Unbeliever

"Young Master, you're back. Please go and get some rest." Old Anderson and Mike stepped forward together to greet Karen, but without any unnecessary pleasantries, moving aside to leave Karen a clear path upstairs. Karen smiled at Old Anderson and started up the steps. Purr, riding in on Kevin's back, spoke to Old Anderson. "Bring up the few bundles from the car. Don't touch the sword case." "Yes." Old Anderson and Mike bowed to Purr in unison, their posture even more solemn and formal than it had been toward Karen. Purr glanced at Karen, who was already on his way up the stairs, and remarked to Old Anderson, "You little scamp, every ounce of skill you possess really has gone into conducting yourself around people." "Your Old Ladyship's reprimand is entirely just." "Focus on grooming your successor in peace." "Yes, I understand. Rest assured, Your Old Ladyship." "Call me 'Old Ladyship' one more time and I'll claw you to death." "Yes..." "Have a late-night snack prepared and sent up. All right, stupid dog, let's go!" "Woof!" Old Anderson and Mike straightened up together, exchanged a look, and both wore wry smiles. Just then, Boge walked in carrying the severely injured Judia on his back. "Beaten by the young master again?" Mike asked. Boge replied, "Judia provoked the young master and even scratched the paint on his car." Mike immediately asked with concern, "Are her injuries serious?" Old Anderson said very calmly, "Don't worry. The young master knows where to draw the line." With that, Old Anderson turned and went back to his room to rest. Mike took Judia into his arms and went to find his wife to treat her. Boge rubbed his wrists, chuckled, and headed for the kitchen to scrounge for some late-night food. *** Karen first went to the door of Eunice's room. Seeing him approach, the two maidservants keeping night watch rose at once from their chairs and bowed. Eunice slept excessively, and her schedule was difficult to keep regular. Whenever she woke during the night, the attendants had to instruct the kitchen immediately to prepare food. During the days Karen was away from the manor, the person who received the greatest care and attention here was actually Eunice. "Is she asleep?" Karen asked. "Yes. Miss has not woken yet." "I came to tell you not to wake her. Understood?" "Yes, Young Master." Having given his instructions, Karen went up to the third floor and entered the master bedroom reserved exclusively for the family patriarch. He showered first, then stepped into the spacious bathtub to wash away the slight fatigue from the long drive. When he emerged, he was dressed in a set of black pajamas. A lavish late-night spread was laid out on the floor. Purr and Kevin were sitting there eating. Seeing Karen come out, Purr waved a paw at him. "Dear little Karen, let's eat first. After eating, we can go look at the legs." Karen sat down on the carpet and gave Purr's head a casual rap with his knuckles. Purr let out a displeased "humph," then continued eating the food before her. *** After eating some food, Karen walked out of the bedroom. Hearing the door open, Boge, who had been waiting outside, hastily shoved the last meat pie he had held for ages into his mouth, chewed, and asked, "Young Master, what are your orders?" "I'm going to take a look at the performance hall." "Right away, Young Master. I'll get a flashlight to accompany you—oh, and the keys kept in the study." "All right." Karen walked out of the castle to the entrance of the performance hall on its south side. The heavy doors were chained with thick iron links, and the undulating aura of a defensive array resonated from within. Boge unlocked the chains with the key, rolled out a scroll on the ground, and opened an entryway through the defensive array. To be frank, in Karen's eyes, the level of this defensive array was almost purely decorative. After all, the Allen family's array craft was limited, and skilled array masters were exceedingly difficult to hire even if one was willing to spend money. Boge tactfully remained outside, choosing not to follow Karen in. The space inside was not dim; rather, it was quite bright, lit by numerous everlasting lanterns hanging in the performance hall. In the very center lay an enormous circle, within which twelve coffins were arranged at even intervals. Eleven of them were exquisite, while one was exceedingly ugly. Karen walked over to that ugly coffin, ran his hand across the lid, and then stepped before the second coffin to stand for a moment. Before he could rely on the chains of Order to grant him the power to sustain them, he could not awaken them. Every extra waking moment would subject them to irreversible expenditure that he could not yet replenish. Karen first walked to the center of the formation, crouched down, pressed his palm against the middle of the smallest circle, and poured his spiritual power into it. This array also required power to sustain it; strictly speaking, Karen had to come by every so often to replenish it. During this process, black chains of Order manifested, spiraling and rotating around Karen's body. When Karen withdrew his hand and ceased the infusion, the chains of Order did not dissipate. Instead, they swam and coiled freely through the massive formation of twelve coffins. From the chains, Karen clearly sensed a feeling of anticipation. Karen walked back to Count Rekar's coffin. At his guidance, the black chains beneath his feet snaked into the coffin, and Karen closed his eyes along with them. One did not necessarily have to awaken them to communicate. He could try immersing himself into their consciousness, just as he had done when he first met Count Rekar. That way, the expenditure was negligible. *** The sound of ocean waves brushed his ears, and Karen opened his eyes. To his mild surprise, though he was still on the pirate ship, there was no clamor aboard—no carousing sailors, no laughing courtesans, and