Chapter 610: Application

Chapter 610: The Application

"So, that is how things stand. I would like to hear your thoughts now."

His words finished, Neo lowered his head and began eating his noodles. The remaining ingredients, scarce as they were, had all been given to him.

Vernon and Helen exchanged a brief glance before Vernon spoke up. "This is far too sudden for us. Please allow us to—"

"Slurp..." Neo took a sip of the tomato-flavored broth and set down his spoon. "You seem to have misunderstood something. I only want to hear your thoughts; I did not come to ask for your consent."

Helen stared at Neo. "Do we not even have the right to choose?"

Neo nodded. "You have the choice of whether or not to add tomatoes to your noodle soup tonight. As for the path of your life—trust me, very few people in this world possess the power of truly free choice."

"So," Vernon said, "can we consider this a form of coercion?"

"Cut the nonsense. I am coercing you. Could you not tell?"

Vernon shook his head. "I find it very difficult to accept a leader like you."

Neo retorted bluntly, "Yes, your last friendly leader is dead."

Vernon fell silent.

Neo continued, "To cover your escape from the Cult of Order's dragnet, he did not hesitate to raise a Tower of Light as he died just to draw their attention. I thought that after going through that, you would have shed some of your unnecessary naivety. Sadly, you have not. Furthermore, I believe that as subordinates, as students, allowing your leader or teacher to die in order to cover for you is a failure of duty. It reflects, from a certain perspective, that the two of you are useless trash."

"I will not allow you to speak of our mentor that way!"

Splat!

Neo splashed the remaining soup from his bowl straight into Vernon's face. Though Vernon secretly performed Light healing on patients in his daily life, he had fundamentally not engaged in combat for a long time. He had gradually forgotten the fact that he was once a Light Warrior, so he failed to block in time and was thoroughly drenched.

"Idiot, I was insulting you, not your mentor!"

Alfred, who had been sitting quietly by the side, silently pulled out a clean handkerchief and handed it to Helen, gesturing for her to wipe Vernon down, before resuming his prior posture.

Vernon pushed away Helen's reaching hand. Pointing at his own face, he said, "I know what you intend to do. I see right through it. But I am sick of it. I don’t want to be used anymore, I don’t want to be a blade in someone else's hand, only to be sold out in the end without even realizing it!"

"Fine, I take back what I just said. You have made some progress, but not much."

Neo took Alfred's handkerchief from Helen, folded it, and carefully wiped the corners of his mouth. Then he stood up, his aura locking onto Vernon and erupting in an instant.

Seeing this, Vernon immediately condensed a layer of Light Armor over his body. But Neo merely reached out and clawed the air; the Light Armor on Vernon melted instantly, turning into a cluster of pure Light energy that Neo bound within his palm.

Immediately after, Neo delivered a backhanded slap.

Crack!

The Light energy transformed into a whip, lashing Vernon and sending him crashing to the ground.

Beside them, Helen instinctively opened her hands to cast a spell, but Neo swept a glance over her. Helen's hands froze, and she ultimately desisted from resisting.

Neo's gaze carried a threat, meaning that if she dared provoke him further, he would truly kill.

When it came to threatening people, Neo was a professional. A single movement or a single glance from him could achieve profound effects; otherwise, back outside the Whip of Order headquarters building, Cullen would not have needed to imitate him on the spot.

After all, Neo was a true hound. The line between seeking amusement and going mad was very blurred, and the thing people dreaded and dared not provoke most was a madman.

Vernon did not choose to continue resisting either. The brief exchange had made him realize the immense disparity in strength between them.

Neo looked down from above at Vernon lying on the floor. "I told you, you actually don't have the right to choose. Did you think this brief period of quiet and comfort would last forever? Did you think that by living here like ordinary people, all the turmoil would stay away from you? Don't be naive. You use Light spells to treat those people; a residue of Light aura will inevitably remain on them. There is no guaranteeing that some church official won't discover and report it one day. Furthermore, although you haven't been preaching, proselytizing doesn't necessarily require giving nonstop speeches every day to brainwash people like those religious zealots. Your actions, and your deeper understanding of the Light, are actually a sharper sermon than words. They will slowly begin to sow the seeds of Light in their hearts, they will begin to yearn for the Light, and eventually, praises for the Light will be upon their lips."

Hearing this, Vernon instantly recalled what Arif had said upon seeing him today: "I had a premonition that you would come today, because when I woke up this morning, I was awakened by the sunlight streaming through the cracks in the roof, hehe."

Neo continued, "It cannot be hidden, it cannot be hidden at all. For a while before this, the Whip of Order and the Regional Management Office were fighting fiercely amongst themselves, loosening their oversight and ignoring some intelligence. But now, the infighting has ended. The Whip of Order is about to enter a true phase of development; it will genuinely serve as a watchful eye over its surroundings. Do you know what the consequences will be once the situation here is discovered? You and your sister Helen might sense it ahead of time and attempt to flee. But can you take the people here along with you? These ordinary people with the residue of Light aura on them will be viewed as remnants of the Light. Those who began to praise the Light under your influence will be deemed cultists. They will be dealt with... dealt with by various means. Like a patch of ruined soil or a soiled floor, they will be thoroughly eradicated. So, do not always feel as though you are the aggrieved party, and do not naively believe you can simply shake your hands of this and choose to hide. Either you go to the islands in the deep ocean where church power is weak to spread your faith, or, since you choose to operate in the city, you must live up to what you have done, and live up to... those who sincerely believe in you."

