Chapter 696: Everything for Order

Chapter 696 All, for Order

The formation closed and the scroll vanished, meaning it had been delivered to that specific area ranked near the very top even within the Church of Order.

"Young Master, will Miss Loya succeed?"

"She will. Do not forget, she is the source of vice. Enticing the inner greed of things to control their behavior is her natural talent."

"Then I believe Miss Loya will surely fulfill your instructions, Young Master."

"It is not an instruction, it is a request for help. Alfred, you are the only 'servant' at my side whom I have broken my principles to recognize."

"It is my honor that you say so."

"Remember, keep this a secret from Pu'er."

"Do you wish to give Pu'er a grand surprise?"

"No, surgery carries risks after all." Karen raised a finger to his lips. "As long as I haven't told it personally, I still have a chance to regret it."

"Your subordinate understands."

"Alright, pack up. The vacation is over, it is time for us to return. I will go say my goodbyes."

Muri then spoke up and asked, "Chief, didn't you tell Son of God Mavallo that you would return tomorrow?"

"You misheard, Muri. I meant I would only go to see him tomorrow."

Karen returned to the castle bedroom, where Eunice was standing before the design table, drawing blueprints alongside Ophelia.

Hearing the footsteps, Eunice turned around holding a ruler and a pen. "Is it too late for me to tell the kitchen to hurry and prepare dinner now?"

"Probably too late, and besides, there should still be a long time until dinner." Karen smiled. "How did you know I was leaving right now?"

Eunice replied, "Your footsteps told me."

Karen stepped forward, embraced Eunice, kissed her forehead, and said, "My apologies for leaving in a rush every time, but I will return earlier next time."

"Actually, is it better not to return so quickly?"

"Do you know how hurt a man feels when he hears his fiancée say such words to his face?"

"Because I worry I won't have enough time to design sufficient new products."

"Haha, that is not an issue. True elegance lies within, not in its adornments."

Standing to the side, Ophelia was certain she must have missed some underlying meaning.

"By the way, is Her Highness the Princess returning with me?"

"My department has not finished forming yet. I want to stay here and await notice. Chief Karen won't mind, will he?"

"Of course not. I am very glad to see that you two can share a common hobby together."

Karen turned to leave.

Ophelia asked Eunice, "Aren't you going to see him off?"

"I am seeing him off." Eunice walked to the French window and pushed it open, just in time to see Karen walking out of the castle below. He lifted his head, saw her too, and paused to wave with a warm smile.

Ophelia asked, "Is this a subtle expression of affection?"

"No, this is a way of being together that feels very comfortable for both of us."

"Being together? So, this is what you consider love?"

The Princess, who had grown up on Dark Moon Island listening to Bernard's love stories since childhood, clearly could not comprehend this mode of interaction, nor did it resemble the love she imagined.

In her understanding, love should be two little birds chirping and snuggling together; it should be passionate, unrestrained, and never enough no matter how clingy they were, rather than something as plain as a glass of water that required ice cubes to drink.

"Before I met Karen, I knew I would be engaged to him, and he knew it too. So the two of us could be said to have rushed to date a few times before the engagement.

I have never experienced a second relationship, so I cannot judge whether what I face now is indeed love.

But I like the feeling of being with him very much. Do you know when this feeling is strongest?

It is when he needs me, and I become very in need of him too."

"I still do not fully comprehend, but I seem to understand a little. Perhaps, this is why he chose you."

Eunice looked at Ophelia with a smile and said, "Her Highness the Princess, the true reason is simply that I met him a little earlier than you did."

"You are comforting me, I know. Because if it is true affection or true love, does chronological order even matter?"

Bending down with her ruler to continue drawing lines on the blueprint, Eunice replied:

"Love does not care, but marriage does."

Ophelia walked to Eunice's side, reached out to gently lift a strand of her beautiful hair, and asked, "Is this your view?"

"It is Karen's."

"Mm, it truly sounds like his—a view on marriage that is conservative to the point of being nearly strict."

Eunice stood up and pouted slightly, an expression that made even Ophelia find her adorable.

In fact, the more one interacted with her, the more one felt that no wonder this girl could become Karen's choice. She was tranquil, gentle, beautiful, and moreover, she was very lovely.

"Her Highness the Princess, believe it or not, I actually do not feel very resentful of your feelings for Karen in my heart."

"What... what do you mean?"

Ophelia's eyes widened, unable to believe such words could come from the mouth of the girl before her.

