Chapter 539: My Grandfather... Is Dis

Chapter 539: My grandfather... is Dis

A clear yet viscous liquid continually welled from the numerous fractures in Mrs. Felscher's bones, particularly from the cracks in her skull, before beginning to drip down upon Philomena like melting wax.

Philomena's skin began to flush red; powerless to resist any of this, she could only let it continue unfolding.

Meanwhile, the expression on Mrs. Felscher’s face grew increasingly benevolent—a benevolence so profound it verged on the sinister:

"Comfortable, isn't it, my sweet granddaughter? You must find it quite comfortable.

This is a grandmother's love for you. Do you have any idea how long your grandmother has waited, how much torment she has endured for this very day?

All of this is yours, all given to you by your grandmother. Take it quickly; your grandmother will give you everything of herself. Including... grandmother herself.

You must truly savor all of this."

A look of agony crossed Philomena's face as the scalding, clear, viscous fluid felt as though it were flaying her very soul.

As this process advanced, the surrounding darkness gradually dissipated, while bright sunshine and lush greenery steadily unfolded across the landscape.

From the unfolding scene, one could sense a transition from deathly stillness to vibrant vitality; everything seemed to be progressing toward a beautiful consummation.

Karen fell upon the grass and then silently sat up. He was currently exceedingly weak, his soul resembling a paper garment pierced with countless holes; it required no tempestuous storm outdoors—even if placed in a courtyard, a tiny breeze might tear it into several shreds.

"Clack, clack..."

Hoofbeats came to a halt beside Karen. Tilting his upper body back, he looked up and saw that young woman appearing here on horseback.

The woman also looked down at Karen, a captivating smile gracing the corners of her lips.

Unlike Eunice—who, though elegant, reserved, and introverted, carried a heavier aura of maidenhood, being young after all—the woman before him was indeed very young, yet she already exuded the charm of a mature woman, likely due to having borne a child early in life.

The woman spoke to Karen: "Thank you. You helped accomplish it. Without you, breaking through her cursed husk would have been far more troublesome and would have exacted a greater price. That would have wasted so much more."

"I merely did what I ought to have done. I only hope the outcome does not disappoint me."

"How could it disappoint you? She is my granddaughter, my own descendant. In truth, I had no idea that during the years I was sealed away, such things could still happen in the outside world."

The woman was Mrs. Felscher in her youth.

Where Karen had entered previously was actually Felscher's own dreamscape, which, to a certain extent, also belonged to her conscious space.

When Karen had pushed open the window in the bedroom to look out, what he had actually seen was another personality of Mrs. Felscher's.

It was the personality belonging to her younger, youthful self, which she had actively severed and sealed away.

In truth, they were indistinguishable from each other, yet they remained relatively independent.

It was somewhat akin to Neo in the beginning, whose mind contained several people; whenever he felt bored, he would call "them" out to hold a meeting.

Mrs. Felscher desired to return to her youth; she refused to let the curse and the years wear her down, so she proactively sealed away that past young and beautiful version of herself.

She intended to unseal that fresh version of herself after she completed the usurpation of her own granddaughter's life.

She was a perfectionist—a true perfectionist. She demanded youth not only for her body and soul, but also wished to preserve her spiritual youth.

"I really never imagined that the present me would turn into such a state. It is truly terrifying," Miss Felscher lamented, patting her chest.

"You should go and stop her now," Karen reminded her. "Any later, and it will be too late."

"Yes. In any case, thank you for bringing me out. I will fulfill the terms of our agreement. This overflowing blessing will help heal the injuries to your soul."

Miss Felscher rode her white horse forward.

On the grass ahead, the clear wax-oil dripping from Mrs. Felscher's body had already gradually blanketed Philomena's entire form, and now it was continuing to permeate deeper.

Hearing the commotion, Mrs. Felscher turned her head, looked at the young woman approaching on horseback, and asked in puzzlement:

"Why have you come out now?"

"Should I not have come out?" A look of disgust appeared on Miss Felscher's face. "I really never imagined that the present me could actually become like this."

Mrs. Felscher countered:

"Like what?"

"Filthy, ugly, twisted, cruel..."

"You may continue, I do not mind," Mrs. Felscher smiled. "If I had not sealed you away decades in advance, you would be the present me."

"I know, but I utterly detest you. A person should always have the right to detest themselves, shouldn't they?"

"Yes, quite right. Do you think I like myself all that much?" As Mrs. Felscher spoke, she reached out to gently stroke Philomena's face, the benevolence in her expression growing ever more intense. "Look at her. How much she resembles the current you."

"Yes, very much alike. She is my granddaughter?"

"Correct. She is your granddaughter, the inheritor of my bloodline, the continuation of the Felscher family."

"What is her personality like?"