Both Vernon and Helen fell into silence. They really had not thought of this aspect before. The very people they helped might ultimately die because of their assistance, perhaps even those people's families, neighbors, and colleagues.

The laws of secular nations might still debate with you over collective punishment, but within the circle of churches, such a debate simply did not exist. The simplest and most efficient way to prevent your faith from rising from the ashes was... to kill off your believers as thoroughly as possible.

Back when the Ziche case was exposed, the former domestic servant family that had once weighed heavily upon the Allen Manor was wiped out by the Cult of Order in an instant—that was the best proof.

Vernon asked, "Would you report us?"

"That question of yours is truly idiotic. Of course, if you do not agree to my proposal and become members of my secret office, I assure you that a large contingent of Order priests will appear here tomorrow for a clean-up."

"But if we follow you, can you guarantee their safety?"

"Not just them. If you want to continue helping others in the future, I can protect those people too."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because right now, we run the Whip of Order in the York City Region."

Vernon fell silent.

Neo walked back to the table and poured himself a cup of water. There were no tea leaves inside. After taking a sip, he continued, "I can understand your current way of thinking. You might feel that you have found the true essence of the Light, that you are weary of fighting, killing, being used, and being destroyed, and that you long for freedom and peace. I once had a friend who was just like you, but I do not think you can become him. Besides, in my understanding, light can be distinguished by strength and weakness, but the path it insists on walking is always a straight line."

Vernon and Helen began to chew over Neo's words.

"I will give you one day to wrap things up here. Come meet me the day after tomorrow at the cafe I mentioned, and I will formally arrange work for the two of you. You shouldn't be very busy normally. You can even open a small clinic to treat people. This is my final indulgence for you two fools."

Neo pushed open the door and walked out. Alfred rose and followed him out.

After the two of them got into the car, Neo sighed with emotion.

"Sometimes it really feels quite incredible. Even though the remnants of the Light have been suppressed for nearly a thousand years, there is still no shortage of people who possess a sincere faith in the Light. On the contrary, according to my observations, the proportion of pure believers is growing larger and larger. It is as if a millennium of suppression has instead filtered out the impurities within the Light, gradually leaving behind the most pure and crystal brilliance."

Alfred drove the car, remaining silent.

Neo continued to sigh. "What is even more incredible is that such a sacred church actually went extinct. Sigh."

Alfred glanced at Neo and then continued driving.

Neo pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a drag. "So, that recommendation the late Lord Thyssen gave the High Priest before he died regarding the treatment of the remnants of Light was truly brilliant. The era of blind suppression is over; continuing it would only help forge them into something purer. Therefore, we must ease our hand and proactively mix sand into their ranks.

This is something you have to respect. As the Wien proverb goes, a seasoned sauce jar holds everything imaginable."

Alfred finally spoke up. "Please mind your emotional stance."

"Hahaha." Neo burst out laughing, turning his head to look at Alfred. "That cracks me up. To think you'd say something like that to me—you might want to pull down the rearview mirror and take a look at yourself."

"I am merely reminding you that the young master's stance has never changed; if anything, it has deepened."

"Then why are you helping me like this? Even if Karen gave the word, you could have easily just gone through the motions."

"No, I believe that any independently emerging force within the system of the Church of Order is incredibly precious. That is the lesson learned from the last incident.

We might be able to depend on the system of the Church of Order to obtain seemingly vast power, but when we actually face the upper echelons and a conflict erupts, all that power will desert you.

Just look at Bernihari and the others; a single order came down, and they had to accept the reality of being reassigned."

"You want to end up like Born?"

"Didn't Born also hand over command of the garrison? What I want, and what the young master wants, is a power completely controlled in our own hands. Our main goal moving forward is to develop precisely that."

Neo nodded, extending his hand out the window to flick away the cigarette ash, and cursed:

"Everyone always says I'm like a madman, but you're actually the real madman here. Tell me, is getting onto a mural really that appealing? Why can't I seem to appreciate it?"

"Then we won't leave a spot for you."

"You wouldn't dare!"

...

"Wow, it's truly hard to imagine that my little Karen has already become a department chief. It really moves me to tears. I guess I haven't failed the promise I made to your grandfather before leaving home, meow."

Purr spoke while rubbing her eyes with her fleshy paws.

Karen reached out to pick Purr up, stroking her fur, and asked with a look of doubt, "How do you feel even heavier again?"

"Meow!"

"It seems you've been living quite well lately, eating and sleeping soundly."

