Madame Tangli and Old Master Delon arrived, bringing a lavish late-night spread of both braised dishes and maocai.
Alfred woke Karen first. Once Karen got up to wash, Alfred headed to the cafeteria, where he saw Memphis standing at the entrance.
"I thought you would arrive with them," Alfred said with a smile.
Memphis could have turned into Mr. Aisen and accompanied his parents with the late-night care package.
Memphis glanced inside at his bustling parents and Vic, then replied, "Then I would have gone from waiting to eat to being put to work."
"A very good point."
Alfred felt Memphis was recovering remarkably well from his illness. Of course, this was largely because he had learned that the Young Master was his nephew—a salvation for his troubled mind.
Then Alfred noticed a rustic, antique box sitting on the counter behind Madame Tangli and asked, "What is that?"
"I don't know," Memphis shook his head.
"You don't know what's in your own home?"
"I might not know my mother as deeply as my wife does."
"That, I believe."
"Where is the Captain?"
"Oh, I woke the Young Master. He'll be here shortly. He has always shown great respect for Madame Tangli."
"Go on in, then. I'll wait here for the Captain so we can go in together."
"All right, then."
It was a family gathering after all; Alfred felt he ought to step back a bit and give them their space.
Walking into the cafeteria, Alfred picked up a meal tray and went to Madame Tangli to get some food, his eyes darting several times toward that antique box along the way.
If not for fear of being impolite, Alfred would have loved to inspect it directly with the Succubus Eye.
Though he couldn't probe it so openly, Alfred could sense the aura of seals from the box—likely freshly unsealed. At the same time, looking at it brought a faint burning prickle to his eyes.
Judging by the length of the box, was there a weapon inside?
A gift for the Young Master?
Ever since the Sword of Arius broke, the Young Master had been looking for a new weapon.
Alfred knew how extraordinary this grandmother was, and he understood even better how deeply she doted on the Young Master, her grandson. It was only natural that she would gift him a weapon knowing his sword had broken.
Indeed, family background truly mattered.
Old Master Diss hadn't directly left the Young Master many material things, but the Young Master had already experienced the reach of Old Master Diss's past network; Lord Theisen on Fire Island was the best example.
Well then, he would wait for the Young Master to come down and unseal it. Heh.
Alfred carried his tray to a seat, sat down, and took a bite of pig's ear.
Mmm, delicious. Very similar to what the Young Master had made before.
"Grandpa, Grandma, hehe."
Richard came over carrying a tray.
Seeing his grandson approach, Old Master Delon held a ladle in his right hand while tapping his lower back with his left fist, fond affection in his gaze. "Just for you, this old man nearly worked these old bones to exhaustion."
"That's because Grandpa loves me."
"And Grandma? Doesn't Grandma love you?"
"Grandma too! Grandma loves me just as much."
"Which piece do you want?"
"Duck. I want duck."
"Here you go."
"Layer on more cucumber slices and bean sprouts, and this ham—give me extra."
"Can you finish all that by yourself?"
"Of course I can! My appetite is huge these days. Oh, Grandpa, fill up another plate for me, I want to really dig in."
"Don't waste it."
"I won't, I won't."
"Hey, hey, hey, scooping that much rice? Are you a bottomless pit or what?"
"Don't worry, don't worry, I can eat it all, definitely."
Richard filled two trays to the brim, the rice piled up like two miniature mountains, before walking to a table in the cafeteria.
The two elderly people kept an eye on their grandson while serving food to others. They watched him sit down with the trays across from a girl, attentively dish out food into small bowls with cutlery, and then jump up to fetch water for her.
To Old Master Delon, the familiarity of the scene was overwhelming, like a long-buried memory jolted awake and overlapping seamlessly with the present.
Simply put, every gesture of his grandson's was the spitting image of himself back in the day.
When courting his wife, he had been just as meticulously attentive—even humble to a fault.
Madame Tangli let out a cold "Hmph." "The Felscher girl."
"She seems nice enough," Old Master Delon remarked. "Good looks, good temperament."
"Nice where? Nice where?! Look at that fawning look on your grandson's face! And see how reserved she is—so aloof I can barely stand to watch."
"Isn't that just how you were back then?"
Madame Tangli: "..."
"All I mean is, as long as our grandson likes her, that's enough."
"Heh, don't you know about the Felscher curse? Aren't you worried that if your grandson gets too close to her, she'll bring that curse straight into your Guman family as a dowry?"
"Richard is at the age where he should do what young men his age do. As elders, it's best we don't interfere too much."
"Delon."
"Hmm?"
"When you pursued me, were your parents thoroughly displeased as well?"
"N-No, of course not."
"Heh."
Madame Tangli sighed. "I certainly don't want to become in-laws with that Felscher woman."
"Matters between adults shouldn't drag down the younger generation."
"I'm holding back right now to spare Richard some face. It's fine for them to be teammates, and it's fine for them to be close. But if he really intends to take things in that direction, once he comes home I'll lay everything bare and crush that hope before it takes root."
"I'm afraid that might backfire. There might not even be anything between them, but your interference could make it a reality."
