Order, Come Forth and Meet Me!

It was raining. Dressed in his pajamas, Karen stood by the pool table holding a glass of ice water, watching the curtain of rain outside. The view was actually quite beautiful. Still, Karen glanced down at the book resting face-down on the coffee table, which he had read halfway through that afternoon: *York City in the Rain*. It was the work of a realist author whose protagonist was a child laborer. At first, the boy had loved rainy days, seeing the drops as notes of freedom. Later, he grew numb to the rain. Day and night of grueling, high-intensity labor robbed him of his awareness of shifting weather, along with holidays, and eventually... even day and night itself. In the end, after his mother died of illness, he howled and raged in the muddy downpour. The author depicted a cold, unfeeling York City, especially in the torrential rain, where the downpour washed the grime off the high-rises. The people standing at the top received "freshness" and "serenity," but that filth never vanished; it all washed down beneath the feet of those at the bottom, turning into the quagmire of their struggle. Karen felt he was much the same right now. The bedroom he occupied was equipped with a device similar to underfloor heating, and the chilly wind blowing in through the open window neatly counterbalanced the excessive warmth. When the rain couldn't touch your hair or soak your shoes, of course you found it beautiful. "Care for some fruit?" Eunice walked in carrying a fruit platter, dressed in a long white gown today. "Sure." Karen stepped down from the pool table area and sat on the sofa. The apples had been peeled, sliced, and skewered with toothpicks. Karen popped a piece into his mouth; it was very sweet. "Are you reading that book?" Eunice noticed *York City in the Rain*. "Yes. The family library has an extensive collection." "Actually, I'm quite fond of books like that," Eunice said with a smile. "I always try to picture the scenes in my head as I read the words, and then connect with the emotions. Every time, it leaves a deep impression on me." "Yes, of course. That's the purpose of books and words." Karen ate another slice of apple. "They give you a direction, and then you turn your head to look at the scenery yourself." Karen recalled that back in Ruilan, Eunice had gifted him a copy of *Diary of Rhapsody*, a novel blending realism and the absurd. "It's just that sometimes, I find it hard to truly resonate with certain emotions." "That's completely natural. Everyone has different life experiences, which means different practical needs, so the emotional resonance they ultimately feel is bound to differ. After all, reality determines consciousness." "Yes, exactly." "Meow—" Just then, Purr leaped onto the sofa where Eunice was sitting. Eunice reached out and drew Purr into her arms. Purr did not resist, letting herself be held by her great-great-great-great-niece. Resting her head on Eunice's thigh, she faced Karen. Karen took a third piece of apple. Meanwhile, purring gently beneath Eunice's strokes, Purr extended a paw and hitched up Eunice's skirt. She kept pulling it up until an expanse of thigh was exposed. Purr gave Karen a wink. Karen looked at Eunice's thigh. A fraction more flesh would have seemed excessive, a fraction less would have felt plain. All in all, it was a near-perfect set of legs. Eunice also noticed the pet cat lifting her skirt too high. But just as she instinctively reached to smooth the fabric down, she saw Karen sitting opposite her, gazing intently at her leg. Even when he noticed her looking back, he showed no inclination to turn his eyes away. For a moment, she was actually too embarrassed to pull the skirt down. "Beautiful legs," Karen praised. Eunice bit her lip. The gesture carried a hint of fluster, yet held an effortless, natural charm. *Tap... tap...* Eunice smoothed down her skirt and sat up properly. Purr hopped off the sofa, trotted to the bedside stand, and tapped the call bell. The door swung open, and Boge stood outside: "Young Master, Mr. Bede sent word to say that the performance hall has been renovated according to your instructions and filled with water. He requests that you come and inspect it." "I understand." Karen stood up. Boge stepped inside, intending to help Karen retrieve his clothes, as the young master was still in pajamas. Yet the moment one foot crossed the threshold, his other foot pivoted in reverse. He spun nearly on the spot, teetered once or twice before finding his balance, and swiftly pulled the bedroom door shut behind him. Without the slightest awkwardness, Eunice rose and opened the wardrobe. "Which one would you like