A Secret!

Having finished their pastries and tea, Karen and Alfred were escorted to the apartment door by Ventura as they took their leave. "Please thank your grandmother for me again. Her pastries suited my taste very well." "Thank you! Grandmother will be overjoyed to hear your compliment." After parting ways, Karen and Alfred got into the car. "Young Master, the Ventura family's benefactor actually turned out to be Master Diss." Alfred had recognized him as well. After all, he had once fought Diss to a standstill. "Yes." "In that case, it is only natural that Ventura will become your subordinate in the future, Young Master." "No, nothing is 'only natural.' Grandfather probably helped them back then just to run an experiment. Even though they ultimately benefited from the result, in essence it was an equal exchange between both sides. Their gratitude is their own business; there's no need for us to slap the label of 'benefactor' onto our own faces. Besides, Grandfather's affairs cannot be made public." "You are wise, Young Master." "All right, let's head home. I want to get some rest." ... The next afternoon, Karen was sitting in the study reading a book with a glass of ice water in hand when the telephone rang. "Hello, Pavaro Funeral Parlor." "Karen." The Captain's voice came through the receiver. "I almost forgot to congratulate you on passing the qualifiers." "What is it, Captain? Just tell me." Karen was not naive enough to believe the Captain had genuinely remembered out of the blue to offer congratulations and placed a call just for that. "Here's the situation: I'm currently leading most of the squad on a mission in Sangpu City." "Why wasn't I notified?" "We left late last night. Knowing you still had to prepare for the final selection round, I didn't want to distract you, so I didn't inform you. Oh, right, the exact date has been set. The day after tomorrow at eight in the morning, back at the Church Affairs Building, through the teleportation array to the selection grounds. Keep the time in mind." "Understood, I've noted it." "There's one more thing I need your help with. It couldn't be helped; I'm temporarily short-handed here." "Go ahead, Captain." "Take a trip to the Raquel Theater in the South District and pick up an item for me. The performance starts at seven in the evening. You can buy a ticket, go inside, and find an actor named Hiddink. Tell him the Hound sent you to pick up the goods, and he'll hand them over. I don't know what it's packed in, but if you're curious, feel free to open it and take a look. It won't hurt." "All right, Captain, understood." "Good. Sorry to trouble you with the errand. For this item, I wouldn't feel comfortable having anyone else fetch it." "I'll go pick it up. By the way, Captain, have you been to the Lemar Pottery Studio?" "I did. There was still plenty of time, wasn't there? Last night I sent Memphis over to keep an eye on the studio." "Memphis?" "Yeah. Originally I was going to send Richard, but Richard is having trouble walking." "Trouble... walking?" "Sounds like his legs got broken." "That..." "So it's not convenient for Memphis to stay at home for the time being, and I had him go to the pottery studio instead." "All right, I understand, Captain." "That's all for now. My operation kicks off tonight, so I need to get some rest first." "Mm." Karen hung up the phone and walked out of the study. In the warehouse, Alfred, Purr, and Kevin were conducting a tempering experiment, preparing to officially work on that egg. Karen decided against asking Alfred to come along. Walking to the front hall, he saw Pike and Dincomb sitting there reading newspapers. Karen waved to Pike. "Pike, come out with me." "Yes, Boss." Under Dincomb's envious gaze, Pike slid into the driver's seat to chauffeur his employer. Since it was still far too early for the performance, Karen did not head straight to the Raquel Theater; instead, he arrived at the Lemar Pottery Studio. Pike remained in the car to wait. Karen stepped out, pushed open the door, and entered the pottery studio. The moment he walked in, he saw Memphis seated before a pottery wheel, shaping a piece of clay. Upon seeing Karen arrive, Memphis instinctively moved to stand up. "No, no, no, please continue. Don't let me ruin your work." Memphis stayed seated, carefully guiding the angle with his hands. "Where is Mr. Lemar?" Karen asked. "He just stepped out to buy dinner," Memphis replied. "When did you arrive?" "The Captain sent me over last night. It happened to be inconvenient for me to stay at home." "Richard..." "Both of his legs are broken." Karen pressed his lips together and said, "I'm sorry. If I had been a bit firmer back then, he could have secured a spot." Even if he had failed the selection, could he really have been beaten this severely? Since when was the Guman family's discipline so harsh? In truth, the reason Richard had grown into such a lax personality was precisely because he had experienced very little pressure growing up. His family had always been very lenient with him, especially after his parents separated. "Hm?" Memphis realized Karen had misunderstood. "It wasn't because of the selection. He committed another offense." "Another offense? What kind?" Memphis hesitated. It was not the sort of mistake that was easy to voice, but