Chapter 35: For Dried Fish!

Chapter 35 For the Sake of Dried Fish!

November 15, Sunday, Clear.

Lunch was prepared by Karen, because from the 14th to the 17th, the house had been booked, but there was still no word from the "guests," so everyone in the family was currently in a state of "paid leave."

With Aunt Winnie and Aunt Mary helping out as assistants, Karen made an extremely sumptuous lunch.

There were three main dishes,

They were braised pig's trotters, steamed scallops with garlic and vermicelli, and tender ginger rabbit (Zigong style);

Every dish came in a massive quantity; the pig's trotters and scallops were served on large platters, piled high and full, while the ginger rabbit was served in a large basin.

This was a modification Karen made to suit the family's palate, because they had a habit when eating—perhaps because they were still nowhere near tired of Karen's cooking—so whenever they encountered a delicious dish, regardless of its texture, they loved to dig in with all their might.

Furthermore, because they used to eat quite a lot of sweets and meat in the past, their resistance to rich, greasy food was relatively strong.

Like the last time he made pig's head meat, Karen had been craving a taste of home, so he was satisfied after just a few pieces, but Ron and Uncle Mason, who returned in the evening, were completely fixated on the platter of pig's head meat with their forks, constantly shoving it into their mouths.

The side dishes were smaller in quantity, consisting of sautéed shredded pork with celery, stir-fried sliced pork with bitter gourd, cold cucumber salad, sliced tomatoes sprinkled with white sugar, and cold kelp salad;

The soup was crucian carp and tofu soup.

Karen stood at the kitchen doorway, wiping his hands with a damp towel while watching Mina, Chris, and a female classmate Mina brought home to play today, Sarah—the three girls walking in and out to bring over dishes and arrange the table.

Uncle Mason looked at this table full of delicacies,

Sighing with emotion:

"Ever since our Karen started cooking, I've wished I could just cancel breakfast entirely, so as not to affect the space in my stomach during lunch. Come, come, come, everyone sit down, take a seat, dear, bring out our red wine. Today is our first company dinner since our new employees joined."

"Alright."

Aunt Mary brought out a bottle of red wine, popped the cork, and Mina took it over on her own initiative to start pouring for everyone one by one.

Of course, the young children drank orange juice;

However, Mina quite naturally poured red wine into the glass in front of Karen's seat.

Alfred, dressed in a grey jumpsuit, exaggeratedly craned his neck forward, took a deep breath, and lamented with feeling:

"Oh heavens, it smells truly magnificent, and it looks so tempting besides!"

Madame Molly, in her maid's attire, also nodded vigorously in agreement.

Then the two of them looked almost simultaneously at Karen standing at the kitchen doorway, making no attempt to hide the shock in their eyes.

Yet when Karen saw the two of them here, he felt somewhat full;

And it wasn't from being suffocated by cooking fumes.

At this moment, Dis walked down from the third floor.

Everyone who had been sitting all stood up, and Karen clearly saw Dis's gaze sweep over Alfred and Madame Molly, but he said nothing, taking his place at the head of the table.

"A truly sumptuous lunch, everyone enjoy yourselves."

Everyone sat down.

It was a long table; at one end sat Dis, and opposite him sat Uncle Mason;

On one side sat Aunt Mary, Aunt Winnie, Chris, Mina, and Mina's classmate Sarah;

On the opposite side sat Ron, Alfred, Madame Molly, and Lunt;

Karen set down his towel and took a seat next to Lunt.

Everyone began their meal.

Accompanied by praises on one hand, and by devouring like wolves on the other.

Karen was already accustomed to this scene.

Even Grandfather, who had the best table manners, would eat quite rapidly whenever faced with Karen's cooking, even if his behavior wasn't exaggerated.

As for Alfred and Madame Molly, who were tasting "the personal cooking of a Great Existence" for the first time, their expressions were even more exaggerated; Alfred had tears welling up in his eyes as he ate, while Madame Molly was choking back sobs as she stuffed pig's trotters into her mouth.

"Is it delicious?"

Mina asked her classmate.

Sarah nodded: "Mm, it's delicious."

Mina took the initiative to use the serving spoon to scoop some food into Sarah's plate, knowing that this classmate of hers was always restrained and introverted, and would feel too embarrassed to reach for dishes herself.

Karen tasted a bit of everything, then began to sip the soup.

While drinking the soup, he watched Grandfather,

Grandfather was once again the first to finish eating,

In truth, there was also the reason that with him sitting here, the others at the table would feel a bit constrained while eating; he probably realized this as well, so every time during meals he would leave the table very quickly.

"I am finished, take your time."

Dis left the table and went upstairs.

The moment he left, led by Uncle Mason and Ron, people directly stood up to grab food:

"I've had roasted rabbit, but this way of preparing rabbit meat is truly a first for me, it's so tender." Uncle Mason lamented, "Karen, I regret it a bit now; if I had known, I should have taken the funds for acquiring the cremation society to open a restaurant on Mink Street!"

"Yes, yes." Ron kept nodding, eating his eighth scallop.

Alfred: "It is the first time I have tasted such great food."

Madame Molly: "Yes, so great that I cannot help but shed tears, as if I haven't truly eaten a meal for so many years."

You indeed haven't eaten a meal for so many years, nor do you have a place to digest it.

Uncle Mason laughed: "Don't worry, in the future as long as we aren't busy, this will be our family's working meal. I dare guarantee that working at any other place absolutely won't have working meals of this standard!"

Sarah ate in quiet, small bites while constantly stealing glances at Karen; an older brother who was good at cooking and so handsome undoubtedly held an immense attraction for the opposite sex, regardless of age.

