The First Lesson

"Karen, why on earth would you say that?" "Didn't you just ask whether I'm really your friend?" "That was a rhetorical question! Aren't we? But you—you actually gave a serious answer, and I can even sense how cheerful you are." "Cheerful? Is that strange?" "What about me being like this could possibly make you cheerful?" "Before coming here, I was at headquarters. It was the Regional Chief who told me about your accident. She also told me she plans to step down temporarily to cooperate with you. Well, considering your rather unique situation, it is somewhat urgent." "So the reason you're cheerful is that you'll most likely get promoted because of my mishap?" "Yes, precisely." "Do you have to be so blunt? Couldn't you keep it tucked away in your heart instead of flaunting it right to my face?" "I figured you'd just suffered an unfortunate accident. If you heard the good news of a friend's promotion, it ought to ease your depression and lift your spirits with the shock of a joyful surprise." "Karen, you sure know how to console a friend." "Heh." "Still, did you forget? You're taking over my fiancée's position." "And so?" "I'm actually a little happy about it! Do you have any idea how suffocating it is living under the same roof with her? She walks around all day wearing an expression that screams, 'I'm so busy, my workload is so heavy.' But in reality, is she busy? Several times I could barely stop myself from pointing at that cold face of hers and asking: 'How busy could a sidelined Regional Chief possibly be?'" As the Child of God, Mavaglio could only truly drop all inhibitions around Karen. He enjoyed the feeling of someone treating him casually as an ordinary friend, joking, poking fun, and teasing him. But as Lord Theisen's biological grandson, he was naturally no fool. He understood perfectly well what kind of situation his fiancée faced at work, though... he didn't care all that much. "Don't talk nonsense. I hold the Regional Chief in high esteem." "Is there anyone you don't pretend to hold in high esteem?" "All right. What's done is done; there's no point dwelling on it." Karen reached over, picked up a large bottle of green liquid from the side, opened the cap, and sniffed it. A fragrant aroma met his nose. "What drink is this?" "Agan Purple-Blue-Green Soul Grass juice. A wonderful beverage. Try it—it tastes great." "Is it medicine?" "More of a tonic. It's very effective at helping restore taste and smell." Karen poured a cup and took a sip. The texture was somewhat like fruit juice—neither cloying nor astringent, very refreshing. It indeed tasted great, though it was certainly not cheap. Even though everyone had medical subsidies for injuries sustained on duty, the Child of God's subsidy undoubtedly approached the highest permissible standard. Moreover, the bottle bore a label marking its place of origin: an output from a sealed miniature world within the Temple. This kind of item was harder to obtain than the Church of Thunder's special-issue cigarettes, likely not circulating on the black market at all. "Any more? I'll take a few bottles when I leave." "There's a cabinet over there with all the condolence gifts. Take whatever you like; don't be polite." "I won't be." Mavaglio cupped a handful of water and splashed it onto his face. "Sigh, I really don't want to use a syringe." "You two could sit down and discuss it properly." "Discuss what? There's no emotional foundation between us. Our being together is merely an arrangement born of suitable conditions." "What gave you the illusion that most couples in this world marry for love?" "Uh..." "And what gave you the illusion that after completing a wedding ceremony, most couples in this world suddenly understand how to get along, how to live together, and how to achieve wedded bliss?" "Well..." "You should realize that an arrangement of suitable conditions is already a rare fortune." "I feel it now. You truly are trying to comfort me." "Sort of. In truth, you shouldn't harbor too much resentment. Even if you weren't the Child of God, given Lord Theisen's standing in the church, your marriage would hardly be free. It would almost certainly be a political union. Look on the bright side. Life is like this: if you cannot change life, change the angle from which you view it." "That sounds awfully passive." "It is passive, but non-passive words are meant for people who aren't in passive situations." Mavaglio turned his head to look at Karen, while Karen took another sip of the grass juice. "So, Karen, in your eyes, do I look very pitiful?" Karen carefully examined the cup in his hand. "I couldn't bring myself to buy a beverage this expensive." Mavaglio slapped the medicinal bath around him with both hands, stood up facing Karen, picked up another cup of the drink, and gulped it all down. "Karen, do you look down on me?" "No. You're being overly sensitive." "Fine, let me rephrase the question. In your eyes, do I seem a bit childish?" "More than just a bit." "You... Where do you even get that? My outlook on life? You should understand how special my circumstances are." Hearing this, Karen smiled. *You're talking about special circumstances in front of me?