out of deference to Karen's status, he decided not to hide it: "He charged tabs along the pastry shop street under my name." Karen blinked. The corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily. To keep himself from bursting into laughter, he could only part his lips and let out a few sighs. Well then, those broken legs were entirely deserved. Karen even suspected that Richard might have invited Memphis out yesterday to have fun along the pastry shop street and told him to put it on 'Young Master Aisen's' tab, pouring oil on the fire and bringing about his own fracture. "He's still young." Memphis said, "He's actually not—" "A few more beatings will set him straight." Memphis paused for a moment, then nodded. "It does work." "He has great talent, but he hasn't fully realized it yet. I think he needs a sense of urgency." "Yes, I understand. I know it's my fault. Due to my own reasons, I neglected to push him." "Still, you should pay attention to your methods. Breaking his legs—even though spells can heal them and that insect inside him can aid his recovery—is far too unsightly after all. Besides, if you keep beating his flesh, he might grow accustomed to it before long. He might even develop a taste for it." "What do you suggest, then?" "Some mental-type spells are quite good. They can torment a person without leaving physical scars, and they can help unlock his potential." "That makes a great deal of sense!" Just then, Mr. Lemar returned carrying dishes of food. Seeing Karen, a smile immediately broke out on his face. "You haven't had dinner yet, have you?" "Not yet." "Join us, join us!" Mr. Memphis ultimately set aside his half-finished piece and went to wash his hands. The three of them sat by the counter and ate dinner. Midway through, Lemar even packed a portion to bring to Pike, who was waiting in the car. After finishing the simple dinner, Karen went to check on Serena. Serena sat motionless on the bed in her room, still under the 'locked' state. Karen offered a few words of encouragement, fulfilled his courtesies, and left the bedroom. Mr. Memphis had stayed here last night and would likely do so again tonight. Karen guessed that Memphis had probably only told him the truth, while using Richard's failure in the qualifiers as an excuse before the rest of the family. Beating Richard so badly under that pretext would inevitably draw complaints from family members, making it awkward for him to return home for now, so he simply chose to stay here. With an esteemed Jurist holding down the fort, Karen was certain the pottery studio would be exceedingly safe. Taking his leave, Karen got back into the car and instructed Pike to drive to the Raquel Theater. The theater lacked a hanging sign overhead. In fact, it was tucked inside an alleyway, with an upright board placed at the entrance. An elderly man sat there collecting admission, five riels per ticket. Karen bought a ticket and stepped inside. The space was not large, but quite a few people were present. With a quarter of an hour before showtime, over twenty people were already seated. The theater primarily featured storytelling, though nothing like the stand-up comedy of later eras. The tales told here were typically unsavory, focusing on fabricated scandalous gossip and bawdy themes. Karen had no intention of staying to listen. He headed straight backstage. The performers' dressing room was tiny, barely able to fit three benches, where two men were applying makeup. "Excuse me, is Hiddink here?" "That's me. What is it?" "The Hound sent me to pick up the goods." "All right, wait a moment." The middle-aged male actor squatted down, pulled out a few loose bricks, and retrieved a tin box from within, handing it to Karen. The tin was mottled with rust, its faded design bearing the label 'Children's Candy.' Karen gave Hiddink a nod and turned to leave with the box. "Hey, wait a minute!" Hiddink called out. "What is it?" "Where are the coupons?" "Coupons?" "The remaining balance of five thousand Order coupons!" Hearing this sudden demand, Karen found himself completely unsurprised. This was indeed something the Captain would do. "I don't have that many coupons on me right now. How about this: I'll have someone bring them to you shortly." "No way! Absolutely not! You have to give me the coupons before I let you take the item!" With that, Hiddink stepped forward to snatch back the box. Sigh. Left with no choice, Karen could only summon the chains of Order, binding Hiddink's feet. Hiddink tried to lunge for Karen, only to realize he was pinned to the spot, unable to budge. Cold sweat instantly broke out across his face. Sensing Karen's identity, he no longer dared to struggle. "Forget the coupons! Take the item, please, just take it!" "Someone will bring the coupons to you shortly. I won't cheat you." This was a transaction between the Captain and this man; Karen would not pocket the payment. Though he knew full well that once those five thousand Order coupons were advanced, the chances of getting them back from the Captain were slim to none. Turning on his heel, Karen walked out of the theater and got back into the car. He instructed Pike, "When we get back, ask Alfred for five thousand point coupons and deliver them to that man named Hiddink inside." "Understood, Boss." Pike nodded as he