13 Mink Street

The hearse drove along the road deep into the night. Alfred tapped the car radio twice, and a soothing song flowed out.

~I lay my head beneath the dawn over the open fields, waiting for you to come; I follow the glow and shadow of the streetlamps, searching for traces of you; I gaze at the stream by the door, imagining your silhouette. I once thought the road of youth always led toward distant mysteries, only to overlook you, standing at the very beginning...~

“What song is this?” Karon asked.

Very few songs could still remain so neat and symmetrical after being translated in Karon’s mind.

“‘Footprints.’ Written, composed, and recorded by the same person; a man from St. Andis named Gindo. He once visited Swillen, and your servant even shared a meal with him. I was working at the radio station back then.”

“Does he have many songs?”

“Quite a few. He’s very famous when it comes to popular love songs.”

“Then why haven’t I heard you play his music before?”

“Because there’s a great divide between his songs and the man himself. He’s gifted at writing love songs, but when it comes to his own relationships, he’s extremely promiscuous. He has been married six times, had countless lovers, and has made a complete mess of his life. That is why your servant felt that playing his songs for you would be somewhat inappropriate.”

“If it isn’t a matter of principle, then it doesn’t matter.” Karon turned his head and looked out at the night beyond the car window.

Alfred took a deep breath, his fingers tapping lightly against the steering wheel. Perhaps this was his way of expressing a little intimacy with the young master. Earlier, when the young master had thanked him, Alfred had suddenly felt a bit of warmth between them. People had many ways of showing closeness. Some might walk over and give your arm a light punch, using a tiny offense to affirm intimacy. It was not for others to see, but for themselves. Alfred, however, did not dare punch his young master. The most he dared to do was play him a song by a problematic artist. Seeing that Karon was not angry absolutely delighted Alfred.

At this moment, a truck appeared ahead, driving along the road. Two people wearing black priest’s robes stood atop the truck.

“Young Master, they are robes of Order.”

“Follow them and have a look,” Karon instructed.

“Yes, Young Master.”

The hearse began accelerating, approaching the truck.

Clang! A sound rang out. The two doors at the rear of the truck’s cargo compartment directly fell off. Alfred turned the steering wheel in time, preventing their hearse from being scraped. Inside the truck compartment stood a woman. Green light glowed in the woman’s eyes. She opened her hands upward, and in an instant, two thick vines pierced through the roof and bound the two men wearing the robes of Order.

“Ah...”

“Ah...” The two immediately let out extremely miserable cries.

Karon sighed. He then transformed into black mist and drifted out the car window before appearing on the roof of the truck. Two black Darkmoon Blades appeared in his hands. With a swing to both sides, he severed the two vines. The two Order priests fell when released from their restraints. Their bodies were densely covered with bloodstains. Clearly, the barbs on the vines had pierced deep into their bodies. Barring any surprises, there was also poison present. Two Chains of Order appeared beneath Karon’s feet and wrapped around the men’s bodies, preventing them from falling off the truck. Below, two vines again grew from the woman’s back, supporting her as she climbed up from inside the truck.

The two Chains of Order flung backward, then let go. Alfred, who had already stopped the car, caught the two priests.

The woman was already in front of Karon. She opened her mouth and spat out a shower of green barbs. Black Sea God’s Armor appeared on his body, engraved with extremely fine runes. The moment the barbs made contact, they froze, and even the possibly explosive poison contained within them had no time to react. He shot forward, brushing past the woman. The Darkmoon Blade in his hand directly pierced her chest, creating a hole there. Absolute speed paired with absolute defense made combat look very simple. Unfortunately, during the selection, he had needed to conceal aspects of his abilities.

Karon suddenly turned sideways and pointed a finger forward. A wall appeared in front of the truck.

Bang! The truck directly crashed into it. After Karon landed on the ground, he appeared in the driver’s seat again. The driver was a man. After seeing Karon, he immediately raised a crossbow and pulled the trigger.

Buzz! The Arts-imbued crossbow bolt was blocked by Karon’s Sea God’s Armor. Before it exploded, a layer of ice wrapped around it and formed an ice sphere. The ice sphere then flew down off the road and exploded. The man drew a dagger. He did not dodge. Instead, his body twisted into a strange arc and instantly broke free from the driver’s cab, which had been severely deformed by the collision, charging toward Karon. But before he could approach Karon, the edges of a cube appeared around his body.

“Order—Cage.” Karon raised his hand, and the Cage of Order floated into the air. Then his hand swung downward, and the Cage of Order directly smashed into the ground. The man kept attacking the cage from inside, but his attacks merely caused Karon to consume a bit more spiritual power.

“Young Master!” Alfred carried the two priests over on his shoulders. He set them on the ground, and Karon checked their conditions. He applied a low-level healing Art to both, then a layer of purification. Just as he was finishing, a group of people wearing black priest’s robes arrived. They were led by a middle-aged woman. They looked to be a Whip of Order squad carrying out a mission.

“Thank you for your help. May I ask who you are?”

“These two need to be sent to the church hospital for treatment.” Karon pointed at the two injured priests as he spoke.