* Even so, Karen sighed and spoke sincerely: "Either break the shackles of life and forge the reality you want, or pick a more comfortable posture to lie down in. In any case, don't act like a child throwing tantrums on the floor. Before age three, it's called innocent cuteness; after three, it's just unseemly. The Child of God's inheritance, the betrothal—every single bit of it required your nod of agreement to happen. Since you've already chosen them, treat them properly. Don't wallow in self-pity. My Lord Child of God, perhaps you really ought to walk the streets more often and take a good look at how the real world works. Besides, while I advocate for equality between men and women, in matters like this, I believe you could make the first concession and ease the tension. The Regional Chief is simply a workaholic who lacks life experience. She may be older than you, but in this regard, you are more mature than her. I don't believe she genuinely wants to settle for such a cold marriage either. After all, both of you are normal human beings. You have no bizarre fetishes, nor are you mentally ill. When you feel repulsed by the idea of using a syringe to draw that stuff out of you, have you ever considered that she, on the receiving end of the injection, doesn't like that feeling either?" Mavaglio's facial muscles twitched. He asked, "You want me to bow my head first? What if I lower my head, and all she gives me is that icy face and that freezing-cold tube? What then?" "Who knows?" "What?" "I said, who knows." "What on earth do you mean?" "Whatever happens between a husband and wife inside their own home—would you go around broadcasting it? Would she? Neither of you would. So, who knows?" "So just because outsiders won't know, I don't have to feel humiliated? Is that what you mean, Karen? Is there any possibility that what you're saying is dead wrong?" "Is there any possibility that I'm merely trying to cheer you up, with no intention of stating absolute truths?" Mavaglio was struck speechless. Karen reached into his pocket, took out a business card, and handed it over. Mavaglio took it and read aloud: "Director of the Eggplant Street Orphanage?" "You can take some time to bring the Regional Chief to the orphanage to do volunteer work. Experience up close what a child means to you and to her. I mean to *you*, and to *her*, not to *the two of you*." "But a child would definitely be ours." "In reality, widowed-style marriages where one parent does all the child-rearing are quite common." "Where do you even find so much 'reality'?" "Because I live in reality, whereas you do not." "Though it sounds rather boring, I'll follow your advice and try inviting her to visit the orphanage." "Calm your mind, experience it, and observe closely." "Have you ever volunteered there, Karen?" "Never." "Then why do you carry the business card of an orphanage director around with you?" "Prepared especially for you, to help smooth out your marital troubles." "If I hadn't had this accident, were you planning to do this anyway? After all, if you want a promotion, the best way would be to get my wife pregnant?" "Such hypothetical assumptions are pointless. Besides, do you really think I'm that sort of person?" "You aren't. If you were, you wouldn't have volunteered to lead the team into the underground cavern yourself." "You're quite right. I don't care all that much about such things. High or low rank doesn't matter, so long as it doesn't hinder my service to the Order in my heart." "Yet they aren't contradictory." Mavaglio flicked the card in his fingers. "Sometimes, when facing you, I feel a strange pressure. Did you know that?" "Pressure?" "Facing others, I have a psychological advantage. But facing you, I occasionally feel at a slight disadvantage. That shouldn't be the case. You know my identity." *That's because you don't know mine.* Karen didn't reply, simply continuing to sip the beverage. Mavaglio flicked the card away, sending it sailing right into the pocket of his clerical robe hanging in the distance. "If the accident had happened in any other way, I would have suspected that you, or people sent by you, engineered it for me." "You're talking nonsense again. And is there really a specific cause behind this accident?" "There is. What I'm about to tell you is classified top secret, but you'd find out eventually. Word has already spread among the higher-ups, and given your status, you'd learn of it soon enough. During the period when you were recovering from your injuries, anomalous disturbances occurred across multiple sacred realms of our church, including the station of the First Knight Order. Some say it is an omen that our God of Order is about to return. Heh, right now, the other orthodox churches are probably busy digesting this news. They must be utterly desperate. The current foremost church, paired with the returned overlord of the previous era... If the coming age is to be considered a new era, it will inevitably be the Era of Order." "And are they right in what they're saying?" Mavaglio fell silent. Karen did not speak either. After a moment, Mavaglio said, "The experiment I conducted had a very high safety