Karen knew that Old Saman had been discussing the details of his funeral with Alfred during this period. The old man took his own funeral very seriously. Though few friends or relatives would likely come to mourn, this was a funeral he intended to attend in person.
Alfred had told Karen that when the ceremony took place, Old Saman lying in the coffin to receive respects would not actually be dead yet. He would lie there alive to be viewed, fully experiencing his own funeral with his eyes wide open.
When it came time for the burial, he planned to stand before the tombstone, deliver his own eulogy, and then lie back down into the coffin to end his life.
Karen had once tried to persuade Old Saman not to die. Although Old Saman was sorely tempted, he still refused.
From Old Saman's perspective, he could not accept seeing the Church of Pamires he believed in lose its identity and be absorbed into another faith. In his own words, he lacked the power to stop the passage of time, but he could at least make the pendulum of his own grandfather clock stop swinging.
This was his martyrdom for the god Pamires, for his own faith.
Originally, Karen had thought the treaty guaranteeing the independence of the Church of Pamires would convince the old man to abandon thoughts of death and continue living out his retirement in this cemetery he loved.
That was why Karen had not told Old Saman about the Holy Child's true identity.
Yet Derius had come in person. As the Holy Child of the Church of Pamires, it was only natural that he knew a senior figure of his faith resided in this cemetery in York City.
Old Saman was living in seclusion to shun the world, but he had never had the Voss family make him a mask to wear over his face as Karen had. Otherwise, the Captain would not have dropped by the cemetery every few days in the past to "check on him."
Derius naturally could not disclose his own secret either. His true identity was an unmentionable secret known only within a narrow, exclusive circle.
Yet Old Saman actually recognized Derius's father—Bishop Bern.
Back when the other bishops of the York City Region—the grandfathers of Leon, Laure, and the others—were still kept in the dark about the impending war, Bishop Bern had already been driving and participating in the plan. This proved his true status was far higher than it appeared on the surface.
Still, Karen had never thought Derius bore much resemblance to Bishop Bern. But for an elder like Old Saman, an expert in forging spatial sacred relics, the world in his eyes was bound to be different from that of ordinary people.
In this moment, Old Saman finally realized that his Church of Pamires had, in truth, died long ago.
"I believe everything can be settled by sitting down and talking it through, using dialogue to—"
*Hum!*
Old Saman reached out, seized Derius by the neck, and lifted him clean off the ground.
The members of Gengdi's squad surrounded them instantly. But just as they moved to act, blue arms broke through the earth one after another, grabbing each of them by parts of their torsos and hoisting them all into the air.
A blue glow flickered in Old Saman's eyes. In this cemetery, he was the caretaker.
"Some matters can be discussed. Other matters—let alone discussed, there isn't even any point in sitting down."
Derius did not say, *Do you know the consequences of killing me?*
Instead, he said with utter sincerity, "My faith is... Pamires."
"Heh, heh, heh."
Old Saman chuckled. He released his grip on Derius's neck. At the same instant, a pair of hands emerged from beneath Derius's feet, grabbed him, and wrenched him downward with violent force.
With a heavy thud, Derius crashed to his knees.
*Bang!*
His forehead struck the stone steps. Blood spilled forth as a corner of the step chipped off from the impact.
Gengdi, who had been blown back at the start, charged forward with his blade drawn. Derius was currently his charge to protect. Though he knew full well the terrifying strength of the old man before him, he had to advance.
Karen stepped in front of Gengdi and said, "Have your men stand down!"
Gengdi recognized Karen; he had seen him beside Neo. But right now...
"If you insist on forcing him to kill, leaving all of your men dead right here, then feel free to keep attacking."
Hearing this, struggle and hesitation flickered across Gengdi's face. In the end, he raised his blade and gave the order to assume defensive positions.
After severing or tearing themselves free of the earthen hands, his squad members fell back, forming a wide perimeter.
Karen turned and walked toward Old Saman. In front of the old man, Derius knelt prostrate, his forehead still bleeding. His body swayed faintly; he was still alive.
"Let them go," Karen said.
Old Saman turned his head to look at Karen. His expression was somber, no longer the charming old fellow who had squabbled over macaroni.
"You knew all along, didn't you?"
