Dad

Mavaglio appeared before Karen with a smile on his face. Karen felt a faint sense of helplessness and sighed. "What's wrong?" Mavaglio asked. Karen shook his head, not wanting to answer. Mavaglio finally understood and said, "In the presence of God, we must get used to honesty." "Are you saying the Elders living up on the stars usually walk around naked? After all, they're universally recognized as the people closest to God." "This is the temple," Mavaglio reminded him. "Once we leave this barrier, don't make jokes like that." "I know." "Heh." "What is it?" Karen asked. Mavaglio answered, "I just tried to picture the scene you described." "You've got quite a delayed reaction." "Delayed reaction?" Mavaglio caught his drift. "Mainly because normally, no one dares make that kind of joke with me." "Well, you do have noble status." "One last procedure and we'll be done shortly. Then I'll show you around the temple. It's a rare opportunity. To outsiders, the temple and the church seem like a single entity, but in reality, they operate as two separate systems. Unless someone holds a special status or receives special authorization, they can't get in at all." "Alright." Mavaglio raised a hand. A starry sky appeared above, immediately followed by the descent of a majestic, suffocating pressure. Karen looked up and saw a black scythe suspended in the sky—the Scythe of War. "A 'scan' with the Scythe of War can clear away any lingering 'gazes.'" "Oh, so that's how it is." This really felt like ultraviolet disinfection. The radiance cast downward from the Scythe of War, like moonlight, washed over Karen. In that instant, Karen felt a sharp ache in his chest, but he forced himself not to show any change in expression. Karen knew very well that this pain didn't stem from his physical body but was a response from his soul. Mainly, the last time he borrowed the Scythe of War to slash his own soul, it had left a lingering shadow deep within his soul. At the same time, Karen had to suppress the restlessness of the Scythe of War in his conscious space. Right now, it had suddenly grown excited, like a chick spotting its mother hen. "Alright, finished." Mavaglio clapped his hands. "Wait a moment longer. I'll arrange for someone to take you to wash up." "Is that alright?" "Of course. Don't be so polite." Mavaglio's figure vanished. Returning to reality first, he raised his head and looked through the damaged ceiling toward a star above. Upon that star sat a temple where the Scythe of War was enshrined. *I didn't misjudge it just now. When your radiance shone upon him, I sensed a kind of intimacy emanating from you.* *Although he carries the mark I left on him, allowing him to borrow your power when using Black Prison Castle, many people possess such marks, yet you have never displayed extra warmth toward any of them.* Mavaglio hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he did not include this detail in his report. Because a single report could directly affect a person's future and fate, and he knew all too well what a complete divine artifact meant to the church and the temple. In short, he allowed himself a bit of favoritism. After all, he didn't want to see a gray-haired Karen sixty years from now sweeping the floor with a broom in the temple enshrining the Scythe of War; and then, with a hunched back and a raspy voice, saying to him: "You're here." ... The woman who had led Karen in earlier continued reading with the book in her right hand, while tossing over a brand-new set of Order divine robes with her left. She pointed toward an open-air pool ahead: "Wash up yourself." "Um, may I ask where Lady Augie is?" "She was sent for treatment." "What about my cat?" "Your cat? Isn't it here?" "No." "Wash up first. I'll go check." "Alright." Karen stepped into the pool and began to bathe. The water was pleasantly warm, with a magic stone placed right in the center of the bottom, producing an effect even better than a natural hot spring. "Meow!" As he was washing, a black cat plummeted from the sky. *Splash!* Purr tumbled straight into the water. Karen reached out and scooped her up. The black cat glared at Karen, puffed up with indignation, her feline face radiating untamed defiance. "Found it, returned it to you," the woman's voice came again. "Keep your pet under control. This isn't the outside world." "Alright, thank you." Once the woman left, Karen took hold of Purr's tail, simultaneously using the symbiosis contract to "awaken" her. Purr had sensed the impending examination earlier, so she had "sealed" herself in advance. Now, answering Karen's summons, Purr closed her eyes and slowly opened them again. Her fur grew sleek and fine, and her eyes regained their lively sparkle. Flicking her tail, she flipped onto her back, floating atop the water and using her tail as