Karen came down the stairs, quietly taking his place beside Eunice's two brothers as he buttoned his cuffs. One was named Chad and the other Yal;
simply put, neither looked particularly bright.
Moreover, neither brother was listed among the first-tier names of the eighteen-member family faith system.
Considering that their father, Patriarch Bede, had also failed to awaken the progenitor's bloodline,
Karen could not help wondering whether Old Anderson had somehow been cuckolded.
Otherwise, it was hard to explain how Wood, Mike, and Old Anderson himself were all Tier Three, yet the youngest son's entire household had come up completely blank.
Well, there still remained Eunice, who had never undergone an awakening test.
Chad and Yal respectfully stepped aside to make room for him. Karen raised a finger to his lips, gesturing for his prospective brothers-in-law to keep quiet.
Old Anderson sat nearby while Mr. Bede conversed with the Queen's special envoy. Since they had not introduced Karen yet clearly wanted him downstairs, they obviously intended for him to listen in.
"Her Majesty's intent is as follows: tomorrow's royal outing will take place not far from Allen Manor. Having heard that Madam Jenny and Miss Eunice have returned from visiting family, Her Majesty misses them dearly and wishes to see them.
Furthermore, Prince Henry misses Miss Eunice very much as well."
Hearing that, Karen frowned slightly.
"I am terribly sorry, but Eunice caught a chill upon her return and has yet to recover. She will not be able to attend Her Majesty's audience tomorrow. However, Jenny and Lisa will go in person to attend Her Majesty."
The envoy looked surprised, but still said,
"Yet Her Majesty has meticulously prepared a gift for Miss Eunice."
"Then we can only ask Jenny to thank Her Majesty for her generosity on her daughter's behalf."
"Is it truly out of the question? I mean, if Miss Eunice is not so severely ill..."
"Very severe. She truly cannot step outdoors, nor can she catch any draft. Eunice's illness is a minor matter, but in this season, if she were to pass it to Her Majesty, that would be a colossal crime for the Allen family.
Please convey to Her Majesty that once Eunice recovers, I will have her personally request an audience at the palace to thank Her Majesty for her gracious concern."
"Then... very well. But when the Queen's retinue departs on tomorrow's outing..."
"The Allen family will see to every need of the royal party. Everything will be thoroughly arranged before Her Majesty arrives."
"Very good."
The envoy rose and took his leave.
In truth, everyone in the Allen family parlor knew that Miss Eunice went horseback riding with Young Master Karen almost every evening, but no one was foolish enough to let anything slip before the envoy.
Old Anderson leaned on his cane and came straight to Karen's side, while Mr. Bede stood on the other.
"In truth, Eunice has no relationship with Prince Henry. We never made any promises to the royal family, and there is certainly no betrothal between them."
"Yes, when Eunice accompanied her mother to Ruilan, she was bound by no engagement, nor by any other ties."
"As you know, how could we dare deceive your grandfather? If she truly had any entanglements, she would have confessed immediately upon learning of that purple bookmark."
"Indeed, we are completely open with you. Young Master, please also believe in Eunice's sincerity toward you."
Karen smiled faintly. "I believe Eunice."
Hearing those words, Old Anderson and Bede let out long sighs of relief almost simultaneously; in that moment, they looked remarkably like father and son.
"So, does the Wien royal family enjoy a particularly transcendent standing?" Karen asked.
"In secular matters, it is no longer so transcendent. Royal authority has been curtailed," Bede answered.
"On a religious level, all factions have tacitly agreed to let the Gloria family retain the throne, serving as the nominal common sovereign of the Wien Empire, its vassals, and its colonies."
"All right, I understand." Karen nodded.
"Please rest assured, matters of this sort will not become a trouble to you," Old Anderson promised.
"I believe you, Mr. Anderson."
Without further exchange, Karen turned back up the stairs and returned to the third floor.
Instead of entering the study, however, he went into his master bedroom.
Inside, the golden retriever lay sprawled across the sofa.
