The Doll

Karen had a vague suspicion that the "unknown big shot" the Captain mentioned was very likely connected to him. Sometimes, a single word from a truly important figure could send subordinates scrambling to dissect its every meaning and spare no effort making arrangements. Even if the personage hadn't meant it that way at all, those below dared not ask, much less gamble on the chance... There were dozens of Whip of Order squads in the York City Region. While Hound Squad was definitely among the finest, they were outsiders after all, having only recently been transferred from Sangpu City. When it came to connections, they certainly couldn't compete with those pampered house golden retrievers. Yet now, the tables had turned. In essence, the fallout from this was probably much like Grandfather blowing up the Temple of Order. Back then, Grandfather's only goal had been to let the elders of the Temple of Order hear a loud bang to scare them a bit. He hadn't anticipated that the blast would trigger so many chain reactions—to the point where, across such time and distance, Karen, his grandson, was still feeling the ripples. Of course, Diss wouldn't have cared either way. "Captain, when exactly does the mission start?" "We'll be taking a teleportation circle, so no need for a long sea voyage. Assembly will probably be within three days, maybe even sooner." "All right, Captain. Understood. I'll get ready." "Right. Karen..." "Yes, Captain." "Karen, my boy..." "Yes, Captain." "Shouldn't you be saying, 'Captain, ask whatever you'd like'?" "Captain, please feel free to ask whatever you'd like." "Is that big shot connected to you?" Neo paused on the other end of the line. "Or rather... after you and Memphis entered that space, did something happen?" Evidently, the Captain had already noticed certain changes yesterday, especially when Mr. Aisen had volunteered that remark: *He's seen the world.* It was just that there were too many people around last night, so the Captain hadn't spoken to Karen privately about it. Coupled with today's windfall dropping straight from the heavens, the Captain instinctively sensed that there might be a connection between the two. "After entering yesterday, something went a bit wrong. I forgot I was wearing the silver mask Grandfather left me, and as a result, I ended up as the biggest, brightest one in there—with a gold rim, no less." The line went quiet for a while. Clearly, the Captain was digesting the information and calming his nerves. After a long pause: "I knew something must have happened in there. Was it because of that mask?" "Most likely." "Just like how Lemar Pottery Studio crafts masks? Did your grandfather kill an elder of the Temple of Order and make a mask out of his face?" "..." Karen had nothing to say. Karen truly hadn't thought in that direction. He merely assumed by instinct that with anything Grandfather left behind, no unexpected effect could truly be considered unexpected. Yet following the Captain's train of thought, the raw material for that silver mask might genuinely have been the face of a Temple Elder. "Did you handle things properly?" Neo asked. "I mean the aftermath." "I think it should be fine." "Then that's that. But next time, don't just go wearing that heirloom mask of yours anywhere. Even if a Temple Elder went their whole life without marrying or having children, they'd still have students." "Understood, Captain. I'll be careful in the future." "All right, let's leave it at that for now. See you at assembly." "Goodbye, Captain." Hanging up the receiver, Karen walked back into the bedroom and said casually to Purr, "There's going to be a new mission in the next couple of days." "Oh, so busy, so exhausting. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to this family." Purr sat on the bed giving half-hearted condolences. Then, as if something occurred to her, she asked, "How long?" "Don't know. Probably some time—maybe a week." "A week? And you can't come back?" "No." Going back and forth via teleportation circle meant traveling with the person they were guarding; it wasn't something you could just activate whenever you pleased. "Tomorrow, Little John has a break from school and will be coming home. I'll have him draw pictures for me and the stupid dog. It won't take long to finish them, so you need to go to Lemar Pottery Studio again to set everything up for us. Once the portraits are ready, we can just have the Radio Sprite deliver them. By the time you finish your mission and get back, I'll be able to stand and talk to you. Hehe." "Will it be based on your past appearance?" Karen asked. "No way! I'm going with a different style. I've been picturing it in my head for ages." "All right. I'll head over to the pottery studio now and sort things out for you." "Hehe, love ya, meow!" Karen straightened his clothes. Just as he was about to step out of the bedroom, Purr, still on the bed, suddenly asked again, "A week... Are you going out of town?" "Yeah." "Where?" "Dark Moon Island." "Meow!" Karen turned to look at Purr and shrugged. "The Captain is great at networking. Thanks to his schmoozing and maneuvering, our squad finally landed this ridiculously well-paying mission." Purr stood up on the bed. "You don't need to explain so much. I'll just treat your explanation as a cover-up." "It's just for the mission. We'll earn more point coupons so you can have two cups of coffee a day instead of saving pennies." "The issue isn't coffee! Last time, I knew Ophelia didn't get pregnant, but this time, once you go, I can't be sure whether she will. You know how love is—sometimes it needs time to ferment. And once fermented, it's often far more intense than at the beginning. Stupid