Chapter 653: They Deserve to Die

Chapter 653: They Deserve to Die

Leon stared at the cigarette butt in the ashtray, which was gradually dying out under his gentle pressure. He had clearly not taken another puff, but the tip of his nose and his eyes began to sting with sourness once more.

Before his death, Wolflun’s greatest concern had been the psychological fortification of this grandson of his.

He did not want his grandson to be consumed by guilt, nor did he want him to shoulder too heavy a burden; Leon understood his grandfather’s intentions, and so he proactively chose to face the world with a smile.

Yet his smile now, compared to his past demeanor as a wealthy young dandy, was like a painted scroll stripped of all its vibrant color; one could see he was smiling, yes, but he was indeed merely smiling.

Therefore, after Alfred informed him of the truth, he could still muster a pleasant smile when facing Elanga.

Now, in many moments, he felt as though his life resembled that of an actor—he lived, standing upon the stage, performing for his family watching from heaven above.

However, all of this hard-pressed resilience crumbled in an instant with this single cigarette and that one line from his department head: "Put it out."

Leon parted his lips, took a sharp, deep breath, and wiped his face hard twice with his palms.

"Department Head, I apologize. For a moment, it was a bit difficult for me to accept. No, it is not that I cannot accept it, but rather that I never expected you would say such things to me after summoning me here. I..."

"A bit sudden?"

"Ah, yes, yes. It was too sudden—so sudden that I was completely off my guard."

"I felt the exact same way."

Karen reached out, intending to take a second mango.

Seeing this, Leon proactively reached out to help, quickly peeling it before placing it onto the dining plate in front of Karen.

Karen glanced at Leon’s hands, yet he still did not touch the piece of mango.

"In truth, I originally intended to postpone this matter, thinking that I would wait until the higher-ups made up their minds and issued an order, after which I would make my own choice based on the outcome of that command. I also thought I would ponder and agonize over it for a long time. But when I learned that the higher-ups had abandoned the plan to take action, I realized that an answer had actually long existed in my heart.

It was simple, peaceful, and natural, requiring no hesitation whatsoever."

"Thank you, Department Head. But I do not wish to cause you to fall into an awkward predicament again because of my grandfather’s matters. This is not what I want to see, nor is it what my grandfather would want to see. The fact that you could say these words to me has already moved me deeply. Perhaps we could wait for the future, for a better opportunity..."

"You are mistaken. Your grandfather was indeed very good to me during his lifetime, and I have always been grateful that when he could have easily crushed me to death back then, he did not act against me despite the rumors circulating outside.

Furthermore, right before his death, your grandfather did several more things for me. Every single one of them is worthy of my appreciation for his kindness and remembrance of his grace.

But I am not making this decision for you, nor for your grandfather, and certainly not out of personal sentiment..."

Karen silently drew a copy of the *Regulations of Order* from the pocket of his divine robe and placed it upon the table.

"According to the *Regulations of Order*, they deserve to die."

His fingertips lightly stroked the cover, and Karen smiled faintly before continuing, "I have already found the most reasonable justification to support my subsequent actions. As for whether this action aligns with my personal emotional stance, that is purely a coincidence, is it not?"

"Yes... Department Head."

"Go back to your duties. Your task henceforth is to play your current role well, managing the security affairs here on my behalf just as you did before. Do not ask when or how the blow will be struck; I fear your emotions might exert an adverse influence on the operation."

Leon nodded forcefully and said, "Please rest assured."

"Mm." Karen dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

Leon stood up and walked toward the crowd at the banquet.

In the distance, Alfred, who had been standing by the entrance keeping a close eye on his young master’s situation, watched Leon rise and leave. Alfred then drew out his small notebook and drew two heavy, emphatic circles over Leon’s name.

Although a new path of faith ultimately required its own radiance to inspire the world to follow, this did not preclude the use of the leader's personal charisma to construct a basic framework in the early stages.

The two were not in conflict.

