Chapter 166: Faithless Priest

Chapter 166: The Faithless Priest

Before he could finish reading The Drowsy Hours, Karen had fallen asleep on the sofa.

He remained asleep until he felt someone gently draping a blanket over him.

Opening his eyes, he saw Eunice standing before him, poised on her tiptoes, trying to move with the utmost care so as not to make a sound. Seeing him awake, she whispered:

"You look exhausted. Sleep a little longer."

Karen smiled faintly. "But you are awake."

With those words, he reached out and took her hand, drawing her down to sit beside him on the sofa.

His arm came to rest around her shoulder, and she leaned her head against it; beyond that, neither made another move.

"I didn't even know you were back. When I first woke up, I thought I was dreaming."

"Are you so surprised that you would dream of me?"

"Not at all. Isn't that perfectly natural?" Eunice smiled. "Even if I wanted to dream of someone else, I would at least need a subject, wouldn't I? But you are the only one I've ever known."

"So, I am not the chosen one, merely the only option available?"

"What about you, then? I am certain there must be other girls out there who fancy you. Are there?"

"Yes."

"And then?"

"I told her I already have a girlfriend."

"Did you feel any sense of loss or regret?"

"Not really. I didn't feel anything of the sort, because once you are completely full, you lose all interest in trying other dishes."

"Wouldn't you grow tired of it?" Eunice asked out of curiosity. "To eat the exact same dish forever."

Karen shook his head. "No, because it comes in many different colors and varieties."

Eunice lightly bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth, resting her forehead against his shoulder. After a long pause, she spoke: "I will go and change."

Karen held her back, saying, "No rush. Save it for next time."

"Next time?"

"I will be staying at the manor for two or three days, so next time should be when you wake up tomorrow."

"Whatever you decide."

"Have these past few days been stifling for you?" Karen inquired.

"Not at all. It just feels as though time is passing rather quickly. My aunt mentioned that this state of mine will persist for another few months."

"Can you feel the power within your body then?"

"Power?" Eunice spread her palm open, and a ball of flame appeared just above it, hovering like an obedient sprite. "Do you mean this?"

"Yes."

"It feels very familiar to me, as if it were a natural extension of my own body."

Eunice moved the flame closer to Karen, and he blew gently upon it.

"Phoo."

The fireball vanished instantly.

"Eunice, I bought a house."

"Oh?" Eunice inquired with great curiosity. "How large is it?"

"A maisonette apartment. Do you know what that is? It is inside an apartment building, spanning two floors, though not an entire two stories to itself..."

"I know, I am not that silly." Eunice gave him a playful swat. "I have been outside, and I used to be a teacher."

"Haha, it is quite enough for us. I kept the original owner's decor and furnishings. There is also a sunroom on the rooftop, but I have been too busy lately to lie up there and bask in the sun."

"It sounds very cozy."

"It is. I like that apartment very much. However, the down payment and the mortgage were provided by Uncle and Aunt. I will strive to earn money as soon as possible to help them clear the loan early."

"Yes, as well you should."

"Furthermore, a friend of mine who ran a funeral parlor has gone far away, and he left his establishment for me to manage. Right now, I have Alfred remodeling the backyard. Once I return to the city, I shall likely move in there."

"So, you are going to run a funeral parlor once more?"

"Yes. When I climbed back into the hearse recently, you know, I actually felt a strange thrill."

"I shall go and learn how to apply mortuary makeup then."

Karen lowered his gaze to look at Eunice, pressing a tender kiss against her forehead.

Eunice wrapped her arms around him, pressing her cheek close to his chest. "Do you ever find it a pity, when you are still so remarkably young?"

"Are you so very old?" Karen countered.

"I don't know. I suppose I am a little anxious about losing what I have."

"Life is often like a game of chance. When placing a wager, one should do so willingly, for the only true pleasure and thrill lie in the moment the bet is cast. That is what I usually say when I comfort others."

"And what do you say when you comfort yourself?"

"I do not care for gambling. I only cherish what I have already won."

"Karen, do you know, from the moment I first met you, I thought you resembled my father. You both speak with such meticulous order."

"Well, I wouldn't mind if you called me that right now."

...

"I didn't quite catch that."

...

"A little louder?"

...

"A bit louder still."

......

