"The finger of the God of Light summoned the will of the God of Order, which then assisted the Young Master in completing his purification.
"I no longer know what words could possibly express my feelings right now. It was simply a miracle!
"A genuine miracle! As expected of the Young Master—only the Young Master's purification could command such an awe-inspiring spectacle!"
Purr rested both paws on her belly, her eyelids drooping as she looked at Alfred. She was utterly exhausted and desperately wanted to sleep;
consequently, this radio sprite, so eager to hear the story, was extraordinarily obnoxious!
"Woof! Woof!"
Beside them on the sofa, Kevin the golden retriever barked twice at Alfred in deep discontent.
Kevin was also exhausted and longed for sleep, but Alfred kept gripping one of his hind legs and shaking it up and down, forcibly dispelling his drowsiness.
Alfred looked at Kevin and smiled.
"When listening to such a magnificent tale, how great a pity it would be without an evil god accompanying me by my side!"
"Woof! Woof!"
Alfred looked toward Purr and asked, "What did he say?"
Purr replied, "He says you're the real dog here."
Just then, the bedroom door was pushed open from the outside, and Karen walked in.
"Oh, my dear little Karen, hurry and pull the plug on this radio sprite. I'm exhausted to death, meow~"
Instead, Karen scooped Purr straight up, walked up onto the tee platform, and slid open the French window before it. The icy wind from outside, heavy with moisture, swept in and flattened Purr's fur against her skin.
"Bede is a believer of the Church of the Mural God."
Taking advantage of Purr's forcibly awakened state, Karen spoke plainly.
Mr. Bede had believed Karen would surely keep his secret, and Karen was indeed doing so, but Purr was no outsider.
Well, strictly speaking, inside the bedroom right now were a cat, a dog, and a radio—not only were there no outsiders, there weren't even any humans.
Hit by the cold blast, Purr's groggy cat face scrunched up at once, but upon hearing Karen's words, it instantly smoothed out.
"Ah, such a wonderful thing happened?"
Indeed, Purr would never feel angry because someone in the family didn't believe in the Primogenitor and instead followed a cult.
"You told me that Mr. Bede said the reason he had Madam Jenny and Eunice go to Rojia City in his stead was that he wanted to see an art exhibition at the time."
"Yes, Old Anderson said so during the family council—that he went to Sangpu to see an art exhibition," Purr immediately followed up. "Wait, you mean he didn't go to Sangpu to see an art exhibition?"
"Right."
Karen set Purr on top of the ball basket and said to Alfred, who stood below the platform steps:
"Alfred, bring my notebook."
"Yes, Young Master."
Karen had no habit of keeping a diary, but he was accustomed to recording certain thoughts and scenes.
After moving into the Allen residence, his clothing and daily necessities had been taken care of by the family, but the personal belongings Karen brought had remained under Alfred's watch.
Before long, Alfred brought Karen's notebook over.
Karen sat down on the platform steps and began flipping through the notebook until he reached several consecutive pages of drawings. These were all sketches he had copied from Linda's paintings.
Alfred and Kevin leaned in close to look, while Purr, perched atop the ball basket above, poked her head down to watch.
Upon seeing Karen's sketches, Purr couldn't help clicking her tongue.
"Oh, Karen, your drawing skills are truly... so abstract."
Alfred immediately said, "Young Master has never formally studied drawing. To sketch like this is already remarkable."
Purr rolled her eyes at Alfred.
Karen found the right page and tapped his finger against the drawing.
This drawing was a copy of the mural he had seen in Piaget's home studio.
In the mural, Piaget stood on the rooftop of a high-rise, Linda flew in the sky, and even higher, deep within the dark storm clouds, loomed the figure of a giantess—the evil god Rielsa.
At the very bottom of the drawing was an enlarged altar.
When the golden retriever saw "Rielsa," he thrust his head further forward and let out a laugh:
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
Evidently, the dog recognized Rielsa. Although Karen's drawing was casual and, just as Purr said, rather abstract, he had captured the essential details.
Especially Rielsa's hands: her left hand was a pond flowing with diverse colors, and her right hand was a massive multicolored feather.
"What did he say?" Karen asked.
