A Rest!

Empowered by the force of nature, Alotta moved with blistering speed. Yet a black silhouette trailed persistently behind him, like an experienced hunter observing his quarry flee, no longer merely savoring the fleeting instant of pulling the trigger. At last, beneath a sculpture in a fountain square, Alotta ground to a halt. At the same time, he let go of Delice, whom he had carried along the entire way. Delice clutched her chest, crouching beside the fountain and dry-heaving violently. The blistering rush of speed had inflicted upon her, an unwilling passenger, a state no less grueling than severe motion sickness. Diss’s figure materialized before them. Compared to Alotta’s ragged panting, Diss remained entirely serene. "I am willing to pay a price to atone for my guilt," Alotta said. "Name your terms, so long as it is within my power." In the religious world, law did not inherently exist. After all, every faith considered its own god supreme, and by extension, those who worshiped that supreme being believed themselves equally supreme. Yet ever since the rise of the Church of Order, laws had indeed emerged across the religious realm. Diss shook his head and walked straight toward him. "I have never seen an Inquisitor as rigid and uncompromising as you." Alotta withdrew a mirror from his robes; it was a consecrated sacred relic. Diss shook his head. "In truth, I am not one." "Then… it is simply my poor luck?" Alotta found it utterly absurd. "Yes," Diss replied in an even voice. "God of Nature above, grant Your follower the sanctuary of nature!" A vibrant green, symbolizing the vitality of life, rippled across Alotta’s body. "Mirror of Nature, handed down from the Hand of Sigule, grant me the power of your blessing!" A white luster shone from the mirror’s surface, draping over Alotta like a suit of burnished armor. "In the name of the Emissary of Nature, I summon the ambient forces of nature to grant me absolution!" All around, specks of light resembling fireflies began congregating around Alotta, erecting what looked like a sacred barrier. "The earth is our mother—bestow your affection upon your descendant!" Alotta crouched down. With one hand, he unfurled a scroll; with the other, he pressed his palm flat against the flagstones. An instant later, an astral formation of light flared across the ground. Immediately following that, he produced a crystal pendant hanging from his neck. "Sole One in the Mist, guide Your bewildered follower!" Plumes of dark mist billowed from the crystal pendant, shrouding the surrounding space. "Lost Church of Light, scatter the breath of light across this shattered stone tablet, and let your radiance descend upon the mortal realm once more!" Yet another sheet of flowing golden light unfurled, layering over the rest. Alotta was not only employing the spells of the Berry faith; he was also activating sacred relics belonging to other religions, including even a damaged sacred relic from the long-perished Church of Light. Throughout the entire process, Diss merely maintained his steady, measured pace. He did not quicken his stride in the slightest as Alotta frantically unleashed spell after spell and relic after relic. At last, Diss arrived before the astral formation. Within it, countless dense layers of elemental powers circulated, reinforcing and shielding one another. At this moment, the natural power of the Berry faith served as an exceptional harmonizer. If anyone else had attempted to activate so many relics from different faiths at once, the clashing attributes would likely have collided and blown the user apart on the spot. "I feel terror… Even with so many layers of defense erected, the intuition granted to me by the God of Nature tells me that you are looking at me as though I were nothing more than an ant. "This is simply preposterous. "The Church of Order is mighty, I admit. But I refuse to believe that any random local Inquisitor under the Church of Order could be this powerful. "Please tell me this isn't real." Diss spread his hands and chanted: "Forbidden—Eternal Order—Obliteration." "F-F-Forbidden curse?!" A haze of dawn light symbolizing Order emerged before Diss. It appeared, and then it vanished. Vanishing along with it were the natural power of the Berry faith, the mirrored radiance of Sigule, the blessings of the Church of the Earth, the ethereal power of the Church of the Mist, and the radiant protection of the Church of Light. Along with Alotta himself. Even down to his clothes. It was as though this priest of the Berry faith had never existed in the first place. The edge of the fountain, which had glittered with brilliant hues only moments before, was now deathly silent. "I apologize." Because your intuition was correct. "Cough… cough…" Diss coughed twice, his gaze settling upon the dazed Delice nearby. Delice had not been standing directly before the dawn light, so she still existed. Yet she had suffered the collateral shockwave of that radiance. Every divine faith claimed that aberrant