"I am speaking from the heart, because I feel that if one day I see you and Karen embracing together on the sofa, I don't think I would be angry either."

Ophelia came up behind Eunice, grabbed the girl in the white dress around the waist, and laughed with mock anger:

"Damn it, is it because you know this scene is impossible to happen that you are flaunting your secure marital stability to me!"

With that, Ophelia began to tickle her.

"Hahaha... stop... it tickles..."

"I'll teach you to provoke me again, I'll teach you to tease me again!"

The two girls played together, their hair becoming somewhat disheveled, looking like best friends who had been close for a long time, brimming with the breath of youth.

Yes, they were actually both still very young.

...

After waving a final farewell to Eunice at the French window, Karen sat into the car, his expression instantly becoming solemn as the car door closed.

Muri, who was driving the car, noticed the shift in the Chief's expression through the rearview mirror. What astonished him was that such a transition could be executed so abruptly yet so naturally.

This was presumably the switch from a state of living to a state of working.

"Is everything arranged?"

"Young Master, everything is arranged."

"Mm."

The second-hand black Ponce activated its acceleration formation, granting this vehicle a speed that surpassed all social transport tools of the current era. Before dusk, it drove into the headquarters building of the Whip of Order.

Dressed in his Order robes, Karen stepped out of the car. Alfred followed half a step behind Karen's side, while Muri maintained a slightly greater distance.

At this moment, the directors, deputy directors, and all mid-level leading priests from the various offices upstairs had left their workstations, gathering in ranks in the lobby.

When Cullen stepped into the grand hall, they saluted him en masse, and the rest of the lower-ranking clergymen quickly followed suit.

Wherever Cullen walked, he was flanked on both sides by expressions of utmost reverence.

During the days he had spent vacationing back at the Allen estate, the news of District Head Suss’s impending transfer out of this grand district had already spread far and wide, meaning that the Whip of Order, which had only recently stabilized, was about to enter another power vacuum and perhaps face a new reshuffling of authority.

The minds of the people were restless and volatile at this moment.

Yet, the moment Cullen returned, everyone felt as though they had swallowed a stabilizing potion.

Aside from a very few ambitious individuals or meddlers who enjoyed watching a spectacle, the vast majority still hoped to maintain stability in their working and living environments, and Cullen was the man who could bring them that stability.

Because those who brought instability had already been thoroughly purged by this director during the two consecutive personnel changes.

Everyone knew clearly that the future landscape of this grand district's Whip of Order was destined to be:

District heads may change like flowing water, but the Enforcement Director remains ironclad.

Among Cullen's original close subordinates, except for those truly unsuited for leading people and managing affairs, such as Philomena, the rest had basically been promoted, and even Richard now held the position of Office Chief.

Furthermore, with the recent major overhaul of mid-level personnel completed under Suss's tacit consent and even support, many had managed to rise through the ranks; over half of them were inherently biased toward Cullen's side, and the remaining portion had not been originally, but naturally became so after their ascension.

Cullen did not know many of them, at most being able to call out a single name, but none of this was an issue, as Alfred had already arranged everything in an orderly and meticulous fashion anyway.

The true extension of power was rarely achieved by relying on an individual, but rather by relying on an organization with a solid core.

"Greetings, Director!"

"Greetings, Director!"

Of course, today's spectacle was entirely intentional.

Because tonight, District Head Suss would announce the news of his departure during the directors' meeting, and the succeeding district head had not yet arrived to take up the post, so at this moment, it was necessary to use this kind of "formalism" to tell everyone:

Here, there would always be a shadow district head present.

What Cullen had always detested was useless formalism, so there were some forms that even he had to cooperate with and see through to the end.

He indeed had no intention of starting a war right from the beginning with the soon-to-arrive Chief Inquisitor Gaspo, and the method to avoid war was not merely blind concession; when you became stronger, the probability of war breaking out would instead decrease.

When he reached the entrance of the meeting room, Cullen paused his steps, looked at the crowd of clergymen standing packed on both sides of the corridor before him, and spoke:

"Get back to work."

"Yes, Director!"

"Yes, Director!"

Everyone immediately returned to their respective workstations, resembling a military review that had just concluded.

This was a "military review" where they themselves were the actors and simultaneously the audience.

Vic and Leon opened the office doors, and inside, Suss's speech was just entering its final phase:

"...In short, I thank you all for your support of my work in the past. I shall depart for a new post to continue striving for Order, but I will forever remember the wonderful experience of working alongside all of you."

