Leaving Home, Returning Home!

The sea wind, laden with briny dampness and wrapped in coal soot billowing from the passenger liner, felt like burnt spring roll wrappers pasting themselves over one's face layer by layer. Down on the first deck, the blare of booming dance music smothered the temper of the waves, yet succeeded in driving those who preferred peace and quiet to irritation. On the second deck below, men and women were mingling and flirting. Standing above them, one could catch their starkly different accents, though that hardly stopped the men's hands from wandering, nor did it keep the women from feigning modesty while playing hard to get. Even if they had been strolling the deck with their own husbands or wives just moments before, it in no way prevented them from discovering fleeting true love right now. Karen even noticed an exchange of knowing looks between two couples standing to the north and south on the second deck below him. Now that was true marital equality—everyone had someone to play with, and everyone was playing. Turning around, he leaned his back against the railing. Karen looked at the seabird perched on the rail before him. It had pale blue feathers and a haughty neck, positioned right where Karen was looking toward the setting sun, creating a picture of oil-painting-like beauty. And then— "Woof!" The golden retriever pounced forward, startling the bird into flight. "Sigh." Karen sighed and closed his eyes. The retriever squatted before Karen, tilting its head and looking at its master in confusion. Not far away, Purr, sprawled over a lifebuoy hanging on the wall, let out a sigh. "Even with a higher IQ, a dog still can't appreciate art." Just then, another seabird landed in front of Purr. "Meow!" Purr pounced, batting away several of its feathers with a swipe of her paw and scaring the bird into a frantic retreat. The old maidservant walked over—the same one Alfred had taught a lesson to in Eunice's courtyard. Eunice addressed her as Ms. Daly. "Young Master, Madam invites you to dinner." "Understood." Ms. Daly's attitude toward Karen had improved considerably since boarding the ship, but Karen had no desire to show her much warmth. The entire third floor was divided into two halls, and Madam Jenny had chartered one of them. Karen entered the room. Madam Jenny was seated by the dining table, while Eunice came over of her own accord to take Karen's coat and hang it up. It was cold outside, but the cabin felt somewhat stuffy. Ever since coming aboard, Eunice had naturally taken up tending to Karen's daily needs—essentially doing everything a wife would do for her husband, aside from sharing a bed. In truth, she had no need to act this way. After all, the ship was currently heading toward her home. Between a man and a woman, whoever was heading to their own home turf usually had more confidence and leverage. She could well afford to be more casual, even indifferent to formalities. That was a completely natural shift in human emotion, yet she did not do so. Furthermore, Karen had already told Madam Jenny about Diss falling into a deep sleep before boarding the ship. Not only that, but Karen had also revealed the consequences and cost of awakening Diss. He had laid it all out without hiding a thing. This wasn't because Karen lacked wits; he had done it deliberately. Certain things likely couldn't be kept secret anyway. Though the Allen family had fallen on hard times, they were still no ordinary lineage. They might not be capable of accomplishing much anymore, but gathering information was well within their reach. Rather than putting up a pretense and trying to keep up appearances, it was better to make everything clear from the start. The other reason was that if the Allen family chose to look down on and neglect him simply because Diss's slumber meant the Inmerlais family had shifted from a heritage family of the Church of Order to a family of ordinary people... Then by all means, let them show it early and spare everyone the runaround. He had the funds his uncle and aunt had given him to secure his footing, along with the mortgage documents for purchasing a house. On top of that, he had Alfred—a self-provisioning servant who not only demanded no wages but even offered money to his boss. Without the Allen family, it wasn't as if he couldn't survive. He could just buy a small apartment in York City and start over step by step. Yet from the look of things, Eunice's attitude toward him hadn't changed in the slightest despite the upheaval in his household. If anything, she looked after him with even greater attentiveness than before. As for Madam Jenny... She had indeed changed a bit, but it wasn't as though she had suddenly tilted her chin up at him. Rather, the humility and deferential respect she had once shown him had been shed upon learning of Diss's slumber, replaced by a more natural warmth of an elder toward a junior. Karen felt he might be a little perverse, because he actually felt a touch of disappointment over this. Perhaps it was because the Inmerlais family had made him feel so genuinely at home that he wasn't keen on attempting to integrate into the