Purr translated, "He's mocking Rielsa for being an idiot."
The golden retriever nodded at once to confirm that Purr had translated correctly, then barked again:
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
Purr continued translating, "An idiot who, back when the God of Order was at the absolute peak of his power, went and painted a mural depicting the end of the God of Order."
Karen glanced at the golden retriever and said,
"Purr, Diss once told me that after conducting an extraordinary god descent ritual, someone would come to clean up after him and thoroughly clear away any suspicion regarding it."
"Huh? Wasn't that Linda?"
"Did you know beforehand that it was Linda?" Karen asked.
"I... actually didn't know much. I helped out a bit, but the one who truly contributed and put in the most effort was Little Hoffen."
"So what do you know?"
"I only know that Diss must have made contingency arrangements, because he would never let his grandson remain caught in a whirlpool of investigation and suspicion."
"What about Mr. Hoffen?"
"He probably knew more than I did, but Diss has always had a habit—the same habit as you—which is that unless you ask, he sometimes won't tell you his arrangements. Perhaps he felt there was no need for you to know, or that knowing made no difference, since things would unfold that way regardless."
Hearing this, Karen subconsciously touched his nose.
Indeed, he still hadn't told Purr about chatting with Count Rekar, because his thinking was identical to how Purr described Diss's.
In any case, unless the Allen family faced a truly insurmountable crisis, Karen wouldn't try to awaken that arrogant count again.
"Alfred, fetch me a drink."
"Yes."
Alfred went at once to pour a glass of ice water and handed it to Karen.
Holding the chilled glass, Karen continued:
"When Mr. Bede came to Rojia City last time, he met Madam Jenny, who is a native of Rojia."
"Yes, what about it?" Purr asked, puzzled.
"Since he was capable of courting someone, Mr. Bede must have been an adult when he visited back then."
Purr agreed, "At least older than Lunt."
"Mr. Bede told me that he had already believed in the Church of the Mural God very early on, which caused him to cut off any possibility of awakening the Primogenitor's bloodline from then on."
"Oh, good for him. In any case, his father and two older brothers don't seem particularly talented either. I'm sure even the Primogenitor wouldn't want his descendants hanging themselves on his single tree without knowing enough to branch out."
"Diss met with him in the study."
"Oh, of course. Diss was always very patient with the idiots of my Allen family. Early on, I was even touched by it, thinking Diss was doing it on my account.
"Only later did I realize Diss had probably set his sights on my Allen family's bloodline long ago. That boy Diss has been deep and scheming since childhood, humph."
"So back then, could Diss have noticed that Mr. Bede, sitting across from his desk, had already changed his faith?"
"Of course," Purr said with absolute certainty. "Diss condensed three godhead fragments across three periods. Even Temple Elders have sat face-to-face with him. If Bede had converted by then, Diss would definitely have seen through it.
"Oh, I get it. Karen, you mean..."
"Yes. I think another reason Diss chose the Allen family was this Mr. Bede—my prospective father-in-law.
"I had always assumed the person Diss mentioned who would clean up after the extraordinary god descent ritual was Linda.
"After I learned Linda's identity, I even specially went into Diss's study one afternoon to tell him.
"I said: 'Grandfather, I know who the powerful aberrant demon you mentioned, who would clean up after us and clear our suspicion, is.'
"And at that time, Diss merely gave me an 'Oh.'
"In truth, Diss never explicitly told me that person was Linda."
"It was Mr. Bede?" Alfred immediately asked. "He didn't go see an art exhibition?"
Karen shook his head and said,
"No, he really did go see an art exhibition."
*Rip!*
Karen tore the drawing out of the notebook, held it up, and displayed it before them.
"Look at this."
Alfred, Kevin, and Purr all leaned their heads toward Karen, looking at the sheet held up before them—the drawing.
"What if you don't look at it as a painting, but as a photograph?
"This is clearly...
"a scene from an observer's perspective!"
"So Mr. Bede was also in Rojia City at the time, and he witnessed Linda using the altar in an extraordinary god descent ritual to summon the God of the Wall, Rielsa?"