factor. I pay great attention to safety myself. But at that moment, I felt a tremor from deep within my heart. I sensed something that caused my consciousness to slip into a brief daze. That was why my experiment went awry. Karen... Aside from reporting this to the Temple, you are the only one I'm telling. I haven't even told Gaspol. And that is: 'I sensed the return of the God of Order.'" Karen, mid-sip, couldn't help but pause. He looked at Mavaglio in genuine surprise. Mavaglio smiled with deep satisfaction. Karen's stunned reaction pleased him immensely. Indeed, what believer of Order wouldn't feel shaken and exhilarated by the news of the God of Order's return? Yet Mavaglio had misunderstood. What Karen was thinking at that moment was: *His experimental accident was actually caused by me.* And this chain reaction had ultimately forced his own superior to step down early to prepare for childbirth. Karen took a deep breath. If he told Alfred about this, Alfred would surely sigh again: *This is the inviolable will of God.* Then he would compile this incident into the teaching materials for the next study session to preach to the believers. Karen disliked that, because when he had advanced to God's Servant, he had distinctly sensed a flavor of being toyed with by divine will. "Rest well and recover from your injuries. Remember to take her to the orphanage. I have things to handle. Tomorrow I'm heading to the Dinge Region for classes, and after that, I have to join the desert investigation delegation. Oh, right. The Regional Chief is going to the Dinge Region tomorrow night to arrange a dinner for me." "Why make a point of telling me that?" "She is your wife. Courtesy dictates that I inform you." "Oh, thank you, Karen. You're the first person to make me feel an illusion of possessiveness over my wife. Heh, possessiveness—does that sound a bit crude?" "It's supposed to be mutual. She has possessiveness over you as well. In the future, if you go out with others, especially the opposite sex, you'll need to report it to her too." "Heh, I have no need for that." "Not necessarily. After all, far more women have their eyes on you than men have on her." "Because I'm more charming than her?" "The charm of a breeding boar." "Ha, Karen, I really want to strangle you." "Wait until you produce an heir first. The Whip of Order has a duty to protect church assets." Karen stood up, walked to the cabinet, and began selecting from the gifts inside. He would have someone bring them back to the Allen Manor so Purr... no, so Eunice and the others could taste these fine items unobtainable outside. Mavaglio stepped out of the medicinal bath, putting on his clothes to see Karen out. Suddenly, he froze, staring at the back of Karen's hand. "The mark of the Scythe of War..." "Worn away," Karen replied naturally. "Divine corruption is simply too unfathomable." "Let me add it back for you now, or you won't be able to use Black Prison Castle." "My body hasn't fully recovered yet. Once I feel I've healed enough, I'll come ask for your help myself." Karen had no desire to take that scythe back for now. It kept invading his dreams every few days, degrading the quality of his sleep, and every time he wielded it, it had to satisfy its urge to cleave him first. "All right." "No need to see me out. I can leave on my own." Mavaglio shrugged. "Do you have any idea how expensive those things in your hands are? I'm afraid the people outside won't let you through." "Heh." Karen knew Mavaglio was joking. Who would suspect the Head of the Law Enforcement Department of stealing things here? Mavaglio personally walked Karen to the hospital entrance. Karen waved goodbye. "See you." Mavaglio waved back. "See you tomorrow." ... "Young Master, the new personnel arrangements have been dispatched," Alfred reported once more to Karen. "Plans truly cannot keep up with changes." "Reality is always like this, constantly throwing unexpected surprises and little shocks your way when you least expect them." "Young Master, I believe all so-called accidents are destined by the great existence—" "Stop right there." Karen chuckled. "Watch yourself. I understand the difficulties of your work, and that you need to use the concept of a deity to structure our organization. But you should clearly understand my attitude toward gods. That, too, is Order's attitude toward gods." "Please rest assured, Young Master. In due time, I will shift our doctrine in that direction. We have arrived, Young Master. Would you like me to wait here and drive you to the Teleportation Hall later?" "Head back. There is plenty to manage in the department." "Understood, Young Master." After Karen stepped out of the car, Alfred turned the vehicle around and drove away. He indeed had many matters to attend to; the gathering arranged by Gaspol in the Dinge Region tomorrow night was effectively a sign of her internal transition toward stepping down. Alfred needed to rearrange the landscape for his young master's impending rise to Regional Chief. His busyness often stemmed from the blistering pace of Karen's promotions. Carrying the gift bags, Karen pushed open the courtyard gate. Just as he stepped inside, the