Chapter 692: Selection of the New Regional Director

Chapter 692 Selection of the New District Director

Having taken a bath and changed into a suit of black pajamas, Cullen walked downstairs and arrived at the dining room.

Upon the grand and elegant yet utterly impractical rare long dining table, a group of maids were laying out the tableware.

Cullen took his seat at the head of the table, and soon, exquisite dishes were served before him one after another. The portion sizes were small, but each had clearly consumed a great deal of effort, and at a single glance, it was obvious they were not to his liking.

Cullen had always been dissatisfied with the skill of the ancestral chef of the Allen Estate, but he had never thought about changing the estate's culinary habits; after all, he did not live here permanently.

Moreover, the cuisine here was just like this ancient castle—most of the time, it was not meant to be delicious or liveable, but purely for show.

Although a pair of silver chopsticks was placed right by Cullen's hand, he still picked up the knife and fork, focusing his attention on the plate of steak in front of him. He cut off a piece, put it into his mouth to chew, and then cut another piece, repeating the motion.

If one were to filter out the chef's painstaking effort condensed within this steak, it would probably taste much better.

Cullen did not touch the red wine, but instead picked up a spoon to take a sip of the beetroot soup; the soup tasted surprisingly good.

Then, he continued eating the beef.

"How does it taste?" Eunice walked in holding a fruit platter she had arranged herself. However, she did not place the fruit platter directly before Cullen but intentionally set it a little further away, because she knew well that her fiancé did not like eating fruit during meals.

Cullen replied, "I have always felt that the purpose of Wien cuisine is to awaken people's pursuit of the authentic flavor of ingredients."

"Heh."

Eunice smiled. She was very happy to hear Cullen criticize Wien cuisine in this way; she could sense that Cullen was trying to set down his habitual decency in life when facing her.

"It's getting late. I'll go rest first, and then during the day I have to entertain Her Highness the Princess."

She knew that her fiancé still had proper business to attend to shortly.

"Alright, good night."

"Good night."

Cullen set down his knife and fork, and lightly embraced Eunice as she walked over.

When Eunice left the dining room, she took away the maids and valets who had originally been standing there. In the entire dining room, only Cullen remained sitting alone.

"Mm..."

The entire steak had been eaten. Feeling full, Cullen set down his knife and fork without hesitation, picked up the ice water, and took a sip.

He felt that it was a bit lonely and cheerless here. If he possessed the ability to "prolong life" right now, he could call over Count Recar and Old Saman to sit at the table together and chat, and he wouldn't mind having a drink with them then.

It was just that, looking at it currently, though he had indeed developed many special abilities of the Chains of Order, that most crucial ability still showed no sign of appearing.

As long as he failed to master this ability for a single day, it meant that his envisioned "12 Knights of Order" would absolutely never become a reality;

Conversely, if he could master this ability, then he would hold an extra... greatest trump card in his hand.

Leaving aside the issue of controlling ability, at a critical juncture, he could seek out the corpses of dead powerhouses and make a deal with them in exchange for a short-term power boost with extreme side effects.

What a pity. This sort of thing was different from a promotion; there was no way to rush it. Even if you wanted to work hard, you wouldn't know in which direction to exert your strength.

Just then, the door to the dining room was pushed open, and Alfred walked in first.

He was high-spirited, and a spark seemed to still linger in his eyes—the kind that could reignite at any moment.

For Alfred, if he had to rank all the things in this world that could cause mental and sensory stimulation according to their degree, the number one spot would absolutely be... missionary work!

During this process, Alfred obtained an immense sense of satisfaction, to the extent that even his soul could enter into a kind of pleasure that could not be described in words.

Originally, he had planned to hand this task over to Wick to cover for him in the future, but now, he was truly a bit reluctant to let it go.

"Young Master."

Alfred stood very respectfully by Cullen's side.

Cullen picked up a napkin and asked while wiping the corner of his mouth, "How did it go?"

"I believe they have already sensed the call from the True Order."

The missionary work... was very successful.

There had been a first time, and a second time, and Alfred was a man with pursuits; he had always been making improvements to the "missionary ritual."

