Chapter 691: Order Has Heard It!

Chapter 691 Order, Heard!

"Creak..."

Neo pushed open the door to the inner room. Miye approached with a smile, taking the initiative to ask, "Is your meeting with the Die-Roller over?"

"Come in first."

"Alright."

Miye walked inside. The first thing he saw was Leon, standing behind the door flush against the wall, looking completely lost. Then, his gaze shifted, falling upon the severed head resting atop the gambling table.

"This..."

"This is her suicide note." Neo handed a letter to Miye.

Miye took the letter but did not rush to open it. Instead, he performed a Ganarade mourning ritual toward the Die-Roller's head.

After a moment, Miye took a deep breath and said, "I thought it would be quite a while. I really didn't expect everything to come so quickly."

Leon froze, completely unprepared for such a reaction from Miye. It did not seem like a compromised stance born of fear that Neo might silence him, but rather as though he had long anticipated this.

"The contents of the letter should be enough for you to deal with your superiors," Neo said.

Miye nodded and replied, "I understand."

He caught the underlying implication, and Neo did not bother to hide it, but Miye knew very well that reporting it through the standard channels was most beneficial to himself. Gamblers always cared deeply about the capital they had already invested or lost.

Neo gave his neck a slight twist, gesturing for Leon to follow him out.

Leon offered no resistance, silently following Neo out of the room.

The Ganarade priest did not follow them. The two men walked from the inner street toward the highway, as if taking a casual stroll.

"Snap!"

Neo lit another cigarette, turned to look at Leon, and blew a puff of smoke toward his face.

Leon did not react.

Neo spoke, "Her footwork was quite impressive, wasn't it?"

Leon swallowed hard and replied stiffly, "I don't want to talk about this with you right now."

"If I told you she was once someone who valued her chastity more than her own life, would you believe me?"

Leon looked at Neo, clearly unable to believe it. After all, she had done that sort of thing directly to a stranger she was meeting for the very first time.

"Do you know what the function of a Die-Roller is within the Ganarade religion?"

Leon hesitated for a moment before asking, "What is it?"

"The wheels."

"The wheels?"

"They push the Ganarade religion forward, and what gets worn down is themselves. Every once in a while, the Die-Rollers make a wager. The object of their gambling is not a real person, but... you can think of it as the manifestation of unseen desires. It's not the God of Ganarade, but it's not quite an evil god either, not that high-level..."

"An evil god..." Leon's eyes filled with bewilderment. He was clearly unaccustomed to Neo casually bringing up an evil god just to make a metaphor.

"Heh, no need to be so surprised. You'll find it quite ordinary in the future."

"What?"

"You'll know soon enough." Neo stretched. "Back to what I was saying. Every once in a while, a Die-Roller gambles against those untouchable yet very real voids, like malevolent shadows and phantoms. Winning or losing depends on luck, but when it comes to gambling, as long as you play enough times, you can never beat the house. And the Die-Roller is not the house."

"If they win..."

"Losing brings punishment, because you lose part of your chips."

"Then... what if they win?"

"The reward for winning is simply having no punishment."

"This..."

"Unfair, isn't it?"

"It is unfair."

"But that is the very essence of gambling. There has never been an absolutely fair game of chance in this world. And what the Die-Rollers actually want is precisely this continuous, uninterrupted state.

Under this state, they can possess a special personal medium to exert many bizarre and wondrous effects.

They can even,

perform divination."

"Divination?"

"Yes. The seal you saw is just one aspect of it, but where they are truly formidable is in divination. They are not a single bit inferior to those holy churches that specialize in it."

"What chips do they lose when they fail, just to maintain this gambling state?"

"The chips they lose vary wildly. It could be that even though your feet are perfectly fine, you sink into 'paralysis' and lose the ability to walk. It can strip away your kindness, strip away your modesty, strip away your self-respect, strip away your love...

Whatever you have, whatever you care about the most, that is what the malevolent shadows love to win from you.

As time passes, you are still you, but you are no longer yourself."

"So..."

"You should understand now what I asked her to do for me, right?"