"Very reclusive, very closed off. She does not know how to interact with people. She is terrified of reality and detests the sunshine."

"She ought to live beneath the sunshine—cheerful, optimistic, confident, and beautiful, should she not?"

"What do you think?" Mrs. Felscher inquired.

"My granddaughter should be as delicate as a porcelain doll, enjoying the sunshine, the white clouds, and all things bright. That is the image of my granddaughter I once fantasized about."

"So... what is your meaning? Do you want me to stop?" Mrs. Felscher looked toward Karen, who sat in the distance. "When he appeared and spoke those words, I knew he had glimpsed the deepest secret within my heart. He knew what I intended to do. You told him, didn't you?"

"Yes, it was I who told him that you planned to crack open the cursed husk upon your body, and that at this time, you would be at your weakest."

"At my weakest, yes, quite right. I can do nothing now, whereas you shall control this dreamscape." Mrs. Felscher scanned her surroundings, looking at the grass and the bright sunshine here, before her gaze fell back upon Miss Felscher riding the white horse. "In fact, you already control this place."

Miss Felscher raised her hand, and the sunshine immediately grew more brilliant. She smiled and said, "As you can see."

"Are you going to order me to stop?"

Miss Felscher turned her horse around to face Karen sitting in the distance, seemingly replying to Mrs. Felscher, yet also seemingly replying to Karen:

"No. I want you to continue."

The voice was not loud, yet it fell with absolute clarity into Karen's ears. A look of shock instantly surfaced upon Karen's face.

Mrs. Felscher laughed uproariously: "Heh, say that once more, I did not hear clearly."

Miss Felscher likewise burst into laughter, raising her volume: "I said, I want you to continue!"

Mrs. Felscher turned her head to look at Karen and shouted, "Why is that? Didn't you want a cheerful and lively granddaughter?"

With an expression of excitement, Miss Felscher cried out, "When I replace her, won't she become cheerful and lively?"

"Hahahahaha!"

"Hahahahaha!"

The laughter of the two women gradually overlapped, and both of their gazes fell upon Karen, filled to the brim with absolute mockery.

With great difficulty, Karen propped himself up with both hands, staggering to his feet, and pointed a finger at Miss Felscher sitting upon the white horse:

"You lied to me!"

"No, my dear Doctor Karen, my Captain Karen, my Lord Karen, I did not lie to you. I promised you that I wouldn't let her..." Miss Felscher pointed at Mrs. Felscher, "...wouldn't let her replace our Philomena. She indeed has not replaced her; she will be sealed away. The one replacing our Philomena is me.

Likewise, the blessing I promised to give you—to help heal your soul and help strengthen your soul power—none of that will change.

You see,

where have I lied to you?

"I have done everything I promised you, haven't I?"

"You know that is not what I want. I want Philomena safe."

"She will be safe. She will live a better life than before, more akin to a human being—a person with a complete persona."

"She possessed a complete persona to begin with." Kaelen's gaze grew somber. "Though autistic, she was endearing. I do not wish for her to become like you, twisted existences that you are."

"Twisted?" Miss Feltcher shook her head. "You should rejoice that I will not kill you, yet I must still advise you to learn acceptance. The true Feltcher family is about to return. Continue to stand by my side, and I shall aid you in attaining a loftier position."

Kaelen shook his head.

"Could it be that your mind is still filled with the plots of heroic fairy tales, where one would sacrifice everything for subordinates, for companions?

Do not be so naive,

or I shall laugh."

...

...

"Very well, Doctor, please tell me, what is your name?"

"My name is Kaelen."

"Uh-huh, I have never heard of that name."

"Inmeles."

"You, say that again!"

"As expected, you have a distinct reaction to this surname. The results of that investigation were not wrong."

"How do you know this surname?"

"I have a new team member named Vick under my command. His mentor was Rasmar, the former High Priest of the Order of Order."

"Rasmar..."

"Rasmar investigated the curse of the Feltcher family and left behind a notebook of his findings. To resolve Philomena's issue, I read this notebook. At the very end of the investigation, only this surname was written—Inmeles.

I was very eager to know what the surname Inmeles represented, yet to my dismay, even after using my own clearance and borrowing the clearance of others to search for records regarding this surname, I could find absolutely nothing.

This surname seems to have vanished from the world entirely."

"Unsearchable?" Miss Feltcher's expression betrayed a slight hint of astonishment.

"Yes, unsearchable. But I know that the curse of the Feltcher family is definitely related to this surname. Philomena once told me that her grandmother constantly murmured about a certain person, and that person should bear the surname Inmeles."

"Yes, that is correct."

"I want to protect Philomena. She is your granddaughter, and now, she is about to be replaced by the current you."

"The current me is going to replace my granddaughter?"

"This matter is currently underway. I came here to assist, and then, I discovered you here. If you are willing to help me, I can help you leave this place and break your seal."

