Guidance from the God of Light

Leaning on his walking stick by the bedside, Old Anderson watched his daughter-in-law, Madam Lisa, treat Judia's injuries. "Is it serious?" Madam Lisa stood up and replied, "Not too serious. The external wounds have been tended to. As for the rest, she just needs some time to recuperate." "Good. Take good care of her." "It's what I should do." Old Anderson walked out of the bedroom. Outside, his son Mike sat in a wheelchair, saying apologetically, "Father, it was my negligence." "As long as Young Master Karen is unharmed," Old Anderson said, slowly making his way to the hallway window and pushing it open to let the outside breeze blow in. Mike wheeled himself forward to follow. "Mike." "Father." "It was my own incompetence. My generation couldn't hold things up, and we had to watch helplessly as the Raphael family and others grew stronger by the day. When it came to your generation, you couldn't shoulder the burden either. "Fortunately, we made it through without serious harm. We've managed to step across that hurdle. "So, our hope lies with the next generation. "Boge and Judia are the Allen family's hope for the future. They have a real chance of breaking through to Level Five and above once they reach adulthood. That way, the Allen family will at least have pillars to support us both outside and within, sparing us the embarrassment and distress of recent years." "Father, there is also Eunice. Ancestor Count Rekar once said that Eunice has the highest bloodline concentration." Old Anderson looked at his son. Mike looked back at his father. Father and son simply stared at each other. After a long silence, Mike asked in confusion, "Is that not so, Father?" Old Anderson felt a twinge of sorrow. Of his three sons, the eldest and the second had shown no sign of sharp wits since childhood. The only one who seemed clever was the youngest, yet he had poured all his passion into art. Now, using 'Young Master Karen' as an excuse, he had abandoned the position of family head and run off to wander the world selling paintings. And to claim it was 'on Young Master Karen's orders'—if it truly had been Karen's orders, would the boy have specifically asked where 'Mr. Bede' had gone upon returning to the manor? "Mike, what is Eunice's surname?" "Allen, of course." Old Anderson let out a long sigh and said, "Her surname is Inmerlais." A flash of realization crossed Mike's face. "I understand, Father." "Good." "Eunice will become an outsider after all, so Judia remains far more important to our family." "What?" The old man's hand on his cane began to tremble. Mr. Mike sighed as well, continuing, "Therefore, going forward, the Allen family must still rely on our own people." The old man's eyes reddened. He looked down at his son in the wheelchair. Mr. Mike's eyes also grew moist. "Father, I understand what you mean." The old man swung his cane and smacked it right across his son's face. *Smack!* A distinct red welt appeared on Mr. Mike's cheek. "Judia and Boge are the future pillars of the Allen family, but Eunice is the Allen family's roof!" "Uh..." "I never object to our family striving to be self-reliant and strong. What I despise is failing to see reality for what it is!" "I was wrong, Father." "If not for Eunice being at home, do you think Young Master Karen would ever return to this manor?" "No..." "Indeed. Ever since Young Master Karen went to York City, he seems to have intentionally avoided contact with the manor. I don't know the reason behind it, but it fills me with dread." "I think... could the young master feel that we're too wealthy?" *Smack!* Another strike of the walking stick landed. Seeing the symmetrical red welts on his son's face, the old man felt oddly relieved. "Only an idiot's brain like yours could come up with such an idiotic reason." "Yes." Mr. Mike did not dare talk back to his father's scolding. "The more Young Master Karen acts this way, the more respectful we must be, the more content we must remain, and above all, the more we must learn gratitude." "Yes, Father." "Have people been sent to that ceramic studio?" "We sent people yesterday and already reached an agreement. They ordered a considerable volume. Some of it can be produced in the workshops under our manor, while for other parts, we will need to source them outside." "Satisfy that ceramic studio at all costs, free of charge. Young Master Karen rarely asks anything of us, so whatever he commands, we must spare no effort to do it thoroughly." "Yes, Father, I understand." "We personally helped set up Young Master Karen's purification ritual." "Yes, Father." "And now Young Master Karen is already able to defeat Judia." "Yes. If Young Master Karen had trained since childhood, completed his foundation long ago, and had the guidance of that esteemed figure from the Inmerlais family, it would be natural for Judia to be no match for him. But not long ago, he officially became a God's Servant right before our eyes." "That is a genius. When a genius stops by the roadside, he is not napping; he is surveying the road farther ahead." "Indeed, Father." "Be grateful for that marriage contract. If that engagement hadn't been settled back then, I suspect our Allen family would have had no further ties to the young master. The ancestors truly watched over us." "Meow—" Purr, having just finished afternoon tea, was sitting on Kevin's back taking a leisurely stroll to digest the meal, passing right before father and son. Old Anderson and Mike bowed their heads together. "May the ancestors bless us." *** Tonight, the moon was encircled by a thick lunar halo, as though countless fireflies were being reared in the sky, dancing in orderly unison. Karen was on horseback with the newly awakened Eunice seated before him. Together, they trotted slowly under the moonlight. Eunice asked softly, "I've been sleeping quite a lot lately. Have I gained weight?" "Not at all. It feels very comfortable." "You know, Karen, every playful tease like that I've ever heard in my life has come from you." "What, do you want to hear someone else say such things?" "No. By the way, do you like the wallet?" "Not really." "I know my needlework isn't very good..." "I just feel it's unfair that it only holds a photo of you." Hearing this, Eunice turned around to look at Karen. Gathering her courage, she asked, "Whose else did you want to put in there?" "One of both of us." "Oh?" Just then, a group of people hurried out of the castle. They set up a camera and arranged the lighting. Karen wrapped his right arm around Eunice's waist, pulling her closer against him. "Come on, give me a smile." *Click!