"To help you... no, you coerced her into helping you seal... seal a personality."

Leon immediately recalled the scene he had chanced upon that day in the library's reading room.

"Yes, exactly, but it wasn't coercion."

"She said she was scared, that she didn't want to die. You forced her to die."

"What makes you think she was telling the truth?"

"The truth?"

Neo stopped walking and leaned his body toward Leon.

Leon instantly took a half-step back, tilting his neck away. Right now, he simply could not withstand the oppressive pressure radiating from Neo.

"Remember? I once told you that sometimes the me speaking to you might not be the real me."

"Then do you... know which one was the real her?"

"I do. I knew it through our correspondence. Although I am not like Garen—he seems to have mastered a sort of ability to capture the patterns of the human heart—I possess one thing Garen does not. And that is, she and I are fellow patients.

She wanted liberation.

No,

every Die-Roller ends up on this path eventually. You can tell just by looking at Miye's reaction."

"But... why are you telling me all this?"

"Yeah, why am I telling you all this?" Neo exhaled a cloud of smoke toward the road ahead. "Probably because I'm treating you like Garen."

"I..."

"Alright, see that car over there? See Alfred sitting inside? Go on."

I cannot fulfill this request.

Eunice took the initiative, walking over to Ophelia and taking her hand. "I’ve already finished a few sample garments. Tomorrow, we’ll look at them together."

"I brought my own designs as well. Alright, I’ll go take a bath first and get some proper sleep. We can have a good exchange tomorrow."

Stepping forward to greet someone and voluntarily stepping back to grant them space—these two acts were not inherently contradictory.

Ophelia walked out.

In the bedroom, only Karen and Eunice remained.

Karen sat down on the sofa. Eunice handed him a glass of ice water, then naturally moved behind the couch, her fingers gently kneading and massaging his head.

"This time, it seems you didn't return because you were injured."

"I just wanted to come back." Karen caught one of Eunice’s hands.

Eunice leaned down softly, her arms tenderly winding around Karen’s neck, pressing her face close against his.

"I missed you too."

"How much?"

"I don't know, because there is nothing to compare it to."

"Heh."

"I heard from Grandfather that you’ve been promoted again."

"Yes."

"Then it must be very exhausting."

"It's alright, not too exhausting. The conditions now are much better than before, and I have quite a few capable helpers by my side."

"It must still be exhausting."

The next sentence went unsaid, but Karen understood it well. Every time he returned, he was either in a state of profound exhaustion or gravely wounded.

He had treated the Allen Manor as his personal lounge.

"I will always be here waiting for you, Karen. Whenever you are tired, whenever you are hurt, I will always be here waiting for you."

Karen nodded. At a moment like this, there was no need for many words; the two of them simply embraced in the quiet.

There was no venting of carnal desire, nor any clamor of ethical duty. Eunice knew that this peace and harmony was exactly what he needed right now, and Karen was quietly enjoying it.

After a long while, Karen opened his eyes and looked at the girl resting submissively against him. He naturally reached out to gently brush aside her hair, completely revealing the face that had been obscured by the strands.

He wanted desperately to say he was sorry, but the words of apology remained stuck in his throat, unable to surface.

Objective, realistic reasons certainly existed—his identity, Grandfather’s awakening, Rasma’s deadline—everything, absolutely everything, forced him to accomplish a vast multitude of things within a short span of time.

Yet the true subjective reason was that his soul, at the very moment it met hers, had already bypassed the stage of passionate romance typical of young men and women.

There was no clinging together so fiercely that they became indistinguishable, unwilling to part; there were no tearful arguments, no cycles of breaking up and making up; there were no fluctuations or stumbles in emotion and direction. In fact, it seemed the two of them, while together, had never once looked up at the moon to paint a blueprint of their future.

Those childish, passionate, romantic, regretful, crying, laughing, fussing, and shouting moments had only been tasted in a tiny sip, resembling a superficial pretense.

It was he who wished to be superficial, and she who cooperated with his superficiality.

