Chapter 242: Is It Worth It?

Chapter 242 Is It Worth It?

It was an exceptionally resounding slap.

Richard raised his head blankly, staring at the bright red palm print on his father's face before him...

"Father, why are you doing this to yourself? Don't do this, please don't, Father!"

Richard threw himself toward Mr. Aisen, throwing his arms around his waist and speaking in a frantic rush:

"Father, whatever you do, please don't hurt yourself! If you want to hit someone, hit me!"

"Fine."

"..." Richard.

Smack!

Richard felt his vision blur as a wave of dizziness washed over his head, sending him tumbling backward onto the floor. A bright red palm print appeared on the side of his face as well.

Smack!

Another crisp crack echoed as a palm print manifested on the other half of Mr. Aisen's face.

Witnessing this, Richard instantly realized what was about to happen next and shrieked immediately:

"Ah!"

Smack!

Thud!

Before Richard could even stand up, his other cheek caught a slap, forcing him to crash back down onto the floor once more.

Mr. Aisen raised his hand again, aiming at his own face:

"Smack!"

"No, Father!"

"Smack!"

"Ah!"

Perhaps Mr. Aisen did not know the proverb "failing to educate one's son is the fault of the father," but that did not hinder him from perfectly illustrating the essence of the phrase at this moment.

And so, Mr. Aisen struck himself first every single time before delivering a strike to Richard. Richard wailed under the onslaught until, finally bursting with adrenaline, he executed a side roll and scrambled on all fours, attempting to flee the living room. Yet, a voice echoed from behind, plunging him into utter despair:

"Order—Cage."

"..." Richard.

Bound completely, Richard was dragged straight back to face Mr. Aisen.

"Father..."

Thud! Mr. Aisen punched his own chest.

Thud! A fist crashed into Richard's abdomen as well.

Thud!

Thud!

Richard was beaten so severely that he vomited up all the watered-down milk tea he had drunk before returning home.

Finally, his father stayed his hand. Richard believed it was all coming to an end, but then he watched as his father unbuckled his leather belt.

"No... please no."

Crack!

Crack!

"Ah!"

Richard screamed continuously, attempting to use his cries to call for his mother. His mother was clearly right there in the kitchen, so why hadn't she appeared by now?

Could it be... that his father had set up a barrier inside the house beforehand?

...

"Are you just going to watch like this?"

Standing on the second floor, Cathy watched her son being beaten below, fighting back her tears as she questioned the elderly woman beside her.

"Between father and son, a bit of roughhousing is quite normal. No resentment lasts overnight."

The elderly woman held a blue water bag in her hands, which contained a piece of rock crystal that continuously radiating warmth.

The last time Karen had come to visit the Guman household, he felt their family dynamics were excellent and everyone was exceedingly gentle. However, for a large clan to maintain such harmony, it usually required a single individual whom all other family members feared. In the Immerlas family, it was Dis; in the Guman family, it was this elderly woman who assumed that role.

It was just that she was far more adept than Dis at projecting an aura of kindness and gentleness in front of others.

And when she spoke to forbid anyone from going down, Cathy could only remain rooted to the spot, unable to intervene between the father and son.

"He is your grandson!"

"I know." A faint smile tugged at the corners of the elderly woman's mouth. "When was the last time Aisen disciplined his son? Do you still remember? It has been quite a few years, hasn't it? I believe this is a good beginning. He seems to have finally relearned how to vent the emotions he keeps bottled up deep inside his heart.

This is a good omen. For the sake of his father's illness, it is well worth it for Richard to suffer a little hardship."

"Mother, you cannot be like this! I cannot bear to see my son treated this way!"

"You cannot bear to see it now? Then a few years ago, when you left home to apply for a transfer to Sampu City and barely looked after your son all those years, how could you bear to look at it then?"

"That is not the same thing! I am different from you. You have more than one grandson, but Richard is my only son!"

"I have more than one grandson?"

The elderly woman's gaze narrowed slightly. A green starlight array manifested beneath her feet, and immediately afterward, an identical starlight array appeared beneath Cathy's feet, completely binding and locking Cathy down in an instant.

Although Cathy had been injured not long ago, she was still a Spell-Adjudicator of the Holy Church after all. Yet at this moment, she lacked even a shred of strength to resist.

The elderly woman turned around, looking at her daughter-in-law, and said coldly:

"Repeat what you just said."

