13 Mink Street

Chapter 121: The “Guest” At Home

In the hospital restroom, Karon was washing his hands. He did not feel particularly dirty, nor even disgusted. Anyone who had truly cared for the elderly or accompanied patients in a hospital would know that such a situation was perfectly ordinary.

He stepped out of the restroom and returned to Alfred’s room. The golden retriever was dozing, and Alfred had also fallen asleep. Karon leaned against the wall, his head down as he mentally replayed the image of the gunmen shooting and the tram exploding afterward.

Because he had layered multiple defenses over himself at the very beginning, blocking his own vision, it was unrealistic for him to expect the memory to feel particularly thrilling. Still, from another angle, the incident proved just how practical the spells were that Pu’er and Kevin had chosen for Karon to learn.

Alfred had been blasted into such a miserable state, yet Karon had been practically unharmed. Even the little girl who had been crunching potato chips beside him had come out without a scratch.

Compared to lying on a bed to receive “ointment,” Karon preferred being the one who applied said “ointment.”

Maintaining that position, Karon remained lost in his thoughts for a long time. He was not fatigued; He simply wanted to empty his mind.

When he finally returned to himself, he opened the door and went out. He needed to buy some food, but was not sure whether or not this hospital had a cafeteria. He needed to check first.

“Hello. May I ask where Mr. Alfred’s room is?”

“Ciri,” Karon called towards the nurse’s station.

“Young Master.” Ciri saw Karon and immediately ran over. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead, and Pu’er sat on her shoulder.

***

“Young Master, please go home and rest. I’ll stay here and care for Mr. Alfred.”

“Take this money. There could be additional fees. Also, you can hire a caregiver to rotate with you.”

“There’s no need for a caregiver. I’m your maid; This is what I should do.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Young Master, please go home and rest. Your clothes...”

“I told you, it’s just some sauce.”

“But it looks so frightening.”

“Alright, I’ll head back now.” Karon glanced at Alfred lying on the hospital bed. Kevin’s urine could not possibly be miraculous enough to regenerate flesh from mere bones, but it had dealt with the possibility of infection. Now, everything only required the normal medical process and time for the wounds to heal. For severe burns to be reduced to mere surface injuries was already a gift from god.

Yes, truly a gift from god.

“Young Master, I’ll try to be discharged as soon as possible,” Alfred said as he looked at Karon.

“Stay a few more days and recover properly. You said it yourself, it’s best not to replace parts.” Karon walked out of the room, Pu’er sitting on his shoulder and Kevin at his heels.

“The stupid dog left a note at home. The handwriting looked like some sort of dog scratch, but it was barely legible,” Pu’er said. “Ciri can actually read. I didn’t say anything and just took a taxi here.”

“Mm. Thank you for all of this, Kevin.”

“Woof!”

When Karon arrived at the hospital entrance, he happened to see two hearses facing off at the curbside. The funeral home matron he had met before, still wearing her red knit sweater, was arguing with the other hearse’s driver. Pike and Dinkom had their sleeves rolled up and were sizing up two men from the other company.

It was likely a dispute over the ownership of a “guest.” From the argument, it seemed that Pavaro Funeral Home had snatched the other business’s order.

In the city, funeral homes acted like dogs marking territory on utility poles. Each had clearly defined spheres of influence, especially in places like hospitals and nursing homes, where their clients were concentrated. They usually had long term cooperative partnerships.

There was competition among funeral homes, but directly snatching an order like this was rare.

Because the lower bound of the industry were the crematoriums, and funeral homes operated with high profit margins, undercutting one another only reduced profits and made things less efficient. There was an unspoken understanding among peers.

But clearly, Pavaro Funeral Home was violating that understanding. According to the other side, they had sent a client in for emergency treatment, and after resuscitation efforts had failed and death was confirmed, Pavaro Funeral Home had swooped in and persuaded the family, and proceeded to load the “guest” into their own hearse.

The argument continued.