When Karen woke, he found Purr standing on the pillow beside his head, staring down at him.

"You're awake?"

By force of habit, Karen reached out and stroked the soft fur beneath Purr's chin.

"What time is it?"

"It's noon. You didn't return to the bedroom until this morning."

"Ah."

"Tell me, are you and my great-great-great-great-niece courting in some ethereal void? You haven't seen each other in ages, yet you seem even closer now than before."

"Were you eavesdropping last night?"

"No, I was just passing by and wanted to ask if you felt like having a midnight snack, but then I realized you seemed a bit busy."

"Do you possess even a shred of dignity becoming an elder?"

"Oh, come now, what kind of elder doesn't enjoy catching a glimpse of their junior’s romantic developments?"

"Have you all eaten?"

"We have. I came home purely to lounge around in blissful indolence and indulge in all sorts of delicacies—do you know how that feels?"

"Yes, congratulations."

"Congratulations for what?"

"Congratulations on managing to experience the feeling of returning to your maternal home, despite never having been married."

"Meow!!!"

Karen rose from his bed and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. Once washed and refreshed, he changed into a loose, comfortable set of clothes.

Purr had already pressed the bedside bell long ago.

Borge carried lunch inside; as was the custom, it was a sumptuous yet entirely uninspired meal. This time, however, Karen ate with relish. Although the townhouse in the city possessed a kitchen, he had recently lacked both the time and the energy to cook for himself, often settling for whatever haphazard meal he could scrape together.

Be that as it may, when it came to culinary arts at the level of a makeshift meal, the head chef of the Allen family stood at the absolute pinnacle.

Once Karen finished eating, Borge handed him a damp cloth while speaking. "Young Master, Mr. Mike is ready."

"Good."

"Is the Young Master intending to spar with Mr. Mike?"

"It is to have Mr. Mike guide me, for I still do not know how to fight."

Karen went downstairs and caught sight of Mike sitting in the small first-floor parlor sipping tea. Seeing Karen descend, he maneuvered his wheelchair closer.

"Young Master, where do you think would be appropriate?"

"The cemetery area. It is quiet, and the scenery is pleasant."

If it were anyone else, even an esteemed guest, who dared to show such disrespect to the family cemetery, Mr. Mike would undoubtedly have taken offense, for disrespecting the ancestors was tantamount to insulting their living descendants.

But Karen was different, because Mike had witnessed with his own eyes the moment Karen "awakened" the ancestor.

Since the ancestor himself did not mind, Mike truly had no reason to take issue with it.

Karen rode on horseback, while Mr. Mike was pushed in his wheelchair by Borge. They did not intentionally quicken their pace, arriving at the cemetery in a manner akin to a leisurely stroll.

It was an estate complete with a racecourse and an ancient castle, blessed with grass that remained lush and green throughout the four seasons.

Yet Karen did not feel that his boasting to Eunice the previous evening about the house he bought on credit was foolish; within this sprawling estate, Eunice had once been treated like a blind box, a mere chip for an arranged marriage, but when she moved into his "maisonette," she would hold the status of its mistress.

Karen noticed the small log cabin near the edge of the cemetery. On the steps before its entrance sat Judia, dressed in very simple attire, resting her chin in her hands as she watched him approach.

"Are you here to pay respects to the ancestors?" Judia inquired.

"Heh."

Karen offered a faint smile but did not reply; the last time Count Rekar had encountered him, the man had dropped to his knees.

"Let it be here," Karen said to Mr. Mike.

"Very well, Young Master."

Karen dismounted. Flames erupted across Mr. Mike's body, causing his "legs" to manifest as he stood up.

"Are we going to fight?" Judia ran over curiously. "Are you going to fight Mr. Mike?"

"I am asking Mr. Mike to give me some guidance."

"Then let me do it! I am terribly bored anyway, I will guide you," Judia said, eager to try.

"No," Karen declined.

"Come on, let me do it. It’s just a fight anyway, and Mr. Mike wouldn't dare to truly strike you. What kind of guidance could you possibly gain from that? I won't kill you, right?"

"Judia, do not be impudent to the Young Master!" Mr. Mike reprimanded sternly.

"No, she makes a fair point." Karen raised a hand to stay Mike. "She and I can have a brief spar first."