"Grandfather said that an extraordinary god descent ritual requires paying a tremendous price," Karen said. "He also said that it was impossible for him to succeed."
Alfred said, "So the one who collaborated with Diss to clean up the trouble of the god descent ritual for the Inmerlais family was him, while Linda was the price he chose to pay?"
Karen lowered the paper in his hand and said,
"So there is yet another reason for me coming to the Allen family. Even Grandfather's insistence that Eunice and I be together has an additional reason.
"Because in Diss's plan, the cooperation of my prospective father-in-law was indispensable."
Purr, lying in the ball basket, wailed on the spot:
"Meow!!!"
She began flailing her cat paws wildly at the empty air, cursing:
"Heavens! Diss has plucked my Allen family clean down to the skin!"
Yet soon, Purr rolled onto her side and chuckled:
"In that case, the Allen family actually produced a decent young fellow after all. Bede, oh-ho-ho-ho, he hid it so well! I didn't notice at all. Karen, how did you figure it out?"
"After the purification, I saw an unfinished painting of his," Karen replied.
"Terrifying atmospheric perception," Purr said enviously. "Is this the result of a purification personally presided over by a god?"
Alfred immediately chimed in, "I, for one, believe it is because Young Master has always possessed the soul of an artist, which is why he could notice such details."
Purr rolled her eyes at Alfred once more, but quickly added:
"Then it seems there is someone of real caliber in this generation of the Allen family after all. So the Allen family isn't as hopeless as I thought; he's just accustomed to staying hidden."
From Purr's perspective, she genuinely had reason to feel gratified. At last, among a flock of fools, she had discovered someone who wasn't one—and who was even qualified to coordinate with Diss.
"There's something I want to remind you of," Karen said to Purr.
"Hmm?" Purr looked at Karen inquisitively. "Go on."
"Oftentimes, when a family falls into decline, its course is much like a slow, lingering death."
"Yes, I know, just like the Allen family."
"And under such circumstances, it's easy to produce..."
"A genius!" Purr supplied.
"Yet in most cases, such a genius doesn't bring revival to the family; instead, they accelerate its ruin."
"This..." Purr trailed off.
"Watching the family slide downward bit by bit, facing threats from the outside, he sat in the position of family head yet did nothing, continuing to play the innocent while immersing himself in his own artistic world.
"Can a person like that truly be trusted?"
"Woof! Woof!" Kevin barked twice.
"What did he say?"
Purr translated, "He says that senior believers of the Church of the Mural God are just like the God of the Wall they revere—out-and-out obsessive madmen."
Karen thought of Linda, and thought of Piaget.
He cautioned:
"Let's set this matter and Mr. Bede's identity aside for now. In any case, he is no longer the family head, so let him continue immersing himself in his personal artistic atmosphere.
"People like him appear to enjoy the family atmosphere on ordinary days, but deep down in their bones, they don't actually care.
"Otherwise, Linda wouldn't have had her husband take her corpse to be cremated and use her ashes as pigment."
"Sigh." Purr flicked her tail. "I finally find one that grew well, only to find it has thorns—maybe even poison. Life is so hard for the Allen family."
"Let's leave it at that for now. Everyone get some rest; there shouldn't be anything else today."
***
Karen did not sleep very soundly.
It was likely due to having just finished his purification, leaving his perception a bit overly "active."
As he drifted off, he was distinctly aware that he was sleeping, yet past memories kept resurfacing in his mind, as though he were re-examining his past.
The scenes when he had first awakened, scenes at the Inmerlais residence, scenes from his journey to Wien... until finally, the imagery froze beneath his feet. All around was vast, unbroken white; only beneath his feet lay a singular shadow.
The image froze there.
When Karen subconsciously turned his head to look behind him, he woke up.
At the same time, dawn had broken.
Karen got out of bed, washed up, and stepped out of the bedroom. Boge was already standing there: "Young Master, I'll instruct the kitchen to send up breakfast."
"Mm."
Karen walked into the study and spread the copy of Light of Order he had brought with him on the desk.
He took no part in the practical operations of the Allen family, so right now, this luxurious study was truly being used by him as nothing more than a pure study.
Before long, a dull and tedious yet highly nutritious breakfast was brought in.