demons possessed corrupting influence, yet no faith would ever concede that the profound mysteries of their own creed also bore the attributes of contamination. In truth, however, they did. Here, the contamination took the form of incidental erasure. For instance, Delice had already been stripped of a portion of her memories and intellect; even her soul was now fractured. She would spend the rest of her life trapped in madness. In fact, she had already lost her mind. After a brief stupor, she dashed straight to the fountain pool, frantically screaming at her own reflection on the water's surface: "We must protect the environment! We must protect the environment! We must protect the environment!" In this moment, she was sincere, devout, and free of the slightest impurity—because all impurities had ceased to exist. Diss turned around and walked back, his figure melting away beneath the sparse streetlights of Rojia City. *** "Are you going to eat?" Karen asked Alfred. "Young Master, I believe it was a profound loss for Ms. Molly to miss tonight's events. Therefore, I would like to give these spring rolls to her tomorrow, offering her a chance to make up for the regret." "You make a very good point. I agree." "Thank you for your gracious approval." "You'll be sitting up front driving later, and I'm worried you'd have bad breath." "Your Greatness is always so remarkably considerate." "Alright, load the car." "Understood." The corpses of veteran councilor Haggett, Ford, and Mr. Oca were tossed into the back as well. At this moment, the Inmerlais family's newly purchased hearse felt dreadfully cramped and crowded. Karen could only squeeze into the very back, ceding more space to the "passengers." Just then, his grandfather returned. "You're back," Karen said. Diss boarded the vehicle. Without making any remark about the cramped interior, he simply asked, "Is it finished?" "Yes." Karen folded up the list of names. "Good." Diss closed his eyes. Karen gestured for Alfred to drive. He didn't inquire about the fate of the red-robed priest who had leaped from the building, because he instinctively trusted that since Diss had returned, that "aberrant demon" surely no longer existed. Nor did he ask why Diss hadn't brought the body back. Asking would have been pointless anyway; the hearse couldn't hold another soul. Perhaps in the future, he might suggest Uncle Mason install meat hooks on the ceiling of the rear cabin, like in an abattoir, so the guests could hang instead of lying flat. That would easily multiply the passenger capacity several times over. At three in the morning, the hearse pulled up in front of the Inmerlais residence on Mink Street. The diligent Alfred retrieved a gurney and transported the corpses down into the basement one by one, sparing Karen and Diss from lifting a finger throughout the entire process. No wonder Uncle Mason had toyed with the idea of letting Ron go. Karen and Diss stood by the front door, right where the circle had been drawn before they set out. "Did you enjoy tonight?" Diss asked. "Do you mean the music?" Karen asked in return. Only now did Karen remember that the vintage secondhand radio Alfred had bought for several thousand lubi was still in the car. Karen walked over to the driver's cab, opened the door, and hoisted the radio onto his shoulder. It wasn't heavy at all. It looked bulky, but inside it was essentially just wood and internal components. "This is tonight's souvenir," Karen said. This was an answer in itself. Going out beneath the stars to attend a concert left one exhausted upon returning, yet waking up for breakfast the following morning, the lingering melody would still be sweet. "Many people choose to embrace the Church of Order because of nights like this—using their own strength to carry out their own justice, to uphold the order that ought to be set right. "Regrettably, such an understanding is…" "Superficial," Karen finished for him. Diss paused for a moment before continuing, "Such an understanding is correct." "…" Karen fell silent. "A thousand years ago, before the Church of Light perished, the Pope shouted from the cathedral's high tower on a night after he had succumbed to madness: he had never once believed in the existence of the God of Light. "Many considered it the raving nonsense of a mind corrupted and mad, a symptom of depravity. "Yet I believe he was speaking from the depths of his heart. "The closer you draw to a god, the more you realize that gods are increasingly untrustworthy. "You grow ever more firm in the conviction you held when you first entered the faith, and then you begin to wander in bewilderment, wondering what meaning this long stretch of life after joining has really held." "Still, there are some truths one can never grasp without walking the path oneself." "Then do you wish to grasp them?" Diss suddenly asked. Purr, who had been dozing off, immediately pricked up her cat ears, instantly alert. "I will follow Grandfather's arrangements," Karen replied. He had no faith in