Chapter 723: Order - Awakening! (2/3)

Chapter 723: Order—Awakening! (2/3)

If nothing else, Count Rekal’s pirate attire and Old Saman’s Pamireth clerical robes were not things that could be completed in less than a day; even if they had bought ready-made ones through a teleportation array regardless of cost, they would have faced the issue of ill-fitting sizes.

Count Rekal was tall and imposing, while Old Saman was somewhat hunched, yet the garments prepared for them were clearly of carefully measured dimensions.

This meant Alfred had prepared all of this well in advance, quietly setting to work the moment he knew he possessed the ability of "sustained awakening," or perhaps even earlier.

But the prepared garments were actually secondary; once the awakening was complete, as long as Old Saman and Count Rekal were "sensible," they would not choose the clothing inside the tent, but should instead proactively change into the robes of Order placed beneath the cake.

It was a matter of form, but at this moment, form was necessary to express an attitude.

As the leader of the team, Karen could be casual, even capricious, allowing himself to fully display his so-called personal charm.

However, the forging and development of a team could not do without someone like Alfred; otherwise, Karen would end up like Mr. Luther, seeming incomparably boisterous and lively in life, only to leave behind an immediate scene of utter chaos upon death.

"Young Master."

"You did very well."

"This is merely my duty, subordinate."

"Tell me, when Grandfather chose you to accompany me to Wien back then, did he ever imagine we would have a day like this?"

If elders held unconditional partiality and illusions for their grandsons, had he ever thought that the radio heterodox demon of Luojia City would one day become the true organizer of a newly rising power within the Church of Order?

Alfred replied, "Young Master, the main reason Lord Dis chose me was because of my loyalty to you. Do you still remember that night at the hospital, when you and Puer encountered the attack of the bewitching heterodox demon? I rushed to the hospital and, facing the late-arriving Lord Dis, I even berated him, believing he had failed to protect you well, Young Master."

"You still remember this so clearly."

"After all, this is the highlight of my life."

The current Lord Dis lay there, able to cause anxiety and panic in the former High Priest with the slightest movement, whereas he himself had once fought to a draw with Lord Dis and even rebuked him to his face.

Alfred still harbored a bit of his own little scheme, wondering if this "interaction" with Lord Dis could later be written into his personal biography, perhaps even adding a few murals depicting the scene in his introductory column.

Perhaps thousands, tens of thousands of years, or even several epochs later, future mural viewers and divine historians would argue endlessly over the "level of his true strength."

"Wait here for a moment, I will go in and exchange a few pleasantries with them. Perhaps they are fishing right now."

"Yes, Young Master."

"Yes, Minister."

Karen walked up to the two coffins, a black chain emerging beneath his feet to sink into one of them as he slowly closed his eyes.

...

On Count Rekal’s ship, no one was in sight, so Karen arrived at Old Saman’s cemetery.

Inside the cemetery, a pond had formed where tombstones stood erect amidst the water, many fish swimming below, and a whale lay stranded there.

These two were truly bored to a certain extent, actually dabbling in the abstract.

Karen’s figure appeared on the steps, and before him, Count Rekal and Old Saman were each holding a fishing rod, angling for fish.

The two immediately sensed something and turned back together.

Count Rekal stood up at once: "Young Master Karen."

Old Saman held his hands together, bowing slightly: "Hehe, Karen."

"Are you two planning to develop into artists? You can go paint or make movies after you get out."

Old Saman explained, "Last week we fished for tombstones on his ship, and this week we are fishing in my cemetery."

"Thank you for your hard work," Karen said.

The reason the lady in the undersea tomb preferred to continue amusing herself there rather than move over earlier was precisely because she did not want to live this kind of "sealed" life.

This also served as a reminder to Karen not to easily awaken people for "spare use" in the future; one must know that even prepared ingredients would spoil if left for too long.

Awakening them ahead of time without providing the conditions to charge them up and step out of the coffin was nothing less than forcing them to endure solitary confinement while fully conscious.

"Young Master Karen, please do not speak like that, it makes me feel ashamed. You have already given me, and the Allen family, far too much. A sailor who does not know gratitude is destined to be swallowed by the sea."

"Taking a rest is actually quite nice, truly." Old Saman organized his words. "Chatting is also quite good; he has already finished telling me the stories of his ancestors for generations, and I have recounted the history of the Pamireth Faith to him."

Karen asked with a smile, "All finished?"

Old Saman nodded: "The actual history was finished long ago; now we are trying our best to make things up. With a bit more accumulation over time, when we can move about in reality later, one can go rewrite his family history and the other can rewrite the church history. Since it's all made up anyway, there isn't much difference."

"Then I might have to disappoint you, because you probably won't have sufficient time to prepare all that."

Count Rekal and Old Saman initially showed no reaction, but then the two exchanged a glance and immediately looked toward Karen together.

Could it be?

Karen nodded and said, "Get ready."

With that, Karen’s figure vanished from this place. In reality, he slowly opened his eyes and raised his palm; a golden chain flew from his hand, splitting into two in midair, each sinking into one of the two coffins before him.

Everyone around subconsciously straightened up, their expressions solemn, waiting to bear witness.

