Chapter 220: The Mask That Cannot Be Removed

Chapter 220: The Unremovable Mask

Inside the collection room, because of these words, a protracted silence fell.

Neo sat in his chair, eyes closed, his breathing growing longer and slower than before, his hands resting in front of him, now unclenched, now balled into tight fists.

Karen, meanwhile, continued to lean against the wall, his gaze sweeping sequentially across the other items in the collection room, appearing as though he were earnestly taking a tour.

Finally,

The captain opened his eyes and looked at Karen:

"I do not know what kind of movement I should make right now, nor what kind of expression I should show. I feel that letting out an exclamation or jumping up would seem rather unseemly, yet appearing too quiet feels quite inappropriate.

In short, my inner being just now, and in this very moment, is in a state of turmoil, you understand?"

Karen nodded and said, "Yes, I understand."

"Good, then I won't deliberately put on a display."

Neo propped his hands against the armrests of the chair, not intending to stand, but rather shifting his sitting posture, exhaling a long sigh of relief in the process.

When a secret of this magnitude crashed down, even the captain found it difficult to endure.

"Inmemis... is that your family surname?"

"Yes, an Inquisitor family."

Neo blinked,

Repeating:

"An Inquisitor family?"

"Yes."

Neo extended his fingers, kneading the space between his brows, and said, "It seems I ought to re-examine the concept of an Inquisitor family."

"Because my family ancestors were all Inquisitors of the Divine Church. As far as I know, my grandfather's position was also merely that of an Inquisitor."

"What was your grandfather's name?"

"Dis."

"Dis?" Neo shook his head, "This surname, this person, I have never heard of them before."

"It is quite normal that you wouldn't know."

"Oh, are you comforting me with those words?"

"Yes."

"Yet it sounds thoroughly laced with irony to my ears."

"I am very sorry."

"So, that violent explosion in the Temple of Order, it was your grandfather's doing?"

"Yes."

"How did he do it?"

"Captain, you should be aware of the level of a Temple Elder, right?"

"Condensing a fragment of a godhood, summoned by the Temple of Order, entering the temple, entering the place closest to the Great God of Order, becoming a more transcendent existence above the Holy See."

"Then do you know how the gates of the Temple of Order are opened?"

"I am sorry, Mr. Karen, to have disappointed you. I am still a very long way from condensing a godhood fragment."

"Uh... Captain, even if you successfully condense a godhood fragment in the future, it presumably won't be to go to the Temple of Order, though I do not know if the Temple of Light still stands."

"Oh, I can tell, this sentence is the real mockery."

"In short, after condensing the godhood fragment of Order, the gates of the Temple of Order will appear before you, inviting you to enter. This should be a spontaneous array, a teleportation array reliant upon the temple, where the newly born godhood fragment is the object being summoned.

Under this kind of medium, no matter how many knight regiments are deployed around the periphery of the Temple of Order for protection, it is actually meaningless."

"Your grandfather entered just like that?"

"Yes."

"And after he went in?"

"He detonated the godhood fragment."

"Your grandfather was corrupted?"

"No, he, he merely had some conflicts and misunderstandings with the God of Order.

And as you know, since this era began, the gods do not manifest, so there is no way to clear up misunderstandings face-to-face, which caused the misunderstandings to accumulate deeper and deeper. Grandfather could only choose the most extreme method to handle the misunderstanding."

Hearing up to this point, Neo rubbed his own face and asked Karen, "Do you have a cigarette?"

"Yes."

Karen handed the cigarette pack and lighter to the captain.

Neo took the cigarette but did not take the lighter, then bit into a single cigarette as if it were a chocolate bar, chewing the tobacco shreds in his mouth:

"I am very sorry..."

This was a habitual expression of condolence when a conversation touched upon another person's deceased relative.

But...

"My grandfather did not die; he is still alive now."

Neo spat out the tobacco shreds from his mouth, staring at Karen, saying word by word, "Your grandfather detonated a godhood fragment inside the Temple of Order, and then, you say your grandfather is still not dead now?"