front door opened, and his grandmother stood in the doorway, smiling warmly at him. "Why did you bring things again?" "Got them from a friend. Thought you all should have a taste." "Did you leave some at home?" "I did." "Good, then." Madame Tangli took the gift bags and glanced inside. "Fine goods." Grandma certainly recognized quality. "How is Richard doing?" "When you called to say you were coming, they stopped beating him a day early." "Why was it so severe this time?" "Mainly his father. It felt like he'd been holding it in for far too long, and once he let loose, he couldn't quite stop himself." "Ah, I see." It did seem that Richard had accumulated quite a backlog of beatings. "The beating was actually finished a while ago, and we were planning to let him nurse his wounds and return to work. But that night, Richard set up an iron basin in the yard, lit two candles, and started burning fake point coupons. He claimed he learned this new funeral custom from you, meant to burn money for the deceased so they wouldn't lack coupons to spend in the afterlife. He was worried his deputy office director wouldn't have coupons in the next world, so he cried while burning them. His father happened to see it." "How could he burn paper recklessly in the yard? It's winter, there's dry grass everywhere, and it could easily cause a fire." "His father used that exact same excuse to beat him." Karen entered the house. Mr. Aisen stepped out of the study and stood in the living room. "Karen, you're here." "Yes. I'll go upstairs to check on Richard first." "He's fine." "I know you have a sense of propriety, Uncle." Karen headed upstairs to the door of Richard's bedroom and saw him lying prone on the bed, holding a stack of documents and reading intently. "Studying so hard?" "Haha!" Seeing Karen arrive, Richard laughed. "You can still laugh?" "I'm only responsible for feeling the pain. The healing is Little Jerry's job anyway." "Did the beating open you up?" "Huh?" "Beaten into enlightenment." "Oh, kind of. The fear is less, and the pain is less too. I treat it as a form of cultivation—well, in fact, it really is cultivation." "Be careful not to develop an itch that only getting beaten can scratch." "I already have that tendency. As long as there's plenty of food, I'm not afraid. The pain only lasts a moment anyway. If I eat more, Little Jerry has the energy to keep working." Mr. Aisen appeared at the doorway carrying a fruit platter. "Next time I discipline you, I'll cut off your food and lock you in the basement." "Dad... if you suspect your son isn't biologically yours, you should vent your frustration on Mom. She's the creditor here." "Not only cutting off food, but cutting off water too," Madame Kaixi added, appearing at the door carrying tea. After setting down the tea and fruit platter, the couple greeted Karen and left. Richard reached over, took an orange from the platter, and began eating while saying, "See that? I'm convinced they were infertile back then and adopted me from an orphanage. Now that my dad's condition has improved, they're probably planning to have another one. Or maybe Mom already has a little brother or sister in her belly right now." Karen lifted his teacup, took a sip, and remarked, "Sometimes when you get beaten, I truly feel no sympathy." "Just a joke, haha." "Better not make that kind of joke; it could cause huge trouble. You're capable of using the Key to the Rubik's Cube. If you weren't biologically your parents' child, whose lost bloodline would you be?" "Hiss..." A wave of lingering fear washed over Richard. "You're right." "What are these?" Karen pointed at the documents in Richard's hands. "Oh, isn't this my new assignment? Part of it is background on the university, and part is on the investigation delegation. Mr. Alfred forwarded all the relevant files to me, and I gathered and supplemented some on my own. I'm compiling a summary right now." "How is it going?" "Lord Department Head, please have faith in my abilities. I've memorized all the files and the faces in the photos. Whatever you ask me then, I'll definitely have an answer for you. Lately, I haven't just memorized the history of every department in the Church University; I've even gone through some official records of the Desert Church." "Your memory has gotten that good?" Richard tapped his forehead. "Thanks to Jerry going straight to my brain." "You could devote more effort to cultivation." "You're never short of people who can fight." "We might be away for quite a while this time. I'm not sure how long the investigation delegation's work will take." "It's fine. I like going out. Staying at home feels suffocating, while being outside offers freedom. Ah, right, Karen, here is your course schedule. You can pick the classes you want to attend over the next two days. Under standard procedure, you just need the lecturing instructor to sign off after class. You fall under a rather special category of on-duty students." Karen took the schedule and glanced over it. It was densely packed. The Church of Order's university was immense, by no means inferior—in fact, vastly superior—to Wien Imperial University. It offered an overwhelming variety of