Order Knight!

"Is it over?" Alfred's eyes glowed red as he stared toward the third-floor master bedroom of the distant castle. He replied in all earnestness, "Young Master, the light is out." "I can see that too." "Yes, Young Master." "I believe that since Ancestor went, there will surely be no problem. Ancestor would never watch his descendants become food for another's belly," Mike said. "Even though we descendants have failed to make anything of ourselves, an ancestor is still an ancestor after all. That's the conclusion I reached after putting myself in Ancestor's shoes." Mr. Bede spoke up. "The aura our ancestor displayed just now was immensely terrifying and formidable. If even he cannot resolve it, then tonight is destined to be a catastrophe for Allen Manor." Karen glanced at Mr. Bede and asked, "So, you can't resist the urge to paint again?" Mr. Bede smiled and said nothing. Secular morals and ethics aside, watching one's own home be destroyed with one's own eyes—painting while watching—could indeed yield magnificent works of art. Just then, a plume of water mist flew toward them from the castle, distorting the air in its wake. "Ancestor is here." Mike slipped out of his wheelchair once more and prostrated himself on the ground. Mr. Bede did the same, falling to his knees. Then, two streams of water mist branched off from the main path, enveloping Mike and Bede respectively before hurling them into the distance. Even though the two showed the utmost deference toward their ancestor, the ancestor's disgust toward them was such that he didn't even want to set eyes on them. Immediately after, the main plume of mist stopped in front of Karen. As the vapor dissipated entirely, Count Rekar's figure was revealed, with Purr sitting perched upon his shoulder. Karen, who had still felt somewhat uneasy, finally felt the weight lift from his chest when he saw Purr with him. Purr jumped down from Count Rekar's shoulder, darted over to Karen, and hopped up with practiced ease to settle onto Karen's shoulder. Turning its head, it deliberately glared at the golden retriever on the ground nearby. The golden retriever wagged its tail in mild confusion, unsure how it had offended the cat this time. "Young Master Karen." Hearing Count Rekar change his form of address, a natural smile surfaced on Karen's face, and he responded, "Lord Count." At this moment, Count Rekar dropped to one knee before Karen. "The Allen family is deeply grateful for your protection!" "Please don't do this. Please get up." "It is only right. The Allen family always repays a kindness!" Count Rekar struck his chest with his fist. "Alas, I am about to be completely extinguished and cannot repay your benevolence myself, but my kin will surely continue to serve you." "If possible, we can sit down and talk. I'm not very accustomed to occasions like this." "Very well, as you command." Count Rekar shifted from kneeling to sitting, crossing his legs. Karen sat down as well, though once seated, he could clearly feel how imposing the count's stature was. "You may sit on a chair," Count Rekar offered. "No need." "Alright." Count Rekar reached out and slammed his fist into the ground before him. With a loud thump, a pit formed in the dirt. Now, sitting inside the depression, Count Rekar was at eye level with Karen. Seeing this, Karen was certain that Count Rekar and Purr had held an extensive conversation. If at first the count had taken him for a powerful archbishop of the Church of Order, then now, he viewed him as the Allen family's future pillar of support. Although Count Rekar was overwhelmingly powerful right now—so powerful that killing Karen would hardly cost him any effort—he was ultimately on the verge of "dying." Naturally, faced with such a situation, some people would choose reckless indulgence; yet others would choose to do whatever they could for their surviving kin. Evidently, Count Rekar had chosen the latter. "Young Master Karen..." "You can just call me Karen." Purr glanced at Karen in slight bewilderment. Why did he treat Rekar so differently from the way he treated it, when both of them were of such venerable seniority? Soon enough, Purr figured it out: it was still a matter of strength. That was why he dared to rub its belly, but wouldn't dare rub Rekar's belly right now! "No, this form of address cannot change. I know that useless Old Anderson... no, that Patriarch Old Anderson addresses you this way as well. Within the family, the patriarch holds ultimate authority." "The current patriarch is Mr. Bede." "Oh? Where is he?" "You just threw him away." "Oh, haha." Count Rekar chuckled. "I have dealt with the matter of Gloria IX." With that, Count Rekar produced a block of ice. Purr prepared to jump down from Karen's shoulder to fetch it, but unexpectedly, another figure was faster. Alfred took the ice encasing the black seed from Count Rekar's hands and brought it before Karen. When Karen reached out to touch it, Alfred quietly warned, "Young Master, this is no ordinary ice. Beware of frostbite." In fact, traces of frost had already formed on Alfred's palms. "Put it away," Karen instructed. "Yes, Young Master." Alfred immediately went to find something to store it in. Count Rekar said, "Rest assured, Young Master. Even left out in a public square in midsummer, this ice will not melt. It is sealed within, completely safe. If you ever wish to melt it, you can use spells or temperatures akin to molten lava." "Understood. To be honest, I still don't know what it actually is." "It is the Seed of Light." "The Seed of Light?" "Yes. The name might take you by surprise, but it is indeed the Seed of Light. "Legend has it that two eras ago, many such seeds appeared in a certain realm. They fed on the blood of living humans and livestock to grow. Because their