"What the hell is Valley Street!"
Lord Dal screamed inwardly. He had no idea which street Karen lived on, but when the name "Valley Street" was inexplicably accepted as correct, he understood at once. Even if his answer had been "Undead Street," "Radiance Street," or "Samsara Street," it would have been judged as the right answer.
The problem was never about the question itself—this "woman" simply wanted to smother him to death so he could serve as Karen's scapegoat!
Karen had once marveled to himself that one should never doubt a god's wisdom.
Therefore, when facing Lord Dal for the first time, Karen had never treated him as someone who could be easily duped. And indeed, in such a short amount of time, Lord Dal had already deduced the truth and analyzed the situation at hand.
Yet it was meaningless.
The Mural God... no, she could only be called Rielsa now—her time was running out.
Originally, she would have chosen to self-destruct outside, perishing alongside a complete godhead and awaiting her next return.
Instead, she had caught sight of Lord Dal rushing over and believed she was seeing the "God of Order." Rage caused her to abort her self-destruction and charge through the gate to seize him.
Due to the delay from this pursuit, divine power continually bled from her body, and her godhead had already shattered. Though no believer of the Church of the Mural God in the entire world possessed a godhead fragment larger than hers—and it was debatable whether there was even a second believer in the world who had condensed one—she could no longer be called the "Mural God."
It was hatred that drove her to make this choice. At the same time, she was far weaker now than before.
She had already been extremely weak upon waking, and after fighting a bloody battle outside the gate, suffering divine depletion, engaging in a chase, and having her godhead fracture, she was now teetering on the verge of slumber.
And as Rielsa was about to fall into slumber once more, a certain consciousness would take up a greater share, just as it had before she awakened.
That was... Linda.
Ever since the Mural God was personally suppressed and sealed by the God of Order, the Church of Order had designated the Church of the Mural God as an evil cult. Although believers of the Church of the Mural God remained active and carried on their traditions, having lost an organized system while facing overt suppression prevented the church from organizing any large-scale movements.
Moreover, the true organizers of that off-the-charts god descent ritual had been Diss and Mr. Hoffen—oh, with a touch of intellectual contribution from the genius Purr as well.
Only by riding that pre-assembled kite did Linda have the chance to soar into the sky, cast off her mortal body, and, in the form of a soul—or even pure consciousness—become the believer closest to the Mural God in countless ages!
"What is your relationship with him? Rielsa! Rielsa, there's something wrong with this follower of yours! Something is wrong with her!"
Yet no matter how loudly Lord Dal yelled as the one who saw through it all, and even as his voice transformed into soul ripples extending toward Rielsa, he could no longer elicit any response from her.
The more solid-bodied Linda had already closed her eyes.
The fainter Linda looked at Lord Dal with a faint smile.
Rielsa hoisted Lord Dal aloft.
As if talking in her sleep, she let out a final murmur:
"Order, you and I... shall slumber together!"
The ground beneath Rielsa began to cave in, and her body started plunging downward, yet she held Lord Dal in an iron grip, dragging him down with her.
"Why? Why is this happening!"
Lord Dal roared at Linda before him.
"Why are you shielding him? Why are you covering for him? Why did you let him go?!"
Linda replied, "Because he borrowed money from my husband, and he doesn't seem to have repaid it yet."
Lord Dal: "..."
The speed of their fall grew faster and faster, and darkness swallowed everything around them.
When everything finally settled, only Lord Dal's faint, despairing shrieks echoed in the air:
"No! No! Nooo!"
***
Karen sat up from his bedding. It seemed he had just been startled awake by a desperate cry.
It was probably because he had been exhausted in the gate recently; now that his nerves had relaxed, he was easily startled.
Ventura sat up from his bedding as well and asked, "Captain, do you want some water?"
"Go back to sleep. I'll go get some fresh air outside."
Karen put on his divine robe, stood up, and stepped out of the tent.
Outside the opposite tent, Muri stood with a cigarette dangling from his lips, its ember flickering dimly.
Seeing Karen come out, Muri walked over on his own initiative and offered a cigarette. Karen raised a hand in refusal.
Muri tossed his cigarette butt to the ground, crushed it underfoot, and said, "You're out. Can't sleep either?"
"I'm all right."
During the final stretch, the others had been living in fear in Lord Dal's cave, while Karen had been sitting there sipping drinks and watching the broadcast, under far less mental strain.
"The item has already been handed over."
"Mm."
"Don't you want to know what message was inside?"
Karen smiled, raising a hand to erect a simple barrier around them.
"There's no need. Even if it really held some massive secret, we currently have neither the capability nor the means to use it. It's better to secure benefits we can digest right now."
"Still, I feel those rewards aren't of much use."
"Being able to trade it for our survival, without drawing attention, suspicion, or deep investigations, is already a great bargain. After all, under the original plan, we were two expendable sacrifices."
"True. You're far more open-minded than me; I can't bring myself to see it that way."
"You haven't joined my squad yet. No need to flatter your future captain in advance."
"Heh, was I that awkward?"
"A bit, yeah."
