Chapter 625: Pig Swill

Chapter 625: Pig Feed

"Actually, I possess a great many virtues. I am truly curious as to why you never bother to emulate any of them."

"Then, since you are so keenly aware of your own flaws, why do you not correct them?"

"Because I rely entirely upon those very flaws to bring me joy."

"Joy is contagious."

"Heh, it seems you have rested well. I have noticed that your tongue only grows this sharp when your mind and body are in peak condition. Frankly, I still prefer how you looked when you were gravely injured—that stubborn, unyielding pride, forcing yourself to maintain decorum despite being so utterly frail."

"Are you speaking of yourself? Every time you lay in the church hospital, you would drink your water and then deliberately wait until I left before allowing the nurses in to change your sheets."

"How could you possibly know that?"

"Every time I visited you at the hospital, I would pass by the nurses' station. The nurses there were always exceedingly eager to share the details of your condition with me—in rather exquisite detail, I might add."

"It seems they mistook me for your most revered and deeply cared-for elder."

"Then you had best be far more careful with your safety."

"Mm?"

"Among the elders I revere, those who are still standing and able to speak are truly few and far possible between."

Neo: "..."

"I shall have to trouble you with the ensuing matters, then."

"You are being far too polite."

"Yes, well, it was merely a polite formality."

"Leave the specific investigative work to your valet. As for the extortion and blackmail, I shall handle that side of things."

"I have utmost faith in your professional capabilities."

"However, you must take charge of two matters. Well, actually, just one, since merely relaying the instructions from above once they arrive hardly counts as a task."

"I will manage Commander Daan's end. I shall go report to him shortly."

"Yes, quite right, it is enough that you manage him well. From his end, you can obtain the latest intentions, and intentions mean revenue. Ah, this truly is a delightful assignment. In the past, it would have been entirely unimaginable. Perhaps, this is the very meaning of struggle?"

"This is merely a means to an end."

"Ah yes, I forgot you harbor even grander ambitions. But sometimes, one ought not to live so exhaustingly. You should learn from me more often; it makes life much easier."

"If you wish, we can first debate the topic of who exactly lives a more carefree life."

"Very well, shut up."

Just then, a black crow soared through the sky and perched upon Karen's shoulder.

Karen caught it and opened the message.

"Commander Daan wishes to see me."

Neo remarked, "By all accounts, he ought to have stayed in one place, waiting for you to take the initiative to report the situation. Now that he is actively seeking you out, it implies he likely has other matters he requires you to handle."

"It should be so." Karen smiled faintly. "Before ordering me to assist with other matters, he will likely inform me of the official formation of the special task force."

"Heh, most likely. The official document will not come down quite so quickly, but once he reports it up and those above nod their ascent, it is essentially set in stone, leaving only the formalities."

"Very well, I shall go meet with Commander Daan first. You may continue with your work."

"No matter, this place can be temporarily left in Alfred's care. I must first head to the embassy to meet with our diplomatic priest stationed here—North, was it?"

"I have met him."

"How is he?"

"He likely does not care for bribery."

"Oh?"

"But he will not refuse a bribe; he will grant you that modicum of respect."

"That is well, then. I was truly worried I might encounter an incorruptible and impartial soul. With his assistance, the efficiency of my extortion will be much higher. I intend to have him invest via his technical expertise."

"As you wish, it is the profits we are dividing anyway."

"Then give me a lift first? Riding a carriage is a bit too slow and delays the investigation. You understand, time is money."

Karen looked toward Lord Augie, who offered no response.

Immediately, Karen reached out and grasped Lord Augie's arm. Seeing this, Neo reached out and grabbed the other side.

"To the embassy first," Karen instructed Lord Augie before turning his gaze to Neo. "Keep yourself warm."

"Eh?"

*Buzz!*

They took flight.

...

"Oh, my dear Department Head Neo, it is an honor to meet you. I imagine you must have come regarding the investigation of this special task force. Rest assured, the embassy will fully assist the work of your Whiplash of Order.

What would you like to drink? I shall have my secretary prepare it—red wine or coffee?"

"Well, do you happen to have any scalding, boiling water?"

