Baron Cullen

Fiona gestured for Karen to sit down, a faint smile on her face. "Baron Karen Waller, you don't need to be so formal. Just call me Fiona."

Her smile wasn't meant to build rapport, but rather it was more of a polite gesture among nobles, simply to ease the awkward and somber atmosphere.

She then cut to the chase: "Baron Karen Waller, on behalf of the Order of the City of Breath, I formally invite you to join us."

Karen's heart skipped a beat.

"Thank you very much for your high regard," he replied cautiously, "but... I'm already a member of the warband and also registered with the Mage Guild..."

"That's not contradictory." Fiona understood what he meant. "Although you'll inevitably come into contact with some commissions involving the supernatural realm within the chapter."

But what I want to say is that the Order Keepers are more special. We are not just facing something supernatural; to put it simply, they are more evil and dangerous beings.

Your past achievements, including the abilities, courage, and keen perception of the extraordinary that you demonstrated in this incident, are exactly what the Order Keepers need.

Fiona paused, then continued, "By joining us, you will be exposed to more extraordinary things that are rarely seen in ordinary times, but you will also gain access to richer resources."

This does not conflict with your goal of pursuing power.

Her words were very persuasive, directly pointing out Karen's needs.

As the only special organization in the City of No Breath, the Order Keepers are indeed different from other forces.

Although the task remains to protect the city and maintain order, the scope of responsibility has become broader and deeper.

Thinking about it this way, the human organ case on Queen Street was probably just one of the most ordinary cases that the order maintainers have to deal with on a regular basis.

Karen pondered for a moment, then asked, "If I join the Order Keepers, what obligations will I be required to fulfill?"

"This is basically the same as other factions: accept assigned tasks, abide by the Order Keepers' internal rules, and cooperate with other members when necessary," Fiona patiently replied. "In return, you can access more files and documents related to the supernatural and obtain more resources."

Upon hearing this, Karen nodded slightly and began to think seriously.

He could sense that although Fiona had a cold demeanor, she was decisive and had clear goals, and that she was intentionally grooming him.

Joining the Order Keepers means greater responsibility and danger, but it also means faster growth and broader access to information.

Simply put, the environment for Warbands and Mage Guilds is relatively simple, with more stable but slow development.

Those who maintain order face the darkest corners, which are full of dangers, but the trials and rewards they bring are equally proportional.

This is both a challenge and an opportunity for him.

And most importantly, he thought of the terrifying, mysterious, and powerful figure standing behind Bastian.

Although the other party was not targeting the Waller family, they had already extended their reach into the City of No Breath through Bastian.

But he had no idea that such a person existed until he entered the mansion on the banks of the Greywater River in the suburbs.

This is exactly what Fiona said: even though the chapters usually handle some extraordinary requests, it always remains on the surface.

If he wants to get in touch with that mysterious person, joining the Order Keepers is probably his only option.

After careful consideration, Karen said, "It is an honor for me to join the Order Keepers, and I am very grateful to you for giving me this opportunity."

Fiona smiled, a genuine smile.

"Now, officially welcome to our team, Baron Karen Waller." She stood up, walked around the desk to Karen, and extended her right hand. "It may sound a bit cliché, but... from today onwards, we are... well, brothers who can entrust our backs to each other!"

Ok?

Karen was taken aback.

He instinctively shook hands with Fiona, but something felt off.

Then, Fiona opened the office door and said, "Although you have joined us, according to the rules passed down by the Order Keepers, every new member must undergo a test."

But don't worry, this test doesn't actually have much meaning; it's just a simple assessment of your talent.

Karen nodded upon hearing this, without saying anything more.

The two then left the office, passed through the spacious hall, entered another passage, and arrived at a room that wasn't very large.

The room was filled with rows of bookshelves.

Each bookshelf was crammed with various books and materials, much like the private study of Brandon, the vice president of the Mage Association.

What's unusual is that since entering the room, Karen has been able to faintly smell a fragrance.

The fragrance is very subtle, but surprisingly pleasant, making people feel relaxed without even realizing it.

At this moment, besides Karen and Fiona, there was a man and a woman standing in the room.

He recognized one of the men; it was Bright, the one who had led him into the building earlier.

"My lord, you..." Bright turned and saw the two of them, seemingly guessing something, "Is this a test for Baron Karen Waller?"

"Yes." Fiona nodded, then looked at the woman beside her, "Martha, get ready."

Upon hearing this, Martha nodded.

She put down the book in her hand, then placed her hands in front of her chest, and wisps of extraordinary elements faintly appeared around her.

"Her name is Martha Gillian, and like Bright, she's a deputy leader, and also a fourth-tier wizard," Fiona explained to Karen beside her while she prepared. "This test is very simple."

Martha will use her wizarding powers to cast a hypnotic spell on you, which will trap you in a hallucination.

As for what this illusion is like, it varies from person to person, but in general it will reflect the most authentic side of your heart.

The purpose of the test is to see how long it takes you to escape this illusion and return to reality.

Karen nodded, her expression remaining calm: "What if I'm unable to leave the illusion?"

"Don't worry, Martha will cancel the illusion after ten minutes, and you'll come out naturally then," Fiona said calmly. "And even if you don't get through the illusion, it won't affect your joining the Order Keepers or your subsequent resource acquisition."

She spoke as casually as possible, as if the test were just a meaningless formality.

But Karen knew.

Even if it's meaningless, once he gets really caught up in the situation and can't extricate himself, his reputation among these people will probably drop to some extent.

Thinking this through, he took a deep breath and said, "I understand, let's begin."