"I'm starting to look forward to life in York City now. Where do you live?"
"A funeral parlor."
"Are there enough rooms?"
"Not quite."
"Would it be convenient for me to move in?"
"I think my previous answer made that pretty clear."
"Sigh, then I'll look for a place of my own. Honestly, what troubles me more right now is how to face my grandfather once we get back."
"If you've truly let it go, you wouldn't care about things like that."
"If it were you, could you let it go?"
"It's hard for me to put myself in your shoes regarding your family and your grandfather."
"Fair enough."
"Go back and get some proper rest. Digest the soul power inside you as quickly as possible over the next few days, and don't leave any traces."
"Understood."
Muri walked back to his tent. Karen sat outside for a while longer until drowsiness crept back in, then returned to his tent.
Beside his bedding, a cup of water had been poured and placed there.
Karen took two sips, lay down, and didn't rush to sleep. Instead, he sank into his consciousness space first.
There, he saw a black phantom darting swiftly about. But upon noticing Karen's arrival, the phantom descended and hovered before him.
Looking at it, one didn't even need to examine it closely to sense the ferocious savagery radiating from it.
Thousand Phantoms began swaying its body. It didn't seem to know how to flatter, but this innate instinct common to all living things would emerge with enough stimulation—only varying in proficiency.
"You're saying you're hungry?"
Karen chuckled and answered:
"If you keep saying that, I'm afraid listening to you will make me hungry too."
Thousand Phantoms stiffened in terror at once, not daring to make any more demands of Karen.
After checking on Thousand Phantoms, Karen left his consciousness space, opened his eyes, yawned, shifted to a more comfortable sleeping posture on his side with an arm tucked under his head, and soon fell asleep.
***
When he woke up, it was already noon the next day. Karen hadn't expected this second sleep to last so long. After a quick wash, he felt completely refreshed.
"Captain, let's go into town for lunch! The delegation leader said we won't board the ship to leave Samsara Valley until tonight, so we're free to do whatever we want for the rest of the day," Aisli suggested eagerly.
"Is the town safe right now?" Karen asked.
After all, the Church of Samsara had just endured a massive battle with heavy casualties.
"It shouldn't be a problem. Besides, we want to buy some local specialties and souvenirs before we leave." Aisli took Order coupons from her pocket. "Because of the recent battle, the prices of certain supplies in the town have skyrocketed, while others have plummeted. We don't need the former, but the latter is exactly what we're looking for. Plus, Samsara coupons have depreciated against Order coupons again."
People truly could not share each other's joys and sorrows. Due to differing faiths and allegiances, the Church of Samsara's losses couldn't elicit the slightest sympathy from Aisli and the others—after all, a war had broken out between the two major churches not long ago.
Karen eventually agreed to Aisli's suggestion. There were carriages at the delegation camp; the six squad members, plus Muri, made seven people riding into the town together.
The town showed no signs of panic. Contrary to what most people routinely assumed about the aftermath of war, the town appeared livelier than before, and people's urge to spend was even stronger. Perhaps after being frightened like that, everyone felt there was little point in hoarding too many coupons and preferred to enjoy themselves sooner.
Aisli chose a restaurant and asked the owner for a private room on the third floor. Once everyone was seated, the menu was first handed to Karen.
Karen flipped through it casually and passed it to the person beside him. "You guys order. Following our tradition from now on, every post-mission squad meal will be on me as your captain."
"Haha, wise Captain!"
"Praise the Captain!"
Everyone took turns ordering without holding back, selecting so many dishes that the table probably wouldn't fit them all later.
Sitting by the window with a cup of tea in hand, Karen looked down at the street outside. Suddenly, two figures caught his eye.
*Is that them?*
*What are they doing here?*
*Yet their presence here seems completely natural.*
"Go ahead and eat without waiting for me. Something has come up; I need to step down for a bit. Personal matter."
"Sure thing, Captain."
"Go take care of business, Captain."
Karen rose from the table. Although treating his subordinates to a meal was important, no matter how important it was, he couldn't just watch his father-in-law walk past below without going down to greet him.
"Hey, the captain went down! I see him."
"Captain entered the art studio across the street!"
***
Before entering the art studio, Karen hesitated slightly. He was well aware of what kind of venue an art studio in Samsara Valley was. So if his future father-in-law and his good friend went whoring together, was he sure he needed to go say hello?
*Heh, what on earth am I thinking?*
Piaget was so devoted to love; how could he possibly do something like that? As for his father-in-law, Karen had once suspected that the man had completely transcended worldly desires.
Because Karen was wearing a divine robe of Order, a manager immediately stepped forward to bow as soon as he entered.
"My lord, what kind of service are you looking for? We have..."
"Where are the two men who just came in?"
"The two men who just came in... Ah, are you looking for those two artists, my lord?"
"Yes."
"They're here to collect their manuscript fees. They should be down shortly."
As they spoke, Mr. Bede and Piaget walked down the stairs together. Mr. Bede was holding an envelope, and both of them clearly spotted Karen.