dog, am I right?" "Woof!" "It's just a mission." "It's not like you're this stupid dog, nursing unrequited feelings all by himself and doing nothing about it. We can't trust you, right, stupid dog?" "..." Kevin had nothing to say. "Is there anything you want me to do?" Karen changed the subject. "Barring any surprises, I'll take some time to pay respects at Mr. Bernard's grave. After all, the origin of my Dark Moon Blade traces back to him." "Can you splash a bucket of paint over it for me?" "No." "Then spit on it secretly." "Can't do that either." "Then when you walk past, pretend you have a vegetable leaf stuck in your teeth, pick at it, and spit it out—*ptooey* on him!" "We'll see." "Good. Collect a bit of interest first. Once I've completely recovered, I'll go to Dark Moon Island myself and dig up his grave!" "He only fancied you." "Well, I wasn't interested in him. Looked at that way, the stupid dog is better after all. At least he knows not to burden the person he likes." Dragged into the crossfire once again, Kevin could only lie flat and bury his muzzle. Karen left the bedroom, while Purr took out her design album. There were no full portraits inside, but every single facial feature had been detailed separately. Kevin raised his head and looked at Purr. "Woof." "Of course I know he changed the subject! But can I stop him from going on missions? What right or standing do I have to forbid him? After all... right now, I'm just a cat kept in the house." "Woof." "All right, all right. Just venting a little temper. Come over here, stupid dog, let's keep sculpting faces." ... Driving up to the entrance of Lemar Pottery Studio, before Karen even got out of the car, he saw an aristocratic-looking woman emerge from the shop, her face flushed with lingering passion. Karen deliberately lingered in the car for a moment, giving Mr. Lemar enough time for a cigarette. Stepping out, he pushed open the shop door and went inside, finding Lemar wiping down a table. Seeing Karen enter, Lemar chuckled. "Accidentally knocked over a glass of water just now." "Right." Karen had no interest in bantering with Lemar about such things. Taking a pouch from his inner pocket, he set it before Lemar. "Here's twenty thousand Order coupons. Ten thousand settles the balance for the mask from last time, and the remaining ten thousand is an advance for you to craft two puppets. I'll have the portraits sent over in a couple of days." "Sure, no problem. Have a seat, I'll pour you a glass of water." "I won't stay. I'm heading back." "All right, fair enough." Just as Karen turned to leave, an elderly gentleman pushed open the door and stepped in, offering an enthusiastic greeting: "My dear Mr. Lemar, is the item I commissioned ready?" "It's finished, Mr. Matthews. I'll fetch it right away. Just a moment. Oh, Karen, keep an eye on things for me, would you?" "Splendid! I can hardly wait." Mr. Matthews appeared quite advanced in years, yet well-maintained and impeccably dressed. His character, however, was likely dubious; otherwise, Lemar wouldn't have specifically asked Karen to watch over the shop, especially after Karen had already said his farewells. It only suggested that this old gentleman had sticky fingers. "Good day, sir," Matthews greeted Karen. "Hello." Karen nodded back. "Where might you be working, sir?" Matthews casually pulled half a bottle of liquor from his coat and took a swig. "A funeral parlor." "Oh, what a coincidence—that's where I'll be heading before long." Matthews offered the bottle toward Karen. "Care for a sip?" Karen shook his head. "Bothered that my mouth's been on it?" "Yes." "You're quite blunt, haha." Matthews took another gulp, and two patches of blush promptly bloomed on his cheeks. "I think I might consult you about your parlor's services, because... whoa, ouch—" Matthews tilted sideways, toppling forward. Karen made no move to catch him, instead taking a step back to put distance between them. Just before smacking face-first onto the floor, Matthews braced himself with one hand while keeping the other clenched around the bottle, not spilling a single drop. "Phew, almost threw my back out." Matthews pushed himself back up and rubbed his lower back, his eyes already darting across the surrounding shelves. "Sir, I'm quite serious. Are your funeral parlor's fees expensive?" "Very." "Ah, then fate won't be bringing us together. I don't have much money." Just then, Lemar emerged carrying a crate. Setting it on the floor, he opened it before their eyes. Inside lay a doll with a charming, coquettish face, dressed in a maid's uniform. "Well, how is it?" "Magnificent, Mr. Lemar! Your work never fails to capture my heart. Here you are, your payment." Matthews pulled out a wad of point coupons and handed them to Lemar, who began counting them right in front of him. "You needn't trouble yourself; I counted them at home before coming." "Can't do that. You're getting on in years; last time, you slipped in several counterfeit coupons. I know you didn't mean to, but I'd rather avoid unnecessary misunderstandings between us." "Mhm, fair enough." "All right, Mr. Matthews. You may now take your beloved companion home to enjoy a candlelight dinner." "Indeed, I can hardly wait. Farewell, Mr. Lemar." Carrying the crate, Matthews nodded once more to Karen and walked out of the shop. Once the customer had left, Lemar gave a cold chuckle. "That fellow is a minor boss in the black market. Very sticky fingers—not just in business dealings, but he loves stealing things himself, too." "Is it a hobby of his?" Karen asked. "It is." "Then I'm taking my leave." "All right, thanks for earlier. You know, with no one watching, I was genuinely worried he'd clean out my shop." "Don't mention it." Karen pushed open the shop door. Just as he headed toward his secondhand Ponce sedan, he saw someone sitting inside: Matthews. What was more, he had already started the engine. Was he trying to steal his car? Karen walked straight up. Seeing Karen approach, Matthews pointed at the car as if asking, *Is this yours?