Chapter 325: Cursed Surname

Chapter 325 The Cursed Surname

The hearse cruised down the midnight highway. Alfred tapped his fingertips twice against the dashboard radio, drawing forth a soothing melody that drifted into the air.

"I pillow my head upon the morning light of the wilderness, yearning for your descent; I trace the shadows of the streetlamps, searching for your footprint; I gaze at the stream by the doorway, imagining your form;

I once believed the paths of youth always led to a distant mystery, yet I overlooked you, who stood in the very beginning, waiting where you always were..."

"What song is this?" Karen asked.

It was rare for a song to retain such neat, symmetrical symmetry after being "translated" in Karen’s mind.

"‘Footprints.’ The lyrics, composition, and recording were all done by a single man. A Saint Antisian named Gundo. He once came to Ruilan, and your subordinate even shared a meal with him back when I worked at the radio station."

"Does he have many works?"

"A great many. In the realm of romance-themed pop music, he is quite famous."

"Then why haven't I heard you play his songs before?"

"Because there is a massive fracture between his music and his character. He excels at composing love songs, yet he is utterly dissolute in his personal life. He has been married six times, kept countless mistresses, and his life is a complete mess.

Therefore, your subordinate felt it would be somewhat inappropriate to play his music for you."

"If it is not a matter of principle, it does not matter."

Karen turned his head, looking out at the night scenery beyond the car window.

Alfred took a deep breath, his fingers tapping gently upon the steering wheel. Perhaps he wanted to use this method to express closeness to his young master; ever since the young master had said "thank you" to him earlier, he had suddenly felt a rush of "intimacy."

There were many ways for people to express intimacy—for instance, walking over and giving someone a light punch on the arm.

Through this minor display of offense, one could manifest the closeness between oneself and the other person. It wasn't for others to see; it was for oneself.

Yet Alfred did not dare strike his own young master. He only dared play him the work of a disgraced artist.

Seeing that Karen was not angry, Alfred felt immensely happy inside.

Just then, a moving truck appeared ahead. Standing atop the roof of the truck were two individuals clad in black divine robes.

"Young master, those are Robes of Order."

"Follow them and see," Karen commanded.

"Yes, young master."

The hearse began to accelerate, drawing closer to the truck.

"Clang!"

A loud noise echoed as the two rear doors of the truck snapped completely off. Alfred spun the steering wheel just in time, preventing their hearse from being scraped.

Inside the truck’s cargo bed stood a woman whose eyes glowed with a green light. She raised her hands upward, and in an instant, two thick vines pierced through the roof of the vehicle, binding the two individuals in the Robes of Order.

"Ah..."

"Ah..."

The two immediately let out agonizing screams.

"Sigh."

Karen sighed. His form dissolved into a black mist that drifted out the window, reappearing atop the truck's roof. Two dark crescent blades materialized in his hands; with a swing to either side, he severed the two vines.

Freed from their bonds, the two Clerics of Order tumbled down. Their bodies were riddled with blood, for the thorns upon the vines had clearly pierced deep into their flesh. In all likelihood, toxins were present as well.

Two Chains of Order erupted from beneath Karen's feet, wrapping around their bodies to prevent them from falling off the vehicle.

Below, another pair of vines sprouted from the woman's back, supporting her weight as she climbed up from inside the truck.

The two Chains of Order whipped backward and released; Alfred, who had already stopped the hearse behind them, immediately caught the falling men.

The woman was now before Karen. Opening her mouth, she spat a volley of green thorns toward him.

The black Sea God's Armor materialized upon Karen, its surface etched with incredibly intricate runes. The moment the thorns made contact, they were instantly frozen solid, giving even the volatile toxins within them no time to react.

Karen lunged forward with absolute speed, sweeping past the woman as his dark crescent blade pierced straight through her chest, leaving a gaping hole in her torso.

When absolute speed was paired with absolute defense, combat became exceedingly simple.

Unfortunately, during the selection trials, he had to hold back his true strength.

Then, Karen turned sideways and pointed a finger forward. A defensive barrier manifested directly ahead of the truck.

"Boom!"

The truck crashed straight into it.

The moment Karen's feet touched the ground, he reappeared in the driver's cabin. The driver was a man who, upon seeing Karen, immediately raised a crossbow and pulled the trigger.

"Buzz!"

The spell-infused bolt was blocked by Karen's Sea God's Armor. Before it could detonate, a layer of frost encased it into an ice sphere, which then flew down into the ditch beside the highway and exploded.

The man drew a dagger, making no attempt to flee. Instead, his body twisted at a bizarre angle, instantly extricating himself from the heavily deformed cabin to charge at Karen.

Yet before he could even draw near, the sharp edges of a cube materialized around his body.

"Order—Cage."

Karen raised his hand. The Cage of Order floated into the air, and with a downward sweep of his hand, it slammed heavily onto the ground.

The man inside struck the cage repeatedly, but his assaults merely drained a fraction of Karen’s spiritual energy.

"Young master!"

Alfred came over carrying the two men, laying them onto the ground.

Karen checked their condition, first casting a low-tier healing spell upon them, followed by a layer of purification.

