Madame Tangli held her teacup, her fingertips gently caressing its warm porcelain surface. Recalling the scene earlier of Karen cooking in the kitchen, a smile couldn't help but grace her face once more.
"Sigh, even if you want to be someone's grandfather, you have to see whether he's willing to acknowledge you. With a grandfather like his, why would he care for a maternal grandfather like you?
"Old man, you have no idea what you've missed out on.
"So you see,
"relatives and bloodlines—grow distant, and you become strangers.
"Your own flesh-and-blood grandson stood right before your eyes,
"and you didn't feel a single thing."
Madame Tangli set down her cup, stood up, and murmured to herself, "Fortunately, Richard really seems able to sense him. They are cousins, after all. There's closeness between them."
In the next moment,
a memory from that day surfaced in Madame Tangli's mind.
She had been sitting on a cane chair in the garden of her suburban retreat, drinking tea, when she saw a familiar yet unfamiliar figure appear in her garden.
"I heard that becoming a Temple Elder grants a longer lifespan. It seems it really is true. Diss, you are still so young. Is the scenery inside the Temple of Order pleasant?"
"You misunderstand."
"Misunderstand? Then what brings you here?"
"My grandson will be coming to Wien in a while."
"Your grandson? Which grandson... Could it be... I understand. I will take good care of him. He is my grandson."
"No, you misunderstand again."
"Again?"
"I was concerned that your Arte bloodline might sense him. I hope that if you do sense him, you will pretend you do not know him. He has no need of your care, nor does he need your arrangements. He has his own path to walk."
"Not even my old man? You can't tell him? He doesn't even know he has a grandson still living. He never knew."
"Delon? Hmph, he isn't worthy to know."
Hearing this, Madame Tangli felt it was rather absurd. Instinctively, she opened her mouth to argue and defend her old man, but with the words on the tip of her tongue, she could only let out a helpless smile. Because she knew he was right.
"Your grandson—no, my grandson—has he already awakened the Arte family bloodline?"
"Not so quickly. There are quite a few things inside him."
"The Guman family should be able to help somewhat, right?" Madame Tangli hadn't given up, yearning desperately to bring her grandson back.
"The Guman family is loyal to the God of Order."
"Of course. Are you not?"
"I just blew up the Temple of Order."
"..." Madame Tangli was speechless.
"The path he chooses, he will walk himself. The dangers along the way, he will face himself. There is no need for you, and certainly no need for Delon, to arrange anything. If he needed the Gumans' arrangements, I could provide him far better conditions."
"I understand. I won't let Delon know. You're right—in the depths of his heart, he is filled with piety toward the God of Order. And thank you for coming to tell me personally. Will you have a cup of tea?"
"No, I must leave. There are still other places I have to go."
"Where did you come from?"
"Raphael Manor."
"What kind of place is that? What did you go there to do?"
"Kill someone."
"A very powerful being?"
"Perhaps."
Madame Tangli bowed to Diss. "Thank you for sheltering her."
"I did not truly take good care of her. Furthermore, she was my family; you do not need to thank me. Lastly, I loathe the bloodline of the Arte family. It has brought my grandson endless nightmares."
"Is my grandson cursed by the bloodline just like my son... cursed?"
"He used to be."
"Then... what about now?"
"I hope you will not actively try to sense or seek him out. But if you cross paths, you may see for yourself. He is a good boy."
"I believe he must be a good boy."
...
"Mhm, he truly is a good boy."
Madame Tangli walked upstairs. She had intended to check on her grandson, but saw Mr. Aisen walking into his bedroom.
Mr. Aisen looked at Richard lying in bed and asked, "Memphis—do you know him?"
"Yes, he's my teammate. We're on good terms. What is it, Dad?"
"He just called, asking when you're going to pay back his point coupons."
"Uh..." Richard's gaze fell on his father, but seeing his father's stern eyes, he immediately looked away in fright.
Half of his private stash had been 'borrowed' by his father earlier, which was the very reason he had been forced to borrow money from Memphis on Dark Moon Island.
That Memphis was really something—demanding repayment the moment they returned from the mission!