an oar. "Is it over, meow?" "Yeah, it's over." "Can we go home?" "Seems we have to wait a bit. Mavaglio wants to show me around." "Then let's take a look around." Purr paddled in circles in the pool. "I want to explore too. This place is huge." "You've been here before?" "No. I've been to Samsara Valley, but never here. It's not easy to get in." "True." The environment in Samsara Valley was practically semi-public; anyone who could afford a boat ticket could go, with its temple located in the depths. The Temple of Order was effectively an expanded version of that scope, enclosing the entirety of Samsara Valley within itself. After finishing his bath, changing into the new divine robes, and packing his things, Karen walked out with Purr. Outside, Mavaglio was already waiting. Beside him stood the elderly Lister. Lister's gaze landed first on Purr, then immediately snapped to Karen. "You know how to cook fish?" "Would you like to have some, sir?" "Of course!" "Then please provide me with a kitchen." "Haha, good, great, no problem! I just love outstanding young men like you!" "What about the other two gentlemen?" Karen asked politely. After all, since entering the temple, they were the only ones he had interacted with. "One was sent to the hospital. The other is packing his bags at home; the official transfer order has already come down. He's heading to the Land of Shattered Stars to research the mystery behind the extinction of the Church of Astral Radiance." "Will he be joining us for the meal?" Karen asked. "He wanted to have a farewell meal with us, but none of us dared eat with him. If the mood struck him and he got sentimental enough to blurt out something forbidden at the table, we'd all end up shipped out there to study obscure research topics alongside him." The old man made no attempt to conceal his disdain for this jinx of a colleague. "Oh, I see." Lister seemed to suddenly remember something, leaning toward Mavaglio's ear and muttering in a low whisper. Mavaglio frowned slightly. "Isn't that inappropriate?" "What's inappropriate about it? There are real monster fish there! They make phenomenal sashimi, trust me." "You've been there?" "Yeah, lost count of how many times. I even have a little cabin there, fully stocked with kitchenware and seasonings." With that, Lister smiled at Karen. "Come, we'll take you to a wonderful place. Ever heard of the Lost Paradise?" "It sounds familiar, like..." Karen pondered for a second. "Is it the Lost Paradise mentioned in the *Light of Order*?" "That's the one! How about it? I'll take you on an archaeological tour—oh no, not archaeology, a visit to historical monuments! This is a place straight out of mythological accounts!" Originally, the Lost Paradise had not gone by this name. According to the mythological accounts in the *Light of Order*, the God of Order had ordered the construction of this paradise as a playground for his daughter, Ankara, stocking it with all manner of rare and wondrous beasts. Later, Ankara violated Order and was cast into the jaws of ferocious beasts, after which the former paradise was renamed the Lost Paradise. Karen asked curiously, "A place like that is inside the temple too?" Lister replied proudly, "Heh, the temple is vastly larger than you can imagine! It is a single place, yet it stores many other places within it. Understand, young man?" "Understood." Some locations might not have originally existed in the temple. Places like the Lost Paradise, according to mythological lore, were supposed to reside in a realm filled with flowing light across the skies, which clearly didn't refer to this place. Yet the Church had evidently scooped out places worth commemorating and holding special significance, preserving them inside the temple. Mavaglio seemed to want to object still, saying, "Unauthorized entry into that place isn't permitted." "What's there to be afraid of?" Lister brushed it off. "It's gorgeous there, full of plump, delicious delicacies. We aren't going to vandalize anything; consider it a picnic! Even if higher-ups find out, why would they punish us over something like this?" Mavaglio possessed a special status. Lister's status was actually special as well. He was something of a venerable scholar—not particularly high in rank or position, and lacking real power, as evidenced by his colleague being banished on the spot. Yet his position was detached and respected. As long as he didn't commit a fundamental breach of principle, no one would truly do anything to him. Mavaglio sighed helplessly and nodded. "Come on, follow me." Lister led the way, bringing Karen and Mavaglio to the basement of the building. Inside sat a small teleportation array. Lister began tuning the formation. "Originally, you couldn't enter the Lost Paradise; it was sealed off. Thanks to that massive upheaval