Karen took the initiative to ladle a bowl of fish soup for Sarah, placing it before her.

Sarah said shyly: "Thank you, Brother Karen."

Mina leaned close to Sarah's ear to whisper a few words, causing Sarah's face to instantly turn even redder.

Her brother had always been good-looking before, but now that he had become cheerful and composed, that kind of charm...

Mina could guarantee that if her brother re-enrolled in school, his drawer would be stuffed full of love letters every day.

Karen gave a polite smile to everyone at the dining table, then stood up:

"I'll go brew a cup of tea for Grandfather."

Karen walked up to the third floor and knocked on the door of Dis's study.

"Enter."

Opening the door, Karen walked inside.

Dis was wiping a pair of spectacle frames, though Karen had never seen him wear them normally; he probably only used them in the study.

Karen walked up to the desk and stood still, not sitting down.

Dis finished wiping the frames, set them aside, and glanced at Karen:

"What is the matter?"

"Grandfather, do you have nothing you wish to say?"

"Say what?"

"For instance, regarding the two new employees who have entered our household?"

"I heard from your aunt that you have promoted our family's corporate culture quite commendably."

"That is not what I meant, Grandfather. They are two heteromorphic demons, yet Uncle recruited them without even knowing their true identities. One will be accompanying Uncle to transport corpses, and the other will be down in the basement with Aunt, preparing the countenances of the deceased.

Do you not see this as a tremendous problem?"

Diss shook his head. "I do not see it as any problem at all. Heteromorphic demons sometimes require employment as well. Some may not need to eat, but they enjoy driving, they like wearing clothes, and they have normal expenses to maintain."

"No problem?" Karen froze. "Truly no problem? Grandfather, you are an Inquisitor of the Order of the Sacred Church."

"Yes, I am aware." Diss lifted the lid of his teacup;

Karen took up the kettle and poured hot water for his grandfather.

"An Inquisitor of the Order

"So, that talent he's about to fulfill..."

"If I remember correctly, just last month, you were relentlessly urging me to kill him."

Purr wagged her tail:

"That was pure instinct; instinctively, I took the human side."

"And now?"

"Now I've finally realized a crucial problem—I am a damn cat!!!"

Purr raised her head high and continued:

"Even if he is an evil god, he's an evil god who is willing to cook me small braised fish. As a cat, what reason do I have to hate him?"

"Bought off by a mere handful of food?"

"That's because you've never experienced what it's like to eat cat food for a hundred years, Diss. You're just standing there talking big without feeling the pain."

"I will not allow him to undergo purification. I have also issued a warning to Alfred and Molly, forbidding them from interfering with Karen's development, lest they bring down judgment upon themselves.

Now, I am issuing the exact same warning to you, Poer... Purr.

If I ever find out that you have secretly performed a purification for Karen,

not only will the century-long friendship between you and the Inmeles family be completely erased, but I will also ensure you taste true agony."

"How could I possibly perform a purification? I am such a weak, insignificant aberrant demon—no, right now I am practically the absolute disgrace of aberrant demons!"

"If it were merely for purification, Purr, I doubt a higher-grade 'Sacred Vessel' could be found in the entire Rielan region."

Hearing this, Purr lay down somewhat lazily upon the floor, asking with curiosity:

"Diss, do you still care about that oath of yours—that after you, the Inmeles family would no longer enter the Church? Yet today, two aberrant demons have already entered your home as servants. Unless you send Karen out of Rielan to attend school in another country, letting him stay in constant contact with all this will only lead to one thing, heh. I believe that one day, he will willingly walk up to you and demand a purification ritual.

Besides, I don't believe you actually care about any oaths. Haven't you sworn enough oaths to the Church of Order? Yet when it came time for a divine descent, didn't you perform the ritual anyway?

Most importantly,

as a grandfather,

your compromises for your grandson are often utterly bottomless.

Damn it,

I even feel that you are far more bottomless toward the current Karen than you ever were toward Mina, Lunt, or Crys, your other grandchildren.

Well, though, I suppose I am the same."

"The second round of the grand investigation into the Berwin City divine descent ritual has already begun. Lathma has come from the grand council to the Rielan region to personally oversee it, and investigations by other churches and organizations are undoubtedly underway as well.

As long as Karen remains unpurified, before a clergyman—unless he deliberately reveals his power—he is nothing more than an ordinary person, which also means he is absolutely safe.

As for the future, we will see when the time comes;

for now, at the very least, let us weather this storm."

"Understood." Purr stood up. "However, there is one thing I must remind you of. Alfred and Molly will certainly keep the secret for what they desire, because no matter how much reward the Church of Order or any other church offers, it cannot compare in the slightest to growing alongside an evil god.

The same goes for me.

But there is one more person, that Mr. Hoffen who simply refuses to die."

"He will only hope that I personally kill Karen, but he would never inform on him to let outsiders come and kill the grandson of me, Diss."

Purr walked to the doorway of the study, then suddenly paused:

"Diss, there is one more thing I've been holding back from asking. A high-spec divine descent ritual usually requires the caster to pay a tremendous price. Although I know you are powerful—more powerful than most people could ever imagine—

I am truly curious: what was the price you paid?"

"When one is powerful enough, the price becomes trivial."

"Then all is well. I am off to eat my sweet and sour squirrel fish.

Oh,

my eyes have already been blinded by that wretched evil god; I have fallen deep into his bewitchment.

This cursed evil god,

this cursed sweet and sour squirrel fish,

and what's even more cursed is that I feel I have already fallen in love with this feeling of depravity."