Chapter 749: Regional Director, Karen!

Chapter 749: District Director, Karen!

"Let's do it here."

"Very well, Young Master."

Karen stopped on the reverse slope of the small hill, casting his eyes over the surrounding landscape.

Alfred opened the box, which was filled with small, blue glass spheres.

Karen extracted one, crushing it, and a blue spatial teleportation rune manifested upon his palm. His fingertips flicked back and forth, completing the final fragments of the rune with staggering swiftness, before he drove the sigil down into the earth.

Like blue dust scattering, a brilliant cerulean stellar array materialized upon the ground.

Karen spoke: "Saman."

*Buzz!*

A coffin rose from the starlight. One could sense it was undergoing violent vibrations, but its design flawlessly deflected the brunt of the kinetic shocks.

Finally, as the starlight receded, the coffin settled firmly upon the earth.

*Clang!*

The coffin lid was cast aside, and old Saman sat up from within. He looked at Karen with a smile, saying, "Success, haha!"

The surrounding crowd, along with the cat and the dog, cheered in unison. The dragon's reaction was a fraction slower, but after receiving a sharp glance from the cat, it too began to applaud.

In truth, they had already successfully tested it prior to this, but performing it before Karen served as the official inspection; they still had to manifest joy and enthusiasm.

Karen nodded with a smile in response: "Thank you for your hard work."

"Not hard at all, not hard at all. I have learned a great deal; to have such a teacher is something I wouldn't have dared dream of in the past."

Old Saman climbed out of the coffin, bowing first to Karen, and then to Kevin.

His reverence for Kevin came truly from within; this was, after all, personal guidance from an Evil God.

Karen extracted another glass sphere and crushed it. Just as before, he manually completed the rune once it appeared, then struck it into the ground.

The blue starlight flared, and another coffin was teleported across.

*Clang!*

The coffin lid was pushed open, and Daliwenro sat up from within.

In reality, summoning one was sufficient for the experiment, but at times there was no need to favor one over the other; he had to consider the feelings of the alternate.

Count Rekar was protecting Eunice in Sangpu City, and Madam Gandilo had not yet moved over, so currently, only Daliwenro and old Saman were available to lie in the coffins.

Upon emerging, Daliwenro bowed first to Karen, then took his position behind Alfred.

After two days of "educational discipline," this bald, burly man of the God of Life Religion was genuinely terrified of Alfred.

By comparison, he would rather be beaten black and blue by Karen and Neo than continue to endure Alfred's special treatment. It wasn't sophisticated—it even bordered on crude—but the man targeted him precisely because he knew he couldn't "resign," working him to the bone!

As long as he broke the rules or harbored other intentions, Alfred would target him without any moral bottom line, such as gifting him a warm bath of horse manure.

And to Alfred, whether his methods were "transparent and noble" mattered not at all, so long as they were effective. The Young Master did not care what means he employed; the Young Master only cared whether he could manage this team effectively on his behalf.

Old Saman stepped forward and said, "Young Master Karen."

Alfred had standardized their form of address, which was quite simple: all living people besides himself were to address Karen by his title, while the dead addressed him as "Young Master."

"Yes, speak."

"I intend to further simplify this teleportation array next. Your attainment in arrays is quite profound, making it easy to complete the rune on the fly, but I still hope its operation can become simpler and more convenient. That way, you can grant its use to others in the future. What do you think?"

"That is certainly acceptable."

Old Saman turned his gaze toward Kevin.

Karen understood his implication and asked, "You mean, you wish for Kevin to remain at the manor to continue the research with you?"

"Yes, with Teacher Kevin present, the progress of my work can be vastly accelerated."

"That is no problem."

"This is truly wonderful. Serendipitously, we can also make fine adjustments to the details of the manor's defensive array. These were tasks that the array department of the Order District should have followed up on, but it is rather inconvenient to permit their entry now."

"Whatever you require, raise it directly with Old Anderson, or contact Alfred."

"We understand, Young Master."

"Oh, Little Karen, the kitty must also remain at the manor." Sitting upon Karen's shoulder, Pure gently brushed her tail against his neck.

"What do you intend to do?"

"Once Rekar returns, we must construct a new ancestral cemetery."