Allen family. If you had acted like snobs sooner, I could have packed my bags and run sooner. Now, with everyone maintaining this harmonious atmosphere, he really would have to report to the Allen family. "Come, try this sliced fish. The sailors caught it fresh this morning," Madam Jenny said, gesturing for Karen to dine. Karen ate a slice and smiled, nodding. "Very fresh and delicious." In truth, he didn't care for raw fish. "Care to join me for some red wine?" Madam Jenny asked. "Certainly, Madam." Eunice stood up and poured wine for her mother and Karen. "Wien's cuisine is truly awful, but Wien's wine has always been famous. That is likely because Wien's royal history has seen kings fond of fine wine and fine clothes, but never a king fond of good food." "As long as the food is clean, habit matters most," Karen replied gently. "I am Ruilanese; there is no need to disguise anything before me. Once you truly arrive in Wien, trust me, you will feel the Wienese and their ancestors have spent generations indulging in swill." "Haha." "Come, a toast to our success tonight." "Our success tonight?" Karen asked in confusion. "Oh?" Madam Jenny covered her mouth and chuckled softly. "Hehehe, forgive me, forgive me. Did I forget to mention it to you?" "Yes." "Then let me tell you now: tonight, we must switch ships." "Switch ships?" "Yes, because this ship will sink tonight, and someone will come to pick us up." "To wash our identities?" Karen asked. "'Wash' is an exceptionally precise word. Yes, that is the exact purpose. Eunice's identity and mine were fake to begin with, but yours was real. You boarded the ship truly as Karen. "Therefore, by staging an accident and a shipwreck, we can use the mishap to ensure that Karen from Ruilan vanishes at sea. As for returning to Wien, you won't even need to change your name. "Wien isn't exceptionally large, but it has an immense population." "However..." "Oh, there is no need to worry about harming the innocent. The ship will only breach a small hole, and tonight it will cruise near Sedes Island, where the Wien Royal Navy has a military port. Rescue will arrive very quickly. "Naturally, a few unlucky souls might get bumped and bruised, but those are minor matters, are they not?" "You are quite right, Madam, but I wasn't worried about harming the innocent. I was worried that I have quite a bit of luggage—especially a great number of books. I would rather not lose them or have them soaked." "Oh, is that all?" Madam Jenny took a sip of red wine. "No rush. After dinner, you will have plenty of time to pack your luggage. Aselos is an exceptional sailor; he will look after our belongings. I brought along quite a few dried specialty goods from Rojia this time as well, and they cannot touch water either." "Aselos?" Eunice asked in surprise. "Is that the painting hanging in Father's study?" "Yes. You will see him tonight," Madam Jenny explained to Eunice with a smile. "The truth is, Eunice has always been well protected by us. She knows of many things, but she has never truly encountered them." "In truth, I am the same," Karen replied. Most of his knowledge had also come from the religious texts in his grandfather's study. "Do you need Eunice to help you pack?" Madam Jenny asked. "No need, Madam. I can manage it myself." "Then I shall have Daly assist you." "That won't be necessary either." "Very well. An hour beforehand, I will have Eunice call you here, and we will board together." "Understood, Madam. Thank you for your careful arrangements." "There is no need to be so polite with me." A faint smile touched the corner of Madam Jenny's lips. "Sometimes I find myself wondering how the members of the Inmerlais family manage to possess such fine manners." "Because... most people in the Inmerlais family are truly no different from ordinary folk." "Including you?" "Yes, including me." "Very well." Madam Jenny pursed her lips. "My dear ordinary Karen." *Yet I truly am just an ordinary person—at least compared to the servant, the cat, and the dog by my side.* Karen rose from the dining table. Eunice also stood up, walking over to the door to help him put on his coat. "Madam, I shall return to pack my things now." "Mm." Leaving the room, Karen passed the railing and saw Alfred seated below, playing the piano. Around him gathered quite a few ladies and young misses—and, indeed, several gentlemen. Purr, striding along the railing as she followed Karen toward their cabin, remarked, "That radio goblin is as flamboyant as ever." "Mm," Karen acknowledged. "You know, Karen, every day when I watch you go to Jenny's room for dinner, I hold my breath in suspense." "Why?" "I'm terrified Jenny will give you the cold shoulder, and terrified Eunice will treat you with less regard than before." "You certainly worry about curious things." "I've always believed the people of my family nowadays are remarkably foolish. How else could you explain why the family declined into such a state? Isn't it completely natural for foolish people from a foolish family to do foolish things? "For instance, because of Diss's slumber and the Inmerlais family losing its value, they might neglect you, look