Chapter 92: Praise

Chapter 92: Praise

The candle continued to burn.

Cullen propped his arms against the back of the chair, his head tilted upward;

from time to time, water vapor that had previously risen and condensed above fell upon his face in heavy droplets.

The golden retriever lay sprawling on the floor, its jaw pressed against the mat, tongue lolling out, its belly rising and falling in deep, ragged pants.

Having finished recounting the events that had just transpired, Purr silently set about grooming her tail once more.

One person, one cat, and one dog fell back into a protracted silence.

At last,

Cullen took a deep breath and sat up straight.

In truth, after the purification was complete, he did not perceive any change in his vision or hearing, yet the manner in which he sensed the world had fundamentally altered.

It was as though a filter had been applied, allowing him to perceive certain "colors" that did not truly exist; of course, this filter was not set within his eyes, but within his heart.

The world remained the world, and he remained himself, yet where their contact had once been cold and direct, a resonance akin to an atmosphere had now begun to emerge between them.

This sensation could likely be manifested in concrete ways—for instance, through the foundational spells of the Order, or the notes Mr. Hoffen had left him.

For the moment, however, Cullen had no desire to dwell on such matters.

"So, earlier... did we really almost lose control?"

Purr blinked, replying with stark honesty, "It wasn't almost, we completely lost control. The situation entirely escaped my grasp, though fortunately, we emerged unscathed."

"What am I supposed to say at a time like this?" Cullen inquired. "Praise be to the God of Order, or praise be to the God of Light?"

Purr flicked her tail, confirming it had returned to normal, and said, "This is the reality of this circle. More often than not, we walk the razor's edge between life and death. Even without the interference of external enemies, one is easily deluded, or even self-contaminated, in the pursuit of advancement."

"Next time, you might notify me in advance. I truly believed I was merely undergoing a purification, and found myself astonished that it could be so perilous. I even thought that if this were normal, ninety percent of believers would perish during the process each year."

"I did not foresee this. I suspect Diss didn't either. It serves as a reminder to us all that next time, nothing concerning the gods can be predicted using standard logic.

Therefore, my apologies, Cullen. Because it exceeded my understanding, I misjudged the risk."

"Was that thing the reason you were turned into a cat?" Cullen asked.

"No. If not for it, I might not have even had the chance to survive as a cat." Purr shook her head. "What happened to me back then is meaningless to speak of now. The most important thing is that the person who acted against me is already dead."

"Oh."

Cullen stood up.

Purr leaped onto Cullen’s shoulder, stretching out a paw to touch his face, and said,

"Cheer up. You are now an honorable servant of God, a servant whose purification was personally executed by the God of Order. You ought to be thrilled, ecstatic!"

"What difference does it make?" Cullen asked. "I don't feel anything particular right now."

"It is like learning vocabulary in a primary school classroom. Everyone is learning, and when the exam comes, you score a hundred, and your classmate scores a hundred. But that is only because the test covers what was prescribed.

In reality, while your classmate is still memorizing the words and phrases required for the examination, your mind has already memorized the entire *Macklay Comprehensive Dictionary*.

In fact, I suspect it is even more exaggerated than that. Not only the dictionary, but the finest essays and novels across major genres have been memorized by you.

Servants are like primary school students; when the scope of the exam is restricted, the disparity between you and your classmate cannot be visually discerned.

But once you reach secondary school, the gap will present itself with absolute clarity.

Naturally, there must be other unique effects, but you will need to investigate them yourself. Just like Mary arranging interest classes for Mina and Rent when they were young, perhaps you might discover some extraordinary talent or spark of brilliance within yourself?"

"I understand." Cullen nodded. He reached out and rocked the chair, and the golden retriever lying beneath it finally crawled out at a sluggish pace. "Why did he end up like this?"

Cullen felt that he himself should be the most exhausted, yet this dog looked as though it had just endured ten consecutive purifications, utterly depleted of strength.

"It was frightened out of its wits. Evil gods, you see, that is how they are. One must realize that in the mythological narratives of the various orthodox religions, during the recent two epochs, it was initially the God of Light who most enjoyed designating 'evil gods';

thereafter, the God of Order arose, and before every slaying of a deity, they would be branded with the title of 'evil god.'

Thus, it is like a mouse suddenly encountering two, uh..."

Purr frowned, continuing, "I wish to change the metaphor."

"No need," Cullen interrupted, pointing toward the pool before them. "Will all of this be wasted?"

"You have already picked up gold, yet you still care for this sand?"

"No, you originally promised three days and three nights."

"I truly believed it would take three days and three nights, otherwise I wouldn't have asked the radio goblin to assist with the timely delivery of meals for that foolish dog to fetch."

"We also had people... had your family remodel the performance hall into a reservoir, and expended so much manpower and resources to procure this much holy water.

Setting aside the fact that three days and three nights became two hours, this entire pool of holy water was barely touched."

"Ah, I see." Purr nodded immediately. "I understand now. Your thoughts are indeed meticulous. Are you worried it will be difficult to account to those fools? No, you likely care little for that; you care that they will think you are merely bluffing.