"I..."

A strand of blue light released from the hand-warming bag in the elderly woman's grasp, ultimately coalescing into a thorn covered in barbs.

Cathy stared at the elderly woman in utter disbelief. Initially, she had merely thought the elderly woman might favor that illegitimate child with a compensatory sort of doting due to a sense of guilt, but she truly never expected the elderly woman would go to such lengths for an illegitimate child!

When she first married into the Guman family, she knew her husband's mother was someone not to be trifled with, but over the years, the interactions between both sides had always been relatively harmonious. Even when she left home without permission to work in Sampu City, the elderly woman before her had said nothing, nor had she ever confronted her.

But right now...

"As one gets older, one's temper gets better and better. Each generation tends to its own matters, and I have always been too lazy to meddle in the lives of the younger generation. However, some things are different.

The words you just spoke,

now,

in front of me,

repeat them."

Cathy abandoned her resistance, making no attempt to use spells to break through the shackles before her. In the end, she still did not dare to truly trade blows with the elderly woman in front of her. Turning her face away, she said:

"That Cullen, is he not your grandson?"

"You know?" The brambles before the old woman swayed gently. "How did you find out?"

"I deduced it. Last time Cullen came to our home as a guest, I discerned it."

"Alas, to think you actually deduced it." The old woman let out a sigh, her fingertips tapping lightly against the water pouch as if lost in deep reflection.

"Cullen saved my life. If you wish to bring him back into the family, I will agree to it. Cullen no longer has a mother, and I am willing to care for him. Of course, I am not particularly skilled at looking after others, but I can tolerate his presence. By all rights and reason, I have nothing to say against it.

But I simply cannot bear to see you and your son showing such excessive favoritism!"

"Is your mind unbalanced by resentment?"

The old woman lowered her head, resting her hand against her brow. Within her eyes, a faint, gloomy luster flickered, as though she were making a agonizing decision.

Kathy lifted her chin and said, "Yes, I am resentful. I am willing to let him return, willing to let him reclaim the Goumard surname, but I hope you can treat him and Richard as equals."

The old woman froze.

Somewhat bewildered, she raised her head to look at her daughter-in-law.

"Reclaim... the Goumard surname?"

"Yes, I am willing."

"You... are willing?"

"He saved my life. Even if he hadn't, if he truly wants to return, I might be angry, but I would not stop him. After all, he is also Eisen's child."

"Uh..." the old woman muttered.

The old woman looked at her daughter-in-law, and her daughter-in-law stared right back at her.

Downstairs in the hall, the combat between father and son still raged on, but upstairs, the clash between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was already drawing to a close.

"Haha... hahaha..."

The old woman broke into laughter, bending over with amusement.

She waved her hand, and the array binding Kathy dissolved, restoring her freedom.

"Very well, I understand. I will be mindful of this in the future. Richard and Cullen—I shall treat them without distinction. However, that boy Cullen has no desire to return, nor does he wish to reclaim the Goumard surname.

He possesses a proud spirit and great capability; he likely disdains the idea of using the Goumard family's connections to gain anything.

I dote on that child simply because he is genuinely excellent and endearing.

As for Richard..."

The old woman turned her head to look at the father and son in the living room, who were still playing their game of "belt relay." Shaking her head, she continued:

"How should I put it? Sometimes you cannot blame me for being partial. Your son truly cannot compare to Cullen in terms of capability. On this point, you, as his mother, bear an inescapable responsibility."

"I know. I am responsible."

"It is best that you realize it. I am tired; I shall return to my room to rest." Without looking back, the old woman walked toward her bedroom.

Kathy exhaled a long breath and walked over to the banister. Looking down at the father and son below, her legs suddenly felt weak, forcing her to grip the railing with both hands just to keep her balance.

At this moment, she no longer had the strength to care about the affairs of the father and son downstairs, for she knew that Eisen could never beat Richard to death under any circumstances. Yet just now, she herself...

Kathy pressed a hand against her chest, feeling the frantic thumping of her own heart.

Cullen was not Eisen's illegitimate son?

"I am going to rest, keep the noise down," the old woman shouted downstairs as she neared her bedroom door. Then, she cast another glance back toward her daughter-in-law and smiled.

A sudden chill ran down Kathy's spine, and she immediately thought to herself:

"No, Cullen is Eisen's illegitimate son. He absolutely is!"