The reason he had chosen not to ask Alfred was precisely because Alfred would never dare to lay a hand on him. In truth, Mike was exactly the same.

"Splendid." Judia took a few steps back. "What distance do you think is appropriate?"

"A hundred meters, if that is alright?"

"So far? Oh right, you are an initiate priest, a bit of distance is better for you."

"Young Master, I shall keep a close watch." Seeing Karen insist, Mr. Mike could only acquiesce, though he maintained his standing posture with his body wreathed in flames to ensure he could intervene and control the situation at a moment's notice.

"Do not worry, Mr. Mike, I know my own strength," Judia said, gently cracking her neck.

"You must truly keep it in mind," Karen reminded her.

Judia's gaze darkened instantly.

Karen felt helpless. "I was not speaking in ironies."

Judia eyed Karen with a hint of suspicion for a brief moment before nodding. "Very well, I understand. You certainly are cautious."

Karen then turned back to Mr. Mike. "Mr. Mike, the moment any issue arises, please intervene."

"Understood, Young Master. I shall do so."

"Good."

Karen took a few more steps back, raised his hand, and declared, "We may begin."

Judia pressed her hands downward, and two sharp icicles materialized in her palms, which she hurled directly toward Karen. The icicles bore the power of the water attribute, streaking forward like bullets discharged from a barrel.

"Order—Guardian Wall."

Before Karen, a massive black barrier manifested, intercepting the two icicles. The icicles shattered violently, tearing two large holes through the Guardian Wall, but under the reinforcement of Karen's power, it was swiftly mended.

This was merely a warm-up.

A layer of frost immediately enveloped Judia's body as she rushed toward Karen with startling speed.

Watching this unfold, Mr. Mike felt a touch of astonishment.

The Allen family's belief system encompassed both water and fire attributes. Within these two forces, the essence of water was ice, while the essence of fire was lava. Thus, even though Judia was only at the third rank of the belief system, her mastery over the water attribute was already incredibly refined—a distinction that lay fundamentally in the quality of her power.

Faced with Judia, who had already chosen to close the distance, Karen delayed no longer. He was well aware of the despair an initiate priest faced when an opponent drew near, much like the tall and short pair he had slain the day before.

"Armor of the Sea God!"

A set of blue armor manifested over Karen's form, casting a distinct aura of mystery about him.

Upon seeing this, Judia was slightly taken aback, but her left hand nonetheless conjured an icy dagger. As her form materialized before Karen with exceptional velocity, she drove the blade directly toward his abdomen!

"Hum!"

The icy blade pierced into Karen's armor, yet it inflicted no harm upon him whatsoever, as the torrent of water churning within the armor dissolved the ice instantly.

Judia stared at Karen in utter shock; what manner of spell was this!

"Blades of the Dark Moon!"

Two curved falchions materialized at Karen's forearms, swinging directly down toward Judia. He did not aim for her upper body, choosing instead to strike at her lower extremities. Because her chosen point of attack had merely been his abdomen—an accident that would have left him bedridden for half a month at most—he likewise avoided any vital areas. In this manner, even if an mishap occurred, Judia would, at worst, share a wheelchair alongside Mr. Mike.

Two walls of ice shield manifested on either side of Judia, meeting the descent of Karen's scimitar as though the two forces were suddenly fused together; a moment later, the ice began to liquefy, and Karen's blade pressed deeper.

In the end, Karen's scimitar shattered the icy bulwark, striking Judia's legs and beginning to dissolve the protective frost enveloping her form.

Judia's face flushed crimson as a white ice flower blossomed upon her chest; it erupted with immense, explosive force, sending Karen hurtling backward despite the Aegis of the Sea God protecting him, while Judia seized the opportunity to widen the distance between them.

Yet it was clear her combat experience far eclipsed his; even as she retreated, she continuously conjured various ice flowers and hurled them at him, nearly draining the reserves of her spiritual power.

There was, perhaps, a touch of humiliation turned to rage from the perilous moment just before.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

For a time, the ground beneath Karen shook with incessant detonations, filled with the chaotic swirl of snowflakes and icy shrapnel.

"Stop!"

Mr. Mike rushed toward Karen, not out of arrogance, but from the sudden realization that his own strength was entirely insufficient to manage the field from the sidelines.

Judia halted, spent and utterly devoid of strength.

