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Wisps of black mist drifted from the desiccated corpse and flowed into the wound on Mrs. Sidra's chest. It was a form of channeling—using one's own body as a vessel, one's soul as a lubricant, and one's self as the expendable carrier. In fact, many tribal totem inheritances operated this way. Evil spirits were harbored across generations in the bodies of prophets, which was why prophets rarely lived long. As the black mist was continuously drawn out, the corpse did not turn fair, but instead took on a strange, translucent luster. He tried to rise and stop her, only to find his already frail body had become even more brittle. When he tried to use the edge of the coffin to push himself up, the moment he applied force, his palm seemed to over-calcify, cracking first, then crumbling away. Ten years ago, on the verge of death, he had sealed the evil spirit away with his own life. To preserve its existence, the evil spirit had been forced to maintain his corpse. Now, as the evil spirit was extracted, this body lost its support. "Darling, I don't know what on earth happened, but I hope you stop." "It can't be stopped." Mrs. Sidra looked at her "husband." "My husband is already dead. He died ten years ago, the moment he sealed the evil spirit. All these years, I kept thinking you were still alive, that you were merely sleeping here, because I could wake you. "But now, I've realized I was only ever deceiving myself. You're gone, and all I kept was a lingering trace. Truly, what difference is there between you and an old suit of clothes my husband once wore? "If it's for remembrance, clothes make a much better keepsake than a corpse, don't they? "Sigh... "My husband was never good-looking to begin with, and after turning into a dried corpse, he looked even uglier." A grotesque face began to emerge on Mrs. Sidra's chest, and a somewhat feminine voice drifted out from inside her: "Oh, my dear lady, I was coerced by your husband for ten years. He bound me tightly to his side and wouldn't let me leave. I was forced the entire time, you know. Hehehe, dear lady, you mustn't blame me." "Lord Evil Spirit, I will grant you freedom. I can even take you back to the Gangsen Peninsula, back to your totem resting ground. But before that, you must serve me for one year." "Of course, my lady. Compared to your husband's body, which was squeezed dry long ago, your body fascinates me greatly. But I have one condition." "Speak." "I need to feed. I'm too weak. I need the flesh and souls of priests to replenish my lost decade." "Will Order priests do as offerings?" "I'm so frightened! Hahahaha! Dear lady, I'm truly so frightened, and yet I'm so thrilled! That's a forbidden flavor... tsk... I want to taste it." "I will hunt Order priests for you. You don't need to worry about anything else either. My current identity will provide the greatest possible cover for our safety." "I eagerly look forward to it, dear lady." The voice faded, and the grotesque face on Mrs. Sidra's chest shifted, turning into a vivid red rose. Though it looked somewhat rustic, it appeared entirely normal. The desiccated corpse sat in the coffin, his ears filled with the crisp sounds of his body crumbling away. "Darling, I don't know what happened, but if you've lost your way, please wake up from this state immediately." "Perhaps I really have lost my way. But this is just like being drunk—before you completely pass out, there is no end in sight." Mrs. Sidra stroked the red rose tattoo on her chest with one hand while caressing her belly with the other, continuing: "Right now, I feel as though I'm pregnant. Inside my body, another life is being nurtured. They used our deaths to cultivate new beings—why can't I use them to cultivate my new life?" The desiccated corpse began to chant. A faint halo of Order flowed before him; it was a warning signal. Mrs. Sidra reached out, grabbed the corpse's head, and applied slight pressure. The corpse began to crumble at an accelerated pace. "You aren't him." At last, the corpse crumbled completely. Mrs. Sidra looked up, tears brimming in her eyes. "Even though I know that if he truly revived, he wouldn't agree with what I'm doing and would definitely stop me." Flames ignited in Mrs. Sidra's palm as she slapped the coffin. Order flames spread outward, sweeping across the entire basement. Every trace was being consumed by fire, yet nothing appeared altered. By the time Mrs. Sidra wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and walked to the basement door, she pulled it shut. *Bang!* All the furnishings in the basement disintegrated into oblivion, looking as if nobody had cleaned the place for years, covered in a thick layer of dust. Picking up her bag, Mrs. Sidra walked up to the small truck parked outside. After tossing her bag inside, she took the driver's seat and started the engine. "Oh, dear mother, when do you plan to take your daughter for her first meal?" The evil spirit's voice rang out; clearly, it had been able to hear everything outside all along. "Over all these years, did every word I said to my husband end up falling on your ears?" "Yes. Because your husband died long ago. The one surviving inside his body was actually me. Though I was sealed and too weak to do anything, at least I could listen to mother's heartfelt confidences." "I know you want to harm me. I know my ultimate end is being consumed by you once your strength recovers to a certain point. I know I can't control you for very long... "But I don't care. "Because I want to do something. I want revenge. I want to tell them that even for believers of Order, betraying Order comes at a price." "Mother, there's no need to be so blunt. I still hope we can share more affection." "I want release. Please, make it quick. Let me step toward release amid their screams of despair." "I will, Mother." "Keep quiet