You Are My Dog

"She must have been a kind person." "Yes, she was as gentle as the sea." "Then why did you ultimately choose to believe in Order? I mean, shouldn't you have chosen to believe in her?" Lord Dal pointed toward the statue of Goddess Mills. "Before I found her, I already believed in the God of Order." "Ah, one step too late after all." "When it comes to faith, I feel that coming early or late is merely what has already been marked by destiny in one's life." "Heh heh, true." Lord Dal glanced around and called out, "Keep going a little farther, everyone, and we'll reach the dining hall. I believe my servants have already prepared an exquisite banquet for us." The group continued forward. Ahead appeared a blue barrier resembling a wall of standing water mist. Within this mist, Karen sensed a trace of the Sea God's aura, though he had no idea which part of the Sea God Raniedal had severed and placed here. Lord Dal stepped right in, and Karen followed behind him. Inside lay a sunlit beach, and upon the sand beneath their feet stretched a clear trail of footprints. Lord Dal, having entered first, was stepping right along those footprints, advancing one step at a time. When Muri, Bart, and the others entered, Karen raised a hand and cautioned, "Avoid the footprints. Walk along the side." Lord Dal had walked a considerable distance before looking back. Seeing that Karen and the others had avoided the footprints and were following in a single file along the other side of the beach, he said, "I think you are being a bit overly cautious. I don't like my guests feeling too constrained." Karen immediately replied, "I believe appropriate caution is a sign of respect toward the host." "Yet why are you afraid to even tread on footprints?" "I believe everyone holds a trail of marks in their heart that belongs solely to them, which they wouldn't want outsiders to trample upon." "Tsk. Please believe me when I say that while I smile at you, I might just be thinking of how to rip apart that propriety of yours." "My apologies. I will reflect on that." *Once I get back, I'm going to give that dog at home a good beating.* Lord Dal looked Karen over very carefully, then resumed walking forward. Before long, they reached the end of the beach, where another curtain of water mist awaited. Beside the mist stood a relatively neat, dry platform bearing a basin, in front of which hung an enormous mirror. Fresh water continuously poured into the basin. Lord Dal stepped up to it first and began washing his hands. "Everyone, the dining hall lies just ahead. You may tidy yourselves up here. I am quite easygoing, but I worry some among you might be particular about dining etiquette." The reflection of Lord Dal in the mirror showed a natural, genial expression, identical to his actual demeanor. Karen walked up with a smile and began washing his hands; in the mirror, Karen was still smiling. Folding his arms, Lord Dal watched Karen walk over with great interest after drying his hands, asking curiously, "I originally thought your propriety was an act. I didn't expect you to be truly so composed." *Hm? Is it because of that mirror?* "Perhaps it's because I'm truly hungry. As you know, for living people of flesh and blood like us, finding suitable food here is exceptionally difficult." "So, what do you think of my place?" "Very quiet, very comfortable. I think this is a fantastic vacation retreat where one can relax and rest thoroughly." "Rest?" Lord Dal chuckled. "Then would you be interested in staying here forever?" "Not interested, because I haven't reached that age yet." "Age passes quickly. In this world, the thing that flies fastest is time. You might go to sleep, and when you open your eyes, you're startled to find so many years have already gone by." "I cannot yet comprehend that feeling." "If you could, would you still want to rest here?" "Still no." "Why?" "Because I still have a fiancée waiting for me at home." "How wonderful. Tell me, do you think she's thinking of you right now?" "I imagine she is asleep right now." Bart stepped up to wash his hands. In the mirror, his expression was grim and intensely tense, betraying profound unease as if he were ready to draw his sword and fight at any moment. The sudden shift took everyone aback—the mirror could actually reflect one's true emotions. Bart was momentarily at a loss. Subconsciously, he glanced toward his captain; Karen tilted his chin, motioning for him to come stand over. Next came Aisli, Blanche, and the others. When they washed their hands, without exception, the mirror revealed their profound tension and dread. None of them were fools. Ever since entering the cavern, everything they had witnessed, coupled with the invisible pressure growing heavier by the minute, had long stirred fierce vigilance and unease within them. It was only that they had disguised it well before—whether laughing while "feeding the fish," praising the scenery along the underground beach, or Mars and Digat debating whether this environment was a formation array or a spell—they had all deliberately adopted the mindset of "tourists." All the lively cheer on the surface was, in truth, an undercurrent of grave solemnity. "Let us dine. Exquisite food brings joy and relaxation. You should all learn from your captain. Look, he isn't tense or constrained in the slightest, is he?" Lord Dal said with a smile, then vanished into the water mist. Watching Lord Dal's disappearing back, Karen shook his head slightly. How could they be the same as him? His lack of tension was not an act. Although he knew the situation here was exceedingly dangerous and that the lives of his team hung entirely on