Chapter 78: Untitled

Chapter 78: Untitled

The doctor had only just departed, and Aunt Winnie was now lying on her side across Grandfather’s bed, tenderly wiping his brow with a warm, damp towel.

"Karen, step outside with me for a moment," Uncle Mason said.

Karen rose and followed Uncle Mason out of the bedroom, whereupon Mason pushed open the door to Karen’s own room, gesturing for the youth to follow him inside.

The uncle and nephew sat down facing one another, Mason perched upon the edge of the bed while Karen dragged the chair out from his desk to sit opposite him.

"None of us could have foreseen this happening to your grandfather."

Karen gave a silent nod.

In truth, he had foreseen it, and the present outcome was far better than the worst-case scenario he had imagined.

For Grandfather had fulfilled their pact; he had returned, and he had said that he could still be awakened.

Yet the price of that awakening...

Even so, Karen felt that to rouse his grandfather now would be no different from performing a "revival" upon those ordinary corpses.

Once the final, lingering embers of spirituality within their bodies were spent, they would truly become corpses—in the absolute, unblemished sense of the word.

Was this a tragedy?

No.

By virtue of comparison, it was actually a pleasant surprise.

Grandfather still possessed the capacity to awaken; he was not dead, nor had he departed forever.

And so, Karen adjusted his own heart, forbidding himself from grieving, striving to keep his inner being filled with a resilient, forward-looking hope.

Grandfather had done everything he possibly could; the road ahead would have to be walked alone, but what lay at the end of that road?

Before, he might have been somewhat aimless, seeking more to view the scenery with a certain casual detachment; now, a definite goal had materialized before him, and that was—the crow returning to feed its elder.

Dis had said that if he ever suffered an unbearable grievance out in the world, he should return and wake him.

But what Karen envisioned was that when he finally woke Dis, it would be to ask what Grandfather wanted for dinner.

"Karen?"

Uncle Mason noticed that the youth seemed to have drifted off.

"Ah, yes, Uncle, please go on."

"Sigh, your grandfather is already in this state. The doctor said this is an illness to which the elderly are terribly prone; he might wake in a month or two, or he might never wake again, remaining bedridden forever."

"Yes."

"Therefore, you shouldn't go to Wien after all. Stay behind, with your aunt, your aunt-in-law, and me. Together, we can run the funeral parlor properly, alright?"

Karen fell into silence.

"What? Do you still wish to go to Wien?"

"I do, Uncle."

Karen looked Uncle Mason straight in the eye.

"I cannot understand this, Karen. I truly cannot."

"Uncle, this was Grandfather’s prior arrangement."

Karen could only invoke his grandfather once more.

If he were to remain here on Mink Street, all he could do would likely be to look after his bedridden grandfather every day, sitting by Dis’s bedside for a brief spell to murmur to himself; yet if he did that, Grandfather would never have the chance to wake again.

*Clap!*

Uncle Mason brought his palms together, gritting his teeth as he opened his arms wide, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"I think I finally understand now what my older brother felt back then, when he witnessed the choice Winnie and I made."

"Uncle, I know that by insisting on leaving now..."

"No, no, no, you misunderstand me, Karen." Uncle Mason wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, a smile breaking through. "Set your mind at ease. As for the matters of the house, your aunt and I are here, and Grandfather will always be meticulously cared for; you can rest assured on that account.

Go to Wien, and do not carry any psychological burden with you. Truly. Unless, of course, you don't trust your uncle, your aunt-in-law, and your aunt."

Uncle Mason thumped his own chest, stood up, walked over to Karen, and bent down, placing both hands upon the boy's shoulders.

"Home is a place that will forever worry about you, yet will never, ever be willing to become your burden."

…

"Second Brother, isn't what we're doing a bit unfair?"

"Yes, to Eldest Brother, it is rather unfair."

On the stone steps sat the young Winnie and Mason, side by side.

"I feel so terribly guilty toward Eldest Brother," Winnie murmured. "He didn't even get the chance to choose. How about we do it over? We go back into Father's room, and this time, let Eldest Brother choose first?"

