Chapter 608: I Am Back

Chapter 608: I Am Back

"Have you been accompanying the Old Lady on her evening walks lately?"

"Yes."

Alfred picked up the ice water before him, studying Philomena carefully as she stood in front of him, and asked:

"Uninjured?"

"Injured."

"It doesn't show."

"She deliberately avoids the face."

"Ah, kind-hearted after all, then."

Alfred set down his glass and continued with a smile, "Any significant progress?"

"She is very strong."

"Naturally."

After all, she was someone who, in her youth, had adventured in the same squad as Lord Dis. If one had to make a somewhat flawed comparison, equating the Young Master to Lord Dis, then the young Madame Tangli might well be the present-day Philomena;

As it turned out, Philomena ultimately married Richard...

Alfred frowned, cursing silently in his mind: What utter nonsense is that?

"She cares deeply for the Director."

"Our Young Master, after all, easily wins the affection of his elders. Do you intend to keep going? If you wish to decline, I can help you refuse her."

"I will go."

"Very well."

Just then, Wicque knocked and entered, addressing Alfred, "The transfer orders have arrived."

"Have they all departed?"

"Bernie and Harry are both gone, along with several department heads. Their offices were cleared long ago; the moment the orders arrived, they walked straight out of the building."

"Then let us prepare a farewell banquet. Give the word to the cafeteria."

"But everyone has already left."

"We are celebrating that they are finally gone. The banquet is for us to eat."

"True enough. I like your style of doing things."

"Sometimes, even if you are reluctant, you must make your loves and hatreds absolutely clear. Otherwise, those beneath you will not fear you."

"Yes, quite right. So, our Director should be coming out soon as well?"

"It should be soon. The investigation team left a few days ago; it is time for him to return."

The telephone on the desk rang. Alfred answered it, gave a brief nod, and said, "Understood. Thank you."

Hanging up, Alfred stood up with a smile. "The teleportation matrix hall in the Academic Building just called. The leader of the investigation team... oh no, our newly appointed Regional Director has arrived. The efficiency from above is remarkably high. The old guards have barely stepped out before the newcomers arrived to replace them. It truly makes it difficult for the subordinates not to display a cold indifference to human affairs."

Wicque spoke up, "Then I shall go alter the banners. The cafeteria will host a welcoming banquet today instead."

"There is no need, actually. Postpone the welcome until tomorrow; today remains themed around farewells. I imagine the newly appointed Regional Director will not feel displeased. On the contrary, it will afford him the distinct pleasure of usurping another man's estate, so we shall grant him double the joy."

Wicque pointed to his own forehead and smiled, "The kind of pleasure where the victor extends benevolence and tolerance toward the vanquished?"

"Precisely. That is an enjoyment in its own right.

Furthermore, inform the hands that the progress on the case can be slowed down a little longer. Once the new Director takes office, this particular case targeting the six bishops will undoubtedly be handed back to our Young Master to wrap up."

"The usual routine. We are accustomed to it; superiors always seem to prefer it this way."

Alfred shrugged. "It is actually quite agreeable. Just as the Young Master once told me, we do the work, and he simply grants us our freedom."

Wicque looked somewhat perplexed. "Why do I feel you are rather pleased with our current predicament?"

"Because I have been reading a book lately."

"What is the title?"

"It has no title. I gathered the records of the High Priest's career prior to his ascension and compiled them into a single volume. I discovered that even the High Priest, despite his rapid rise, spent a considerable length of time in one place.

It is much like a great tree that is prone to topple if it merely rushes to grow tall. Only by rooting deeply in one spot and nurturing one's own circle can one truly possess the strength to weather the storms.

This is precisely what we must do next, and it is the maxim the Young Master once imparted to me."

"A maxim?"

"Build the walls high, store the grain wide, bury the ambition deep."

***

Suss had returned. When he last departed, he was merely the leader of the investigation team; now, he was the newly appointed Regional Director of the York City Archdiocese.

