Contamination!

"Karen, want to hit up a pastry shop?" Richard was like a child desperate to prove he was all grown up now, seizing on anything and everything he thought could serve as a badge of adulthood. "Didn't Dark Moon Island have the Mermaid Theater too?" "Just like straightening the steering wheel when you drive, I think we need to straighten out our tastes in that department." "What about you and that Beliya...?" "We haven't even made our relationship official yet! Until marriage, I'm completely free. Oh, and in Wien, that's already considered quite remarkable. You know what the social scene in Wien is like—even after marriage, if either spouse can't find a lover, they can't even hold their head up in front of the other. "So my mom really hasn't had it easy. Even with my dad in his current state, she's actually never taken a lover." "Richard." "Yeah?" "You should head home first. Your father doesn't talk much, but I can tell he genuinely cares about you. So you'd better get home soon. He's definitely waiting for you." "Really?" "Yes." "All right, then. I'll head home first to let my family know I'm safe. Can I come find you tomorrow? You can cook for me, hehe." "Sure." Karen glanced out of the corner of his eye at Memphis standing next to Richard. "Keep your word, Karen! I'll come over tomorrow morning." "All right." *If you can still walk over tomorrow, that is.* The squad members hailed cabs or took the tram, while those with their own cars parked nearby and traveling in the same direction offered rides to others. Karen got into the car with Fanny and Peige. Peige spoke up, asking, "By the way, Karen, I heard the Captain mention a few days ago that Miss Ophelia is coming to our side too?" "She will be coming to the Church of Order, but not to York City." "Oh, what a pity," Peige said with a chuckle. Fanny chimed in, "How is that a pity? Karen's probably feeling relieved instead. Now he doesn't have to agonize over it." Karen gave a polite smile and said nothing. Leaning an arm against the back of the seat, Peige said, "If you ask me, Miss Ophelia just wasn't decisive enough. Going in strong would've been so much better! Look at me—just because I missed my chance back then, I'm regretting it now. I can't even beat him in a fight anymore." Karen asked, "Are we on leave next?" Fanny replied, "Didn't we just get back from a vacation? We might have a new mission as soon as tomorrow. It all depends on what the Captain chooses." "Fair point." On this trip to Dark Moon Island, he had been busy from start to finish, but for the other squad members, it truly had been a vacation. They were probably eager to take on a mission and shake off the rust. They arrived at Pavaro Funeral Parlor. Karen got out of the car, waved goodbye to Fanny and Peige, and walked toward the storefront carrying his sword case on his back and rolling his suitcase. Fresh concrete had been poured out front, making the ground smooth and even. Both the exterior and interior were cleaned spotless. It seemed the two assistants at home hadn't slacked off during this time either. Of course, that was also because Karen had shifted their business model: no longer taking ordinary people's business and catering solely to the circle. As a result, there was basically no other work on regular days. Up to now, they had only handled Old Saman's business. More importantly, Karen's income from the Whip of Order was more than enough to cover the household expenses, not even counting his share of profits from the Allen Manor and Dark Moon Island ventures. By the mortuary slab, Pike was sitting on the steps with a bottle of soda and a bag of fries in front of him, engrossed in a copy of the Code of Order in his hands. Hearing the noise, he looked up, saw Karen standing in the shop, and immediately sprang to his feet, calling out, "Oh, Boss, you're back!" "Yeah." Pike hurried down to help carry the luggage, adding, "Mr. Alfred went out on business with Dincomb." "Alright, got it. Take the clothes in the suitcase for Xili to wash later. I'll head to the study first." "Right away, Boss." Carrying the sword case, Karen walked to the study door. Opening it, he saw Xili with her back turned, wiping down the desk. The weather was warming up, or perhaps because he hadn't been home, she wasn't wearing jeans today, but a long black dress. Yet the change in attire could hardly conceal her remarkably rounded figure. Xili turned around. Seeing Karen, a radiant smile instantly broke across her face. She set