"It's pointless. We've already chosen, and even if he chose first, he would still choose to stay behind to run the funeral parlor."

"Are we... being too selfish?"

"Hey, Mason, Winnie, what are you two sitting out here gossiping about?"

A clear, bright voice echoed from behind them, and immediately after, two arms came resting down, one upon Mason’s shoulder and the other upon Winnie’s.

Mason and Winnie turned their heads toward the center, looking upon that countenance which forever wore a gentle, easy smile.

"Don't carry any burdens. Since you've resolved to go out into the world, leave everything behind and go see how splendid it is out there. As for the home, you have your older brother here.

Home is a place that will forever worry about you, yet will never, ever be willing to become your burden."

……

Mink Street, the Church.

The restoration work was already underway, focusing primarily on the central trench that had been violently carved out.

Rasma had combed his hair and trimmed his beard; today, he wore a priest’s cassock, appearing far more rigorous and solemn. He no longer resembled his previous self, when he would drape that old, tattered leather jacket over his frame, giving off the impression of someone either on his way to a pastry shop or having just emerged from one—in any case, he had never looked like a proper old gentleman.

Of course, his image might have been better still had he not been sitting on a bench at this very moment, legs crossed, casually clipping his fingernails.

Standing before Rasma was Simon, the captain of the Whip of Order.

"Has the evacuation of the personnel been arranged?" Rasma inquired.

"Reporting to the High Priest, it has been arranged. They have already evacuated from Luojia City."

"Good."

"However, I would still recommend establishing a dedicated liaison and observation post on Mink Street, so that..."

"Don't be foolish."

"Yes, sir."

"Dis’s home is something Dis will keep an eye on himself, even if he is currently sound asleep.

So, if you want to station a squad near his house to spy on his home and his family, can you guarantee he won't notice?

He has made himself perfectly clear; he wishes for his family to remain forever apart from the whirlpool of the Church, and the three Elders of the Temple have already given him their word."

"Simon, never try to be clever, for in the eyes of the truly wise, it only makes you look foolish."

"Yes, Lord High Priest, I understand."

"In the name of the High Priest, I command the Whip of Order to avert its gaze from Mink Street henceforth."

"Yes, milord."

Rasma nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on the laborers working ahead.

Simon could not help but ask, "High Priest, this attire of yours is..."

"Diss is asleep; I intend to replace him here as a priest for a while."

"Then..."

"The affairs of the headquarters do not truly require much of my attention, and besides, I will not stay long.

Elder Geller has already agreed, and he looks forward to me seeking a new breakthrough during my days serving as a priest in this church.

Diss managed to condense three godhead fragments right here. My expectations are not high, just one would suffice. Who knows, perhaps Diss left some things behind here that might aid me."

"With you here, High Priest, everything in this place will remain stable."

"So, you can withdraw those dog paws of yours now." Rasma blew gently on his newly manicured nails. "Be careful not to let me accidentally make your nails bleed while I trim them."

"I understand."

Simon departed.

Watching his retreating figure, a shade of gloom surfaced in Rasma's eyes.

He genuinely despised these dramas of "struggling for power and profit," yet ironically, within the Sacred Church, such theatricality was indispensable.

Take the organization known as the Whip of Order, for instance; it was actually independent of the church, and its direct leader had always been a certain elder of very high seniority within the temple, though Rasma did not know exactly who that was.

Furthermore, there were many factions within the church formed by differing interests or varying interpretations of the doctrine; naturally, there also existed the hereditary families of the Church of Order bound by bloodline, and the ancestors of some factions and families were currently residing within the Temple of Order.

This made his position as High Priest feel rather pointless; authority could never be fully executed, and more often than not, you were forced to become nothing more than a vase displayed upon the table.

Rasma lowered his head and continued trimming his nails. Just then, a laborer nearby leaned on his shovel, wiping away his sweat, and smiled at Rasma, mistaking him for an ordinary priest:

"Father, a thought has been lingering in my mind. I have always disliked socializing in life, and I dislike those troublesome matters; I wish to find a quiet place to give my heart some peace.

