13 Mink Street

Bang! Kevin shoved the door of the study open and charged in with Pu’er on his back. He reared up in front of Karon, who was sitting at the desk. The dog’s two front legs rose into the air while his two hind legs supported him. Pu’er held a small red sword in her right paw and waved it about while her left paw clutched the fur on Kevin’s neck to keep herself steady on the dog’s back.

“Oh, my dear Little Karon, if you encounter any difficult opponents in the future, please do not be afraid. As long as you call out devoutly, the great heretical god knight Poelle shall descend!”

“Woof, woof, woof!”

Seeing the two, Karon was genuinely worried that Pu’er, who had already accidentally burned Kevin’s head bald, might accidentally slice the dog’s tail off next.

“It seems those tonics were effective.”

“Yes, very! My fur is clearly shinier than before.”

“Then from now on, whenever I’m not home, I will leave the protection of the house to you.”

“Hmm?” Pu’er never joked around when it came to proper business. “I think I still need some more time before I can handle that responsibility. Ah, right, I would like to apply for some credits to have the radio demon go to the black market and find a church smith who secretly takes private commissions. I would like to have a small sword forged for me, one about the same size as this one.”

“Approved.”

“Well, because it needs to provide a similar amplification effect as your Aelius Sword, some fire-attribute crystals and other materials will need to be smelted into my small sword...”

“So?”

Pu’er blinked. “So it will be a little expensive.”

“That’s fine.”

“Oh, my dear Little Karon, you are truly wonderful! Then as for that puppet of mine stored in the coffin in the storeroom, I agree to allow you to touch it however you like.”

Karon’s expression darkened a bit.

“Hehe, I was joking.” Pu’er continued waving her small red sword about. “Stupid dog, let’s go patrol!”

“Woof!”

Kevin carried Pu’er back out of the study. He even remembered to use his tail to help Karon by closing the door behind himself. Karon shook his head rather helplessly. Kevin had always been very tolerant of Pu’er’s bullying. It gave the impression of a big brother keeping his little sister company. Hmm? If one really considers their ages, then Pu’er, at almost two hundred years old, really is a little sister to Kevin.

Ring, ring, ring... The telephone rang at this moment, and Karon answered it.

“Hello, I’m looking for Captain Karon.” Ashley’s voice came through the line.

“This is he.”

“Captain, are you busy lately?”

“No.”

“My parents would like to invite you to my house for dinner.”

“I am busy.”

“...” Ashley.

“Ashley, please share my regards to your parents. My cat has responded very well to the tonic they prescribed.”

“All right, Captain. Actually, when they asked me to invite you, I already guessed you would prefer not to attend that sort of gathering, even though you acted much more comfortable and appropriate than the rest of us at the celebration banquet.”

“Rest well. It won’t be long before we go to the Teygan Region.”

“Mhmm. Though there’s still one more thing...”

“Go ahead.”

“My parents enjoy reading Order Weekly whenever they have nothing to do. It’s their hobby. Also, although their research institute has always focused on doing its own department’s work, it does have a mailroom, and it is piled full of documents the church issues every few days—”

“Ashley, if I establish a Whip of Order squad, would you be willing to join?”

“And then- Hm? Ah! I’m willing, Captain!”

“All right, then it’s settled.”

“Mhmm! There’s nothing else, Captain! You go ahead and be busy. Oh, no, you continue to not be busy. Ah, no, please hang up!”

“All right. Goodbye.” Karon hung up the phone.

Coincidentally, as soon as he placed the receiver back in its cradle, the phone rang again. He picked it back up, and Bart’s voice came through. “Captain, my parents have always liked reading Order Weekly, as well as...”

Even the opening line he used was the same. Karon could visualize Bart making the call, just as Ashley had made hers earlier, with their parents sitting on the sofa beside them. Having elders like that at their side to guide and support them was indeed a kind of good fortune. It often allowed young people to sense the way the wind was blowing in advance, find the right rhythm, and make proper arrangements.

“Bart.”

“Mhmm, Captain?”