Lord Dal's whim, none of that could change the sensation that entering this place felt like stepping into another kennel his dog kept outside. Muri walked up beside Karen and discreetly gestured toward the squad members' emotional state behind them. "Everyone is close to breaking down." Muri left the rest unsaid: everyone had willingly walked in here following Karen's lead, effectively marching straight into the tiger's mouth, because what Lord Dal and his residence displayed had long exceeded the scope of a mere castellan. Karen thought nothing of it, however, confident that the members would be sensible enough to keep cooperating; none of them would dare slack off or act out at such a juncture. Tremendous external pressure could temporarily suppress all dissenting voices within the team. They were all adults—who couldn't put on a brave face? Stepping through the mist, they were met by stark extremes of black and white. The black came from the surroundings, as though light had been drained from everywhere it was not needed; the white came from the ground beneath their feet, which turned out to be white bone. Extending from underfoot was a skeleton shaped like a dragon, and the dining area was situated right in the belly of the beast. Upon entering, the others were all awestruck by the spectacle before them. Aisli reached out to touch the white bone beside her and said, "It's a juvenile water dragon." Mars also remarked, "The skeleton is preserved completely intact, and its water-attribute power has been sealed within the bones. This was intentionally crafted as a specimen." Paxio said, "These must be very rare nowadays, right?" Aisli replied, "I heard my father mention that purebloods were only bred by the Sea God Religion in the last epoch. After the Sea God Religion collapsed, purebred water dragons virtually ceased to appear. My father's research institute only has sub-species." Standing before a dining table cradled beneath the ribs, Lord Dal spread his arms and smiled. "Welcome to the dining hall. I hope you enjoy the decor." "Captain, who do you think he really is?" Bart asked Karen in a whisper. Karen shook his head. "I don't know." At Lord Dal's invitation, everyone took their seats. It was a long table. Lord Dal sat at one head, and everyone assumed Karen would take the opposite end, but Karen sat right beside Lord Dal on his right, while Muri sat opposite Karen. Lord Dal clapped his hands and instructed, "Serve the food." The first course was sashimi. In each person's plate lay a glistening, translucent morsel resembling crystal shrimp, though shaped entirely unlike one. "Please, enjoy." Karen used his fork to convey the sashimi into his mouth. It was succulent, juicy, and melted on the tongue. The team members were waiting for their captain's verdict—a habit formed over recent days. Karen nodded. "Delicious." The others immediately fell to eating, expressions of delight soon showing on their faces. The second course was fried cutlets. They had not been fried for long, but slicing them open revealed exceptionally tender and fragrant meat. Upon taking a bite, the crisp crust and the succulent interior offered the finest delight to the palate. "Delicious." It was evident that Lord Dal was genuinely treating them to a meal. He had no interest in tampering with the dishes, nor did he intend to use food to disgust them. Dish after dish was served. The cooking methods were actually quite simple and unpretentious, but the ingredients were remarkably fresh and premium, which aligned well with Karen's usual culinary preferences. Still, Karen knew that once he left this place, he wouldn't be eating dishes like these; he couldn't afford such ingredients at all. Yet he didn't feel discouraged by that. Lord Dal might be warmly hosting them and enjoying the delicacies, but his true self... well, his true self couldn't afford food of this caliber right now either. Good food was truly the best remedy for easing stress and soothing nerves. Although deep down everyone still harbored anxiety about their unknown surroundings, they were doing much better than before, carrying the mindset that having a great meal before dying wasn't such a loss after all. Finally, dessert was brought out. Twelve guards carried it in, each holding a bowl. After setting down the dessert, each guard took up a position behind one of the team members. In that instant, the tension tightened once more. Lord Dal smiled. "I have always held immense reverence for the God of Order. In fact, if not for certain peculiar reasons preventing me from believing in Order, I would undoubtedly have been the God of Order's most devout follower." Karen thought to himself: *Is that peculiar reason because you became a god yourself?* "However, I am accustomed to honoring and echoing certain habits of the Church of Order in everyday details. For example, these twelve are my most trusted and capable subordinates. Twelve, no more and no less. That should align quite well with your aesthetic of Order, shouldn't it?" Karen replied, "Indeed. Twelve has always carried a special significance in our faith." "Yes, I know. Sometimes I find it amusing—when collecting many things, I can't resist trying to reach twelve. If I fall short, it feels regrettable. Yet adhering strictly to the standard set from number one, two, and three all the way to the twelfth... just thinking about the undertaking is a headache. It feels interminable." "You are quite right," Karen said, deeply relating. Of the twelve coffins he had placed at Allen Manor, only two were currently occupied. Who knew how long it would take to fill the quota? Finding a suitable living person was