13 Mink Street

“You’re looking for my brother?” Serena asked with curiosity. “Why are you looking for my brother?”

“Mr. Karon came to buy a pottery piece from me. Since you two know each other, I’ll just give one to him,” Lemar explained.

“I came to ask your brother to make a mask for me.”

Lemar fell silent.

“Brother, he saved my life.”

Lemar frowned.

“Brother, do you really think your own sister’s life is worth less than a mask? Usually, your masks only sell for five hundred Abyss credits.”

“This isn’t about credits—” Lemar tried to explain.

Karon cut in, “Don’t make things difficult for your brother. Besides, I don’t have any credits on hand. I was too abrupt.”

“No, no credits needed. He’ll make it for you for free.”

Lemar said nothing.

“Brother, he saved my life; my life! If not for him, you would have lost your adorable little sister.”

“Honestly, I was always opposed to Father and Mother insisting on having you at such an old age.”

“Argh!” Serena pounced onto Lemar. The siblings actually started wrestling right in front of Karon. He stood to the side and watched. It was not appropriate for him to break things up.

“Alright, alright, I’ll do it, I’ll do it.” In the end, the older brother surrendered. Truthfully, from the moment his sister had said Karon’s name from the door, he had already guessed the young man’s identity. Lemar had assumed that Karon, being a gentleman, would not put him in a difficult position, but his own sister was anything but restrained.

“Thank you, Mr. Lemar.”

“Are you going to charge him?” Serena stared at her brother.

“No charge, no charge.” Lemar raised a hand to show his complete surrender.

Serena turned her head and looked at Karon. “You said you don’t have any credits on hand?”

“Mhmm.”

“Brother, did you hear that? My benefactor is so poor he doesn’t even have credits.”

Lemar stayed silent.

“Brother, let me check your pockets.” Serena pulled out two credits. “Only two hundred, not enough.”

“Serena...”

“Add a bit more. Two hundred is embarrassing.”

“Serena.”

“Are you giving it to me or not?”

“Fine, fine, fine!” Lemar pulled out three more and handed them to his sister.

“Here, take this.” Serena took Karon’s hand and placed five hundred Abyss credits in his palm.

“Thank you.” Karon thanked her and set the credits on the desk.

Lemar sighed and said, “Mr. Karon, you should keep that. Otherwise, my sister will have a reason to visit your home and deliver the credits to you.”

“Why would you remind him, Brother?”

“Sorry, but using a debt of gratitude to coerce you into making a mask for me already makes me feel ashamed; How could I take your credits as well.”

“Please accept it.” Lemar pushed his sister aside and bowed to Karon with formal seriousness. “Lemar D. Voss thanks you for once protecting his sister.”

Seeing her brother become serious, Serena copied him and bowed to Karon as well. “Serena Voss thanks you for saving her life.”

The Voss family. Karon recognized that name from Mr. Hoffen’s notes. Their family was best known for their puppetcraft and followed a family faith system. They had once been a family of immense renown, and even The Longsong of the Abyss contained a single line concerning the Voss family:

When the God of the Abyss set out to open Heaven, He summoned Voss to fashion a puppet and placed it within Hell, so that the demons would remain cowed. Until Heaven was opened, the demons believed the God of the Abyss still resided in Hell and did not dare rebel.

The “Voss” mentioned in that passage should refer to the progenitor of the Voss family, a figure capable of crafting a puppet for even a High God.

However, Mr. Hoffen’s notes also recorded that the Church of Light had once demanded the Voss family construct a puppet for the church. The Voss had refused, and had subsequently been hunted by the Church of Light. From that point onward, the family declined.

Since they had already introduced themselves, Karon could only respond in the manner of this circle. He placed both hands to his chest. “Everything comes from Order’s guidance, praise Order.”

Lemar frowned slightly, because Karon did not say his surname, but the straightforward Serena bluntly asked, “What’s your surname?”

Karon shook his head and gave a bitter smile. “I don’t want to lie to you.”

The Church of Light had already been destroyed. Even if remnants persisted, they could not trouble the Voss family again. On the other hand, the Church of Order still existed. Because of Tiz, Karon could not speak the Immers surname to outsiders.

Lemar asked, “Mr. Karon, are you married?”