...

"You did that on purpose, did you not?"

"Yes, I intensified the cold on his side. I originally thought he would be unable to bear it, but I did not expect him to be surprisingly resilient against the frost, so I blew a bit of my breath upon him."

"Why do such a thing?"

"I felt that if I teased him, you would likely be quite pleased."

"Are you currying favor with me?"

"I suppose so."

"Very well, let this not happen again."

"Are you pleased or displeased?"

"In truth, I am not quite as pleased as you imagine."

"Do you require me to accompany you down?"

"No need. You may go find your mother now; I feel that a proper conversation is lacking between you two."

"No meaningful results will come from my communicating with her."

"Communication does not strictly require a result. More often than not, it is pursued simply to leave no regrets behind."

Karen walked down the slope. Augie had not flown him back to the hospital—which served as the temporary office for the special task force—but had brought him to a riverbank instead, for that thunder-horned rhinoceros was currently grazing below.

Commander Daan sat by the water's edge, watching the black river, unique to the subterranean world, flowing before his eyes.

Karen walked down: "Lord Commander."

With his back turned to Karen, Daan nodded and said, "I have mentioned it to the higher-ups. You, who happen to be here, shall form the special task force to conduct the investigation into this incident."

"Thank you for your guidance and support."

"Save the pleasantries and show it with your actions instead."

"Yes, please give me your orders."

"Ten days from now, make some time to help me kill someone." Daan tossed a scroll toward Karen, who reached out and caught it.

"The scroll contains the location details and the operational schematic for the sealing array there. There is an imprisoned undead creature inside. Go and kill her for me."

"Yes, milord. I will complete the mission."

Daan was slightly surprised. He turned sideways to look at Karen and asked, "You agreed so quickly? Aren't you going to ask how powerful she actually is, or whether you and your people even have the ability to kill her?"

"We in the Whip of Order consider obeying orders our bounden duty."

"I don't like listening to slogans, mostly because it is usually I who must shout these useless things."

"This array is highly formidable and meticulous, bound to the soul of the prisoner. I can completely activate the array first to wear her down. Once she is sufficiently drained, I can go in and finish her off."

"You have already read the scroll? So quickly?"

"Have you forgotten what I told you? I am a formation master."

"I know that formation masters generally possess higher soul strength, but not to such an exaggerated degree. The array information recorded in that scroll is quite substantial."

"Please rest assured of my capabilities."

"I like that confidence of yours, haha. I hope no accidents happen when you go to kill her."

"There won't be. I will be careful."

"Furthermore, there is one more thing to keep in mind. No matter what the final outcome is, this is a private matter."

"Yes, I understand. This is my private matter."

"Haha, I didn't expect our communication to go so smoothly. Are you already used to doing this sort of thing?"

"Not at all. It is just my belief that sometimes, a 'private matter' is merely a convenient way of saying something cannot be made public. I believe the task you have ordered me to do must have its intrinsic meaning; it is simply not convenient for me to know it."

Daan stood up, gently brushing away the grass clippings clinging to his armor, and said, "I won't let you work for nothing."

Pausing for a moment,

Daan added, "The weakening of the Dragon lineage and the suppression of the Wise One lineage have already become a consensus."

Karen understood.

This was the reward.

This seemingly upright and incorruptible Knight Commander actually understood the ways of the world very well.

By telling him this, it was equivalent to revealing the exact limit for "lining their pockets." Below this threshold, they could rake in as much as they possibly could.

After all, Karen and Neo's special task force belonged to the middle echelon. Without knowing the specific intentions of the higher-ups, squeezing too hard could easily trigger a backlash. If the powerful factions and great families of the Earth Cult went to complain to the Church of Order, or worse, triggered a more violent conflict, then it would be a mistake—a major blunder displaying an utter disregard for discipline.

Yet, if they squeezed too lightly, they would lose out on a vast amount of profit. Indeed, reaping less was not a matter of earning less, but rather a matter of how much they were losing; such was Neo's theory of economics.

With this clear limit defined, the level of risk would be minimized while profits could be maximized.