So, may I join the church?

Or rather, can I find tranquility within the church?"

Without raising his head, Rasma replied:

"The more you wish to escape something, the more you will find you must confront it after entering the church."

Saying this, Rasma smiled again and continued:

"A fish feels confined even in a brook; could it possibly find freedom by jumping into an even smaller fishbowl?"

...

"You are to go along with him."

Mr. Hoffen said, pointing at Alfred.

Alfred nodded.

"And you? Do you not intend to go along?" Mr. Hoffen asked Ms. Molly.

Ms. Molly nodded and said, "I do not plan to go. I want to stay behind to help the young master look after the house."

"A wise choice," Mr. Hoffen appraised. "Helping to look after the house is easy, to say the least, and when merits are counted in the future, you will not be left out."

"Actually, I did not think that much of it," Ms. Molly explained. "I merely feel that Master Diss is now laid down, and the young master will surely be uneasy about home when he leaves for Vien, so I intend to stay."

"Mm." Mr. Hoffen nodded. "You are very pragmatic. As for him..."

Mr. Hoffen pointed toward Alfred.

"As for him, he has rather too many thoughts."

"You are right. I have all kinds of visions for the young master's future, so I wish to remain by his side always to bear witness together."

In the Oak Cemetery, Alfred had witnessed with his own eyes the terrifying nature of Diss;

But at the same time, he had also witnessed the power of Mr. Hoffen's "knowledge."

An array to seal an evil god—he had actually prepared it in fifteen minutes, even though he had just crawled out of his grave barely an hour prior.

"I gave Karen a set of basic arrays; you may look over them as well. You possess the Eyes of the Succubus, so learning and memorizing things should be very swift for you. Talent is not given to you for showing off; if talent cannot be guided onto the right path of continuous self-improvement, it is a waste."

"Yes, I have engraved your words upon my heart. I will improve my own qualifications as much as possible, hoping to assist the young master in more areas."

"Mm."

Mr. Hoffen glanced at the wall clock, slowly exhaled a breath, and said:

"I truly wish to take one last look at Diss."

"You can go now," Alfred said. "I have checked; the perimeter of the house is very clean."

"I am not worried about that. I want Diss to remain confident and composed in my memory; I do not wish to see Diss lying on a bed."

"Master Diss is indeed an existence worthy of the utmost respect," Alfred said.

Just then, the sound of a car came from outside.

A hearse stopped at the entrance of No. 128 Mink Street, and Karen walked in, pushing a stretcher cart.

Stepping in her high heels, Ms. Molly went downstairs with a clatter of footsteps and opened the door.

She was wearing black stockings and red high heels today;

For she remembered that last time, the young master did not seem to particularly like her ordinary shoes, so she harbored the thought of deepening her impression on him before he left Luojia City.

However, Karen merely smiled at her without looking at her feet. After handing the stretcher cart over to her, he walked straight into the living room.

Seeing Karen arrive, Mr. Hoffen stood up, resting his hands on the armrests of the chair, and said:

"Diss has gone to sleep, and it is time for me to be cremated."

"It is still early, why not sit a while longer?" Karen asked with a smile.

"No more sitting. I can clearly feel now that my mind is no longer as sharp. If I delay any longer, I will likely make a fool of myself."

"Very well, Grandfather."

Alfred and Ms. Molly set the four wheels of the stretcher cart in place, and Karen assisted Mr. Hoffen to lie down upon it.

Then, with Alfred's help, Karen moved Mr. Hoffen's stretcher cart into the hearse.

Before getting into the car to leave, Karen finally looked at Ms. Molly deliberately and asked:

"You are staying behind?"

"Yes, young master. The house cannot be left unattended. I will continue to help you look after this home in the capacity of Mrs. Mary's assistant. Furthermore, Mr. Hoffen gave me a method to surreptitiously use the letter delivery system of the Church of Principles; you can use this method to write home after you arrive in Vien."

"Very well, thank you for your hard work."

Karen hesitated for a moment, then stood formally before Ms. Molly:

"Thank you, Ms. Molly."