The ancestral cemetery lay within the confines of the Allen Manor. The deployment of the defensive array had exerted some influence over the surrounding terrain, and the ancestral cemetery had suffered damages.

Originally, a standard restoration would have sufficed. After all, ancestral matters were of paramount importance, and major construction could easily offend taboos.

However, the Allen family was somewhat unique; they possessed two living ancestors—one was Pure, and the other was Count Rekar, who had literally crawled out of his own grave.

Count Rekar had waved his hand grandly, commanding Old Anderson directly: "Restore what? Build a new tomb directly, everyone shall move to a new residence together."

"The interior of the tomb is broken to such an extent, can 'living' inside truly be comfortable?"

Since he had spoken, the clan members below naturally had no way to object. Originally, moving the cemetery sparked fears of disturbing the ancestors and committing a great irreverence, but now, refusing to move meant idly watching the "ancestors" endure poor living conditions without doing anything, which was equally irreverent.

As for moving the graves, Pure had to remain behind to participate. Although she had no offspring, as the main lineage of the family, buried within the tomb were her grandfather, her father, and her own nephew.

"Furthermore, I intend to open a small course for Eunice, to instruct her in the application of the family's faith power."

Karen asked, "Can Rekar not teach her?"

"Eunice possesses a fire attribute just like me, whereas Rekar is of the water attribute. In any case, it will not take too long. You wouldn't wish for your future wife's power to only be useful for lighting a stove, would you?"

"Very well, then all of you shall remain. I will have many matters to attend to upon my return this time. Once I have cleared this busy spell, I will come to fetch you."

Upon returning, he had to first assume the position of District Director, then organize the establishment of the new department, and thereafter, perhaps even interface with Order's military campaign in the Desert, organizing the militia regiments for deployment.

These three matters were sufficient to ensure Karen would be too occupied to return home for the foreseeable future.

However, once this busy period concluded, Karen estimated that the second surgical plan within the sealed space should also be finalized. When he returned to fetch Pure then, he could go directly to the research institute and attempt to grant her the ability to temporarily revert to human form.

"In that case, Little Kanna shall remain as well." Karen patted Little Kanna's head. "She grew weary accompanying me to the Desert; it is time for her to take a little long vacation."

Hearing this, Little Kanna's expression instantly turned solemn. She had been preparing to summon her courage tonight after returning with Karen to try not taking a bath today!

Pure spoke: "But, having Little Kanna by your side ensures your safety."

"Though I am currently mere Divine Servant, my actual strength has not diminished compared to the past; instead, it has increased considerably, sufficient for self-preservation. Furthermore, not only Philomena, but Neo will also be by my side hereafter. You need not worry about my safety."

"Are you certain having that merchant of amusement by your side increases your safety?"

"Alright, then I shall take my leave first. Goodbye, everyone."

Karen walked down the hill, and Alfred stepped ahead to open the carriage door.

After driving a distance, Alfred spoke: "Young Master, I dispatched men beneath the water to summon Madam Gandilo, but without success. I intend to make a personal trip myself."

"Your responsibilities will only multiply from here. Furthermore, if you go to summon her and she still yields no response, must I go personally next time?

Dispatch someone once more. Cry out to the gates of the underwater cemetery: 'If you do not emerge this time, the promises of the past are hereby void.'

Whether she emerges or not is of no consequence anymore."

"Yes, Young Master, I understand."

Alfred knew that with the Young Master's rising status at home, the issue of the coffin's new occupant would only become easier to resolve. Mrs. Gandilo was simply fortunate enough to have booked her plot in advance;

Yet, if she failed to claim it soon, she would genuinely be stripped of her purchasing eligibility.

The car eventually pulled up beneath a dormitory building in York City. Alfred cut the engine, stepped out first, and retrieved a fruit basket and pastries from the trunk, handing them all to Karen as he stepped down.

"Alright, you may go about your business now."

"Yes, Young Master."

Carrying the gifts upstairs, Karen rang the doorbell to Mavaryo's home.

*Click...*

It was Gaspoir who opened the door.

She looked as though she had just woken up, her hair disheveled and her eyes heavy with sleep.