After all, we cannot possibly disclose what truly occurred in the performance hall just now. Indeed, that band of fools possesses no right to know."

"My concern is that the next time I require them to prepare materials, they will be perfunctory."

If you demand a pool of holy water, and they procure it, only for you to leave it largely unused,

then will it not be viewed as mere posturing?

Once any matter is defined as mere formality, one can no longer expect it to be executed with genuine devotion.

"True, quite true. This is indeed a problem." Purr realized the gravity of the matter as well. After all, up to this point, the fools of the Allen family were still highly commendable in their diligence;

as the family ancestor, she did not wish for these fools to lose even their devotion next, for they seemed to possess little else besides their attitude.

At that moment, the golden retriever extended its muzzle to the edge of the pool, lapped at the water with its tongue, and immediately began to drink in great, greedy gulps.

*Lap, lap, lap...*

It drank with immense joy, and its previously withered form even began to wag its tail with vigor.

Witnessing this, Purr froze for a moment, then leaped down from Cullen’s shoulder. Crouching by the edge of the pool, she dipped her paw into the water, brought it to her mouth to taste, and her eyes lit up instantly. She lowered her head at once and began to drink merrily.

"What is wrong with this water?"

Cullen crouched down in confusion; he was certainly not naive enough to believe the dog and cat were merely thirsty.

"Phew... Woof!"

The golden retriever finally drank its fill and lay on its side, its belly swollen high.

Purr had also drunk her fill, though she was more mindful of her image, lying on her side as she looked at Cullen with a smile:

"The problem is resolved. In truth, this pool of water should have been called blessed water, though in the eyes of outsiders, it is holy water. Yet holy water is not a simple noun; it is an adjective.

Such things possess grades.

The finger of the God of Light earlier, along with the radiant aura it released, effectively bestowed a renewed blessing upon this pool which already possessed blessed properties. The grade of this water has now been elevated threefold.

Originally, blessed water could be purchased with secular currency; now, it can only be acquired with coupons.

Drinking this water directly can aid in restoring energy and dissolving fatigue, but its truly valuable application lies in its use as a material for crafting sacred artifacts.

We may depart now. When those fools behold such a high return on investment, they will only be more zealous the next time they prepare items for you, and they will revere you all the more.

Come, dear Cullen, I seem to have overindulged a little. Carry me."

Karen bent down and scooped up Purr into his arms.

Seeing this, Kevin the golden retriever, who was lying on the ground, also stretched out a paw, looking at Karen.

Then, holding Purr, Karen stepped directly over him;

"..." The golden retriever.

"Karen, won't you have a drink? You look exhausted."

"I am physically a bit tired, but spiritually, I am rather exhilarated."

"Oh, yes, you've just completed the purification, so it should be so."

Alfred, who had been kneeling outside the theater hall, seemed to sense some changes ahead, but the previous oppressive and awe-inspiring aura made him take a long time before he gathered the courage to lift his head again;

He saw Karen walking out with Purr in his arms, and the golden retriever following behind, its belly swaying as it walked.

"Young Master..."

Purr made a "shh" gesture toward Alfred.

Alfred understood, asked no further, but picked up the umbrella from the ground again, shook it, opened it once more, and escorted Karen down the steps.

Meanwhile, old Anderson and the others, who had been standing under the castle eaves paying their respects, saw Karen coming out at this time, mistakenly thought something had gone wrong, and ran straight over.

Old Anderson did not care to open an umbrella, and even pushed away his grandson who wanted to hold one for him, walking over quickly with his cane.

"Young Master Karen, this is..."

Karen replied very calmly, "There was a bit of an accident."

"An accident..." Old Anderson's lips trembled slightly; one must know that Diss's grandson was now his greatest hope, and he was even willing to pray to the Primordial Ancestor for Diss's grandson to grow up quickly to shield the Allen family.

To a certain extent, regarding Karen's "cultivation," old Anderson was arguably more invested than Diss, the biological grandfather.

"Yes, an accidentally successful one."

"It doesn't matter, Young Master, we can prepare one more time, next time... hm?" The latter half of old Anderson's sentence stuck in his throat.

"Have people continue to seal off the theater hall, especially the remaining pool water inside; find a way to carefully transport and store it."

"Yes, alright, I understand."

Karen bypassed old Anderson, and also bypassed the rest of the Allen family, walking straight toward the castle.

After walking inside, Eunice happened to be coming down the stairs, and seeing Karen reappear in the house, she said with some surprise, "Was it delayed?"

"It has ended successfully."

"Really? Congratulations." Eunice walked toward Karen, "I am just about to go to the kitchen to help prepare the dinner to be sent into the theater hall tonight; though my cooking isn't as good as yours, I hope I can do something for you."

Eunice had already bidden Karen farewell in the bedroom earlier, so she had not stood at the door with her grandfather and the others to pay her respects.

Karen, of course, would not say that even if you sent it in, I wouldn't be able to eat it, because the three meals were originally prepared for him by Purr, and if he were to purify himself for three days and three nights, he should have been in a "comatose" state the entire time.