Karen could have denied it, since he was just an ordinary security officer and it would have been entirely normal for him not to know. But now that everything was laid bare, he did not care to lie.
"Yes, I knew all along. Just now, I deliberately didn't tell you."
Old Saman took a step closer to Karen. Alfred was already behind him. Had Karen not raised a hand signaling him not to move, Alfred might have struck at Old Saman already.
Though Alfred knew Old Saman probably would not kill, what if his fury prompted him to subject the young master to the same head-smashing treatment he had given the Holy Child?
"I don't need your pity, and I don't need your sympathy! In my eyes, what you did was completely unnecessary, and it disgusts me!"
Old Saman practically roared into Karen's face, close enough that Karen could feel flecks of spit hitting his cheeks.
Karen closed his eyes, drew a deep breath, opened them, and raised his voice to match Old Saman's:
"Then what was I supposed to say to you? Tell you not to believe the good news circulating out there, that this treaty seemingly preserving the autonomy of the Church of Pamires is just a shiny facade hollowed out by rot?
"Tell you not to dream pretty dreams, not to harbor illusions, but to hurry up and slit your throat so you can lie in that coffin and let me arrange your funeral?
"I know you're agitated, but you can take it out on him, not on me!
"Hah!
"At worst, you just go die! But believe me—if you truly piss me off, once you're dead, I'll arrange a Church of Order-themed funeral for you!"
"..." Old Saman fell silent.
Faced with Karen's counter-roared rebuke, Old Saman pulled his neck back slightly, his fierce momentum completely collapsing.
Old people were often like this. A stubborn temper could flare up in an instant, yet disperse just as fast. More importantly, Old Saman genuinely believed that the young man before him would follow through on his words.
"I'm not blaming you..."
Old Saman lowered his voice.
"Sigh, I shouldn't blame you."
Old Saman lifted his head, clicked his tongue, walked over to Derius, and kicked him hard.
*Bang!*
Derius flew through the air and tumbled across the ground. Several squad members hurried forward to support him and treat his wounds.
Hunching his back, Old Saman silently made his way into his little house.
Karen accepted the handkerchief Alfred offered and wiped his face.
Gengdi walked over, looking thoroughly miserable. His charge had ended up like this right after being placed in his care. Not only was the mission reward gone, but he was probably in for disciplinary action.
Karen understood his distress and comforted him. "Take the Holy Child and your men back to the hotel. Tend to his wounds so they look natural. The Holy Child won't report this upward. He'll probably even cover for you of his own accord. It'll be fine."
"But this wound on his forehead—even with spells, it'll be difficult to heal completely in a short time. He still has public events to attend."
"He'll say he tripped and fell while walking. Once he glosses it over himself, the higher-ups won't bother digging into it to punish you."
"Are you sure he'll do that?"
"He will."
"That's good, then. That's good... Er, you know that senior?"
"Yes. The Captain and I used to come here for midnight snacks all the time."
"So that's how it is." Whenever Neo was involved, Gengdi was always very agreeable, since he was an admirer of Neo's. "Then I'll take my leave. Will you be all right here alone?"
"You don't need to worry about me."
"Alright, then."
Gengdi ordered his men to take the Holy Child back. Yet the injured Derius shoved the others aside, insisting on kneeling before the steps once more. Though blood covered his face, his eyes shone with absolute devotion.
Karen could not tell whether Derius was truly loyal and faithful to the Church of Pamires, wanting to prove his sincerity to Old Saman, or... simply using this display to lay claim to an inheritance.
Karen could hardly be blamed for thinking this way. In his original understanding, Old Saman had no heirs, so whoever saw to his final arrangements would naturally inherit his estate. Derius's visit felt like a distant nephew suddenly showing up on the doorstep of a childless old man on his deathbed.
Still, Karen was not the Spatial Worm inside the other man's gut; there was no way to know his true thoughts.
Even so, Karen bent down and spoke to Derius:
"Lord Holy Child, you had better return to the hotel to treat your wounds. If you hadn't come, he likely would have continued working and living here. Now that you've come, he's truly preparing to die."
Derius looked up at Karen. "You've known him for a long time?"
"Yes. As you know, we of the Church of Order like running funeral parlors. It's completely ordinary for people running a funeral parlor to know the caretaker of a cemetery."