Richard didn't dare ask his father for his money back. Right now, he was terrified of doing anything that might agitate his father.
"I know, Dad. Don't worry, I'll take care of it. My mission bonus should be coming through soon. Once it does, I'll pay him back. You don't need to worry."
"All right."
Having received his answer, Mr. Aisen turned and walked out of the bedroom. Madame Tangli saw that her son seemed to have a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
...
It was already afternoon by the time Karen returned to the funeral parlor from the Guman residence. Sitting in the car, Karen hesitated for a moment: should he drive through the night to pay a visit back to Allen Manor?
He was genuinely worried that a new mission might arrive at any time. Although the Captain knew he was about to participate in the selection trial, the Captain also knew it was only the York City Region selection, where Karen would certainly have no problem.
So, best to make the most of the time.
Karen got out of the car and walked into the backyard. Seeing Xili, he told her, "Let Purr and Kevin know that I'll be heading back in a bit. Ask them if there's anything they need to bring."
"Right away, Young Master."
Xili stepped into the bedroom, but saw neither Purr nor Kevin. Moving on to the study, she found Purr lying on the desk, flipping pages with a paw as she read a romance novel.
Kevin, sprawled on the carpet, had a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his snout and a pen clutched between his paws, scribbling away on a large sheet of paper.
Xili felt that the household's pet cat and dog were far more cultured and educated than she was.
Purr raised her head, looked at Xili, and asked, "Something the matter, dear Big-Butt?"
"Young Master says he's heading back for a visit, and asked if you need to pack anything."
"Oh, absolutely!"
Purr hopped off the desk, landing squarely on Kevin's back.
"Stupid Dog, let's pack our luggage. There's quite a lot of stuff to bring back this time."
"Woof, woof!"
"Do you need my help?" Xili asked.
Facts proved that a handsome salary could bolster a person's resilience. For instance, Xili had grown somewhat accustomed to the existence of a talking cat in the house, as well as its critiques of her afternoon tea preparation.
"No need, we can manage on our own."
"All right, then I'll let the Young Master know."
...
Karen strolled around the courtyard for a while. Dora and Doreen were having lessons in their room, so naturally he didn't disturb them, instead making his way to the storage room.
There had originally been five coffins stored inside, but now only four remained. Richard had just occupied one to be wheeled away, and there hadn't been time to restock.
Of these four, only one was actually empty; things were lying in the other three.
Karen slid open one coffin lid, intending to check on Purr's or Kevin's puppet. To his surprise, the first one he revealed was an erotic maid puppet.
"It's actually still kept here..."
He had accidentally brought it home the day before leaving for the mission on Dark Moon Island. He had thought it would have been disposed of, but never imagined his family would store it away.
Sliding it shut, Karen pushed open another coffin lid. The one lying inside was indeed Purr—not only an exact likeness, but even dressed in custom-tailored attire.
Mr. Lemaire's craftsmanship truly left nothing to be desired. The puppet was made so well that, on the surface at least, it was indistinguishable from a real person.
Karen instinctively wanted to reach out to feel the texture. He happened to be standing at the foot of the coffin, so reaching out would only let him touch Purr's legs;
but such an action would be far too lecherous. After a moment's hesitation, Karen moved to the head of the coffin and pressed the back of his hand against Purr's cheek.
Though slightly cold, it felt smooth and soft.
Karen then gave Purr's cheek a pinch and couldn't help smiling at himself.
After sliding the coffin lid back into place, he walked out of the storeroom, just in time to see Xili approaching. "Young Master, they're already getting ready."
"All right, I understand."
"Young Master, would you like me to prepare some food for the road?"
"Just prepare something simple."
"Understood."
Karen sat down on a bench in the yard. After quite a while, he saw Purr and Kevin walking over side by side. The reason she wasn't riding Kevin's back was that he was carrying two large bags strapped to his back, with another held in his jaws.
"Bringing so much stuff?"
"They're all materials needed for arrays. Taking them back will let Stupid Dog and me do the final calibrations."
"I don't know how long I can stay," Karen said. "A mission could come up at any moment."