“If I establish a Whip squad, would you be willing to join?”

“I’m willing, Captain. You’ve earned my respect.”

“All right, then that is settled.” Once his second call was ended, Karon took out the telephone book and dialed the number Alfred had added for Vintral’s home. The call was answered very quickly by Vintral himself. “It’s me, Karon.”

“Captain!”

“It seems that the higher-ups are going to arrange for a new batch of Whip of Order squads to be established. I wanted to ask if you would be interested in joining my squad when the time comes.”

“Of course, Captain. There’s no need to question or consider it!”

“All right. Then that’s that.”

The three from the York City Region had been settled, but as for Mars and Blanche, Karon had no way to contact them directly. Still, there was no hurry. There they would train together again, and then go to the Reincarnation Gate, which meant that there was still ample time and plenty of shared experiences to be had. Those two were already as good as in Karon’s pocket as well.

He stretched and checked the clock. It was lunchtime, so he stood and left the study, going to the kitchen. Ciri had just finished getting lunch ready. It consisted of four dishes and one soup, all of which suited Karon’s tastes. The attentive maid would prepare one green vegetable dish for the young master at every meal. She knew that, in his view, apparently only green dishes counted as vegetables.

Alfred arrived to eat lunch with him, and Karon said, “Find some time to look into Dasha again. See what she has been up to recently.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“This afternoon, I will go to the Gormans’, then to Lemar’s studio to have a look.”

He would go to the Gorman residence to visit Richard and his grandmother. Before the selection, the old woman had even sent Karon some homemade soup. Going to the pottery studio was to check in on Serena. After all, Lemar had taken the initiative to ask Karon for help. Although he had turned the matter over to the captain, and Nio had then temporarily handed things over to Eisen, no matter what, now that Karon was free, he had to show his face. He would always make a point of remembering those who treated him well and those who offered him help. He was very afraid of trouble, but there were some problems that could not be avoided or ignored.

“Shall I accompany you?”

“There’s no need. Handle your own matters first. If you find anything in your investigation, tell me. If you don’t find anything abnormal, then forget it. It’s nothing important.”

“Yes, I understand.”

After lunch, Karon drove himself in the used Pons to the Gorman family’s home. As soon as he parked, he saw a man leaning against the car in front, a cigarette between his fingers, smoking with a bleak air. Karon knew him. His name was Derek, Richard’s uncle married to his younger aunt, which also made him Karon’s younger uncle-by-marriage. As an Inquisitor who had married an Expositor, and who now had to face an Expositor family like the Gormans, Derek had always been under a great deal of pressure. Every time he came to the family home, he needed a long while to prepare himself mentally.

Karon closed the car door and walked toward him. “Mr. Derek?”

Derek turned and looked at Karon. He immediately threw away the cigarette butt and smiled. “Don’t call me ‘mister.’ Just call me Derek. I saw the newspaper, Karon. You obtained a slot to enter the Reincarnation Gate. Your performance was very impressive. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” Karon stood beside him. Derek took a cigarette case out of his pocket and handed it over.

“I don’t smoke.” Karon gently pushed the cigarette case back. “Is something happening at home today?”

“Oh, nothing. Mainly, my wife’s parents have both moved back here, so she comes over often to visit them, and I naturally have to...” Derek extended two fingers and made a walking gesture. “Sigh, you understand. Every time I come here, it feels like I’m entering a Whip prison.”

“It must be hard on you.”

Derek shrugged. “What can I do? This is what I get for being so mediocre.”

The last time Karon had interacted with Derek, the man had deliberately put on an air of closeness to the Gorman family in front of him, as though he truly considered himself one of them. This time, there was no attempt to hide the actual situation. It was probably because, in the past, he had seen Karon as a young junior and had felt the need to maintain his standing. Now, he treated Karon as an equal, or perhaps even slightly above him. Once the relationship was on equal footing, anything could be said. In any case, both he and Karon were outsiders.

“You are only doing it to make your wife happy.”

Hearing this, Derek froze for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face. “You’re right. As long as Lucy is happy, everything is worth it.”

