13 Mink Street

Chapter 74: He Is Not A God!

Karon picked up a spoon and scooped a spoonful of condensed milk into his coffee, then also poured in some milk and sprinkled a pinch of powdered sugar on top. He finally stirred it with the spoon. He had originally wanted to make a pattern, but since he felt that it would probably not look good anyway, he simply mixed it evenly. He told himself that this was what true simplicity was.

In addition to the cup of milk coffee, the tray also held a teacup with tea leaves already in it, a small dish of raisins, a dish of sugar cubes, and a dish of candied fruit. With his right hand holding the tray and his left hand carrying a thermos freshly filled with hot water, Karon went up to the third floor.

At just that moment, the wall clock on the third floor began to chime.

When Karon reached the door to his grandfather’s study and was about to set down the thermos, the golden retriever that had been lying beneath the windowsill stood up, rose onto its hind legs, and pressed a paw down on the door handle to pull the door outward.

As the door was drawn open, the paw stayed hooked around the handle while the dog kicked its two hind legs in small backwards hops to keep its balance. Eventually, once the door had swung all the way open, the golden retriever let go, lost its balance, and toppled backward, rolling over the floor once.

“Hehehe.” Karon was amused. As the clock struck its final chime, he stepped into his grandfather’s study. The golden retriever scrambled back up and followed him in, hooking the study door shut with a hind leg.

Click. The door closed.

Just as the golden retriever was about to put on a cute expression and wag its tail at its owner, it saw that Karon was already sitting behind the desk, his hands resting on Pu’er, who was lying flat on top of the desk. The cat there quietly, allowing Karon to treat her like a hand warmer while casting a slightly contemptuous gaze upon the golden retriever sitting on the floor.

The golden retriever shook its head, walked over to the base of the desk, and lay down against it.

After warming his hands, Karon opened the hardbound black book that Tiz had left on the desk. The title was also the Light of Order, but it had clearly been printed much earlier than the first copy Tiz had provided Karon with.

There were also several letters tucked inside the book.

Karon opened the first letter to read it. Coincidentally, the book included a story about the God of Order from before he had become a god. It mentioned the God of Light, but instead of saying that the God of Light had awakened the God of Order, the story claimed that the two had once joined forces to suppress a heretical god.

Still, this was already much better than the edition Karon owned. In his copy, the God of Light did not appear at all.

Karon opened the letter Tiz had tucked inside. The handwriting was rigorous, and was unmistakably Tiz’s style. It should also have been written recently, meaning it was not one of Tiz’s old reading notes, but something written specifically for Karon.

The letter read:

When I was young, I believed that Order was an insurmountable dividing line. It split the world into black and white, separating the realm of the gods from the realm of humans. Gods handled the affairs of gods, and humans handled the affairs of humans. Order was the boundary between gods and humans. With it, gods could no longer crudely interfere with humans, and humans no longer needed to tremble in fear before gods. Gods could remain lofty, while humans could lift their heads and admire them.

The God of Order was born in the previous epoch, in an age when the gods competed to manifest.

God fought god. Those who worshiped the gods slaughtered one another. Wars waged in the name of gods rose above nations and peoples, becoming an unavoidable force, because gods did not permit themselves to be blasphemed.

And the God of Order was the only god who would hold himself to punishment. He cast his own daughter, who had committed a fault, into the maw of a monstrous beast, letting her be chewed apart, and through this act, he ignited the Light of Order.

Perhaps this is where the God of Order’s appeal lies. In that era when gods stood above all, he was a god who set rules for gods. That is why I believed in him, and believed in Order.

Under the illumination of the Light of Order, humble humanity gained, for the first time, the chance to stand tall before gods. To the God of Order, godhood should be a symbol of strength, not a symbol of status.

But gradually, I realized that I was wrong.

***

“According to the Code of Order, you are charged with apostasy, deviation from Order, and insulting the faith. I now formally announce that you are under inquiry.

“Tiz, do you acknowledge the above charges, and do you admit the wrongdoing you have committed?”

Tiz stood on the steps of the church, staring straight at Rasma.

Floating on either side of the High Priest were two books. One was the Code of Order, the other was Light of Order.

The Church of Order was not a state, but when a religion develops to a certain degree, it inevitably gives rise to a secular layer and an upper echelon. The Temple represented the upper echelon. The Temple elders held the true secrets of the Church of Order and possessed the authority to transmit and interpret the will of the God of Order.

As High Priest, Rasma was one of the peak authorities of the Church of Order’s secular authority, nominally holding the highest decision-making power within the church’s operational system, and yet before the Temple elders, he was merely the eldest child left at home to watch over younger siblings while the parents were away.

Thus, the operating structure of many major churches, including the Church of Order, was a fusion of church and temple. The latter controlled the former, which in turn executed everything.

