Chapter 34: The New Employee

Chapter 34 The New Employee

The Mink Street Church;

Diss handed a wooden box to a man dressed in a black trench coat who stood before him.

The man opened the box, casting a glance at the copper coin sealed within glass inside.

"Lord Inquisitor, is this the replica of the Source of Sin?"

"Yes."

"I understand. I shall deliver it to the Regional Administrative Office."

The man closed the wooden box and attached a seal to the top, upon which was written:

The Source of Sin (Replica);

Do Not Touch.

"Right, regarding the search warrant issued by the region two months ago."

Diss glanced at him and replied, "The response to the search warrant was submitted by me a month ago."

"Yes, the region saw it, but as you know, this matter is of no small consequence. Headquarters views it with immense gravity, hence the strict order for all regions, especially the Ruilan region, to conduct a new, thorough search."

"Yet I do not even possess a search list in my hands. I only know that an unidentified group held a divine descent ritual in the city of Belwin. Though, from the region's reaction, I can surmise that the scale of this divine descent ritual was likely not low."

"Lord Diss, I am merely conveying the region's instructions. If it is something even you do not know, I certainly remain in the dark as well. However, it will still trouble Lord Diss to compile another investigation report."

"Very well."

"May the Light of Order shine forever."

After offering a salute, the man held the box and walked out toward the exterior of the church.

Diss remained in place, tidying the items upon the desk.

Halfway out, the man suddenly paused and said:

"Lord Diss, there is one other matter, something I overheard."

"Speak."

"High Priest Rasma has arrived in Ruilan from Headquarters. He will be in charge of the second investigation into the Belwin incident."

"Why tell me this?"

"Because I heard the Lord Regional Guardian mention that you share a profound acquaintance with High Priest Rasma."

"And then?"

"If possible, the Guardian hopes you might say a few kind words before Lord Rasma. If the Belwin incident remains muddled and unresolved, many lords within the Ruilan region worry they will face censure from Headquarters."

"I am merely an inquisitor. The affairs of the lords should be resolved by the lords themselves."

Diss finished gathering his things and walked toward the door. As he stepped beside the man, he halted his stride:

"Are you a Divine Inspired?"

"No, I am a Divine Servant."

Diss smiled: "Your acting is very poor."

The Church of Order took the safeguarding of the Light of Order as its duty, and those who respected order often became increasingly aware of the importance of maintaining it. Thus, within the Church of Order, a formidable department existed solely to oversee the church itself, known as the "Whip of Order."

It was somewhat akin to the gendarmerie of various nations.

The man lowered his head, assuming a respectful posture.

Diss said nothing more and walked out of the church.

The man raised his head,

stroking the wooden box in his hands as he murmured softly:

"In truth, Lord Diss, your acting is also very poor."

...

"Truly a deposit so bountiful it takes one's breath away."

In the living room on the first floor, Uncle Mason held the agreement contract, looking at the thick, high stack of money placed beside it with boundless emotion.

But soon after, the vigilance of a former financial industry practitioner brought doubt to Mason:

"A deposit of one hundred thousand lubis, and it wasn't a check, but given directly in cash?"

"Is cash not good?" Aunt Mary said. "It saves us from going to the bank to verify its authenticity."

"My dear, except for a minority of people who truly prefer to hoard and use cash, the primary purpose for most who use large amounts of cash is to evade tracking."

Speaking to this point,

Uncle Mason deliberately cast a glance at Karen, who sat opposite him,

and asked:

"Karen, do you think there is any slight problem on their end?"

Karen shook his head;

Uncle Mason breathed a sigh of relief,

yet Karen's next words left him stunned:

"It is not a slight problem. I think the problem is immense."

"Immense?" Uncle Mason asked in confusion.

"A multi-person funeral, with the time reserved in advance, as if they are absolutely certain that whole family will perish at the exact same time."

"This, however, can be explained," Aunt Mary said. "Some families, due to specific familial customs or religious traditions, will preserve the departed relatives first, waiting until an entire generation has passed away before conducting the funeral together. It signifies that they can enter heaven or a similar place hand in hand."

"Oh, that makes sense then. That gentleman did say the family shared very deep bonds affection."

"So that is how it is," Uncle Mason smiled. "It matters not. In any case, the Tax Bureau will not investigate our doorstep."

As if to bolster his own side's spirits,

Uncle Mason deliberately added:

"The funerals of the Tax Director's first wife and second wife were both held at our establishment, and we did not charge a single coin."

Karen smiled and said, "So our family has actually never paid taxes, correct?"

"We pay taxes. I pay the monthly environmental protection fees and the funeral business license maintenance fees right on time. As for the tax on revenue... Winnie."

Uncle Mason called out to Aunt Winnie, who was in charge of the accounts.