“All right, I will.”

“The woman is dead. I left the man alive for you.”

“Thank you. May I ask who you are—”

“I still have something to do. I’ll be leaving first.” Karon got back into the hearse, and Alfred immediately followed him. The man started the car and left the scene.

The members of the Whip of Order squad did not try to stop the two men. After driving for a while, Karon asked, “Alfred, was I a little cold to them just now?”

Before tonight, Alfred would have answered: “No, Young Master, you already saved their people.” but tonight, Alfred replied, “That is because you treated them like little ducklings, Young Master.”

Karon rubbed his brow and nodded. “Yes. I’ve gotten arrogant.”

“Young Master, are you struggling with this?”

“I just completed the selection and met the most outstanding people of my generation. Hmm, I feel that I am more outstanding than them. Then I went to a celebration banquet. In truth, it isn’t just these few moments; This tendency appeared even earlier.”

“Young Master, are you reflecting on yourself?”

“Mhmm. I shouldn’t think like that. If I’m already adopting this attitude with my colleagues, what will happen when I’m facing ordinary people? Alfred, the next time I start getting carried away like this, remind me.”

“All right, Young Master. I understand. This is the grounding breath of the earth that you pursue.”

“Then let’s correct it starting now. Did they happen to share the name of their squad?”

“No, Young Master.”

“Make a note of the time and place, to help me report this to the captain. He should be able to find out which squad it was that I helped. We can have the captain go ask for an assistance fee. Hmm, that should be more down to earth.”

“Young Master is wise.”

***

The hearse parked in front of the funeral home. Alfred got out first and handed the food Karon had packed back to Karon, allowing his young master to carry it into the house. When he entered the courtyard, Karon saw Ciri.

“Young Master, you’re back. I’ll prepare supper for you.”

“No need. Take this food to the kitchen and heat up whatever needs heating, then set aside one portion and send it to my room. Divide the rest among everyone else so that they can all have a taste. Remember to tell them to savor things properly. These ingredients are very precious.”

Expensive food was not necessarily delicious, but eating it could give people a greater sense of pleasure and satisfaction.

“I understand, Young Master.”

Karon was just about to return to the master bedroom and to share with Pu’er, Kevin, and Alfred details about the selection process, but as he walked past the door of Ms. Lake’s room, he heard sobbing from inside. Normally, Karon would not have paid any attention to such a thing. Everyone had their own privacy, and not every bout of crying needed comfort. However, he had just reflected on his behavior, and he also realized that recently, for the sake of his own convenience, “Mr. Pavaro” had not visited home for a very long time.

The ring flashed, and Karon took on Mr. Pavaro’s appearance. He had not used this mask in a long time. Mr. Pavaro’s identity no longer offered much practical use, yet Mr. Pavaro himself held a special place in Karon’s heart. Before meeting Mr. Pavaro, Karon had believed that the Church of Order differed from other churches only in regards to the faith worshiped, and that at its core, the church was no different from any others. It was Mr. Pavaro who had shown him true Order, and the true Church of Order.

“Young Master, I don’t recognize so many of these foods. I don’t know which need to be reheated and which don’t.”

“Go ask Alf- no, go ask Pu’er. She’ll know.”

“All right, Mr. Pavaro.” Ciri turned around, then froze. Her instincts told her to look back and make sure her eyes had not played any tricks on her, but her salary urged her to keep moving forward with admirable resolve.

Karon knocked on the door. The sobbing inside cut off, and the door soon opened. Ms. Lake stood in the doorway, and when she saw the husband standing before her, she burst out laughing. “Please come in.”

She pulled over a chair for Karon and gestured for him to sit down. She herself sat by the bed and continued smiling. “You don’t need to do this.”

“Hehe.” Karon merely smiled as well. He realized that he had misunderstood things. Ms. Lake was not crying because she missed Mr. Pavaro. It should be because of something else.

Ms. Lake sat on the edge of the bed. She wore a silver-white nightdress. A large part of her neck and chest was exposed. In truth, what attracted the most attention was her backside as she sat on the bed. The loose nightdress allowed her backside to spread out freely while sitting. Karon remembered the time he had accidentally walked in on Dora and Dorin. At the time, Ciri and Ms. Lake had been helping the sisters to bathe, and he had discovered then that Ms. Lake’s backside was no smaller than Ciri’s. In fact, because of the woman’s age, it had a softer, fuller weight to it.

“Did they make you angry?” Karon asked. 𝖋𝘳ℯ

“No. I was sulking with myself. This evening, when I saw Dora and Dorin clinging to Dasha so affectionately, for some reason, I felt sour and jealous. Just now, while lying in bed, the more I thought about it, the more emotional I became, and I couldn’t help crying. Actually, I was just teasing myself, hehe.”

“Children will eventually grow up. Slowly, they stop needing their parents’ protection in the same way as before, and they come to regard their parents’ arms as a kind of shackle. Everyone’s growth will experience this process. It is just that because of Dora and Dorin’s previous situation, they had to rely on you completely, and you also became used to their reliance. This new development proves that they are no longer so different from normal people. They are also beginning to grow up. You should feel happy about this.”