The degree of the believers' "shock" was the score of his own performance.

Behind him, two more people entered.

The first one to walk in, with a slightly purer gaze, was actually Leon; whereas Wick behind him, conversely, had a somewhat unfocused gaze and a blank expression.

Leon walked up to Cullen. With hardly any hesitation and without showing the slightest struggle, he knelt directly before Cullen, placing both hands in front of his chest:

"Greetings, God of Order."

When he looked up again, a fire of piety had already ignited within Leon's eyes.

He and Cullen originally had a very deep relationship. Past experiences showed that the better one's relationship with Cullen was—or rather, the deeper the bond with Cullen—the simpler the missionary process usually was, and the better the effect.

Muri, Ventura, and Philomena from before were all like this.

Leon was the same. It could even be said that if he were to choose the single closest "relative" left in this world right now, he would choose Cullen without hesitation.

This was his own choice, and also the choice his grandfather had given him.

When the person he currently respected the most was suddenly revealed to be the great God of Order... combining this with his past experiences, it was simply a miracle!

It was exactly the same as those stories recorded in mythical narratives!

The great deity descended, rescuing his believers from disaster, and the believers responded in an even more pious manner toward the deity who had granted an answer to their prayers.

During the missionary ritual, Alfred had sought Cullen's opinion and made moderate modifications to the content;

Although Cullen did not consider himself the "God of Order," and Alfred used "Great Existence" to address Cullen in his own notebook, for the sake of the missionary effect, appropriate "simplification" could be done.

Do not rush to explain to the believers the "reasons why he is not a god" first. They could first lead them to believe "he is a god," and then carry out further development of their cognition during the subsequent learning and exchange meetings.

This was mainly a consideration for the brain capacity of believers receiving missionary work for the first time.

Alfred looked at Wick, who was still in a dazed state. See, right now, they simply had no way to ponder more profound things.

Most importantly, what Cullen did not acknowledge was his relationship with that past "God of Order," but he never denied that the Path of Order he was currently walking would reach the same height as that previous one when it smoothly reached its destination.

Therefore, this was merely a difference in conceptual perception and did not count as deception.

"Rise. All are equal under Order. There is no need to kneel here."

In fact, this was a sentence personally written by Lord Tyranus in the "Light of Order," recording a dictation from the God of Order.

Thus, in the early days inside the Church of Order, there was only church etiquette and no low-character forms of salutation like kneeling. However, later on, such etiquette gradually rose up again and became a mainstream trend, especially when encountering "Lords" with a vast disparity in status;

This could only be said to be the Church of Order being infected by the mainstream atmosphere of the church circle during its long-term development process.

"Yes, God."

Leon stood up very obediently. Halfway up, he hesitated for a moment and changed his wording: "As God wills."

Cullen frowned slightly. He felt that the next thing Leon needed to do was to readjust his state when facing him.

Alfred had already decided at this moment to open a late-night tutoring class for Leon tonight; he must promptly adjust his attitude when treating his own young master.

After standing up completely, Leon asked with great excitement: "Did you see my family's absolute piety toward you? To receive such favor from you, I believe my grandfather, my family, they surely..."

If Cullen had only frowned slightly earlier, then now, he felt somewhat uncomfortable.

And noticing the change in Cullen's emotion, Alfred's heart instantly skipped a beat. He knew that his potion dosage had been overdosed—he had only cared about his own "enjoyment" and failed to notice whether the recipient of the mission could bear it.

Leon was not Philomena. That girl had always been terrified of Karen from the very beginning. Upon discovering his true "identity," her fear had simply escalated from dread to absolute terror. In truth, for her, the distinction mattered little; the vessel was already overflowing, and widening the tap further changed nothing. Thus, she could manage a semblance of composure.

But Leon was different. He was mired in the darkest chapter of his life, a state where one is precariously prone to swinging from one extreme to another.

And most importantly… by the young master’s side, it was enough for him alone to handle the extremes.