* The flash went off, and the photo was taken. Karen then urged the white horse forward into a run. He had learned his horsemanship during his stay at Allen Manor. They rode far into the distance, though still well within the estate's boundaries. "Are you heading back?" "Yeah. I've stayed here for three days already, so it's time to return. Besides, Alfred called to say my captain sent someone to the funeral parlor to ask if I was back. I suspect there's a mission." In truth, Karen felt that during their meeting at the gas station, Neo had already been planning the next mission and would likely need him to take part. Otherwise, Neo wouldn't have lingered after everyone else left to wait for Karen to arrive for a meal, nor would he have shared that story about the duckling and the hound. He had likely sent someone to the funeral parlor just out of concern that Karen's leave to visit family might drag on too long. God's Servants did not truly have vacations. For instance, Pike and Dinkum were probably under Alfred's direction right now, proudly serving as God's Servant bricklayers for the funeral parlor's backyard renovation. Karen was an exception. After all, his superior was himself, and he could sign off on his own leave slips. "I heard you say yesterday that your captain is a very interesting person." "He is." "I feel like he's quite pitiable." "Mm. If I hadn't witnessed his story with my own eyes, I probably wouldn't have decided to head back so quickly. Will you blame me for saying that?" "Of course not. I know you're busy." "Truly?" "Truly. Actually, before you returned, I had already prepared myself: even if you never came back, once my sleepiness cleared up, I would go to York City myself to find you. "I wanted to ask you in person whether you had forgotten about me." "And then?" Karen asked. "And then... that would be all." "Just that?" "Yes. Because I felt that since this is the first time in my life I've tried to like someone, regardless of the outcome, I ought to get a clear answer in the end, if only to give myself closure." The evening breeze blew past, stirring Eunice's long hair so that it brushed against Karen's cheek. Karen held her by the waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, while she leaned back into his embrace. "Mr. Anderson brought the family's business accounts for me to look over again this afternoon." "Did you look at them?" "No." Karen shook his head. "I'm not interested in those. But I did leave a ledger for you in your desk drawer. You can take a look when you wake up tomorrow." "I don't know how to read the manor's accounts either." "It's our household ledger. Last month's grocery shopping, clothes purchases, property fees, gas, heating, and other expenses are all in there." "I'll look over it carefully tomorrow." "A brief disclaimer first: there is an expense for a maid, with a salary of three thousand riels a month. She is very diligent and responsible. "In addition, there's a rather high expense that might look like money spent on a woman. It isn't because there's another woman in the house, but simply because keeping a cat these days is quite expensive." "Haha." The horse turned and trotted slowly back toward the castle. Time was almost up, and Eunice would soon grow drowsy again. On the return ride, neither spoke, simply leaning against each other in peaceful silence. Eventually, Karen sensed the woman in his arms searching for a comfortable position to fall asleep. "Sleepy?" "A little. I want to hold out a bit longer. When I wake up tomorrow, you'll have left me alone to head home." "I'll come back often." "Karen, have you noticed that in movies and novels, couples always say romantic vows to each other, but you've never said any to me?" "Do you want to hear them?" Eunice shook her head. "No." "Why?" "Because in movies and novels, most couples who swear romantic vows don't end up together in the end." *** After carrying Eunice back to her bedroom and settling her in to sleep peacefully, Karen returned to his own quarters. He had expected Purr and Kevin to be in the room, but neither was in sight. Karen took a bath first, changed into his nightclothes, and was about to rest when Kevin nudged the door open, walked in, and tossed his canine head at Karen. "Follow you?" Kevin nodded. Karen followed Kevin out of the bedroom, down the stairs, and further downward into a basement-like area beneath the castle. In the depths lay an iron door, its original lock fallen on the floor. Pushing the iron door open and stepping inside, Karen found a large studio, likely Mr. Bede's studio. However, only easels remained inside. There was no paper and no paintings, and even the walls had been freshly painted over, showing that Mr. Bede had thoroughly cleaned the room before leaving home. Karen spotted Purr, who was sitting atop a painting—likely the only one left in the entire studio. Only when Karen drew closer did he see that it was painted on a thin wooden board. "What made you think of coming down here?" Karen asked. "As an elder, isn't it entirely normal to show some concern for a junior's mental and physical well-being?" "Sounds reasonable enough." Karen crouched down. The painting depicted Apple Street from a bird's-eye perspective, looking down from above at two adjacent villas. The villa on the right was unmistakably the one where Piaget lived. Three men could be seen sitting in the living room, drinking red wine and chatting. They were Mr. Bede himself, Piaget, and Karen. On the second floor, a