...

Mr. Eisen sat on the floor while Richard lay prone beside him, both father and son covered in bruises and wounds.

To this moment, Richard remained entirely clueless as to why he had been beaten, and beaten so savagely at that.

Naturally, Cullen had anticipated all of this, because even he had not expected his cousin to step so precisely on every single landmine. If the ground ahead were a minefield, his cousin was the type to hop and skip, ensuring his feet never landed anywhere except on an explosive.

Mr. Eisen picked up a cup, took a deep gulp of water, and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. Looking at his bruised and swollen son lying before him, he found it rather strange that instead of feeling much pity, an indescribable sense of invigoration washed over him.

As a father, Mr. Eisen knew such an emotion should not dwell in his heart, yet he could not deny his true feelings.

Letting out a long breath, Mr. Eisen propped himself up with his hands against the floor tiles behind him. In his mind, the image of Cullen surfaced—the immense figure adorned with gilded patterns within that bizarre space.

No wonder his son had been clamoring and making a fuss about wanting to join that Hound Squad before.

This squad

is truly fascinating, haha.

......

Upon returning home, Cullen took a bath first. After washing up, he did not retire to bed as was his usual habit, but instead donned his nightgown and went into his study to sit down.

Reaching out, he gave the desk bell a light tap.

Before long, Alfred walked in bearing pastries and a glass of ice water. He then pulled up a chair and sat down in the study, a fresh notebook spread across his lap, poised to take notes at any second.

Every time Cullen returned from the outside after encountering or witnessing certain events, he would report them to the cat, the dog, and the radio upon his return.

Purr entered the study riding on Kevin's back, then leaped onto Cullen's desk.

Kevin, meanwhile, lay prone upon the carpet, panting with his tongue out. Framed by his balding canine head, he appeared incredibly simple and honest.

Cullen began by recounting the initial circumstances of this mission.

At first, Alfred took notes with earnest dedication, Purr toyed with her own tail, and Kevin remained lying down.

Gradually, while Alfred continued his note-taking and Purr continued to toy with her tail, Kevin silently stood up, tilting his head.

When Cullen spoke of seeing the statue in the center of the fountain pool and the words inscribed upon the monument,

Alfred and Purr, holding pen and tail respectively, turned their gaze toward Kevin.

The large Golden Retriever began to pace back and forth, appearing somewhat agitated.

Cullen narrated the process of leading Captain Neo inside the great red door, but he omitted the discoveries made within the small blue door inside. He felt that the three windows within belonged to Kevin's privacy, and there was no need to make that part public.

Kevin let out a long breath and lay back down.

When Cullen reached the part about entering that unique space and transforming into a massive, gilded sphere of light, Purr spoke up:

"Oh, how fascinating. I never imagined that mask would actually possess such an effect."

Alfred said with sincere gravity:

"Fortunately, you had that mask to serve as a disguise."

Cullen continued his narration right up to the point where he dropped Mr. Eisen off from the carriage. Then, he lifted his teacup and took a sip of water.

Purr remarked, "This mission was truly eventful." With that, Purr looked at Kevin and chided, "You stupid dog, couldn't you have thought to leave a few divine artifacts behind for our young master to go treasure hunting with?"

The stupid dog blinked his eyes innocently.

Purr continued, "The Church of Order utilized the items you left behind. By the way, did you actually succeed back then?"

Kevin shook his head.

"So you and the God of Order actually knew each other?"

"Woof."

"Not exactly knew? Does that mean the traces you once left behind were discovered by the Church of Order?"

"Woof!"

"Are you saying you and the God of Order once cooperated?"

"Woof."

"The God of Order helped you slay the God of the Sea? He went so far as to commit deicide with you, and you still say you didn't know each other?"

"Woof, woof, woof."

"An exchange of equal value. You used your research findings from back then to finalize a trade with the God of Order. But what happened after that? Why were you still suppressed by Order?"

"Woof."

"Because you actually managed to research some results? Oh, heavens, the God of Order truly has no shame." After saying this, Purr glanced toward the window rather warily.

"Purr, from now on you'll be responsible for obtaining information from Kevin," Karen instructed.

"Young Master, I can do it too, and it might even be more convenient if I do," Alfred volunteered, as he had also learned the dog language.

Karen looked at Kevin and said, "You can share things that are permissible to say, mainly to prevent me from being caught off guard if I encounter matters related to you in the future."