This was just like during that previous security mission when Karen told Bishop Bourne the amount of the offered tip money and proposed to hand it over, only for Bishop Bourne to signal that it was unnecessary. It was a form of tacit understanding.

Commander Daan was clearly aware that even if a different special task force were brought in, the bribes collected and the wealth amassed would not be a single coin less. This was a tradition... or rather, a custom.

According to the divisions of secular nations, the Church of Order was the suzerain state, while the Earth Cult was the colony... and if a colony was not plundered, ransacked, and bled dry, what right did it have to be called a colony?

Daan spread his hands and smiled, "It seems I ought to find a few more topics to chat about, but I am temporarily not in the mood for it."

"It shows that you are in low spirits. The personnel transferred from the York City Region's Whip of Order have already arrived, and the investigation is underway, so please rest assured. Your subordinate shall take his leave now."

"If you are not in a hurry, stay and sit with me for a while."

"Uh..."

"What? Are you unwilling?"

"No, it is this subordinate's honor."

And so, Karen also sat down by the riverbank.

In truth, the scenery here was far from good. There was no bright sunshine, nor any gentle spring or autumn breeze. Even the river water was black, and the surrounding grass bore a distinctly grayish hue.

Commander Daan just sat there, exceedingly quiet.

What Karen could guess was that the man seemed to be engaging in a sort of remembrance and mourning. This was likely related to the person he had asked Karen to kill, and through this person, a period of bygone years was brought to mind.

As for himself, he was truly just sitting here to help cultivate an atmosphere, allowing the Commander to recapture the feeling of sitting by the river like this with his former companions.

This single sitting lasted for several hours.

Finally, Commander Daan raised his hand, "Go tend to your business."

"Yes, Commander."

Karen stood up, saluted, and departed.

Lady Auggie had gone to find her mother, which meant Karen needed to return to the hospital on his own.

Not long after he transformed into black mist to make his way, a dark shadow trailed behind him. Karen halted his form, and from the shadow stepped the figure of Philomena. However, this figure possessed a glaring stiffness. It was a substitute puppet made from a scroll, very crude and low-grade, whose functional value was similar to an advanced version of a black crow. Its sole advantage lay in its ability to conduct a short conversation.

"What is it?" Karen asked.

"My assignment is complete. I originally wanted to report to Department Head Neo, but I cannot perceive his location, and the black crow cannot pinpoint him either, so I could only come to find you."

"Oh, he should be at the embassy right now. There are arrays blocking perception there, so it is normal that the black crow cannot sense him."

But to still be unable to sense him by now could only mean that Neo and Ambassador Lenos were having an incredibly pleasant conversation. In all likelihood, the two were currently drawing up a scheme to reap profits.

"Shall I report to you then?"

"Yes, go ahead and report."

"This main city has only one restaurant that specializes in Wien cuisine. It is a very niche little shop called Old Will's Wien Cuisine. This is the result of my mission report."

"Your mission was?"

"Department Head Neo ordered me to find the most delicious Wien restaurant in the main city and place it under surveillance. I am currently stationed outside the restaurant performing surveillance myself."

"Oh, alright."

"Are you coming? It is dinner time, and Old Will, who is both the shop owner and the chef, is already preparing the evening meal."

Wanting me to go eat Wien cuisine right now?

Karen wanted very much to refuse, but after a moment of hesitation, he still chose to nod and said, "Very well, I will be right over."

Because he had detected Philomena's dissatisfaction. Her displeasure was directed at Neo. In this world, ever since her grandmother died, the only person whose orders she was wholeheartedly willing to obey was Karen himself.

When Neo issued an order to her, she would choose to comply out of respect for Karen. She still possessed that much of a sense of collective duty. However, this particular order from Neo was clearly somewhat... insulting to her intelligence.

Everyone else had specific mission arrangements, yet Philomena alone was tasked with finding a restaurant. Thinking back to the motivational words Neo had spoken after the missions were announced—though filled with talk of fighting and killing, the actual meaning was a demand for everyone to be absolutely unyielding.

Perhaps Neo was worried that Philomena would be too unyielding, unable to control herself, and would genuinely head off on a massive slaughter spree, which was why he had arranged this chore for her.