over half a year ago, the seals on many 'realms' suffered damage, which opened the Lost Paradise up. Heheh." Mavaglio remarked, "It will eventually be repaired." "Repaired? Heh, that's a long way off. Our temple has accumulated far too much stuff. Don't you see the construction crews are still working even now? "Besides, those stars up above must have taken a huge hit too. Back then, they operated with such fluid elegance. Now, when I look up and daydream, I'm terrified they might crash into each other. "Alright, let's head out." Lister activated the teleportation formation. As white light engulfed him, Karen couldn't help marveling inwardly at just how vast the temple was—so immense that one needed teleportation arrays just to get around. ... *Hum!* The three emerged from the array. Karen stood motionless where he landed; Mavaglio staggered slightly before regaining his balance; Lister, on the other hand, pitched straight forward face-first, eating a mouthful of tender grass. "Pah, pah, pah!" Mavaglio shook his head. "This array is far too crude." "I only come here on my own to forage for ingredients and satisfy my cravings. I never intended to host a departmental banquet here! As long as it gets me back and forth, that's enough. I don't have high standards." Lister got to his feet, brushed off the dirt, and waved. "Come, follow me. My little cabin is just ahead." The area was lush and verdant, yet it wasn't a wild forest; artificial touches were visible everywhere, making it resemble a paradise out of a fairy tale. Before they had walked very far, Karen saw several large birds with iridescent plumage gliding across the sky, sacred and beautiful. In form, they even bore some resemblance to Sandy; perhaps they were Sandy's ancestors. Perhaps someone had felt their plumage was too flamboyant and lacked solemnity, leading breeders later on to produce Sandy's pure white feathers. In the secular world, domesticating and breeding beasts was commonplace. Likewise, within church circles, domesticating monster beasts and ferocious beasts was entirely normal—after all, even evil gods could be tamed into guard dogs. Elk with horns draping miniature rainbows, pure white unicorns, winged fairies flitting about... In a zoo, visitors sometimes had to hold their noses around the animals, but here, these creatures straight out of fairy-tale books gave off sweet, refreshing fragrances. After all, their ancestors had once been playmates to the daughter of the God of Order. Still, the layout here must have been ingenious, allowing biodiversity to endure and reproduce across so many ages. While Karen gazed at them, they looked back at Karen with great curiosity. A unicorn even trotted over proactively, wanting to greet Purr on Karen's shoulder. Purr couldn't be bothered to respond. The kitty had grown up long ago and possessed zero girlish sentimentality. "We're here!" Lister cried excitedly. Karen looked at the "cabin"—it was clearly a remodeled, exquisite princess carriage. This carriage had likely been an attraction in the former amusement park. Karen could easily picture Ankara sitting inside, waving and laughing at the little animals outside the window. Yet now, Lister had converted it into a mobile hotdog food truck. "Come, Karen, look at my seasonings—I've got everything here, heheh." Karen walked over and took a look. The food truck was fully equipped with utensils, and the dizzying array of seasonings was overwhelming—more than two-thirds were spices Karen had never seen before. This was ample proof that Lister was a genuine foodie who had likely gathered culinary treasures across multiple regions and civilizations. "Is this enough?" Lister asked tentatively. "Plenty," Karen nodded. "However, I'll need some side vegetables. Are there any?" "Yes, right over there! There's a small castle, and behind it grows a vegetable garden. Every single one is premium quality—far beyond what my stipend could ever afford." "Doesn't the temple provide room and board?" Karen asked. "It covers basic food and lodging, but if you want to eat well, have fun, and enjoy nice things, you have to spend your own point coupons," Lister whispered. "Take me, for instance—I often ghostwrite papers and reports for colleagues on the outside to earn a little writing fee." "Is that really allowed?" Karen asked. After all, this man was in charge of organizing archives. "Don't you think I know what can and cannot be touched? Besides, we have designated church counterpart departments." "I see." From the looks of it, any thought of turning this old man into an intelligence informant was dead in the water. The old fellow might have plenty of quirks, but he knew exactly where the lines were drawn. If Karen ever hinted at such an idea, the old man might smile and agree to his face, only to turn around and report