There was no prologue, no further verbal setup; Karen simply said a word:

"Order—Awaken."

"Buzz!"

"Buzz!"

The lids of the two coffins immediately floated into the air.

Karen sensed the spiritual power within his body being rapidly drawn out, poured into the two remains along the golden chains.

However, although the depths of his soul currently resembled only a small puddle, the frantic output merely caused a few ripples in the puddle and made it slightly shallower.

Once the input reached a certain level, Karen suddenly discovered it had hit a critical threshold; if he continued to pour more in, even if he still had it, they would be unable to sustain it, and that excess spiritual power was already overflowing.

So, it had already reached the peak like this?

The power he infused could not form an effective cycle within their bodies; it resembled pure filling.

Of course, to the outside world, the awakening spell of the Church of Order was already a "miracle," and the ability Karen now possessed to continue charging the awakened was a "miracle among miracles."

Yet Karen had the precedent of the "12 Knights of Order" before him, so he clearly knew he could do even better.

He did not believe those "12 Knights of Order," who had once reached the status of branch gods, were all mere puppets energized and controlled by the previous God of Order.

Was there any way to improve this?

Karen thought of one, but did not dare to implement it rashly, and that was... Orderization.

Because he was deeply worried that he might accidentally consume or dissolve them.

But looking at it currently, if he wanted to resolve this issue, Orderization ought to be the best method, allowing the power he infused to form an orderly, operating closed loop within the other party's body. This could drastically elevate their autonomous efficiency, and he would only need to add a little more after a period of time or when they required it due to some special circumstances.

While Karen was still contemplating further refinement, two people sat up within the respective coffins.

Both were figures who had seen great storms and possessed psychological preparation, so naturally they did not sit up in "astonishment," "pleasant surprise," or shout, "What is happening?"

The two of them silently climbed out of the coffins and came before Karen.

Karen looked at them, and just before they were about to kneel, Karen crossed his arms over his chest and said in a deep voice:

"Praise Order."

What he wished to harvest were comrades, a healthy and proactive team, not a pack of slaves.

In the mythological narratives of "The Light of Order," the descriptions of the Twelve Knights of Order depicted them as followers of the God of Order, rather than as kept slaves.

Alfred and the others simultaneously initiated the exact same gesture, raising their voices in unison:

"Praise Order."

Count Recar and Old Saman both froze in their movements. Previously, the two of them had intended to kneel. After all, regardless of the circumstances, they had been granted a second life, and combined with the identity the other had revealed... kneeling was only natural and proper.

But the current rhythm of things was...

True to his past as a former Pirate King, Count Recar immediately crossed his arms and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Praise Order!"

It was highly probable that even when he used to cry out "Praise the Primordial Ancestor" back in the day, he had never been so resounding.

Old Saman, on the other hand, was somewhat sluggish. He was a devout believer of the Pamireth Faith, and this sudden shift toward the direction of Order truly felt a bit unfamiliar and jarring.

Yet upon second thought, why had he committed suicide last time?

Ah, he had already returned his life to the Holy Church. The life he held now was given by the gentleman standing before him, so why talk about feeling awkward?

Besides, the Pope and the Holy Child of his own Pamireth Faith might very well look into a mirror in the dead of night and say "Praise Order" themselves.

Old Saman let out a breath, crossed his hands, and said, "Praise Order."

Karen smiled and said, "From now on, everyone is a companion."

Alfred added, "Of the twelve knights, two have already awakened." (Gentlemen, the status of a Subordinate Deity!)

Hearing these words, Count Recar's eyes turned instantly bloodshot. He immediately pounded his chest three times with his fist and roared, "I offer all my loyalty!"

Old Saman could not bring himself to be so boorish, but his emotions were surging nonetheless as he waved his arm, "Me too!"

In truth, Alfred was not the only one so deeply obsessed with "making it onto the mural." Everyone present belonged to the ecclesiastical circles, and every single one of them harbored an ultimate dream in their heart.

Karen spread his hands and said, "Alright, let the banquet begin."

Count Recar went into the tent, changed into a pirate outfit, and stepped out only to see Old Saman wearing the divine robes of Order.

"Oh, Saman, you son of a bitch!"

After cursing him, Count Recar immediately grabbed a set of divine robes and went to change into them.

The atmosphere of the banquet was exceedingly lively. Alfred was constantly warming up the room, and everyone present was highly cooperative—even Philomena would raise her glass along with the others every time a toast was made.

During the feast, Karen conversed briefly with Count Recar and Old Saman, primarily focusing on the issue of time.

The feedback he received could not be considered poor.

According to their own estimates, if they reduced their physical activity as much as possible—for instance, like ordinary eighty or ninety-year-old elders sitting in chairs and basking in the sun after meals—they could probably sustain themselves for about three months.

If they lived normally like an ordinary person, walking and looking around from time to time, they would likely only have about one month.

Karen asked, "What if you fight a battle?"

Count Recar replied, "Then it would only be enough for a single battle."

Karen looked toward Old Saman and asked, "What about forging research?"

Old Saman answered, "One week if I personally work on the front lines. If there are helpers and I am in charge of guidance, it can stretch to half a month."