Chapter 311: Pet Examination

After dealing with the captain and hanging up the phone, Karon first looked at Kevin and said, “I was just joking.”

Kevin immediately wagged his tail.

“The captain’s actually a pretty decent person.”

Kevin’s tail abruptly froze mid-wag.

Pu'er stretched out a paw and patted Kevin in a comforting manner. “Just think of this as making a sacrifice for your good friend, the radio demon. After all, he can talk to you.”

Kevin turned to look at Alfred.

Pu'er understood exactly what kind of person Karon was. If there was no direct benefit involved, he hated any kind of unnecessary risk. No matter how tempting something might be, it was difficult to get him to move. This was because Karon had been raised in abundance by Tiz.

That meant that the only reason Karon had agreed to the captain’s proposal to explore the burial grounds of the Illusion Demon Corvasini together at some point was purely for Alfred’s sake.

Hmph, radio demon!

Alfred took a deep breath and said, “Young Master, I think this matter will be extremely dangerous. Young Master, you should still—”

“Alfred, let me ask you one thing. Would Corvasini’s remains be useful to you?”

“Your servant... your servant could receive great benefits from them, because my Succubus Eye can completely absorb and fuse with it.”

“That’s enough. In that case.” Karon smiled. “It’s worth it.”

“Young Master...”

“Alright, we’re all friends here. Let’s not say overly sentimental things. The stronger you become, the more you’ll be able to help me in the future, right?”

“Yes, Young Master!”

“Go rest. Oh, right, I’ll give this tooth to you.”

“You won’t hand it over to your captain?” Alfred asked.

“Do you think he’ll return my 5,000 Order credits?”

“Probably not...”

“Then keep it.” Karon stretched lazily. “Alright, I’m going to sleep. You and Kevin—”

Alfred immediately said, “We’ll do our best to finish refining that egg before tomorrow morning.”

Pu'er added, “Actually, that egg is even more anxious than we are.”

***

“This is the investigation report on Karon. Your father and I have already read it. Take a look for yourself.”

“Alright, Mom.” Bart reached over and picked up the report.

A middle-aged man and woman sat facing each other in chairs. Their postures were very straight, and both exuded a natural authority.

The man spoke first, “I asked a friend in the Scout Battalion to submit a request to the regional district to retrieve this report. This can only be considered an official file. No one was specifically sent to investigate anything, but even from just this report, you can already see quite a few things.”

The woman said, “The only eye-catching part of his report is the scandal between Karon and the princess of Darkmoon Island.”

“Yes. Everything else appears to be quite ordinary.”

“Yet the more ordinary something appears, the more abnormal it is.”

Bart lowered the report and looked at his parents. “Dad, Mom, are you saying Karon is hiding his identity?”

“Son, your mother believes there are geniuses in this world. In my eyes, you are one of them. I also believe that Karon, having earned your admiration, is also a genius. He might even be more talented than you. However, he is absolutely not some simple orphan.”

“Heh, yes. Just from the fact that he fought Wolfram’s grandson over a woman, and was then still able to accompany Archbishop Wolfram to Darkmoon Island, and was even chosen for this selection process. You can already see the signs. Whoever is backing Karon is someone capable of making an Archbishop of an entire region, the publicly acknowledged number one figure, wary to the point of casting aside his own dignity.

“And then there’s Richard, the one Karon carried up the mountain. He’s a descendant of the Gorman family. Although the Gorman family is only an Expositor family, their status in the York City region is extremely special. There are quite a few array masters in our Knight Regiment who were once Derron Gorman’s students.

“Being able to steal the Archbishop’s grandson’s woman while also being friends with Gorman’s grandson means their relationship is one of equals. In fact, the former most likely surpasses the latter.

“It’s like how you always go out with the younger children from the Knight Regiment. You can only play together because your social circles are similar.”

“You don’t actually need to care too much about these things. Whether he hid his family background from you or not, there’s no need to dwell on it. After all, what you admire is his strength. If you can become friends with him, then do so. It may benefit your future development.

“Don’t think about things in such a utilitarian way; Just keep this in mind. Also, the Deputy Commander spoke to me today. He hopes you can secure a final slot. I suspect the Reincarnation Gate is more than just a trial. The Deputy Commander didn’t say it outright, perhaps he was merely conveying the Commander’s intentions, but I do know this much: if you can safely return from the Reincarnation Gate, you will truly be raised up within the Third Knight Regiment as a part of its future. Once your probation ends, you may even immediately become a member of the Commander’s personal guard.”