However, he deliberately avoided the welcoming lines assembled before the main building, slipping instead through the rear entrance and straight down into the dungeon.

Having received word well in advance, Karen and Neo had changed into pristine, new clerical robes today. They waited until Suss arrived to dissolve the internal investigation order left by his predecessor in his capacity as Director, while simultaneously reading aloud the new administrative appointments...

Karen and Neo stood side by side, saluting Suss.

*Flash!*

The two journalists Suss had brought along began taking photographs.

Once they finished, Suss smiled and spoke to the reporters, "We shall dispense with the formulaic pleasantries. You may exercise your own eloquence in print; let us all save some time."

"Yes, Director."

"Yes, Director."

Suss looked at Karen and said, "From this day forth, we are colleagues."

Immediately after, he turned his gaze to Neo. "In the future, we shall support one another."

Suss’s decision to visit the dungeon first to release them was itself a declaration of his stance to the outside world, establishing the foundational tone for the operations within this building going forward.

Subsequently, an internal meeting was convened. The new Regional Director, along with several other parachuted department heads and the newly promoted Directors Karen and Neo, formally met with the entire assembly.

When numbers were few, everything could be simplified, leaving the journalists to fill the news reports with conventional platitudes. But facing so many members of the Whip of Order in the grand auditorium, things could no longer be handled with such superficial, retroactive editing.

Though small in stature, Suss displayed a striking talent for public speaking, possessing an extraordinary ability to stir emotion.

Sitting below, Alfred nodded continuously, drawing much inspiration from it.

Suss went so far as to make light of his own height, remarking that if someone as short as he could ascend to this position, then why on earth could those seated before him not do the same?

In short, the speech breathed a fresh vitality into the Whip of Order, which had been tossed about by the wind and rain for a month. At the very least, everyone came to realize that the chaos had drawn to a close, and it was time to return to earnest labor.

Among the self-introductions of the new department heads, aside from Lichel, whom he had met before, another female director left a rather deep impression on Karen.

Her name was Rowena, the Director of Public Relations, and she was very beautiful.

Her countenance, combined with her demeanor, lent her an air that was at once flirtatiously worldly yet grounded by an underlying gravity—highly contradictory, yet remarkably harmonious.

The records indicated she was forty-two years old, but her appearance betrayed no hint of it, conveying instead the rich texture of a young matron in her late twenties.

However, a rather awkward reality remained: Karen had risen too quickly. He already occupied a director’s seat, and within the hierarchy of directors, he commanded the high-ranking Department of Enforcement. This meant that as he looked around, nearly everyone at his own level belonged to the generation of his uncles and aunts.

Sitting on the stage, Neo whispered to Karen, "Good-looking people always find it easier to leave an impression."

Karen nodded.

Neo added, "Just like you."

Karen didn't bother to respond.

Neo stood up and walked to the podium; it was his turn to speak, and Neo was quite eloquent, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to build the kind of atmosphere the Hound Squad had, especially after unlocking his fun-seeker persona, which liberated his true self even more.

The speech was highly accomplished, drawing on his past service experiences and resonating deeply with the audience below, earning a burst of enthusiastic cheers and applause as it concluded.

Walking back, Neo gave Karen a slightly provocative nod, signaling that it was his turn next.

As Karen stood up and passed by him, Neo deliberately reminded him, "I have faith in your eloquence. Keep it up, don't let me down."

Karen walked to the podium, stood still, and said nothing.

The cheers and applause previously sparked by Neo's speech completely died down within a few seconds, plunging the entire hall into a genuine silence.

Setting aside what Karen had done and the prestige he had accumulated since entering this building following the Chavico case, just the scene from that day—when, at Karen's single command, the garrison knights charged into the headquarters building area—had already left a profound psychological trauma on most people present.

Youth, talent, political maneuvering, disposition, ruthlessness—when truly provoked, he wasn't the type to flip the table, but the extremely violent type who would directly tear down the house;

His original direct supervisor was stabbed by him in front of everyone, then that supervisor was transferred away, and he took over his supervisor's position.