branches and vines were pitch black, once fully grown, they blocked out the sun, plunging that entire realm into absolute darkness. "And so, while fleeing the predation of the black vines, the people there cried out for the arrival of light." "And then the God of Light appeared?" "Indeed. The Church of Light was born in that kingdom during that very era. Drawn together by their yearning for light, the people banded together and declared war upon the man-eating darkness. "In the end, the God of Light descended, utterly defeating the darkness and uprooting it completely. "In *The Light Era*, when recounting this tale, the text refers to these as Seeds of Light. This does not mean they are seeds belonging to the God of Light; rather, it reflects an uplifting sentiment: "'When darkness falls upon the earth, fear not, for the light is soon to come!'" "Your explanation makes little difference from giving no explanation at all," Karen said with a smile. Before hearing the explanation, the name made him think the seed was inextricably tied to the God of Light; after hearing it, he felt even more convinced that was the case. "Interpretations of holy scriptures have always differed from person to person." "You are fond of reading such books, Lord Count?" Karen asked curiously. "I am. A pirate's life is actually quite dull most of the time. You can't always have enemies in front of you, nor can you stay in brothels ashore forever. "Under normal circumstances, you might drift for two or three months before encountering a real target. "So I got into the habit of reading during those periods." "So that's how it is. I heard this seed originated from the sea chart you left behind back then." "That was my mistake," Count Rekar admitted readily. "Back then, I discovered an abyss deep in the ocean. I attempted to explore it, but couldn't venture deep, and I sensed the danger within. "On the return voyage, I casually drew that sea chart and marked the abyss's location. "Since life as a pirate was so dull, charting maps was really just a game to play with posterity. "Just imagine future generations killing each other over your chart, braving untold hardships to hunt for treasure, and finally digging up the chest at the coordinates—only to find a pair of worn underwear inside! "Haha, wouldn't that be hilarious?!" "Uh..." "Because we were often played for fools like that by older generations of pirates. Once we'd been tricked, we decided to uphold the tradition." "Yet that sea chart clearly wasn't a prank," Karen reminded him. "At the time, I figured it was useless, harboring nothing but danger. As it happened, after Gloria finished attending to me, I didn't have any suitable jewelry on hand. But as pirates, we couldn't stiff a prostitute—after all, their lives are hard enough. "So I took that seemingly useless sea chart, ceremoniously tore it in half, gave one piece to her, told her it led to a secret treasure, and said I would bring the other half back to my family. "In truth, I just tossed my half into a piece of luggage. "Who could have guessed that many years after my death, the Glorias would actually come to the Allens with their half of the map? And my descendants actually managed to dig up the other half that I'd tossed aside! "Then the two families formed a sailing expedition and followed the chart to seek the treasure I'd left behind." "Yet the harvest was truly bountiful," Karen said. Aside from this Seed of Light, there was also the God of Light's finger. "Their losses were bound to be tremendous as well. In fact, I even suspect that the decline of both families today is likely because their actions back then tainted their respective bloodlines with a curse." The Allen family's downfall was plain to see. Strictly speaking, the Gloria family had also been in decline for centuries. Back then, even though the Queen had to bed Count Rekar to secure the pirates' backing, the royal family could truly sway the empire's military and politics. The Queen back then was a true queen. Yet the modern royal family was reduced to mere figureheads. To contemporary politicians, the Queen's existence served only as the Wien Empire's legal tether; without a queen, many of the empire's vassal states and colonies would probably seek independence. Of course, now the Queen was gone. "That might be part of the reason," Karen agreed. He understood that Rekar, as the family ancestor, looked at the clan just as parents looked at their children. How many parents could calmly accept that their child was utterly mediocre? Thus, they would always search for all sorts of excuses. And what excuse was more fitting than 'my children only turned out this foolish because they were cursed'? It was nearly impossible to prove and equally difficult to dispel. Count Rekar took out a piece of cloth. Alfred stepped forward again to receive it. The cloth seemed to have been torn from the count's own clothing. It was of fine quality, as evidenced by the fact that it hadn't rotted even after being buried with Rekar for so long. "This is a new sea chart I've drawn, marking that location. I trust the young master can weigh when it might be suitable to pay it a visit." "Very well." "As I never descended into the depths myself, I cannot offer you much advice, for fear my assumptions might mislead you." "You worry too much," Karen said with a smile. "Thank you for your trust." Well, Count Rekar had misunderstood Karen's meaning. Karen had no interest in such "adventures," so the chart would likely remain buried at the bottom of a chest, never to be used. "Honestly, if possible, I truly wish I could set sail myself and take you there to see it. The depths of that place are very likely where the God of Light fell." "A pity," Karen sighed. "No pity at all," Count Rekar smiled. "I was