Returning "Home"

In truth, Karen knew two people were standing outside the bedroom door, yet he had still "praised" the God of Order. First, it was on a whim—if he didn't see the routine through to the end, he felt something was missing deep down. Second, he knew Lemar disliked the Church of Order. Lemar had crafted a "mask" for him, and Karen truly had nothing to offer them in return for the moment. Sharing a bit of "dirt" seemed like the next best thing. Besides, it could help close the distance between them. In any case, this "dirt" posed no harm to Karen. His grandfather said it all the time at home, and Karen had even rejected the God of Order's "revelation" during his God's Revelation. What others treated with fearful secrecy was as commonplace as drinking water to this grandfather and grandson. However, Karen had overlooked the staggering shock that their everyday "greetings" to God inflicted on other people. Lemar's eyes were wide as saucers—and Karen noted that the blue eyeball looked like something quite valuable. Serena, on the other hand, appeared much simpler: pure, unfiltered excitement. Words her brother had covered her mouth to stop her from saying had just been bellowed out openly and unabashedly by the man before her. Truly... One could only say that deliberately washing your hair, putting on a crisp white shirt, and strolling past a girl while flicking your bangs to grab her attention was genuinely amateurish. Because once a girl took a liking to you, she would find you manly even if you stood right there cursing like a sailor. Karen stepped in front of Lemar, placed both hands against his chest, and bowed halfway in gratitude. After a brief daze, Lemar immediately returned the courtesy with his family gesture. "I owe you a favor. Given the chance in the future, I will certainly repay it." "You're being too modest, Mr. Karen. Everything I did was only to repay the debt of saving my sister's life." "No, I should apologize. Earlier in your shop, I truly shouldn't have acted that way. But I simply didn't want to fail the face my friend entrusted to me. Deep down, when I saved Serena, I honestly didn't think too much of it. A little sister was sitting beside me eating potato chips. Any normal adult would have chosen to protect her." "But I'm all grown up!" Serena had no desire to be viewed as a little sister, just as a boy wouldn't want the girl he liked to see him as an "older brother." "You're very lovely," Karen smiled at Serena, then looked at Lemar. "You have a very lovely sister." "Sigh. When I built this body for her, I think I tightened the screws in her elbows backward. Now they just keep bending outward to side with outsiders." "Uh..." Karen muttered. "How could a single ring ever compare to saving my sister's life? Heh, my sister might have no talent for crafting clay figures, but her baking is quite good. Mr. Karen, why don't you leave your address and phone number? In a few days, I can have her bring some over for you to taste." "Yes, yes!" Serena chimed in at once. "All right. I look forward to tasting them," Karen could only nod and agree for now. To his surprise, Lemar pulled a design blueprint and a pen straight out of his pocket. Karen smiled as he took the paper and pen, jotting down his address and telephone number. After Karen handed them back, Lemar passed them straight to his sister right in front of him. Serena carefully folded the paper and slipped it into her pocket. Karen sensed that this "older brother's" attitude had undergone a massive shift, though he could roughly guess why. After all, Purr had already given a demonstration of this at home. "By the way, Mr. Lemar, do you know where I could purchase blood spirit powder?" "Blood spirit powder? I have some here. You need it? Please wait a moment, I'll fetch it for you." "I'll go too," Serena offered. "No, you won't!" Realizing his tone was a bit harsh, Lemar immediately gave his sister a smile. "The storeroom is too dusty. Go brew another cup of tea for Mr. Karen. He just woke up; he must be thirsty." How could he let her go? What if she emptied out the entire family storeroom and gave it all away! "All right, Brother." Karen followed Serena to the living room and sat down. Serena brewed a cup of tea, handed it to him, and brought out a meat-floss bread. Washing it down with tea, Karen finished the bread. He was indeed hungry. "Brother Karen, I'll bring you