now. Wien is the Church of Order's home turf. Since our next objective is hunting Order priests, we must be as cautious as possible." "Yes, I understand. I'll obey Mother. After all, it was my own lack of caution back then that gave your husband the chance to seal me." The voice vanished, and even the red rose on Mrs. Sidra's chest faded from view. Driving into the next block, Mrs. Sidra spotted Karen walking ahead. Mrs. Sidra smiled immediately. She fished out a cigarette and lighter from her coat, pulled out a slim cigarette, and lit it. The faint mint mingled with nicotine, stimulating her taste buds and brain in a sharp, abrasive jolt. Blowing out a smoke ring, Mrs. Sidra muttered to herself: "Perhaps choosing him as the first target wouldn't be bad. A fine young man of the Church, certainly held in high expectations. Plus, he's very handsome. Making him my daughter's first meal would feel quite ceremonial." By then, Karen had reached the entrance of the funeral parlor. Sensing something, he looked back into the distance and could faintly make out a small truck parked there. Mrs. Sidra didn't evade him. Instead, she drove forward, waving her cigarette-bearing hand in greeting as she passed him. Karen frowned slightly. For some inexplicable reason, he felt as though Mrs. Sidra was somewhat different from before. He couldn't say exactly how, but he still gave her a polite smile in return. "What a handsome young man, with such proper manners too." The smile on Mrs. Sidra's face deepened. Then she saw several purple-haired people rush out from the funeral parlor, gathering around Karen and weeping. One purple-haired girl went so far as to throw her arms directly around Karen. Mrs. Sidra had always thought that since gaining weight, her own backside had grown considerably larger. Yet that purple-haired girl's hips were somehow even wider than hers were now. And to top it off, the girl wasn't fat at all. "Heh..." Mrs. Sidra pursed her lips, uncourteously flicked her half-smoked cigarette out the window, and sighed: "Forget it. Not him." ... Alfred had never bothered with concealment when doing things, especially the sort of drama where one helps someone and intentionally hides it from them. Alfred had zero interest in doing that. He told Xili plainly that he had rescued her and her family under the young master's orders. Why shouldn't the maid know? Why shouldn't the maid be grateful? Why shouldn't the maid be devoted to the young master and this household heart and soul? Alfred could rack his brains and still fail to see any downside, so he simply didn't overthink it. The moment Karen returned home, Xili hugged him tightly. After surviving last night's crisis, Xili was still in a state of panic. Furthermore, Alfred hadn't just spoken plainly—he had added a bit of artistic flair. For instance, according to his account, the young master had told him to rescue Xili, after which both the young master and he had gone out. The innocent maid naturally assumed the young master had also gone out last night to save her, and since the young master hadn't returned all night, he must have faced great danger. Her thoughts were still jumbled; she hadn't yet realized that if even Mr. Alfred could knead those two white-robed men like dough right before her eyes, just how terrifying was her young master? After all, Mr. Alfred had always treated the young master with absolute deference. For all these reasons, the maid crossed the boundaries of her station. The instant she saw Karen, she lunged forward, clinging to him and weeping bitterly, while Xili's family members beside them endlessly expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Karen. After all, if Karen hadn't paid Xili a wage far exceeding that of an ordinary maid, the past few months would have been exceptionally difficult for them. Sitting on Kevin's back, Purr muttered, "That big butt ought to hug Karen from behind. That way, she could highlight her greatest asset." Kevin rolled his canine eyes upward, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile. He had long grown used to Purr's occasional bawdy remarks. After parting from Xili, Karen prepared to take a bath. Xili hurried to fetch clothes for the young master. Just as she was about to take them in, Alfred stopped her. "I'll take them to the young master." "Mr. Alfred, why can't I do it?" "The young master is bathing. I'm afraid that in your emotional state, you might do something inappropriate once you go inside." Xili stuck out her tongue and handed the clothes to Alfred. Alfred stepped into the master bedroom and placed the clothes on the shelf outside the bathroom door. "Young Master, this subordinate took the liberty of bringing Xili's family back." "Did you kill anyone?" "Three, Young Master. Please punish me, Young Master." "Only three?" "Because this subordinate noticed something was slightly off." "You did well." Alfred froze for a second, unsure which part the young master was praising. Inside the bathroom, Karen sat in the bathtub with a hot towel draped over his face. He asked, "Her family—how do you plan to settle them? There seem to be quite a few." Rescuing people was one thing, but keeping them all in one's own house after rescuing them was inappropriate. "Young Master, this subordinate suggests arranging for them to move into Allen Apartments. Once your squad members take up residence there, they can handle cleaning and daily chores, as well as run errands and deliver messages." "Mm, arrange it that way. Have them move out soon." "Yes, Young Master." Alfred turned and left the master bedroom. Just then, Purr emerged from behind the study door, riding atop Kevin. "With her family around, it's not convenient to stare at her backside and appreciate it, is it?" Karen ignored the cat, who could be very chatty at times. "Though I think admiring it openly right in front of her family