"Delon, I'm thinking about your Guman family. Whose side are you on anyway?"
"As long as my grandson is happy, hehe." The old man showed a rare bit of spine. "Whatever makes him happy."
"You truly have no fear of curses, do you?"
"My dear, do you remember what you told me after I failed my seventh confession to you?"
"You think I'd bother remembering that?"
"You told me you carried a curse, and asked if I was afraid."
Madame Tangli's hand holding the ladle trembled slightly.
"What is there to fear, right?" A smile broke across Old Master Delon's face. "They're young people. What is there to be afraid of?"
...
After washing up, Karen was about to head to the cafeteria when the phone in his office rang. He walked over and picked it up. Neo's voice came through the receiver.
"Hello."
"It's me, Karen."
"Karen! I've got good news. A small, high-end auction is about to take place on the black market—private club style. I took a look at the auction catalog, and there are several weapons in this batch."
"Aren't you auditing the Norton family's illicit assets? How did you end up over there?"
"Don't I have to liquidate some things on the black market? Isn't it completely normal for me to turn up there?"
"All right. Which weapons?"
"They have quite reputable names, but the catch is we have to inspect them up close once the auction starts. Some weapons are damaged, and unscrupulous sellers deliberately patch them up before putting them on the block, so it's hard to say for sure before checking their true condition. You're short a weapon right now, aren't you? If there's something suited for you, I'll check it out, and if it fits, I'll place a bid and take it."
"Does it start today?"
"No, the day after tomorrow."
"Sure, sounds fine. But you'd better take Alfred with you. He manages all my coupons."
"Right, right, got it. I'll take a look first. If the price-to-performance ratio is genuinely solid, I'll snap one up. Even if you don't need it, I can call in a few favors with people in some internal departments to embed a few formations into it and flip it for a profit. My favors are worth a lot right now, so I'd better cash them in quickly before I get demoted one day."
"What are you worrying about so pointlessly?"
"Things have quieted down recently, right? Those two plans we laid out before should probably be put on the agenda."
"Philomena's matter," Karen reminded him.
"Oh, Philomena's business. Almost forgot. But that's family affairs—doesn't matter much whether it's settled cleanly or not. For me, anyway, next time I see her, whether the soul inside that body is Philomena or her grandmother makes no difference."
"I gave her my word."
"Fine, fine. Who asked our Captain Karen to be a man of his word? In any case, after you wrap this up, aren't we supposed to explore the burial ground of the phantasm beast Compasini? Did you forget?"
"I remember."
That was to find an inheritance for Alfred, since he and Compasini walked along the same path.
"Here's my plan: once this is done, I'll request leave from Bernie, and we'll go on an expedition. If we successfully locate Compasini's burial ground, there's a strong chance it contains the weapon you need. After all, I'm sure ordinary weapons won't catch your eye, and weapons at auctions... well, at best they're worth what you pay for them, but there are rarely any real surprises."
"Compasini's burial ground has weapons?"
"How do you think it died? What do you think it went through before death? You didn't actually think it quietly found a peaceful spot to die of old age when its lifespan ran out, did you?"
"It was hunted down?"
"According to the records I dug up, yes. But the people hunting it never returned alive. Think about it—what caliber of people could hunt it? In all likelihood, the burial site we find will be the ruins of a battle, or even a miniature battlefield. True treasures will certainly have to be sought there. I'm also planning to find a suitable weapon for myself; constantly condensing the Sword of Light is honestly exhausting. Then again, if ordinary weapons are imbued with the power of light too many times, traces will linger. I've always been cautious."
"Right. Philomena's matter should be resolved very soon."
If things moved quickly, there would be a result by tomorrow night.
"Let's leave it at that for now. After exploring the burial ground, we'll look for that copper coin. If you can get in touch with that little sister of yours, you could have her coax some information out of the artifact spirits in the Sealed Lands to get us ruins we can explore or locate some sister sacred artifacts. In this day and age, information is wealth."
"Director, your foresight is truly far-reaching."
"Actually, we could take a shortcut in one go. For instance, doesn't that dog in your family know the location of the God-Burial Grounds?"
"I haven't undone its next seal yet."
"What on earth have you been busy with? How could you put off unsealing it for so long?"
"Don't you know what I've been busy with, Director?"
"Oh, true. You really have been busy—so busy you haven't been home in a while. Aha, later on we could even scavenge for weapons in the God-Burial Grounds! How great would that be? There are bound to be genuine treasures there."
"Even the God of Order came out wounded."
"Err..." Neo said grumpily, "Don't go crushing my dreams. You know my life needs these things."
"Yes, yes, yes. Later on we'll go to the God-Burial Grounds and each carry seven or eight divine artifacts back on our backs."
"Heh-heh."
Hanging up the phone, Karen let out a long breath. He remembered how, at Miss Eliza's funeral, Neo's cold severity had put immense pressure on him. Now, it almost felt like humoring a goofy older brother next door to keep him happy.
Yet, thinking of Dalis, whom he had just dealt with, Karen realized how extraordinary it was that Neo could still maintain such passion for life.
