Chapter 44: Rest Note!

Chapter 44: The Rest Note!

Empowered by the forces of nature, Alotta fled swiftly, yet a dark silhouette remained hitched closely behind him like an old hunter observing his quarry bolt, savoring far more than just the brief moment of pulling the trigger.

At last,

Beneath a sculpture within a fountain square, Alotta halted, finally releasing Delice whom he had kept dragged along by his side.

Clutching her chest, Delice crouched nearby and began to dry-heave; the prior breakneck speed had inflicted a degree of motion sickness upon her, the passive passenger, no less severe than a violent car sickness.

Dis’s figure materialized before them, and in contrast to Alotta’s heavy panting, Dis remained utterly composed.

"I am willing to pay any price to atone for my transgressions," Alotta spoke. "Name whatever you wish, so long as it lies within my power to achieve it."

The religious world inherently possessed no laws, for every faith held its own deity to be the supreme sovereign, and by extension, they who worshiped the supreme were themselves supreme;

Yet ever since the rise of the Church of Order, laws had indeed manifested within the religious world.

Dis shook his head, continuing his direct approach.

"I have never encountered an inquisitor so rigid and humorless as you." Alotta drew a mirror from his tunic—a sacred tool that had been blessed.

Dis shook his head once more. "In truth, I am not."

"Then... is it merely my poor luck?" Alotta found the notion entirely absurd.

"Precisely," Dis provided the answer in an even, tranquil tone.

"God of Nature above, grant Thy follower the sanctuary of nature!"

A vibrant green, symbolic of vitality, began to ripple outward from Alotta's form;

"Mirror of Nature, handed down from the hands of Cigoulai, bestow upon me the power of benediction!"

The mirror's surface projected a stark white sheen, forming a bright, polished suit of armor over Alotta.

"In the name of the Envoy of Nature, I summon the surrounding forces of nature to grant me absolution!"

All around, firefly-like motes began to cluster thick about Alotta, weaving a barrier-like existence.

"The Earth is our mother, pray look upon your children with tenderness!"

Alotta dropped to one knee, unfurling a scroll with one hand while pressing the palm of his other flat against the ground; a moment later, an astral array flared upon the earth.

Immediately following this,

He retrieved a crystal pendant hanging from his neck:

"Sole Entity within the Mist, guide Thy bewildered follower!"

Plumes of black mist erupted from the crystal pendant, swallowing the surroundings.

"Lost Church of Light, cast the breath of illumination upon this broken stone tablet, let Thy aura grace the mortal realm once more!"

Yet another layer of flowing golden light emerged, continuing the shroud.

Alotta had not only utilized the incantations of the Berry Faith, but he had also deployed the sacred instruments of other religions at this critical juncture, including even a fractured relic of the long-extinct Church of Light.

Throughout this entire display,

Dis merely advanced at his original pace, his steps unhurried by Alotta's frantic deployment of spells and relics.

Finally,

Dis arrived before the astral array;

And within it lay layered and dense manifestations of various elemental forces, swirling, empowering, and guarding.

The natural energy of the Berry Faith served as an exceptional stabilizer here; had it been anyone else invoking so many relics from disparate churches at once, the conflicting attributes would likely have clashed and detonated instantly.

"I feel terror. Even though I have erected so many tiers of defense, the instinct granted to me by the God of Nature tells me that you look upon me now as though looking upon an ant.

This is utterly preposterous;

The Church of Order is mighty, I admit, but I do not believe a random, local inquisitor under their banner could possess such overwhelming strength.

Please tell me this is not real."

Dis extended both hands,

Chanting:

"Forbidden Order Eternal—Erase."

"A for... for... forbidden spell???"

A ray of dawn-light, symbolizing Order, manifested before Dis;

It appeared,

And it vanished;

Vanishing along with it

Was the natural energy of the Berry Faith, the mirror-force of Cigoulai, the blessing of the Earth Faith, the void-power of the Mist Faith, and the radiant protection of the Light Faith;

Together with

Alotta himself,

And even

His garments,

As though this priest of the Berry Faith had never existed in the first place.

Beside the fountain where various lights had just been swirling, all was now hushed and still.

"My apologies."

Because your instinct was correct.

"Cough... cough..."

Dis coughed twice, his gaze falling upon the dull-eyed Delice nearby.

