Chapter 678: Watchdog

Chapter 678 The Watchdog

"Thank you for your trouble, Director Anrosi."

Karen expressed his gratitude to the teleportation hall director, who had used his authority to arrange a temporary transport for him, saving him from what would have otherwise been a six-hour wait.

The teleportation matrix hall attached to the administrative building functioned much like an airport for the clerical world, with regular "flights" operating between heavily trafficked regions; for instance, the "flights" between York City and Dingge Region ran three fixed times a day, occasionally increasing in frequency depending on circumstances.

In areas with lighter passenger traffic, flights were naturally fewer, with weekly or even monthly departures being not uncommon, and reservations were sometimes required, carrying the risk of cancellation if the quota of passengers was not met.

Furthermore, the teleportation hall services were not exclusive to their own church; they were open to the public, allowing personnel from external churches to purchase tickets and ride after filling out an information card.

Generally speaking, the internal traffic used by their own church accounted for only a tenth of its normal operation, or even less.

Thus, although the installation and maintenance costs of a permanent teleportation matrix were high, for an orthodox holy church, its actual revenue far exceeded the expenses.

This was because it was not merely a matter of technology and cost, but involved far deeper factors: the higher a church's influence, the vaster its sphere of power, and the closer its connections with other churches, the more capable it was of constructing a comprehensive "transportation network" of its own and extracting greater benefits.

A holy church like the Pamires Church, which specialized in spatial forging techniques, simply lacked the credentials to meddle in this domain; if it dared to forcefully push forward such a project, the orthodox churches would deem its spatial matrix technology immature and prone to accidents, or accuse it of using prohibited cult-related techniques, denying it passage.

Between the orthodox churches and the lower-tier churches laid a distinct reservation of self-interest; the former possessed a flexible and variable set of standards to safeguard their own benefits, while packaging it in an exceedingly elegant manner.

As for the latter, if they wished to advance and share a piece of the pie, the very first thing they required was the strength to protect themselves in front of the orthodox holy churches.

"No, no, no, it is no trouble at all, Minister. You are fully entitled to this tier of treatment."

As Karen stepped into the luminous ring of the teleportation matrix, the image of the blonde girl he had seen earlier, chewing on a lollipop as she walked in, surfaced in his mind; he was not interested in the girl's looks, but rather in the way she had looked around the matrix hall earlier, with a kind of curiosity and novelty akin to a tourist.

She wore no robes of Order, nor did she take the channel designated for internal personnel, yet she was able to look upon this hall built in the style of Order with such an equalizing, or even slightly condescending, sightseeing mindset.

Karen did not think he was overthinking or being overly sensitive; he knew very well the status and influence of the Church of Order within the clerical world, so there might be some issues regarding that girl's identity.

However, it was common for people to travel under concealed identities, and moreover, he had pressing matters of his own to attend to, so he naturally could not stop to investigate.

Heh.

Karen shook his head, finding it somewhat amusing:

Alas, nowadays, he was truly becoming more and more like a "spy chief."

The teleportation matrix activated, and after a brief moment of turbulence, Karen stepped out of the ring of light; while it was still afternoon back in Wayne, it was early morning here in the Dingge Region.

When passing through the checkpoint, Karen handed over his identification, and the staff member, who had been somewhat drowsy, instantly snapped to attention upon glancing at his rank, swiftly processing his clearance.

"Sir, do you require a carriage arranged for you?"

Karen glanced at a corner of the teleportation hall, nodded, and said, "A carriage."

The brilliant sunlight of Saint Antis poured down impatiently in the early morning, offering the warmth of the city.

The carriage moved swiftly, its built-in isolation array allowing it to disregard the morning traffic congestion.

Karen had once lamented that anyone who chose to ride such a carriage must have some sort of mental ailment.

Well, now he was afflicted too.

Upon reaching his destination, Karen did not need to pay, for when the staff member at the teleportation hall called the ride for him, the account had already been charged, and the bill would eventually be sent to the York City headquarters.

"Sir, do you need me to wait for you here?" the coachman asked deferentially.

"Yes," Karen nodded.

Since it was an officially reimbursed trip, there was no need to inquire how the waiting fees would be calculated.

This had nothing to do with being stingy; the meaning of working hard to earn vouchers was to allow oneself more ease when purchasing desired goods and services, not to waste them deliberately where it was unnecessary.