"Yes."

"How is that possible? Could it be your grandfather possessed more than one godhood fragment?"

"No."

"Heh, I knew it, how could such a thing be possible."

"Grandfather, he had three."

"..." Neo.

Neo stood up from his chair, unable to sit any longer, walking over to the collection exhibits, dismantling the arms and heads of the puppets one by one.

After a good long while, Neo spoke:

"Three godhood fragments?"

"Yes, corresponding respectively to him in his youth, him in his middle age, and him in his old age."

"How did he achieve that?"

"I don't know." Karen shrugged, "I only know that for a very long time, Grandfather would feel distressed because he could not suppress his own realm."

"Distressed?" Neo closed his eyes, then opened them, "I am sorry, I just tried for a moment, and found that I am unable to project myself into that kind of distressed emotion."

"Yes, I cannot do it either," Karen said, speaking the plain truth.

"And then, where is your grandfather now?"

"At home."

"At home... doing what?"

"Sleeping."

"Sleeping?" Neo raised his hands. "After blowing up the Temple of Order, he went home to sleep?"

Feeling the utter absurdity of it all, Neo began swapping and piecing together the head and arms of the puppet in front of him. Karen could well imagine how frantic Mr. Lemar would be when he returned to his collection room and saw his beloved figurines treated this way.

"Grandfather detonated a godhead fragment to blow up the Temple of Order, handed another over to the Temple Elders, and then, took the third into his deep slumber. His condition was that the Church of Order must not spy on the lives of the Inmemis family."

Neo caught on immediately and asked:

"So, that is why you need to borrow Pavaro's mask to enter the Church of Order?"

"Yes."

"If your identity were exposed..." Neo suddenly laughed. "Then you would be on equal footing with those fellows like Leon Laure... oh no, you would be sitting, and they would be standing."

Karen remained noncommittal.

"No wonder you can get along with them. I told you long ago, you must be of the same kind."

"I don't think we are of the same kind. I can only say that mentally, I do not feel inferior to them."

"Fine, fine. Then what is your purpose in hiding your identity?"

"Grandfather felt that his path was wrong. Therefore, he pinned his hopes on me, wishing that I could carve out a different way."

Neo keenly captured the profound meaning within those words and asked, "Was it just your grandfather who walked the wrong path, or is it all of us... who have gone astray?"

"This, I do not know how to explain."

"Alright, there is no need to explain either. I will stop my questions here." Neo turned and walked back, sitting down in his chair with his hands clasped. "Embarrassingly enough, I have no way to match your stake now."

"It does not matter, Captain. The treatment fee..."

"So I have decided to tell you one more thing as a slight compensation to you. You do not need to raise your stake further, though my intuition tells me you still hold many chips in your hand."

"Very well, Captain."

"He—the one I consumed—even though he had been deliberately concealing his identity, during that year, our relationship was so intimate after all, allowing me to glimpse some of his secrets.

The greatest secret is,

when I successfully 'killed' him, he cried out a surname."

"A surname?"

Neo raised his hands and said, "Something like: Could this be the curse and punishment our family must endure because of our sins?"

"Oh, I understand." Karen nodded, indicating that he had already pictured the scene in his mind.

"This is also why I am leafing through him now, even though I know this course of action might lead me to ruin, burying all the hard-won victories I managed to seize. Yet, I am still willing.

Because the surname he cried out was... Philias."

"Philias?"

"Do you know of this surname?"

"I do." Karen nodded. "If Ximosen is the royal family of the Church of Samsara, then Philias is roughly the equivalent within the Church of Light."

For a time, Karen had been curious about the history of the demise of the Church of Light. He had specifically sought out and read some materials, focusing on portions within Mr. Hoffen's notes.

The Philias family had produced several Popes throughout history, and the last generation's Pope of Light—the Mad Pope who stood upon the Tower of Light and cried out that he did not believe there was a God in this world—bore the surname Philias.

