Master Alfred

In the workshop in the funeral parlor's backyard, Mrs. Lake sat on a round stool, applying makeup to Mr. Giotto. Mr. Giotto had been euthanized at the church hospital. His body had undergone preliminary preparation and showed minimal damage. The manner of his death was not gruesome; in fact, his face carried an air of calm and relief. In the past, he would have been Mrs. Lake's favorite kind of client. She genuinely disliked handling clients who died horribly or were torn to pieces, because most families were unwilling to pay extra for mortuary makeup. Now, Mrs. Lake hardly cared. Ever since Karen took over from her husband as the de facto owner of the funeral parlor, business had become so quiet that her hands sometimes itched for work. Xili walked in just then. Seeing Mr. Giotto's current appearance, she marveled, "Madam, your skills are amazing. I'd love to learn makeup from you." "Applying makeup to the dead is different from applying it to the living," Mrs. Lake replied with a smile. "Besides, after putting makeup on corpses, are you going to cook for the young master?" "The young master wouldn't mind that. Mr. Alfred told me they used to run a funeral parlor too." "Whether the young master minds is his business. You are a maid, and you should know your duties." Xili stuck out her tongue and said, "All right, I understand." "If you want to learn painting, you can sit in on classes with Dora and Doreen next time." "Great! I'll audit them starting tomorrow. Oh, right, I almost forgot my real reason for coming. Madam, do you want to check that vat of bean paste? It looks like mold is growing on top." "Oh no!" Mrs. Lake immediately set down her tools, stood up, and left the workshop with Xili. Although Karen disliked bean paste and Mrs. Lake also enjoyed the flavors of newer dishes, she would sometimes secretly prepare some bean paste for a late-night snack to satisfy her cravings. A saying was popular everywhere in the form of an analogy: so-and-so could no more part with such-and-such than a Wien person could live without their bean paste. After they left, Purr entered, riding atop Kevin. Purr examined Mr. Giotto lying on the gurney and sighed with some emotion. "He's truly lucky. Once he died, the contamination could be wiped clean completely." Kevin sensed a trace of sorrow in Purr. Purr promptly shook her head, casting away the brief gloom. "Stupid dog, how about we go out and stroll around the streets?" "Woof?" "There shouldn't be any danger, right?" Purr blinked. "Should we check in with the Radio Pixie first?" Kevin nodded in agreement. "You really are a cowardly dog. Who did you learn that from?" Kevin raised a canine eyebrow. ... To Purr's surprise, the Radio Pixie not only agreed to their request, but also volunteered that he happened to be heading out and could take them along. And so, Purr sat on the shoulder of her puppet while Kevin, as usual, had his puppet lead him on a leash, and together they got into Alfred's car. Alfred drove to the entrance of a bowling club. Along the street outside were numerous restaurants and dessert shops. "I have business inside. You two can look around nearby." As he spoke, Alfred pulled out five thousand riels and slipped the money into the pockets of Purr's and Kevin's puppets. "Radio Pixie, is that your club?" Purr asked. "The club's owner is one of my subordinates. We hold regular gatherings here." "A gathering for aberrant demons?" Purr said in surprise. "Heavens, Radio Pixie, you really work efficiently." She remembered Alfred mentioning this to Karen last time, and Karen had agreed back then. Yet how long had it been? The Radio Pixie had actually assembled his own faction. "If I were a pet too, I could be just as leisurely," Alfred said. "I suspect you're throwing shade at me," Purr retorted. "Woof!" "Everyone has a different role. My duty is to handle trivial matters for the Young Master as best I can. Kevin's duty is to advise the Young Master with his knowledge and experience." "What about me?" "Your duty is to sleep with the Young Master." "Woof!" Purr flicked her tail and scoffed dismissively, "Hmph! You think saying that will make me angry? Heh, naive! I know you're green with envy. I won't get mad—I'm proud of it, meow." "Alright. Remember not to wander too far, and stay safe." "If we get bored wandering outside later, can we come in and see you?" "You may. Just give my name." "Huh? Radio Pixie, what's your name again?" Kevin chimed in with a grin, "Woof?" Alfred drew a business card from his breast pocket and handed it to "Miss Purr." "Miss Purr" held the card before Purr's eyes. Purr read aloud: "Alfred Sao?" "Yes." "'Sao'—what does that syllable mean?" Purr asked curiously. "Is it a word from that language Karen invented?" "Yes. 