slightly. Kallen lowered his head to look at her.

Swiftly, the brilliance in Purr's feline eyes dimmed compared to before, and even her fur seemed less vibrant than it had been.

She was conducting a "self-sealing" in advance.

Ever since making the acquaintance of Aisli's parents, Purr, who had been constantly undergoing "treatment," had made immense progress. Although there was no way to achieve a true recovery in terms of raw power, she had become much more adept and composed in the application of her methods.

Kallen noticed that the very tip of Purr's tail felt a little hot. He reached out to stroke it, and soon, the heated area returned to normal.

She stood up, shook the fur upon her body, licked her paws, and looked at Kallen with an air of slight unfamiliarity, letting out a feline cry:

"Meow~"

Kallen reached out to stroke her. She showed a hint of resistance but did not dare fight back.

This sensation felt as though she had been replaced by a different cat; indeed, there seemed to be a distinction even in the texture of her fur.

The external teleportation formation was activated once more. Once the light vanished, Kallen discovered he was situated upon a colossal elevated platform. A troop of knights clad in black armor appeared on both sides of the carriage, escorting it downward.

Kallen did not conceal his curiosity, leaning against the carriage window to feast his eyes upon the scenery outside.

The carriage now seemed to be descending from the midsection of a pyramid. Below, Kallen saw even more knights and military tents. In the distance, there were the vague silhouettes of large-scale engines of war, and the surroundings were saturated with a dense, solemn air of slaughter.

This place was the camp of the Knights of Order.

Among the Twelve Knights of Order, with the exception of the First Knights, who could not be moved, the other orders would undergo periodic rotations and deployments. However, it was always ensured that one order of knights would be stationed outside the Temple of Order to guard it.

The route the carriage traveled should be the peripheral camp. Roughly a quarter of an hour later, it must have left the camp's boundaries, for Kallen heard the sound of a river, surging and turbulent.

Upon the shore, the figure of a young boy appeared. The Order robes upon the boy gleamed with a silver-gray hue. His feet were off the ground, suspended in the air, and behind him stood a group of clergymen, each bearing the pattern of a silver flower upon their chest.

The knights who had escorted the carriage all the way turned their mounts around and began to withdraw.

The young boy floated over, but the bare-chested coachman raised his horsewhip.

"Heh."

The young boy let out a cold snort and, rather than approaching the carriage any further, turned to lead the way.

The carriage rolled onward, presumably crossing a river now.

The surface of the water gradually rose, soon submerging the carriage entirely.

Only then did Karen realize this was no river at all, but a dark mist of light, though its flowing motion indeed mimicked the rushing sound of water.

The sensation reminded Karen of a nebula.

If needed, this river of luminous mist could instantly transform into the most terrifying defensive barrier, evaporating any entity that dared attempt entry.

Upon stepping ashore once more, Karen looked through the carriage window and saw a towering black gate standing ahead.

The Gate of Order!

Compared to the Gate of Reincarnation atop the Valley of Reincarnation, it seemed somewhat small, perhaps only a tenth of its size, yet it remained soaring, solemn, and majestic, its surface carved with immensely rich patterns that were dynamic, as if continuously narrating the history of the Church of Order to the outside world.

Any believer of Order would feel a surge of pride upon beholding this gate, and Karen was no exception.

Soon, the carriage climbed the steps and came to a halt at the very summit.

The coachman dismounted and prostrated himself beside it, as if performing some manner of worship.

The young boy floated over, stopping outside the carriage door, and made a gesturing motion inviting Karen to step down.

Opening the door, Karen pointed inside toward Auggie.

The young boy nodded in understanding.

Karen carried Auggie down from the carriage on his back, while Purr remained perched upon his shoulder.

"Phew..."

Leaving the carriage and facing the Gate of Order directly brought an entirely different sensation; the carriage had been shielded by a formation, but stepping out meant directly confronting the majestic pressure radiating from the gate.

Ahead stood a towering stone stele, its surface shifting and squirming constantly, like a living creature.

A line ran down it, with names carved on both its left and right sides.

The young boy spoke, saying, "You are about to enter the temple for inspection; please do not be nervous."

"Understood, I will cooperate."

So they were to inspect both him and Auggie, and within the temple itself, no less.

"Mm." The young boy pointed to the stone stele ahead. "According to tradition, young people within the church under the age of twenty-four who enter the temple, regardless of the reason, may carve their own names upon this stele."

"I can as well?"

"Of course, even those guilty of crimes brought to the temple for execution may do so; after all, being brought here for execution before the age of twenty-four is quite an extraordinary feat in itself."

"Very well, I understand."

Karen stepped forward, took up the greatsword from his back, and as he prepared to carve his name, asked:

"Pardon me, should it be carved on the left or the right? Is it divided by gender or by region?"

"Oh, you need not pay any mind to that line."

"Pay no mind to it?"

"Mm, several decades ago, a group of young people who won the church's selection were granted the opportunity to enter the temple for contemplation, and one of them, when required to leave his name, used his sword to cleave it directly in half; it was mended only later."

"Cleaving it in half? Surely that is a great irreverence."

"No, he claimed he did not do it intentionally."

"And because he said it was unintentional, it was deemed so?"

"Mm, it startled a temple elder into coming out to handle the matter at the time."

"Did the temple elder also believe it was unintentional?"

The young boy smiled slightly and replied, "Not quite."

Then, the young boy shrugged and continued:

"The elder said it was because the stele was ancient, and had simply grown too brittle on its own."