even the Queen was missing from Count Rekar's lap. At that moment, Count Rekar sat by the edge of the deck with a bottle of rum beside him, holding a fishing rod in his hands. This serene scene caught Karen somewhat off guard. The Count had actually turned over a new leaf. Karen approached. Count Rekar heard the footsteps, turned his head, and saw him. He immediately cast aside his fishing rod and knelt on one knee before Karen. "I offer you my loyalty!" This was no act, nor was it mere flattery. In Count Rekar's posture, Karen saw heartfelt sincerity and... fear. "You seem to have changed quite a bit, Lord Count," Karen remarked. Count Rekar answered, "Worse than death is eternal death." "Is that so?" "And you are the only great being who can save me. Day and night, I sing praises to your name and pray for you!" "I thought you would hate me." "Perhaps others would, but not I. For those who lie here were personally chosen by you." "That does remind me: when I choose who lies here in the future, I must consider it thoroughly. Otherwise, they will only breed ever deeper hatred toward me." Just as Count Rekar said, lying here was by no means a truly happy affair; it was more like death drawn out to infinity. It was equivalent to Karen placing them here to serve a prison sentence. It was a form of spiritual torment, one that easily channeled all one's fury toward Karen. It was only because Count Rekar and Old Saman had made voluntary choices that they could take it in stride. "No, you misunderstand me. No matter how much resentment one holds toward you while lying here, the moment you decide to wake them again, you are their master, their savior, and their light." "Very well, I understand. But I don't care for that feeling. Do you know of Dark Moon Island?" "Dark Moon Island? I do. I once dominated those waters. Dark Moon Island was merely a passable power." "It has developed quite well now—better than Allen Manor." Count Rekar wore a sheepish expression and said, "I imagine it would be far harder right now to find a faction worse off than the Allen family." During his last awakening, Count Rekar had witnessed with his own eyes how utterly useless the family had become. "Heh." Karen took a deep breath. The salty, moist sea breeze was not particularly pleasant, but the vast expanse of the seascape easily overshadowed such slight flaws. "Originally, there was someone from Dark Moon Island who was quite suited to lie here, but in the end, I didn't do it." "His character must have been terrible." "Character is hard to define; I can only judge it subjectively by my own standards." "Indeed. You are the standard by which all things are measured and judged." "What has gotten into you, Lord Count?" Karen sensed something unusual. "During my last brief unfreezing and awakening to change coffins, that valet beside you recited your quotations to me." "I see." No wonder Count Rekar's manner of speech felt somewhat like Alfred's. Alfred had seized every opportunity to proselytize. "I don't know what kind of beings the Twelve Knights of the God of Order truly were, nor do I know whether I can ever gather twelve of you. I cannot even guarantee whether I can truly grant you a second immortality. "Yet I still adhere to my selection criteria: anyone who fails to earn my regard, I will not take a single one." "As it should be! You have the right to choose your retainers!" "Do you usually fish here?" "When a dream lasts too long, it inevitably grows dull. In my dreams these days, I generally spend one day fishing and the next studying water-attribute powers. Last time, after discussing the Allen progenitor's apex with my descendant Purr, I could take this opportunity to ponder and examine it further." "One can study even in a dream?" "Yes. Today happened to be my fishing day—a day off." "Perhaps I can find you a neighbor." "Oh? I know someone lies in that ugly coffin beside mine, but when I briefly unsealed and awoke, he was already asleep inside." "Do you know who he is?" "I heard a brief description from your manservant. He seems to be from the Church of Pamires." "Yes, I'm aware. He isn't one who likes boredom either. Hold on, let me try something." Karen raised his hand and pointed ahead. *** Outside, standing before Count Rekar's coffin, another black chain of Order branched out beneath Karen's feet, slithering into Old Saman's coffin. *** A black vortex appeared before Karen, revealing a narrow path paved of chains within. "Shall we take a look?" Karen said to Count Rekar, stepping into the vortex. When he emerged, Karen found himself in a cemetery. Behind its gates stood a caretaker's cottage. Everything was identical to the cemetery Old Saman was accustomed to in reality. Count Rekar followed behind Karen, taking in his surroundings. "The environment here is even worse than mine." "He's just used to this setting. He's actually quite lively." Old Saman was sitting on the steps below the caretaker's cottage, a large broom resting before him, a pipe clamped between his teeth, and a recorder in his hands. As Karen approached, Old Saman chuckled. "Hey, it's not time to cook yet." "Heh," Karen laughed. Only then did Old Saman realize this was the real Karen, not a figment of his dream. "Karen, is it really you?" "Yes, it's me. Came to see you." "Oh, heavens, I was nearly bored to death." Compared to Count Rekar's absolute deference, Old Saman seemed somewhat more relaxed around Karen, though he still naturally addressed him with respectful honorifics. "So, I brought you a neighbor. You two can drop by and visit each other whenever you're free; that passageway shouldn't disappear." "Greetings. I am Rekar—Rekar Allen." "Just call me Saman. You must be much older than I am." "Indeed." Karen sat down on the steps as well and said, "Give me a little more time." "Ah, no rush, no rush. Take your time and make your way forward. Our boredom was just a joke. To serve time with