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The doctor had just left. Aunt Winnie lay on her side across Grandfather's bed, gently wiping his forehead with a warm towel. "Karen, come outside with me for a moment," Uncle Mason said. Karen stood up and stepped out of the bedroom with Uncle Mason. Right after, Uncle Mason opened the door to Karen's bedroom and gestured for him to follow inside. Uncle and nephew sat facing each other. Mason sat on the bed, while Karen pulled out the chair from behind his desk and sat opposite him. "None of us expected something like this to happen to your grandfather." Karen nodded. In truth, he had anticipated it, and this outcome was far better than the worst-case scenario he had feared. Grandfather had kept his promise; he had returned. He had even said that he could be awakened. Yet the price of that awakening... Karen felt that waking Grandfather now would be just like performing "Awakening" on an ordinary corpse. Once the last trace of spirituality remaining inside their bodies was exhausted, they would truly become a corpse—a corpse in the purest sense. Was this sorrowful? No. By comparison, it was actually a pleasant surprise. Grandfather still retained the ability to awaken; he was not dead, nor had he departed forever. Therefore, Karen adjusted his mindset not to feel sad, doing his utmost to keep his heart filled with positive hope. Grandfather had already done everything he could; the road ahead was up to him to walk on his own. And what lay at the end of that road? Before, he might have been somewhat lost, caring more to see the scenery along the way with a casual detachment. Now, a clear goal stood ahead of him: the young crow returning to feed its parent. Diss had said that if Karen suffered an unbearable grievance out there in the world, he should return to wake him; Yet what Karen thought was that when he woke Diss, it would be to ask what he wanted for dinner. "Karen?" Uncle Mason noticed Karen seemed a bit distracted. "Mm. Uncle, go on." "Sigh, your grandfather is in this state now. The doctor said it's an illness common among the elderly. He might wake up in a month or two, or he might never wake up at all, lying in bed forever." "Mm." "So, why don't you skip going to Wien? Stay here. With me, your aunt, and your Aunt Winnie, we can run the funeral parlor well together, all right?" Karen fell silent. "What? You still want to go to Wien?" "Yes, Uncle." Karen looked directly into Uncle Mason's eyes. "I can't understand, Karen. Truly." "Uncle, this was Grandfather's previous arrangement." Karen had no choice but to bring up Grandfather again. If he stayed on Mink Street, all he could probably do was look after Grandfather in bed every day, sitting by Diss's bed for a while and talking to himself. But if he did that, Grandfather would never have another chance to wake up. *Smack!* Uncle Mason clapped his hands together, gritted his teeth, opened his arms, and with tears brimming in his eyes, said: "I finally understand what my elder brother felt back then when he saw the choice Winnie and I made." "Uncle, I know that my insisting on going right now..." "No, no, no, you misunderstand, Karen." Uncle Mason wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and broke into a smile. "Unburden your heart. As for family affairs, Aunt Winnie and I are here, and Grandfather will always have someone looking after him attentively—you can rest assured of that. Go to Wien. Don't carry any mental burden, truly—unless you don't trust your uncle, your aunt, and your Aunt Winnie." Uncle Mason thumped his chest, stood up, walked over to Karen, bent down, and placed both hands on Karen's shoulders: "Home is a place that will forever care for you, yet will never wish to become your burden." ... "Second Brother, isn't what we did kind of bad?" "Yeah. Bad for Eldest Brother." On the steps, Winnie and Mason, still young, sat side by side. "I feel we're really letting Eldest Brother down," Winnie said. "Eldest Brother didn't even get a chance to choose. Why don't we do it over? Go back to Father's room, and this time let Eldest Brother choose first?" "It's meaningless. We've already chosen. Even if Eldest Brother chose first, he'd still choose to stay behind and run the funeral parlor." "Are we... being too selfish?" "Hey, Mason, Winnie, what are you two whispering about out here?" A clear, cheerful voice came from behind Mason and Winnie. Immediately afterward, two arms reached down, resting on Mason's and Winnie's shoulders respectively. Mason and Winnie turned to look at the middle, at that face always bearing a gentle smile. "Don't carry any burden. Since you've decided to go out into the world, let go of everything and go see the wonderful things out there. At home, you have your big brother. "Home is a place that will forever care for you, yet will never wish to become your burden." ... Mink Street, the church. Repairs were already underway, mainly focused on the trench forcibly ripped open down the middle. Rasma had combed his hair and trimmed his beard. Today, he wore a priest's robe, looking far more solemn and dignified—no longer draped in that battered old leather jacket that made him look like someone who had either just come from a pastry shop or was on his way to one, anything but a respectable old man. Of course, had he not been sitting on a pew with his legs crossed, clipping his fingernails, the image would have been even better. In front of Rasma stood Simon, a squad leader of the Whip of Order. "Has