Chapter 422: Alfred's Missionary!

Chapter 422: Alfred's Missionary Work!

Alfred's figure slowly descended, the soles of his leather shoes making a crisp sound as they touched the ground.

"I believe that at some point in the future, perhaps five years, ten years, a hundred years... or even a future so distant it cannot be counted in years;

when you recall tonight, your bodies will tremble uncontrollably and your souls will be filled with excitement despite themselves.

Please remember,

you are the first batch of visitors."

Alfred made a gesture of invitation.

Muri and Ventura walked down side by side.

Ventura looked at Alfred and asked, "Mr. Alfred, where exactly is this place?"

"I believe I have already answered your question." Alfred showed a smile, "Of course, I will not force you to clearly understand what kind of great miracle you are facing right now upon the first glance and the first introductory sentence you hear."

Pausing for a moment,

Alfred added: "Heh, you should know that I myself was shocked for a whole night back then."

Muri and Ventura walked to the center of the array and both came to a halt.

Alfred's fingertips moved lightly, and the array began to operate. In an instant, layers of orderly flames began to rise slowly all around, the huge chandelier above descended slowly, and a black aura diffused, creating an extremely rich sense of mystery and solemnity.

None of this belonged to the essence of this array.

In fact, except for Karen himself, no one could truly run this 12-coffin array.

What Alfred controlled was what he had arranged himself; the surrounding designs and furnishings were also set up by the people of the Allen Manor under his requests.

The purpose was for today, so that when he needed to preach the great teachings to the new members, there could be more atmosphere.

A good atmosphere could extremely obviously improve learning efficiency.

Muri and Ventura looked around, both shocked by this scene.

This was just like how Richard understood arrays but did not understand summoners; the two of them were warriors, and their understanding of arrays was actually quite superficial. Even for Karen, it was only after spending a vast amount of time and energy that he could now be considered to have entered the gateway of arrays.

Therefore, the "sense of religious imagery" personally designed by Alfred touched them.

However, Alfred also secretly made a note in his heart that next time if he were to give a "lesson" to someone proficient in arrays, he would have to change to another kind of "ambient light."

"In the mythological narrative of the 'Light of Order', it is clearly recorded that under the command of the God of Order, there were 12 Knights of Order. They were awakened by the God of Order, were incomparably loyal to the God, and accompanied the God through the entire era of divine wars.

The name of each of them is recorded in the history of the Church of Order, and many of the knights made indelible contributions to the establishment of the Church of Order.

The 12 Knights of Order is not just a title, but 12 monuments!

And here,

there happen to be 12 coffins. What I can tell you now is that 2 coffins already have owners, and 10 coffins are still empty. Currently, that lady in the deepest part of the Congers tomb will very likely move here in the future to occupy a coffin slot."

Ventura spoke up, "Is this the Captain, paying tribute to the God of Order?"

Alfred bowed slightly, looking at Ventura, and said, "Ventura, I know you admire the Captain very much, right?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Then please magnify, diffuse, and elevate the admiration in your heart. Do not be restricted by established thinking, and do not be constrained by secular taboos, because no matter how bold the fantasy, it cannot match a fraction of the reality."

"I..."

Alfred pointed at Muri and said, "Look, our Vice Captain Muri is much more invested than you."

Ventura turned his head to look at Muri beside him, who was staring blankly at the surrounding scene.

Muri's "sword" and "shield" had both been ordered by Karen; that scene had been branded into his mind all along, unable to be erased.

"Don't be anxious, let me introduce them to you slowly." Alfred walked to the first coffin, "This is the first coffin, but the owner inside was not the first to lie in. His name is Saman, a believer of the Pamires religion, who possesses extremely exquisite spatial forging techniques."

Ventura: "The Pamires religion?"

"Yes, it is the Pamires religion that was caught in the middle during the war between Order and Reincarnation. Mr. Saman felt disheartened that his religion had become a tool in the game of the orthodox religions, and chose martyrdom to end his life.

But the great existence gave him a second chance to return. Right now, Mr. Saman is lying here asleep, waiting for the summon of the great existence at the appropriate time."

Alfred walked towards the second coffin again and introduced, "Lying in this coffin is Count Recar Allen. He is a very prestigious patriarch in the history of the Allen family, and his pirate stories are still circulating on the sea today.

Count Recar was the first 'knight' awakened by the great existence, and he, as well as his family, have already contributed their loyalty to the great existence."

Muri spoke and asked, "Are we to gather 12 coffins?"

"The great existence is a detailist; he possesses an aesthetic that is difficult for ordinary people to reach. I think he will not lower his requirements just to force the 12 coffins to be fully occupied, but the process of pursuing perfection will not stop."

Ventura scratched his head and asked, "I still... don't quite understand."

He was very anxious because he could perceive from Alfred's introduction that this was definitely very great and mysterious, but it just so happened that he still lacked some understanding.