Serena immediately stared at Karon seriously, waiting for his answer.

“No, but I’m engaged. In another half year, we will hold our wedding. When that time comes, I will sincerely invite you both.”

Serena looked a little disappointed, but Lemar smiled at Karon. He was satisfied that Karon could be honest to this extent. “Making the mask takes time.”

“Alright. When can I come back?” When it came to the matter of making the mask, Karon could not be too polite or courteous, because this was the skin of Mr. Pavaro’s own face which he had personally removed. Karon had to act responsible for it.

“Five hours.”

“Alright- hmm?” So fast?

“So you can wait in the shop, Mr. Karon. When I’m done, you can try it on. If you’re satisfied and there are no flaws, you can take it away right then.”

“Thank you very much.”

“There’s no need for such courtesy. During this time, is there anything you need, Mr. Karon?”

“My car is outside. I can wait in the car.”

“Serena, take Mr. Karon to the guest room to rest. Seeing his eyes, if I hadn’t sensed that an ordinary person walked in, I would’ve truly thought that some demonkin had entered the shop when I looked up and saw him. Heh heh, hm?” Lemar’s smile faded as his laugh died. The one in front of him had already praised Order, and had even used Arts on the tram to save Serena. How could he be an ordinary person?

Lemar had just bluntly admitted to being blind.

To ease his awkwardness, Lemar forced a small smile. “Mr. Karon, your concealment Arts and artifacts are truly impressive.”

Karon nodded. “You’re too kind.”

“Karon, I’ll show you where to rest.”

“My servant is still outside. I’ll go tell him.”

“Alright, I’ll wait for you.”

Karon walked out of the shop to the car. Alfred immediately got out and approached. “Young Master, how did it go?”

“Everything went smoothly. They agreed to do it. The girl I saved in the last tram explosion is the owner’s younger sister.”

“Hah.” Alfred sighed. “This is the arrangement of god. No, it’s your arrangement for yourself, Young Master.”

“They have offered to let me rest in a guest room. The mask should be ready in about five hours, so it’s not convenient to refuse them.”

This was their way of choosing to draw closer. Refusing would be bad, especially when Karon did not yet have the mask in hand.

“Then you should go rest, Young Master. I’ll wait in the car.”

“Mhmm.” Karon bent closer to the car’s mirror again and examined his eyes. “They really do look like yours.”

“Heh heh, my eyes can’t compare to yours, Young Master.”

“That line was a bit forced.”

“You are right to correct me, Young Master.”

“It’s probably because you’re tired too. I’ll sleep inside. You should rest in the car as well.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Karon returned to the pottery studio. Serena warmly came over to lead him. Behind them Lemar called out, “Mr. Karon is going to rest. You need to come back out.”

“Hmph!”

The first floor was the shop, while the second floor was their living area. Serena led Karon upstairs. The furnishings were no different from an ordinary home.

“Sleep in this room,” Serena said, pointing at a room, but Karon glanced at the pink tones and all the stuffed dolls inside and shook his head.

“Fine.” Serena had no choice. She instead led Karon to the guest room. The furnishings there were much simpler; just a bed and a cabinet. Usually, no one stayed there.

“Thank you, and thank your brother too.” Karon sat down by the bed.

“Karon, how did you and your fiancée meet?”

“Our parents introduced us.”

“So you met through matchmaking?”

“Mhm,.”

“That’s not as thrilling as me and you, heh heh.

“Karon, is your fiancée pretty?”

“She’s very beautiful.”

“What is she like? Can you describe her?”

“She’s elegant.”

“Could you give a little more detail?” Just “elegant” alone wouldn’t give her brother much to work with.

“If there’s a chance later, I’ll bring her to meet you. You two might become good friends.”

“Fine.” Serena went out and poured Karon a cup of water. When she returned, she placed a cream bun on the cabinet. “Karon, rest well. I’m going to watch my brother make your mask.”

“Thank you.”

“No need to be polite, you’re my lifesaver, aren’t you.”

Serena closed the door and Karon laid down on the bed. He first spent five minutes continuing to search his mind for information related to the Voss family, then he spent fifteen minutes imagining Eunice’s face.

Then, he fell asleep.