“Tiz, do you admit your wrongdoing?” Rasma demanded a second time.

Tiz did not answer. He simply stood there.

In truth, the atmosphere was delicate. One side was continuously pressing for an admission of guilt, while the other said nothing at all, and in doing so alone, drew out an endless sense of mockery.

On the church’s murals, one side depicted gods descending into the human world to bring blessings, while the other showed gods leading humanity to defeat demons and rebuild their homes.

This was a small church. Although it had a god, it was a stitched god, because it did not truly exist, or rather, its existence merely served to satisfy the ordinary people’s need for religious comfort.

It had a few ambiguous doctrines and some familiar stories. It was a passable church, with a priest who looked a bit kinder, and that was enough.

One could even compare this church to a park, a necessary fixture for the community’s spiritual life, no different from a fire station, a hospital, or a police office.

And precisely because of that, looking at the smiling faces of gods and people in the murals on both sides was profoundly ironic.

The figures in the murals seemed to be laughing. “Look at him. He’s already called the God of Order a god raised by a whore, and the other one is still asking if he admits his guilt. Are you deaf? You are deaf, aren’t you?”

“Tiz, I will ask you once more: do you admit your wrongdoing?” This was the third demand.

Tiz still did not speak.

“Tiz, you were the one who proposed negotiations today. We agreed to your terms, and at your invitation, we came here, so what exactly do you mean by this?”

At last, Tiz spoke, “I invited you here to negotiate, not to subject me to an inquiry.”

As he spoke, Tiz raised a hand and pointed at Rasma. “If you continue questioning my guilt, I will consider the negotiations over. There will be no need to waste any more time, and we will simply proceed directly to the next stage.”

Rasma’s expression shifted uncertainly. He wanted to turn back and receive guidance from the three elders behind him, but also knew perfectly well that Temple elders could not offer him any direction at this moment.

This was not something honorable. No matter how it might be concealed, what was happening here today was an internal fracture within the upper ranks of the Church of Order, a stain on its history.

Gods did not stoop. Or rather, unless absolutely necessary, gods maintained their glory intact.

The Temple elders were the same. Bearing divinity, they held themselves to stricter standards in their words and conduct in the mortal world. Thus, the dirty and exhausting work could only be handled by Rasma, and it had to be handled by him.

The Temple did not wish to lose Tiz. Before that, they first needed to exhaust every effort to pull him into the Temple.

“Heh.” Rasma laughed. He waved a hand, and the floating Code of Order dropped straight to the ground. He then took the initiative to walk towards Tiz, though not all the way. Instead, the High Priest sat down in the front pew and looked up at Tiz standing on the platform.

“Actually, I don’t agree with those accusations leveled against you. I believe they are slander and false allegations. The Immers family is a lineage with a long legacy within the Church of Order. Almost every generation of the Immers family has made immense contributions to the church. So how could you, Tiz, possibly do such a thing?

“As for how you addressed the God of Order earlier, I do not consider that a fault either, because my own mother was a whore. I was raised by a whore. So...” Rasma pointed to his own ear. “So in my ears, the phrase ‘raised by a prostitute’ carries no insult at all. On the contrary, it makes me feel warm, because it reminds me of my long-deceased mother.”

Tiz stared at Rasma, and then finally took half a step back and bowed slightly. “I apologize.”

Rasma, seated on the pew, suddenly looked embarrassed. He waved the apology off with a hand. “It’s fine. Since you are willing to take back what you said just now, we can proceed to the real negotiations. You see, I have already discarded the Code of Order. The only thing floating beside me now is the Light of Order.

“At this moment, I am not the High Priest of the church, and you are not an Inquisitor. There is no difference in status between us. We are both believers, believers in Order, believers in the God of Order.”

“No. I will not take back what I said just now.”

“Ah...” Rasma froze.

Tiz’s gaze shifted to the three Temple elders. “Perhaps one of the three of you knows whether or not what I just said was correct.”

At that moment, Sithe stepped forward and spoke in a deep voice. “Presumptuous!”

Tiz’s eyes narrowed slightly. He raised a hand and pointed at Sithe. “It seems you do not know.”

At that moment, on the outer perimeter, hundreds of red-robed clergy of the Church of Order began chanting. Using their bodies as anchor points and their faith as the connection, they quickly condensed a vast phantom above the church: the Throne of Order.

All of the red-robed clergy floated into the air in unison, and they almost simultaneously closed their eyes.

“In my God’s name, we pray for Your divine might to descend, to cleanse the dust from Order.”

“In my God’s name, we pray for Your divine might to descend, to cleanse the dust from Order.”

Amid the chant that swelled like a tidal wave, the Throne of Order began to press downward.

At last, a shock that seemed to reach into the depths of the soul spread outward from the church as its center.

Once everything had settled, the four legs of the Throne of Order stood around the church so that the throne completely overshadowed the building.