some more." Serena happily brought out a large platter. Karen took another piece, eating as he asked, "Could I take some with me?" "Of course, I'll pack them up for you." Alfred was waiting outside in the car and probably hadn't eaten anything. Just then, Lemar walked over carrying what looked like a small flour sack and handed it to Karen. Karen stood and took it with both hands. "Thank you so much for today, Mr. Lemar." "Don't mention it. I'm also very glad to become friends with you." "Indeed, you're a good friend." "Also, the supply of blood spirit powder on the market in York City has been quite abundant in recent years. If you buy from the black market, the price is even lower." "Is blood spirit powder a material you need for your work as well?" "Yes, I need it from time to time." "Then I suggest you stockpile more over the next few days, Mr. Lemar." "Why? Do you need a large amount?" "No, I suspect the supply might drop sharply soon, or even face shortages." "Understood. I'll place an order on the black market tonight. If you need more, I can order some extra for you." "All right. We can leave the ring aside, but for this and any upcoming stock you order on my behalf, please tally the point coupons. Once I have coupons on hand, I'll pay you back. That's the proper way for friends to treat each other." "Certainly, no problem." "Then I'll take my leave. I will visit again another day." "You're welcome anytime." Karen left the pottery studio carrying a bag of bread and the sack of blood spirit powder. Alfred had clearly been asleep in the car, but the moment he heard Karen's footsteps, he snapped awake! He quickly got out, circled around, took the items from Karen, and opened the door. "Young Master?" "Everything went smoothly." Karen took the passenger seat. "Eat some of that bread first." "Yes, Young Master. I'll eat while driving." Alfred started the car without asking where they were going. When he took the bags, he had seen that one contained blood spirit powder, so his Young Master's next stop had to be the Pavaro Family Funeral Parlor. Dusk had already fallen when the car entered the boundary of Blue Bridge Community. Karen felt the sky over Blue Bridge Community looked exceptionally clear today. Alfred parked the car across the street from the Pavaro Family Funeral Parlor. "Young Master, we have arrived." Karen nodded. A flash of purple light washed over him, and in an instant, "Mr. Pavaro" appeared before Alfred. "Oh... heavens!" "You can try inspecting me with your Succubus Eye." "Yes, Young Master. Please forgive my offense." Alfred's eyes turned crimson. After scrutinizing Karen up and down, he gasped, "Not a single flaw. It's truly as if Mr. Pavaro has returned from the dead." "Mr. Lemar from the pottery studio belongs to the Voss family." "The Voss family? The descendants of the family that once forged puppets for the God of the Abyss to deter Hell?" "Yes." "No wonder it is so marvelous, simply incredible! Oh, heavens, Young Master, even your voice sounds identical to Mr. Pavaro's—I only just realized!" "Is that so? I didn't even notice myself. All right, I'm going in." "Young Master, should I accompany you?" "I'll go in alone first. Since I've assumed Mr. Pavaro's identity, there are things I must face sooner or later." "Will you tell Mr. Pavaro's wife, Mrs. Lake?" Karen hesitated for a moment. "It's best not to break the illusion of this identity. Let's see how things go first." "Understood. Your foresight is profound, Young Master." Karen carried the blood spirit powder into the funeral parlor. Business was nonexistent today, and the entrance was desolate. Inside, Pike and Dinkum sat quietly. Pike wore a face full of sorrow, while Dinkum flipped through a book in his hands. From their past interactions, Karen knew Pike was truly honest and trustworthy, while Dinkum was cleverer with some minor schemes, but couldn't be called bad. When Karen walked in, Pike and Dinkum both looked up at the newcomer. Then Pike's chair tipped backward, sending him crashing to the floor, while the book in Dinkum's hand dropped with a clatter. "Boss!" "Boss, you're back?!" Between the two of them and Pavaro, it was an employer-employee relationship, yet also something akin to master and apprentices. "Yes, I'm back. The investigation cleared my name, and I was released without charge." Evidently, the funeral parlor had not received word that "Pavaro broke