Cullen had not arrived late; rather, the meeting had been moved forward by Suss.

When Cullen walked in, Suss actively left his seat, reached out to pull Cullen over, and let Cullen sit in his previous position.

Cullen did not decline and sat down.

Suss stood beside Cullen, smiling as he said, "I hope that the Whip of Order of our York City Grand District will become better and better, becoming a capable defender of Order!"

The directors in attendance looked at one another, and everyone fell into a brief silence.

Cullen took the initiative to stand up, whereupon Investigation Director Neo stood up, and only then did the other directors rise one after another.

Cullen pressed his fist against his chest: "Wield the Whip, for Order!"

The directors chanted in unison: "Wield the Whip, for Order!"

Cullen sat down, and everyone followed suit.

At this moment, Suss’s secretary-general brought in a document; she first handed it to Suss, but Suss did not even look at it, pointing directly at Cullen, so the secretary-general delivered the document to the front of Cullen.

Cullen did not stand on ceremony, opening the document to scan it briefly before his gaze swept across the room, and he said:

"Our Church will dispatch an investigation team regarding the civil war within the Desert Church. This grand district's Whip of Order will contribute a force to join it. I have decided that I will personally lead the team and select suitable personnel to fill the ranks. Gentlemen, any objections?"

"No objections!" Director Neo immediately stated his stance.

"No objections."

"No objections."

Cullen nodded: "Then this matter is settled as such. The specific selection list will be announced later."

At this point, Alfred placed a document in front of Cullen and then distributed copies to the directors present.

Cullen spoke: "This is the upcoming reform of the headquarters' welfare system. From the field mission duties of the grassroots Whip of Order teams to the stipends and benefits of various departments, there are new changes. Everyone may look through it, and if there are any misunderstandings or doubts, you may raise them now."

In truth, there would be no objections, not because Cullen was forcefully suppressing them while sitting in the district head's seat, but because it was truly impossible to raise any, for this was a reform that collectively elevated welfare and benefits.

In this system, who would oppose this? Even if it did not align with one's personal interests, it aligned with the interests of everyone below.

And this was a gift Bern had given to Cullen; the Chief Bishop had transferred the Whip of Order's mission distribution and reward system, which had been tightly controlled by the Grand District Administrative Office, over to the Whip of Order Headquarters.

Back when the Whip of Order was weak, the Whip of Order teams below all took missions and received rewards from the Grand District Administrative Office. In name, everyone was on equal footing as independent systems, but in reality, the Whip of Order teams were like the long-term hired laborers of the Grand District Administrative Office.

The Whip of Order had always been fighting for the return of this right, and they had reclaimed a portion of it before, but the Grand District Administrative Office still held onto half of it. Now, Bern was doing a favor that cost him nothing, taking advantage of the trend to hand it over entirely.

Standing from the perspective of the grand district, the total pool had not actually increased, but the distribution had changed. From now on, the Whip of Order teams could accept missions and harvest rewards right here at headquarters, and the headquarters' financial situation would be immensely improved.

Working for someone else versus opening one's own storefront to be the boss were entirely different in nature; at the very least, there was no longer a middleman to pocket the price difference.

Moreover, regarding the pension system, Cullen had widened the channels, and the scale of the modification in this aspect even surpassed the increase in stipends and benefits.

As the directors present read further down, expressions of surprise appeared on their faces one after another.

One director hesitated slightly and spoke up: "Director Cullen, this final item..."

"Due to the special nature of our work, grassroots personnel often face extremely high risks, and the same goes for their families. I believe it is only right to elevate the pension and security for them and their families; this will better stimulate the work enthusiasm of the people below, and at the same time, we must prevent them from shedding blood only to weep tears afterwards.

Of course, this expenditure will inevitably cause the financial burden of our headquarters to intensify.

But this is not their problem; rather, it is the problem of those of us sitting here. To solve this problem, we are bound by duty."

The crowd nodded one after another. Everyone understood the underlying implication of the Enforcement Director's words: the financial burden was an objective problem, so it was up to everyone present to find ways to be responsible for securing the funds.

Those sitting here also knew that this Enforcement Director had always been highly accomplished in this regard; every time he went out on a mission, he could haul back a massive profit, and he would always distribute those profits down.

Cullen silently looked at the reform proposal in his hands, and what surfaced in his mind was the image of Inquisitor Pavaro standing at the door of his daughter's bedroom.

Between personal interest and the faith of Order, Inquisitor Pavaro had chosen the latter, but if conditions had permitted, he originally would not have had to make such a painful choice.

