13 Mink Street

Chapter 137: It Begins!

“Get in.”

“Okay.” Little John got into the front passenger seat, while Karon opened the rear door and sat down beside Mr. Pavaro.

“What about the butler?” Mr. Pavaro asked.

“He’s dead. Poisoned.”

Little John immediately explained himself from the front. “It wasn’t me. He wanted to poison me.”

“You didn’t awaken him?” Mr. Pavaro asked.

“No.” Karon shook his head.

“You didn’t get the location out of him?”

“There was no need. He knows.” Karon pointed at Little John. “It’s where he was corrupted.”

“Are we going there now?” Mr. Pavaro asked.

“No. Tomorrow. Since we’re going into a snake pit, the first thing we need to do is draw the snake out. At the very least, we need to wound it. Otherwise, even if we find that place, we won’t have much of a chance.”

“You’re going to draw them toward the Light vermin?”

“I already have. The dead keep secrets, yet the dead are often more believable.”

The people Alfred had killed in the textile factory executive office, and the words Karon had spoken to Little John in the Tadel residence, which were in truth spoken to the dying butler, would all be submitted as clues and evidence to the people of the Church of Order once people were awakened.

Mr. Pavaro smiled. “Others kill to silence. You kill to pass a message.”

He paused, but then continued, “But this is still a bit obvious.”

“Yes.” Karon nodded. “But obvious and direct don’t matter. As long as it works.”

“That’s true.”

“Light vermin are a thorn to the entire ecclesiastical world. The Church of Order’s standing is now pressing close to what the Church of Light was in the previous epoch, so the Church of Order is naturally the most vigilant and wary of Light vermin.”

“Yes.”

“Of course, the key point is that these particular Light vermin can fight. If there were only just two or three small fish, this would achieve nothing. Also, not only can they fight, they’re reckless.”

Karon thought of Elder Dock. The old man was a violent brute. The Light vermin in York City were disparate forces forcibly stitched together. So far, there were three distinct factions confirmed.

Bertha led her faction as an apostle, then there was Elder Dock’s faction, and finally a third faction that held secret gatherings and preached in the building across the street from Piaget’s clinic.

In name, all three factions listened to the apostle, but realistically, they each followed their own habits and pace, stubbornly maintaining their independence.

Even if the Church of Order’s people were cautious and first sent someone to probe and make contact, Elder Dock’s group would treat them the way they had treated the Raphael family before, with the harshest methods immediately.

“There’s also this: from our standpoint, the Light vermin have no reason to meddle in this matter. Their involvement would be inexplicable. But from the perspective of the people who killed you, it’s different. That’s because they skip the stage of ‘inexplicable’ and get straight to the fact that the Light vermin are indeed investigating this matter, and they have made substantial progress.

“You were an Inquisitor. The things you reported upward were withheld, while you yourself were suppressed, imprisoned, and finally ‘executed’ because you were always within their control. But this group of Light vermin is not.

“They also have to worry that this vermin’s activities will draw attention from other parts of the Church of Order. As soon as those two sides clash, this matter of theirs will likely be overturned and exposed, which means that they are the ones who cannot sit still. For them, the most stable and safest approach is to use their own strength to extinguish that Light Vermin faction as quickly as possible.”

Hearing this, Mr. Pavaro wanted to laugh but could not. “My channel as an Inquisitor to report upward is actually worse than Light vermin!”

“What dark humor.”

“Young Master, where are we going now?”

“Home first.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

On the way back, Karon rested his head against the window again, using time to catch a bit more sleep. Little John sat upright the entire time, stiff and restrained.

Mr. Pavaro occasionally glanced at Karon sitting beside him, touching his own face from time to time before looking back out the window again. He watched the scenery he would see fewer and fewer times.

The car parked beneath the apartment complex, and Karon opened his eyes only briefly before closing them again.

Little John got out first. He opened the rear door, and took the initiative to help Mr. Pavaro out of the car.

“Helping me up is useless,” Mr. Pavaro said. “In two days I’ll die anyway.”

Little John pretended not to understand, his face showing the sweet, naive smile of a child. Mr. Pavaro glanced back at Karon, still seated in the car, and said nothing more. With Little John supporting him, he went upstairs, Alfred following behind.

The door was open. The maid, Ciri, was cleaning. Lines from her tears could be clearly seen on her face. When she saw an unfamiliar disabled man and an unknown child, Ciri stared at Alfred with confusion.

“They’re guests. They’ll stay here for a few days.”

“Oh, okay. I’ll take care of them.” Ciri forced out a smile.

Alfred looked at her with some confusion before also entering the apartment. Only after stepping inside did he realize why she looked so miserable.

It was because Annie was still lying in the first floor washroom.

Imagine a maid arriving at her employer’s home in the morning, finding only a cat and a dog inside. She hums as she starts cleaning. Then, she opens the door to the washroom and finds a female corpse on the floor, candles arranged around it, and a hole in her forehead.

Alfred backed up several steps, went to Ciri, and asked, “You didn’t call the police, right?”

“Ah, no. No.”

“That’s good.”

“Mr. Alfred, do you need me to help move that, that, out?”