Purr sat on the windowsill, dipping a cat paw in ink and sketching something.
"What are you drawing?" Karen approached and asked.
"A way to resolve that little Mike's physical condition. You wouldn't understand it right now, though you'll be able to make sense of it once your purification ceremony is complete.
Mike's talent is actually decent, even without his legs...
To tell the truth, our Allen family's faith system abilities have little to do with whether one's limbs are intact, unlike those family faith legacies that strictly require petrification or beast transformation.
Otherwise, back in my day, how could I have enjoyed turning into a cat and running all over the place?"
"I have yet to see your family's abilities," Karen remarked.
"Then call that little Anderson fellow over to put on a show for you."
"The Queen's special envoy just came."
"Oh." Purr seemed thoroughly indifferent.
"A certain Prince Henry appears quite interested in Eunice."
"Oh, heavens, what utterly melodramatic nonsense. But unless Anderson ate an entire cart of canned herring last night, I'm sure he can handle it properly."
"That is what he said."
"Mhm, good. You can put your mind at ease. Even though I looked down on the Wien royal family back then, and even though the Allen family is down on its luck now, they wouldn't be stupid enough to throw themselves entirely into the royal family's arms."
"Why is that?"
"Because the Gloria family—the Wien royal family—is the greediest and most mongrelized of all the families in Wien that possess a faith system.
There is a famous painting called *Royal Debauchery*. Have you heard of it?"
"I saw it in an art album." Karen retained the memory from the previous 'Karen,' though naturally he had not seen the original.
"Ordinary folk assume the painting portrays the royal family's extravagant lifestyle and tangled incestuous relations. You see, even relations between a father-in-law and daughter-in-law are considered normal in the royal household—after all, there is no blood relation between them.
In reality, the painting satirizes how the Wien royal family, in their obsession with enriching and cultivating their own faith system, not only engaged in relentless outside marriages to absorb other families' systems, but also took great delight in conducting cross-breeding experiments within their own family, picking compatible systems.
They look only at whether the systems match and what tier they are at, then check whether the male can still sow seeds and whether the female can still conceive.
As for ethics and morals, they couldn't care less.
So, the only difference between throwing yourself at the Wien royals and being swallowed by the Raphael family... is whether the Allen family ends up living in a pigsty made of gold or one made of mud walls."
"I understand."
"Therefore, my dear Young Master Karen, you must hurry. We have to rush through the foundational stages at top speed and strive to elevate you to the rank of Inquisitor as soon as possible."
"Is the Church of Order really that easy to hoodwink?" Karen asked. "I mean, when it comes to forging an identity."
"Do you think every Inquisitor is as conscientious and dutiful as Diss? Do you imagine everyone in the Church of Order is upright and incorruptible?
Those who wield Order are the first to corrode.
Don't worry, it isn't as difficult as you think.
Most importantly, Diss must have delivered a warning before falling into slumber. I am certain the Church of Order in Ruilan wouldn't dare keep an eye on 13 Mink Street; at most, someone might pretend to stroll past the front door once a month and cast a fleeting glance.
As for tracking down every member of the family—heh, you sorely underestimate the deterrent power of Diss detonating a godhead at the Temple of Order, and you underestimate the sheer pressure Diss's slumbering presence exerts on the Church of Order.
They dare not approach your family, nor do they dare investigate you. Furthermore, matters concerning Diss are strictly confidential within the Church of Order's upper echelons; they will never leak to Wien.
In Wien, you are free. Once an identity is arranged for you, you can openly walk the path of the Church of Order.
To take it a step further: once you truly grow powerful, even if your identity were exposed, it wouldn't be a problem. It would only go against Diss's original intent, but for you, there would be no danger whatsoever.
As the only direct blood descendant of Diss, who condensed three godhead fragments, the Temple of Order would enshrine you like a precious treasure, treating you far better than they ever treated a genius like Rasma."
"I see."