the Church of Order, but he praised Order. Therefore, if there was a way for him to acquire the ability to "praise Order" just like Diss, he was willing. Before tonight, he might have hesitated or wavered, especially with the tragic death of "Karen's" parents lingering as a cautionary tale. Yet now, he admitted that he could not refuse this temptation. Even someone like Mr. Morf had been reduced to lying motionless before him, terrified to stir. Could the tranquil life he envisioned truly endure on its own? When this world was dominated by divine authority capable of tearing through established rules at will, what else could offer real security? Perhaps his perspective was overly extreme. Yet Karen couldn't help but be extreme, particularly after witnessing what had befallen Siso's family. As long as one tried to imagine the sheer despair that family had felt that night, hesitation ceased to be an option. And that was without factoring in his practically confirmed identity as an evil god. Diss smiled. "I recall saying: before I pass." Karen drew in a deep breath, slowly exhaled, and said, "Then I hope Grandfather lives a long life." This was neither sarcasm nor cynical banter. After all, who could turn away a grandfather like this? "Yet men must die eventually, and even gods are no exception," Diss said. "You might reconsider your options for studying abroad. High school coursework shouldn't be difficult for you, should it?" "Why?" Karen asked. "Studying diligently is only right. Aren't those the very words you spoke before?" "I am curious why you have changed your mind, Grandfather. You were the one who said you hoped your family would always stay by your side." "While I am alive, naturally I hope for that. But if I am gone, do I want my entire family to move into the public cemetery?" "This…" "I am tired. I am going to rest." Diss walked toward the house. Karen followed closely behind, pressing, "Grandfather, has something unexpected happened?" "Before I pass, no upheaval will ever touch the Inmerlais family." "No, Grandfather, speaking like that isn't right. It invites bad luck." Diss halted, turned to look at Karen, and said, "I've cursed the God of Order to His face. What bad luck could I possibly fear?" "That's different. As your family, I don't want anything happening to anyone in this house, especially when you repeatedly speak like you're leaving your final instructions." "Young Master, the bodies have all been moved down, I—" "If you were gone, Alfred might just swallow me whole in one bite." "…" Alfred stood frozen. "If I were gone, taking the two of them with you might actually leave you freer." "Listen to yourself, there you go again." Karen stepped forward and took hold of Diss’s arm. Diss coughed and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. "What happened to you? Are you injured?" Karen asked anxiously. "It's nothing. Just a minor side effect of invoking a forbidden curse." "…!" Alfred stiffened in shock. "Then in the future, let's not do things like tonight ever again. We'll run our business peacefully and earn lubi; that's good enough. We still have to prepare dowries for Mina and Chris." "Sometimes it isn't you looking for trouble, but trouble finding you. It cannot be avoided." Diss gently disengaged from Karen's supporting grip. "At any rate, I shall pray to that whoreson God of Order, praying He does not let me die…" Diss smiled warmly at his grandson before him. "Because I shall warn Him that He will not be able to bear the consequences of my death." "Call on me when you pray. We'll warn that whoreson God of Order together." "Very well." Diss walked upstairs. Karen did not follow him. He still had loose ends to tie up—like drawing the final rest mark on a piece of music. "Young Master." "Alfred, please pour me a glass of ice water and bring it down to the basement." "Right away, Young Master." Karen walked into the basement. The basement was quite lively tonight, hosting nine guests. Aunt Mary's workroom had run out of space long ago, so all nine guests had been placed in the mortuary. In the dead of winter, there was no need for refrigeration. Karen turned on the light and pulled over a round stool from the workroom. Resting inside four coffins were the members of Siso's family. Beside them on the floor lay Mr. Morf, the chief editor, Ford, Haggett, and Oca. If the five of them were still capable of rising and speaking at this moment, they would surely be overcome with disbelief—disbelief that anyone would actually slaughter all five of them over the deaths of four common paupers. Well, never mind them; even Karen himself still felt an air of unreality lingering in his mind. "Phew…" Karen let out a long breath and muttered to himself, "I really wish Ms. Molly were here right now so she could spit Mrs. Hughes back out in one piece." Karen gave a soft chuckle. He gestured toward the four coffins, then pointed at the five men lying exposed on the floor in their varied states of death. "What is art? What constitutes