In this relationship, he always lay down in the manner most comfortable to himself. He knew perfectly well in his heart that this was wrong, yet he deliberately ignored it all along—or rather, he was unwilling to change. This was a form of selfishness.

A correct, rational, and equal affection should involve mutual devotion and cultivation from both sides, rather than a one-sided enjoyment of comfort.

Their eyes met for a time. Eunice placed her hand on Karen’s chest and spoke. "Karen, actually, from the very first moment I met and got to know you, I really liked the feeling of being with you. Even though back then, I didn't know what liking someone meant, and it’s entirely possible my current definition of it is also wrong."

Karen felt a twinge of surprise in his heart; she had actually read his gaze and his innermost thoughts.

"But what I can be certain of is that being with you makes me very comfortable." Eunice lifted her head slightly, her chin resting against Karen’s chest as they faced each other. "I used to fantasize about what so-called love was supposed to look like. It seems a bit different from what we’ve experienced."

"It is different..."

"Karen, not everything that is missed out on is a pity. Because those things might never have existed in my life, in my journey anyway. If I hadn't met you, I would probably be living a very unhappy life right now."

If not for the selection made by the Immorales family, if he had not come to the Allen Manor, the Allen family would have been destined to decline, or might even be completely ruined by now.

And once a family possessing a heritage of faith fell into ruin, the fate of its remaining members would become utterly wretched. Purr had once described it... like breeding swine.

"I knew from very early on that my marriage and my destiny would inevitably be bound to the family. There were certain things I never felt I had the right to possess." Eunice pursed her lips, reflecting. "Moreover, I came to believe, perhaps too early, that those things were somewhat childish."

"Eunice..."

"I am very free now. Because of you, the family turned peril from safety; and also because of you, although I still live in the manor, I am the one least constrained within it.

I no longer have to be managed. I can do the things I like to do in my own time. Even Grandfather doesn't place any specific demands on me.

I can read books, I can ride horses, I can design the clothes I imagine. In the past, I could do these things too, but I never possessed this true lightness of heart that I have now.

Furthermore, when you suddenly come to mind sometimes, my heart feels very blessed. I look forward to your next return, I look forward to meeting you, I look forward to pressing close against you like this.

Karen, I don't have the ability to help you in other matters, but every time you return, I can feel that at this moment, you need me. I am being needed.

I am very content."

Eunice leaned forward of her own accord, planting a soft kiss on Karen’s cheek, then once again rested her profile against his chest, allowing his arm to drape over her shoulder.

"What I want to say is, we have never owed each other anything. The two of us actually quite enjoy this way of getting along. If one day either of us grows weary, or wishes to change the way we interact, let’s not bury it deep in our hearts. We must speak up openly, alright?"

"Alright."

"Mhm."

Karen closed his eyes once more. At this moment, he completely shed all psychological burdens.

After enjoying the tranquil atmosphere for a while longer, Karen spoke up to ask, "What kind of clothing did you and Ophelia design?"

"Do you want to see? I’ll go fetch it for you."

"Alright."

Eunice rose from the sofa and headed to her study—or rather, her workshop. Before long, she emerged carrying a few garments.

They were highly elegant clothes. To Karen’s eye, even if a hundred years were to pass, garments of this style would never go out of fashion.

She was truly and earnestly doing what she loved, and she was genuinely talented.

"How is it?"

"Very beautiful. I think it’s excellent."

"I can change into them, and you can take another look to offer some suggestions. I have always had great confidence in your aesthetic taste."

"Of course. You can always trust my taste. Before I met you, I always resisted arranged marriages; it was my aesthetic taste that made me change my mind."

"Heh."

Having passed through—or rather, enjoyed—the initial period of quiet, the atmosphere between the two of them began to shift toward playfulness.

"It’s just, I originally thought..."

"Originally thought what?"

"Originally thought I would be able to see new styles of stockings, or, that kind of clothing style."

Eunice leaned her body forward, her finger tapping lightly against Karen’s lower lip as she asked, "Lingerie?"

"Yes." Karen was very candid.