Delice had not stood before the dawn-light, so she still existed;

Yet she had borne the collateral shockwaves of that radiant light;

Every faith claimed that external demons possessed the power of pollution, but no faith would ever concede that the profound mysteries of their own religion could also carry a corrupting attribute.

Yet in reality, they did.

The pollution here was an incidental erasing.

For instance, Delice had already been stripped of a portion of her memory and thought; even her soul was fractured, leaving her to plunge into madness for the remainder of her days.

In truth, she was already mad.

For after a brief, vacant stupor,

She immediately rushed to the edge of the fountain, screaming frantically at her own reflection in the water:

"We must protect the environment! We must protect the environment! We must protect the environment!"

At this moment,

She was sincere, and she was devout, entirely free of any impurity, because impurities no longer existed within her.

Diss turned around,

and walked back,

his figure vanishing under the sparse streetlamps of Roga City.

...

"Are you going to eat them?"

Karen asked Alfred.

"Young master, I believe tonight was a great loss for Madam Molly since she could not make it. Therefore, I would like to bring these spring rolls to her tomorrow, offering her a chance to make up for the regret."

"You are quite right, I agree."

"Thank you for your gracious permission."

"You will be driving in the front shortly, and I fear your breath might be foul by then."

"Your greatness, your considerations are always so thorough."

"Alright, load the car."

"Yes, sir."

The corpses of the old councilor Haggert, Ford, and Mr. Orca were also tossed into the vehicle.

At this moment, the newly purchased hearse of the Inmeles family seemed exceedingly cramped and narrow.

Karen could only sit at the very end, leaving more space for the "passengers."

And then,

Grandfather returned.

"You are back," Karen said.

Diss got into the car, making no comment on the crowded space, but instead asked:

"Is it over?"

"Yes." Karen folded the list.

"Good." Diss closed his eyes.

Karen waved, signaling Alfred to drive.

He did not ask about the outcome of the red-robed priest who leapt from the building, because he instinctively believed that since Diss had returned, that "aberrant demon" certainly no longer existed.

Nor did he ask Diss why he had not brought the corpse back,

for asking would be useless,

as the hearse could hold no more.

Perhaps,

in the future, he could suggest Uncle Mason add the kind of hooks found in slaughterhouses to the upper ceiling of the hearse's rear compartment, changing the guests from lying down to hanging, which would instantly multiply the capacity several times over.

Three o'clock in the morning;

the hearse returned to the entrance of the Inmeles home on Mink Street.

The industrious Alfred brought out the stretcher cart, transporting the corpses one by one into the basement of the house, requiring absolutely no help from Karen or Diss throughout the entire process;

no wonder Uncle Mason would harbor thoughts of whether or not to dismiss Ron.

Karen and Diss stood at the entrance of the house, precisely where the circle had been drawn before they left.

"Did you like tonight?" Diss asked.

"Do you mean tonight's music?" Karen asked.

Only then did Karen remember that the secondhand old-style radio Alfred had bought for a few thousand lubis had not yet been taken out of the car.

Karen walked to the driver's cabin, opened the door, and hoisted the radio onto his shoulder.

It was not actually heavy, not heavy at all; it looked large, but inside it was essentially just wood and components.

"This is tonight's, souvenir," Karen said.

This had actually given the answer, going to a concert under the stars and the moon, returning weary but still able to savor it when waking up for breakfast the next day.

"Many people choose to believe in the Church of Order because of nights similar to this one, using their own strength to execute their own justice, to uphold the order that ought to be set right.

Unfortunately, this understanding is..."

"Is superficial," Karen interjected.

Diss paused for a moment, then continued: "This understanding, is correct."

"..." Karen.

"A thousand years ago, before its demise, the Pope of the Church of Light once shouted from the high tower of the Holy See on a night after going mad: he had never believed in the existence of the God of Light.

Many thought those were the crazed words of a lunatic after being polluted, a manifestation of fall;

but,

I feel he was speaking from his heart.

When you are closer to God, you will find that God becomes less and less believable.

You become more and more steadfast in the thoughts you held when you first entered the church, and then begin to constantly lose yourself in confusion over what exact meaning this long stretch of your life after joining the church actually possessed."

"But, some truths, if one has not walked through them personally, will never be comprehended."

"Then, do you wish to comprehend?" Diss suddenly asked.

Purr, who had already been dozing off, suddenly perked up her cat ears upon hearing this, instantly turning alert.