The grassroots stipend system of the Church had already lagged severely behind the times. When Cullen used to taste those dishes at banquets, he would use "Pavaro" as a reference unit—how many Pavaros or over a dozen Pavaros a single dish was worth—which was actually a form of tragedy.

At present, he lacked the capability to alter the situation of the entire Church, but at the very least, he could now change this department under his own control.

Cullen did not choose to deliver a speech before the conclusion of the meeting, but very crisply announced the adjournment on Suss’s behalf. Afterward, Suss and Cullen sat inside a carriage driven by Alfred, arriving at the funeral parlor.

The original funeral parlor had now somewhat become a "special reception club" of sorts; probably only the people of the Church of Order wouldn't find it to be bad luck.

While in the carriage, Suss smiled and said, "These matters could only be settled well before Gaspo takes office. This way, it restricts her room to maneuver, forcing her to be unwilling to wage a war with you over power."

"Only by means of struggle can true peace be fostered."

"Yes, exactly." Suss nodded. "Do your work well. I feel that we will still have opportunities to work together in the future."

"I truly wish I could continue working under your command."

"Next time let's switch places, you be my boss. Having you as a subordinate makes me want to visit the divine cult of divination to check my own fortune, Hahaha."

Stepping out of the vehicle and into the funeral parlor, Chief Bishop Bern was already waiting there. Sily had prepared the meal, while Karen walked straight into the kitchen and personally whipped up two more dishes.

Three people, one table, they began their dinner.

Suce teased, "Perhaps in a little while, the one sitting here eating with us will be that woman."

Chief Bishop Bern took a sip of his wine, glanced at Karen, and said, "That depends on whether she follows the rules."

Karen raised his glass toward Bern. "My Lord, I toast to you."

Bern acknowledged it with a brief gesture, smiling. "It was something meant to be handed over anyway, no need to thank me."

"But you could have delayed it a little longer."

"No more delaying. The one I chose is you, and the one Wolfrun chose is also you. I prefer working and collaborating with you too. You all know that I like to use any means necessary when I do things, and you, kid..."

Bern pointed at Karen. "You don't bind yourself to conventions either when you act, but within the final baseline, we always stand on the side of Order."

Suce personally poured the wine, speaking as he did so, "I am different from you two. I am faint-hearted. It wasn't easy to climb to this position, and I am a bit afraid of trouble, so I will slip away first, Hahaha.

However, it is precisely because there are Order believers like you that bureaucrats like me can be born. I have always been very clear about one thing: if the entire Church were full of people like me, then the great ship of Order could not sail at all.

Anyway, thank you both."

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

...

A farewell dinner that lasted for four hours. Karen sat there listening to Suce chat, and listening to Bern chat. He did not talk about himself, taking responsibility only for replying and keeping the conversation flowing.

When it ended, Suce and Bern each boarded their own vehicles and departed. Karen took a bath in the funeral parlor, changed into a regular divine robe, and sat into the car parked outside. Richard was driving, and sitting in the passenger seat was the deputy director of Richard's office, Memphis.

"Karen, go ahead and sleep, I have arranged everything."

"Mhm."

Karen closed his eyes and began to rest.

Memphis took out a blanket and gently draped it over Karen.

Richard scoffed, "You've actually learned how to flatter people too."

Memphis remained silent. He knew that this period of busyness was about to end, and when the time came, he would finally be able to unbuckle his belt.

The car drove to the teleportation array hall. After stepping out, Karen passed through the teleportation array to the Dingge District, accompanied by Richard and Memphis. Due to the time difference, it was daytime in the Dingge District.

Without calling for a carriage, Richard had booked a car in advance. He remained at the wheel, while Karen slept in the back.

The car entered the theological university belonging to the Church of Order. After finding a suitable parking space, Richard and Memphis each took Karen's files to handle the enrollment procedures.

About two hours later, Karen was woken up to show his face, take a photo, complete the identity verification, and receive his enrollment certificate.

Afterward, Karen returned to the car to continue sleeping, while Richard drove the return journey.

Visiting the theological university for the first time, Karen did not even spare an extra glance at the school environment. He had merely come to report in, planning to find time for classes in the future.

However, while organizing today's documents, several school clerks responsible for the procedures unexpectedly discovered an issue:

"Is the position column for this freshman filled out incorrectly? Head of the District's Whip of Order?"

"Who handled this procedure? Come over and see if it's a mistake. And the age column shows