courses. A "student" like Karen merely needed to accumulate enough class hours and pass the relevant exams to receive a certificate of completion. "Once we reach the Dinge Region, I'll examine it carefully in the guest house tonight. Keep it for me for now." "Understood." Just then, Grandma called out from downstairs, "Dinner is served!" Richard climbed out of bed on his own and straightened his clothes, looking almost like an uninjured man. "Do you need me to support you?" "No need." "Done acting?" "Hey, we're going on a mission right after dinner." Karen and Richard went downstairs to the dining room. Delon, who had gotten off duty early, Grandma, and Madame Kaixi were bustling in and out between the kitchen and dining room, carrying dishes and setting the table. Philomena sat quietly by the table, waiting for the meal to start. "Hehe, you're here." Richard took the initiative to sit beside her. Madame Kaixi brought out beverages and frowned slightly as she watched her son sidle up to Philomena. A mother's intuition was often remarkably sharp. In the previous generation's mother-in-law relationship, she had been the daughter-in-law hung up and whipped; in the next, she might very well become the mother-in-law hung up and whipped. The relationship changed, but the one being strung up remained herself. Fortunately, her mother-in-law didn't like this girl from the Felscher family either; only her father-in-law was fond of her. Thank goodness her father-in-law had little say in the household. The dinner was pleasant and heartwarming. Afterward, Mr. Aisen drove Karen, Richard, and Philomena to the Teleportation Array Hall. At the entrance of the hall, Ashley was waiting with Little Kanna. Before departure, Little Kanna had been taken to the Monster Beast Research Institute for another examination. "Department Head, my parents and the vice director examined her and agreed that the little bone dragon's development is in exceptionally good condition." "Good. Thank you for your hard work." "It was no trouble at all, Department Head. I wish you a smooth trip." "Mm." Karen naturally took Little Kanna's hand and walked into the hall. Under the hall director's arrangements, the group stepped into a specially scheduled teleportation array bound for the Dinge Region. With a flash of white light that rose and faded, Karen and his companions arrived in the Dinge Region. Here, it was still before dawn, so they had to check into a guest house first. The reason they couldn't stay in a regular hotel was that the Church University was situated within an independent barrier, which only possessed a single guest house open to visitors. Richard hailed a carriage. After the group boarded and gave their destination, the driver said cheerfully, "Are you all here for enrollment?" Karen was not wearing his high-ranking clerical robes; he was going to attend classes, not put on airs. Thus, all three had deliberately worn ordinary clerical robes. Given how young they looked, the driver assumed they were simply students. Richard answered, "Yes, we're here for classes." "Why did you bring a child along?" the driver asked with a smile. Richard replied, "A mistake made in youth." The driver nodded. "That certainly must have been quite young." The entrance to the barrier was located at a pier by the sea. The carriage halted there, and an inspector stepped forward. Richard prepared the credentials for the three of them along with Karen's admission notice. When handing over the documents, Karen's credentials went first. The inspector glanced at the title, then looked up to confirm Karen's appearance, as though comparing it against an image seen in the newspapers. Once confirmed, without even taking the remaining documents from Richard's hand, he took half a step back: "Praise be to the God of Order. Please enter, my Lord." "Thank you." Karen nodded to him. "Praise Order." The driver glanced back with a hint of bewilderment, not daring to ask further questions, and drove the carriage forward. Beyond the barrier lay an immense basin. The university was situated at the center, and the carriage had to descend along a winding mountain road. Upon entering, Little Kanna's mood suddenly turned gloomy. Karen looked down and asked, "What's the matter?" Little Kanna replied, "This is the skeleton of an ancient dragon." Karen understood. The mountains encircling this basin had formed from the weathered remains of an ancient dragon. To evoke such an emotional resonance from Little Kanna... it was certainly no ordinary dragon. After all, Little Kanna looked down even on Lord Augie. The guest house stood outside the campus grounds, right adjacent to the main gate. Richard presented their identification and completed the check-in. Karen shared a room with Little Kanna. Little Kanna, already downcast from the dragon bones, grew even glummer upon discovering an en-suite bathroom in the room. After pouring himself a glass of water, Karen sat down at the desk and began selecting the courses he wanted to attend tomorrow. Little Kanna took her medicinal pills on her own. Before drowsiness overtook her, she went to bathe. After bathing and changing into fresh clothes, she