The shop had a basement level, which held a workshop that belonged exclusively to Lemar. At this moment, he stood in front of a doll. The doll wore a small blue suit and had the form of a child, but because the seams and stitching lines were very distinct, there was a somewhat eerie feeling to the doll in the dim light.

As Lemar sorted materials into small cups, he thought, The boy really is good-looking. No wonder Serena fell for him. He’s as dashing as any prince on a white horse, and he also saved her life. What girl would wait until the next life to repay that?

As a person, he’s also fine. After interacting with him a bit, he feels decent, and he also knows boundaries.

Most interesting is that while he can’t say his surname, when he offered a formal greeting, he only praised Order and said that everything is Order’s arrangement. I don’t think he accidentally forgot the word ‘god.’

Lemar prepared the materials, then said to the doll in front of him, “Open your mouth.”

The doll opened its mouth and Lemar poured cup after cup of materials in. After everything had been poured in, Lemar looked at a ruby in his hand. He set it down and then took out a more dazzling sapphire from a box beside him.

After hesitating for a while, Lemar instead pulled out a violet gemstone that shimmered with a crystalline sheen. “Truly hard to part with...”

“Brother, how much longer?” His sister’s urging voice came from the doorway.

“Soon, soon.” Lemar shook his head and mocked himself. “How did I end up with such a foolish sister.”

Holding the violet gemstone, Lemar stared and stared. “This one alone, if I sold it outside, could fetch five thousand Abyss credits. Sigh. Still, since this was a money losing deal to begin with, I can’t be stingy. A money losing deal earns favors. I can’t fail to earn money and also fail to earn enough favor.

“Besides, if the kid does use this identity, he can probably climb quite high within the church. If I use inferior materials, then once he reaches the middle levels it might not be so easy to hide, even though he already seems to be very skilled at concealing his aura on his own.

“Forget it, forget it. No more thinking. My sister’s life is worth this price.”

In the end, Lemar put the violet gemstone into the doll’s mouth, and then finally put Mr. Pavaro’s face skin in. The doll closed its mouth.

Lemar stepped back two paces and spread both hands. White light rose from his body. Two black whirlpools appeared in the doll’s eyes, pulling the white light in as if charging with it.

Then, a violet glow appeared inside the doll’s belly.

The entire process lasted about ten minutes. Lemar was drenched with sweat. Finally, the doll stopped and Lemar let out a long breath. He picked up a large cup of sugar water from beside him, added a spoonful of salt, and then drank it all in big gulps.

Crack. The doll opened its mouth and spat out a very small violet gemstone.

“Brother, is it done yet? You’re taking so long.” His foolish sister outside started urging him again.

Lemar could only shake his head. He walked over and opened the door. His sister ran in and looked at the small violet gemstone in his hand.

“Pretty, right?” Lemar asked with a smile.

“Are you making a gemstone ring? Right, he’s a man, so a pendant wouldn’t be suitable for him. Only a ring would be fitting to make for him. Brother, where’s that ring band you collected? The one made from a frost python skull? It matches perfectly. Heh heh, after he wears this ring, it’ll highlight his temperament even more.”

“Sister, do you know what effect that ring band has, and how incredibly valuable it is?”

“I don’t care. Use it.”

“Sigh.”

“Brother, he saved my life! He saved your sister’s life! What are you hesitating for?”

“If I’d known your life was so expensive, I might have genuinely hesitated before agreeing.”

“Brother!”

“Fine, fine! Give it to him. Give it to him. I’ll set it.”

Lemar sat down. He first took a ring band out of a drawer, then used tools to set carefully mount the violet gemstone. He lifted the finished product and held it in front of his eyes. Even Lemar could not help becoming intoxicated. “Truly a work of art!”

“Let me see! Let me see!” Serena grabbed the ring and smiled. “From now on he’ll always wear this ring, and every time he sees it, he’ll think of me!”

Lemar reminded her, “He should think of me.”

“I’m going to give it to him, heh heh.” Serena ran out with the ring, but when she reached the doorway, she suddenly stopped. She turned back and looked at her brother. “Brother, do you remember that night when we were little and something happened?”

“Why are you suddenly bringing that up?”

“That night, I dragged you out to look for a little puppy that suddenly ran away from home.”