started the engine. Karen did not stand on ceremony with the Captain and popped the tin open. Inside lay a pendant, though it appeared capable of being pried open. Having previously snapped a Whip of Order ring by accident, Karen inspected the pendant in his hand for a moment to confirm it wasn't made of plastic. Applying pressure with his fingertips along the seam, he popped the pendant open. Inside rested a single tooth. Karen pinched the tooth between his fingers and held it before his eyes. No matter how he looked at it, it appeared utterly unremarkable. Closing his eyes and opening them again, Karen's irises instantly flushed red as the Eyes of the Dark Moon appeared. Pike, who was driving, felt his heart give a violent tremor. He drew a deep breath to steady his mind. Karen shut his eyes, and when he reopened them, the Eyes of the Dark Moon had vanished. Well, for now it seemed the Eyes of the Dark Moon were only useful for mobilizing Dark Moon power; they couldn't be used for microscopic examination. Placing the tooth back inside the pendant and snapping the tin box shut, Karen rolled his neck and looked out the window. He saw a crowd of people wearing pointed hoods and white robes marching through the street with torches. This phenomenon had been occurring for a while, but their numbers were growing increasingly large. As the car drove through their midst, Karen sensed a chilling, eerie sensation, even though every single one of them was an ordinary human. Upon returning to the funeral parlor, Pike immediately went to draw the coupons, while Karen carried the tin box into the study. Just as he sat down behind the desk, a beam of white light appeared in the study, and the figure of the former homeowner materialized. Seeing him emerge, Karen poured himself a glass of water and said with a smile, "You haven't shown yourself in quite some time." The elderly man replied, "I intended to come out last time, but someone was standing behind you, so I didn't dare." "Who?" "That person... your family's belief system." "Oh, I see." "Another reason is that I feel I can no longer preach to you. In fact, I might be influenced by you instead. Every time I come out, it takes me a very long time to calm my mind." "Heh. By the way, do you recognize this?" Karen opened the box, popped open the pendant, picked up the tooth, and held it out toward the old man. Whatever the Captain was after had to be connected either to bloodthirsty aberrants or to Light. If it were related to Order, there would have been no need to deliberately have Karen retrieve it. The old man scrutinized it closely, then said, "It is a tooth." "I know it's not a bullet." "You could try stimulating it with your own power. Of course, if it is merely a souvenir, doing so might destroy it." Karen shook his head. "I was simply curious. There's no need to go out of my way to identify it." "Young Master." Alfred's voice sounded from outside the study. "Come in." Alfred entered and said, "Young Master, that egg is already being refined under Kevin's guidance. It's estimated to take one day, which should be just in time for your final selection." "My selection is at eight in the morning the day after tomorrow, which means I'll need to be at the basement level of the Church Affairs Building around six." "Then we will make it in time." "However, there's another matter you must consider: if I rush to transform the Heart of the Sea God right before that deadline, will it cause me to fall unconscious for two days and two nights like last time?" "Understood. I will consult Kevin immediately to see if there is any way to speed up the process. In any case, we cannot allow it to interfere with your final selection, Young Master." "Mm, good." At that moment, Alfred's gaze fell upon the tooth in Karen's hand. "Do you know what this is?" Karen asked. "I..." Alfred stepped forward. Karen handed him the tooth. Alfred cupped it in both hands, and then his Succubus Eye activated. Surprisingly, it was no longer blood-red, but had shifted toward a pinkish hue. Karen recalled that whenever Alfred activated the Succubus Eye in the past, it was a field of vivid crimson. This showed that ever since Alfred began following him, the changes to his body went beyond merely shedding the aura of an aberrant. With the activation of the Succubus Eye, the tooth in Alfred's palm seemed to resonate with some form of stimulus, actually floating into the air. Witnessing this, Karen could somewhat understand why so many people coveted Alfred's eyes. In terms of broad utility, the Succubus Eye was indeed far more practical than the Eyes of the Dark Moon. The Eyes of the Dark Moon, much like the Dark Moon Blade, required bloodline compatibility to function; while their value in specialized domains was incomparable, in the eyes of most people, they were less useful than chicken ribs. Suddenly, Alfred's body shuddered. His eyes instantly turned pitch-black, his palm snapped shut around the tooth, and a low growl tore from his throat! In an instant, the entire study— no, more accurately, the entire funeral parlor plunged into pitch darkness! *Huu... huu... huu...