quietly lay down at the foot of the bed, resting her head on her hands to sleep. Karen checked the time, circled several options on the schedule, took a bath, and before getting into bed, pulled the blanket over Little Kanna. He leaned against the head of the bed, switched on the lamp, and began reading. Due to the time difference, dawn would break before long; Karen didn't plan on sleeping. As dawn approached, Karen felt a faint vibration. Ordinarily, the guest house was shielded by an outer defensive formation, meaning outside sounds wouldn't penetrate unless... the disturbance was immense. The soundly sleeping Little Kanna opened her eyes. Karen reached out and patted her gently; comforted, she closed her eyes and went back to sleep. Karen walked to the window, pushed it open, and looked outside. He happened to catch sight of a massive hole torn in the sky, through which an enormous, pitch-black monster beast resembling a gigantic crab was slowly descending. The crab touched down not far from the school gate, which was even closer to the guest house. From his vantage point, Karen could clearly see the gigantic crab's compound eyes. A group of young people dismounted from the creature, carrying wooden crates filled with plant seedlings. They were likely students from some department returning after an outdoor field experiment. Seeing that it was no longer early, Karen tidied up and went next door to wake Richard. Philomena emerged from her room around the same time and slipped into Karen's room. Richard would accompany Karen to class, while Philomena remained behind to keep Little Kanna company. Not that they feared Little Kanna would be in any danger here; rather, an unsupervised little bone dragon was quite prone to creating danger for others. After a simple breakfast with Richard, the two walked out of the guest house. Outside, the great crab was taking flight again, moving with an odd touch of flustered haste. Back in the bedroom, Philomena noticed Little Kanna sucking her thumb in her sleep, looking as if she were craving a snack. Powerful monster beasts could perceive special connections with one another, though this was merely a minor interlude that drew no one else's attention. The campus was filled with sculptures of various sizes, creating a solemn atmosphere. But as the new day began, more and more students poured out from dormitories and cafeterias heading to class, their youthful vitality re-infusing the environment with vibrant energy. Entering the academic building, they arrived at the lecture hall marked on the schedule. Before walking in, Richard glanced at the syllabus posted on the wall. "'Philosophy of Divine History'?" Because they had arrived early, the tiered lecture hall was still largely empty. Karen and Richard chose seats in a corner of the back row. Richard asked curiously, "Karen, why did you pick this class?" "The name sounds nice." "True enough. It does have a very high-end ring to it." Gradually, more and more students filed in. The difference between this place and a university in the mundane world was that everyone wore clerical robes—not just of Order, but also robes of other churches, likely international or exchange students. Leveraging its supreme status, the Church of Order was very fond of helping other faiths educate "outstanding young talents" so they could return and better build their own churches after receiving a superior education. Upon entering, the students performed a remarkably uniform set of motions: placing their textbooks on the desk, then slumping down to catch up on sleep. Before long, the hall was almost full—or rather, almost full of sleeping bodies, with only a scant few heads still held upright. Evidently, this was a bird course meant for snoozing and padding credits. Finally, the instructor arrived. He was an elderly man with white hair and thick-lensed glasses, carrying a hefty volume of the *Light of Order*. As he entered and saw a room full of sleeping students, he deliberately softened his footsteps, as if terrified of disturbing their rest. Sitting behind the lectern, he licked his finger, turned open the annotated edition of the *Light of Order*, and began speaking in a gentle, hushed voice: "Today, picking up from where we left off, we continue with the *Light of Order: Book of Light*. In our previous lecture, we discussed how the divergence between the God of Order and the God of Light manifested in three main areas..." His voice was clear yet completely unintrusive—the sort of soothing rhythm that practically invited sleep. Even Richard began dozing off. Having accompanied Karen through the night, he hadn't slept much due to the time difference. Initially, he had tried to push through and sit upright like Karen to audit the lecture, but under the soothing cadence of the instructor's voice, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier until he collapsed onto the desk to sleep. The few other students who had initially kept their heads up succumbed to the tide and slumped down as well. Karen felt he had truly seen something new today. The instructor's voice carried a psychic hypnotic effect. As a teacher, he was deliberately putting the