Just as he finished, a group of people clad in black divine robes arrived at the scene, led by a middle-aged woman. They appeared to be a squad from the Whiplash of Order executing a mission.

"Thank you for your assistance. May I ask who you are?"

"The two of them need to be sent to the church hospital for treatment," Karen said, pointing at the two wounded clerics.

"Understood, I will see to it."

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

"Thank you very much. May I ask your name..."

"I have other matters to attend to. I shall take my leave."

Karen stepped into the hearse. Alfred immediately came over, started the engine, and drove away. The members of the Whiplash of Order squad did not block their path.

After driving for a short while, Karen spoke, "Alfred, was I a bit too cold toward them just now?"

If it had been before tonight, Alfred would have replied: No, young master, you already saved their people.

But tonight, Alfred replied, "That is because you view them as ducklings, young master."

Karen rubbed the space between his brows and nodded. "Yes, I have become arrogant."

"Young master, is this what is troubling you?"

"I have just completed the selection, witnessed the outstanding talents of my peers—and well, I feel I am more outstanding than they are; I have also just experienced the celebratory banquet. In truth, it is more than just that. This tendency had already begun to surface even earlier."

"Are you reflecting upon yourself, young master?"

"Well, I shouldn't be like this. If I'm already developing this mindset when facing my peers, what about ordinary people? Alfred, next time I start drifting away like this, remember to remind me."

"Very well, Young Master. I understand. This is the aura of clutching the earth that you pursue."

"Then let's start correcting it now. Did they introduce what squad they belong to?"

"No, Young Master."

"Record the time and location, and then report it to the Captain for me. He should be able to find out which squad received my help. Let the Captain go and demand a favor fee.

Well, in this way, it feels grounded."

"Young Master is wise."

...

The hearse drove into the parking lot in front of the funeral parlor. Alfred got out of the car first to hand over the food Karen had packed, letting his young master carry it into the house.

Walking into the backyard, Karen saw Xili.

"Young Master, you are back. I will prepare supper for you."

"No need. Take this food over, see which ones need to be heated and heat them up, then set aside a portion and send it to my bedroom. Divide the rest among everyone, let everyone have a taste.

Remember to tell them to savor it well. These ingredients are very precious."

Expensive food is not necessarily delicious, but when people enjoy expensive food, they secrete a greater sense of pleasure and satisfaction.

"I understand, Young Master."

Karen was just about to return to the master bedroom, intending to use this time to give Purr, Kevin, and Alfred a detailed account of the selection process. But as he walked past Mrs. Lake's room, he heard sobbing coming from inside.

Originally, Karen would not have bothered with this. Everyone has their own privacy, and not all crying requires comfort.

But after all, having just self-reflected, and with Karen also realizing that to save trouble lately, "Mr. Pavaro" had not "come home" to visit for a long time.

With a flash of the ring, Karen transformed into the likeness of Mr. Pavaro.

He had not used this mask for a long time, because Mr. Pavaro's identity was of limited use to his current self, yet Mr. Pavaro held a different significance in Karen's heart.

Before coming into contact with Pavaro, Karen felt that the Church of Order merely had a different faith from other churches, but in essence, they were all the same sort of commodity.

It was Mr. Pavaro who allowed him to see the true Order, the true Church of Order.

"Young Master, I don't even recognize many of these foods. I don't know which ones need to be heated and which ones don't."

"Go ask Alfred... no, go ask Purr. It knows."

"Alright, Mr. Pavaro."

Xili turned around, then froze. Instinct drove her to look back to confirm if her eyes were playing tricks on her, but her salary allowed her to continue moving forward resolutely.

Karen knocked on the door. The sobbing in the room stopped, and soon, the door opened. Mrs. Lake stood at the doorway, and upon seeing her "husband" standing before her, she let out a sudden laugh.

"Please come in."

Mrs. Lake brought over a chair for Karen, gesturing for him to sit down, while she sat on the edge of the bed, continuing to smile:

"You don't have to do this."

"Heh." Karen merely smiled as well.

He realized he had misread the situation. Mrs. Lake was not crying because she missed Mr. Pavaro; it must be because of something else.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Mrs. Lake wore a silver-white nightgown, leaving a large portion of her neck and chest exposed. Actually, the most eye-catching part was her hips resting on the bed; the loose nightgown allowed her hips to spread out freely as she sat.

He remembered the last time he had accidentally entered Doradorin's room, because Xili and Mrs. Lake were helping the two sisters bathe, he had discovered that Mrs. Lake's hips were no smaller than Xili's, and due to her age, they were richer and fuller.

"Did they make you angry?" Karen asked.

"No, I'm just brooding with myself. In the evening, seeing Dora and Dorin clinging so affectionately to Teacher Daishan, I felt a strange sourness in my heart, jealousy.

Just now lying on the bed, the more I thought about it, the more emotional I became, and I couldn't help but cry. Actually, I'm just teasing myself, heh."

"Children will always grow up. They will slowly stop needing their parents' protection as they did before, and they will start to view their parents' arms as a form of fetter.

Everyone's growth goes through this process. It's just that because of Dora and Dorin's past condition, they had to rely entirely on you, and you became accustomed to that reliance.