down her cloth and hopped on the spot twice in excitement. "Boss, you're back!" "Yes, I'm back." "That's wonderful! The boss is back, hehe." Karen placed the sword case on the bookshelf and said to Xili, "I'm hungry. Make something to eat." "Sure thing, Boss! It'll be ready in no time, hehe." Smiling, Xili turned to leave the study. "Wait." "Hmm?" Xili paused and looked at Karen. "Boss, any other orders?" "You look nice in a dress too. You don't have to wear jeans every day." Karen was worried that Alfred's earlier instruction would lead this girl to wear jeans all year round without daring to change, just for the sake of her paycheck. "Understood, Boss!" Xili walked out of the study and closed the door, then covered her mouth and giggled again. Karen opened the bedroom door from the study and found that Purr and Kevin weren't in the bedroom. He grabbed a fresh set of clothes and went into the bathroom. Stepping into the bathtub, he lay back while the water was still running. The bedroom door outside swung open, followed immediately by several excited barks: "Woof, woof, woof!" Next, the bathroom door was pushed open, and Purr came riding in atop Kevin. Having not seen her for a while, Karen noticed that Purr's coat seemed glossier, though he couldn't tell if it was just his imagination. Purr leaped from Kevin's back onto the edge of the tub. Karen took a nearby bath towel and draped it over himself. "Ohoho, feeling shy, are we? I watched Diss grow up with my own eyes!" "Heh." Purr flicked her tail, seeming to adjust herself, then quickly got into character: "Oh, my dear little Karen, toiling away on business trips for this family, and now finally back home!" With that, Purr walked along the edge of the tub over to Karen's head and sniffed carefully. "What are you doing?" "Taking a bath the moment you get home—trying to wash off the smell of perfume, are we?" "She doesn't wear perfume." "Aha! I didn't even say who, and you already confessed!" Karen raised a hand, rested it on the cat's head, and ruffled it. Since his hand was wet, it left the fur on Purr's head a scruffy mess. "Oh, damn it, you messed up my hairstyle!" Purr brought her head close to a dry towel hanging nearby, sticking out a paw to wipe her head. Kevin proactively pushed his dog head forward. Karen reached out and patted it; the advantage of a bald dog became fully apparent in moments like this. "The hair restorer didn't work?" "Woof!" Kevin shook his head, indicating it was useless. "Then this head will just have to stay bald forever." Karen looked at Purr. "Look at the damage you've done to Kevin." Purr retorted, "Do you have any idea how much precious time a person saves in a lifetime if they never have to care for or style their hair?" "Fine." "You still haven't answered me!" "Answer what? There was nothing." "Hmph, I don't believe you, meow." "Believe what you want. By the way, how have things been at home lately?" "See? Changing the subject already. There's definitely something fishy!" "What could there possibly be?" Karen raised his wet hand again and ruffled Purr's freshly dried head. "..." Purr. "Boss, your meal is ready." "Understood." Karen sat up from the bathtub, grabbed a dry towel, and first helped wipe Purr's head before letting her go. Purr leaped onto Kevin's back and left the bathroom. After drying off and changing into clean clothes, Karen returned to the bedroom. On the coffee table sat a bowl of egg fried rice, a bowl of braised beef with shiitake mushrooms, and a bowl of shredded pork soup with pickled mustard greens. "Boss, I practiced making these a few times while you were away. Please give them a try." Karen sat down, took the silver chopsticks from Xili, and tasted a few bites. He nodded and said, "It tastes very good. Deserves a raise." "Thank you, Boss!" Once Xili left, Karen recounted the events on Dark Moon Island as he ate. When he got to the discovery of Jennifer's body: "Jennifer... to think she died like that." Purr sat on the carpet, tears welling in her eyes. "My dear Jennifer, to think you died like that." Kevin came over and nudged Purr's body gently with his bald head, but Purr did not react. Seeing this, Karen had no choice but to set down his chopsticks, lift Purr onto his lap, and reach out to wipe away her tears. "Keep going. You know what I want to hear, what I'm waiting for." Karen continued his tale, and Purr listened with utmost attention. Karen went straight through to the end of the final day. Of course, during the retelling, to