“Dad, Mom, don’t worry. I’ll succeed.”

***

Dawn had only just begun to appear. The city had not yet fully awakened from sleep.

A luxury car pulled to a stop in front of Pavaro Funeral Home.

Dinkom, who had been on night duty and snoring through the night, was already awake and sweeping the grounds. Seeing the car pull up, he automatically assumed that it was Fannie and Paige coming to see the boss.

However, after looking more carefully, he realized that something was off. Although this was the same model car, the details were different.

Whether it was the vehicles Fannie and Paige used while on security detail for missions, or the one the captain had personally put together, both had numerous arrays embedded within them, which caused the cars to appear rather bulky. This one did not.

The door opened, and a young woman stepped out of the car. After getting down, she looked at the funeral home and frowned while yawning.

Smack! The woman who emerged behind the girl immediately slapped the back of her head and scolded her, “Who are you making that face for?”

“Mom, coming to a funeral home so early in the morning, isn’t frowning normal?”

“When you’re asking someone for help, you should act like it.”

“What help are we asking for? We could’ve just had this stuff delivered. You two are the ones who insisted on coming here in person.”

At that moment, a man also stepped out of the car, and he also criticized Ashley, “Since we came, there’s clearly a reason for it.”

The woman chimed in, “If you do manage to earn the right to enter the Reincarnation Gate and return safely, not only will your internship become official, they might even grant you your own office and allow you to lead a team of your own.”

“Huh?” Ashley covered her mouth. “Seriously?”

She understood perfectly the level of the department her parents worked in. Having a separate office there meant being able to lead a project team and enjoy the benefits and resources granted by the Church.”

“If it weren’t such a big deal, would we really come here ourselves so early in the morning?” the woman shot back.

“But nobody knows what sort of challenge the final selection will be. Maintaining a symbolic relationship with him should already be enough. I’ve already done my part. At the critical moment, won’t I still have to rely on myself?”

“No,” the man corrected. “We’ve asked around through peer departments in other districts. Others also have children participating in this selection, and there’s a special characteristic to these selections. While on the surface, the exams appear to evaluate candidates individually, every district’s selection allowed the participants to gain assistance from others.”

“Hm?”

“York City district actually hid this the best. In several other regions, there were cases of people grouping together to secure slots. Complaints have already been filed.

“For example, you mentioned that this Karon carried his friend up the mountain. If his friend hadn’t been unable to withstand the altitude alone, or if Karon had deliberately held the rest of you back earlier, then most likely Karon could’ve taken that friend along and secured a slot for him.

“So why place everyone in the same illusion?”

“Wouldn’t that make things simpler?” Ashley asked.

The man smiled. “I once consulted a church array master after helping her treat an injured array beast. Her answer was that doing things this way actually creates a far heavier burden. Giving each person their own illusion would cost far less to maintain, countless times less.

“After all, creating an illusion for a single individual is obviously much easier than creating one for a group, because once people interact with each other, more variables appear, as well as far more unexpected factors.”

“Dad, what are you saying?”

“This was all intentional. The final selection will very likely rely on teamwork. Ashley, you need to understand this: The purpose of this selection is to produce a twelve-person team that will face the trials within the Reincarnation Gate together. This is not about selecting the twelve most outstanding people your age, though naturally the final twelve chosen will all be extremely outstanding. The purpose of this selection is to find the team that is best suited to enter the Reincarnation Gate.”

“I understand now, Dad.”

At that moment, Dinkom walked over and asked, “Excuse me, are you looking for someone?”

Ashley answered, “We’re here to see Karon. Is he home?”

“The boss hasn’t woken up yet. I’ll go notify him. Please wait a moment.”

Dinkom immediately returned to the back courtyard to report the visitors.

Alfred, Kevin, and Pu'er had stayed up all night, and were still staring at the refinement process. The egg had already had its consciousness completely erased and had been reduced to a blue liquid within an Arts container. It just needed one more round of purification.

“Guests? Alright, I understand.” Alfred added the final tube of purifying reagent to the bottle. In another three hours, the liquid would separate into layers. The clear liquid at the very top would be the desired final product.

Alfred placed the bottle within a sealed cabinet. The cabinet itself contained an array and had been purchased from the black market.