Though it could not be said that the Mad Pope caused the destruction of the Church of Light, his action indeed tolled the final death knell for a church that was already teetering on the brink.

So, the man the Captain consumed was a descendant of the Mad Pope?

Neo seemed to guess what Karen was thinking and said, "I suspect so as well. I have a premonition that from him, from his bloodline, I might be able to trace the reason why that Mad Pope went insane.

As you know, the records regarding the final period of the history of the Church of Light are incomplete even within the orthodox churches, as if all churches during that time were deliberately erasing something.

This secret thrills me; this truth fascinates me.

After losing Elisa, I need to find a new place where my gaze can focus, and this is it."

"Captain, I am very interested in this secret as well."

"Of course, I figured you would say that. But this is just my speculation; in truth, I have only just begun my investigation into him. Yet, I have already felt some of his influence on me.

It is like being drunk. Sometimes I naturally blur the lines between him and myself. The things he once did, I take for granted as things I have done. But I do not resist this feeling, because I have detected no pain from it."

"But eventually, something will go wrong."

"That is a worry for the future me. The present me only wishes to properly enjoy the moment."

Neo stood up, reaching out to pat Karen on the shoulder. "Dawn is breaking. Do you need to go home? I will see you back."

"Thank you, Captain."

Neo and Karen left Lemar's collection room, making their exit without bidding the shop owner farewell.

After getting into the car, Neo asked, "Back to the funeral parlor?"

"Yes."

Neo started the car. At this hour, the sky hung suspended between the dark and the coming light.

"To a certain extent, our goals are aligned. We both wish to explore the true scenery upon the path of faith."

"Yes, Captain."

"Karen, thank you for your candor. Tonight, I have taken the advantage."

"Captain, the treatment fee..."

"In the team hereafter, I will take even greater care of you."

"Thank you, Captain."

"However, I must trouble you with one more thing. My secret is known only to you. Therefore, if one day you find that I am no longer myself..."

"What should I do?"

"Do as you see fit."

"Understood, Captain."

"Do you know what I think about every time I stand before Elisa's tombstone?"

"The meaning of life?"

"In truth, I think of nothing at all. Because only when standing before Elisa's tombstone can I bring my footsteps to a halt."

"I can probably understand your feeling at that time, Captain. Emptying yourself, was it?"

"Yes. Sooner or later, I will find that fellow who drove Elisa to her death and who still murmurs in my head from time to time, and I will utterly erase him."

At this, Neo looked toward Karen and smiled. "Walking without a purpose may be quite leisurely, but once leisure becomes the mainstream rather than a stolen moment from busyness, it ceases to be so wonderful. I need to find myself a goal, and it is best if this goal is set high and difficult to achieve."

"It should be so."

"What about you? Have you ever thought of setting a goal for yourself?"

"I want to go and meet him."

The vehicle shuddered into a brief standstill, and Neo let out a dry chuckle, which quickly spiraled into a resonant, booming laugh.

Cullen found himself laughing along.

For Cullen had instantly deduced exactly who Neo meant by "him"—it was none other than the God of Order.

"Cullen, before Order declared war on Samsara, almost the entire clerical circle was whispering about that horrific explosion at the Temple of Order, but I have a feeling that in the days to come, you will achieve something far more staggering than anything your grandfather ever did."

"I care little for their astonishment; I merely wish to try and keep walking the path I have chosen for myself."

The hearse pulled to a stop as they reached the funeral parlor.

"The next time we meet, you will still be you, and I will still be me."

"Of course, Captain. We all wear masks."

"Yes, we all have our own masks." Neo raised his hand, gesturing for Cullen to look at his ring finger. "Remember this ring. Out of all my rings, it is the only one that isn't made of plastic."

"I will remember."

"As for the rest, I choose to leave it unsaid. It is just like earlier, when we stood on the balcony praying together for the safety of the administrative building tonight—some words, once spoken aloud, only serve to invite misfortune."