'Sao' signifies refinement and elegance." "Really? Then am I Sao Purr?" "Woof!" "Fine, you're Sao Kevin." "This is an honorific name bestowed upon me by the Young Master." "Fine, I know you're just showing off on purpose. The stupid dog and I are going shopping. Go do your business, Saucy Radio Pixie." After parting with Alfred, Purr and Kevin went first to a dessert shop and ordered a whole spread of sweets at once. The pocket money Alfred had just given them equaled two months' salary for a York City white-collar worker—more than enough for them to spend lavishly. Soon, the desserts were served one after another. Under the astonished gazes of the shop staff, the young lady attentively fed sweets to her cat, while the gentleman carefully and tenderly fed his dog. After finishing the desserts, Purr and Kevin visited an ice cream parlor, then bought various other snacks, and finally sat on a roadside bench, munching away as they watched the people come and go. Purr let out a burp and said, "Now this is life, meow." "Woof!" In terms of food quality, the outside fare was not necessarily better than what they had at home; under Purr's tutelage, Maid Xili's pastry-making skills had improved tremendously. But eating amidst a crowd, enjoying life and treating oneself "as a human"—for the current Purr and Kevin, that experience was a special kind of delight. "Stupid dog, look over there!" Following Purr's pointing paw, Kevin saw a pastry shop along the street with its metal rolling shutter half-open. Kevin lowered his head without much interest and continued eating his hot dog. "Useless stupid dog," Purr said, shaking her head. "Shouldn't any normal man who's been cooped up for so long want to visit that kind of place first?" Just then, a woman in a white dress sat down on the other end of the bench. In that instant, both Purr and Kevin froze. It was as though this woman had appeared out of thin air. One moment she was standing in front of the bench, and in the blink of an eye, she was seated. Alarm bells immediately rang in Purr's and Kevin's minds. They had only come out to get some fresh air. In truth, the reason they stayed home for extended periods was not because Karen kept them imprisoned, but because they knew very well that their current strength was not enough to deal with the hazards they might encounter in the outside world; staying at home was safest. To avoid raising suspicion, Purr and Kevin instantly transformed into "proper" pets. Miss Purr gathered Purr into her arms and stroked the cat. Mr. Kevin held Kevin's front legs, letting the dog rest across his lap while playing with him. Sounds of a cat and dog rang out continuously from the bench: "Meow~" "Woof~" "Meow~" "Woof~" "Is she after us?" "Doesn't seem like it." "Right, she doesn't seem to notice anything unusual about us." "Mm. Let's keep acting." The woman took out a white feather and idly toyed with it in her palm. "Meow~" "Woof~" "Is that a monster beast's feather?" "Yes." After sitting for a short while, the woman stood up and walked toward the club. Once she was some distance away, Purr and Kevin grew solemn, cat eyes and dog eyes fixed on her receding figure. "Stupid dog, why do I have a hunch that she's heading for that club?" "Woof?" "Yeah, could the Radio Pixie be in danger? The aura on that woman is terrifyingly strong." "Woof." "Come on, let's warn the Radio Pixie! If we loop around through that alley over there, we should be able to enter the club through the side door!" With that, Miss Purr and Mr. Kevin started running. Purr rode on Miss Purr's shoulder, while Mr. Kevin carried the large golden retriever on his back. They couldn't leave their puppets on the bench, because once they moved beyond five meters, they lost control over them. By the time they returned, some well-meaning passerby might have already sent their puppets to a hospital morgue. Arriving at the club's side entrance, they found a burly man standing guard, both arms covered in tattoos. Miss Purr said at once, "We are friends of Alfred Sao. We need to go in and see him." The burly man crossed his arms over his chest and said devoutly, "Praise the Master." Then he unlocked the door and gestured politely. "The Master should be in his office right now. There is still half an hour before the lecture begins." Miss Purr and Mr. Kevin went inside with their respective pets. Bang! Miss Purr pushed open the office door, but Mr. Kevin couldn't stop his momentum in time, crashing to the floor with the dog. Inside the office, Alfred was holding a fountain pen, revising a speech manuscript. Beside him stood a pale-faced little girl watching him. Miss Purr shouted, "Radio Pixie, a very powerful woman has arrived!" "A very powerful woman?" Alfred looked at the little girl beside him. The little girl spoke up: "It's probably Big Sister coming to see me." Purr looked at the little girl and frowned slightly. Sensing something abnormal about her, she leaped straight off her puppet and pounced at the girl. Seeing Purr charge forward, the girl raised her hand instinctively. In the next instant, a ring of white light appeared before Purr, shrinking inward to bind her. Twisting her body midair, Purr shifted her trajectory and landed on Alfred's desk. Her cat paws rubbed together, immediately conjuring a small fireball. Just then, a terrifying aura descended abruptly. The woman in white appeared before the girl, glaring icily at Purr. Purr glared right back. Though she was currently a cat, Eldest Miss Purr had rarely backed down from anyone when it came to sheer presence. The woman raised her hand, but Alfred spoke up, "Alright, everyone is on the same side." "Our own side?" Purr turned to Alfred in confusion. The girl stepped out from behind the woman, looked at Purr, and smiled. "You're so cute! Just like me, you're fluffy too." As she spoke, a faint click sounded from the girl's body, and she froze in place. Soon, a white, fluffy ball appeared on the girl's shoulder. With a hop, it landed on the desk as well. Purr watched the fluffy white thing draw closer and asked in bewilderment, "What on earth are you?" "My name is Remer. What about you?" Purr ignored its question, turned to Alfred, and pointed a paw at the white-dressed woman. "I think you need to explain, or I'm going to report you." "Remer and I have known each other for a long time," Alfred said. "Previously, I participated in a very loose local beguiling aberrant