“Ahhh, we’re going to sleep. So sleepy, meow.”

“Woof!”

“Mhmm, you two go rest. I’ll see who our guests are. If they aren’t important, I’ll have them wait in the front hall. Young Master still hasn’t gotten up.”

Alfred arrived at the front hall, and the instant he saw Ashley, he realized these were no ordinary guests.

After all, Alfred had picked up Karon after he had shared a meal and tea with the other finalists. Although he had only driven Vintral home, Ashley and Bart had also passed by the car at that same time. As an excellent valet, accurately remembering the faces and identities of everyone associated with his young master was the most basic level of professional competency.

Vintral’s family background was very ordinary, but the other two youths were different. One was from a Knight Regiment, while the other belonged to a high-level church research institute.

These must be her parents?

By the time Alfred walked from the entrance to Ashley and her parents, a warm smile was already hanging on his face. “Miss Ashley, welcome. And who are these two?”

Regarding Ashley, Alfred did not dare say anything too excessive, such as “My young master mentioned you just last night,” or “My young master has never forgotten your personality.” That was because Alfred clearly knew what sort of problems Karon had struggled with all along. He absolutely did not dare dig a pit for his young master in terms of male-female relationships.

“Hello, I’m Ashley’s father, Santos. This is my wife, Celina. Ashley mentioned that Mr. Karon has two pets at home, and my wife and I felt that simply sending over some supplements for them might not be thoughtful enough. After all, supplements aren’t something that can be taken casually, and the ones that can usually aren’t very effective.

“So we came here specifically to personally examine them and formulate a development plan that can help the two animals grow in a better direction.”

Alfred maintained his smile, but inwardly his heart skipped a beat. What, they came to formulate a growth and development plan for Pu'er and Kevin?

Alfred felt that the two pets in his household probably didn’t need any further development or evolution. After all, they had just worked with him to refine the heart of a high-ranking Sea God Church believer. Compared to ordinary cats and dogs, that was undeniably an extremely difficult feat.

Even so, Alfred did not dare immediately refuse. He decided he should first consult his young master. Most importantly, these people’s status and position needed to be considered. Even if they only belonged to a research department, the higher the level of the research department, the less their influence lost to departments with actual administrative power.

“Please wait a moment and have some tea. Ah, you three haven’t had breakfast yet, right? I’ll have someone prepare it for you while I notify my young master.”

“Alright, go ahead.” Santos carried absolutely no airs.

“Dinkom, tea.”

When Alfred reached the back courtyard, he saw Ciri was just stepping out of her bedroom. “We have guests. Prepare breakfast.”

“Yes, Mr. Alfred.”

Alfred walked straight to the master bedroom door and knocked. A short while later, the door was opened by Kevin.

“Has Young Master woken up?” Alfred asked.

“What is it?” Karon’s voice came from inside.

“Young Master, Ashley and her parents are here. They say they want to examine Pu'er and Kevin.”

Pu'er, who had just laid down on the bed, immediately stood back up and asked in confusion, “What?”

Kevin’s ears also perked up, as though he suspected he had misheard.

“They came all the way here?” Karon asked.

“Yes, they’ve already arrived.”

“Why are they being so enthusiastic...” Karon was somewhat puzzled. If things were merely a matter between young people, there would be no reason for the parents to personally involve themselves. “Could it be that they learned something about the final selection and think they’ll need my help?”

This was the only explanation that Karon felt made sense. Otherwise, even if Ashley had gone home and told her parents she had fallen in love with him and would marry no one else, there was no way her parents would rush over early in the morning specifically to discuss wedding arrangements.

It had to be related to the final selection. Since it started tomorrow morning, they simply couldn’t wait any longer.

“An examination wouldn’t be bad.” Karon looked toward Pu'er. “A good body will help you recover more quickly and allow you to bring out more of your current strength, right? Oh, and before, you can store that finger away.”

Pu'er heard him and suspiciously asked, “Didn’t you say they specifically raise demonic beasts?”

Karon clarified, “Only rare demonic beasts.”

“I still think this feels weird...”

“Woof!” Kevin began wagging his tail excitedly.

It was obvious that Kevin was very willing to improve his physical condition.

Karon made the decision. “Let’s just treat it as going through the motions. We can’t refuse to give them face. Alfred, have them wait a bit longer. I’m going to wash up.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Karon got up and walked into the washroom.