"Oh, you know, sometimes one must release and alleviate emotions like anxiety and worry. The most effective way is eating and sleeping. If I've gained weight, then this extra part is just the heavy weight of my concern for you."

"Alright, I've felt it."

"Young master, what would you like for dinner? I bought fresh carp."

"Is there still tofu at home?" Karen asked.

"Yes, it's all been moved over."

"Then let's make a soup."

"Understood, young master. Please wait a moment."

By now, Karen's home had been moved to a building right next to the headquarters building. It was considered staff quarters, except Karen's household occupied three whole units, each featuring a layout of three bedrooms and one living room.

One unit was dedicated entirely to the kitchen. An ordinary kitchen certainly wouldn't need such a large area, but the kitchen of Karen's household prepared and stored a vast amount of ingredients on its own, so it really wouldn't fit in a smaller space.

One unit had been converted into two bedroom suites; Karen, Purr, and Kevin slept in the larger one, while the other was for Xili.

The third unit served purely as a study, doubling as a council chamber.

Because his promotion had come so rapidly, Karen had been forced to leave his luxuriously decorated office. Fortunately, that office had been left for Alfred to use, so it could be considered keeping the benefits within the family.

Yet as a department chief, he possessed quite a few privileges after all. One major privilege was that even if he skipped work, no one dared to record it. Thus, Karen could completely sleep until he woke up naturally at home, and after having his meal, enter the study, treating the study and the sitting room as his office space, where all other relevant personnel would come to report on their work.

In any case, this place sat right next to the headquarters building, and the entire area was protected by defensive arrays. Finding a journalist to spin the narrative in reverse would transform Chief Karen's absence not into laziness or neglecting his duties, but into a display of diligence so profound that he never stopped working even at home.

"It really feels like a dream. Dis was always just an Inquisitor; you have truly shown me a different view, Karen."

"Grandfather simply didn't care about these things."

"Actually, it wasn't that he completely didn't care, but rather due to his personality." Purr tucked her paws in. "Back when he was young, he really possessed a bit of an arrogant streak. His temper—well, it was good to his family, but to outsiders, it was a bit... you know. You are different..."

"Yes, indeed."

"You are just like him, looking down on outsiders in your heart, but you are better at pretending than he was. Even though you remain aloof and superior deep down, you can make the people around you feel that you value them greatly, as if you are their most sincere friend."

"Having not seen you for a while, it feels like your little mouth just ate a rat."

"It's the truth. On moving day, I saw Aleya—the one who used to run the agency in front of the Allen Apartments where we lived before."

"Yes, I remember."

"He kept saying that Young Master Karen was his best friend."

"Is he not?"

"And yet you didn't even tell him where your new home was."

"Did I?"

"He only found out we had been living in the funeral parlor all along when we were moving."

"Oh, that was an oversight on my part."

"I think you did it on purpose; you fear trouble."

"The department has a profiling room downstairs, specifically used for analyzing cases. Would you like me to recommend you go there?"

"I'm not going."

"Then shut your cat mouth. I was originally planning to make fish with pickled cabbage tomorrow."

"Stupid dog, go fetch me some tape! I want to seal this mouth of mine!"

As Karen walked out of the bedroom, preparing to head to the study, he happened to see Leon walking over.

There were three floors here in total, which basically served as dormitories for their own people, so everyone lived very close to one another.

"You're back?" Karen asked with a smile.

"Yes, Chief. Today my bereavement leave officially ends, and I am back to work."

Leon's spirit and energy looked very good. This was not forced; it was mainly because his grandfather had done a great deal for him before passing away.

"You will continue to serve as my secretary."

"Understood, Chief."

Alfred was far too busy now, already serving as the director of the First Office while simultaneously managing many lines of work around Karen. It would be inappropriate to keep him by his side as a secretary any longer.

Leon, on the other hand, was quite suitable, and he was already on Alfred's consideration list for the next batch of believers. Karen had looked at this list, and "Vic" was surprisingly on it as well.

Karen walked into his study just as the telephone rang, and he picked up the receiver.

"Young master, a call from the Chief Executive's office. Shall I transfer it over for you?"

"Yes, transfer it."

Very soon, Born's voice came from the other end of the line:

"Congratulations, Chief Karen."

"And congratulations to you as well, Chief Executive."

"There is something I must inform you of. Your application has come through—the partner application for the Church of the Catacombs."

"Oh?"

"I took a look at it; the specifications are remarkably high. You will need to make the trip in person because, under these terms, some of the truly formidable figures within the Church of the Catacombs will likely be enticed."

"Did you apply for this on my behalf?"

"Before his passing, the old chief activated the highest authority to secure a direct audience with the High Priest. You are aware of this.

Furthermore, he left behind a final testament—though it wasn't so much a suicide note as it was a work report, a meticulous summary detailing the achievements and failures of his recent years alongside the affairs that required arrangement after his death.

In it, he did not write a single word concerning the arrangements for his own family, namely Leon.

Yet, attached within those pages, he included a partner application to the Church of the Catacombs for you."