“Treat her like a relative who passed away normally while at home, but we don’t have time for a funeral right now. It will be fine in a couple of days.”

“Passed away normally?”

“Keep doing your work.”

“Yes, sir.” Ciri drew in a deep breath and then slowly let it out. By rights, she should have called the police, but by law, as an illegal immigrant, she did not even have the right to step into a police station.

Alfred returned to the car. His eyes still closed, Karon shifted into a different position and said, “Apple Street.”

“Yes, Young Master.” As Alfred started the engine, he said, “Young Master, Ciri saw Madam Annie’s body.”

“Heh. She must have been frightened.”

“Yes.”

Karon did not ask further. He knew Ciri would not call the police.

After another short nap, the car entered Apple Street and stopped at Piaget’s front gate. Karon stretched. The fragmented sleep had been enough. If doing normal work, going one night without sleep at his age would not be a big problem, but chanting Arts required stamina, so he had to prioritize his rest.

“Alright. You can go back.”

“Young Master, even though you left the address next door, you may not be safe here.”

“It’s precisely because it won’t be safe that I have to be here.”

“I understand, Young Master.”

Karon got out. As he pushed open the unlocked yard gate and stepped into the yard, he paused and looked toward the second floor balcony window of the villa next door. Vernon stood there, like a poet in heat.

Covering his mouth with the back of his hand, Karon yawned and continued inward. He stopped at the front door of the entryway. Before he could knock, the door opened. The curtains of the floor to ceiling window on the first floor were not drawn. Piaget and Bede were sitting there, and they could see Karon coming in. Piaget had opened the door. “You’re here.”

“Yes. I came to see you.” Entering the living room, Karon saw an easel as large as a classroom blackboard. The paper was blank, not yet painted. Bede, who had been sitting on the sofa, also stood and smiled at Karon.

“Is the Church of Light keeping the agreement?” Karon asked. Their agreement stated that, aside from him and Bertha, no one else was allowed in the house, and no one was allowed to conduct any investigation in the premises.

Bede said, “There’s been no investigation. If there were, I would feel it when I picked up the brush to paint.”

“Good.” Karon sat down on the sofa. The Wall God Church truly had many wondrous abilities, but it also had a major flaw: its people could not fight.

“Do you want some coffee?” Piaget asked.

“Yes, I need it. But no sugar.”

“There was a reason last time.”

“Yes. I tasted it.”

Piaget poured him a cup of coffee. Some had already been brewed.

Karon took it and sipped. Compared to terrifying sweetness, he could accept pure bitterness more easily.

“Have you painted anything?” Karon asked.

“We’re still in the conception stage,” Bede replied.

“No rush. Take your time.” Karon continued, “Oh, right. One more thing. I lured a swarm of stinging bees to the house next door. I don’t know when they’ll arrive. It could be dusk, or it might be late at night.”

“Next door?” Piaget pointed in that direction.

“Yes. Do you have any concerns?”

“No,” Piaget answered decisively.

“I thought you might consider Bertha’s feelings.”

“People must step out of the past. They can’t keep sinking into it. For example, you. After you separated from Miss Eunice, you also live normally.”

“Kgh.” Karon choked on a mouthful of coffee and instinctively glanced at Bede, but the man’s expression remained calm.

It appeared that the two men had not had any deep conversation. Everything remained at the level of jointly creating a painting.

“There will be danger tonight,” Karon warned. “But the way we deal with danger is simple. We act as if we know nothing, and as if nothing is happening. I even suspect that when the bees do their scouting, they may come over here first. If someone stops by, don’t panic.

“Piaget, you’re still the clinic owner. Mr. Bede, you’re a painter. Understood?”

Piaget nodded. “I didn’t hear anything dangerous in what you just said. I heard something like freedom. After tonight, Mr. Bede and I can be free and will no longer be confined?”

Bede said, “If you want to burn through the rope binding your hands with a lighter, you can’t be afraid of being burned.”

Karon looked out the window. “That idiot on the second floor next door has been staring into the yard the whole time.”

Vernon truly had not violated the rule. He did not use any special method to investigate this villa, only his eyes.

Karon thought for a moment. “Fine. We can be proactive. Piaget, do you have a phone book?”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t tear out the ad pages, right?” The colored pages in phone books often had numbers for nearby banks and restaurants.

“No.”

“Order pizza later, and then order some more late night food. Order plenty. When you go to open the door, hold a paintbrush and a seasoning tray. Pretend that you’re too busy to receive things, and have the deliveryman carry the items directly into the house.”

Piaget smiled. “That sounds like opening the sheep pen and inviting the wolf inside.”

“Any issues?” Karon asked.

“None for me. Aside from the Wall God Church, I don’t know much else. What about Mr. Bede?”

“Given the current situation, I have no issues either. The main battlefield isn’t here.”

“Good. That’s it. Piaget, do you have any pajamas that haven’t been worn? Help me with a set. I want to take a shower first.” After a night without sleep and a day of napping in the car, his body felt greasy and uncomfortable.

“Go shower. I’ll leave the pajamas outside.”

“Alright.” Karon stood, nodded to Bede, then went upstairs to the second floor washroom.