"It doesn't matter. You can come back first; Allen Manor is hardly short on drivers."
"Yeah."
By then, Xili had packed the meal boxes and brought them out.
Karen stood and went into the study to pick up the sword case. As long as circumstances permitted, he always brought the greatsword with him.
Once the belongings were stowed in the car, Karen started the engine. Just then, Alfred returned from outside. Seeing Purr and Kevin seated in the car, he asked, "Is the Young Master heading to the manor?"
"Yes."
"There is a matter this subordinate needs to report to Young Master."
"Go ahead."
"The aberrant demon intelligence network this subordinate helped establish earlier..."
"Wasn't it broken up?"
"Only a few mental-type aberrant demons were captured. The rest have gathered together again, and having weathered the previous crackdown, their activities are now even more covert."
"You have some ideas?"
"This subordinate has always felt this is a resource that can be put to good use. But the prerequisite is that it must be properly integrated and put on the right track to prevent a repeat of what happened last time."
"If you want to do it, then go ahead. When I return, I'll file a report with the Captain. We can use the aberrant demon cell you set up as our squad's intelligence network."
"Yes, Young Master."
...
After Karen drove the car out of the funeral parlor, Purr, sitting in the passenger seat, spoke up: "The Radio Goblin is lonely and wants to find things to do."
"I know, which is why I support him."
Especially after learning about the organization known as the Silencers. After hearing Karen's explanation, Alfred had voiced his concerns without Karen even needing to prompt him.
Yet that also meant Alfred had lost a major career pursuit.
Karen drew out a cigarette, placed it between his lips, and said, "There's another reason I decided to participate in this selection trial. Mr. Pavaro's standing was still a bit too low. Once I make the final cut in the test selection and return from the Gate of Samsara, I should at least be promoted to Captain in the Whip of Order. If I can form my own squad, then the room to maneuver for me—and for all of you—will be vastly larger."
"Wow." Purr blinked. "Meaning we can join your Whip of Order squad too, including the Radio Goblin?"
"Mhm."
"But the main issue is that Stupid Dog's and my puppets are very clumsy to move around in."
"There will be other ways. Or you could take a management role."
"Sounds tempting," Purr chuckled. "We could even Awaken Rekar and Old Saman to join the team!"
"That's not possible right now; it might still be quite a ways off."
"One must always have dreams—that's what you wrote in your notebook."
"Yes, one must always have dreams."
Karen picked up his lighter.
Purr asked curiously, "Karen, you've started smoking again?"
Only then did Karen realize what he was doing. Smiling, he took the cigarette from his mouth and tossed it out the window.
He cursed,
"It's all damned Bernard's fault."
Although Karen drove very fast and the road conditions were good, it was already late at night by the time he reached the boundaries of Allen Manor.
At this point, it was about a ten-minute drive to the manor gates. However, two mounted riders appeared ahead of Karen, and they had also noticed the second-hand black Ponce sedan behind them.
Karen pulled over to a stop, and they halted their horses as well.
Borg immediately swung down from his horse, excitedly walking toward Karen with a respectful bow and a grin:
"Greetings, Young Master! You're back!"
Judia remained seated on horseback, holding her chin high with haughty pride. Clearly, she still harbored intense hostility toward Karen; after all, he had beaten her half to death last time.
What infuriated her most was that this fellow insisted all along that he hadn't done it on purpose.
"Out for a stroll?" Karen asked, stepping out of the car.
"Over that way is a training ground for the family youth—it was newly established. We train there during the day and head back to rest at night. Young Master, did you not call ahead to let us know you were coming?"
"No. I happened to have some free time, so I came back."
At this moment, Kevin, seated in the back, reached out a paw and tapped Purr's seat. Purr turned to look at Kevin, who nodded toward Judia, still mounted on her horse ahead.
Purr responded, "The little girl has a stubborn temper, a bit of my style back in the day, though not as talented as I was. Of course, she isn't terrible either. Right now... feels like Rank Four. She leveled up, and Borg leveled up too—Rank Three now.
"Truly exasperating: the most talented in our family's current generation are all children raised outside."
Just then, Judia rode over, her eyes carrying blatant provocation.