"Do you have any other demands?"

"I do. My soul is wounded, severely so. I can roughly guess what she intends to do. While you stop her, I hope you will share some of the blessings with me. I wish to use them to repair the wounds of my soul, and of course, it can also help me increase my strength."

"Is this your purpose for participating in this matter?"

"My purpose is to bring back my companion, my subordinate. Of course, I do not mind reaping a bit of the well-deserved profit from this affair. After all, this matter is highly perilous, is it not?"

"Of course, who wouldn't be enticed by the condensed essence of a vast family's blessings?

That you can tell me so straightforwardly allows me to see your sincerity. I feel proud and honored for that granddaughter of mine whom I have never met, to possess a companion such as you."

"You agree then?"

"Rest assured, I will stop her. I cannot bear to watch the current me commit such an abhorrent act; to me, it is simply bizarre and intolerable.

However, I possess no power at present. Even if you break the seal here and take me out, I have no way to stop her, unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Her cursed shell is very hard. To bring about the end of the curse, that layer of shell must first be broken open, much like... peeling an egg.

The moment the outer shell shatters and the egg liquid flows out, she will become very weak, and I shall seize control of the situation within this dream.

If you desire that egg liquid to repair your injuries, it would be best if you could make her break the shell a bit faster. Otherwise, she will consume a great deal of it on the meaningless task of breaking the shell, and perhaps in the end, even if she wishes to give it to you, not much will remain."

"You promise me?"

"I promise you. The remaining blessings, I shall share between you and that granddaughter of mine."

"Will you deceive me, Miss?"

"Then... will you deceive me, Sir?"

"No."

"Naturally, neither will I."

...

The confrontation still persisted.

Madam Feltcher remarked with sigh, "It must be said, he is a good superior."

Miss Feltcher nodded, saying, "He also wishes to obtain a portion of the returns. I promised him, and I will share a portion with him."

"As it should be. After you leave this place, you will still need to continue developing within the Order of Order, to raise the Feltcher family anew within the Holy Church."

"And then, find him."

"I told you, I cannot find him now."

"I know, but I am still young. Being young means there is still ample time to continue searching for him, is it not?"

"Yes, that is true. He detests the people of the Feltcher family, yet in his heart, he still holds a place for me. This curse was deliberately designed by him just to allow me to break free from the family. I know his intentions."

Miss Feltcher shook her head and said, "None of this has anything to do with you anymore."

"I know, and I would not allow him to see me in this current state.

Therefore, you must find him. I do not believe he would disappear for no reason at all."

"I will. This time, there will be no shackles of family children by my side. I shall come before him entirely clean. He will embrace me and be with me, of this I am firmly convinced."

The rate of dripping wax was gradually slowing down. By now, Philomena's body was entirely covered by a substance resembling beeswax, and her soul grew crystal clear at this moment.

Miss Feltcher pointed at the remaining "beeswax" on Madam Feltcher's skeletal frame and waved to Kaelen, who was still standing in the distance:

"These are left for you. Do not disdain the small amount; after all, you know exactly how precious it truly is."

Kaelen stood there, unmoving.

Miss Feltcher found it somewhat amusing and said, "Very well, no one will know of your choice today. When I leave this house with you and return to the headquarters, you will still be that glorious and magnificent captain, and I will still be that taciturn self. At least, for the time being."

Hearing this, Kaelen spoke, "So, you have always possessed equal memories with her."

Miss Feltcher shook her head and said, "Actually, that is not the case. I am only responsible for living freely and without constraint there, but when I have need, I can obtain the corresponding external information.

I, too, have only just learned that the current me is actually performing such deeds. No, rather, she has made preparations for this for so many years.

Truly, when I read such memories, I felt so pleasantly surprised, so exceedingly delighted, because I know that everything she did was prepared entirely for me."

Just a granddaughter... though related by blood, I have never laid eyes on her, so who could truly bring themselves to care?

You do not care either, do you?

Come now, feast upon these blessings you so desire; they are quite enough to mend your wounds and elevate your innate talents to even greater heights."

"Ah..." Karen let out a soft sigh, "To be quite honest, I find myself rather above such things. Besides, I can well imagine—should I swallow them down, would I not fall forever under your control?"

"You actually knew?"

Miss Felsher knit her brow, for if Karen had been aware of this all along, the justification he had previously offered for entangling himself in this affair ceased to hold water.

"I merely understand a single truth, which is that in this world, there is no such thing as a free lunch."

"What point is there in speaking of such things now? I, she, and she as well, we all belong to the Order. I firmly believe those old friends within the Church would far rather witness my return.

The shackles of the curse have been utterly shattered, and the blessings have completed their transference. Whether you consume them or not is entirely up to you, though you have scant time remaining for hesitation and pride, because I..."