As he spoke, Derek reached out and patted Karon on the shoulder. “Let’s go. We’ll go in.”

Karon and Derek walked into the garden and went up the steps. Just as they were about to knock, the main door was opened from inside. Ms. Tansley stood at the door. The old lady glared at her son-in-law with a trace of anger. Derek shuddered, while also looking completely confused.

Karon smiled. Grandmother, are you completely done pretending now?

Most likely, when he had driven over, Karon’s grandmother had sensed his arrival and had long since prepared to open the door and welcome him. However, he had ended up chatting outside with Derek and been delayed for a bit, which had left the old lady waiting anxiously.

“Oh, Karon! My Little Karon is here. Let Grandmother take a look.” Ms. Tansley took the initiative to walk in front of Karon and reached out to touch Karon’s face. “You aren’t injured, are you? Your spirit and soul weren’t harmed, were they?”

Clearly, the old lady was worried that her grandson had paid some kind of price during the final selection.

“I am fine, ma’am.”

“Call me ‘Grandmother.’ I told you last time, call me Grandmother!”

“All right, Grandmother. I am fine. It was only a selection.”

“Hehe, hehe, haha!” Hearing this, Ms. Tansley first let out a restrained chuckle, but she could not quite hold it in. She quickly let out more of a laugh, only to still fail to restrain herself. She finally burst out laughing. This was her grandson. This young man carried her blood, and he was exceptional, far beyond ordinary excellence. Blood ties alone did not mean an elder would like every junior in their family, but any elder with sense would naturally favor an outstanding one. That was only human nature. On top of that, Karon’s temperament, manner of speech, tastes, culinary skills, and everything else about him all suited Ms. Tansley perfectly.

Derek very much wanted to cough a few times to remind Ms. Tansley that her son-in-law had come to visit as well, but after a moment’s hesitation, he did not dare.

After they entered, Casey and Lucy both congratulated Karon. Derron had not returned home yet. Oh, and there was one other person absent from the house: Eisen. The family, however, seemed to have grown used to his intermittent disappearances.

“Karon!” Someone called to him from the second floor.

Karon looked up and saw Richard sitting at the entrance to the stairs. Hmm, he’s sitting in a wheelchair.

He went upstairs and approached Richard. Karon smiled and commented, “That wheelchair isn’t bad. Quite exquisite.”

“Then do you want one?” Richard asked.

“After I turn a hundred.”

Richard looked at his family members downstairs, then turned the wheelchair himself and headed for his bedroom. Karon followed behind him. The bed was piled full of books. Karon’s gaze swept over them, and he discovered that they were all ancient texts and notes. “Putting on an act?”

“Hmph! I really am working hard!”

Karon pulled over a chair and sat down. Casey soon came in with fruit and drinks. After setting them down, she smiled and said, “You two talk. I will not disturb you.”

After she finished speaking, Casey very thoughtfully helped them by closing the door. As a mother, she naturally liked her son hanging with outstanding peers.

“Right, there is something I need to give you. Last time, didn’t you ask me to give you the Cube Key? You can’t use that one, so I stole a version from my grandfather’s study that he teaches to his favorite students. It can be considered a modified Cube Key as well, though a low-end version.” As he spoke, Richard pointed at the bookshelf beside him. A white thread shot out from his wrist, stuck to a book, then pulled it out and dropped it into his hand.

“Is that the bug’s ability?”

“Yes. You might not believe this, but every time my father beats me up, while I am recovering from my injuries, I can clearly sense that the degree of fusion between me and that bug is noticeably increasing. The harder he beats me, the more obvious the improvement.”

“Not bad. Being beaten can even increase your strength. If other people had this kind of treatment, they would wake up laughing from their dreams.”

“Heh. Hehe.”

Richard handed the book to Karon, who accepted it. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Right, there is something I need to tell you in advance. This final selection was conducted in groups.”

“I know. I read the newspaper. This morning, I kept poking your photograph in the newspaper with my finger again and again, and after poking it too much, I actually accidentally poked a hole through it.”

