13 Mink Street

In Ms. Lake’s workroom, Karon sat to the side while the woman herself applied mortuary makeup for the deceased. A faint layer of black covered her in a protective veil. It was Order purification that Karon maintained for her.

“Are demonkin always so dangerous?” Ms. Lake asked softly. “My husband rarely talked to me about this kind of thing. Sorry, but I’m a little curious.”

“You can think of them as people with an infectious disease,” Karon replied. “At least, a large portion of them are like that.”

“Then Dora and Dorin... do they count as demonkin too?”

“If their father weren’t an Inquisitor, their end would most likely have been purification, the kind that is performed very thoroughly.”

“I understand.” Ms. Lake continued working. Karon noticed her tools might not be as high of quality as Aunt Mary’s, yet in terms of technique, the woman was not at all inferior to Aunt Mary.

“Madam, how long have you been doing this?” Karon asked.

“My grandmother and my mother both did this.”

“Oh, so that’s how it is.” Karon stood up and began observing the female corpse that had already been preliminarily handled. The first place to be handled was definitely the face, because other places could be covered with clothing or accessories, but the face could not.

The meaning of mortuary makeup was to allow the deceased and their relatives and friends to see each other face to face for one last time, and the “face” in that meant an actual face.

Ms. Lake had already pulled out the two fangs, placing them on a tray beside her. At the same time, she had also filled holes where the teeth had been removed so that the mouth would still look natural when it was closed.

The skin on the face had been pulled and reset, because the woman’s expression after dying had been too ferocious, and extremely clear creases had been left behind. After this treatment, the facial expression became much more dignified.

In addition, the ten long black nails had been cut off. During the funeral, the woman would lie in a coffin with her hands folded over her lower abdomen, and long black nails would look indecent.

“The hardest part of the work is already over,” Ms. Lake said with a smile. “Next is makeup and clothing.”

“Mhmm, very efficient.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

Karon reached out and picked up one of the pulled fangs. He held it up, examining it carefully. After his experience snapping the Whip of Order’s ring earlier, he also tried to break the fang with both hands. It proved to be very hard.

He then rubbed the tip of the fang back and forth against the steel table, resulting in a shrill screeching sound. When he lifted the tooth once more, he found no sign of any damage to the tip.

Getting stabbed in the neck by this thing and having blood sucked must be very unpleasant.

Karon set the fang down and picked up one of the long black nails that had been cut off. The black within it was slightly hot to the touch. Karon knew that this was because there was still fairly dense corruption residue inside the nail. More simply put, the nail contained toxins.

There were various signs to indicate that this had been a fairly mature Bloodfiend, and its rank could not have been low. That was because Mr. Hoffen’s notes mentioned records of what low tier Bloodfiends were like. Those things were more like living corpses with an instinctive obsession with blood.

“For the teeth, nails, and other things that fall off during the handling, find a box specifically to hold them. Hmm, just use them as padding under her hands when posing her.”

“Alright, I understand what you mean. These things were very important to her, right?”

“Mhmm, but more importantly, it’s to show we didn’t steal her things. These teeth and nails have some value.”

“Like ivory?” Ms. Lake joked.

“You can say that.”

“I’m sorry to trouble you. You have to stay here with me.”

“It’s not trouble. You’re the one taking a risk by doing mortuary makeup for her.”

“I’m alright. When I’m covered by this black layer, I actually feel a sense of safety in my heart. It’s very comfortable.”

At that moment, Ms. Lake lifted her head to look at the radio on a cabinet in the workroom. “May I listen to some music on the radio? It helps me to work faster while doing the makeup.”

“You can.” Karon walked over, turned on the radio, and began tuning. Before long, a sentimental song flowed out. Ms. Lake clearly knew what song it was and began humming along. Her hands did speed up a lot.

Karon sat back down where he had been sitting before. He could not leave the room for the time being, as doing so would interrupt the purification protection he was providing for Ms. Lake.

Listening to the song and watching as the Bloodfiend corpse on the steel table gradually regained a youthful appearance, Karon fell into thought.

When her husband had called, he had mentioned that he had heard that Mr. Pavaro was a good person, which was why he had approached Mr. Pavaro to ask for help.

Indeed, from Mr. Pavaro’s perspective, facing a demonkin who chose to commit suicide before losing herself to her instincts in order not to harm people, it would be difficult not to give her some help, such as a decent funeral.

Back when Karon had first awakened Mr. Pavaro, the man had looked at Annie lying on the floor, and what his first concern had been for her funeral.