"No need to be anxious, I will continue to introduce them to you. Believe me, after you walk out of the door of the performance hall tonight, your legs will tremble."

Alfred clapped his hands.

Pu'er stood on the protruding horizontal part in the middle of the wall ahead, and at the same time spoke to Alfred below, "Radio goblin, I regret following you here out of curiosity."

With a gentle wave of Alfred's palm, the angle of the candlelight was adjusted, and Pu'er's shadow reflected on the wall became larger and more majestic, no longer looking like a cat, but more like a lion crouching there.

"Now, please allow me to re-introduce this cat to you:

The most outstanding genius in the history of the Allen family;

The captain of the adventure team that traversed the sea more than a hundred years ago;

The spirit born of fire;

The designated inheritor of the God of Light;

The knight of the evil god;

The bed-partner of the great existence;

The beautiful and moving Miss Pu'er Allen!"

Pu'er: "What kind of thing is that last title?"

Alfred responded, "I am just stating facts, without adding any exaggeration and without making the slightest distortion. Alright, you may pay your respects."

Pu'er pouted,

Bearer of divine status;

Servant to the God of Order;

The white glove to a succession of chief gods, including the God of Samsara;

Slayer of the God of the Sea;

The mastermind behind the fracturing of the Sea God Cult;

The most steadfast admirer of the Goddess Mills;

Faithful guardian to the bedroom doors of the Great Existence;

The evil god as decreed by the Church of Order—Ranedal."

"An evil god?" Muri froze in his tracks. "Are you saying that the golden retriever at home, it... it is... an evil god?"

Ventura gasped in utter consternation, "I actually fed him!"

"You have seen his incarnation within the Gate of Samsara, that Lord Dar."

Muri and Ventura stood rooted to the spot, practically petrified.

The cat and dog in the Captain's house actually possessed such terrifying backgrounds?

To put it another way, for a Captain who could keep this kind of cat and dog as pets, how monstrously formidable must his own background be?

Alfred clapped his hands, and Purr gave a low snort, yet still helped to unfurl the next scroll, all of these being paintings Alfred had prepared in advance.

Upon the canvas was an elderly man.

"Deep within the crypt of Congis, Madame Gandilo... oh, that is the lady's name. Madame Gandilo once stated right before everyone that the Young Master's family background was the most exalted among all present. Now, allow me to introduce the Young Master's family legacy:

The most dazzling genius of the Church of Order in the past century;

The instigator of the curse against the God of Order;

Possessor of three divinity fragments;

The bomber of the Temple of Order;

Grandfather to the Great Existence;

The eternal Order Inquisitor of Luojia City... Dis Inmules."

"The temple bombing?" Muri clearly knew of this event. "He was the one who did it? The Captain's grandfather?"

Alfred smiled faintly. "I imagine no one would be foolish enough to falsely claim such an honor, because it truly costs lives, and one would die a most wretched death."

Ventura's mind was reeling, his knowledge and comprehension having long since lost touch with the reality before him, leaving him only able to ask Muri, "So, the Captain's grandfather is..."

Muri replied, "The Captain's grandfather is a Temple Elder."

"Wow." Ventura let out a sharp cry of wonder. "The Captain's grandfather is just as incredible as the Captain."

Muri let slip a bitter smile, recalling how Karen had once joked about his own family, and how he himself had remarked that great clans like his could never escape such domestic troubles; when uttering those words, he had even carried an air of superior understanding.

Thinking back on it now, he wondered how much the other man must have been laughing inside.

The direct grandson of a Temple Elder!

"Next..."

"Wait a moment, wait a moment, Mr. Alfred, please hold on a moment!"

Ventura raised his hand as if he had discovered something, running a bit closer to the portrait of Dis, asking in bewilderment, "Why do I feel like this grandfather looks so familiar?"

As he spoke, Ventura placed his fingers before his eyes, blocking out a portion of his vision, and slowly backed away, trying to obscure parts of Dis's face while leaving the rest exposed.

"Why is he so familiar? So very familiar..."

Alfred did not leave Ventura to linger in doubt and suspicion, giving him the answer directly:

"Lord Dis once treated a contaminated couple from the Church of Order in York City. Lord Dis once lamented that he had only eased their pain and prolonged their lives a little, but had no way to resolve the pollution within their child, wishing only that the child could grow up strong on his own."

Perched above, Purr blinked at these words. Dis had never said any such thing. In truth, given Dis's temperament, he would never speak of such matters. This part was clearly Alfred adding a bit of dramatic flair.

Yet Purr could understand reasonable artistic embellishment, and it was certainly not going to ruin the performance at this moment.

With a thud, Ventura crossed his arms over his chest and dropped to his knees before Dis's portrait, beginning to venerate it.

From childhood to adulthood, a portrait of Dis had always hung in his family's living room, though in that painting Dis wore a mask; however, Ventura's grandparents retained a vivid memory of Dis's bearing back then, and had been meticulous with the details when commissioning the artist, which was why just now, Ventura...