* The sound of heavy breathing came from in front of him, from beside him, and from overhead, pressing nearly flush against his body, as though a ferocious beast were observing him from the shadows. The sensation was unmistakably familiar. Because just yesterday, Karen had experienced it firsthand. The Phantom Beast—Compasini! ... "Mrow?" Purr shook her head. "Did the sky just turn black, meow?" "Woof!" Kevin's bark came through, yet Purr couldn't see him. "I know it's an illusion, but who pulled this off? Karen isn't good at illusions, and the only one in the house who is... wait, it couldn't be the radio fairy, could it?" "Woof!" Fortunately, most of the other residents in the funeral parlor were already asleep, so the disruption was minimal. ... *Snap!* A crisp sound resonated. The darkness dissipated, and everything returned to normal. Sitting behind the desk, Karen saw Alfred kneeling on the study floor tiles, bloody tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. The old man beside them said in shock, "An illusion powerful enough to influence even a spiritual imprint?" With that, the old man quietly retreated, his form vanishing from the study. "I apologize... Young Master. I was just overtaken and controlled by it." Alfred opened his eyes, which were filled with bloodshot exhaustion. Karen asked, "Is this... Compasini's tooth?" Sometimes intuition proved more reliable than physical sight. Although there was an enormous, imposing statue of the Phantom Beast Compasini on the plaza outside Tirannus Palace, resembling a coiled dragon, this tooth looked no different from that of an ordinary human. Yet... the finger of the God of Light could be concealed inside Purr's tail, and the evil god Raniedal, who had once slain the Sea God, was currently a dog. With that precedent in mind, it was quite easy to accept that Compasini's tooth was this small. "What happened? What happened?!" Kevin's bald head slammed the study door open as he dashed inside with Purr riding on his back. Alfred opened his hand, revealing the tooth resting on his palm. Purr stared at the tooth, examining it with intense focus. Kevin craned his neck, trying hard to get a look, though it was somewhat difficult with Purr perched on his back. Purr hopped down, allowing Kevin to rest his chin on Alfred's arm and inspect the tooth closely. "Stupid dog, do you recognize it?" "Woof!" "You're not familiar with it?" Just then, the telephone on the desk rang. Karen answered it, and the Captain's voice came through the receiver. "Hey, Karen. Did you get the goods?" "Yes, I got them." "Aren't you curious why I went out of my way to have you pick up an ordinary tooth?" "Even if treated merely as a souvenir, a tooth of Compasini is worth fetching." "Oh, did that dog of yours tell you?" *Actually, it was our radio.* "Captain, where did you get this tooth?" "On the black market. The seller was hawking them as teeth of bloodthirsty aberrants. There were two in total. I bought one on the spot and reserved the second, which was scheduled for delivery today—the one I had you pick up. That's how the black market is; priceless treasures are often sold as worthless junk." "Are you really out on a mission, Captain?" "Of course. But even without this mission, I would've found another excuse to have you pick it up." "Just to dodge paying the final balance?" "Exactly. Cough... I mean, no." "Then why?" "I'm always mooching off your secrets, and lately you haven't been letting me mooch anymore. Do you know how much stress that puts on me?" "And so?" "So, I found a lead regarding the burial ground of the Phantom Beast Compasini. That was an entity sealed personally by the God of Order. For a creature of that caliber, every single piece of its body is a priceless treasure. Are you interested?" Karen noticed that although Alfred had just been under its control, now that he was clearheaded, he remained fixated on the tooth in his palm, completely forgetting to return it to Karen's desk—an uncharacteristic lapse in Alfred's usual meticulousness. Clearly, the Phantom Beast Compasini held an irresistible allure for someone like Alfred, who followed the path of mental illusions. Ever since Alfred began following him, he had rarely asked for anything, consistently accommodating Karen in both work and daily life with the utmost attentiveness. It was rare for him to genuinely desire something, and Karen felt that as long as it was within his power, he ought to satisfy him as much as possible. "Captain, when are you coming back?" "That's a secret... huh? Oh, I'll be back the day after tomorrow, so I won't be able to see you off for the exam, but I'm confident you'll have no problem. Besides, there's no need to rush. The clues still need further sorting and excavation, and it will require a lot of hands. We'll certainly have to wait until your final selection is complete, or even until you've gone to the Gate of Samsara, before launching this excavation project. So take it easy. You can start by answering my question properly—for instance, telling me you're very interested." Left with no alternative, Karen indulged the Captain's psychological itch. "Captain, I'm very interested in this." The other end of the line cleared its throat twice before answering in a subdued, profound tone: "It's a secret." "Captain, when you get back, give me your current address." "What for?" "My dog has been shedding heavily lately. I'd like to leave him at your place for a few days." Kevin: "..."