Most terrifying of all, he probably wouldn't be promoted anymore; he would remain here as the department head, and he was still very young, only seventeen years old, which meant everyone present, as long as they continued to work here, would inevitably face his governance;

For some older folks, after they retired and their juniors entered, it was possible that by the time those juniors were preparing to retire, this Lord Minister would still be in office!

Those who could rely on connections to transfer away were a minority among minorities; it was incredibly difficult for the vast majority of people to even sit in a minister's position, and the position of district chief was even more unrealistic.

Furthermore, if this young minister were to serve as the Head of the Enforcement Department for another ten or twenty years, the district chief's words might not even be as effective as his in the future. How could an outsider dropped from above suppress a local tyrant!

Therefore, the young man standing at the podium right now... would be the most powerful person in this building for the next few decades.

"Cough!"

Someone coughed; he had been holding it in, but because of a slight cold, he couldn't contain it, and once it escaped, a terrifying sensation washed over him instantly, as if breaking the current silence would draw all eyes to him, making it a severe transgression.

Originally, Karen had prepared a speech, but looking at it now, he felt he had misjudged his impression among the "masses."

Although he had claimed in his conversation with Sousse that his image was misunderstood, in reality, if he were to place himself outside, he would probably misunderstand himself as well.

In an instant, Karen lost all desire to deliver a speech or inspire people; he simply raised his hand and placed it back onto the podium.

"Smack!"

What was originally a very soft sound actually seemed somewhat "deafening" because the venue was far too quiet.

Karen smiled and said:

"Everyone, I'm back."

……

"Oh, damn it, I swear, you must have thought for three days and three nights to come up with that speech!"

"I didn't."

Neo said incredulously, "Heh, there are no outsiders here, there's no need for you to hide it anymore."

"I didn't."

"Is there no trust left between you and me?"

"You are so naggy."

"Now you complain about me being naggy, I haven't even settled scores with you yet. How did my Head of Logistics suddenly turn into the Head of Reconnaissance out of nowhere?"

"That wasn't for me to decide."

"This was definitely your decision. In the eyes of a normal person, the Head of Reconnaissance is much higher and better than the Head of Logistics. I should already thank the two main gods of Order and Light for being able to reach the lowest-ranked Head of Logistics, and yet I was promoted even further?"

"It was probably Sousse who valued your ability."

"You really are treating me like a fool, Karen, because no matter how much I think about it, I realize the only person who wouldn't want me sitting in the Head of Logistics position... could only be you."

"Why?"

"Because you are going to stay in this position for a long time, so you don't want me messing around!"

"So you know you would mess around."

"Bah, I only invest and manage finances."

"Alright, alright, Alfred checked the headquarters' accounts, and they are so bare that rats could run through them."

"That miserable? Then what on earth was Bernie doing before?"

"He was probably just trying his best to maintain things, it wasn't his fault. Although he stabbed us in the back before, his working competence is still worth acknowledging."

"That's true."

"So the reality is that the rebooting of the local Whip of Order was not equipped with sufficient funding support. The position of Head of Logistics isn't about how much you can embezzle, but about being busy pulling sponsorships everywhere."

"Then I feel much better. So Sousse put Richel in that position. You said before that Richel isn't one of Sousse's own men, but was planted there. And looking at that woman's foul temper, she must have been used to smooth sailing in the past with a good family background, so the task of begging for money and funding is left to her."

"Mm."

"But this really feels like a dream. I wasted more than ten years in Sampur City, and it's only been a little over half a year since I was transferred to York City, yet I directly became a minister."

"Yeah, a speed that many remnants of Light could only envy."

"Exactly, how many remnants of Light... Hahaha, you say it as if you aren't one yourself."

"Your work needs to begin rolling out."

"Heh, I know, a remnant of Light secretly forming a Light remnant organization within the Whip of Order to control other remnants of Light, it really is a mouthful.

By the way, what about those two Light babies?"

"Go ask Alfred, Alfred handles those matters, he is my eyes."