Catching sight of Karen standing at the threshold, she froze for a moment, then smiled. "I thought it was the milkman."

"Is it convenient to come in?" Karen asked.

"Of course."

Gaspoir ushered Karen inside. The living room was immaculate. She sank onto the sofa, reached beneath the coffee table to pull out a pack of cigarettes, tossed one to Karen, and lit one for herself.

Karen did not smoke, placing the cigarette back on the coffee table.

Exhaling a ring of smoke, Gaspoir said, "You are early. The handover ceremony for the District Chief position does not begin until this evening."

"A visit like this ought to be made a bit in advance."

"There is no need for such formality. To be quite honest, when I was first preparing to yield my position to you, I felt somewhat uncomfortable, a bit as though I were being forced by circumstance. After all, my departure is due to a family upheaval.

But you restored the honor and dignity of the Church upon the desert; this position is rightfully yours. Even if nothing had gone amiss with my husband below, I would have been too embarrassed to keep pressing you down, and the higher-ups would have laterally transferred me anyway, purposely clearing a path for you."

"Hey, hey, hey! What do you mean something is amiss with your husband below!" Swathed in a bathrobe, Mavaryo emerged while drying his hair. "The contamination mark has only reached my navel. Didn't you just examine it yesterday? It is still a long way off from there!"

Gaspoir shook her head and murmured, "Apologies, it was too small to see clearly."

Mavaryo snapped, "You!"

Karen intervened to defuse the tension, "The District Chief means the contamination mark is too small."

"Heh." Mavaryo took a seat on the edge of the sofa. "It is clearly so massive that it hurts like hell, yet she must clamp down her tears and pretend to feel nothing, asking: 'Did it move? I can't feel it.'"

Gaspoir glanced at Mavaryo and said, "Those were tears of humiliation."

"Oh, come on!"

Mavaryo stood up in sheer exasperation.

For a moment, Karen was rather astonished. Had the relationship between these two developed at such an astounding pace?

It seemed that ever since Gaspoir had cursed at Mavaryo by the lake outside the Order University, the ice between them had officially broken, and from then on, things had spiraled completely out of control.

On second thought, though the transition was rapid, it was not entirely surprising.

Mavaryo had long since lowered his posture voluntarily, and Gaspoir, having broken her silence that night, had finally shattered her own constraints. Both were clever individuals who understood exactly what their life arrangements entailed; unable to resist, they chose to actively "enjoy" it instead.

It was only that they treated him a bit too much like family, voicing such things right in his presence.

Being disparaged in front of a friend wounded Mavaryo's pride. Unable to contain himself, he dragged Karen into the fray to counter-attack: "Look at this. When you were about to take office, Karen came here to pay his respects and called you Senior. How much time has passed since then? Now it is Karen's turn to bid you an early farewell.

See, Karen even brought gifts; how thoughtful of him. Aren't you feeling terribly aggrieved and miserable right now, while merely putting on a calm front and smoking your cigarette?"

"I am aggrieved, and I am miserable, but surely that has nothing to do with Karen?"

"If it has nothing to do with Karen, then who does it concern?"

"Heh, it wasn't as though Karen sneaked into your laboratory and blew up your specimen."

Hearing this, Karen genuinely felt a bit self-conscious. In a strict sense, Mavaryo's laboratory accident was indeed inextricably linked to him.

"It matters not. If you feel miserable inside, do not put on airs. Just as when you are in bed, do not deliberately feign the part of a demure lady; if you must cry out, cry out, do not force yourself to hold it in and suffer."

"That is because I have not yet learned how to fake an orgasm, and I fear a clumsy performance might break your heart."

"Keep stubborn with your words, then!"

Karen finally understood a fraction of the subtext. He rose of his own accord and said, "District Chief, Son of God, I shall take my leave now. See you this evening."

Mavaryo expressed his dissatisfaction, "What, Karen, you are leaving already?"

"I have some matters that require my attention."

Mavaryo escorted Karen to the door. Once it was closed, he turned back to look at his wife seated on the sofa.

Gaspoir snuffed out her cigarette, her expression turning cold and distant as she spoke:

"Mavaryo, am I a great failure? Whether in my career or in my personal life, am I a failure?"