While he was showering, Piaget knocked on the door. “The pajamas are here outside. I brought three new sets. Just pick one.”

“Okay.”

“I also left a razor and shaving cream here.”

“Thank you.”

After a comfortable shower, Karon opened the door. From the three sets of pajamas, he chose a blue and black plaid set and put it on. He did not hurry downstairs. He stood before the mirror above the washstand.

Alfred’s warning was quite accurate: this place was dangerous. If it were anyone else, Karon would sell out his teammates and prioritize his own safety, but this time he could not do that. One man was a friend who had lent him money several times, while the other was his future father in law.

There was also another reason which Karon could not voice; Like a killer returning to the scene of the crime, because his framing and manipulation guided what was about to happen, if he could not witness it directly with his own eyes, he felt it would be too great a regret.

He hoped everything would go smoothly.

Karon picked up the razor box, opened it, leaned close to the mirror, looked carefully, and then touched his face. He did not seem to need to shave. He was too young.

He washed his face again with a hot towel and went downstairs to the first floor. He smelled a thick tomato sauce scent. He saw Piaget holding a slice of pizza in one hand and a brush in the other, casually sketching on the large board in front of him.

Bede leaned against the sofa, holding a cigar, his gaze unfocused. By the living room coffee table, a deliveryman in green clothes with “Procco’s Pizza” printed on them was down on one knee, taking multiple items out of a box and arranging them one by one.

There was not only pizza, but other foods as well, as well as red wine. Even if Piaget had called the pizza shop as soon as Karon went upstairs, this delivery speed was still far too fast.

Karon glanced at the clock on the living room wall. It was a quarter to four in the afternoon. However, Karon did not pay much attention to the deliveryman. He simply walked over, grabbed a slice of pizza, and bit into it. Since it had likely been delivered right after coming out of the oven, it was unexpectedly good.

“Open the red wine,” Karon said.

“Yes, sir.” The deliveryman immediately took out his own corkscrew to open the bottle.

“Hey, did you tip him?” Karon asked Piaget while chewing.

“The gentleman already tipped me, and quite a lot. Thank you,” the deliveryman said with a smile.

The bottle opened. “Gentlemen, do you have glasses?”

“Use your own cups,” Karon indifferently ordered.

“Okay.” As he poured the wine, the deliveryman curiously asked, “I thought you would have a wine cellar in this home.”

“I just moved in and haven’t had time to set things up. I don’t usually have friends over, and I don’t drink alone,” Piaget explained without ever stopping with his artwork.

“Yes. Wine only has an atmosphere when you drink with friends.” After pouring the wine, the deliveryman stood and voluntarily started cleaning up the coffee table and collecting trash from the floor.

Bede exhaled a smoke ring and impatiently said, “Alright, alright. You can go.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll take this trash with me.”

The deliveryman picked up the bag he had packed and walked to the entryway. Near the door, he stopped, turned, and asked, “Oh, right. Gentlemen, is next door 3-07?”

“Yes. Why?” Karon asked.

“Nothing. When I passed by just now, I saw someone watching me from upstairs. I almost thought the pizza delivery was for them.”

Piaget leaned his head out from beside the drawing board and called out, “Impossible. The house next door is also mine, but it’s been empty. No one lives there. You must have been seeing things.”

“Ah, then I must have been mistaken. Sorry for the trouble.” The deliveryman immediately opened the door and went out. Through the living room window, they watched him leave the yard.

Piaget stretched, opened his mouth to say something, only to then see Bede set his cigar in the ashtray. The man stood, picked up a brush, and walked over to the canvas. Beside where Piaget had been drawing, Bede began to paint.

“This pizza really does taste good,” Karon said.

“Yes, but the red wine is terrible,” Piaget said, shaking his head. “We need to hurry and stock the basement wine cellar.”

“Hey, aren’t you going next door to check? That deliveryman said he saw someone in your empty house. What if it’s a burglar?” Karon asked.

“Even if there is a burglar, why would I go? Burglars only steal things. I’m not willing to risk getting hurt. My safety is worth far more than a bit of furniture.”

As they spoke, both Karon and Piaget were watching Bede, who was painting with a furrowed brow, fully focused. However, he held his brush in a rather strange grip. The tail of the brush was tilted too far upward.

He was pointing upstairs.

At that moment, in the second floor washroom, the squad captain of the Order’s Whip, Tirsen, stood in front of a mirror at the washstand, casually playing with the razor that had been unsealed but never used.

Karon said, “Boss, which one of us are you picking first tonight?”

Piaget froze, then immediately fell into character with a smile. “He’s red wine; He needs to be savored slowly. You’re a cocktail, and can be sampled fresh. Come, follow me to the second floor bedroom first. Tonight, one by one.”

In the upstairs washroom, Tirsen’s face revealed disgust and discomfort.

He put the razor back into the sink, took two steps back, and his body transformed into a mass of black mist that flew out the window.

Bede lowered his brush. “He’s gone.”

All three men sat back down on the sofa. Karon lifted the red wine glass in front of him and took a sip, then smiled. “Next, we wait for the curtain to rise.”