Therefore, for the initial inner circle of believers, loyalty would always be placed above all else.

At that moment, Elanga walked over to Karen’s table and said to him, "Department Head Karen, may I sit here?"

"Of course." Karen nodded with a smile, then pushed the mango—which Leon had just peeled for him with hands that had wiped away mucus and tears—right in front of Elanga. "Have a taste. I quite like this flavor."

"Oh, is that so? Then thank you very much." Elanga picked up a spoon, scooped up a bite, and delivered it into his mouth. "Mm, delicious."

"If you like it, you can have the front desk send some up to your hotel room."

"Very well, thank you for the suggestion. I noticed just now that you were discussing work with your subordinate here?"

"Yes."

"That subordinate of yours is the grandson of the former Chief Bishop of this grand region. Bishop Pochier introduced him to me just a moment ago. I feel deeply sorrowful for what befell his family."

"He does not need pity; he is very strong."

"Of course. Believers of Order are all very strong, unyielding against any winds or waves. This is precisely why the Church of Order is so prosperous and mighty today."

Karen shook his head and said, "An elder once told me why the Church of Order commands the status it possesses within the ecclesiastical circles today."

"Oh? And how did that elder of yours explain it?"

Karen raised his hand, slightly clenching it into a fist, and replied, "Big fists."

Elanga’s face stiffened slightly. "This..."

"And it is not merely about having big fists; one must also adhere to a single principle. That is, whoever dares to violate Order, one punch will... strike him dead."

"Do you also think this way, Department Head Karen?"

"I have been to quite a few places and visited many a sacred land of various churches, so naturally, I have interacted with many people. Seldom have I seen their reverence for the Church of Order stem from their alignment with the doctrines of Order; the vast majority simply fear the punishment they would suffer from the Church of Order should they dare defy its will."

"That goes without saying. The great Church of Order is not to be encroached upon!" Elanga raised his wine glass. "Come, let us share a toast."

Karen did not raise the wine glass beside him.

Instead, he extended a finger to point at Elanga,

And said with a smile:

"You said it yourself."

Elanga: "..."

He had come over deliberately to test him; Karen was well aware of this.

Yet Karen disdained to hide it, for unless the higher-ups changed the venue of the talks, the security work for this conference remained firmly in his own hands, which allowed him to remain composed.

Whether to put them to death was not a question of capability, but rather a question of whether he was willing to do it.

If he were to completely disregard the impact and consequences, Karen could even command dozens of squads from the Whiplash of Order to storm into the hotel and slaughter them all under the pretext of "worshiping an evil god."

Thus, before the final answer was revealed, Karen did not mind playing with them a little, much like a hand teasing a guinea pig.

The banquet speeches began. Karen, who had already eaten and drunk his fill, did not remain there to listen to any more beautiful visions and hypocritical blessings. Instead, after giving Alfred a nod of signal, he rose and left the banquet hall, eventually walking right out of the Ankara Hotel.

The snow had stopped, and the temperature had dropped even lower.

Karen thrust both hands into the pockets of his divine robe and deliberately exhaled, creating a plume of white mist.

A taxi happened to pull up just then, and a young clergyman stepped out from it. The clergyman cast a few glances toward Karen, but because it was dark and Karen’s body was turned sideways, he failed to recognize him. Clutching his briefcase, the clergyman walked briskly into the hotel.

Seeing this, Karen simply walked over to the taxi, opened the door, and sat inside.

"Sir, where to?"

"The cemetery in the Blue Bridge community. Do you know the way?"

"Of course, though it is a bit far, and given the current road conditions, you know, it might take some time."

"No rush. Drive slowly."

"Yes, sir. By the way, sir, is there something unusual about this hotel?"

"What?"

"I mean, I occasionally drop passengers off here, but sometimes when I drive by with an empty cab, I can't seem to find it."

"Perhaps you just aren't in the mood for scenery when your cab is empty."