Of course, this painting was Alfred's work, and he had deliberately modified certain details this afternoon to make this depiction of Dis align more closely with the portrait in Ventura's home.

When Ventura failed to recognize it initially, Alfred had even considered whether he should raise the brightness of the lamps, since the light inside was rather dim to cultivate the right atmosphere.

Fortunately, Ventura was a young man keen on observation.

Ventura lifted his head, tears streaming down his face, born from the lifelong teachings of his grandparents.

"Mr. Alfred, the Captain knew all along, didn't he?"

Alfred replied, "Yes, which is precisely why the Captain treats you so well."

Ventura wept even harder, wiping his tears violently with his sleeve. "It should be me protecting the Captain, it shouldn't be like this, it shouldn't be like this."

A benefactor who continued to look after him; Ventura's heart had long been filled to the brim with an emotion called profound gratitude.

"You have already done very well. Your invitation here tonight by my hand is the most direct testament to your loyalty."

Alfred pointed to himself and said, "Next, permit me to introduce myself. I am the Young Master's most devout follower. The Young Master bestowed a surname upon me, and my full name now is:

Alfred Sao."

Alfred felt this was sufficient, with no need to add anything more.

Muri opened his mouth to ask, "So, the Captain's lineage, the Captain's companions, the Captain's..."

Having moved past the initial shock of the information, Muri progressed from a seemingly calm stupor into the clinical symptoms of a stroke.

It was simply that these revelations, crashing down one after another, left one entirely caught off guard, as if your head remained in place while your body had already fled to parts unknown, and once consciousness returned, the head began searching for the body, while the body searched everywhere for the head.

Alfred spoke, "The path the Young Master is currently treading is the path of Order. The last one to walk that path to its end was the God of Order."

Hearing this, both Muri and Ventura began to tremble. To those who believed in Order, such words were the ultimate blasphemy.

Alfred, however, raised his arms high, shouting in a voice capable of instilling immense fervor and excitement:

"This is your grand opportunity, an opportunity so rare that it is scarce even when measured against the span of an epoch.

Therefore,

Please continue your endeavors, please be more devout, and please continue to offer all your loyalty to the Great Existence.

I believe,

That upon the murals venerated by posterity countless ages from now, there will also be a place belonging to you.

So,

Strive onward,

For a more prominent place upon the mural!"

...

Muri and Ventura walked out of the performance hall, taking step after step back toward the ancient castle.

Alfred stood on the steps of the auditorium, and Pu'er stepped out from his side, smiling as she said, "It seems there wasn't any overly dramatic reaction, especially your final attempt at pulling emotional heartstrings—your feelings got a bit out of control, making it seem a bit melodramatic."

"I admit I let my personal emotions get invested, but it was simply involuntary, and yet I do not believe I performed poorly, and I can prove it to you."

"How will you prove it?"

"Ten, nine, eight..."

"What are you doing?" Pu'er asked in bewilderged confusion.

"Three, two, one!"

Thud! Thud!

Muri and Ventura collapsed to the ground together, their legs failing them.

...

Inside the patriarch's study, Karen stood by the window, gazing out at the scenery beneath the shroud of night; the moonlight tonight was hazy, and the lunar halo was dense and heavy.

He was not at all worried about the outcome of Alfred taking people to tour the auditorium, for in this regard, he only ever needed to apply the brakes for Alfred, never needing to fret over Alfred's inherent drive.

After standing for a short while, Karen sat back down at the desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out a notebook—this was not the notebook from his own funeral home study, but he had used it here before.

In short, Old Anderson had always meticulously preserved every single trace he had left behind within this study.

Picking up a fountain pen, Karen wrote upon a blank page:

"When Alfred consulted me for my opinion, I hesitated for a moment, because I had once cautioned him that large-scale proselytizing is not permitted at present, as it might attract the attention of certain specific factions.

I do not wish to find myself turning into someone like Mister Philias; at least, before I possess a sufficiently powerful strength for self-preservation, I prefer to ensconce myself within the shadows of Order to continue my fumbling and advancement.

Yet in the end, I agreed to Alfred's selection of candidates on the list.

Though I admit that with every additional person who learns of my identity, an extra layer of danger arises, I can trust these two individuals, and I am willing to bear this small risk.

This actually does not align with my usual style of conducting matters; I always prefer caution, caution, and further caution, because I know that whether it is the path my body walks or the path my soul walks, there is absolutely no condition or capital for making a mistake.

So, why did I agree?

I stood by the window and pondered for a long time, not contemplating the answer to this question, but rather contemplating whether or not to write this answer down.

Because this answer is somewhat surreal and a bit artificial; writing it down requires a tiny bit of courage, and it might even invite ridicule.

Although no outsider should ever be able to read these words, I am very afraid that when the future me flips back to this page, he will laugh at the past self—which is the present me."

Karen raised his glass, took a sip of ice water, and sat there in silence for a very long time, until at last, he penned a single word:

"Loneliness."