to wear?" "Anything is fine." "It can't be just anything. Father said it will take three days, right?" Eunice asked. "Yes." "Do you need to bring a change of clothes?" "There's no need. I'm not going on a holiday." Karen's upcoming purification was no secret, at least among the core members of the Allen family. After all, sudden construction work on a performance hall that had lain abandoned for so long could never be kept under wraps. "Can someone bring things in to you? Probably not, right?" Eunice asked with a trace of worry. "Don't worry about it. I'm merely going to do what I should do right now. Strictly speaking, I am a mortal going to receive guidance from a god." Karen shed his pajamas and slipped into the clothes Eunice had prepared. Throughout the process, neither showed the slightest self-consciousness. Once fully dressed, Karen stood before the mirror and inspected himself. Not bad—sharp and neatly put together. Most importantly, the exhaustion from conversing with Earl Rekar the other day had been completely restored through these past few days of rest. Eunice stepped forward and hugged Karen gently. Karen put his arms around her as well, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. Purr, perched on the bedside stand, let out a yawn, while the golden retriever, who had been waiting ready beside her, wagged his tail. When Karen released his embrace to leave, he found Eunice still clutching his coat. Realizing it, she slowly let go. "It's only a purification," Karen said softly. Eunice shook her head. "No, it isn't. Once you're done, you'll be different. I have a premonition." "Perhaps." Purr saw Karen lean close to Eunice's ear and whisper something, after which Eunice blushed. Then Karen walked out of the bedroom. Purr leaped onto the golden retriever's back, caught up to Karen, and jumped straight onto his shoulder, clambering into place. "What did you just say to her?" "Nothing." "No, it had to be something." "Really, nothing." "You're no fun at all, Karen!" "Mm." "I even hitched up her skirt for you back there!" "If I'd hitched it up myself, I wouldn't have been slapped either." When Karen reached the ground floor, Alfred had already opened an umbrella by the doorway. Old Anderson and the core family members stood waiting on the front steps. "Young Master, everything has been arranged according to your instructions. Over the next three days, no one will be permitted to enter the performance hall. Daily meals will be delivered to the entrance by Mr. Alfred." "Very well. Thank you for your trouble." "No trouble at all, no trouble at all." Karen gave a simple nod of acknowledgment to the other Allen family members, then walked toward the performance hall accompanied by Alfred. "Young Master, Prince Henry visited the manor last night wanting to see Miss Eunice, but Anderson turned him away. Things grew rather tense between them, and Prince Henry ultimately departed." "Oh." Karen nodded. Purr chimed in, "Don't pay any mind to those clowns from House Gloria. They're just a bunch of pampered pigs—nowhere near as dangerous as those ungrateful wolves from the Raphael family. The only reason their royal line has endured to this day is that they prefer huddling at home engaging in incest rather than daring to reach outward. "Karen, don't worry about these petty matters. Once you grow stronger, none of it will matter." "I understand," Karen replied. After his conversation with Earl Rekar, he truly had backing now. At the very least, tired tropes about bullies trying to steal his fiancée wouldn't happen to him. If pushed to the brink, he would awaken Earl Rekar at any cost, letting the earl finish tasting Queen Gloria III before moving on to sample the current Queen Gloria IX for a change. Granted, Gloria IX was already ninety-five years old, practically with one foot in the grave; but wouldn't that make her the perfect match for Earl Rekar, who had just crawled out of his tomb? At the entrance to the performance hall, Alfred came to a halt. He looked down at the golden retriever. "I'll bring the meals here when it's time. You come fetch them." "Woof!" The golden retriever lifted a front paw, and Alfred held out his palm, high-fiving the dog's paw. Then Alfred stepped back two paces and dropped to one knee before Karen. "Young Master, I am profoundly thrilled to witness your rise. It is the supreme honor bestowed upon me by fate." Karen glanced back toward the distant castle doorway, where a line of Allen family members still stood watching. In that moment, he felt like the only youth in an entire village who had passed the university entrance exams, setting off for his studies carrying the hopes