out of prison and was killed." "Really? That's wonderful!" "That's truly wonderful, Boss!" Both of them were overcome with excitement. Placing both hands against their chests, they chanted in unison: "Praise Order!" At that moment, Mrs. Lake seemed to have heard the commotion outside and emerged from the back. When she saw "Pavaro," her eyes instantly reddened, and she threw herself forward, grabbing Karen's collar and pounding on him! Hiss... she was genuinely hitting him. What's more, after pounding on him, she actually started pinching! Karen simply stood there, letting her vent. This was what he had to endure now that he had taken Mr. Pavaro's place. "You bastard! You animal! Damn you! Damn you!" The two assistants rushed forward at once to pull the boss's wife away. "Madam, the Whip of Order cleared everything up. The boss has been released without charge!" "The boss is home, Madam! This is a good thing, a wonderful thing!" Even as she was pulled away, Mrs. Lake managed to kick out, landing a blow squarely on Karen's thigh. "Hiss..." She had put full force behind that kick; it was a real blow. Even though she was held back, Mrs. Lake had no intention of stopping. Instead, she struggled against the two assistants' grip, eager to charge back and keep beating the man who had returned home. So this was the kind of life Mr. Pavaro had lived at home. Karen lifted the sack. Dinkum immediately stepped up to take the sack, opened it, and cried out in delight, "Madam, the boss brought back blood spirit powder!" "What?" Mrs. Lake finally ceased her urge to hit her husband. Snatching the sack from Dinkum's hands, she checked inside, and a smile instantly broke across her face. "They gave me this as compensation for the misunderstanding," Karen explained. Yet Mrs. Lake had no interest in listening to Karen's explanation. She didn't care where the blood spirit powder had come from; all she knew was that her two daughters were suffering in agony! "Pike, boil water! Dinkum, wash the bathtub!" "Yes, Madam!" "Understood, Madam!" Mrs. Lake walked up to the two daughters' room, removed the padlock hanging on the door, and opened it. After a moment's hesitation, Karen followed her inside. The stench of rot inside the room was even thicker than during his last visit. The blood spirit powder had already run out back then, and after Mr. Pavaro was arrested and killed, the two God's Servant assistants certainly couldn't procure a supply over those days. The decay on the two girls was worse than last time; nearly half their skin was suppurating with pus. The house likely had a boiler, so the water heated quickly. Dinkum swiftly scrubbed the tub clean, filled it with water, and adjusted the temperature. Both assistants then stepped out with smiles on their faces, knowing that whenever the young mistresses finished soaking, the atmosphere at home became noticeably lighter for a time. The boss's brow would unknit, and Mrs. Lake wouldn't snap at people at the drop of a hat. But they closed the door behind them. So in the past, whenever the two girls took their medicinal bath, their "father" was always present as well. Mrs. Lake was helping the two daughters undress. Their clothes were stuck to the suppurating sores on their skin, and peeling them off was painful, yet neither girl made a sound. They had probably grown accustomed to pain of this level long ago, or perhaps the prospect of relief from the bath allowed them to endure it all. Karen walked over. Mrs. Lake naturally handed the shed clothes to him, and Karen took them and placed them into a small bucket beside them. Under normal circumstances, a father and his daughters would avoid impropriety, but looking at the extensive patches of rot exposed as the clothes came off, who could spare any thought for such trivial nonsense? Seeing their father return, the two girls instinctively shifted their bodies, wanting to be close to him. Karen leaned in closer, but as the distance closed, he noticed the two girls shrinking away, not even daring to meet his eyes. Once the two daughters were undressed, Mrs. Lake stepped over to the tub. Karen watched as she poured half the sack of blood spirit powder into the water and stirred it directly with her hand. Though Karen hadn't asked Lemar the market price of a sack of blood spirit powder, it certainly wouldn't be cheap. Using half a sack in one go—no wonder Mr. Pavaro couldn't afford