Karon saw Mr. Pavaro himself standing by himself some distance away, smoking and acting as if the whole matter had nothing to do with him.

“Wait here for a bit,” Karon said. Pu’er jumped down from his shoulder, but this time, did not land directly on Kevin.

Karon walked over to Pavaro. Earlier, Kevin had brought five thousand rels in cash, and while Karon had left two thousand with Ciri, he still had three thousand with him.

Considering he still needed to take a taxi home, he put two 100 rel notes back into his pocket and walked over with the rest.

“Mm?” Pavaro noticed Karon approaching.

“Here is the money you loaned me. The difference is to cover the vehicle fee. My family just sent this over. It’s not much. I’ll visit properly with gifts and a formal thank you later.”

Although Mrs. Pavaro had hinted in the hearse about church credit, they had still rushed Alfred to the hospital in time. Mr. Pavaro had even paid for the medical expenses out of pocket.

The more that strangers offered help, the more it needed to be remembered.

Mr. Pavaro first glanced at his wife who was still arguing, and then stepped forward to slightly block Karon from her view. He then grabbed the money and stuffed it right into his own pocket while muttering, “This is my secret stash for some pastries.”

With just a touch, he seemed to have estimated the amount. “This is enough, it’s plenty. It covers the transport fee, so no need for further thanks. That’s too much trouble.”

“This is different. I should formally express my gratitude,” Karon insisted.

Mr. Pavaro smacked his lips. He tossed a cigarette butt to the ground and took his pack back out to tap out two cigarettes. He held one out to Karon.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t smoke.”

“Heh.” Mr. Pavaro laughed and lit one for himself. He then asked, “How’s your boss?”

“He was saved.”

“That couldn’t have been easy.” Mr. Pavaro sighed. “You might try contacting your boss’s friends. Maybe they have some way to help.”

“Thank you for the reminder.”

The argument continued, and the deceased’s family even arrived.

The matron shouted, “What do you mean we stole your client? Do you know who arrived first at the accident scene? It was our hearse! But we didn’t rush to take clients; We rushed the critically injured to the hospital to be saved! You people see only clients. I bet you’d prefer your clients had died completely halfway!”

Karon stepped forward and bowed to the woman. “Thank you for your help. Because of you, the doctors were able to save him in time.”

Hearing this, the woman grew a little embarrassed.

Karon turned then to the deceased’s family. “This funeral home’s first action after the accident was to transport the injured to the hospital for rescue. I can testify to that. A member of my own family was also one of the victims in the accident, and he is currently in intensive care. This is a funeral home with genuine humanity. I believe that, given their character, a funeral they arrange will surely be handled properly and will not disappoint.”

“Alright then. We’ll choose this one.”

After helping secure the client, Karon walked to the roadside. Pu’er and Kevin followed. A hearse drove over. The matron sat in the passenger seat and asked, “Young man, are you waiting for a taxi?”

“Yes,” Karon replied with a smile.

“Heh, what a pity. If we weren’t carrying a guest, I’d really like to give you a ride home.”

Karon glanced at the narrow road outside the hospital. It didn’t look like the kind of place where he could flag down a cab. After a brief pause, he told the woman, “I’m headed to Bluebridge Community, Allen Apartments.”

It was on their way.

“Heh.” Pavaro chuckled from the driver’s seat.

The woman pinched her husband, but ultimately finally waved Karon in. “Get in.”

With such an “enthusiastic invitation,” Karon got into the hearse.

“Your pets?” Pike asked curiously.

“Yes. Someone from my family came earlier to take over care. They happened to take them to the pet shop for a bath, but when they heard the news, they rushed right over, so now I need to take them home.”

“Oh, I see. That’s a very cute cat,” Pike said.

“I think the golden retriever looks better,” Dinkom replied.

“Hold tight! We’re heading home,” Pavaro shouted.

While riding in the hearse to rush Alfred to the hospital, Pavaro had driven fast. Karon had assumed the man had been anxious to save someone or perhaps hurry back for more business. He now understood that Pavaro simply drove fast by nature, and also liked taking shortcuts. The modified hearse was often pushed into drifting when taking turns.