Mavaryo gave a cold laugh. "Do not speak of yourself that way. The truth tends to wound."

"I guessed that Karen would pay an early visit today."

"Of course, he is always so proper. However, I believe he might have seen through us just now, because our acting was far too exaggerated."

"Did he see through it?"

"Who knows, but he is a clever man. Chiefly, you deliberately had me cooperate with you in this charade. What end did you hope to achieve? To tell this subordinate who ousted you that even if you lost your position, you have gained love and a life?"

"I do not know." Gaspoir let out a long breath. "Perhaps, it was merely to preserve a shred of ridiculous dignity."

"His marital and emotional life is blissful. Believe me, he would never envy the marital affection we just performed; he might even loathe such a clamorous domestic existence from the bottom of his heart."

"Very well, thank you."

"Hey, if you truly still feel aggrieved in your heart..." Mavaryo rolled up the sleeves of his bathrobe. "How about I go out right now and thrash Karen, just like last time?"

"Aren't you two friends?"

"But you are my wife."

"I admit, at this moment, I am moved..."

"Then when shall we truly try? Let us completely destroy that multicolored syringe. I am on the verge of developing a psychological shadow just looking at it now."

"You may go and thrash Karen now, to vent my anger."

"Do you truly wish for me to go?"

"Was it not you who claimed you would go and beat him?"

"Others might not strike back, but I suspect he would... he claimed quite a few heads in the desert not long ago."

"Heh."

Gaspoir gave a cold chuckle and rose to her feet. "I shall go wash up and prepare for the handover meeting tonight."

"Hey, it is not that I dare not go. I merely fear some mishap might befall me, leaving you a widow. You know, as a widow of the faith, you cannot remarry; even an affair would have to be conducted in total secrecy.

No, what scoundrel would dare risk violating the taboo of the Church's majesty to tryst with you, and only with a syringe at that?"

"Enough, wait until I am ready, if you please, Mavaryo? That syringe was never meant for you to actually use. Right now, I need it to grant me a shred of security—the very last shred of security. I still require a little time, if you please."

"Of course."

Marvolo sat down in high spirits, picked up his teacup, and took a sip, only to spray it all out the next instant:

"Dammit, you put your cigarette butt in the teacup again!"

...

The handover ceremony was held in the grand auditorium of the Whip of Order headquarters. Gaspoer stood on the stage to speak first. According to standard protocol, she should have begun by summarizing her achievements during her tenure; however, her time in office had been far too brief, and throughout that fleeting period, she had been almost entirely stripped of real power.

Yet the anticipated awkwardness never materialized, for Cullen, seated in the front row, took the initiative to applaud at every critical juncture, prompting every cleric in the auditorium to follow suit in perfect unison.

At this moment, the last lingering trace of resentment in Gaspoer’s heart dissolved. She had to admit that Cullen’s style—scrupulously maintaining etiquette to her face while seizing absolute control behind her back—had once caused her immense torment.

But looking at the auditorium now, the Whip of Order across the entire York City region was not so much bidding her farewell as they were welcoming their true leader to the stage.

She had no reason to feel aggrieved. She had lost, and she had lost utterly. The only reason she hadn’t thrown a tantrum from the start was that she knew full well she couldn't win even if she did.

As Gaspoer stepped down from the stage, Marvolo stepped forward of his own accord and took her hand. She responded with a smile, the husband and wife flawlessly performing their domestic harmony in the public eye.

A director sent from the Dinger region read aloud the appointment of the new regional head. This time, there was not the slightest surprise.

Cullen adjusted his divine robes and stood up.

Inside the grand auditorium, every cleric rose to their feet, and a wave of thunderous applause began to echo.

Cullen walked steadily up to the stage, turned, and faced the crowd.

Instantly, the entire hall fell into absolute silence.

The memories of taking the steamship from Ruilan to Wien were still vivid before his eyes, and now, he was the Regional Chief of the Church of Order's York City district.

Cullen swept a solemn gaze across the room and spoke in a deep voice:

"Wield the Whip."

Every cleric in the auditorium, including Gaspoer herself, raised their right hand, clenched their fist against their chest, and shouted in one voice:

"For Order!"

—

(End of this Volume)