Kevin nodded his canine head.

"Alright, we've discussed everything that needs discussing. Is there anything happening at home?" Karen asked.

"Everything is fine at home, nothing is amiss, though Young Master probably hasn't had the time to read yesterday's 'Order Weekly' yet."

"Mm, is there any big news?"

"Yes, the negotiation site between the Church of Order and the Church of Samsara has been finalized."

"Oh, where?"

"At... Dark Moon Island."

"Dark Moon Island?"

Upon hearing the place name "Dark Moon Island," Purr immediately showed a look of vigilance. Although it knew Karen hadn't gotten that Miss Ophelia pregnant, it knew even better that Miss Ophelia was very interested in its family's Karen!

"Why would the location be arranged there?" Karen was somewhat bewildered.

The Church of Samsara had already failed in the last war, holding out for less than a single day. It was only because Karen was an insider within the Church of Order that his impressions were limited; in truth, this war between two orthodox churches had completely shocked the entire ecclesiastical circle.

Many people had failed to realize that a war between divine churches could actually be fought so swiftly and concluded so fast!

Yet the matter of surrender negotiations required time to move forward. Both sides needed to reach specific terms, and the Church of Order would inevitably secure more benefits from the negotiation table.

Reasonably speaking, it was quite normal for both sides to arrange a neutral location for negotiations, but the problem was that Dark Moon Island was too far away—unless both sides had deployed a teleportation array.

Was it a teleportation array that had just been set up after the cooperation agreement reached between the Church of Order and Dark Moon Island last time?

It seemed the negotiation results between the two sides last time were immensely substantial. After all, deploying a teleportation array was equivalent to completely exposing one's own core. The reason why the Church of Samsara had lost so miserably and rapidly this time was also because the Church of Order had utilized the teleportation array of the Messenger Space to catch them completely off guard.

"Alright, I understand." Karen nodded, then reached out to pat Purr's head. "What are you bristling your fur for?"

"The dark moon is going to get mottled again."

"How could I possibly attend a negotiation of this level? Besides, the location isn't even in Wien."

"Well, true." Purr felt Karen's words made perfect sense, so it walked over to the desk, slapped its cat paws three times against the tabletop, and shouted at Kevin, "Stupid dog, if you don't account for your past and present lives tonight, don't even think about sleeping!"

"..." Kevin.

"Tomorrow," Karen said. "I want to chat with Kevin tonight. Alfred, prepare some beer and send it up to the roof."

"Yes, Young Master."

Purr asked curiously, "Why go to the roof?"

"Because the view is good there."

...

Karen sat on the roof with Kevin lying beside him. Alfred brought over the beer; Karen had a large glass of iced beer, while a dog bowl filled to the brim with beer was placed in front of Kevin.

"Young Master, do you need me to stay here and translate?"

Karen shook his head.

"Very well, Young Master, then I shall head down first."

After Alfred went downstairs, Karen raised his glass, waved it toward Kevin lying beside him, and took a sip.

Kevin extended his tongue and lapped up a few mouthfuls of the alcohol.

Subsequently, Karen set down his glass, cradled the back of his head with both hands, and lay down backward.

Kevin placed a dog paw upon Karen, asking in confusion:

"Woof?"

"I don't understand your woofs, nor do I intend to question you about any secrets here. I just wanted to share some drinks with you and look at the moon."

Kevin froze. Afterward, it lapped two more mouthfuls of wine and then crawled down next to Karen.

One man and one dog, both gazing at the moon in the sky, and the moon was not at all stingy with its radiance, spilling its light over them.

After a while, Kevin extended its dog paw again, gently nudging Karen. Karen turned his face to look at Kevin, seeing its face full of anticipation.

"I don't want to ask."

Kevin shook its head, its dog paw continuing to gently nudge Karen as if urging him.

"I can understand."

Kevin continued to gently nudge Karen.

"Oh, I see. You're doing this for the atmosphere? Alright then."

Hearing this, Kevin immediately lay back down properly, facing the direction of the moon with its body relaxed. Its fur appeared exceedingly exquisite and lustrous under the moonlight.

Karen spoke and asked:

"Was it worth it, for her?"

Kevin closed its eyes, its tail giving a gentle sway as it pillowed its head upon its own dog leg, softly uttering:

"Woof~"