the evacuation of personnel been arranged?" Rasma asked. "Reporting to the High Priest, it has been arranged. They have already withdrawn from Rojia City." "Mm." "However, I still suggest setting up a dedicated contact and observation post on Mink Street so that—" "Don't be stupid." "Yes, sir." "Diss's home is something Diss will watch over himself, even if he's slumbering right now. So if you send a team to monitor his house and family right next door, can you guarantee he won't notice? He made it very clear that he hopes his family can stay forever out of the church's whirlpool, and the three Temple Elders have agreed to it. Simon, never try to be clever, because in the eyes of truly clever people, it just looks foolish." "Yes, Lord High Priest, I understand." "In the name of the High Priest, I order the Whip of Order not to turn its eyes toward Mink Street again." "Yes, my Lord." Rasma nodded and went back to watching the workers up ahead. Simon couldn't resist asking, "Lord High Priest, your attire..." "Diss is asleep. I intend to take his place as priest here for a while." "Then..." "Matters at headquarters don't actually require much of my attention, and I won't stay too long anyway. Elder Geller has already agreed, and hopes that during my days as a priest in this church, I might seek a new breakthrough. Diss managed to condense three godhead fragments here. I don't ask for much—just one would do. Perhaps something Diss left behind in this place can help me." "With you here, Lord High Priest, everything here will remain stable." "So you can pull back those dog paws of yours," Rasma said, blowing on the fingernails he had just filed. "Lest an accident happen and I trim them down to the quick." "Understood." Simon left. Watching his departing back, a shadow of gloom surfaced in Rasma's eyes. He actually disliked these plays of "vying for power and profit," yet within the church, such drama was indispensable. Take the Whip of Order, for instance: it was actually independent of the regular church hierarchy, and its direct head had always been a senior elder within the Temple—exactly who, Rasma didn't even know. In addition, there were many factions formed out of interests or differing interpretations of doctrine within the church, not to mention hereditary families of the Church of Order linked by bloodlines; the ancestors of some factions and families were currently in the Temple of Order as well. This made serving as High Priest rather unrewarding. Authority could hardly be enforced; much of the time, one was forced to be nothing more than an ornate vase placed upon the mantle. Rasma lowered his head and continued trimming his nails. At that moment, a nearby worker leaning on a shovel wiped away his sweat and, mistaking Rasma for an ordinary priest, asked with a smile: "Father, I've always had a thought. In my everyday life, I've never liked socializing, nor do I like dealing with troublesome affairs. I want to find a quiet place where my heart can find peace. So, can I join the church? Or rather, can I find peace in the church?" Without looking up, Rasma replied: "The more you try to escape something, the more you'll find yourself forced to face it once you enter the church." Saying that, Rasma chuckled and added: "If a fish already feels constrained in a creek, could jumping into an even smaller fishbowl set it free?" ... "You're going with him," Mr. Hoffen said, pointing at Alfred. Alfred nodded. "And you? You're not planning to go along?" Mr. Hoffen asked Ms. Molly. Ms. Molly nodded. "I'm not planning to go. I want to stay behind to watch over the house for Young Master." "A clever choice," Mr. Hoffen remarked. "Watching the house isn't just easy; when merits are tallied in the future, you won't be left out." "Actually, I didn't think that much of it," Ms. Molly explained. "I just felt that now that Master Diss is bedridden, Young Master certainly won't feel at ease leaving home for Wien. That's why I intend to stay." "Mm." Mr. Hoffen nodded. "You're practical. As for him..." Mr. Hoffen pointed at Alfred. "As for him, he has rather too many ideas." "You're right," Alfred said. "I have all sorts of grand visions for Young Master's future, so I want to stay by his side to witness it all." In Oak Cemetery, Alfred had witnessed firsthand Diss's terrifying might; yet at the same time, he had also witnessed the power of Mr. Hoffen's "knowledge." An array to seal an evil god—he had prepared it in merely fifteen minutes, even though only an hour earlier he had just crawled out of his grave. "I gave Karen a set of basic formation arrays. You can study them alongside him. You have the Succubus Eye, so you should learn and memorize things quickly. Talent isn't meant for showing off. If talent cannot be channeled toward continuous self-improvement, it is simply a waste." "Yes, I will keep your words in mind. I will improve myself as much as possible so that I may assist Young Master in more areas." "Mm." Mr. Hoffen glanced at the clock on the wall, exhaled slowly, and said: "I really want to see Diss one more time." "You can go right now," Alfred said. "I've checked; the area around the house is clean." "I'm not worried about that. I want Diss to remain in my memory as confident and steady as ever. I don't want to see him lying in bed." "Master Diss is indeed a figure worthy of immense respect," Alfred said. Just then, the sound of an engine came from outside. A hearse stopped at the entrance of 128 Mink Street, and Karen walked in, pushing a gurney. Clicking