Simultaneously, a pang of regret struck her; had she truly blown him to pieces?

But just then,

A pristine, majestic black spear tore through the ice and snow, hurtling directly toward Judia.

"Oh no!"

Mr. Mike, who had been sprinting toward Karen, was forced to abruptly alter his course, throwing himself toward Judia instead.

Terror gripped Judia's face as she squeezed the final drops of spiritual power from her body to form a thin canopy of ice before her.

Bang!

The icy shield was instantly pierced by the Spear of Punishment, and in that same breath, the Spear of Order detonated!

Boom!

"Ah!!!"

Judia was thrown through the air by the blast, and it was only Mr. Mike's timely intervention that shielded her from the remnants of the weapon's destructive fury; otherwise, she might well have perished.

Even so, her garments hung in tatters, her body was marred by numerous lacerations, and a trickle of blood escaped the corner of her lips.

Borg stood at the perimeter, his gaze vacant and bewildered; was this... what the young master meant when he said he still didn't know how to fight?

On Karen's side, the snow and dust settled, revealing his silhouette still encased within the Aegis of the Sea God.

Huff...

Karen began to draw heavy breaths, though he was still far from exhaustion.

Looking over toward the others, he called out:

"Mr. Mike, is Judia all right?"

As if in response to the query, Judia coughed up another mouthful of blood.

"Do not worry, young master, she is fine."

Relieved by the news, Karen put his mind at ease; he had been momentarily unnerved by the young girl's frantic bombardment and had instinctively summoned the Spear of Punishment to hurl at her.

The moment it left his hand, regret had set in, and he was glad no catastrophe had occurred.

"Master Karen, are you unhurt?"

Karen inspected himself, confirming the absence of injuries, and replied:

"I am fine, not even a scratch."

It was a statement of pure fact, for Karen truly felt no pain, as if he had merely finished a light run.

Yet upon hearing those words, Judia, cradled in Mr. Mike's arms, spat another mouthful of blood.

Karen dissolved the Aegis of the Sea God and the Blade of the Dark Moon, finally comprehending the absurdly formidable nature of these two spells; whether it was the defensive prowess of the Aegis or the offensive might of the Blade, they both possessed a fluid continuity.

This meant that so long as he could continuously feed spiritual power into these two arts, they could maintain a highly efficient, ceaseless defense and offense.

As for his own spiritual power... owing to his unique method of purification, his reserves were staggeringly vast, a reservoir he often likened to a massive dam.

Sustained by this trait, he was practically invincible at this stage against any opponent unable to shatter his defenses through sheer, overwhelming might.

Furthermore, when his Blade of the Dark Moon locked against an adversary, as long as the opponent's spiritual reserves lacked his depth, he could steadily grind them down to defeat!

It was an utterly shameless style of combat, yet its practicality was undeniable.

In the distance, Kevin stood atop a small knoll with Purr perched upon his back; as Karen's tutors, they had naturally come to observe the duel.

"The girl from the House of Gloria... pah, pah, pah;

My family's little girl is truly no match for Karen."

"Woof! Woof! Woof!"

"Yes, quite right. A purification accumulation initiated by the God of Light and personally opened by the God of Order, a body remodeled by your own hand, and the blessing of Dis's lineage.

Coupled with these two secret-tier high-level spells we selected, even if he still doesn't know how to fight, he has already become the most formidable combatant of his rank."

"Woof!"

"I noticed that too. He uses the power of Light as a converter, yet I sense no conversion loss. Logically, converting power across different faiths should incur a heavy toll, but he managed to endure this long and still has strength to spare; it defies reason."

"Woof!"

"Are you saying it is because during the divine revelation, he rejected the revelation of the God of Order?

No, more than that. When he acted as a divine shepherd, he did not place a god in his heart; he said it himself, he placed himself within it!

Therefore, when he converts other elemental powers, there is no additional expenditure, and he can wield them all as effortlessly as the spells of the Church of Order?

Meow, meow, meow!

Is this not utter nonsense!"

"Woof!"

Kevin nodded frantically, his paws tearing at the green grass beneath him.

Purr brought a paw down upon Kevin's canine head,

Letting out a sigh of deep emotion:

"A clergyman who possesses not an ounce of faith in the gods, yet he has become one who can perfectly align with the power of any other belief system."