of every elder and child on his shoulders. "Alfred, throughout the time we've known each other, you've worked hard." "To serve at the Young Master's side is the greatest glory of Alfred's life." "I'll continue to trouble you in the days ahead." "Alfred is willing to dedicate everything to you!" Karen turned and walked into the performance hall, the golden retriever following close behind. ... The renovations inside the hall were centered mainly on the stage. It had been built up with cement to a higher elevation and filled with water, while the surrounding seating remained intact. Electricity was wired through, so it did not feel dim. "Did you used to invite friends over to watch performances here?" Karen asked. "Never. I liked picking any seat at random to watch in silence by myself. Not even my father, brothers, or sisters were allowed inside." "I can understand that kind of joy." "No, that was relishing solitude," Purr corrected. "Mm." A stepped path led straight to the center of the pool, where a single chair was placed. Karen walked over and took a seat, gazing at the surrounding water and skimming his fingers across the surface. "Notice anything different?" Purr asked. "No." "Once you finish the purification, you'll be able to sense it. Even though it's yourself you're purifying, the way you look at the world afterward will be entirely different." "I'm looking forward to it." "Me too." Purr pointed at a small stand in front of Karen, which held a thick candle with a lighter resting beside it. "Help me light it." Karen picked up the lighter and lit the candle. A candle of this size could easily burn for three days. "Does the candle serve a purpose?" Purr answered, "None at all. But it adds to my sense of ceremony." "Understood." "Stupid dog, over here!" The golden retriever walked over and shook his head. "Under the chair—crawl in!" Purr ordered. Beneath the chair was a dog cushion specially prepared for him. The golden retriever crawled inside and lay down. Purr leaped onto the stand holding the candle, bringing her almost level with Karen's face. "Oh, Karen, move this stand a bit closer to you, or my paws won't reach." Karen took hold of the stand and dragged it closer. Once they were close enough, Purr called a halt. Then Purr reached out a paw. With Karen sitting normally in the chair, her paw could comfortably touch the center of his forehead. "All right, perfect." "Can we begin?" "Didn't you bring that copy of *Light of Order*?" "No need. I've already memorized most of it." "My, what a devout follower of the Church of Order. If I were the God of Order, I wouldn't be able to resist favoring you." "You certainly have a lot of preludes," Karen remarked with amusement. "Why didn't you hire a theater troupe to warm up the room beforehand?" "It's all your fault! I had envisioned that after I returned and you took the position of family patriarch, you could spend a little money to hire a troupe for another performance, letting me relive the past. How wonderful that would have been! "Instead, you agreed to renovate the place without even asking me." "Fine, I'll ask you next time." "There won't be a next time anyway. The only thing left in this house I care about is that portrait in the study." "Once the purification is over, we can restore this place. Actually, the design of this hall is quite suited for..." "Suited for showcasing art, right?" Purr asked happily. "Quite suited for the spatial needs of hosting funerals." "..." Purr went silent. "When the time comes, we can raise the platform where I'm sitting even higher to make a catafalque. The acoustics all around would be ideal for a live mournful piano performance, and there's plenty of space and viewing angles for mourners to stand." "So you want to bring the Inmerlais family's old trade over here too?" Karen shook his head. "The Allen family doesn't lack money. What they lack are point coupons from the various orthodox major churches." Back home, a Tier B funeral package could make Aunt Mary dance for joy. Here, however, it wouldn't cause a ripple. "Actually, it's not impossible," Purr said. "Ordinary people pay for funerals in lubi or riels because they only possess secular currency. "But do people who hold point coupons have no need for funerals?" Purr was, after all, a cat steeped in the Inmerlais household for nearly a century. She immediately added: "There's actually a huge market here. The only prerequisite is building a 'crematorium' that can refine and decompose corpses to gather spiritual materials. "After the funeral, the corpse is broken down on the spot, and the relatives can pack up and take away the useful materials." "That's genuinely