"Leon, I hold Chief Bishop Warren in high esteem. He was a devout believer in Order, he performed his duties flawlessly, and I am deeply grateful for the assistance he always rendered me. I was a witness to his death, and to the tragedy that befell your family. I can only say that I am deeply sorry; had I possessed the power and the opportunity, I would have stopped it. This is neither a trial nor an evaluation. Nor am I waiting for you at the finish line. We are walking this path together now, and it is my hope that, in the days to come, we shall share the same purpose and aspiration."

Upon hearing these words, Leon’s expression grew instantly tangled, and a profound sense of helplessness washed over him.

"Sit down and dine."

"Yes..."

Leon took his seat, drawing a deep breath before offering a smile of immense relief, repeating, "Yes, Director!"

In the depths of his heart, Alfred breathed a sigh of relief. The boy had pulled through.

Though the hand holding his knife and fork trembled uncontrollably, and though the beet soup he scooped up with his spoon spilled to the very last drop before reaching his lips—while he still feigned a look of absolute delight as if savoring a fine delicacy...

At least, on the surface, he held himself together.

Swallowing with a tinge of lingering dread, Alfred also sat down. He had truly feared that his first grave professional blunder would transpire tonight, for he suddenly realized that the heavy dose he had administered was not limited to this alone; he had also given a separate, potent dose to Vic.

Vic remained standing in the background, having not yet stepped forward. He merely stared blankly at Karen’s back.

Leon continued with his meal. His chin seemed to possess a gaping hole, for food kept tumbling down, yet he strove to appear as natural as possible, resembling an infant learning to feed himself for the first time without a nurse's aid.

Karen spoke, "It seems to have caused you quite a fright."

"In truth... it is more a matter of excitement." Leon set his utensils down, pressing his hands firmly against his thighs beneath the table to forcibly arrest the frequency of their trembling. "I wish to know, do they also know of your identity, Director?"

"They?" Karen offered a faint smile. "If you mean Muri, Ventura, and Philomena, very few indeed know my true identity."

To think he was ranked so highly among them! This was the ultimate testament to the Director’s trust in him!

As though springs were fastened to his chair, Leon vaulted to his feet, colliding heavily with the table. It was only because the long table in the Allen family dining room was exceptionally sturdy and solid that it was not overturned outright.

"Ahem..."

Seated beside him, Alfred could not help but cough a subtle warning.

Realizing his breach of etiquette, and realizing even more that Karen disliked his previous deferential attitude, Leon immediately sat back down. However, he forgot that the chair had been pushed away when he rose; he sat upon nothingness, tumbling straight to the floor.

"Hiss..."

Alfred turned his face away, using his spoon to scoop a massive dollop of Wayne paste into his mouth.

Leon scrambled back up at once, dragged his chair back, and sat down.

"I did not expect to be placed so far ahead. I wish to express my gratitude..."

Karen pointed to the untouched food before him and said, "This is far more delicious than the rations we brought for ourselves during that meeting."

At these words, tears welled in Leon’s eyes, and he nodded vigorously.

His true acquaintance with Karen had begun during that joint internal council between the Pamires Church and the Church of Order. Because the meeting was long, and for the sake of security and secrecy, the other attendees had been forced to starve for an entire day; on that occasion, it was he who had invited Karen to sneak into the utility room to scavenge for food.

Of course, their even earlier "encounter," or rather their intersection, involved the woman originally arranged to be his political marriage partner—his so-called fiancée—who had conceived Karen’s child.

Leon could not help but feel a touch of retrospective dread. Back then, many of the young scions surrounding him, eager to curry his favor, had suggested tracking down that auxiliary member of the Whip of Order from the rumors to teach him a lesson.

Fortunately, he had refused, and more fortunately still, his grandfather had possessed no interest in such childish games of vengeance.

Otherwise, he would not even have the chance to sit here today. Though he was now the sole survivor of his household, tonight he saw the dawn of his family's revival—no, not a revival, but an ascension!

Yet, even now, Leon held fast to a stubborn conviction of his own. He spoke up:

"Director, I wish to report Director Neo as a remnant of the Light!"