artistic value, or the visual impact of art? It isn't just killing a few people around you and plating them up nicely that makes it art. "Look here. "Look at what's in front of you. "These four coffins, these five men, arranged together. "Phew. "That suffocating artistic weight hits you immediately. "It's like a set of balance scales. Arranging them together is inherently one of the finest expressions of art. "No, they aren't even arranged equally. "Siso's family is resting comfortably inside proper coffins right now. Heh, these five aren't even worthy of being put in a box." Karen talked to himself. At the entrance of the ramp, Alfred, holding a glass of ice water, tactfully paused his steps. He concealed his figure in the shadows cast by the hallway light, choosing not to disturb his young master's artistic contemplation. After voicing his thoughts, Karen pressed his lips together. His gaze swept across the four coffins belonging to Siso's family one by one. Then he walked over and knocked lightly on each lid. *Thud…* *Thud…* *Thud…* *Thud…* It was like knocking on a door, as though the family were merely fast asleep. Having knocked on every coffin, Karen sat back down on the round stool. He spoke: "Rise, and take a look." From beneath Karen's feet, black, chain-like tendrils spread outward, extending beneath each of the coffins. In an instant, a solemnity and reverence beyond words permeated the entire basement. Holding the glass of ice water, Alfred watched the scene with a mix of awe and ecstatic fervor! *Tonight, I danced to the very same melody, the very same rhythm, alongside an evil god!* *If this isn't an evil god, then who is!* *Ms. Molly even said to me that Young Master Karen gave off an aura that was far too gentle and easygoing!* *Hahaha, what do low-tier aberrant demons know? A true evil god is supposed to be like this!* *Without ever undergoing purification, he can execute 'Awakening' so naturally.* *Evil God above, forgive me for being unable to kneel and worship right now as I hold this glass of ice water; yet my soul has long since submitted to You!* In the study upstairs, Purr, who had followed Diss inside, asked inquisitively, "Diss, did the headquarters send people over? No, that can't be right. Since you had no intention of killing Karen, you must have concealed and masked every trace of the god descent ritual. There's no way you'd leave any clues exposed because of that. "Who did they send? "What caused you to say those things tonight? "No… Diss, just what did you sacrifice for that god descent ritual?" Suddenly, an uncanny aura drifted upward. Purr's feline eyes widened in alarm. She gasped, "It's happening again!" Diss, however, wore a smile. "He hasn't even undergone purification yet. He hasn't even crossed the threshold! Diss, am I truly going to have to worship an evil god who knows how to cook fish in countless ways? "Although I don't see anything wrong with that, and your dissuasion probably wouldn't work on me anyway, I still think you ought to try talking me out of it—just so things seem normal." "Perhaps my grandson isn't an evil god," Diss remarked. "Hahaha, there you go again! If he isn't an evil god, did you summon the God of Order Himself?" Diss shook his head. "Could there be another possibility…" "What possibility?" "That my grandson, just like the God of Order, is purely someone who has… returned from the dead." *** *Creeeak…* From within the four unsealed coffins came the sound of scraping. In the dead of night within the basement, the noise was profoundly eerie and chilling. Karen merely sat there in silence, like the sole listener at this macabre concert. At last, the coffin lids were pushed aside one after another. Karen saw Siso, Siso's elderly mother, Siso's daughter, and Siso's wife. They sat up in their coffins one by one, their gazes turning toward Karen in bewildered confusion. Karen pulled the pack of Morf Gold Frame cigarettes from his pocket. Only one remained. A twinge of regret brushed over him; had he known earlier, he should have grabbed a fresh pack from Mr. Morf's study, or brought back a few more so his uncle could hand them out to distinguished guests during funerals. Then again, did the *Code of Order* permit looting property? Or was that termed the confiscation of an aberrant demon's illicit gains? Karen took out his lighter. Preparing to light the cigarette, he said, "The enemies who murdered your family are right here. "Now, you may take your revenge." Siso's family climbed out of their coffins one by one and stepped onto the floor. At this moment, the hand Karen used to light the cigarette trembled slightly. In the end, the cigarette remained unlit. "Heh…" He let out a soft laugh and crushed the cigarette in his grip, blinking hard to hold back the moisture welling in his eyes. Because Siso's family, having climbed out of their coffins, did not lunge furiously at Mr. Morf and the others to tear and bite them in an outburst of rage. Instead, the family embraced one another tightly.