“Yes. If you hadn’t forced me out that night, we probably would’ve died with our parents.”

“I’ve always felt that little puppy foresaw something and deliberately ran away so we would go look for it.”

“Our ancestors protected us.”

“Actually, when I see him, I get a very similar feeling. Brother, do you believe me? It’s not that I’m simply lusting after how handsome he is, though he really is very handsome.”

Lemar sighed. “So that’s how it is. That’s why you insisted on waiting for him every day, trying to fabricate a chance encounter.”

“Yes. We’re family, aren’t we? What a pity that he already has a fiancée. Still, maybe I can try being his lover.”

Lemar covered his face. “If Father and Mother heard that, they would scold you to death.”

Pfft. Hearing their parents mentioned, Serena laughed. “This is really all your fault. Brother, what on earth are the father and mother you made doing?”

“I just wanted you to have a more authentic home. I didn’t want you to be sad.”

“Yes, but the father and mother you made are far too real. They’re so real that the two dolls even argued and got divorced. Now I have a stepfather and a stepmother.”

“That’s no longer something I can control.”

“Brother, so I can take this to him?”

“Go on.” Watching his sister run out, Lemar could not help but think of his mother. Not the puppet mother he had made, but their real mother, who had been a member of the cursed Yeakeline family.

Within the churches, the Wall God Church had always been the best at prediction, while within the family systems, the best at divination was the Ekarine family.

His sister had inherited the Ekarine bloodline from their mother.

“Ah, ah, ah, ah!” Lemar clawed at his hair with both hands. “Even after comforting myself like this, it still hurts so much!”

Gently pushing the door to the guest room open, Serena intended to admire her beloved’s sleeping figure for a while, but was surprised to find that Karon was already awake and sitting on the edge of the bed, putting on his coat.

“You’re awake?”

“Mhmm. It seems that time is up. When something’s on my mind, I naturally wake up.” After sleeping, though it had not been very long, his whole body felt much lighter.

“The mask is done.”

“Thank your brother for me, though I would like to thank him in person.”

“Try it first. Come! Come over here! My bedroom has a full length mirror.” Serena pulled Karon into her bedroom and stood him before a full length mirror. She then handed him the violet gemstone ring. “Put it on.”

“This is...?”

“That’s the mask. Did you think the masks my brother makes are only masks?”

“No, but I just didn’t expect it to be this exquisite.”

“It is pretty, right? Come, I’ll help you put it on.” Serena warmly helped Karon put the ring on the ring finger of his left hand. “Karon, now try passing a little spirituality into the ring and stimulate it.”

“Alright.” He released a wisp of spirituality into the ring. Immediately, the ring released violet light that spread out to cover his whole body in an instant. Soon, the violet light dispersed, and Karon raised his head to look at himself in the dressing mirror.

The figure in the mirror meeting his gaze was unmistakably Mr. Pavaro. Not only was the face identical, even the body and bearing were identical, right down to the bald patch on the top of his head.

Karon subconsciously raised a hand to touch his own face. It felt like there was a thin layer of something cool, like grease, covering him, yet his fingers met the sensation of actually touching Mr. Pavaro’s skin.

This meant that the disguise was not only visual, but his appearance would be disguised even to physical contact. It was too miraculous, and simply unimaginable. No wonder their family could craft puppets for a High God in mythic narratives. Yes, the demons in Hell were not easy to fool.

“As long as you stimulate the ring again, you will return to your original appearance. I’ll go call my brother so he can explain things to you. Keep using it to get more familiar.”

Serena left the bedroom, and Karon kept staring into the mirror. More precisely, he kept staring at Mr. Pavaro in the mirror.

With this, he could enter the Church of Order with Mr. Pavaro’s identity, which would give him the starting point of an Inquisitor.

Thank you, Mr. Pavaro.

Karon then stimulated the ring again with a bit of spirituality. There was another flash of violet light, and he immediately regained his true appearance. Standing before the mirror, switching between the two appearances made Karon feel unreal. It even gave him flashbacks to the panic and palpitations he had experienced when he had first awakened in this world and looked at himself in the mirror.

Am I Pavaro? Or am I Karon?

Almost unconsciously, he lowered his gaze to the ring in his hand. A sentence surfaced in his mind: Order is a mask.