"Please convey to him my devotion to the god Pamires."
"He doesn't care about that. Don't push him. If you keep kneeling, he'll really hit you again. He isn't the sort of old man you can win over by kneeling."
Derius shook his head. "I want him to see my sincerity."
With that, Derius called out toward the house, "Mr. Saman, you should believe in the greatness of the god Pamires! Any of us has the right to believe in him and follow him! It has nothing to do with background, nothing to do with bloodline, and nothing to do with who my father is!"
Old Saman, who had already retreated into the cottage, walked back out. Karen stepped aside as Old Saman once more approached Derius.
"If my identity makes you uncomfortable, then I beg your forgiveness here. I will remain on my knees until you forgive me."
Hearing this, Karen sighed internally. Then he noticed the sigh beside him came from Alfred, who murmured:
"Young Master, that routine has been staged far too many times in the theater."
Karen nodded in deep agreement, though he had never once set foot in a theater in this life.
Old Saman seemed completely unmoved, for he delivered another kick to Derius, who was kneeling on the steps before his doorway.
*Bang!*
This time, the force was noticeably greater, as Karen caught sight of a blue glow shimmering across the surface of Old Saman's boot.
Derius was sent flying once more. Fortunately, several squad members reacted quickly and caught him, though the terrifying impact knocked all of them to the ground. As for Derius himself, this kick finally knocked him unconscious.
Karen hastily waved at Gengdi. Taking the hint, Gengdi ordered his men to carry the Holy Child out of the cemetery.
"Dog of a creature. Did he think kneeling to me would earn him scraps? If I weren't mindful of the believers who still put their faith in Pamires, I would have killed him today."
"He might have been sincere."
Old Saman looked at Karen. "Then are you willing to bring that old refrigerator back to reward his sincerity on my behalf?"
"You read people truly well. He couldn't fool you."
"Hmph, you've got someone around you who knows the craft, don't you?"
"Just a coincidence, just a coincidence."
"If I'd known, you should have brought him along. Maybe he and I could have exchanged a few words."
*He could indeed be led over on a leash.*
Karen changed the subject. "Do you hold a grudge against Bishop Bern?"
Old Saman pulled down his collar, revealing a black depression the size of a bowl base over his left chest.
"Left by him."
"Did you take a heavy loss?"
"No. I left a few things on him as well. But in the end, I still lost, because fighting isn't my specialty."
Hearing this and recalling the scene of Old Saman acting earlier—when Gengdi's entire squad, including the Holy Child, had looked like chicks before him—Karen felt the phrase sounded strangely familiar. His prospective father-in-law, Mr. Bede, seemed to love keeping that very line on his lips.
"Perhaps you could take this opportunity to visit the Messenger Space once more, as a final wish before you pass?" Karen suggested.
"Can't be bothered. There's only an elder lying there who sealed himself away. In the past, I didn't understand why he was in so much agony. Now, I think I understand a little. Being awake and lucid is itself an agony.
"So, when choosing a faith, you still have to pick a major church. Small churches hold far too many sorrows."
"You have that wrong. In the eyes of every devout believer, their own church is forever the greatest."
Old Saman said to Karen, "Hold my funeral for me tomorrow."
"Alright," Karen nodded.
Old Saman extended two fingers. Alfred immediately offered a cigarette and flicked a lighter to ignite it for him.
Taking a drag and slowly exhaling a smoke ring, Old Saman pointed at Alfred. "This manservant of yours is quite good."
"Yes, he is."
"Lately he's been chatting with me about some interesting things. Truly interesting. Heh, almost as if he were preaching."
Karen glanced at Alfred, who lowered his head slightly. Karen said to Old Saman, "He's fine in every other way; he just tends to babble mysteriously. Please don't take offense."
"No offense at all, none whatsoever."
Old Saman flicked off the cigarette ash and said with emotion:
"My life has reached its end. It began with Pamires, and it will end with Pamires. I think that's fine—a proper beginning and end.
"It's a pity I don't believe in the Church of Samsara's doctrine. Otherwise, if there were a next life, I'd like to chat with him a bit more. Who knows, he might even have succeeded in converting me. Wouldn't you say?"
Karen smiled faintly. "Of course. Everything is possible."
Chapter 224