down on you, or—taking it a step further—deliberately push you until your pride can't take it and you break off the engagement yourself, sparing them the trouble of playing the villain." Karen stopped in his tracks and glanced at Purr. Purr looked back at him. Then Karen continued walking toward his room. Purr froze in place. After a few seconds, she scurried to catch up and hissed, "Damn it, Karen, were you thinking the exact same thing?! "Is that why you deliberately told them about Diss and the Inmerlais family? "Deep down, you wanted them to neglect you, look down on you, give you the cold shoulder, and put you on the spot! "And then, "You could bid farewell to the Allen family with a clean conscience! "Most importantly, parting ways with Eunice wouldn't be your fault, because you would have a justified reason. You could seize the moral high ground and spare your conscience any lashes!" "I have no idea what you're talking about." Karen took out his key, unlocked his door, and walked inside. Purr followed right on his heels, continuing her tirade: "It's textbook passive-aggression! Deliberately refusing to give a girl a way out, deliberately creating opportunities for her to lose her temper, deliberately making her the one to say 'let's break up'! "Then you immediately seize the chance to agree, top it off with 'she brought it up first,' and wash your hands of all moral guilt, don't you?! "You men have such filthy hearts!" While tidying the books on the small desk, Karen asked in bewilderment, "What on earth are you babbling about? I don't understand, and the fact is, I've simply been behaving as myself all along." "Setting the facts aside, did you truly never think that way, even for a moment?" "No." "Liar, that's exactly what you thought!" Purr leaped onto the desk. "My dear Young Master Karen, have you already begun to look down on the Allen family?" "No." "You do! You treat the Allen family as a burden! You just want to walk away free and unburdened!" Karen paused his sorting and looked at Purr, asking curiously, "As I recall, you didn't want me returning to the Allen family with you in the first place, because you were worried I was an evil god who would bring ruin upon them." "But you're not an evil god! Right now, the evil god is a dog!" "Woof!" "Scram, meow! Nobody asked you!" Purr snapped at the golden retriever. The retriever clearly still feared Purr. It immediately shut its mouth and lay down by the door. After all, from the moment it had arrived in this household, it had submitted under Purr's gaze. Even though it had grown considerably smarter, the psychological shadow remained indelible. "I was only heeding your words," Karen said. Purr reached out a paw and gently scratched the back of Karen's hand. "Yet I recall that at the very beginning, I told you to carry Eunice straight into the bedroom and have her bear you a swarm of descendants." "She is your junior, after all." "The situation is different now." "Different again?" "Yes. First of all, you're not an evil god anymore—though... I don't know what you are, either. "In any case, things beyond my comprehension don't give me much of a sense of crisis anymore. "What I do know is that Diss used a blood sacrifice ritual to forcefully sever the spirituality of future Inmerlais descendants." "And then?" "And then your spirituality wasn't severed! Now that Diss is asleep, it's very likely that all the things meant to pass down will fall upon you!" "You certainly have quite an imagination." "I have theoretical backing! The Church of Principles once conducted research on this!" "The Church of Principles even researches that?" "Yes, they even help royal families design mausoleums." "I thought the Church of Principles only studied theory or the nature of things." "That's what people like Hoffen enjoy doing. As many religions develop over time, they go astray. Especially in this era, with the gods absent, no one can truly steer them back on course, so they can only be left to drift." "Fair enough. By the way, Purr, what kind of thing is Aselos?" The reason he asked 'what kind of thing' was that Karen had keenly gathered from Madam Jenny's words that Aselos did not seem to be human. "Aselos?" Purr froze. "What is it?" "Aselos... is it still alive?" Purr's tone suddenly grew much heavier. "Jenny told you that?" "Yes. She said Aselos would come tonight to pick us up so we could switch ships. You haven't answered me: what is Aselos?" "A sea monster. A sea monster as large as a whale." "A sea monster, and as large as a whale?" Karen was somewhat surprised. "Historically, the Allen family was a pirate family of renown. They only came ashore to settle down later on, so it's perfectly normal for them to have left behind some companions and ties upon the sea." "Which means the current Allen family can still summon this sea monster?" "Yes, what of it?" "Didn't you say the Allen family had fallen on hard times?" "That's only relative to what the Allen family was back then! The Allen family is still no ordinary lineage. Besides, is summoning a sea monster to help out so strange?" "I find it quite strange. Yes, it rather surprises me." "Your