Because there was no fixed pit in the middle to secure the “guest,” Pike and Dinkom had to hold the stretcher to prevent them from sliding and rolling.

The golden retriever and Pu’er clung to Karon on either side to maintain balance. In this way, the hearse arrived at Allen Apartments. Karon got out and was about to walk to the front to thank the Pavaro couple again, only for Mr. Pavaro to wave his hand and drive off.

“That’s the suspended Inquisitor, right?” Pu’er asked.

“Yes.”

“I don’t think he’s bad.”

“Mm.”

Karon did not immediately enter the apartment complex, but instead crossed the street. The door was open to Alaia’s agency, and he was inside cutting posters with scissors, preparing to put them up outside.

When Alaia looked up and saw Karon, he hurried over and opened the door. “Young Master, what happened to your clothes...”

“There was an accident. There was an attack on the tram today, and it exploded. Alfred was injured and is currently in the hospital.”

“Is Mr. Alfred alright?” Alaia asked with concern.

“He was saved, and he’s currently stable, but he needs to remain for observation. Mr. Alaia, you have a spare key for your car, right?”

“Yes, yes.”

“I’m sorry, but when Alfred was injured, his clothes were badly damaged and his wallet was burned. I wasn’t able to find the car key, so it was probably lost in the explosion.

“Your car is parked at the west side of the tram station in front of the small café. I’ll have to trouble you to retrieve it.” Karon had been using Alaia’s car for the past two days.

“Alright, that’s no problem. I’ll go get it soon. Young Master, you’re not injured, are you?”

“I’m fine. This is just a stain.”

“Which hospital is Mr. Alfred in? I’d like to visit him.”

“That’s not necessary. He’s resting now, and should be discharged in just a few days. By the way, Mr. Alaia, after retrieving the car, could you come by my place?”

“Of course. Is there something else, Young Master?”

“I’d like to trouble you to buy a car from the second hand dealer tomorrow. I’ll give you the money. For now, it can be registered in your name, if that would be alright?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? It shows your trust in me.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re too polite, Young Master.”

Karon glanced inside the shop. “Where are your wife and Hend?”

“Hend insisted on having some cake, so Zenn took him to buy some.”

“That’s good. Has there been progress with Hend’s treatment?”

Alaia sighed. “Honestly, I no longer have any hope.”

“There will be hope,” Karon comforted. “I’ll head back now. I need to clean up.”

“Alright, Young Master. I’ll retrieve the car first, and then come see you.”

“Mhmm.” Karon returned to the apartments. He went up to the third floor and opened his door.

There were various ingredients strewn across the dining table. The house had been cleaned spotless.

Karon removed his coat and went to the washroom. Instead of washing up immediately, he filled a basin with hot water, called Kevin over, and then held him and cleaned his paws.

After the washing, Karon instructed, “Don’t move.”

He went to the living room and retrieved the small first aid kit that Zenn had thoughtfully purchased when Karon had moved in. He took it to the washroom and disinfected Kevin’s paws with cotton swabs before finally wrapping all four paws in bandages.

Kevin just stood there, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

Pu’er approached and gently patted the bandaged paws with a paw.

“I’ll remove them in two days,” Karon announced.

“Woof.” The golden retriever nodded.

Only then did Karon take his own shower.

Ciri had a good habit. She placed clean clothes in a basket behind the washroom door. Karon chose a set and changed. When he stepped out, he heard the doorbell downstairs. It was likely Alaia.

When Karon went downstairs, he first went into Alfred’s bedroom. There was an open box inside a cabinet. The cash in that box had been taken earlier by Kevin, and it currently held their identification documents and a passbook.

After taking the passbook, Karon opened the door. Alaia stood outside. “Young Master, here is cake.”

“Thank you.” Karon took it. “Please take me to the bank to withdraw some money.”

“There’s no need; I have money on hand. It’s getting late and you need to rest. I’ll buy the car tomorrow.”