“Next, there will be a new directive from above. I’m preparing to establish my own Whip squad. The five members under me who participated in the final selection will, barring any accidents, all join my squad.”

“Mhmm, and?”

“You should come along. You’re only an attached member right now, and don’t occupy a slot in the Hunting Hounds’ roster. In theory, it should be very easy to transfer you over.”

Hearing this, Richard took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled and said, “Actually, Grandfather talked to me about this last night, and Mother talked to me about it again this morning. They both want me to join your squad. This Whip squad will definitely attract a lot of attention, perhaps even becoming an ace. Being a member will be extremely beneficial to future personal development.”

There was no reason the Gorman family would not know about the things Ashley and Bart’s parents knew.

“So you were waiting for me to invite you myself?”

Richard shook his head. “No. I was never planning to ask you about it, Karon. I don’t want to burden you anymore. I know what I’m like. I’m lazy and care too much about reputation. I like to talk big, and every now and then, I even get a little morally fastidious. If we are brothers, then it should be you helping me once and me helping you once. It shouldn’t be me constantly being carried on your shoulders. That isn’t right.”

Karon looked at Richard with a thoughtful expression. Richard thought his words had moved Karon, but in reality, Karon was thinking, If you don’t join the squad, how am I supposed to pull your father in?

No Whip of Order squad would refuse the addition of an Expositor. Even Captain Nio was always very polite when speaking with Memphis.

“Richard, I’ve never regarded you as a burden.”

“I know. You wouldn’t see me that way.”

“But there is no helping the fact that you probably will never be able to become as outstanding as me in this life.”

Richard: “...”

“In this life, it will probably always be me helping you, while you will rarely be able to help me, because you do not have that ability.”

Richard: “...”

“So either you join my squad, or we stop being brothers.”

“Are you morally kidnapping me?”

“I don’t need to morally kidnap you, because before coming to your house, I ran into your father, and he already agreed to this. I believe that if you reject me now, it won’t be long before you see your dear old father at your bedroom door.”

Richard shuddered. “Karon, how could you do this to me? You and I are brothers, yet you secretly contacted my father and sided with him.”

“I haven’t sided with anyone. I merely remained neutral.”

“You clearly know that I can’t beat my father, so when you remain neutral on the side, you are actually siding with my father!”

“Join. Stop being melodramatic.”

“Then will I be in charge of logistics?”

“All right.”

“Fine, I’ll join.” Richard opened his arms toward Karon, wanting to ask for a hug, but Karon instead stood up and walked over to a cabinet. He picked up a glass of juice, and took a sip.

He frowned. “Does your mother have a habit of putting sugar in juice?”

“Yes. She also likes to watch me while I drink it and enjoy it. Every time, I have to cooperate in order to humor her need to demonstrate her motherly love.”

At that moment, a black crow flew in through the window.

“A crow my father folded.” Richard raised his arm to let the crow land, but the crow flew past him and stopped on Karon’s shoulder. “Huh? It’s for you?”

“It seems your father specifically sent it to ask me whether or not you’ve already agreed to join my future squad.”

Karon grabbed the crow and read the message: Someone has arrived at the pottery studio.

He folded the crow paper up again, only to discover that the sheet of paper already showed traces of having been folded a second time. However, Karon did not look into that. Perhaps Eisen had felt that the first one was not perfect enough, so he had folded it again.

“Richard, there’s something I have to do. I need to leave now.”

***

“This is the place. Ever since last time, I have been waiting for you to come find me.” Inside the car, the fat man sitting in the driver’s seat turned his head and looked at the girl dozing off in the back seat, saying, “This time, we will definitely be able to obtain the Ilmaz Gravers!”

Philomena opened her eyes slightly and turned to look toward the pottery studio. Through the glass door, she happened to see Memphis stand up and walk towards the entrance.

Sigh. Philomena reached out and grabbed the fat man in the driver’s seat by the neck. With a crack, she snapped it directly. Then, she transformed into a cloud of black mist.

And she fled.