grandfather could condense three godhead fragments! Oh, I see—Diss's low profile must have given you the wrong impression about the status an Inmerlais family backed by Diss held in church circles. "That day, Diss resolved the issue through negotiation. If he had truly fought those three elders of the Church of Order, more than half of Rojia City could have easily been turned to rubble—and that's assuming neither side used a heavily polluting forbidden curse. "If Diss were still active, or if he had entered the Temple of Order, you, Karen, would be a genuine little crown prince." "A little crown prince? Ha, what a bizarre title." "Blame Diss for never showing you the wider world, leaving you feeling like a bumpkin coming to town." "That's fine too. Learning and exploring this world step by step has the joy of charting new territory that you could never imagine." "What territory are we charting? Are we going to Wien to buy a farm and till the fields?" Alfred entered, carrying bags. "My savings should barely cover it." ... When Eunice came knocking that evening, Purr was perched on Karen's shoulder, the golden retriever was on a leash in his hand, and Alfred had the luggage and books strapped to his back. They all stood waiting outside Madam Jenny's room. Madam Jenny and her companions had also packed their belongings and were standing on the third-floor deck. Checking her pocket watch, Madam Jenny said, "He's here." Ahead of the liner, a patch of gray mist abruptly rolled in, causing visibility to plummet in an instant. At the same time, the shudder of an impact vibrated up from the ship's keel. Having prepared themselves well in advance, the group on the third deck did not lose their footing. Right after, Amid the thick fog, A massive black silhouette slowly surfaced. It truly resembled a whale, yet its hide was clad in distinct scales. "We trouble you, great Aselos." Madam Jenny bowed toward the immense figure. Aselos opened its mouth and extended its tongue, laying it across like a ramp. "Everyone, aboard," Madam Jenny said. She was the first to step onto the tongue. Eunice glanced back at Karen, who smiled and gestured for her to go ahead. Once Eunice stepped up, Ms. Daly followed, carrying the luggage of the madam and young miss. "Radio goblin, up you go!" Purr commanded from Karen's shoulder. Alfred carried the luggage up. "Stupid dog, get up there!" Karen released the leash, and the golden retriever bounded up with great excitement. One by one, they walked along the tongue into Aselos's mouth. Just as Karen prepared to step up as well, Purr suddenly leaped onto the railing and spoke: "You are not Aselos." At that moment, A cat stood on the railing, facing a sea monster larger than the liner itself. Upon hearing those words, Aselos's massive eyes shifted downward. Before this, it had not once looked directly at the people it had come to fetch. "I am Aselos," a slow, rumbling voice resonated. "No, you are not. Aselos could never fail to recognize me," Purr said, lifting her cat head high. "Purr Allen!" Aselos fell silent. A moment later, Its voice rumbled once more: "Perhaps... the one you speak of was my father." "Your father... where is he now?" Purr asked. "Father has returned to the embrace of the deep-sea underworld." "Aselos... is dead, then." Purr lowered her head, murmuring in profound sorrow, "Of course. After so many years, how could Aselos have lived until now?" "My father told me many tales of the past, including one of the Allen family's most noble young miss. "Father said the time spent roaming the oceans alongside that young miss was the happiest and proudest period of his life. "Father said that when the noble young miss left home to go ashore, she said she would summon him after a time to carry her home. "Father waited for a very, very long time, but never received the young miss's summons." "I'm sorry... Aselos," Purr murmured softly. "Before plunging into the deep-sea underworld, Father instructed me to continue waiting in his stead. He said the young miss would eventually tire of wandering out there, and on that day, she would come home. "Therefore... "Are you the noble Miss Purr Allen?" "Yes. My name is Purr Allen. Thank you for coming to fetch me." "I wish to carry you home in the manner my father once described to me—the way he and that noble young miss loved best. Would that be acceptable?" ... As the first light of dawn broke, A colossal sea monster swam across the ocean, most of its bulk submerged beneath the surface, leaving only half its head above the water. Karen stood there, cradling Purr in his arms. "*Wuuu—*" Plumes of water jetted from the gills on either side of Aselos, catching the morning rays to weave an interplay of rosy glow—a breathtakingly beautiful sight. That was once the noble young miss's favorite spectacle, and the game she and his father had loved most while roaming the vast seas. Karen looked down at Purr nestled in his embrace. Curled against his chest, she felt exceedingly soft—or rather, frail. This was the first time Karen had ever seen Purr look so vulnerable. Purr lifted her head, looked at Karen, and said, "Karen, I'm home."