help Purr take in the whole experience without distraction, he omitted some unnecessary scenes—such as certain interactions between him and Ophelia. "Jennifer... set sail with Philias," Purr murmured. "Karen, are you sure you didn't invent a lie just to comfort me?" "I trust your mental resilience. Do you think I would make up lies?" "Whew... Poor Jennifer. Back then, I told her that not a single man was any good, but she thought I was being too extreme and even urged me to be nicer to Bernard. "That foolish woman really ended up being the death of herself through her foolishness! "Bernard... that damned Bernard! "Karen, you really should have brought back a cup of his ashes so I could flush them down the toilet myself!" Sitting nearby and listening all along, Kevin raised a paw to scratch at his neck, recalling the experience of being bitten by mosquitoes a few nights prior. "The situation was rather urgent at the time, and I had to clean up everything thoroughly. But rest assured, words can only describe a tenth of the torture Bernard endured before he died." "He deserved to die!" Purr said. "Once I fully recover, I'm going to set Dark Moon Island ablaze!" Karen didn't try to dissuade Purr. He knew this was just her way of venting her emotions. At a time like this, there was no need to preach or feed her empty platitudes about how the common folk of Dark Moon Island were innocent. "Go on and finish eating." Purr jumped down from Karen's lap onto the bed, her cat paws rubbing back and forth against the sheet. Kevin walked over. Purr snapped at him, "Stupid dog! If only you weren't a dog right now! Then we could extract Bernard's soul, seal it in a container, and torment him day and night!" Feeling a bit aggrieved, Kevin stole a glance at Karen, who was continuing his meal. If he weren't a dog, he probably wouldn't even be here. Purr began berating herself again: "If nothing had happened to me back then, Bernard wouldn't have dared do that to Jennifer! No—Bernard would have been slapped to death with my own paws long ago from irritating me so much!" Karen ladled a bowl of soup, drinking it as he asked, "By the way, are the puppets you and Kevin commissioned Mr. Lemaire to make finished?" Purr buried her face in the quilt, rubbed it vigorously, then lifted her head and broke into a smile. "They're done!" "Where are they?" "Resting inside coffins in the morgue." "I thought you'd be eager to use yours and show it off to me the moment I got back." "You didn't even give any advance notice of your return," Purr grumbled in mock irritation. "Controlling it is pretty troublesome. It's a bit different from what I envisioned." "Different how?" "Mainly, I'm not like Miss Serena. Did you know she seems to have died a long time ago?" Karen paused, then nodded. "I know." "But she preserved herself through a special method, like a spirit entity. In essence, she counts as a soul-type aberration, which is why she can swap between various puppet bodies. "The stupid dog and I can't do that right now. Our consciousnesses can't detach from our current bodies yet—I'm not strong enough, and the stupid dog is sealed. "So, if I want to operate that body, it has to be within a ten-meter radius. "I have to perch on my puppet's shoulder, and the stupid dog might have to hold a leash, controlling his puppet to walk himself." "Haha." Karen couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. "Still, the puppets are really well-made. Lemaire has talent. But a master artisan still needs the seasoning of time and years. I have high hopes for his future." "Fair enough. I'm curious what kind of puppet it looks like, considering you spent so long designing it." "Exactly like how I used to look, because I believe my past appearance didn't need any alterations whatsoever." Karen nodded. "I think so too." "Right? Hehe, meow!" "By the way, I'll be participating in a selection trial in a while. First in the York City Region, and then competing with candidates from other regions for twelve spots. The test primarily targets the soul." Hearing this, Kevin let out two barks—as the primary victim of Karen's soul abilities, he had plenty to say on the matter. "Then there won't be any problem," Purr said. Kevin nodded vigorously. "The Gate of Samsara—has either of you been there?" Karen asked. "I have." "Woof!" "The stupid dog has too." "Tell me about it." Karen picked up a cloth beside him, wiped his hands, folded it, and wiped his mouth. "Strictly speaking, I only observed it from afar