it. However, Karen had no need to worry about this. If his salary and other channels couldn't bring in enough point coupons to shoulder the cost, he would call the Allen family directly and have Boge deliver blood spirit powder or coupons to buy it each month. The news of the Raphael family's downfall would probably arrive within two days. By then, the Allen family would not only have eliminated a grave threat, but could also seize the opportunity to reclaim several workshops, very likely including the blood spirit powder workshop that originally belonged to the Raphaels. Karen could sever the Allen Manor's influence from his own life, but he wouldn't extend that obstinacy to Mr. Pavaro's two daughters. He wasn't that pedantic. Furthermore, it was Mr. Pavaro's investigation that had exposed and destroyed the Raphael family; with the Allen family reaping enormous benefits, sharing some with his daughters was only right. "All right, carry them over," Mrs. Lake said. Karen bent down and scooped up one of the girls. She was light—scarcely weighing anything at all. At the same time, Karen could feel the girl trembling in his arms. She was... afraid. After placing her into the tub, Karen turned and carried the second girl over. She was trembling too. Yet once both girls were lowered into the water, expressions of pure "relief" instantly spread across their faces. Bubbles constantly roiled in the tub, and black liquid floated to the surface as the pollutants inside their bodies were purged. Still, blood spirit powder merely treated the symptoms, not the root cause. After some time, the pollution would gather and accumulate once more. Perhaps, given the chance in the future, he could have Purr and Kevin examine their condition. One of them had lived long enough to become an auspicious omen, and the other was even more auspicious than an omen. Perhaps they truly had other means. "Sigh." Mrs. Lake let out a long breath. Seeing the relieved expressions on her daughters' faces, a smile appeared on hers as well. "Just soak well, both of you." "Mm." "Mm." Then she looked at her husband. Seeing Karen's clothes soiled from carrying their daughters, she said, "Come over here. I'll find you a clean set of clothes." Karen followed Mrs. Lake out and stepped into the master bedroom. "You had a hard time this time, too," Mrs. Lake said while rummaging for clothes. "It's fine. I have faith in Order." "Order, Order, Order! All you know is Order! If the God of Order truly has eyes, he shouldn't have let our daughters suffer this kind of torture!" Karen was momentarily at a loss for words. After all, he couldn't join Mrs. Lake in cursing God right now. Mrs. Lake tossed a coat onto the bed and asked, "Are you hungry?" "Yes." Karen nodded. Bread could curb hunger temporarily, but it didn't keep him full for long. "Change your coat. Throw the dirty clothes on the floor; I'll wash them in a bit." Mrs. Lake stepped out of the bedroom, and Karen changed his coat. Before long, Mrs. Lake brought food inside, setting it directly on the desk in the bedroom: a large glass of milk, bread, bacon, and some sauces. Karen sat down behind the desk and began eating. Mrs. Lake, meanwhile, scolded him nonstop—or rather, she was scolding Mr. Pavaro. The gist was that she must have been blind to marry him back then, that she would have been better off marrying the bank vice-president from their old neighborhood. Karen simply ate in silence, not talking back. He believed Mr. Pavaro had likely acted the same way at home. Only when Karen was nearly finished did Mrs. Lake seem to have scolded enough, or perhaps she had exhausted herself. Finally, she came over and gave Karen's shoulder another hard pinch. Karen, who was drinking milk, nearly spat it out from the pain, but forced himself to hold it in. As though concluding a set ritual, Mrs. Lake let out a long breath, appearing finally at ease. "I'm going to check on the girls." Leaving those words behind, Mrs. Lake stepped out of the bedroom and pulled the door shut with a thud. After closing the door, Mrs. Lake did not walk straight to her daughters' room. Instead, leaning her back against the bedroom door as though all vitality had been drained from her in an instant, she slowly slid down to sit on the floor. Clutching her collar tightly with both hands, she bit her lip hard. Without letting out the slightest sound, tears streamed down her face like rain.