him immediately. In that case... let's cook two fewer fish. No need to be overly accommodating. "Tell you what, Karen. You head over there and pick the vegetables yourself, while Lord Mavaglio and I go catch the fish." Mavaglio asked, puzzled, "Catching fish requires two people?" "These fish aren't easy to catch; they can even turn invisible! During my last week of leave, I spent six whole days here just to catch a single one. But oh, the flavor was divine!" "Fine." With that, they split up. Karen carried Purr toward the small pink castle. The pink was lovely without seeming tacky in the least. Well, of course, the main reason was that its background didn't feature cheap plastic animal sculptures, but genuine, living, romantic creatures. As Karen walked past the flank of the castle, a parliament of owls perched on the railings above began humming a melodious nursery rhyme—though not in the Maclai linguistic family. "Wonder how many generations that nursery rhyme has been passed down through." Hearing this, Purr said, "They're actually quite pitiable. In their minds, this place is the entire world." Karen said, "Sometimes having such a worldview is a kind of happiness. Just like if I hadn't left Ruilan for Wien and had lived a normal person's life in Rojia City, that would have been a kind of happiness too." "I thought seeing Diss would make you more radical." Karen smiled. "I did become more radical. You just didn't see it." Controlling Diss's phantom to imitate Rasma and deliver a kick to that old elder's consciousness—such a reckless gamble was something his former self would never have attempted lightly. Entering the vegetable garden, Karen and Purr—man and cat, both having seen plenty of the world—couldn't help gasping in unison: "Whoa..." "Wow..." Many fruits and vegetables from reality had counterparts here; in variety, they weren't especially exotic, but each and every one possessed a crystal-like translucence and quality. "I suspect that even with point coupons, you could hardly buy food of this caliber in the outside world." "No need to suspect. This is a true divine garden. What you're looking at is likely a degraded variety, meow." Karen plucked a cucumber. Out of respect for it, despite it being impeccably clean, he wiped it lightly with his hand anyway. He took a bite. Crisp, refreshing, and delicious. He used to think scenes where people were moved to tears by delicious food were exaggerated and fake. But now, Karen genuinely felt it. How utterly absurd—brought to tears just from eating a cucumber. Karen handed the cucumber to Purr, who held it between her paws and took a bite. "Whoaaa!!" Purr's reaction was even more dramatic. "If only the century-plus I spent as a cat had been here! How wonderful that would have been, meow!" "No matter how delicious something is, if you eat it long enough, you'll get tired of it." "True," Purr nodded in deep agreement, then corrected herself, "except for your fish." "Thank you for the high praise." "Don't mention it. Now I can't wait to see how exquisite fish cooked with these side vegetables will taste." "The species of fish will be different too." "I'm not expecting much novelty on that front. Ever eaten unicorn meat? Looks fair and tender, but the meat is tough and stringy. "Fruits and vegetables are harder to cultivate, whereas with animals, in my experience, the prettier they look, the worse they tend to taste." "Then Lister..." "I think he just enjoys the bonus thrill of the forbidden, meow." "You make a good point." Karen picked a few more fruits and sampled them with Purr, then began gathering the side vegetables needed for cooking. "Karen, can we pick some extra and take them back with us?" Purr asked. "I'm not sure. I'll ask Mavaglio later." Purr nodded. "Mm, definitely ask. After all, getting in here is tough. In the previous era, this was the agritourism farm where the God of Order brought his daughter to play!" Just then, Karen noticed something purple resting upon a melon vine ahead, completely out of harmony with the surrounding colors. Parting the concealing leaves, Karen found a purple hairpin hanging there. How could something like this have been left behind? Then again, given that this place had been sealed off all along, perhaps it truly was left behind by Ankara back then. The Church of Order had only one true god—the God of Order. But in reality, the Church of Order possessed entities akin to branch gods in other religions; the church simply didn't recognize their divine status. If this was an item left behind by Ankara, could it count as a divine artifact? "Purr, do you think this could be..." Karen spoke as he turned toward his shoulder, only to find Purr was gone. And right at that moment, a young girl's tender, childish voice floated from behind Karen: "Amazing! You found it, Daddy!"