At the same time, the statue of the stitched god inside the church began to twist, and the murals on both walls started to melt.

Ultimately, the stitched god behind Tiz completely transformed, changing from a humanoid figure into a sword. It was the shape of the Sword of Order.

The murals on the walls, which had once depicted the stitched god, had reformed into images of black knights. They sat astride horses. Some held bows, some blades, some lances, and some shields. They bore all manner of weapons, yet all of their faces were pitch-black, their features impossible to discern.

There were twelve knights in total.

In the Church of Order’s mythology, these were the twelve mighty figures who had been resurrected by the God of Order. After being summoned back, they had become the God of Order’s most loyal guards, the enforcers of His will.

They had even hunted gods.

A drop of darkness fell from the church’s eaves. It spread rapidly, until the once white church became a solemn structure dominated by black, a court of Order’s judgment.

Rasma did not change his posture. He sat with one leg crossed, appearing quite at ease.

It was no act. After the initial discomfort had passed, he had completely relaxed. This was not a game he could participate in. He was not even the host, but merely a transitional figure. Since that was the case, there was no reason for him to bear any psychological burden.

Rasma spoke again, “Tiz, if you are willing to lower your head now, the doors of the Temple of Order will remain open to you, the Light of Order will continue to shine upon us both, and God will forgive all of your transgressions.”

“Rasma, do you know the truth of the Light of Order?” Tiz asked.

“The Light of Order symbolizes the supreme majesty of Order,” Rasma praised. “It is a beam that illuminates the relationship between gods and humans, like the gaze of a benevolent father.”

Tiz shook his head. “When Ankara was young and in a foul mood, the God of Order tried to amuse her by giving her three purple bookmarks, telling her to write the names of three gods she disliked. Shortly after that, those three gods fell.

“Ankara laughed.”

“That is precisely the human side of the God of Order, and the very foundation that distinguishes our Church of Order from other churches,” Rasma said. “Those three purple bookmarks have become symbols of our church’s authority. Only Temple elders have the right to issue them, representing the duty to enact chastisement in the name of Order.”

“Then why,” Tiz asked. “When Ankara later committed a crime, did the God of Order cast her into the maw of a monstrous beast, letting that beast crush both her flesh and her soul?”

“That is the God of Order’s greatness. For the sake of Order, He sacrificed too much. Like us, and like your Immers family, we offer ourselves willingly and sacrifice willingly, all so that the Light of Order may shine forever.”

“Have you ever considered the fact that the God of Order could casually make three gods fall simply to amuse his daughter when their names were written on bookmarks, yet later, when Ankara made a mistake, he could coldly throw her to a beast?”

“Tiz, the God of Order has both a human side and a divine side. He is a father, and He is the god who guides us. We worship Him. We revere Him.”

“No. It was because he was famished.”

***

“Because the God of Order was famished?” As Karon was reading this line, his hand had just started lifting a sugar cube toward his mouth, and it froze halfway there.

The letter continued:

He was starving, desperately famished. At first, he could use special justifications to hunt weaker gods and consume them as sustenance. Later, he realized that his appetite could no longer be satisfied. He was too famished.

I do not know the exact cause, but I know he was forced to expand his hunting range, even turning his gaze to the powerful true gods.

So he cast his daughter into the maw of a monstrous beast and created the Light of Order. Under that light, the God of Order could trample rules underfoot, leading his followers to suppress gods who violated those rules, branding them as evil gods and heretical gods.

The Light of Order is only a surface. Beneath it lies a twisted and starving face.

That was my original belief, but because of something you said to me recently, Karon, what if that monstrous beast was like our Pu’er?

If that is the case, then the God of Order may not have truly killed his daughter. Ankara may only have gone through the motions. She may still be alive, protected by her father.

If so, then the God of Order does not even possess the nature of a heretical god. If he were brutal, he could be a savage god. If he were insidious, he could be a heretical god. A god is a face, a pure face. It can represent only a single faith, just as a face that can portray only one expression.

Yet his face holds many expressions. He used falsehoods to deceive believers, and even to deceive the world. He created the Light of Order, a false light. He wears a mask of majestic Order, but beneath that mask is a face like a hawk, constantly shifting.

The God of Light, the God of the Abyss, the God of Principle, and other true gods are born from the calls of believers. Faith comes first, and then the gods. When they appear, they are already gods.

Our God of Order is different.

In the previous era, he hunted weak gods in madness, then personally fabricated a faith. He was not born of faith as a true god.

He was a liar.

***

In the pitch-black church, Tiz, dressed in his priest’s robes, was the only white presence remaining. Beneath the Sword of Order that hung overhead, beneath the gaze of the twelve Order Knights on the murals lining both walls, he raised his hands and declared, “Our God of Order is not a true god. Everything he has done was only to become one.”