hard; finding a suitable dead one was harder still. It seemed the Raniedal of the past had suffered from a severe collector's itch as well. "You are all Auspices, aren't you? Have you all found contract partners?" Lord Dal asked. Karen answered, "Most have already formed contracts." "Oh? Really? What a shame," Lord Dal said with slight disappointment. "Is there no one left who hasn't formed a contract yet?" Karen was slightly surprised. From the way he led into the question, did he intend to form a contract as well? The problem was, you are a mental imprint, not a complete soul, and certainly not the original being. Yet Karen couldn't help but think of Gaitanbert and Furnites. After countless years, their souls had undergone profound changes, to the point where they were practically different people from who they originally were. Could it be that the mental imprint Raniedal left behind back then was no longer just a pure mental imprint either? After all, it was something left behind by a god. If there were no anomalies, that would be the greatest anomaly of all. Muri stood up and said, "I am the only one who has not signed a soul contract." He deliberately excluded Karen. It wasn't that Muri wanted to show off; rather, everyone present understood that this lord treating them to dinner was no easy character to deal with. Muri intended to shoulder the risk alone, which was also the extent of protection he could offer Karen. "Is that so? Then you'll have to hurry up and find one." "Understood, I will." The topic was not pursued further. Lord Dal spoke up again, "Is it a bit chaotic outside right now?" Karen replied, "Yes. Mural God Rielsa has awakened. We had no choice but to come here seeking your sanctuary, because the Mural God was personally suppressed and sealed by our God of Order. The Mural God likely bears no love for those of us from the Church of Order." Lord Dal chuckled. "No, no, no. The Mural God wouldn't be so petty." As a fellow god, he understood gods. A god had no interest in going out of their way to trouble youngsters. It was equivalent to two adults having a grudge, and that night one of them secretly snuck into the other's yard to step on an ant as revenge. Muri spoke up, "We originally thought a god wouldn't do such a thing either, but the facts show that the hunt targeting us has indeed begun." Lord Dal said, "I think you should dig deeper into the reason. There must be a specific cause; it wouldn't be so vague." Just as Karen was about to chime in and steer the conversation away, Lord Dal suddenly tapped his own forehead and said, "Attendants, take our guests to tour other areas. My apologies, everyone, I have some personal business to attend to first." With that, Lord Dal rose from his seat. Upon reaching the skull of the water dragon, his figure vanished into thin air. Several guards came forward and led the group out of the dining hall to other parts of the underground. Amazingly, there was even a library here. Everyone grew excited all at once; given all the buildup earlier, they harbored high hopes for the library. Yet after rummaging through it, they discovered that inside such an enormous library, there was not a single tome on spells or formation arrays, nor were there any church journals—it was filled entirely with novels and general fiction. Just then, a guard walked over and said to Karen, "Our Lord requests your presence alone." Hearing this, the others crowded close. Karen raised a hand to signal his squad members not to panic and comforted them, saying, "It's fine. I'll go alone." Led by the guard, Karen turned twice and entered a space resembling an office, though it was exceptionally tall and had no ceiling at all. When Karen was brought in, Lord Dal was wiping his mouth, the aura of his soul fluctuating slightly. "Do you know? I've always envied that you can possess a complete body and a complete soul. In this world, the whole and healthy can never truly relate to the sorrow of the crippled." "Is something wrong with your body?" "Hehehe." Lord Dal chuckled. "Karen, do you intend to keep acting with me?" Karen fell silent at his words. "From the very beginning with 'eyes are the windows to the soul,' to the statue of Mills, and then several conversations afterward—every single one of your reactions, whether active or passive, landed precisely on the beat of my heart. "Oh... "Tell me, could such a coincidence really exist in this world?" Karen shook his head. "See? You know it couldn't either. Was it because you were too nervous, so you were in such a rush and acted so deliberately?" "Before answering that question, I'd like to ask you first: when you saw us, how did you plan to deal with us?" "I need to continue completing myself. Although I have undergone many changes, it is not enough—far from enough. "Therefore, I was going to extract your souls and bodies one by one, then assemble and piece them together. Especially your bodies—I would modify them properly, and in the end, pick the finest one to move into. "To me, you are experimental materials that delivered themselves right to my doorstep." Karen replied, "Indeed. Our situation was such that staying outside the valley meant death, while entering the valley without deliberately drawing your attention and suspicion would ultimately mean death as well. It was better to act deliberately to arouse your suspicion, which would grant me the opportunity to speak with you alone." "Karen, my true self... has awakened, hasn't he?" "Yes." "Heh, I understand now. I know, and I've confirmed it." Lord Dal stretched his limbs, then pointed a finger at Karen and continued with a smile: "You are my true self's dog, aren't you?"