Miss Felsher placed her hand upon Philomena, who was entirely encased in beeswax:

"I can scarce contain my impatience to bathe in the sunlight of this world once more, in my fully restored youth."

"Wait a moment. There is something in which you will undoubtedly find yourself most interested. Just a short while ago, you asked for my name, did you not?"

"The very instant my eyes fell upon you, a message echoed in my mind. You are Karen Silva. Rasmar I do happen to know; I crossed paths with him not long ago—ah, no, in terms of the present, it must have been a terribly long time ago.

Vick I am also aware of; what she knows, I am capable of knowing. He was Rasmar's student, and it was only natural for Rasmar to investigate the Felsher family curse.

From that period onward, every time Rasmar laid eyes upon him, it was as though fury itself were blazing in his gaze, and yet Rasmar could never, ever hope to measure up to him."

"I am of the same opinion. Master Rasmar could never hope to measure up to Dis."

"Indeed, never measure up..."

Miss Felsher froze, turning a severe and solemn gaze toward Karen:

"Philomena only knew his surname. It would appear that at the very conclusion of his investigative journal, Rasmar left his full name behind."

"The reality is that Rasmar did not even leave a surname. Vick informed me as much. I suspect he managed to discover precisely who had laid the curse, and so he simply ceased his investigation."

Miss Felsher's gaze grew increasingly heavy and grim as she demanded, "Just what, exactly, are you trying to say?"

"You asked me once: who am I?"

"Mm?"

"My answer is... Karen Inmeles."

"You..."

"I did not deceive you. It was you who misheard the given name and the surname, splitting them apart.

Is it not a grand irony? You and she have dreamed of nothing but seeing my grandfather once more, yet when his own grandson stands before your very eyes, even uttering that very surname, you failed to recognize him in the slightest."

"You are his... grandson?"

"I am."

"He and she... they actually have a grandson...

Of course, I have a granddaughter myself now.

Very well, I am all the more impatient to awaken. You shall take me to find your grandfather."

"I find myself quite curious about one detail. It was my grandfather who laid the curse upon your family, so why is it that you do not harbor any hatred for him?"

"Because you do not comprehend. Your grandfather loved me; it is merely that his love was extraordinarily profound. And now that I have broken free from every shackle, I shall present myself before him entirely unblemished.

You see, this is the very orchestration of destiny, the God of Order being moved by our romance.

Otherwise, there would be no explanation for how I could encounter you on the exact day I shattered the chains of the curse. It was God who sent you here to guide me, to fulfill our love; all of this is the divine will."

Karen smiled faintly. "Then allow me to show you what the divine will truly signifies."

With those words,

Karen pressed his fingertip against the center of his own brow.

Immediately, the phantom image of Dis manifested behind him—majestic, towering, clad in the sacred robes of a Church Elder, appearing holy and inviolable.

Miss Felsher and Madame Felsher instantly cried out in astonishment:

"Dis!"

"Dis!"

The faces of both women were utterly consumed by shock, and tears even began to well up in their eyes.

Madame Felsher wept, saying, "He truly is Dis's grandson. My Dis... he has grown old."

Miss Felsher, laughing and crying all at once, murmured, "No wonder no word of him could be found; so he has become a Church Elder. Karen, did your grandfather send you to fetch me?"

"I am grown now. It has been many years since I read fairy tales, nor do I consider myself naive. I have never once believed in those utterly cliché plotlines where finding the benevolent nature of a demon king allows one to defeat the wicked demon king;

To be precise,

I knew from the very beginning that the younger version of you and the present version of you would possess no difference at all. In any case, both are equally malicious.

Oh, and furthermore, I truly did practice as a doctor; I did not deceive you on that account. Therefore, those innocent expressions and thoughtful frowns of yours appeared, in my eyes, so thoroughly fabricated they could not possibly deceive me."

Miss Felsher's gaze turned dark and sullen as she demanded, "What exactly are you getting at?"

"In truth,

The moment I learned that my family's curse was laid by my grandfather, a faint suspicion crossed my mind;

The moment I stepped into this household, a peculiar sensation began to take hold of me;

The moment I entered the dreamscape, this sensation grew increasingly distinct;

The moment I used the scythe to help you cleave the chains of the curse, this sensation began to solidify into reality;

Yes, the curse has indeed been broken. But since it was a curse laid by my grandfather, is it not possible for me to...

After all, my grandfather is standing right behind me anyway."

Karen lowered the finger positioned at his brow and pointed it once more toward Madame Felsher up ahead. Simultaneously, the phantom of Dis behind him raised his arm, directing his gesture toward Madame Felsher as well.

"What I mean to say is, since the blessings have already been poured out.

Well,

Might I be permitted to curse both of you right back into your original state?"