Cullen nodded in profound agreement, silently confirming that the Captain had indeed been trying to jinx things in reverse back then, even if the Captain lacked a modern term for it.

"Alright, try to get some sleep. If the war goes smoothly, we might have to assemble by noon to resume our security duties. If things go even smoother, perhaps the Samsara Church's plea for surrender will arrive before our official divine decree of war is even proclaimed."

"Understood, Captain. You should rest as well."

"I shall certainly try."

Cullen opened the car door and stepped out.

Neo rolled down the window, pointed significantly at his own face, and added, "There is one more thing I ought to remind you of."

"Your instructions, Captain?"

"If you have a choice, try not to get too close to your mask, even if it is something meant to be worn right on your face."

"I won't. Mr. Pavarotti is constantly away on missions these days, hardly returning home once a month. I have no reason to wear his mask needlessly either, especially since Mr. Pavarotti's wife still resides under the same roof as me."

"Mm."

Neo drove away, and Cullen turned to enter the funeral parlor. As he reached the threshold, the sound of an approaching vehicle made him look back, only to see Alfred returning.

"Young Master, I have just settled the bill at the café," Alfred said with a polite smile.

"Thank you for your hard work."

"It was no trouble at all, though the front manager was so utterly terrified he suffered a sudden heart ailment. I administered emergency first aid, and he has since recovered."

"Bless him."

The café's front manager had first been handed the telephone number of a funeral parlor, only to look up and find the two men who were supposed to be inside the room vanished entirely without a trace. Such an experience could easily trigger some rather unsettling associations, leading to an excess of fright.

"You should get some rest early, Young Master."

"Very well. Keep an eye on the telephone for me; I may have to regroup sometime during the day."

"Yes, Young Master."

Cullen returned to his bedroom, where Kevin came over with his tail wagging. Cullen gently patted the dog's bald head.

The tuft of fur atop his crown had been scorched by Purr, and it had still not grown back.

Purr climbed out of bed as well, padding over to the edge. "Oh, my dear little Cullen has finally returned home dragging his weary bones. It truly is no easy feat to earn bread and support a household."

"It was manageable."

"So, after finishing the mission with your comrades, did you all flock to a café to unwind over coffee? That truly is a quintessential piece of traditional male socializing."

Evidently, a certain cat had been eavesdropping on the telephone.

"You are incredibly tiresome."

"Tiresome? I am merely keeping an eye on you on behalf of my great-great-great-great-niece!"

"Then what about Miss Ophelia?"

"Ha! You are actually still thinking about her. I knew it, how could it possibly be as innocent as simply supporting a fellow clansman?"

"Whose fault is that?"

"Blaming me?" Purr swished her tail in an indignant huff. "If you swapped places and sent Kevin to trade poetry with her, do you think she would even spare him a glance?

You were clearly the one there executing all those perfectly proper flirtations, yet you dare blame me, hmph."

"I am exhausted. I want to sleep for a while."

Cullen shed his clothes and lay down upon the bed.

Seeing this, Purr instantly fell silent. Once Cullen was settled, she even took the initiative to curl up against his chest, extending a paw to gently soothe his chest, murmuring softly:

"It seems you truly are exhausted to the bone. It is rare to see you skip a bath."

Hearing those words, Cullen rose from the bed once more and walked toward the washroom.

"Ah... my mistake, I should not have reminded you," Purr immediately apologized.

For a person afflicted with compulsive bathing habits, reminding him that he had not washed meant he truly would be unable to sleep.

Standing inside the washroom as hot water cascaded down from above, Cullen closed his eyes, savoring the relaxing sensation.

By his ears, the words the Captain had spoken upon his departure suddenly echoed: Try not to get too close to your mask, even if it is something meant to be worn right on your face.

Cullen reached up to touch his own face,

shook his head,

and whispered:

"Captain, this mask of mine is one that can never be taken off."

———

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