"We need to seize every moment," Purr said earnestly. "I do this for my fragile family, but you do it for Diss. The two of us—no, counting Diss, the three of us—share an identical purpose."
"Yes." Karen smiled at Purr. "I'm going riding."
"Go on, go on. Stupid, come on, let's go inspect the renovated performance hall and see if it meets the specifications."
The golden retriever jumped down from the sofa. Purr leaped onto its back, wiping her ink-stained paws on the dog's coat.
"Off we go, stupid dog!"
"Woof!"
...
Karen went downstairs, where Alfred and Boge were already waiting with the horses.
It was currently two hours earlier than his usual appointment with Eunice.
"Young Master, perhaps we should choose nighttime instead?" Alfred suggested.
"What difference does it make whether it's day or night?" Karen mounted his white horse.
"I suppose that is true." Alfred only then recalled that they had to keep this hidden from the black cat, who slept right by their young master's feet at night anyway.
Boge did not mount his horse, remaining where he stood.
Karen looked back at him and said, "Come along."
"Yes, Young Master." A smile spread across Boge's face as he swung onto his horse.
In truth, Karen could trust very few people since arriving at the Allen family. It was not that the Allens were inherently untrustworthy, but like Purr, they placed their family above all else.
They currently shared a common purpose with him only because his growth matched the development of their family.
Boge was different. Though he wore a bright, sunny smile, he harbored no affection for the Allen family whatsoever, and as he grew older, his resentment toward them would only deepen.
The three of them rode to the cemetery and halted. Karen dismounted.
"Young Master, which one shall we choose for the test?" Alfred asked.
"I don't know either."
Boge followed behind them with great curiosity. A test, here?
Karen's original intent had been to try awakening Earl Rekar, who had left an indelible impression on him.
Particularly today, when the Queen's special envoy had arrived conveying Prince Henry's interest in Eunice—
should he awaken the pirate lord who had once treated Queen Gloria as an on-call paramour as a sort of 'return gift'?
"Boge, is the progenitor buried here as well?" Karen asked.
"Yes, Young Master. When Mr. Alfred instructed me to look into the details of the cemetery's burials, I re-examined all the gravestones of the Allen family's ancestors buried here.
The progenitor's resting place is right here."
Boge pointed toward a black stone in the central area of the cemetery.
"This one?" Karen crouched before the black stone.
The stone was very low, weathered to a rounded smoothness over years of exposure to the elements. Placed in a public square, it would likely be mistaken for a resting bench by passersby.
Beside it stood Earl Rekar's pirate-ship-shaped tombstone, grand and extravagant, completely eclipsing the progenitor's monument.
Earl Rekar had truly been arrogant enough to disregard hierarchy entirely.
Karen looked up, checking the sky and glancing toward the distant manor house, then gave Alfred a meaningful look.
Understanding immediately, Alfred's eyes took on a reddish hue as he produced a deck of playing cards and tossed them out.
Mr. Hoffen had given Karen numerous books, including an entire volume of forbidden curses and a comprehensive set of foundational array formations from various churches.
Since Karen had not yet undergone purification, he could only read them without learning to use them. Alfred, on the other hand, had been studying them diligently from the moment they set out on the road.
Unlike Purr, Alfred carried no family burdens or attachments; his sole ambition was to earn a place on the mural.
With such a clear objective, his motivation to learn was exceedingly strong.
"Abyss—Novice Barrier!"
A faint, dark curtain of light rippled outward with Alfred at its center, cloaking the cemetery grounds.
Karen's gaze swept over the tombstones, yet he still could not find a suitable target.
Then he chuckled to himself. Why overthink it? He was merely conducting an experiment, since he had no idea whether he could truly awaken a spiritual powerhouse who had possessed a faith system in life.
Karen straightened up, closed his eyes, and spread his hands open.
Seeing this, Boge instinctively stepped back a few paces, not daring to disturb him.
*Awaken... awaken... awaken...*
Karen chanted silently in his heart.
At first, there was no reaction.