hope—as long as that hope remains, one can still taste some sweetness in it." Old Saman ended up consoling Karen instead. "He is right. Take your time, and we shall simply wait." "Mm." Karen nodded. "Actually, my strength has progressed quite a bit, though my realm hasn't changed much." Old Saman said, "Strength and realm are relative most of the time, yet sometimes there isn't a direct correlation. You needn't dwell on it too much." "Your words remind me of my grandfather. He remained an Inquisitor his entire life." Karen then recounted the events that had recently happened around him. He had come specifically to visit and keep them company, so naturally, he had to share news from outside. At the very least, it would provide them with fresh material for their dreams. Moreover, there was no need to keep secrets from them. He could extend complete trust to them, for they had no way to bypass Karen and inform on him to anyone. In other words, anyone in the world could betray him, but these two never would. Once he finished speaking, Karen's eyes flushed crimson as the Eye of the Dark Moon revealed itself. Count Rekar said in surprise, "Is this the Eye of the Dark Moon? I truly never expected that the clan on that island could develop to such a degree." Old Saman remarked, "The faith of that clan must have experienced an interruption, or perhaps what they inherited had an existing gap. That is why whatever it eventually triggers remains full of the unknown." "These eyes were not cultivated by Bernard himself either. They were a gift given to him by others. That organization has existed for a very long time, so it's only natural they possessed a sacred relic preceding the Dark Moon faith. "Furthermore, I've seen these eyes manifest the form of a goddess. At its very inception, the Dark Moon faith likely centered on a true deity." Count Rekar sighed. "A lost faith?" Old Saman asked in astonishment, "Then just how many religious faith systems do you possess on you right now?" "Let me count." Karen began tallying on his fingers: "The Order faith system and the Light faith system—these two are genuinely complete systems. In the Order system, I am an Inquisitor; in the Light system, I am a Luminary equivalent to an Inquisitor, which essentially puts me at the dual-attribute Inquisitor rank. "Then there are the family faith systems: the Allen family faith system, and the Inmolais family faith system initiated by my grandfather. Both family faiths are complete systems as well. "In all, the complete systems come to just these four." Count Rekar blinked. "'Just' these?" Old Saman was left speechless as well. "The incomplete ones are merely used like spell techniques. The Sea God's Armor is one; to this day, I have yet to touch its actual system. The Dark Moon Blade is another—though I gained the Eye of the Dark Moon and saw that female deity, I still use it strictly as a martial spell technique. Right now, it counts as my strongest combat method. In close-quarters combat, my advantage is enormous. "Additionally, I carry both the Arte family bloodline and the Guman family bloodline. I have no interest in seeking out my maternal relatives in the Arte family, so I don't plan to pursue it. "The Guman family possesses a formation-control spell technique resembling a Rubik's cube, which I intend to learn. "Oh, and there is one more..." Karen extended his hand forward, and a puff of gray mist rose from his palm, gradually condensing into the vague outline of a "gate." "The Church of Samsara?!" Old Saman gasped. Count Rekar reached up and pushed his own dropped jaw back into place. "These fragmentary bits—I haven't treated any of them as proper systems, because I have no intention of engaging with them on a deeper level. Besides, I worry that carrying too many systems will make my eventual advancement difficult. "If the most extreme scenario were to occur, where advancing in one system required equivalent advancement across all systems, I might just end up locking myself down." Old Saman nodded and said, "Though the premise of your hypothesis makes absolutely no sense, I somehow find it very sensible indeed." Count Rekar smiled wryly. "As someone from a family faith system, I have always held a certain reverence toward the major churches. Yet you make me feel that these faiths have suddenly..." "Cheapened," Old Saman supplied. Count Rekar asked, "Just how did you manage it?" Old Saman retorted sarcastically, "What, do you want to learn it too?" "Can't I just ask? Why does a young fellow like you have to be so prickly?" Karen said, "I've thought about this question as well. Analyzing it theoretically, during my Order purification, the God of Light appeared, and the Eye of Order appeared as well. That meant my purification received the blessings of two primary gods, even if neither of them was likely aware of it. The Allen family system was acquired through my symbiotic bond with Purr, and the Inmolais family faith system comes from bloodline. "As for the remaining spell techniques, I convert them using the power of Light. Because no loss occurs during conversion, my efficiency is virtually identical to that of a pure believer. Furthermore, the hallmark of my Inmolais family faith system seems to be learning, because my grandfather was a genius." Old Saman immediately chimed in, "You are a genius as well." Count Rekar echoed, "Right, right, precisely!" "So, I pick things up quite quickly." Old Saman asked gingerly, "And if we don't analyze it from a theoretical standpoint, what is it?" "In the eyes of nearly everyone, every system corresponds to a deity. It is that deity who created and embodies that system. Therefore, every system is bound to a god or a progenitor; if you wish to tread a certain path, you must place your faith in that corresponding god or progenitor. That is practically an ironclad law. Whereas I..." Karen paused, then continued: "...do not believe in gods."