Karen walked into the detached three-story villa ahead; had he not known beforehand, it would truly be hard to believe that this was the headquarters of the Church of Order's Sealed Space.

Because the Dingge Region was where the Temple of Order was located, the vast majority of the systemic headquarters within the church were established here.

The main gate stood open, unguarded, and the first thing one noticed upon walking into the courtyard was a doghouse.

Others might feel an innate fondness for outside dogs because they kept dogs themselves, but with Karen, it was the opposite; because his household raised a large golden retriever, looking at outside dogs always brought a sense of wariness.

Especially the dogs in this peculiar place.

A corgi emerged from the doghouse; though its tail had not been docked, it still looked quite fluffy and adorable, but Karen's gaze merely narrowed slightly, for the corgi's four paws did not touch the grass at all.

The corgi turned its head to look at Karen and spoke, "This is the headquarters; subsidiary business is not handled here."

"This is exactly where I am heading."

"Oh, alright then. Bring me your work orders, identification, and other relevant materials, and I will check them for you."

"Very well."

"Why do I find you somewhat familiar?"

Karen bent down, took out his identification along with the official letter issued for him by Bern, and placed them before the corgi.

The corgi placed its paw upon them, then chuckled, "Ah, you are Karen. For a period of time, the covers of the newspapers used to wrap my excrement were all filled with your photos."

"Can you still not use the restroom on your own?"

"Hmm, what?"

"My apologies, I did not know you still lacked the ability to care for yourself."

"Heh, kid, you've got some temper. I actually quite admire you now. Having character is a good thing, but the Dingge Region is not your York City Region after all; the rules of conduct here are entirely different."

"Thank you for the reminder."

"Go on in, just open the door directly, someone inside will receive you."

"Understood, thank you."

Karen gathered his documents, walked toward the house door, turned the handle, and stepped inside.

The moment his feet entered the foyer, the scene before him began to expand; what had originally been a simple three-story villa now gave off the impression of standing inside a massive stadium.

"Hello."

A young girl in a divine robe walked toward Karen; she was young, with a few freckles on her face, looking quite endearing.

"Hello, here are my identification and work order."

Karen handed the documents to her, and the girl took them to verify and confirm. She then smiled and said, "Alright, Minister Karen, you certainly arrived quickly. Our night shift colleagues only received the dispatch right before they clock off."

"Then the progress..."

"No problem, he finished processing your application before leaving, but I need to confirm with you once more: do you require the utilization of the Lax copper coin's power for... experimental detection?"

"Yes."

The freckled girl stuck out her tongue; clearly, someone from the Whiplash of Order coming to perform an experiment was somewhat incomprehensible.

"Because a subsequent task requires borrowing the Lax copper coin, prior to that, I need to communicate with the artifact's spirit in advance. As for the details of the task, I am afraid..."

"I understand, you may stop your explanation here. Using the name of experimental detection is indeed the fastest way to complete the meeting protocol, since there is no need to take the divine artifact out of the sealed space. Please follow me."

Karen followed the girl further inside, passing rows of room doors, each condensed with a thick aura of array formations.

"By the way, my name is Riel, I forgot to introduce myself just now."

"Pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, you are even handsomer than you look in the newspapers."

"Thank you."

"Did the one at the entrance give you a hard time?"

"The one at the entrance... the Corgi?"

"According to my director, it is his director's director's director... anyway, it holds a very senior rank. Every time we pass through the main gate for work, we have to bow to it. But it has a very foul temper and loves to sarcasm people. It really likes to mock the freckles on my face, saying

If Richard were here now, he would probably marvel: not bad, knowing not to just lie back and light a cigarette afterward, but to hold her close and offer tender comfort.

“It felt lonely at first, but it's fine now. Now I even join in on their jailbreak plans sometimes. Even though they fail every single time, I can still find a kind of fun in it.”

“Heh.”

“What about you, Brother Karen? Are you doing alright on the outside?”

“I am doing well, don't worry. Time is almost up. Once the copper coin is back in my hands, I will summon you out again and introduce you to some other friends.”

“Alright then, Brother Karen. One more hug.”

Loya opened her arms and wrapped them around Karen's neck, then planted a kiss on his cheek.

The moment the kiss ended, Karen suddenly felt a profound lightness of mind and body, as if all his burdens—including the psychological gloom and weight from previously suppressing the angel—had completely vanished.