Karen did not grow anxious. Instead, he calmed his inner self, attempting to establish an intrinsic perception with his surroundings.
It felt as though he were not standing in a cemetery, but lying in bed in his bedroom.
*Awaken... awaken... awaken...*
Boge's eyes suddenly widened. Beneath his young master's feet, a black chain emerged, coiling slowly around him.
Alfred noticed as well, a faint smile curling the corner of his lips: this was a promising start!
He had always believed that the young master's mysterious nature far surpassed that of the evil god. Otherwise, why would the young master awaken while the evil god was reduced to a dog?
*Awaken... awaken... awaken...*
Karen continued the summons. The black chain spun around his feet, still lacking a specific target.
Karen slowly opened his eyes and looked down, taking in the dark shadow beneath him. Perhaps once he completed his purification, this ability would manifest more clearly?
He raised a hand and pointed toward an ordinary gravestone nearby.
In the end, he did not dare touch either the progenitor's or Rekar's tombstone first.
As if directed, the black chain slid across the ground, reaching toward the gravestone.
Yet Karen felt a sharp jolt in his head as the black chain rebounded violently.
"Ugh..."
Karen let out a muffled grunt and steadied himself.
This one didn't work!
Still, Karen had no intention of giving up. He reached out once more, pointing at another ordinary gravestone. The black chain stretched out again, but just as before, the moment it made contact, it was repelled with force.
"Hss..."
This rebound sent a sharp pang of pain through Karen's chest, prompting him to press a hand against it instinctively.
Boge moved forward to support him, but Alfred stopped him with a sharp look.
Karen took several deep breaths. Being repelled twice meant he currently lacked the qualifications to interact with spiritual corpses;
Yet he had a hunch: it was not because the 'door' was locked. The door remained unlocked—at least for him.
The reason he had failed to open it both times was simply that he could not find the doorknob, lacking a point of leverage.
Karen sensed that once he completed his purification, he would possess the ability to open that door.
Therefore,
today's experiment would end here.
The black chain began to retract, preparing to sink back beneath Karen's feet. Just then, an unexpected development occurred: an unseen, inexplicable force abruptly seized the retreating chain, and in the next heartbeat, yanked it violently backward.
The pull was directed straight toward the pirate ship tombstone!
*Buzz!*
Karen felt as though someone had struck him heavily across the back of the head, and his consciousness blurred.
...
After a brief, intense bout of vertigo, Karen slowly opened his eyes. He heard the roar of ocean waves; everything around him was swaying rhythmically.
At first, Karen thought his equilibrium had not yet settled, but he soon realized he was standing upon the deck of a massive ship.
All around, the shouts and calls of sailors echoed ceaselessly. Some were drinking heartily, some dueling, some gambling, the raucous clamor rising wave upon wave.
Karen slowly stood up.
The moment he reached his full height,
the surrounding din seemed to cut out in an instant.
Before Karen stood a raised platform, upon which rested an enormous silver ship's wheel.
Beneath the helm sat a chair, occupied by a powerfully built middle-aged man in pirate attire, sporting a single eye patch. Upon his lap sat an exquisitely dressed, crowned noblewoman.
His hand rested casually inside the woman's garments, caressing her, while the noble lady merely leaned against his chest, submitting entirely to his touch.
Earl... Earl Rekar!
Just then,
the man's voice sounded,
so deep that even the waves seemed to quiet down as he spoke:
"Who are you?
Answer me truthfully. The sea will tell me whether your words are true;
the price of deceit is to have your soul devoured by the ocean. Wherever you may be, the sea's curse will follow you."
The man's voice carried an undeniable, crushing weight of authority.
Karen looked at him, pursing his lips.
*The operator of the Allen family? The savior of the Allen family?*
Karen instantly rejected both answers in his mind.
They were undoubtedly true, but so true that his soul would still end up devoured by the sea.
In the end,
Karen replied:
"I am the Allen family's... son-in-law."
Chapter 89