students who came to his class to sleep. As he lectured, the instructor adjusted his spectacles and noticed a student in the back corner who had not fallen asleep. Instead, the young man was sitting upright, watching him and listening with rapt attention. He promptly waved at Karen and asked kindly: "Young man, aren't you sleepy?" Karen shook his head. "Young people need plenty of rest. Lack of sleep is bad for physical development. If you want to sleep, just sleep. I never fail anyone in this class." Karen shook his head again. Seeing this, the instructor had no choice but to say, "Then if you want to listen, come sit up here by the lectern. I'll lecture for you, and we won't disturb the sleep quality of the other students." Karen nodded, rose from his seat, and walked up to the lectern. "Young man, why do you look so familiar?" "Do I?" "I can't recall at the moment." "We probably crossed paths somewhere on campus." "Mm, likely so. Come, sit here." "Thank you, Professor." Thus, Karen sat face-to-face with the instructor. What had started as a large lecture in a tiered hall had somehow turned into a private tutoring session. The instructor continued lecturing while turning the pages of his book. In truth, the material he spoke of was not in the text; turning pages seemed to be merely an ingrained habit. About ten minutes later, the instructor stopped and looked at Karen inquisitively. "Young man, I see sweat beading on your forehead. You must be tired. Why not take a rest and have a good sleep?" Saying so, the instructor thoughtfully produced a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from Karen's forehead, chiding gently: "Look at you. If you want to sleep, just sleep; don't force yourself to endure it. For young people, isn't being drowsy perfectly normal?" "Thank you, Professor, but I'm reaching my limit." "See? Why resist the drowsiness?" "It's not drowsiness, Professor. If you keep using psychic hypnosis on me, I won't be able to hold back from launching a counterattack." The instructor blinked. "Er..." He checked his watch and said, "My little granddaughter should be waking up right about now. I need to head back to the faculty dorm to cook for her." "You may go, Professor. It's fine." "No, that won't do. I cannot violate my professional ethics as an educator." "You truly are a responsible, wonderful teacher." The instructor pulled a set of dentures from his pocket and set them on the lectern. The teeth began clacking, and the instructor's lecturing voice echoed from within. "How about this? Walk back to the dorm with me, and we'll lecture as we go." "That works too?" "Of course. As long as you're willing to listen, I am obligated to teach." The instructor rose and gestured for Karen to follow. Karen truly hadn't expected his very first class to unfold like this. After a momentary hesitation, he followed. The two walked out of the academic building and made their way toward the faculty apartments. Along the path, the instructor indeed lectured as they walked. He was undeniably brilliant; the insights he shared were nowhere to be found in the *Light of Order*. In particular, his interpretation of the divergence between the God of Order and the God of Light took a distinctly unorthodox angle. "Matters concerning the church in this era belong to the church, but what transpired between gods belongs to the previous era. Many historians believe that with the disappearance of the God of Light, our God of Order was the greatest beneficiary. But I disagree. I believe our God of Order was the deity who least wanted to see the God of Light vanish—even though the God of Order had already broken away from the Light faction by then, and had even gradually formed an opposition. Furthermore, the series of seemingly maddening actions undertaken by the God of Order near the end of the previous era... Naturally, to you young folks, they seem thrilling and heroic; after all, our God truly displayed the posture of an unmatched overlord, haha. Yet I believe that series of actions also reflected a particular state of mind." The instructor inserted his key into the door lock, but didn't turn it for a long while. Instead, he took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, and asked, "What do you think it was?" Karen replied, "Loneliness." He had seen it "with his own eyes": the God of Order holding the Sword of Chaos, the severed head of the God of Light impaled upon its tip, descending Mount Anraminde step by step. It wasn't the clamor of a victor, nor the boastful triumph of a champion, nor anticipation for an era of his own following the fall of Light... At the time, Karen hadn't known how to describe that feeling. Under the instructor's setup and framing, he finally understood. At that moment, the God of Order felt an overwhelming loneliness. The instructor's hand trembled slightly. He stared at Karen in disbelief. Then, without turning the key, he pulled it from the lock, turned around, and headed back down the stairs. "Professor, aren't you going inside?" "Come on. We're going back to the classroom to have a proper lecture." "What about your little granddaughter?" "She's thirty. She won't starve to death."