"You are far too polite, young master; it is merely my duty."

"Young master, would you like me to accompany the vehicle?" Alfred inquired.

"No, that won't be necessary."

"Very well, young master."

Karen slipped into the driver's seat and brought the hearse to life.

The vehicle glided out of Mink Street, bound for the former Hughes Crematorium, now rechristened the Immortals Crematorium under Paul's management.

Mr. Hoffen lay upon the stretcher, offering a genial smile as he spoke.

"How is Dis faring?"

"Grandfather is sleeping very soundly."

"You needn't worry about matters at home. Even in slumber, one of Dis's eyes will ever remain fixed upon his family."

"I know. I have faith in Grandfather."

"Mm. Once you arrive in Wien, see how you like the place. It is a saving grace that you know how to cook for yourself; the local cuisine in Wien is truly atrocious."

"So I have heard."

"If life there proves stable and secure, you might actually consider living out your days like an ordinary soul. I believe that is what Dis truly desires for you."

"I understand, but I hope that one day I can return to awaken Grandfather."

"Ah, very well."

"Grandfather Hoffen, is there any way you might do as Grandfather did..."

"There is no way. Dis and I are cut from different cloth; I am in truth closer to an ordinary man, merely one who happens to know a fair bit more.

You need not trouble yourself with such thoughts for my sake. My life has been quite splendid. To be able to die twice, and to experience both burial and cremation, makes it far more worthwhile than the existence of most men."

"I see."

The hearse pulled up to the entrance of the Immortals Crematorium.

"Grandfather, would you prefer to go inside now, or would you like to lie here a moment longer?"

"A moment longer. There were things I had been weighing whether or not to tell you. Now that we have arrived at the gates of the crematorium, my mind is settled. I ought to speak plainly; after all, I am a man who has died twice and is about to turn to ash."

"Very well."

Karen stepped over to Mr. Hoffen's stretcher.

"Karen, you have read 'The Light of Order,' have you not?"

"I have. I've read it several times."

The first time, mistaking it for a piece of promotional propaganda, he had merely skimmed through its pages.

Once he realized it was an educational reference book, Karen had made a habit of leafing through it nearly every night before sleep over the past few months.

"Then tell me, in 'The Light of Order,' which tale left the deepest impression upon you? I am referring to its mythological overview."

"The mythological overview... it remains fresh in my mind."

Karen pondered for a brief moment before rendering his answer.

"One is the God of Order bestowing three purple bookmarks upon his daughter, Ankara. The other is the God of Order casting his errant daughter into the maw of a vicious beast as punishment—the very origin of what is called 'The Light of Order.'"

"Mm."

Mr. Hoffen suddenly reached out, clasping Karen's wrist. Of his five fingers, the thumb and index finger were no longer functional, yet the middle, ring, and pinky fingers hooked around him tightly.

"Did Dis ever give you any bookmarks?"

"He did."

"How many?"

"Two. One remains in my possession; I left the name blank to keep as a treasured memento. The other was given to Miss Eunice's mother."

"In truth, there is a third."

"A third?"

"Indeed. The third bookmark is precisely Dis, who currently lies upon the bed at home. It is solely due to the existence of this third bookmark that the people of the Church of Order do not interfere with the Immortals family, allowing them to lead a peaceful life akin to ordinary mortals."

"Yes, your words make great sense."

"I heard from Dis that you once compared that vicious beast to the black cat at home?"

"I did."

"You believe the God of Order to be hypocritical, that he did not truly punish Ankara. Since that beast might well have been a domestic pet, it likely carried Ankara off in its mouth to some other place to hide away.

Therefore, the Light of Order is a hypocritical light."

"Yes."

"Just as your family's Pu'er is about to accompany you to Wien..."

The expression upon Karen's face suddenly froze.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Mr. Hoffen dissolved into a fit of violent coughing.

Yet he forced himself to endure it,

and said,

"Karen, have you not realized?

Those two deeds the God of Order performed for Ankara;

In truth,

Dis has done exactly the same for you."