demon group in York City. But after it suffered a severe crackdown by the Church of Order's departments last time, the group dissolved. It was during that period that Remer and I met. In the club I've established now, I am the president, and Remer is the vice president. She is Anita, and she shares a symbiosis contract with Remer." Purr had heard about these things before, as Karen had a habit of sharing intelligence with them. Purr figured the Radio Pixie had made this fluffy white ball the vice president solely to win over the woman backing it. It felt just like how her Karen had brought Richard onto his squad to reel in Richard's father. Anita reached out to grab Purr, but Alfred stepped in front of her. "She is my Young Master's symbiosis contract creature. Please respect her, just as I respect Remer." "Her? A symbiont?" A smirk curled the corner of Anita's lips. "Your young master really isn't picky at all, taking in such a weak symbiont." Purr: "!!!" "Woof, woof, woof!" Kevin barked furiously at Anita. Alfred said gravely, "When speaking of my Young Master, please show the utmost respect. I will not repeat this reminder a second time." "Heh. Without my help, you couldn't have set up this club." "However, this club was founded in the first place solely for the sake of my Young Master." Remer looked at Anita with pleading eyes; it didn't want its sister clashing with Alfred. Anita turned to Purr. "I retract my earlier joke and apologize for it." Purr turned her head away, refusing to look at her. Remer floated up and returned to its "body." The little girl resumed moving and said, "Brother Alfred, the lecture should start soon. Everyone should be here by now." "Mm. Remer, go help maintain order in the hall first, and reiterate the rules of conduct." "Okay." Holding Anita's hand, Remer walked out of the office. Alfred looked at Purr sitting on his desk. "Thank you and Kevin for rushing over to warn me." Purr ignored him. "Well, I'm going to start the lecture now. You and Kevin can come listen as well." With that, Alfred walked out of the office. Purr sat on the desk, tail drooping behind her, cat face hanging low. Kevin rested his front paws on the desk and stood on his hind legs, watching Purr. "Stupid dog, that wretched woman called me the weakest symbiont." Kevin shook his head at once. Purr lifted her head, mist gathering in her amber eyes. "I'm so furious!" "Woof, woof, woof!" "In the past, if that wretched woman dared speak to me like that, I'd have slammed her into the ground, slapped her across the face, stripped her bare, and hung her from a utility pole!" Purr kept fidgeting with her paws. "Woof, woof." "I need to become stronger." Purr took a deep breath, then wiped the mist from her eyes with her paw. "I'm going to carry little Karen to greatness!" "Woof!" Having steadied her emotions, Purr stood back up. Kevin dropped back to the floor immediately and bounced his body, gesturing for her to hop on. Purr jumped onto Kevin's back. "Let's go. We'll see what the Radio Pixie has to say." Having spent a hundred years as a cat, though she still retained the temper of a young miss, if she didn't know how to vent and soothe her feelings, that black cat would probably have found a rope in the Inmerlais house and hanged herself long ago. Kevin carried Purr into the lecture hall. Nearly thirty people were seated inside. More than half gave off the aura of aberrant demons; those who didn't were aberrant demons who knew how to conceal their presence. Anita and Remer sat in the front row. Kevin's gaze fixed on Remer's back, growing deep and contemplative. At that moment, Anita seemed to sense something. She glanced back, saw Purr riding on the golden retriever, and turned forward again, unbothered. Kevin flicked his tongue across his lips. He had marked this woman. Dressed in a fitted wine-red suit and wearing glasses, Alfred walked up onto the podium. After a brief opening, Alfred picked up a piece of chalk and wrote a single word on the blackboard behind him: "God." "God guides us forward. But have we ever considered: where, ultimately, does God stand? "Is He standing at the end of this road? "Like on York City's many pedestrian avenues, where someone sits on a high floor holding coffee while rain falls outside, sipping his coffee as he watches the crowds below scrambling for shelter. "Or is He standing by your side, walking this road with you? "When it rains and you find yourself in disarray, the person walking ahead of you offers his umbrella to share with you, or takes your hand to lead you to the nearest shelter. "If the choice were yours, which kind of God would you hope for? "Very well. I will leave this question for you to ponder once you return home. At our next gathering, I will organize a discussion for everyone. "Now, we shall address the topic left over from our last meeting: with what kind of attitude should we face the path before us? "This path can take many forms: in cultivation, in daily life, in contamination—or even in the past and the future. "Attitude is the stable psychological inclination an individual holds toward a specific object—such as a person, concept, emotion, or event. This psychological inclination encompasses an individual's subjective evaluation and the behavioral tendencies arising from it. "A correct attitude helps us continuously correct our course as we walk along the path, preventing us from straying from its main line. "It is our good friend, for it urges us onward at every moment." Alfred turned around and wrote a line on the blackboard: "[Attitude—How to Catch the Breath of the Earth.]"