Now it is proven that they are no different from normal people anymore, and they are beginning to grow up. You should be happy for them."

"Yes, you are right."

"Then I shall leave first."

"Mm, sorry, I should have been more serious, hehehe." Mrs. Lake covered her mouth and laughed again, she really could not help it.

Mrs. Lake knew that the correct way to handle this was to sit face-to-face with her "husband" and recount recent events, allowing her longing and emotions to find a temporary harbor.

But the moment she thought of the true identity of the "husband" in front of her, she strangely could not keep a straight face.

Escorting Karen to the door, Mrs. Lake said, "Thank you."

"You are welcome. It was I who failed to do well."

"No." Mrs. Lake stepped forward, appearing as if she wanted to offer a hug, but stopped her movement anyway. "Precisely because you have already done so wonderfully well, I don't need it. One must live with contentment to be happy, mustn't they?"

"Yes, you are right."

Karen turned, and on his way to the bedroom, changed back to his original appearance.

Pushing open the bedroom door, he found Purr, Kevin, and Alfred already sitting on the carpet around the coffee table.

Purr spoke up: "We are waiting for a delicious supper, oh, and an exciting story to wash it down with. For instance, the story of how our little Karen told those geniuses what a true genius is."

Karen sat down in an empty spot and began to recount what had happened during the selection. Because unlike the last time when he narrated the trip to Dark Moon Island and had to filter out certain things regarding Ophelia, this narration was very smooth and coherent.

Just as he finished recounting, Xili brought in the supper and arranged it on the coffee table.

Purr pointed at a plate of bright red meat slices and said to Xili, "Redivus shark sashimi, eat more of it, it promotes bodily development."

"Huh?" Xili was bewildered by this string of names.

Purr misunderstood her reaction and explained, "It means it can make your buttocks larger."

Saying this, Purr even raised its cat paws in front of itself and made a gesturing motion.

Xili blushed, and after refilling the drinks, she turned and left the bedroom.

Karen spoke up: "It seems you didn't eat small amounts of it in the past."

Purr knitted its brows and said, "I avoided eating this. I am very satisfied with my figure, otherwise how could someone have been unable to resist touching it secretly?"

Alfred and Kevin focused entirely on eating. At this moment, both man and dog were deaf.

"By the way, regarding the salvaging of that Lax copper coin, you and Alfred take charge of following up on it. When we have time later, we'll go out to sea."

"Although I know you are changing the subject, since you've decided to take me out to sea to play again, fine, I agree!"

Karen used his chopsticks to pick up a slice of meat and fed it to Purr. Purr opened its mouth.

"Meow~"

Chewing the meat, Purr spoke up, "That one named Philomena, I don't know if I'm right, but let's hope she isn't from the Felcher family."

"You know this family?"

"Oh no, I don't." Purr shook its head. "But this kind of cultivation method of treating reality as a dream and dreams as reality, I heard a person mention it before. He commented on it."

"How did he comment?"

“How very interesting.”

...

“Creak…”

The villa door was pushed open, revealing a seaside residence situated in the southeastern reaches of York City.

Philomena stepped inside to find a kindly old woman sitting there knitting a sweater; that was her grandmother.

She also saw a man bound by a dog chain, prone at the old woman's feet, sleeping soundly with his head pillowed on his hands; that was her father.

She knew she had once possessed a grandfather and a great-grandfather, as well as an eldest uncle and a second uncle, but they were all gone now, leaving her father as the most fortunate one, who still had the chance to live like a dog.

“You are back?” Madame Felsher asked.

“Yes, I am back.”

“Did you secure the slot?”

“No, I was rejected.”

Madame Felsher looked at her with a gentle smile and said, “It matters not, do not take it to heart.”

“Very well, Grandmother.”

Philomena fetched a small knife from the rack and plunged it into her own chest, missing the heart.

Then, without a moment's hesitation, she drew the knife out, rinsed it with water at the basin before returning it to its place on the rack, and casually cast a healing spell upon herself to staunch the bleeding.

“Have you gone to see your mother?”

“No.”

“Why not go?”

“I did not wish to.”

“Very well, have you investigated that person?”

“I did.”

“And the result?”

“There is no result; it is as if he vanished entirely.”

“Vanished?” Madame Felsher looked up, a trace of doubt in her eyes. “It appears my influence has truly run completely dry.”

“No, I could feel that those two grandfathers were very responsible in helping with the investigation, but they found no information regarding him whatsoever; it is as though he never existed.”

“Heh, a clergyman of the Church of Order, yet within the Church of Order itself, no trace of his existence can be found.”

“Grandmother, I did my best.”

As she spoke, Philomena reached for the knife on the rack once more.

“Cease, you did nothing wrong in this matter.”

Philomena lowered her hand from the knife.

Madame Felsher spoke with profound, earnest gravity:

“Child, you must remember, it was that man who destroyed the Felsher family, destroyed your grandfather, your great-grandfather, destroyed me, destroyed your father, and… destroyed your childhood.

I want you to remember him forever, that perpetual nightmare of the Felsher family, that surname that deserves to be cursed a thousand times over…

Inmeles!”