“Yes, you are right.”

“Then I’ll leave first.”

“Mhmm. I’m sorry. I should have been a little more serious, hehe.” Ms. Lake covered her mouth and laughed again. She truly could not hold it back. She knew that the correct way to respond should have been to sit face to face with her “husband” and talk about recent events, allowing her longing and emotions to find a temporary harbor in which to rest, but the moment she considered the true identity of the “husband” before her, she inexplicably found it impossible to keep a straight face.

Ms. Lake saw Karon to the door and said, “Thank you.”

“There’s no need. I’m the one who failed to think things through.”

“No.” Ms. Lake stepped forward, seemingly wanting to give him a hug, but she stopped herself. “It is precisely because you have already done so very well that I no longer need it. One needs to learn to be content in order to be happy, isn’t that so?”

“Yes. You are right.”

Karon turned around, and on his way to the bedroom, he changed back to his original appearance. When he pushed open the bedroom door, he discovered that Pu’er, Kevin, and Alfred were already sitting around the tea table on the carpet.

Pu’er said, “We’re waiting for a delicious supper, oh, and also the wonderful story to accompany the meal. ...Such as the story of how our Little Karon showed those geniuses what true genius is.”

Karon sat in the empty spot and began recounting the events of the selection. Unlike after his last trip, when he had needed to omit certain details concerning Ophelia while sharing his trip to Darkmoon Island, this accounting was very smooth and coherent. Just as he finished sharing, Ciri carried supper in and arranged it on the tea table.

Pu’er pointed at a serving of bright red meat slices on the plate and told Ciri, “Redivas shark sashimi. Have some more of that. It can promote body development.”

“Hmm?” Ciri was confused by the string of names.

Pu’er misunderstood the girl’s confusion and explained, “That means it can make your butt bigger.”

As she spoke, Pu’er even raised her paws in front of herself and gestured. Ciri’s face flushed red. After setting down the drinks, she turned and left the bedroom.

Karon commented, “Looks like you ate quite a lot of that in the past.”

Pu’er frowned. “I avoided eating this. I am very satisfied with my figure. Otherwise, how could a certain someone have been unable to resist secretly touching it?”

Alfred and Kevin focused on eating. At this moment, they were both selectively deaf.

“Right. As for salvaging that Lacresis Copper Coin, you and Alfred will be responsible for following up on it. When we have time later, we’ll go out to sea.”

“Although I know you’re changing the subject, since you have decided to take me out to sea again to play, all right, I agree!”

Karon used his chopsticks to pick up a slice of meat and brought it before Pu’er. The cat opened her mouth. “Meow~”

As Pu’er chewed the meat, she said, “That girl, Philomena. I don’t know whether I’m right or not, but don’t tell me she’s from the Felsch family.”

“You know her family?”

“Oh, no. I don’t.” Pu’er shook her head. “But I once heard someone mention this kind of training method, one that treats reality as a dream and dreams as reality. He gave his opinion on it.”

“What did he say?”

“He said it was rather interesting.”

***

Creak... The villa door was pushed open. This was a villa located in southeastern York City, near the sea. Philomena walked in and saw a kindly-looking old woman sitting there knitting a sweater. It was her grandmother. She also saw a man tied with a dog chain lying at the old woman’s feet, sleeping with his hands as a pillow. He was her father. Philomena knew that she had once had a grandfather and a great-grandfather, as well as two uncles, but none of them were still around. Her father was the luckiest; He still had the chance to live as a dog.

“You’re back?” Mrs. Felsch asked.

“Mhmm, I’m back.”

“Did you qualify?”

“No. I was eliminated.”

Mrs. Felsch looked at her granddaughter with a smile. “It’s all right. Don’t take it to heart.”

“All right, Grandma.”

Philomena picked up a small knife from the rack and stabbed it into her own chest, avoiding striking her heart. She then pulled the small knife back out without the slightest hesitation, and washed it at the sink. She placed it back on the rack, and then casually cast a healing Art on herself to stop the bleeding.

“Did you go see your mother?”

“No.”

“Why didn’t you go?”

“I didn’t want to.”

“All right. Did you investigate that person?”

“I did.”

“And the result?”

“No result. He seems to have vanished.”

“Vanished?” Mrs. Felsch raised her head somewhat doubtfully. “It seems my face is thoroughly insufficient now.”

“No. I could tell that those two grandfathers helped investigate very responsibly, but they didn’t find any information related to him. It was as if he never existed.”

“Heh. A Church of Order priest with no record in the Church of Order?”

“Grandma, I did my best.” As she spoke, Philomena went to the rack to grab the small knife again.

“Stop. You did nothing wrong in this matter.”

Philomena put down the small knife.

Mrs. Felsch solemnly stated, “Child, remember this: it was that man who destroyed the Felsch family. He destroyed your grandfather, your great-grandfather, me, your father, and... your childhood.

“I want you to remember him forever. The eternal nightmare of the Felsch family. That family name that should be cursed a thousand times over... Immers!”