For some reason, Alaia was convinced that this “young master,” who lived in an ordinary apartment and needed a mortgage to buy it, was wealthy and would not deceive him.

“You’re really going out of your way.”

“It’s nothing, Young Master. If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back. I’ll bring you the car tomorrow afternoon.”

“Alright. Thank you.” After closing the door, Karon returned the passbook to its place. He took the bag of cake and pastries and went to sit at the dining table to quietly eat. After eating a few, he left the rest on the table, trusting that Pu’er and Kevin would help themselves when they got hungry.

He went upstairs. Passing the washroom, he hesitated, but then entered and washed the clothes he had changed out of. The sauce stains required proper scrubbing. After washing the clothes, he carried the basket to the rooftop and hung the clothes up to dry.

Upon returning downstairs, he heard the telephone ringing. Karon went to answer it. Bertha was calling.

“Mr. Karon, you have an appointment for tomorrow. An eight year old child is suspected of having delusional disorder. His father brought him in today. The case is somewhat tricky, and we recommended you. It’s scheduled for noon; Are you available?”

Karon thought of the father and son he had encountered in the elevator when leaving work and replied, “Yes.”

“Good. It’s scheduled.”

“Mm.” After hanging up, Karon went back to Alfred’s bedroom and selected two sets of clothes for him. Karon then folded them and packed them in a bag. He planned to drop them off at the hospital before work in the morning.

That done, Karon poured himself a glass of ice water and went back upstairs to his bedroom.

Pu’er was already under the covers. Seeing Karon, she said, “Young Master, I warmed the bed for you.”

“Heh.” The radio was on, and the newspaper lay on the nightstand.

Karon felt tired. He turned the radio off. He patted Kevin’s head in his bed, then turned off the light and lay down. He grabbed the glass he had brought up, and drank the ice water in one gulp.

“Do you still have to go to work tomorrow?” Pu’er asked.

“Yes.”

“That’s tiring. After doing so much, you still have to work.”

Karon calmly replied, “It’s nothing. Most people live like this. No matter what disruptions, setbacks, or accidents happen in their daily life, they deal with what they can solve immediately and postpone what they can’t. In this vast world, there is nothing greater than having to go to work tomorrow. I’m already happier than most. After all, I only start at noon.”

He smiled faintly. “Alright, I’m tired. Go to sleep.”

Pu’er lay on Karon’s pillow and gently stroked his hair with a paw to help him fall asleep.

Karon drifted into sleep. In his dream, he saw the scene from the tram again. This time, when Alfred tried to step forward, Karon grabbed his clothes and pulled him back. He also pulled the potato chip girl into his arms.

He then began to chant, “O’ Supreme God of Order, O’ Chains of Order that judge all things, attend my call...”

Black armor appeared on Karon’s body. It descended slowly, like placing an overcoat atop a blanket in winter.

Black feathers hovered above, gently swaying.

Three black walls stood around the bed like screens.

The golden retriever lifted his head from his bed to look at the scene, then lay back down.

Pu’er, lying on the bed, blinked. She knew that this was a manifestation of Karon’s lack of security.

Yet, it was also possible that the aura of Order in the bedroom triggered something in the apartment. In the study, the furniture remained intact, yet the wind chime hanging by the window in front of the desk chimed crisply, despite the doors and windows remaining closed.

Karon’s first dream ended with the explosion, and after that, everything returned to calm.

He next found himself standing in a familiar place. As he looked around, he realized that he was in his own home, on the second floor of the apartment he had bought with the mortgage. Behind him was the bedroom, while in front was the half closed study door.

Through the crack, Karon saw an elderly figure sitting behind the desk, reading. Sensing someone outside, the old man paused, though he did not turn around. A smile could be heard as he asked, “Care to come in for a chat?”

Karon nodded. He reached out and grabbed the study door handle.

Bang!

He slammed the study door shut and quickly turned the key that hung on the handle, locking the door from the outside. “Chat my ass!”