Chapter 57: Rasma

Chapter 57: Rasma

"Simon, is this the report you intend to submit to the regional administration?"

"Yes, Lord Rasma. This report was actually submitted to the region already, but the regional administration did not process it; I then submitted it to the Whip of Order, but after submission, there was likewise no response at all."

Rasma flipped through the report in his hand with a smile on his face, laughing:

"So, you took this opportunity to deliver this report into my hands?"

"Yes, Lord Rasma, because your subordinate believes Inquisitor Diss is suspected of abusing the Code of Order. According to the handling report he submitted after the fact, it can be said to be almost undisguised. It is apparent that he deliberately expanded the targets of his crackdown, causing a tremendous impact on the social order of Luojia City, and directly interfered in the mayoral election campaign of Luojia City."

"A local financial conglomerate syndicate leader died, a journalist died, a councilor died, a mayoral candidate died—four people died."

"They died overnight, and there was also a mid-level member of the Berry Church; of course, he deserved to die."

"Were they conspiring together?"

"Yes, this point has been verified beyond doubt according to the report submitted by Inquisitor Diss as well as your subordinate's own investigations. They were indeed using the abilities of that mid-level Berry Church member to conspire together."

"Mm, so is there any other problem?"

"Your subordinate believes that Inquisitor Diss's handling could have been more composed under the conditions while minimizing the negative impact, but Inquisitor Diss did not choose to do so."

"People always have times when they are in a bad mood, it is understandable."

"But..."

"There is nothing to 'but' about. Even if you handed this report to me, it would still be useless. Would you accuse a man of slaughtering the innocent because he stepped on a few ants while walking normally?"

"Your subordinate feels such an analogy shouldn't be made."

"It shouldn't be made; it is unfair to him. Because his walking normally is, in fact, already the best maintenance of order. Even more so, he doesn't rebel against order; he still knows to recite the Code of Order before acting, and he still knows to submit a report after finishing his business. This alone is enough to move the relevant persons in charge at the regional level or even over at the headquarters to tears."

"Your subordinate..."

"You have seen Diss, right?"

"Yes, these days your subordinate has been responsible for the transmission of documents from the regional administration to the surroundings. I have met Inquisitor Diss several times, and even transferred a replica copper coin of the Source of Sin from his hands."

"Then what kind of person do you think Diss is? Leaving this report aside."

"He is a very rigorous and serious inquisitor. Leaving aside the improper handling in this report, Inquisitor Diss's level of professional competence and responsibility exceeds the average level of the rest of our church's local inquisitors that I know of today."

"Mm, that is good then."

Rasma handed the report back to Simon, the Whip of Order squad captain standing before him.

"Lord Rasma, does this report need to be destroyed?"

"No, you can keep it; collect it for now. This kind of small mistake, a minor oversight that cannot even be considered a small mistake, cannot bring down an elephant. But if one day the elephant really falls, these can be brought out to splash some dirty water on the elephant's corpse.

Very well, you may leave; go attend to your matters."

"Your subordinate takes his leave."

Simon respectfully left the rooftop of this hotel building.

Grand Priest Rasma, with his closely cropped hair and neatly trimmed stubble, stood here alone for a long while more.

"Sigh..."

Rasma spread his hands and rubbed his face with force, rubbing it until his face was completely flushed.

"I am already trying my best to practice restraint, but there really is no way, Diss.

Every time I hear your name, I cannot suppress the fluctuations of my emotions.

Especially when I come to the city where you reside, this kind of emotion has been playing tricks in my heart."

Rasma drew a small knife from his cuff, one end of the knife's handle connected to a beaded cord;

Immediately,

He walked down the building while swinging the beaded cord.

By the time he stepped out of the first-floor lobby, Rasma, who had previously been dressed in a solemn black attire, had transformed into an old man wearing a worn leather jacket. That swinging little dagger, paired with a roguish corner of his mouth, was the living image of an old hoodlum.

He just strolled through this city. The speed of his walking was not fast, even slower than a lady obsessed with window shopping without buying.

But the overlap of his figure was very fast, as if he had clearly appeared at the end of the street at first, yet in the next instant, he appeared at the head of the street.

He was taking a walk,

He was clearing his mind;

A distance that usually cost nearly 30 lubis by taxi, he quickly saved.

The soles of his rubber boots stepped into the puddles beneath his feet, splashing up quite a bit of dirty water.

Before his eyes lay Mine Street, the most famous flea market in Luojia City.

Here, the flow of people was dense and the personnel complex; it was no exaggeration to say that it was the liveliest yet least prosperous place in the entire Luojia City.

Rasma took a deep breath,

Yes,

It was right here.

He needed this kind of place; here, he could recall his childhood, and here, he could obtain his inner peace.

He walked to the front of a pastry shop;

Mine Street had many such small-fronted pastry shops. A pastry shop had only one door, the eaves were low, and beneath the glass counter next to it, basically only a single tray of the cheapest sponge cakes was placed;

Some pastry shops couldn't even bear to put out a whole tray, just placing two or three, and it was visible to the naked eye that they had long since grown moldy;

They had never been sold, yet the owners were too lazy to replace them. A few sponge cakes conscientiously served as the most steadfast old actors in the cabinet.

Luojia City banned the erotic industry; precisely speaking, the entire Ruelan banned the erotic industry.