shadowy figure was dissipating—likely the person who had remained upstairs to observe after the delivery courier left that day. Karen guessed it was either Captain Tyers or Adjudicator Ruke. In short, this villa faithfully recreated the scene from that time, but the villa next door clearly depicted an entirely different moment. There were an unusually large number of people next door. Karen remembered that when the incident occurred, only Elder Doke, Helen, and Vernon had been present in that villa. Yet in the painted courtyard, people stood packed three layers deep within and three layers deep without. At least several dozen figures were gathered together in worship. In the center rested a damaged golden bell. "Worshiping a bell?" Purr explained, "That's likely a sacred relic. Because it's a golden bell—though bells coated in gold paint are common enough, in this painting, it definitely has a specific meaning." "Mm." Karen nodded in agreement with Purr's assessment. "Are they receiving a divine oracle? No, not an oracle. It should be 'divine guidance.'" A divine oracle generally referred to a deity's manifestation descending to directly convey their will to faithful believers. Divine guidance, on the other hand, broadly referred to using certain rituals or sacred relics to touch upon a god's will and receive fragmented feedback. A divine oracle was usually clear, whereas divine guidance often required guesswork to interpret its true meaning. Karen recalled that back when he had assumed the guise of the Berry religion and claimed to be capable of receiving divine oracles, Helen had expressed utter astonishment: *You people can still receive divine oracles?* This showed that today's Light remnants could no longer 'see' their god; they could only obtain faint notions from the deity through methods like this. Furthermore, Miss Bertha had told him that they had approached Piaget because they were acting on divine instructions, which must be connected to this divine guidance—the worship depicted in the scene. While living in that villa, Mr. Bede had likely sensed something, or learned something through his contact with Elder Doke and the others, which led him to create this painting. "Karen, look at the date on this painting," Purr prompted. Many painters had the habit of leaving the date of completion and their personal seal after finishing a piece, typically noted in the lower right corner. This painting's date, however, was marked in the lower left corner. Moreover, the date was very early—not the day the clash broke out on Apple Street, but nearly two months earlier. "This date should indicate when the Light remnants received divine guidance through that bell. After receiving it, Bertha and the others gathered a group of people, began approaching and essentially controlling Piaget, and waited for what she called an opportunity prophesied by their god. "Piaget, meanwhile, was waiting for Mr. Bede. So when Piaget and Bede crossed paths, those Light remnants believed they had found the right person. They demanded that Piaget and Mr. Bede stay in the villa to complete their artwork and provide the final prophecy." Purr nodded. "Karen, does this date ring a bell?" "Hm?" "I should have still been at Allen Manor at that time." "Yes. Down to the exact day, do you remember what happened then?" Purr asked. "What happened?" Karen pondered. "I don't recall clearly. During my stay at the manor, I practically forgot the dates and days of the week because life here was just too comfortable." "Looks like you probably won't remember your wedding anniversary in the future either." Purr used a paw to flip the thin wooden board over. Karen saw that there was actually another painting on the reverse side. However, this piece was not painted directly onto the wood; it was drawn on paper and pasted onto this side of the board. This painting captured the scenery from the Allen Manor performance hall to the castle gates. Rain was falling. A figure knelt by the performance hall, while at the castle gates, Old Anderson and a group of core family members waited in deep anxiety. In the center was a smudge that divided what had been a complete painting into two. Karen remembered that smudge; he had accidentally smeared it when he tossed his handkerchief onto the painting back then. Purr pointed a paw at the date in the lower right corner. "It's the very same day." Karen said, "Which means the day I underwent purification was also the day the Light remnants received divine guidance." Purr flicked its tail. "You can think even bolder. Look closely: although it's raining here, your purification took place during the day. In the painting on the reverse side, you were sitting together drinking wine, which was clearly at night, right? "In other words, while it happened on the same day, your purification came first, and their receipt of divine guidance came after." "Did my purification trigger the Light remnants' receipt of divine guidance?" Karen remembered what had happened that day. The finger of the God of Light had pressed against the center of his brow, Calling out: [Order, come out to meet me.] Purr said, "I suspect the only certainty they gleaned from their divine guidance was the clue pointing to Piaget. "So the Light remnants approached and controlled Piaget, intending to use him as a lead while waiting for the opportunity to emerge. "Piaget, on the other hand, had dreamed that he would meet Bede, who would appear deeply dejected over the destruction of his family. "Thus, the Light remnants—and not just them, but we as well—all assumed that the trail revolving around Piaget existed solely to await Bede. "Yet here lies the crux of the matter. "Because... "Who is to say that the person the Light remnants were waiting for, and the person Piaget was waiting for, was the same individual all along? "For example... "Someone who had just bought a house, taken on a mortgage, urgently needed a job, and was lying in bed sipping ice water while flipping through the newspaper—only to spot the advertisement for the Adams Clinic."