“Woof!” Kevin barked at Pu'er.

“No, I never thought about improving my physical condition. I’ve always dreamed of simply changing back. What about you? Have you ever thought about it?”

“Woof!”

“Isn’t that ridiculous? You never could have imagined you’d become a dog; How could I possibly have imagined I’d become a cat?”

“Woof?”

“That was playing around, just playing around. Back then, turning into a cat was a hobby. I never intended to turn my hobby into a profession.”

“Woof.”

“Mhmm, then let’s just humor them. They’re mainly here for Karon. We’re just complimentary add-ons.”

After washing up and changing his clothes, Karon went to the kitchen to meet Ashley and her parents. Rather than waiting in the front hall, all three were eating breakfast in the kitchen. Knowing Karon’s tastes, Ciri had prepared wonton noodles for them.

It was clear they found the dish to be quite tasty. They were happily eating, and each one already had an empty bowl sitting in front of them, indicating they were already enjoying seconds.

No matter what, in Veyn, where people were obsessed with heavy flavors and thick sauces, meeting people who knew how to appreciate light and fresh-tasting food was genuinely not easy.

“Karon!” Ashley spotted him immediately.

“So you’re Karon?” Celina discovered that Karon was unexpectedly handsome and instinctively looked him over before glancing at her daughter. For a mother with a daughter of marriageable age, unconsciously evaluating whether or not a suitable young man could match her daughter was something that was done almost instinctively.

Not to mention her husband had already concluded that Karon’s background was likely anything but simple.

Santos stood up. “Karon, Ashley told us you were handsome, but I didn’t expect you to be this handsome. You’re practically the same as me in my younger days.”

“Dad!”

“Hello, Uncle. Hello, Auntie.” The other party was paying a personal visit, despite their status, so Karon naturally would not put on any airs. Since they were being polite, he would respond with equal courtesy. “I haven’t had breakfast yet either. Let’s eat together.”

Karon ate a bowl of noodles while chatting with the family. The entire atmosphere felt very much like distant relatives visiting. He had originally assumed that, given Ashley’s personality, her parents were the type of scholars who were poor with social interactions. The reality, however, was the complete opposite. The Santos couple were extremely social and eloquent.

Of course, under normal circumstances they were probably quite arrogant, but at this time, since it involved their precious daughter’s future, they were willing to get off that pedestal.

Once breakfast was over, the Patton couple proposed immediately examining the pets.

Karon naturally agreed, though the examination location was not arranged in his master bedroom nor in his study. Instead, it was arranged in what used to belong to Ms. Lake’s workroom, the place where she had once embalmed corpses.

However, because Karon had changed the funeral home’s target clientele, Ms. Lake had not used her workshop in a very long time.

Pu'er and Kevin walked over. To avoid appearing unusual, Pu'er did not ride on Kevin’s back.

At the doorway, Celina gently picked up Pu'er and carried her inside. Santos led Kevin in with his leash, and then closed the door behind them.

The workroom had just a door and no windows. Very soon, waves of energy fluctuations from examination Arts began emanating from the room.

After a while, the door opened, and Kevin and Pu'er walked out. Kevin ran to Karon and rubbed against his pants, while Karon quickly picked Pu'er up and held her in his arms. The two were deliberately putting on a show of pets being affectionate with their owner.

Santos’ voice came from inside the room, “Mr. Karon, both of your pets are in excellent physical condition, but neither can be considered a demonic beast. They are simply ordinary pets. Therefore, we will provide you with a development plan. If you raise and feed them according to our plan, their fur will become shinier and their bodies healthier. Please wait a bit.”

“Alright. Thank you for your hard work. I’m truly extremely grateful.”

Outside the workroom, Karon offered his thanks to the couple inside. Two specialists in rearing rare demonic beasts had personally paid a visit to perform the work of ordinary veterinarians. They had truly gone to great lengths.

Ashley was slightly surprised. It seemed Karon really did cherish his two pets. Otherwise, he would never have been willing to spend credits on supplements for them. She was also a bit disappointed. They really were just ordinary pets. She had initially assumed they would at least be low-level demonic beasts or creatures that had developed intelligence.

“Ashley, do you have a pen on you?”

“Yes, Mother, here you go.” Ashley pulled out a fountain pen and pushed the workroom door back open.

Inside, she found that her father and mother’s faces were deathly pale.