"I will follow Grandfather's arrangements," Karen said.

He did not believe in any Church of Order,

but he praised order.

Therefore, if there was a way to allow himself to obtain the ability to "praise order" just like Diss, he was willing.

If before tonight he might have hesitated and wavered, after all with the tragedy of "Karen's" parents dying young fresh before him;

but now,

he admitted,

he could not refuse this temptation.

Even Mr. Morf could only lie before him, not daring to move;

could the kind of "peaceful and beautiful years" he envisioned truly be sustained?

When this world truly possessed the standing of divine power that could break inherent rules, what else could provide you with genuine security?

Perhaps, this perception of his was far too extreme;

but Karen had no choice but to be extreme, especially after witnessing the plight of Siso's family; you only had to try putting yourself into the despair of their family that night, and you would no longer have any possibility of hesitating.

And this was not even counting his own almost "ironclad" identity as an evil god.

Disis smiled: "I remember saying, before I depart."

Karen took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly,

saying:

"Then I wish Grandfather a long life."

This was neither irony nor cynicism; after all, who could reject such a grandfather?

"But men must always die, and not even the gods are exempt," Disis said. "You may reconsider your options for studying abroad; high school coursework shouldn't be difficult for you, right?"

"Why?" Karen asked.

"To study hard is only as it should be, is that not what you said before?"

"I am simply curious why you have changed your mind again, Grandfather; you once said you wished for your family to remain by your side always."

"While I am living, of course I so wish, but if I am gone, do I expect my family to move entirely into the cemetery to dwell?"

"This..."

"I am weary, I shall go rest."

Disis walked toward the house.

Karen followed behind, pressing further: "Grandfather, has some misfortune occurred?"

"Before I depart, no misfortune shall affect the Inmeres family."

"No, Grandfather, it is unseemly to speak this way; it invites misfortune."

Disis paused, turning back to look at Karen, and said:

"I have cursed even the God of Order, what superstition should I fear?"

"It is not the same; as your family, I do not wish for any harm to befall the household, especially those words you keep repeating, as though arranging your final affairs."

"Young Master, the corpses have all been moved down, I..."

"If you are gone, Alfred might very well swallow me whole."

"..." Alfred.

"If I am gone, with you leading the two of them, you might actually be freer."

"Listen to that, you are starting again." Karen stepped forward, taking Disis by the arm; Disis coughed, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.

"What is wrong? Are you injured?" Karen asked anxiously.

"It is nothing, a minor side effect after invoking the forbidden curse."

"...!" Alfred.

"From now on, events like tonight, let us not involve ourselves anymore; we shall simply run the business peacefully, earn our currency, that would be grand. To prepare dowries for Mina and Chris."

"Sometimes it is not that you seek trouble, but that trouble seeks you; it cannot be avoided." Disis gently pushed away Karen's supporting hand. "In any case, I shall pray to that whore-son God of Order, pray that He does not let me die..."

Disis looked upon the grandson standing before him with a smile,

"Because I shall warn Him, that He could not bear the consequences of my death."

"Call upon me when you pray, we shall warn that whore-son God of Order together."

"Very well."

Disis walked up the stairs.

Karen did not follow; he still had matters to conclude, like a musical piece awaiting its final rest.

"Young Master."

"Alfred, thank you for pouring me a glass of ice water and bringing it down to the basement."

"Yes, Young Master."

Karen walked into the basement;

The basement tonight was quite lively, with nine guests residing here.

Aunt Mary's workshop had long run out of space, so these nine guests were all placed in the mortuary; in the depth of winter, no refrigeration was required.

Karen turned on the light, pulling over a round stool from the workshop.

Within four coffins lay the Siso family.

Beside them on the floor lay Mr. Morf, the Editor-in-Chief, Ford, Hagget, and Orca.

If these five could still rise and speak at this moment,

they would likely be in utter disbelief,

disbelieving that someone would actually slaughter all five of them over the deaths of four commoners.

Well,

let alone them,

even within Karen's own mind, things still felt somewhat surreal at this juncture.

"Huuu..."

Karen let out a long breath,

murmuring to himself:

"I truly wish Miss Molly were here right now, so she could regurgitate Mrs. Hughes entirely whole."