It just so happened that Aunt Winnie walked over carrying coffee, picking up the conversation:

"Because our family's business condition is very poor, we have always been in a state of loss. If not for the welfare orders provided by the government departments to sustain us, we would not even be able to keep operating."

Karen nodded and said, "Understood."

In truth, he had only received his salary and bonus from last month yesterday.

The salary consisted of a base wage plus psychological counseling fee commissions. The base wage was three thousand lubis, essentially equal to Ron's, because when hands were short, Karen also needed to follow along to transport corpses, making him equivalent to the third official corpse-mover on the payroll.

The commission derived from two psychological counseling fees was split equally, with half remitted and half pocketed, amounting to two thousand lubis.

Thus, his basic wage stood at five thousand lubis, though his dividend as a member of the family reached thirty thousand lubis.

The dividend was an astonishing figure, sustained primarily by Mrs. Seymour’s particular order. The coffin she selected for Mr. Seymour cost as much as two hundred thousand lubis, and from that single casket, the Inmerles family pocketed a direct profit of one hundred thousand lubis.

It was little wonder, then, that Aunt Mary could never help but grow excited whenever she heard mention of the "B-class package."

In truth, had they not taken a loss on the prior order for the young girl, last month’s dividends would have been even more terrifying.

Which meant that Karen’s income for the past month alone already exceeded the annual wages of an ordinary laborer.

It also explained why Minas, the young nurse, minded the Karen family business not at all; in the face of such immense dividend income, those corpses—or rather, those guests—became rather amiable and endearing.

Yet the highest earner in the household remained Aunt Mary, for she held the "technical high ground."

Competent body-carriers, salesmen, and priests of good appearance were never truly difficult to find, but an excellent mortuary makeup artist was a rare treasure indeed. The more a guest was willing to spend, the higher their demands upon the makeup artist, leaving Aunt Mary’s income the grandest in the house.

Still, a B-class package was a stroke of fortune not to be conjured at will, and such high dividends could not be expected every month. Even during the slack season, however, the dividends hovered around five thousand.

"By the way, I have unearthed the bottom price for the Hughes Crematorium. The land, the workshop, the equipment, and the business license altogether come to five hundred thousand lubis." Uncle Mason spread his hands. "It is quite a favorable price, with the cost lying chiefly in the land value and the business license."

Aunt Mary gave a cold snort. "The land value is an illusion."

The location of the Hughes Crematorium was far from needing residential development, nor was the population pressure in the City of Logia so acute. Consequently, that plot could only serve for workshops; anyone hoping to profit by selling the land would find it impossible to fetch a high price.

"But that is how it is priced above, and besides, the business license is the hardest thing to secure. I believe the price is quite fitting. The implication from above is that if our family can pay this sum directly, the Hughes Crematorium can become the Inmerles Crematorium overnight."

Aunt Winnie reminded them, "There is not that much money in the public account. Every month, everything is distributed as dividends."

Dis was no miser; the family divided the profits each month, leaving only basic operating expenses in the public coffers.

Aunt Winnie took a sip of her coffee. "Therefore, if we wish to acquire the Hughes Crematorium, our family members must return their savings to the common fund, and later we shall use the combined profits of the funeral parlor and the crematorium as reimbursement.

Most importantly, the previous operational state of the Hughes Crematorium was merely a matter of maintenance; its profits were not remarkably high, far below ours.

Even if we acquire it and integrate it into the funeral parlor, the increase in profit will be limited, for most wealthy clients will still choose burial.

We cannot very well ask clients who only require cremation because they lack funds to add a low-priced mourning service; that would disrupt our own existing business.

Furthermore, Mrs. Hughes has become a fugitive murderer, old Darcy is dead, and the two original employees quit long ago. We would need to recruit workers anew.

Who would take charge of managing that quarter?

Mason, will you go?

Or Karen?

You both have tasks to attend to at home."

"Lady Winnie." At that moment, Paul’s voice drifted in from outside. He stepped into the room, appearing somewhat bashful. "I was sitting outside just now and overheard your conversation. Ron heard it too."

To show he had not intended to eavesdrop, Paul pulled Ron inside with him.

"Yes, yes."

Ron poked his head in and nodded.

"Oh? This is family business to begin with, and you are a member of our company. There is no need to hide it from you," Uncle Mason remarked.

"Thank you, sir." Paul drew a breath and said, "Sir, Madam, Young Master, if it is permissible, I would like to bring forth my savings to invest in the Hughes Crematorium. At the same time, I can take charge of the operations over there."

"Are you mad, Paul? What money do you have to invest?" Ron laughed.

"I have one hundred thousand lubis."

"Only one hund—one hundred thousand lubis!!!" Ron cried out. "Heavens, how could you possess so much money!"