"Alright, I'll go find them in a couple of days, and counting Bertha, hey, my core team of Light remnants has actually formed directly."

"Adding you, there's even an Elder of Light. Congratulations, you don't need to run some secret Light organization, just open a Light branch directly to fight for orthodoxy against other Light factions."

"Now you're stretching it a bit too far, accumulating strength doesn't happen that fast."

"Relative strength growth will do. In the future, whenever you obtain news of other Light remnant organizations, report them directly to the Order Holy See, letting the major districts of the Order Holy See dispatch forces to wipe them out. You can rack up achievements while obtaining more resources."

"By clearing out all the other factions, I'll passively become the greatest orthodoxy?"

"Mm."

"How could it be that simple, otherwise the Order Holy See would have completely eliminated the remnants of Light long ago."

"In the past, there weren't the two of us sitting in Order's VIP car discussing this kind of thing either."

"True, you make a lot of sense. Then I'll be the Elder, and once the faction grows powerful, you can come and play a cameo role, since you can't be promoted anyway."

"Why shouldn't it be that after you raise this faction to a certain extent, I represent Order to destroy you?"

"Hmm?"

"After achieving such a massive credit, maybe I'll be able to get promoted."

Sitting in the passenger seat, Neo flipped Karen off:

"Damn it!"

Karen pulled the car to a halt before a sprawling villa.

Stepping out, Neo sighed with a touch of melancholy, "It's truly deserted out here. No, it's more like there's almost no one left at all."

"Isn't that for the best? The Chief never did care for crowds anyway."

As Karen and Neo made their way inside, they found the door already ajar. In the middle of the living room, Leon was kneeling upon a cushion before a brazier, quietly feeding ceremonial coupons into the rising flames.

A sacrificial altar stood just ahead of him, laden with plates of fresh fruit and pastries. At its center rested the black-and-white funeral portrait of Chief Bishop Wolfrun, flanked by two white candles that burned on relentlessly.

Catching sight of Karen and Neo, Leon began to push himself up to offer his respects, but Neo reached out, gently pressing down on his shoulder. Pulling over another cushion, Neo knelt beside him and joined in burning the paper offerings.

"Thank you, Director."

"You'll have to change how you address us now—it's Minister. Both Karen and I are Ministers now."

"Minister?" Leon stammered, caught off guard. Having spent the recent weeks entirely on leave, he had clearly been out of touch with the world outside.

Neo flashed a wry smile. "Exactly. So here we are, burning some paper for our Chief, to thank him for sorting out our promotions. By the way, Karen, do you think burning these counterfeit coupons actually does any good over on the other side?"

"It works."

Neo pressed further, "Then should we mix in a few real ones just to be safe?"

"I don't have any coupons on me." Karen carried the bags he had brought from the car straight into the kitchen.

"Oh, damn it, neither do I. Forget about it then," Neo grumbled, continuing to feed the fire. "Let's just burn a mountain of these. Once the Chief arrives at the First Knights Regiment, he's bound to be the wealthiest and most prestigious comrade among them.

Just imagine the envy of his brothers-in-arms there. If they all decide to send collective dream-visitations to their descendants and successors, outsiders might actually think the Church of the Spiritual Dream has declared war on our Church of Order!"

"Pfft..." Leon couldn't help but chuckle. In truth, his grief had long since been stretched thin and diffused over time. Moreover, as he burned the paper offerings for his grandfather, a serene peace settled over him, as though he could feel the old man standing right by his side.

After a while, Karen emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray laden with four bowls of wontons.

He took one, Neo took another, and Leon accepted his own, leaving a single bowl remaining on the tray.

Leon stared at it, a look of confusion crossing his face.

Karen took a sip of the broth and said, "What are you dazing off for? Take it to your grandfather."

"Yes, Director—oh, I mean, Minister."

Leon immediately lifted the final bowl, set it carefully before his grandfather's portrait, and spoke with a smile:

"Grandfather, have a taste. The wrappers didn't break this time."