Karen smiled,

he gestured toward the four coffins, then toward the five men lying exposed on the ground in their various states of death:

"What is art, what is artistic value, what is the impact derived from art? It is not merely killing a few people around you and arranging a display that can be called art.

Look here,

look before us,

these four coffins, these five men, paired together.

Huuu,

that artistic sense of suffocation arises instantly.

It is like a balance scale; placing them together is inherently one of the finest expressions of art.

No,

they are not even placed together,

the Siso family now rests in comfortable coffins, heh heh heh, while these five are not even worthy of entering a coffin."

Karen was talking to himself.

By the ramp, Alfred, holding a glass of ice water,

His gaze swept across the four coffins of Sisuo's family one by one, and then he walked over, tapping once upon each coffin.

"Thud..."

"Thud..."

"Thud..."

"Thud..."

It sounded like a knock upon a door, as though the family were merely fast asleep at this hour.

After knocking upon every single coffin,

Karen sat down upon the round stool.

He spoke:

"Rise, and look."

From beneath Karen's feet, black, chain-like manifestations spread outward, extending beneath each coffin; the entire basement, at this moment, was suffused with an indescribable majesty and solemnity.

Alfred, holding the ice water, watched this scene in shock and ecstasy!

Tonight,

I danced with an evil god to the same melody and the same rhythm!

If this is not an evil god, then who is!

Madam Molly even said to herself that Master Karen gave off an impression that was far too easygoing!

Hahaha,

What do low-level aberrations know,

A true evil god is precisely supposed to be like this.

Having never undergone purification, he could yet employ "Awakening" so naturally.

Evil god above, please forgive me for holding ice water for you right now, unable to kneel and worship;

Yet my heart has long since surrendered to you!

The study;

Returning to the study alongside Dis, Purr asked curiously:

"Dis, did the headquarters send someone over? No, that is not right; since you do not intend to kill Karen, you must have hidden and covered up the issue of your divine descent ritual, so it is impossible for any clues to be exposed because of this matter.

Who was sent over?

Because of what did you speak those words tonight?

No,

Dis,

What exactly did you sacrifice for the divine descent ritual?"

Suddenly,

A bizarre aura suffused the space.

Purr immediately widened her feline eyes, crying out, "Again!"

Dis, however, revealed a smile.

"He has not even undergone purification yet, he has not even entered the sect, Dis, am I truly to worship an evil god who knows how to cook all kinds of fish?

Though I do not think there is anything wrong with that,

And your dissuasion would mostly be useless to me anyway,

But I feel,

You should still try to dissuade me, just to seem normal."

"Perhaps my grandson is not an evil god," Dis spoke.

"Hahaha, there you go again; if he is not an evil god, could it be that the God of Order was summoned by you?"

Dis shook his head,

And said:

"Could there be such a possibility..."

"What kind of possibility?"

"My grandson, like the God of Order, is purely a... person risen from the dead."

...

"Screeech..."

From within the four unsealed coffins came the sound of friction.

This sound, in the nighttime basement, seemed exceptionally bizarre and eerie.

Karen sat there quietly, like the sole audience member of this eerie concert.

Finally,

The coffin lids were lifted one after another,

Karen saw Sisuo, saw Sisuo's old mother, saw Sisuo's daughter, saw Sisuo's wife; they sat up from within their coffins one after another, and then, all turned their vacant gazes toward Karen.

Karen took the Morf gold-framed cigarette from his pocket, with only the last one remaining;

With some regret,

Had he known, he should have pocketed a new pack in the study of Mr. Morf's house, or brought back a few more, for his uncle to distribute to distinguished guests when welcoming and seeing them off;

However, do the "Regulations of Order" permit the robbery of property?

Or, should this be called the confiscation of an aberration's illegal gains?

Karen retrieved his lighter,

And as he prepared to light the cigarette, he spoke:

"The enemy who murdered your family is right here;

Now,

You may have your revenge."

Sisuo's family crawled out of their coffins one after another, coming onto the ground.

At this moment,

The hand Karen used to light the cigarette trembled slightly.

In the end,

This cigarette was never lit after all,

"Heh..."

He let out a soft laugh,

crushing the cigarette into the palm of his hand,

while blinking fiercely to hold back the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes.

For,

the Hisoka family, crawling their way out of the coffin, did not fling themselves upon Mr. Morf and the other four in a fury of tearing teeth and vented rage,

but instead,

the family simply held each other, locked in a tight, desperate embrace.