would be much more thrilling, wouldn't it, Little Karen?" "I just learned how to make roast fish. Had some at noon; it tasted pretty good." "Oh! How could my upright, selfless Little Karen ever peek at a girl's butt? It must have been sand in your eye causing a misunderstanding!" ... After his bath, Karen sat down in the study, while Purr sprawled across the desk. Karen opened his hand. Understanding instantly, Purr got up, walked over, picked up Karen's usual fountain pen in her mouth, and placed it in his palm. Once Karen took hold of it, she thoughtfully helped pull off the cap, then even more thoughtfully posted the cap onto the back of the pen. "Can't make the roast fish tonight. We'll do it tomorrow evening. The fish needs a day of advance preparation, and it has to be a large one." "Oh, that's fine. When it comes to delicious fish, I'm never afraid of waiting." Just then, the telephone rang. Karen picked up the receiver. "Hello, is this Pavaro Funeral Parlor? I'm looking for Karen." Muri's voice came through from the other end of the line. "This is Karen." "Aha, Captain! I'm arriving in York City tomorrow morning!" "Did you clear it with your family?" "No, my family doesn't know yet. But I checked and found my transfer to a newly formed Whip of Order squad in York City had already gone through thanks to you, Captain. I'm reporting for duty under the Church's orders." "You plan to leave without saying goodbye?" "I already said goodbye before heading to Samsara Valley, didn't I?" "All right. What time tomorrow morning, exactly?" "One in the morning." "You call that morning?" "I'll head over myself. Didn't want to trouble you." "It's no trouble. I'll have my manservant pick you up and take you straight to the apartment I prepared for you. Come over at eight in the morning to have breakfast with me." "Understood, Captain. See you tomorrow." "See you tomorrow." Karen hung up the phone. At that moment, Purr spoke up: "Oh, almost forgot. Mars and Blanche are arriving tomorrow as well, though they'll get here around noon." "In that case, we can notify Aisli, Bart, and Ventura to report as well. We can organize a gathering tomorrow night." "Shouldn't it be called an inaugural assembly?" Purr raised a cat paw. "We need a banner: *A Great Era Dawns Here!*" "Aisen and Richard need to be notified too, along with Philomena." Karen opened a drawer and retrieved a black crow from inside. "A lunatic from the Felscher family—you really dared take her in." "They didn't give me much room to refuse, and the price they offered was very good. By the way, you and Kevin need to hurry up and set up the three communication arrays in the house for the Whip of Order squad office." "That's a small matter. The radio goblin is going out this afternoon to buy the materials. The dumb dog and I can wrap it up in two days. After that, we can put the dumb dog exclusively on duty to watch the communication arrays. "You know, ever since you recounted what happened inside the Gate of Samsara, that dumb dog sleeps with one eye open at night. He's terrified you'll drag him out, shave him, and stew him." "He's exaggerating that much?" "Heheh, I think the dumb dog is projecting. He probably only tells you twenty or thirty percent of what he actually thinks, so he assumes you only told him twenty or thirty percent of the truth as well." "Heh." "All right, all right, I'm going to get ready for afternoon tea. I'm sure Big Butt will prepare today's afternoon tea with extra care." "Go on, then." "How about I eat it right here in the study? Let her come in later so you can look at her again. I bet she'll show far more initiative today than before—maybe a little sway, a little wiggle, or cinch her waist even tighter." Karen brought the blunt end of his fountain pen straight down onto Purr's head with a rap. "Ouch!" Purr clutched her head, complaining indignantly, "I don't believe for a second that an image didn't pop into your head just now. Hmph, hypocritical man." "After hosting the squad members tomorrow night, I plan to drive back to Allen Manor overnight. Do you want to come along?" "Not going. I have to work on the communication arrays with the dumb dog. How about you skip it too? The squad will be assembled, there'll be plenty to do, and driving back means you'll probably only stay one night. After enjoying my great-great-great-great-niece's stockings and legs, you'd have to drive back early in the morning. What a drag." "I'm afraid I won't have time later. When there's a chance, I should still go visit." "Heheh." Purr gave Karen a knowing look. Another rap from the pen landed on the cat's head. "Come on, meow! I'm genuinely curious—are urges of that sort really that strong?" "I'm going to see her. It's what I ought to do." "I know, she's your fiancée, you have the legal right. I get it." Karen picked up the fountain pen again. Purr immediately backed away and asked, "Back to the question—is it really that intense?" "You've never experienced it?" "Never! When I was human, I never thought about that sort of thing at all. Just the thought of stripping naked and sleeping in the same bed with some man after getting married made me want to roast him on a spit." "You've been a cat for so long—have you never gone into heat?" "You mean the kind where they caterwaul at night, yowling all night long like babies?" "Mm." "I've seen it, but I thought it looked terribly stupid." "You can discuss that more with Kevin." "Discuss what with him?" "He only knows romance, not mating. You're the opposite." "Heheh, meow, I get it now. All this buildup just because you're holding a grudge over me teasing your big butt." Right then, the telephone rang again. Karen picked up the receiver. "Hello, Pavaro Funeral Parlor." "Karen, it's Neo." "Captain, are you safe now?" "Call me Squadron Captain." "Squadron Captain, are you safe now?" "No... come save me... I'm done for..."