without going in. At most, I stood before the Gate of Samsara, but never stepped inside. But as far as I know, there are countless dead souls within. Since the God of Samsara established the Gate of Samsara nearly an epoch ago, the gate has constantly been adding to its numbers. Heaven only knows what methods they used or how many souls they've stored inside. "Stupid dog, have you been in?" "Woof, woof, woof!" "What did Kevin say?" "Kevin says he once dumped trash into the Gate of Samsara. Tsk, so not only did you work for the God of Order, you worked for the God of Samsara too? Honestly, if anyone deserved to die, it was you! If I were the God of Order, I wouldn't have let you live either." Kevin: "..." "Do you know the specifics inside?" Karen asked. "Woof, woof, woof!" "The stupid dog says not to think of it merely as a secret realm or a trial ground. The space inside the Gate of Samsara possesses its own structural system—you can understand it as a nation with its own hierarchical architecture." Amused, Karen asked, "A kingdom built of the undead?" "Woof, woof, woof!" "Yes. It has a top-down hierarchy; it's by no means a wild, chaotic realm. In fact, when the God of Samsara first established the Gate of Samsara, powerful souls akin to deities were admitted and stored inside. Back when he dumped trash in there, he sensed such auras—and more than just one." "Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof!" "Your spots to enter for the trial have to be selected. In fact, inside, souls that can match you are probably selected for pairing as well. For trial candidates of the Church of Samsara in the past, this was an opportunity to obtain a soul contract partner, empowering themselves and paving the way for future development. Likewise, for the dead souls inside the Gate of Samsara, it represents another form of 'rebirth.' "Therefore, the selection mechanism on the inside will only be harsher than the one outside." After translating, Purr immediately turned to Kevin and asked, "Stupid dog, do you have any friends in there or anything?" Kevin blinked, and after a long pause, barked twice: "Woof, woof." "No friends, but plenty of enemies? "Uh, fine. You really are a useless dog. You've completely lowered the bar on what I thought a god could be. Stop calling yourself an evil god from now on—it's an embarrassment to gods." Kevin hung his head under her mockery. Karen reached out and patted Kevin's bald head again to console him. "Seen this way, then, the trial candidates who enter are more like gifts thrown inside?" "Woof." "Yeah, according to the stupid dog, that's exactly right." "Woof, woof, woof, woof!" "The stupid dog says that when the God of Samsara was still around in the past, he could enforce the rules upon the dead souls inside. Now that the gods do not manifest in this epoch, nobody knows what kind of situation has developed behind the Gate of Samsara. He suspects that even the Church of Samsara merely controls the entrance now. "In fact, a more fitting description would be that you people who get selected are... offerings presented by the Church of Samsara to whatever is inside the Gate of Samsara." "Then for those who forge soul contracts, will it increase the risk of losing themselves to madness, like the Bloodthirsty Aberration clan?" Karen asked. Hearing this question, Kevin lay down, the corners of his dog mouth curving into a slight smirk. Purr remarked, "Stupid dog, seriously, your smile looks downright sleazy." "Woof?" "Are internal power struggles fierce within the Church of Samsara, divided into many factions?" Karen replied, "Yes, that's right." "Woof?" "The stupid dog asks: Who is the current Gatekeeper of the Church of Samsara?" Karen answered, "Someone from the Simonsen family." Kevin grinned and barked: "Woof, woof!" "The stupid dog says that back in his era, Simosen was the name of a powerful undead spirit inside the Gate of Samsara." The foremost family in the Church of Samsara today, the Simonsen family, originated from inside the Gate of Samsara? Purr twitched her tail in astonishment and said: "Really? Even I had no idea, and there's never been the slightest rumor of that outside. Seems I'm still too young and inexperienced after all. "Does that mean the Church of Samsara merged with the world inside the Gate of Samsara long ago?" Kevin shook his head, signaling his disagreement with Purr's phrasing. Karen pursed his lips and said: "It is the Church of Samsara that has been contaminated by the Gate of Samsara."