"I just wanted to taste your cooking so much that I couldn't help but want to come out sooner; after all, the distance from the kitchen to the living room for delicacies is already a crime, let alone having to go through the long path in the rain."

"Haha."

Purr voluntarily leaped onto the golden retriever, whose body shuddered, but it still held its ground.

These two were tired, terrified, and stuffed; now they only wanted to rest properly and had no desire to watch this tedious interaction prior to childbirth here.

The golden retriever shakily carried Purr up the stairs, Karen glanced at Alfred, and Alfred immediately followed them up, catching both the cat and the dog just as the golden retriever almost slipped while climbing the stairs.

"Young Master, I'll head up first." Alfred called out, then carried Purr and Kevin upstairs, for he had questions to ask Purr.

Karen noticed a chair over by the corridor, so he went over and sat down, only realizing after sitting that there was an easel in front of him, with paintbrushes beside it.

The painting was mostly finished; beneath the eaves of the castle entrance in the painting, old Anderson stood at the very front with his cane, facing the distant theater hall;

However, old Anderson's gaze was not fixed on the theater hall; his eyes were somewhat blank, somewhat anxious, and deep down, a clear uneasiness was hidden.

Behind old Anderson was Mick in his wheelchair, along with the other family members.

The middle-aged family members bore rather grim expressions, while the younger ones looked slightly impatient; because their grandfather insisted on standing there, they could not leave first and had to remain standing with him.

Karen found that this perspective from the corridor, through the glass, happened to look out right under the eaves of the main entrance.

Therefore, the painter must have been sitting here earlier while painting.

"Father painted it," Eunice said.

"Yes, I can tell."

Because Mr. Bede was not in the painting;

In truth, earlier, as the titular head of the family, Mr. Bede should have stood beside old Anderson, grieving together over placing the family's future upon a young man of a different surname, father and son radiating that complex emotion together;

Cough, he did not; he chose to sit here and even took up painting.

He was indeed unsuited to be a good family head; after all, no matter how reluctant one felt inside, superficial courtesy still needed to be maintained.

Heh, truly an artist to the bone.

Just then, a commotion rose outside as old Anderson, Mick, and the others cheered emotionally at the entrance of the theater hall; clearly, they had discovered the change in the holy water.

Not only were their previous anxieties about Karen completing the purification faster than expected swept away, but they were also incomparably amazed by this miraculous transformation.

One must know that the value of this pool of holy water alone was enough to equal the net profit produced by the Allen family's workshop over two quarters, which was half a year!

That was the value of point vouchers, not coins like waste paper!

"Grandfather and the others seem very happy?" Eunice asked, puzzled.

"Yes." Karen nodded, his gaze remaining on the painting; previously, he had merely been appreciating the details of the figures in the painting, but now, he began to "appreciate" the atmosphere of this artwork.

Mysteriously, a somewhat familiar feeling seemed to rise in his heart; though he could not articulate exactly what it resembled—neither the brushwork nor the composition—it was simply familiar.

Yes, it was a feeling;

This should be the change after he became a servant of God;

Furthermore, Karen truly managed to correspond this feeling with certain things in his memory.

At this moment, Mr. Bede came running back through the rain, shouting excitedly to Karen, "Young Master Karen, you are simply too miraculous, absolutely too miraculous!"

"Father, I will go get a towel for you."

"Yes, good."

Mr. Bede pulled out a nearby chair, sat down in front of Karen, and continued with extreme excitement, "It is simply unheard of; Father is thrilled to pieces as well."

Karen nodded, offering no explanation, because they did not actually need one.

However, the "thrilled to pieces" of old Anderson in Bede's words was likely a misunderstanding on his own part; old Anderson was not thrilled because of the production of holy water worth point vouchers, but because the "miracle" manifested upon Karen made him firmer in his hope and choice.

As the head of the family, Bede actually failed to realize even this layer.

Karen looked at Bede with a trace of perplexity and asked, "Mr. Bede, there is something I would like to ask you?"

"Yes, please speak." Bede began to calm his agitated emotions.

"Have you always been unable to pass the tests of the family's belief system?"

Bede was somewhat surprised that Karen would suddenly ask this at such a moment, but he immediately let out a bitter smile:

"Yes, in terms of bloodline talent, I have never been able to compare with my two older brothers, so I have never believed myself qualified to inherit the position of family head."

Even, if it were not for the uncanny resemblance between my younger self and the old photographs of my father, I fathom he might have harbored doubts as to whether I was truly his own flesh and blood, hahahaha.

Thank heavens for the invention of the camera; had it been an oil painting, one could never be quite so certain.”

Mr. Bede made light of himself, entirely without reservation.

Karen joined in the laughter that followed.

Then,

Amidst the fading mirth, Karen suddenly crossed his arms over his chest and spoke:

“Praise Ririelsa!”

As if by mere reflex, Mr. Bede mirrored the gesture instantly, the words slipping from his tongue:

“Praise the Goddess of the Wall!”