Eunice bit her lower lip slightly, pondered for a moment, and said, "There is."

"How many styles are there?"

"That depends on how many days you plan to stay at home this time."

"Heh heh heh."

At that moment, the sweep of headlights brushed past the window.

Karen stood up and walked over to the glass, watching as Alfred's car pulled into the manor.

Eunice cast aside her playful demeanor, stepping closer to ask, "Shall I tell the kitchen to prepare a midnight snack?"

"Yes, that would be good, but there is no need to rush."

"I can instruct them to make it something high-end. Sometimes exquisite dishes don't necessarily taste better, but they certainly consume more time."

"That works."

Eunice walked out of the bedroom.

Down in the courtyard, Alfred stepped out of the vehicle and lifted his gaze toward the window. No matter where he was, the loyal Alfred could always sense his young master's presence instantly.

Behind Alfred stood Vick and Leon.

Facing the direction of Karen’s window, Alfred sank onto one knee, placing his right hand over his heart in a silent, final plea for instructions.

Vick followed Alfred's lead, dropping to one knee as well.

Leon, however, remained standing where he was like a fool.

Behind the window, Karen spoke aloud, "Approved."

The sound could not travel that far, yet the word already echoed in Alfred's heart.

He rose to his feet and said, "Follow me."

Vick and Leon followed Alfred to the front of the performance hall. Alfred produced the formation key, unlocked the defensive arrays surrounding the perimeter, and stepped inside.

Within layout a long, pitch-black corridor.

The three of them walked, one ahead and two behind.

Alfred’s voice floated back from the front, "Before I met the young master, I was merely a wild rogue demon, blessed by chance with a decent pair of eyes and a job to kill time.

Had I not encountered the young master, I would never have had the chance to know either of you. Or rather, even if we passed each other on the street, I wouldn't have dared look at you twice, and you wouldn't have deigned to glance at me.

But precisely because I met the young master,

I, as I stand before you now,

possess a sacred mission."

Reaching the end of the corridor, they entered a much broader space. Yet because this area was bound by an immensely mysterious formation, the complete lack of visibility left the two of them entirely blind to their true surroundings.

Alfred halted, turning around to face them.

Vick suddenly felt a crushing weight—the oppressive strain born of a grand secret. Leon, at this very moment, had already lost the sensation of his own heartbeat, even temporarily banishing from his mind the fact that Department Head Neo was a remnant of the Light.

"I shall show you what true greatness means; I shall lead you onto a new and righteous path."

Alfred slowly raised both arms. Accompanying his movement, layers of candlelight began to ignite in succession. In the silence, a soaring musical cadence seemed to rise through the air.

The colossal murals upon the walls, the twelve coffins revealing themselves all around, and the ripples of the magic formation flowing beneath their feet...

Everything, absolutely everything, was driving a certain atmosphere and a certain emotion toward a true crescendo!

"Snap!"

Alfred snapped his fingers, and the massive chandelier at the very top blazed to life, pouring down a solemn, brilliant luster!

The twelve coffins let out a faint sound of friction, as if within the void:

In the past, in the present, and in the future, their masters had seemingly taken their places. Twelve gazes of majesty and loyalty pierced through the barriers of destiny and time, converging at the center.

Vick felt as though twelve giants were standing right beside him, and his body began to tremble.

Leon crossed his arms, wanting to flee but possessing no inkling of where to run. He even wanted to drop to his knees, yet he had forgotten how to assume the posture.

Alfred's voice grew solemn and impassioned at this moment,

Like the most brilliant conductor in the world, he was slowly raising the grand curtain on this musical drama.

"You will remember this day forever, even unto death you shall not forget it.

Because, from this moment on, your lives will be severed entirely into two halves.

Praise... Order!"

Vick and Leon, like drowning men grasping at a life-saving straw, cried out together the prayer they uttered most frequently in their daily lives:

"Praise Order!"

"Praise Order!"

Alfred offered a smile,

Like an elder leaning down to gaze upon two fragile infants, responding in a tone filled with tender affection:

"Order has heard you."