Stepping out of the office and arriving at the cafeteria entrance, Karen saw Memphis standing there waiting for him.
"Heh, come on in and eat," Memphis smiled.
Ever since returning from Fire Island, his uncle had been hoping they could have a family dinner back home, but Karen had truly been swamped with the Norton family affairs until now, leaving him no time for his maternal grandmother or the dog at home.
Karen was practically the last to arrive. Madame Tangli had already prepared food for him and carried it over herself, smiling as she said, "I noticed there's a private room further inside. Let's eat in there."
"That private room is reserved for headquarters superiors to dine in," Karen explained.
Madame Tangli countered, "Aren't you considered one now?"
Karen paused for a moment, then nodded. "All right, let's eat in there."
The private room was not luxurious—the cafeteria had been out of use for a long time, after all—but every private area within headquarters was equipped with its own formation, linked to the defensive arrays of the headquarters building.
Once Karen took a seat inside, Madame Tangli placed the dishes before him. "Eat, child."
"Thank you, Madame."
"Call me Grandma."
"Thank you, Grandma."
"Good boy." A radiant smile broke across Madame Tangli's face. All the effort spent preparing and traveling so far—wasn't it all just to hear that single word?
Memphis hadn't been able to join them inside. Karen found it somewhat amusing that his uncle, who had waited outside so long for a reunion meal, ended up excluded from the private room.
"How does it taste? Is it to your liking?" Madame Tangli asked.
"Very good. Grandma's cooking truly leaves nothing to be desired."
"Hehe, it was you who inspired me." Madame Tangli beamed with satisfaction.
Old Master Delon moved to pull out a chair and sit down, intending to thank Karen for looking after Richard.
Madame Tangli kicked the chair right then and ordered the old man, "Go, bring the thing in."
"Ah, huh?"
Madame Tangli cleared her throat and said, "Call Richard in, too."
She had almost forgotten their gift converter.
Madame Tangli smiled and said, "The Guman family has a very fine weapon. His grandfather intends to pass it down to Richard. You can take a look."
"Is it an array-type sacred artifact? In that case, I'm quite looking forward to seeing it."
Old Master Delon stepped out and returned shortly carrying the long box. Richard and Philomena came in as well.
"Captain."
Philomena merely greeted Karen, then sat down on the side of her own accord, completely ignoring Madame Tangli and Delon.
Watching this, Madame Tangli's eyelids twitched and drooped.
Her impression of Mrs. Felscher was exceedingly poor. Although they belonged to the same generation and had interacted in the past, their connection had severed later on; otherwise, having both lived in Yorktown for decades, they wouldn't have gone without meeting a single time.
Such feelings toward an elder readily transferred onto the younger generation.
Besides... probably no elder would ever take a liking to a junior like Philomena.
She remembered when Karen visited her home for the first time—how well-mannered he had been! Even if he weren't her biological grandson, she would have doted on the boy from the bottom of her heart.
*Sigh.*
Madame Tangli sighed inwardly. The more she looked at Karen eating, the fonder she grew; yet looking at Philomena sitting there coldly, the more irritated she felt—and by extension, even Richard, her own grandson standing beside Philomena, was starting to look like an eyesore.
Old Master Delon chuckled kindly. In his memory, when his wife had first visited his home, she had treated his parents with the exact same attitude.
Noticing his grandmother's eyes constantly shifting to Philomena, Richard immediately explained, "It's a mission Karen gave me. I have to escort and protect her closely these days."
"Oh, so that's how it is," Madame Tangli breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh, so that's how it is," Old Master Delon murmured with slight regret.
"Richard, your grandfather has something he wants to pass down to you."
"Hmm? What is it?" Curiosity showed on Richard's face.
"This—a weapon. A blade."
A Rubik's cube appeared in Old Master Delon's hand. The latches on the box quickly clicked open. Dispelling the final layer of the seal, he swung the box wide open, revealing the Nightmare Blade resting within.
Karen, who was eating, lifted his head to glance inside. *A fine item. It has a tremendous effect on spiritual bodies.*
"Cough, cough..."
The blade's aura agitated Karen's condition, sending him into a coughing fit. He had no choice but to pull out a cigarette from the Church of Thunder again. Throwing etiquette aside, he lit it right in front of the elders; otherwise, he feared he might cough up blood again in a moment.
Richard stepped forward and gripped the blade. The weapon trembled, and Richard's face immediately contorted in agony.
Old Master Delon turned to his wife, his expression practically saying: *See? I told you so.*
Richard drew a deep breath and fought through the incessant static shrieking in his head to lift the blade, giving it a few overhead swings before instantly dropping into a squat and dry-heaving toward the floor.
The threshold for wielding this blade was exceptionally harsh. In truth, merely holding it imposed an exhausting burden.
"Grandpa, the blade is great and all, but I can't use it!"
Old Master Delon sighed, "Ah, looks like you really can't use it."
A look of resignation appeared on Madame Tangli's face as well, though inside she urged: *Then hurry up and give it away!*
Richard turned his head toward Philomena. "Why don't you give it a try?"
Madame Tangli: "!!!"
Chapter 535