thoroughly dead to begin with. In this world, how many people could be like me—dead for so long, yet able to live again and take another look at the world?" "You are very open-minded." "You flatter me, Young Master. "There is one more matter I need to explain to you." "Please, go ahead." "Eunice has remarkable talent." "Oh, really?" This was indeed a pleasant surprise to Karen. "That is good news." "I gave her a family blessing. Over the next half year, she might be somewhat prone to sleeping." "Is it to digest the power in her bloodline?" "Yes, precisely as you say, Young Master. However, there is one thing I would like to remind you of: during this stage, if she conceives, the bloodline within her will be inherited by the child to a far greater degree. "Therefore, this half year is the optimal window for conception." Perched on Karen's shoulder, Purr couldn't help covering its feline face with a paw: *Unbearable. The sheer amount of nonsense he can spout.* "There's no rush for that. We're still very young," Karen said. "When it concerns the inheritance of your bloodline, how could you not rush?" Count Rekar frantically tried to make amends for his earlier meddling. In particular, Karen's phrase "we're still very young"—Count Rekar used to say that all the time back in the day, usually as a habitual excuse to shirk responsibility after pulling up his trousers. "I wonder if Purr... Pol has introduced my grandfather to you?" "Your grandfather was a magnificent being." "Grandfather preferred that the family live peaceful, stable lives as ordinary people. I feel the same toward my future children. I hope to ask them personally once they come of age, rather than decide things for them right from the start." "Indeed. You are very wise, Young Master." By now, a faint pale light had appeared at the edge of the sky, like the belly of a turned fish. Count Rekar looked down at his body, then slowly stood up. "Young Master, my time is just about up. Additionally, this body of mine has been thoroughly tempered; leaving it in the crypt forever would be a waste. You can have someone take it to forge. "Whether for keepsakes or crafting weapons, it makes for fine raw material." Karen stood up as well. "There is no need for you to do that." "I am merely speaking the truth. As you understand, Young Master, I will be gone completely in a moment. With an object devoid of spirituality, there's really nothing left to be squeamish about. "However, thanks to you, upon awakening I discovered that the accumulation of death aura had elevated me to Ancestor Allen's tier; "specifically, the level of Ancestor Allen's water attribute." "You advanced?" Karen asked in surprise. "Yes. Who would have thought the pinnacle of the water attribute would be death? It's truly... a speechless outcome. One must die to reach the apex—so what point is there to this pinnacle?" Count Rekar opened his palm, around which a ring of frost coalesced. "The pinnacle of the water path is death—a death capable of freezing or drowning all things." Closing his hand, Count Rekar walked toward his crypt. "Young Master, I am going down." "Farewell," Karen said. "Indeed. It was an honor to meet and converse with you." Count Rekar reached the edge of the crypt and looked at the opening he had punched through the ceiling. "I think when building family crypts in the future, they should add a door that opens from the inside. That would be much more convenient, and it could be reused when going back down." "I will suggest that to Old Anderson." "Much obliged, Young Master." Count Rekar looked around once more. "Time to say goodbye once again, world where I once roamed, and ocean upon which I once sailed. What a pity I couldn't see you after waking this time." With that, Count Rekar leapt into his crypt. A dull thud sounded from below. Karen let out a long breath. Even though Count Rekar had been very polite to him, the man had exerted immense pressure on him. There was something Karen had kept bottled up inside: earlier, from the moment Count Rekar crawled out of the grave until he sprinted toward the third floor of the castle to confront the Queen, Karen had felt a foreboding hunch that the count truly wanted to turn back and punch him to death. "Sigh," Purr said, shaking its head. "What a pity. Scumbag that he was." "Yeah." Karen nodded. A pirate who, in order to foster goodwill between his family and Karen, would offer his own bones to be forged into materials—from Karen's perspective, he was indeed endearing despite being a scoundrel. A shame. Although the chains had turned red when he awakened the count—and turning red meant there were likely other colors, perhaps corresponding to different modes and functions—his current self couldn't achieve that at all. The gap was simply too vast. Furthermore, ever since Count Rekar was awakened, the spiritual energy within his body was bound to dissipate continuously. It was an irreversible process. And so, Count Rekar could only return dust to dust, earth to earth. *Sigh.* *If only it could be frozen, put on pause...* *Wait?* Karen froze for a moment. Count Rekar's earlier words suddenly surfaced in his mind: *"The pinnacle of the water path is death—a death capable of freezing or drowning all things."* Could he try having Rekar freeze himself in ice to halt the dissipation of spirituality? Karen spun around at once and dashed toward the crypt. Taken off guard, Purr lost its grip and was thrown directly from his shoulder. Before long, Karen reached the opening above the crypt. Leaning over the edge, he shouted down: "Lord Count, are you thoroughly dead yet?" If he was already dead through and through, then there was nothing to be done. "Uh... not yet." — *Light of Order*: [The Twelve Order Knights shall forever be the god's most loyal guardians.]