"Haha, no, I actually came out this way a few times specifically to find this hotel, but I just couldn't. I even told my cousin about it—he's a writer, and he used my experience as a framework to write a story about this place."

"Was it published?"

"Only serialized in a newspaper, but it didn't seem to do well and got canceled."

"A pity."

"Yes, a pity. What a mysterious place."

"Aren't you afraid, Mr. Driver?"

"Afraid? Oh no, I love getting fares out here, because the gentlemen heading to this hotel always tip generously—at least, they never ask for change, haha.

In times like these, even a demon, as long as it grips a fistful of Reals in its claw, can make people rush toward it like mad."

Karen remained noncommittal.

Halfway through the journey, a woman hailed the cab from the roadside. The driver glanced at Karen through the rearview mirror, then pulled the car over.

"Hi, ma'am, where are you heading?"

"Queen's Avenue, Second Street."

"Get in, ma'am, it's on the way." As he spoke, the driver checked Karen's reaction in the rearview mirror once more.

The woman opened the door, hesitated for a moment upon seeing someone already in the back seat, but climbed in anyway.

Karen closed his eyes. He raised no objection to the driver picking up another passenger mid-trip; after all, he was in no hurry.

However, Karen caught the scent of disinfectant radiating from the woman, and noting her flat leather shoes, he deduced she was likely a hospital nurse.

"Are you heading home, ma'am?" The driver took the initiative to liven up the atmosphere.

"If my home were over there, do you think I'd still need to be out working?"

"That's not how it goes. Some people live just to stay alive, while others live to truly experience life."

"You actually make a lot of sense. There's an employee in my department whose husband is the deputy chief of our district police station; she only comes to work because she finds staying at home too boring."

"Those aren't my words, they're my cousin's—he's a writer!"

"Oh, how impressive."

"Yes, I'm very proud of him."

The car pulled up at Queen's Avenue. The woman handed over her fare and stepped out.

With that, the taxi resumed its drive, finally arriving at the gates of the cemetery.

"Forty-five Reals, my respected sir."

Karen handed him a fifty-Real note and opened the door to step out.

"Hey, sir, here's your five Reals change." The driver scooped up a small handful of coins and thrust his hand out the window toward Karen.

Taking the coins, Karen asked, "I thought you didn't give change?"

"It's different this time. Thank you for your understanding, haha. Have a good night."

"Good night."

Karen walked to the cemetery gates. They were shut but unlocked. The little caretaker's cabin where old Saman used to live now had a new occupant, though he was clearly not very responsible with his duties.

Pushing the gate open with his hand, Karen walked inside.

The moment he entered, Karen had a premonition. He made his way to Miss Eliza's tombstone and, sure enough, spotted a man sitting slumped against it.

The man held a wine bottle in his right hand and a cigarette between the fingers of his left, murmuring rather clichéd words:

"Look at you... without you in my life, I've become such a mess. Without you, how am I supposed to live..."

Few people can maintain perfect consistency in public and in private; most behave with a touch of childishness before those closest to them.

Even Karen, when alone with Eunice, would display a sense of indulgence never seen by the outside world.

Neo was no exception.

Only, in the past, they would both exercise restraint. Just as when Karen used to come here and find Neo present, Neo would usually stand quietly before the tombstone, falling into silence, silence, and deeper silence...

Now, though, he surely knew Karen had arrived, but he couldn't be bothered to stand up and feign solemnity.

"Oh, Eliza, look, our little Director Karen is here."

Neo looked up at Karen, his eyes hazy with intoxication.

Karen, however, simply inquired, "Are you hurt?"

"Me? I'm fine. The physical injuries and exhaustion aren't too severe, it's just my head that feels a bit uncomfortable. After the fight, I found a reef island and passed out for half a day. I only came around a short while ago."

"Passed out?"

"They were holding a meeting and arguing inside my head. I didn't care to listen, so I just 'took a leave of absence' and let them shout it out. Eventually, they'd get tired of arguing. Look, it's much quieter now, heh."