in her high heels, Ms. Molly hurried downstairs and opened the door. Today she wore black stockings and red high heels. She remembered that last time the young master had not seemed particularly fond of her ordinary shoes, so she harbored the thought of leaving a deeper impression on him before he left Rojia City. Yet Karen merely smiled at her without glancing at her feet, handed over the gurney, and walked straight into the living room. Seeing Karen arrive, Mr. Hoffen braced his hands on the armrests and stood up. "Diss has gone to sleep; it's time for me to be cremated." "It's still early. Won't you sit for a little longer?" Karen asked with a smile. "No more sitting. I can clearly feel my mind isn't as sharp anymore. If I delay any longer, I'll probably make a fool of myself." "All right, Grandfather." Alfred and Ms. Molly lowered the four wheels of the gurney, and Karen helped Mr. Hoffen lie down upon it. Then, with Alfred's help, Karen loaded Mr. Hoffen's gurney into the hearse. Before getting in, Karen deliberately turned to Ms. Molly and asked, "You're staying?" "Yes, Young Master. Someone needs to look after the house. I will continue caring for it as Madame Mary's assistant on your behalf. Besides, Mr. Hoffen gave me a way to piggyback on the Church of Principles' letter-dispatch system; once you arrive in Wien, you can use this method to write letters home." "All right. Thank you for your hard work." Karen hesitated, then paused before Ms. Molly. "Thank you, Ms. Molly." "You are too kind, Young Master. It's only what I should do." "Young Master, do you need me to ride along?" Alfred asked. "No need." "Understood, Young Master." Karen climbed into the driver's seat and started the hearse. The car drove out of Mink Street toward what used to be Hughes Crematorium, now Inmerlais Crematorium managed by Paul. Lying on the gurney, Mr. Hoffen asked with a chuckle: "How is Diss?" "Grandfather is sleeping very soundly." "Don't worry about things at home. Even in his slumber, one of Diss's eyes will always be watching over his family." "I know. I trust Grandfather." "Mm. Once you get to Wien, see if you like it. Luckily, you know how to cook; the food in Wien is truly dreadful." "So I've heard." "If life there feels steady, you could actually consider living as an ordinary person. I believe that was Diss's true wish." "I know, but I want to be able to come back and wake Grandfather one day." "Heh, fair enough." "Is there any way for you to do what Grandfather did, Grandpa Hoffen...?" "No way. Diss and I aren't the same. I'm actually much closer to an ordinary man, just with a bit more knowledge. You don't need to fret over me, either. I've lived a splendid life—dying twice, experiencing both earth burial and cremation. It's already more than worth it compared to most people's lives." "Mm." The hearse pulled up before the entrance of Inmerlais Crematorium. "Grandfather, do you want to head inside now, or lie here a while longer?" "Lie here a little longer. There are a few words I've been debating whether to tell you. By the time we reached the crematorium, I figured it out: say what needs to be said. After all, I'm someone who's died twice and is about to turn to ash anyway." "All right." Karen came over to Mr. Hoffen's gurney. "Karen, you've read that book, *Light of Order*, haven't you?" "Yes, I've read it several times." The first time, thinking it was MLM promotional material, he had skimmed through it cursorily. Once he learned it was a popular science reference work, Karen had spent the past few months flipping through it almost every night before bed. "Then tell me, what story in *Light of Order* left the deepest impression on you? I mean the mythological overview section." "The mythological overview... what comes fresh to mind..." Karen thought for a moment and gave his answer: "One is the God of Order giving his daughter Ankara three purple bookmarks. The other is the God of Order throwing his daughter into the jaws of a ferocious beast as punishment for her mistake, which is said to be the origin of the 'Light of Order.'" "Mm." Mr. Hoffen suddenly reached out and seized Karen's wrist. Of his five fingers, the thumb and index finger were already unusable, but the middle, ring, and pinky fingers hooked tightly around him. "Did Diss ever give you bookmarks?" "He did." "How many?" "Two. One is still with me; I haven't written a name on it, keeping it as a keepsake. The other was given to Miss Eunice's mother." "Actually, there's a third." "A third?" "Yes. The third bookmark is Diss himself, currently lying on his bed at home. It is precisely because this third bookmark exists that the Church of Order will not disrupt the Inmerlais family, and the Inmerlais family can live a tranquil life like ordinary people." "Yes, you make a great deal of sense." "I heard from Diss that you once compared that ferocious beast to the black cat in your house?" "Yes." "You believed the God of Order was hypocritical—that he didn't actually punish Ankara. Since that beast might have been a pet, it could have taken Ankara in its mouth and run off to hide somewhere else; thus, the Light of Order was a hypocritical light." "Yes." "Just like your Purr is about to take you off to Wien..." The expression on Karen's face suddenly froze. "Cough, cough, cough..." Mr. Hoffen began coughing violently, yet he forced himself to hold it back and said: "Karen, haven't you noticed? "Those two things the God of Order did for Ankara... "In truth, "Diss did them all for you as well."