It was fortunate that Neo himself was not present; otherwise, he would surely have sprayed red wine in a fit of rage: You bastard, even at a time like this, you still don't forget to snitch on me?

"Very well, I am aware."

Karen turned his palm upward, and a sphere of the Fire of Light rose and danced.

Leon’s eyes widened, yet in his heart, he found himself unsurprised.

Once one accepted the identity of the being before them, no matter how inconceivable his deeds might be, they became effortlessly comprehensible. For he was a god!

"I am aware of Director Neo’s situation. The relationship between Order and Light is inherently complex. In terms of the temporal churches, we are enemies, but in doctrine and history, we were once allies and partners. Director Neo is loyal to Order; there is a reason why his internal nature has transformed into Light. In short, you can trust Director Neo. He will not... he will not do anything detrimental to Order because of his identity as a being of Light."

Karen had originally intended to say he would never do anything detrimental to Order, but the moment he recalled Neo’s usual conduct of taking bribes, extorting, and freeloading, the words truly stuck in his throat.

"I understand, Director. Upon our return from this journey, I shall offer my apologies to Director Neo, and strive to earn his forgiveness."

"He will not hold it against you."

"I... you... Your Eminence..."

At last, Vic drifted back to consciousness from his state of stupefaction.

Like a walking corpse, he dragged his feet slowly to Karen's flank, staring at him with a fixed, unblinking gaze.

In the performance hall, what had shaken him to his core were those twelve coffins. As a priest of Order, he was no stranger to coffins, nor was he unfamiliar with formations.

Yet, within two of those twelve coffins resided occupants, and they had been "awakened" and blessed by Karen. Though they remained incapable of movement or revival for now, it was precisely because of these two occupied vessels that the collective aura radiating from the twelve coffins was entirely distinct from any other coffins in existence. All of this was bestowed by Karen’s unique essence. The last entity to possess such uniqueness was the God of Order Himself.

Vic had felt it personally—the gaze of the Twelve Knights of Order reaching through the unseen void. There could be no mistake. It was... a miracle!

Karen looked at Vic. In truth, Rasma's influence had played a significant role in Vic's inclusion. One could say he was a preparation made in advance to counter the increasingly imminent return of Rasma.

Yet it was undeniable that Vic’s personal capabilities were highly appreciated by Karen; he was fully capable of assuming Alfred's role in daily administrative affairs, thereby liberating Alfred.

"I finally understand..." Vic’s gaze gradually grew devout.

Alfred pursed his lips, lowering his head at the dining table.

"Understand what?" Karen inquired.

"My teacher."

"Your teacher?"

"My teacher is a true believer in Order."

"Yes, that is true."

"The high-ranking officials of our Church, especially the Temple, harbor other designs regarding your identity. You wish to forge your own path, free from interference and influence, so your identity must remain a secret to the outside world."

"Indeed, that is correct."

"Therefore, the reason my teacher vanished was to protect you—to do what a believer in Order should do unconditionally!"

"Hmm...?"

"No wonder Teacher would just abandon the position of High Priest and vanish; only the great God of Order could make Teacher act so irrationally. Oh, no, that is not it. I feel deeply ashamed of my past hidden grievances toward my teacher. My teacher is a paragon worthy of a lifetime of emulation!

To ensure Your Excellency's safe departure from that perilous domain, he did not hesitate to allow himself to be left behind there.

Yet I believe that within my teacher’s heart, there is absolute joy!

He would also undoubtedly feel immense pride knowing that I, too, have become your follower today!

I shall follow you faithfully, and I believe that one day, my teacher will surely be rescued!"

Karen cast a glance at Alfred, whose head was lowered even further now.

Then, Karen turned his gaze back to Bic, saying:

"Bic, I can promise you one thing—at most two years, at least a year and a half..."

"Your Excellency..."

"I will ensure your teacher returns to us."

...

"Achoo!"

After letting out a massive sneeze, an old priest inside the Mink Street Church lifted his head and looked toward the third floor of that solitary villa in the distance, speaking as if deliberately showing off:

"Ha, Dis, it must be my student missing me, hehe!"