Mr. Bede remarked, "I heard that trialists from the Church of Order were permitted to enter the Gate of Samsara this time."
Piaget turned his head. "And your daughter's fiancé didn't tell you?"
"Do you think anyone could have reached the two of us during this time? I've barely kept in touch with home."
"Then what was the point? Why did we have to be so frugal before!" Piaget sighed helplessly. "Had I known Karen was here, we could have borrowed some point coupons from him."
Karen walked over and first bowed respectfully to Mr. Bede:
"Greetings."
Mr. Bede replied immediately, "Karen, I knew you'd be here."
Piaget stepped forward and gave Karen a hug. "I want a drink. Buy me a drink."
Karen could tell Piaget genuinely craved alcohol.
"All right. My subordinates are right across the street; let's go get another private room at the restaurant over there."
Once the new private room was arranged, Karen watched Mr. Bede and Piaget pore over the menu together, ordering dish after dish along with plenty of alcohol, already discussing how to pack up the leftovers.
Setting the menu down, Piaget chuckled. "Don't mind us. We've been living on a shoestring lately."
"Didn't you bring enough coupons when you left home?" Karen asked.
Mr. Bede replied, "We brought some, but after buying art supplies and materials, most of it was gone in no time."
"The manor's income is much higher than before, Mr. Bede."
"The manor's income has nothing to do with me. Otherwise, Karen, why would you have chosen to leave the manor in the first place? Earning your own coupons and living according to your means is only natural."
"I have coupons here. Do you need any?" Karen asked.
Mr. Bede shook his head at once. "No need. We saved enough for rent and ferry tickets. The ferry has just been delayed and isn't boarding ordinary people like us for now. We can only wait here a while longer; we should be able to leave soon."
Piaget nodded. "Indeed. Mooching a meal off a friend is normal, but taking a friend's money wouldn't be right."
"You're making me embarrassed. I borrowed plenty of money from you back then."
"That was different. That was business turnover, and you were working at my place at the time—it was an employer-employee relationship, not just taking money from me to improve your life."
"Then when do you plan to return?" Karen asked.
Piaget looked at Mr. Bede; clearly, Bede had always been in charge of their itinerary.
Mr. Bede took a sip of alcohol and said, "Next, we plan to head to Saint Antis. We heard it's a wonderful place with beautiful scenery, and we want to sketch from life there."
"I'll probably be returning to Saint Antis soon as well."
"But by the time you return to York City from Saint Antis, the two of us probably won't have arrived in Saint Antis yet."
Mr. Bede knew Karen and the others had teleportation arrays to travel straight back, whereas he and Piaget could only rely on ordinary transportation first, then look for opportunities to spend coupons hitching rides on cheap teleportation arrays belonging to minor churches.
You could only take that kind of teleportation array once a day—in fact, you'd need several days of rest after a single trip because your body felt like it was rattling apart.
"So you don't intend to return for the time being?" Karen looked at Mr. Bede, reminding him, "Eunice will recover in just over a month."
Mr. Bede smiled, asking as if casually, "Karen, do you still intend to marry her?"
Without the slightest hesitation, Karen answered directly, "Of course. She is my fiancée."
Mr. Bede waved his hands at once. "No, no, no. I don't want an engagement to constrain your choice of happiness."
"It's an engagement I agreed to. Fulfilling it is an obligation, yet not purely an obligation. I've always been clear on that."
Piaget teased, "He understands that too. He's just reminding you in reverse. Did you know he's already designed the venue layout for your wedding? Though the primary color scheme is a bit odd—it's red. I don't know if you can accept it."
"I've always felt red represents festivity; it suits a wedding well."
Mr. Bede shrugged. "I will be back before you hold the wedding, but I know you two probably don't intend to hold it anytime soon. There's no need to rush things."
"I will consult Eunice on her thoughts, so I won't deliberately try to notify you, for I believe you'll return at just the right time."
The dishes were brought up by the server, and Mr. Bede and Piaget dug in immediately. Even the most elegant and noble person would cast aside all pretenses after being battered by financial hardship for two months.
When they finished eating, Piaget stood up and said, "Karen, my friend, thank you for your hospitality!"
Mr. Bede nudged Piaget, urging, "The takeout containers—pack them up quickly."
Karen stood up to help them pack. Without further pleasantries, the two left the private room.
Neither Karen nor Mr. Bede and Piaget brought up the matter of the Mural God. It was a tacit understanding between them; both sides felt there was no need to discuss it now, especially with Karen wearing his Church of Order robes.
However, as Karen was about to leave the room to rejoin his squad, he noticed a rolled-up painting left behind at Mr. Bede's seat.
Karen picked it up, slipped off the rubber band, and unrolled the painting. It wasn't large, about the size of a standard notebook page. At a glance, the contents looked familiar—it was the scene painted on the studio wall at Piaget's home, depicting Linda's soul soaring toward the Mural God after presiding over the off-the-charts god descent ritual.
*Huh? Wait.*
Karen noticed that in the upper right corner of the painting, the figure Linda was soaring toward wasn't the Mural God...
It was Piaget!
Chapter 382