* Karen nodded as he walked. Then Matthews grinned, floored the gas pedal, and shot right out. "Hahaha!" After driving down a street, Matthews burst into laughter and cursed, "Punk doesn't know the first thing about respecting elders! Didn't even help when an old man fell. That'll teach you a little lesson, humph." "Oh, really?" A voice came from right behind Matthews. He stiffened in fright, and immediately sensed something icy cold pressed against the back of his head. Barring any surprises, it was a gun. And barring further surprises, a spell pistol. Matthews glanced into the rearview mirror. Reflected in the glass, sitting right behind him, was none other than the young man from the pottery studio. *Damn it, how did he get in? Did he turn into a cloud of mist and slip inside?!* "A misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding! I saw your car was dirty, so I was going to drive it to the car wash to get it cleaned up, and then bring it right back to you." "Keep driving. Turn at the front." "All right, I hear you, I hear you." Following Karen's instructions, the car finally stopped in front of a secluded alleyway. Matthews got out and walked into the alley with his hands raised. "Turn around." "Right away, sir. Please keep a steady hand on that gun. I'll cooperate fully with whatever you need." Matthews turned around to face Karen. Karen reached into Matthews's pocket and pulled out a gold-trimmed wallet. "Please, take it all! It's the punishment I deserve." Karen squeezed the wallet. Even if there were point coupons inside, there wouldn't be many; he had already paid most of them to Lemar for the balance. So Karen shoved the wallet back into Matthews's pocket. Matthews was completely taken aback and quickly said, "Please, you must take it, or my conscience will never forgive what I did earlier!" "This pittance in coupons hardly redeems your sins." *Still thinks it's too little...* Karen was still inclined to give this thief, who had the audacity to steal from him, a thorough beating. In the next breath, Karen raised his foot and kicked Matthews squarely in the stomach, sending him flipping backward. Stepping forward to add a few more kicks, Karen suddenly sensed an uncanny ripple of power emanating from Matthews, prompting him to instantly retreat several steps. A glow of crimson abruptly shone from Matthews's pocket—the very spot where the wallet was stashed. *Bang!* A cloud of pink mist exploded from the pocket, enveloping Matthews completely. "Order Purification." Karen erected a purification barrier before himself. So there had been a mechanism in the wallet after all? As the pink smoke dispersed, an ecstatic expression appeared on Matthews's face. Lying on the ground, he began fondling his own chest while his feet scraped restlessly back and forth across the dirt. "Ah, it itches so much... so hot, burning up... ah..." Thieves loved stealing wallets above all else, so naturally they guarded against having their own wallets lifted. Even so, someone like Matthews, who rigged his wallet with an anti-theft trap, was truly a rare sight. Seeing him reduced to such a state, Karen couldn't be bothered to discipline him further. He returned to the car, started the engine, and drove off. ... In the kitchen, Xili and Mrs. Lake were preparing dinner. "I'm telling you, Xili, if you truly fancy him, just slip under his covers tonight. I don't believe for a second he'd kick you out." "Madam, what in the world are you saying?!" Xili glared crossly at Mrs. Lake, expressing her indignant displeasure. "Besides, Madam, the Young Master has a fiancée. In a few months, Miss Fiancée will be coming over." "A fiancée is a fiancée, a mistress is a mistress," Mrs. Lake replied dismissively. "Besides, at his age, he certainly has needs. You'd be doing him a favor." "Then... Madam, do you have needs?" "Me? Heh, I'm married." "Marriage is marriage, a lover is a lover." "Uh..." "Besides, at your age, Madam, you certainly have needs too." "You're asking for a smacking!" "You could slip under the Young Master's covers tonight, Madam! I don't believe he'd kick you out either." The two women chased each other around the kitchen. Just then, Karen passed by outside, glanced in, and asked curiously: "What's going on?" "Just joking around," Mrs. Lake replied at once, quickly heading into the inner room to wash her hands. "Yes, yes, Madam was tickling me just now." Karen smiled, nodded to them, and walked into his bedroom. "What a wonderful man the Young Master is," Xili sighed, leaning against the kitchen doorframe. Just then, Pike walked in carrying a crate and asked, "Mr. Alfred is out. This crate came from the boss's car—where should I put it? In the study?" "Ooh, that's a big crate. Leave it here for now; I'll ask the Young Master where he wants it later." "All right." Pike set the crate down in a corner of the kitchen. Once he left, Xili eyed the large crate with curiosity. "What's inside?" Having washed her hands, Mrs. Lake emerged and saw the large crate. Assuming it held groceries, she reached straight out to open it. Xili said hurriedly, "That's something the Young Master brought back in the car himself. You can't open—" But Xili's warning came too late. Mrs. Lake had already popped the crate open, revealing the sultry doll lying inside before both their eyes. In an instant, both women's faces flushed crimson.