His entire being felt ethereal, incredibly comfortable, and utterly relaxed, like taking a nap on the grassy bank of a river on a spring afternoon.

“Burp...”

Loya, however, let out a little burp, then sheepishly covered her mouth before quickly turning a look of concern upon him, saying:

“Brother Karen, you carry so much pressure.”

As she spoke, she reached out to embrace Karen once more, gently patting his back with her hand, seeking to soothe him.

Karen froze for a moment, then said: “Thank you, Loya.”

The young girl's kiss just now had drawn out all the distractions and fatigue from his soul.

She was the source of all evil, yet precisely because she was too pure, all negative emotions would surge toward her.

“Brother Karen, don't carry so much pressure. If work isn't going well, you don't have to work so desperately hard. I think, one of these days, I'll succeed in breaking out with them, and then I can come find you.”

“Heh, I'm fine.”

“Brother Karen, time is up. I'm leaving first, see you in a couple of days.”

“Mm, see you in a couple of days.”

Loya glanced back with every few steps as she walked back into the vortex, and immediately afterward, the vortex closed.

Karen stood up, stepped down from the altar, and instinctively relaxed his shoulders as he opened the door and walked out.

“Coffee,” Reil offered, handing over a cup.

“Thank you,” Karen took the coffee and sipped it, “As sweet and fragrant as your smile.”

Reil's face flushed crimson instantly.

Karen also realized he had been abrupt; it was truly Loya's “purification” that left him so delighted and relaxed now. He had not intended to be frivolous, but rather to offer a genuine compliment.

Like waking up to the first light of dawn, pushing open the window, taking a deep breath, and wishing to praise the beautiful morning.

One could only say that he had accumulated too much pressure in his heart beforehand; once released, he felt so light he almost forgot how to walk.

“I love the taste of this coffee. Is there a recipe?”

“The thing used to grind this coffee is an artifact, so...”

“Ah, no wonder. I really envy your employee benefits.”

“I can mail some over to you in the future. Oh, right, looking at the records, Department Head Karen, you have a very deep connection with the Lux copper coins. The acquisition of both coins involved you.”

“Yes, and it is precisely because of this connection that I thought of borrowing her power when executing special missions. The paperwork will be processed later, so please keep an eye on it.”

“Rest assured, I will.”

Reil guided Karen to the doorway. As she helped him open the door, she bit her lip slightly and asked, “Department Head Karen, do you have time today?”

“What?”

As if summoning her courage, Reil asked, “I mean, could I invite you to have lunch together?”

Ah, a man must always pay some price for his own “frivolity.”

“I am very sorry, the mission is urgent and I need to return immediately to handle it. Could I have your business card?”

“Alright, of course.” Reil pulled a business card from her pocket.

There was a long string of titles on the front that Karen did not quite understand, but the final designation was... Team Leader.

A cadre from a department at system headquarters, even if just a team leader, would not be simple; well, even if she were simple, her parents would certainly not be simple.

“When I have time, I will contact you to express my gratitude for today's assistance.”

Karen very solemnly placed the business card into his pocket. Barring any surprises, she would be receiving thoughtful gifts prepared by Richard during future holidays and festivals.

“Very well then, until the next opportunity.”

Karen stepped out the door and into the courtyard.

That corgi was lying just outside the doghouse, its large eyes staring intently at Karen. As Karen drew near, it could not help but frown and ask:

“If I hadn't been guarding the door here for so many years, I would have started to suspect whether this is the headquarters of the Sealing and Restraining Space or a brothel;

otherwise, how can one explain you walking out so relaxed and delighted, as if you just experienced an ultimate release?”

“Even after turning into a dog, you truly cannot conceal the greasiness belonging to a human man.”

“Hmph, brat. Remember, it's only here with me that bickering doesn't matter. In the future, within the Dingle Region, remember to keep your head down and behave.”

Karen smiled slightly and continued walking outward.

The corgi continued to watch him, letting out an emotional sigh:

“Woof woof.” (Can't deny it, this brat really is good-looking, far handsomer than I was back in the day.)

Karen paused in his tracks.

The corgi froze for a second—he could understand?

Karen continued walking outward.

Phew. As expected, I was overthinking it.

Just then, Karen raised his hand and gave a wave backward:

“Thank you, you are quite cute yourself right now.”