"Will there be any lasting aftereffects?"

"Is that a polite formality?"

"Yes."

"It's just the usual risks. At worst, getting lost in it."

"I see."

"What brings you here? In a bad mood?"

"Why didn't you guess that I came here specifically to find you?"

"Heh, I believe you'd return to Allen Manor to find your fiancée long before you'd come looking for me for no good reason. Out with it, what happened? You look a bit despondent yourself."

"The wind has shifted at the top."

"The wind regarding that crowd in the desert?"

"Yes."

"All the groundwork laid for nothing?"

"Presumably."

"Heh..." Neo stretched, his palm lightly brushing the tombstone beside him. "I feel that, sooner or later, this Church of Order will tread the same old path as Light."

Karen bypassed the topic.

Neo continued, "Blindly pursuing so-called self-empowerment while drifting further and further from the original intent—it's hard to say if that's true strength or mere frailty."

Karen drew a cigarette pack from his pocket, slipped a cigarette out, and tapped it against the carton.

Neo pointed at Karen. "You understand."

"I believe methods can change in accordance with the circumstances of the time."

"Oh, yes, after all, the Church of Order is vast and powerful now, so it should be this way, while the Light has already perished, leaving nothing behind but its original aspiration.

But what about this matter? I mean, the business with those people from the desert."

"The conference will still drag on for several more days."

"And then?"

"I won't let them leave York City alive."

"I knew it." Neo took a drag from his cigarette, exhaling a ring of smoke. "The things the Church of Order refuses to manage, you manage; the people the Church of Order refuses to kill, you kill."

Karen produced a lighter.

Neo stood up, brushing the stray blades of grass from his clothes. "You possess the right to do such things, just as rumors on the outside have always said about our... oh no, it's no longer a rumor, we witnessed it with our own eyes that the High Priest's undead summon could utilize Tyranus's forbidden sealing incantation.

In terms of interpreting the 'Regulations of Order' and acting in the name of Order, you possess greater legitimacy and righteousness than the Church of Order itself.

For a holy church, can the grandest overall scheme possibly outweigh the God of Order?

Alright, I know you loathe it when others say you are the God of Order. I only said this to comfort you, hahaha. Do not think yourself willful; do what must be done, and do whatever you wish to do."

"I do not need comfort," Karen said.

"Hmm? I thought you came to find me specifically seeking that. You know I am best at this."

Karen shook his head and asked, "Why do you think I am doing this?"

"For Wofulen. He was very good to you."

"Fine."

Karen walked toward the other side with his cigarette and lighter, and Neo followed behind him.

Eventually, Karen stopped before a tombstone, which bore Dincom's photograph.

"He looks a bit familiar." Neo looked closely, soon remembering. "An employee beneath Pavaro's tribunal, I saw him before when visiting your place."

"Mhm, yes. He died that night, killed by an assassin. His corpse was flattened, as flat as a sheet of paper. Before, when I returned to the funeral home, he would take turns keeping watch with Pick at night, and I would hear their snoring."

Karen bent down, placed the cigarette before the tombstone, and lit it.

"Were you very close to him?" Neo paused, then asked, "Did you feel an immense sorrow over his death?"

"My feelings for him were average. His death made me feel bad for a little while, but not for too long."

"Oh, you are truly honest." Neo pursed his lips, and then a sudden look of realization dawned in his eyes. "Oh, I almost forgot."

"Yes, all of you would think I made this choice to avenge Wofulen, and Leon thinks so as well. But you have all overlooked one thing, which is that since this assassin was dispatched by them, it means these people, by just a fraction, almost killed my entire family."

"Ah, yes, the matter suddenly becomes very grave and entirely justified." Neo grabbed a handful of snow and rubbed his hands together. "Tsk, everything becomes perfectly clear in an instant."

Karen straightened his back, looking at the tombstone, and said very calmly:

"Yes, based on this alone, they deserve to die."