Ron and Paul had worked as body-carriers for the Inmerles family for some years now.

Yet Ron had always lived from hand to mouth, occasionally borrowing money to spend, while Paul had consistently saved.

Aunt Winnie spoke, "It is not entirely out of the question, though I shall need to draft the specific share distribution anew."

"Very well, Madam."

Aunt Mary smiled and inquired, "It seems Paul has succeeded in admiring the moon?"

Paul nodded bashfully and said, "Yes, so I hope to forge a bit of a career for myself, that she might have a better life."

Ron remarked sourly, "Why is it her and not him (me)?"

Uncle Mason raised his hand and said, "If this matter is to proceed in this manner, must we recruit another hand?"

Aunt Mary stretched her limbs and reminded him, "Two would be best, for I still require a female assistant. Mina and Rent are about to enter high school; they cannot go on taking leave from their studies to help at home whenever something arises, unless it is certain they are to inherit the family trade right now."

Evidently, Aunt Mary was reluctant to see Mina and Rent bound to such a life so soon; even if they were to follow their father’s example, fail in the outside world, and return out of necessity, they would at least have gazed upon the scenery beyond.

"Very well, and what of Paul’s side?" Uncle Mason asked. "The crematorium will also require workers. Which account will bear that? Shall we recruit them together?"

Paul spoke up immediately, "My mother can perform the odd jobs, and furthermore, my fiancée and her parents can all come to work as laborers at the crematorium. I can drive myself, so there will be no trouble."

Hearing this, Uncle Mason teased, "Good fellow, you are bringing your wife’s entire family into the crematorium."

Aunt Winnie raised the account book and looked at everyone present:

"Father has always maintained an indifferent attitude toward this matter. Therefore, if no one present objects, I shall proceed with the planning. Afterwards, please guard your private funds well and prepare to surrender them."

The family meeting concluded.

The following day,

Uncle Mason posted a recruitment notice at the front gate.

On the third day, Aunt Winnie finalized the acquisition plan and the share structure.

The purchase price was five hundred thousand lubis, and with various necessary new configurations factored in, the public fund needed to raise a total of seven hundred thousand lubis.

Excluding the one hundred thousand lubis invested by Paul, six hundred thousand lubis remained to be found. Divided among the five family members, including Karen, each was required to turn over one hundred and twenty thousand lubis.

Karen handed over sixty thousand lubis, combining the remnants of the previous "Karen’s" private savings and Piaget’s counseling fee with last month’s dividend income to patch together sixty thousand; the remaining sixty thousand was made up equally by his uncle, aunt, aunt-in-law, and grandfather, to be deducted proportionally from Karen’s future monthly dividends to repay this "debt."

Another reason the budget was so grand was that the old hearse belonging to the Inmerles house was valued and counted as the family’s share investment into the crematorium, to be handed over for the crematorium’s use—which meant for Paul’s use.

Meanwhile, the household required a new hearse, no longer a modified "Nut Shell" car, but a proper hearse manufactured by an automobile company.

The price was dear, a full one hundred and sixty thousand lubis.

Uncle Mason went to fetch the hearse in high spirits,

Yet because a student demonstration choked the traffic, he was forced to drive the hearse through the streets until past midnight before he managed to return home.

Upon his return, a thoroughly exhausted Uncle Mason scolded the students roundly during supper, and took the occasion to berate Rent into the bargain.

The next day, on his way back from delivering the funds, Uncle Mason was blocked once more by demonstrating workers, ensuring he did not return until past midnight again. During supper, the uncle berated Rent once more.

In short, the Inmerles house was exceedingly busy during these days, and the City of Logia was busier still.

Every day at breakfast, as Karen perused the newspapers, he could scent the distinct approach of an impending storm;

Chiefly, it was because Editor Humil of the Logia Daily, to which the household subscribed, made the undertone of his front-page editorials a touch too obvious, as though he were entirely certain the old mayor would lose the upcoming election and had chosen to stand with the new camp early on.

"It appears the old mayor is in a precarious position this time," Karen remarked, sipping his milk.

Uncle Mason dismissed it lightly, "Impossible. The old mayor has the ironclad support of the industrial district. Besides, during his years as mayor, though he might not have done brilliantly, he has not done poorly either. Did he not successfully persuade yesterday’s worker demonstration to disperse in the end?"

"Perhaps."

Karen turned another page of the newspaper, upon which was printed a photograph of Delice.

Well, despite his tender age, he had blossomed quite prematurely.

How could Lunt possibly have taken a fancy to her?

Yet upon second thought, Purr seemed to have mentioned that Lunt was already secretly using his hand, and in that light, it all seemed rather plausible.

Over the past two days, Lunt had been subjected to Uncle Mason's relentless scoldings during breakfast, which drove him to rise exceptionally early today, snatching his meal to eat on the long stride to school.