Karen ate expressionlessly while pondering whether to have Old Anderson set up a private little kitchen on the third floor for him.
At that moment, there was a knock at the study door.
Karen pressed the bell, and Mr. Mike wheeled himself in.
Seeing him, Karen remembered that Purr had told him she could help resolve Mike's physical issues so that he could resume his training.
Now that Karen had completed his purification and become an honorable God's Servant, he could attempt to do this.
"Young Master Karen, the family just received a call. Early this morning, Prince Henry left the palace with over a hundred Royal Guards and is heading toward our estate."
"Huh?" Karen asked, puzzled. "What for?"
"Unknown. He seems to have gotten drunk last night and babbled a lot of drunken nonsense, including remarks expressing dissatisfaction with our Allen family—likely over the matter with Eunice."
"Who placed the call?" Karen asked. "An Allen family informant in the royal palace?"
"No, it was a warning phoned in personally by Her Majesty's personal assistant. The palace has already dispatched people to pursue Prince Henry. However, the assistant also conveyed apologies to us and explained that the Queen had sent people after him.
"Of course, in all likelihood, once Prince Henry sobers up halfway through, he should turn back on his own. It's impossible that he would actually do something so absurd."
"How utterly low-class," Karen remarked.
"Indeed," Mike agreed. "Still, rest assured, Young Master, nothing will go wrong. Even if he does arrive, the Allen family will turn them back. Although the Allens have fallen on hard times, we still retain plenty of connections."
"Mm." Karen pointed toward Mike. "I have just completed my purification."
"Yes, Young Master. Congratulations. The change in the pool inside the theater yesterday truly left me..."
"No, that's not what I meant," Karen interrupted Mike. "Grandfather knows about your physical condition."
"Lord Diss knows about my situation?"
"Yes. Grandfather cares deeply about every member of the Allen family."
"Truly...? Praise be to the great Lord Diss."
"So Grandfather taught me a method to help resolve your current issue after my purification. Although your severed legs cannot be restored, it will allow you to resume your training."
"Young Master, really? Truly?!"
Mike grew intensely emotional, pressing his hands against the wheelchair armrests as if trying to lift himself up.
At that moment, the knocking sounded once more.
Karen pressed the bell again, and Mr. Bede rushed in:
"Young Master Karen, this is bad..."
"Prince Henry is here?" Karen asked.
Mr. Bede asked in astonishment, "You already know?"
Karen leaned back in his chair with a touch of impatience. He really had no desire to go through the melodrama of wrangling and trading spite with a romantic rival; he found it juvenile.
It was probably because of his upbringing... mm, the Inmerlais family upbringing.
Just like that afternoon when he went to Diss to explain Siso's family's situation and analyzed the power wielded by those prominent, deep-pocketed figures, only for Diss to respond:
"What kind of garbage do they think they are?"
So, Karen genuinely felt an impulse rising in his heart: should he take a gamble and awaken Count Rekar to solve this problem for him?
To skip the hassle in between, could he dig up Count Rekar's coffin first, smuggle it right up to the royal palace walls in York City, and "awaken" Count Rekar right there?
After that, it would just depend on whether the first thing Count Rekar wanted to do upon waking was to go home and visit, or climb over the wall to catch up with his old lover's descendant—an old lover herself?
"Did you do it, Young Master?" Mr. Bede asked.
"Huh?" Karen's train of thought was interrupted. "What did I do?"
"With Prince Henry," Mr. Bede said.
"I won't go meet him. After all, isn't my identity ill-suited for public exposure? You can handle him, right, Mike?"
"We can, Young Master," Mike nodded.
"No..." Mr. Bede spread his hands. "Prince Henry has already been handled."
Mike chuckled. "Father moved fast. Was he woken up as well?"
Karen also breathed a sigh of relief and said, "My thanks to Mr. Anderson."
What he wanted was out of sight, out of mind. So long as Prince Henry didn't show up in the estate fawning over Eunice, he couldn't care less about that incestuous spawn of the Gloria family.
Mr. Bede let out a sigh and said,
"Because when Prince Henry just entered the estate... all that was left of him was a head."
Chapter 95