a wonderful idea," Karen praised. "Compared to a funeral parlor, the Allen family's current three workshops are operating at far too low a tier. The profit margins aren't broad enough." "Exactly! Point coupons can help the family purchase specialized materials and services from the churches, helping the family grow faster and better protect itself. It creates an excellent positive cycle." "Woof! Woof! Woof!" The golden retriever lying under the chair couldn't resist barking three times. "I almost forgot our actual business, meow." Purr swished her tail. "Let's finish the purification first." "Right." Karen straightened his posture. "All right. Now, please answer me, Young Master Karen: are you ready to open the gates to another world?" "I'm ready." Purr pressed her cat paw against Karen's forehead. At the same moment, the golden retriever closed his eyes. "Good. Karen, recite the chapters of *Light of Order* in your heart now." Karen began silently reciting within his mind. "Empty yourself as much as possible, let your heart be free of encumbrance, and then follow my lead..." A faint white light appeared on Purr's paw. "Karen, do you see that white light?" "I see it. A white speck." "Good. Focus on it completely, and follow it. Wherever it goes, you go. Trust it, for it will guide you to what you seek. "When the time comes, I'll ask you which god you wish to see. When that happens, answer me aloud." Karen devoted himself entirely to the process. A faint black luster began surfacing over his body, and wisps of vapor started evaporating from the surrounding pool. Purr drew her paw back. Before her eyes, Karen seemed to have slipped into deep slumber. The purification had begun. "Stupid... dog..." Purr called out. The golden retriever slowly opened his eyes. Within those canine pupils gleamed sheer venom and malice—the gaze of an evil god! In the next instant, the black luster across Karen's body surged violently. The water in the pool began churning, surging continuously toward Karen and forming a whirlpool—a truly magnificent spectacle. "Tsk, tsk, tsk..." Purr smacked her lips in immense satisfaction. "Looks like the evil god inside our stupid dog has some bad blood with the God of Order. Look at the god's reaction—considerably more violent than expected." Purr licked her lips and sat down against the thick candle behind her, her tail raised before her chest in its habitual pose. Purr caught her tail in her paws and gave it an accustomed nibble, muttering as she chewed: "Diss, this had to be part of your calculations too. I refuse to believe you didn't foresee this. Humph. "Our stupid dog has already done well. Karen's current level of purification is thousands of times that of ordinary Purifiers, but it's still not enough. "Still not enough, oh, not enough. "My little Karen, in this purification, I'm going to make you an existence that blinds the God of Order's eyes. "I want your purification completion to create a miracle in the history of the church! "Because we truly possessed a genuine miracle all along! "Back then, those lunatics in the family blinded by greed actually tried to use it to forcibly convert the family's faith system into a religious faith system. Absolute madness! "But now, it happens to serve its purpose." Still gnawing at her tail and muttering, Purr peeled open the very tip of her tail. There was no bloody mess, nor did Purr show the slightest hint of pain, for beneath the furry sheath at the tip of her tail lay a crystal-like nodule, seemingly adhered to the tail and fused into one with it. And inside that crystal was a translucent index finger. This was... the finger of the God of Light! Purr raised her tail, and the tip—the finger sealed inside the crystal that had just been exposed—pressed straight against the center of Karen's forehead. Purr opened her mouth: "Karen, you..." Yet at that very moment, the crystal at the tip of the tail erupted with blinding white light. As though regaining its color and blood, the finger increased its pressure on its own, pressing firmly into Karen's brow. One could even clearly see a slight indentation in the skin of Karen's forehead from the contact. Beneath the chair, the golden retriever—who had just been radiating sinister malice—was terrified so thoroughly that his head slammed against the floor. White foam seeped from the corners of his mouth as his body began convulsing. As for Purr, violent tremors shook her feline frame. Her body seized up entirely; before she could finish her question, the words froze in her throat. A voice brimming with majesty and sacred power slowly echoed throughout the performance hall: "Order, come forth and meet me!"