"Oh, that reminds me, Karen. I must step out for a while shortly. There are still a few lingering procedures for the cremation club that require another run. Two prospective employees are coming for an interview around noon; I have already conducted a preliminary screening and settled the baseline salary and benefits, so you just need to review them when the time comes."

"Since it is all settled, is there truly a need for another review?"

"Ah, it is not as though things were completely set in stone with them yet. You ought to seize this occasion to instill a bit more of our Inmeles Funeral Home’s corporate culture into their minds."

"Oh, very well," Karen replied with a nod, though he hesitated, ultimately refraining from asking his uncle what precisely their family’s corporate culture was supposed to be.

"It is the fourteenth today, is it not?"

"Yes, they booked for four days, and today marks the very first."

Uncle Mason offered a faint smile, remarking, "One can only hope they manage to endure all four days."

Earning a deposit while merely reclining was a most agreeable state of affairs.

Their breakfast concluded, Uncle Mason drove out in the newly acquired hearse.

Karen, meanwhile, remained sequestered in his bedroom study, buried in books; he had tasked Mina with borrowing a vast array of volumes concerning "religion" from the municipal library.

For ever since his awakening in this world, instances where mathematics, physics, or chemistry proved useful were few and far between, whereas "theology" seemed to permeate every corner.

To take a step back, even if he never crossed paths with those bizarre occurrences, and even if Grandfather Dis were truly nothing more than an ordinary, elderly priest, one would still inevitably have to contend with clientele of diverse and disparate faiths.

As he read, Karen diligently jotted down notes.

This continued until the sound of "dog barking" drifted up from the courtyard below—well, a dog barking was ordinary enough, as that foolish hound loved to bay aimlessly whenever it found itself idle.

This was because Mr. Hoffen, who had originally hovered at death's door, been rescued, fallen back into his death throes, and yet stubbornly clung to life, was even now waging a grueling struggle against the Grim Reaper, simply unable to swallow his final breath;

Consequently, that golden retriever had remained at the Inmeles residence.

Yet layered beneath the "dog barking," Karen also detected the crying of a cat. Even Purr was crying out?

Karen pushed open the window, discerning a man and a woman standing before the courtyard gate, who presumably were the new employees arriving for their interviews today.

Karen stepped out of his bedroom and made his way downstairs;

Descending the staircase, he mused inwardly: Our family’s corporate culture? How on earth am I supposed to fabricate such a thing?

It was only when Karen stepped out of the first-floor living room,

That in an instant,

His footsteps froze entirely.

The woman donning the black top hat raised her gaze just as Karen approached.

Nas...

On that fateful night, it was this very face, this very nurse clad in her uniform, that had come within a hair's breadth of ending both him and Purr.

After a fleeting moment of sheer astonishment, Karen finally recalled exactly who had carried Nas's remains away.

Therefore, this Nas standing before him was... Madame Molly?

In that case, the gentleman by her side must be...

The man removed his hat,

Bestowing a smile upon Karen,

Alfred!

Karen turned about, walked back into the living room, and took a seat upon the sofa.

Alfred and Madame Molly pushed open the unlatched courtyard gate on their own accord, following him into the living room.

Beholding Madame Molly in the guise of "Nas," Karen suddenly felt an acute sense of unfamiliarity, perhaps because Madame Molly's original visage had left too deep an impression upon his mind.

As for Alfred, even though he wore traditional casual attire today instead of his usual suit, that aura of meticulous refinement remained impossible to conceal.

Seated upon the sofa, Karen regarded the pair,

And inquired:

"You have come to..."

Alfred and Madame Molly sank to one knee simultaneously before Karen,

Intoning in unison:

"When Your Greatness commands, it is only right that we heed your summons!"

At that very juncture,

Aunt Mary, who had been organizing tools down in the basement, caught wind of the commotion on the first floor; she recalled her husband mentioning that two new employees would arrive during the day, one of whom was to be her own female assistant;

Furthermore, her husband had mentioned that Karen should use the opportunity to preach the corporate culture of the Inmeles family to them once more;

She had asked her husband what their family's corporate culture actually entailed.

Mason's reply had been: I have no inkling either, but I harbor faith that Karen will spin something together.

Finally, Mason had joked:

He is already capable of providing psychological counseling to others, so he can surely speak to the new employees until they are thoroughly convinced; with any luck, he might even get them to work for us free of charge, renouncing their wages entirely.

Curiosity piqued, Aunt Mary walked up the ramp, intending to eavesdrop a little on this "corporate culture";

Yet the moment she reached the living room,

She witnessed the newly arrived man and woman kneeling directly before her nephew, Karen;

Aunt Mary gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth,

Good heavens,

Is our family's corporate culture truly so formidable!