She understood this, and she was understanding more and more these days. The once completely shut-in girl had now become sensitive and suspicious, or perhaps internally neurotic, but for her, it already counted as a monumental leap forward.

Of course, another important reason was that Karen and Commander Daan had already concluded their "agreement." Going to help him kill someone was also predicated on the premise that personnel could be spared once the investigation opened up, and the time given by the Commander was very generous. Therefore, if he returned to the hospital now, he would have nothing to do but sleep.

Sometimes, in order to prevent oneself from completely slacking off too early, one had to actively find something to do—such as biting the bullet and having a meal of Wien cuisine.

...

Karen arrived at the entrance of Old Will’s Restaurant, a small establishment with a single door. Inside, the space was long and narrow, furnished with long tables fixed directly against the walls.

Out on the street, Philomena stepped out from the shadows of her surveillance, approaching Karen of her own accord.

Karen frowned slightly.

Philomena looked puzzled; she harbored a blatant double standard when dealing with Neo and Karen.

An order from Neo usually left her wondering if the man was mad;

Karen's displeasure, however, instinctively made her question whether she had done something wrong.

"When conducting surveillance, keeping yourself hidden in the shadows isn't a clever tactic. If your target is powerful and sharp enough, it actually makes it easier for them to notice you. This is a street; you could easily disguise yourself as an ordinary person and watch in the most primitive way, which would yield far better results. In short, you must make the most appropriate choice based on the environment."

"Yes, I understand."

"Do you have a ring on you?"

"I do."

At Karen's request, Mr. Lemar had already taken up a post within the Whip of Order as a member of an operations brigade; a man who once hated the Order of Light the most was now drawing a stipend from it.

Right after joining, he had voluntarily brought out his inventory, and now almost every member of Karen’s squad possessed a temporary ring that could alter their appearance and demeanor. In return, Alfred had secured an external membership status for his sister, Selena.

Karen touched the silver ring on his hand, and his stature, voice, and appearance shifted, turning him into an unfamiliar, ordinary middle-aged man, while Philomena transformed into a cold, mature woman.

"Who chose that for you?" Karen asked.

"Richard."

"A good choice."

"Really?"

"It fits your temperament well."

The two walked into the restaurant, and Old Will greeted them warmly: "Hi, folks, what would you like to eat? Tonight’s main menu is right here, and we're only serving set meals."

Karen pointed casually to one: "Two orders."

"Alright, please wait a moment, you two."

Karen and Philomena took a seat further inside.

As Philomena poured water for Karen, she asked, "I want to know, what is the point of monitoring this place?"

The true intention could not be spoken aloud, so Karen had to invent a story to cover for Neo.

"The documents I sent back, have you read them?"

"Before coming here, Mr. Alfred required us all to read them three times."

"Mm. That skeleton investigated me in Wayne. I think anyone who stays in Wayne for too long can hardly escape the dominance of Wayne paste sauce. Besides, even though I dislike Wayne paste sauce, in the perception of others, I carry the label of a sauce jar on my head.

So, the skeleton’s plan has succeeded, and he happens to be a very confident, even narcissistic person. While you all are arriving to carry out the investigation and arrests, if I were him, I would choose a place with a strong Wayne flavor.

He would curse Wayne food as pig slop while shoving it into his mouth, savoring that self-indulgent pleasure.

It’s just like a killer reading about his victim in the newspaper while lifting a silk stocking taken from the victim to his nose to sniff it, trying to stretch out that lingering thrill as long as possible."

"Silk stockings?"

"A kind of sock."

A look of sudden realization dawned on Philomena's face: "So that's how it is, I understand now. I didn't expect Director Neo's arrangement to be so profound."

Phew... successfully covered.

"There are many things worth learning from him; keep an eye out yourself."

"Yes, Director."

Karen picked up his water glass, preparing to take a sip to settle his own nonsense.

Just then, the restaurant door was pushed open, and a young man wearing a trench coat and a grey hat walked in,

hands on his hips as he shouted:

"Ha, my dear Old Will, I've come to taste your pig slop again!"