Purr chuckled. "The little girl is asking for a beating again. Sigh, so pitiful. She thinks reaching Rank Four means she can settle the score."
"Woof."
Borg shouted at Judia, "Judia, dismount quickly and greet the Young Master!"
Purr said, "See, that Borg kid is deliberately pouring oil on the fire. He knows full well Judia has a terrible impression of Karen, and he knows her temper. He's digging a pit for her so he can maintain his standing before Karen.
"Karen was right—he's a real wolf pup. But if the family wants to rise again, it actually needs someone like him. The kid could be groomed into the family patriarch in the future—if Eunice doesn't want to be the family head, that is."
"Woof," Kevin nodded in agreement.
Purr yawned. "Fight, go on and fight. Once it's over, we can head back early to eat supper and sleep. It seems like Karen has to thrash her every time he comes home."
Sure enough, hearing Borg's words, Judia raised an eyebrow and pointed at Karen. "I want to spar with you again."
"I want to get back early." Karen paid her no mind, moving to get back into the car.
To the current Karen, beating up a little girl after coming home held absolutely no interest.
Someone like Ped was barely qualified.
And then there were the truly elite opponents of his age group within the Order that he would face during the selection trial.
*Crack!*
Judia swung her horsewhip, cracking it against the car door and stripping off a layer of paint.
Purr shook her head. "It's over. Karen treasures this second-hand car. She could have ridden back on horseback, but now she'll probably have to be carried back draped over the saddle."
Kevin nodded his canine head in deep agreement.
Looking at the door where the whip had stripped the paint, Karen said, "The paint chipped."
"My allowance is enough to compensate you with a brand-new car," Judia sneered with a grin.
She wasn't stupid enough to mock Karen for being poor; she knew very well that more than half the manor belonged to him. She simply wanted to force Karen into fighting her again.
Of course, in Purr's eyes, she was simply begging Karen to beat her to a pulp.
Karen nodded and turned his gaze toward Judia.
To stoke the atmosphere and escalate the clash, Judia even deliberately raised a hand and curled a finger at Karen in a beckoning taunt.
Purr covered her eyes with her paw. "Karen's strongest technique right now is the Dark Moon Blade, because of those eyes. Oh, she's actually provoking a warrior at such close range without even knowing to put some distance between them first? I really can't watch this, meow."
Kevin imitated Purr, covering his canine eyes with his paws, but left a wide gap to keep peeking.
Borg silently took several steps back.
Facing Judia, Karen's eyes flared crimson in an instant—the Eye of the Dark Moon activated directly.
Under that gaze, Judia's body instantly froze, a monumental wave of terror surging in her heart.
The power of the Dark Moon erupted fully from Karen. He no longer had to hold back with tied hands and feet as he had against Ped;
most importantly, he didn't want to waste much time here—perhaps Eunice was still awake right now.
Karen's figure vanished from where he stood and materialized right before Judia in a fraction of an instant.
Judia was terrified by this astonishing speed. Instinctively, she conjured layer upon layer of ice shields in front of herself for defense, while the longsword hanging from her saddle flew out. But Karen merely reached out his left hand with crisp simplicity. The terrifying heat of the Dark Moon Blade instantly melted every ice shield before him, and with a loose grasp of his right hand, Judia's longsword fell right into his grip.
His left hand seized Judia by the throat, hoisting her entirely off the horse. The power of the Dark Moon flooded into her body in an instant, disrupting the structure of spiritual power within her. Releasing his grip, Judia dropped.
Karen swung the longsword with his right hand, striking Judia squarely with the flat of the blade.
*Wham!*
"Ah!"
Judia was swatted flying, tracing a graceful arc through the air before crashing into the woods beside the road.
This scene reminded Borg of the days when he retrieved balls for young masters playing golf.
"Borg."
"Huh? Young Master, here!"
"Go fetch the ball."
"Yes, Young Master!"
Borg immediately darted into the woods to search for Judia.
Karen cast aside the longsword and walked back to the car. Bending down, he ran his hand carefully over the chipped paint on the door, letting out a sigh:
"Alas."
Chapter 294