But the ban was a ban on the legal statutes. In terms of social trends, Ruelan, which had always been influenced by Vienne, still maintained a certain degree of openness, coupled with the fact that this industry had always possessed a clear and unmistakable market demand;

Therefore, a new mode of presentation had generally formed in Ruelan, for example... pastry shops.

From shops as small as the densely packed pastry shops existing in the form of small workshops in Mine Street, to shops as large as those exquisite and magnificent grand stores in the city center, what they hung were all "catering licenses."

A guest enters my shop in order to buy pastries. The pastries are infused with my "love" as well as a rich flavor of "craftsmanship spirit," so their price is much more expensive than ordinary pastries;

But one is willing to strike and the other is willing to suffer the blow, is it not?

After the guest buys the pastry, I, as the shop assistant, become acquainted with the guest. We chat for a few sentences, our feelings rapidly heat up, and instantly confirm a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship; then, unable to restrain ourselves, we desire to have some things happen that ought to happen between couples;

After the matter is finished, the feelings rapidly break down, and we break up again.

But love is difficult to sever completely; being joined by continuous threads of sentiment is the true normal state. So the next time the ex-partner appears at the doorway of my storefront again, as long as they buy another piece of pastry, our feelings can immediately flare up from the ashes.

Dalot, one of the greatest poets in the history of Luojia, once wrote in a poem composed during his middle age:

"My youth has long been deposited in the pastry shop of my hometown. I know very well that even when I am already old, I can still come here again to relish anew that vanished youth."

Rasma arrived at the entrance of a small pastry shop. The tray of sponge cakes inside the counter was still considered fresh;

A woman was sitting on a small stool knitting a sweater, lifting her head to see Rasma standing at the door.

She put down her needlework, stood up, and opened her overcoat, displaying her figure.

Rasma glanced at it, smiled, and took out five banknotes of one-hundred lubi denomination, placing them upon the counter.

I cannot fulfill this request.

“You are old, with a fragile stomach, and you can no longer tolerate such food. You must not eat it again next time.”

The old mother retorted, “If I eat a bit more, you all can eat a bit less. It is your health that is truly precious. I told you, it is no big deal, and going to the clinic for medicine is just another expense.”

“Oh, but isn't that exactly what we earn money for? My dear, take Mother back to get some rest, and brew her a cup of milk tea.”

“Mhm.”

“Rathma” looked at this wife; colors also clung to her body. Reaching out to gently “tug them out,” he beheld a face that should have been shattered.

The old grandmother also bore colors upon her body. He reached out and yanked them free in the same manner; the originally benevolent old woman now revealed a grotesque visage, her long tongue protruding far outside.

…

“Should have died from falling face-first.”

“Hmm?”

“Should have died from hanging.”

The woman immediately said, “Are you speaking of the ‘Hisoka’ family who died last time? Heavens, that was truly major news. They were a perfectly fine family, yet the master of the house committed suicide by poison, his mother hanged herself, and the wife leaped from the tenement building to her death with their daughter. An entire family, in a single night, all committed suicide.

Many reporters came to cover the event, and it caused quite a stir in the newspapers. Because of it, a massive demonstration even erupted in the East District.”

…

“Papa.”

A lovely girl ran up to Rotte.

From his pocket, Rotte pulled out a five-lube note he had just received from his last customer and handed it to Sarah.

“Father, there is no need for money. I was invited by Mina and Brother Karen to go on a picnic together.”

“Take it, buy some candies for Mina and the others. You cannot spend not a single coin, or you won't be able to stay friends that way.”

“Alright, Father.”

Sarah accepted the money, stepped forward, and kissed her father on the forehead.

“Go on and play. You have already been delayed because your grandmother went to the clinic. Rest assured, your grandmother is fine.”

“Alright, Father.”

“Rathma” discovered that this girl also possessed colors upon her body that had not yet had time to fade completely. Reaching out to grasp them, what he saw was a disfigured face.

Then,

The girl ran up to a handsome young man and called out affectionately:

“Brother Karen.”

Rotte stood up and said to the youth:

“I am sorry, because of her grandmother’s business, we have delayed your time.”

“The elders' health is most important, it is only right, no delay at all.”

“Thank you for taking Sarah out to play. As you know, her mother and I are busy with business and usually cannot spare any time.”

“Yes, but business always has its slack and peak seasons. Unfortunate as it is, my family is in a slack season again recently.”

“Oh, that will not do. The peak season is still better.”

“Rathma’s” gaze fell upon the speaking young man.

He was very handsome,

Even against a “black and white” toned background, one could still see the refinement of his features, and he could still give off a sense of being entirely out of place with those around him.

It was just that “Rathma” had no interest in such things,

After confirming that this young man had no other abnormalities besides his good looks, he shifted his gaze away,

Letting this “perfectly ordinary” young man pass.

…

At the same time,

Rathma, who was lying on the bed inside the pastry shop, sat up, while reaching out to clutch the dagger tightly in his hand.

“That girl was also killed by a fall.”

“Yes, didn't I just say so? Their whole family died. A man, an old mother, and a wife with their only daughter, all committed suicide overnight.

Sigh, what a pitiful family.”

Listening to the woman’s words while looking at the small knife in his hand, Rathma

Said:

“Originally, it shouldn't have been their family.”

———

The updates have been too fierce during this period, leaving my body and schedule a bit exhausted. There is no second update today; I need a moment to recover.

Hug you all tightly!