This woman’s husband did not actually know Mr. Pavaro. One could even say that there had never been any contact between the two, because after Karon had answered the phone and claimed to be Mr. Pavaro, the other man had believed it, not noticing the difference in voice.

While a person’s voice could be distorted during a phone call, Karon’s voice and Mr. Pavaro’s were distinctly different. When answering the phone, Karon had not worn the mask, and had not bothered to alter his voice at all.

Who had recently mentioned to the husband that Mr. Pavaro was a good, upright person who would accept this job? Just a small probe had seen the man volunteering the answer, confirming that it had been Nio, the captain of the Whip of Order squad.

Nio knew the couple, and when confronted with the husband’s pleas, Nio had also suggested that the man approach Mr. Pavaro, which he had done.

The man did not even know that Mr. Pavaro did not actually know the captain at all. That was because Nio had taken over Tirsen’s position after the other squad captain’s death and was actively working to rebuild the Whip of Order squad. Nio had never truly had any meaningful interactions with Mr. Pavaro. The only time they had met had been when Nio had been playing the role of Mion’s cautious clerk.

Once Karon unraveled the connections, he had a rough understanding of matters.

Before losing herself, the woman had chosen suicide. Her husband had then begged Nio, wanting to give his wife a decent funeral. Nio had recommended Mr. Pavaro’s funeral home.

What kind of relationship did Nio have with the couple? Had he simply made a recommendation, or was there some other purpose?

“Done,” Ms. Lake announced, setting her tools down.

Only then did Karon realize how long he had been lost in his own thoughts. Ms. Lake had even changed the corpse into new, clean clothing. The woman wore a white dress.

“Very well done.”

“Thank you for the compliment. I would like to go take a shower first now. Is that alright?”

“Of course.”

“I’m sure you’re hungry now as well, so after I shower, I’ll prepare a late night snack for you. I won’t put on sauce anymore.”

“Sorry to trouble you.”

“It’s no trouble at all.” As Ms. Lake walked to the door, Karon lifted his hand and removed the purification protection from her.

After she was gone, Karon continued sitting where he was.

“Young Master, Young Master?” Karon heard Alfred’s voice coming through the radio. “Young Master, can I come in now?”

“You can.”

“Alright, Young Master, I’m coming.” The radio resumed the earlier music.

After Karon had waited for quite a while, Alfred finally arrived in the back of the funeral home, carrying a large sack on his shoulder. He found Karon sitting in the workroom.

“Weren’t you at the door just now?” Karon asked.

“No. When I called you, Young Master, I was driving and had almost arrived.”

“You can control it from so far?”

“It’s something I only discovered recently,” Alfred explained with a smile. “It should be because I listen so often that I’ve found that the distance I can control the radio has suddenly extended a great deal.”

“Did you finish everything?”

“Everything’s been handled. The scrolls were bought and delivered back to Pu’er and Kevin. At Lemar’s Pottery Studio, I spent a total of 2000 Order credits. Not only did I pay for the previous sack, I also brought back another large sack. Mr. Lemar said that because of your previous warning, Young Master, he managed to stock up on Bloodspirit Powder. It has already seen a sharp price increase, due to supply channels being cut off. He resold some of it, earning quite a bit, so he sold it to us at the same low price.”

“Put the things at the door across the way,” Karon said.

“Yes, Young Master.” After Alfred had deposited the sack there, he returned. “Young Master, I also checked into that group in white clothing we saw carrying torches earlier in the day. They are a group who hate illegal immigrants. Their slogan is to use great fire to burn to death all illegal immigrants who steal job opportunities and pollute their cities. There are quite a number of similar organizations in Veyn.”

“Alright, I understand.”

Only then did Alfred notice the corpse on the steel frame bed. He stepped closer and took a look, then immediately asked in surprise, “Young Master, is that a Bloodfiend?”

“Yes.” Karon told Alfred everything that had happened, including his own analysis.

“So, you are worried there might be some scheme involved in this, Young Master?” Alfred asked.

“I don’t suspect any sort of scheme yet. I’m just curious about the relationship between Nio and this Bloodfiend.”

“And the funeral?”

“The body has already been fixed up, so it definitely has to be held. Since we’ve already agreed, we’ll do everything we can to meet the client’s requirements. That’s what Grandpa said before.”

“Your late night snack is read— Eh? Who is this?” Ms. Lake asked curiously.

“Madam, you should remember me. When I was injured in the explosion, and you and your husband drove me in your hearse to the hospital.”

“That was you? You’re alright now?”

“I’m alright. My name is Alfred. Thank you and your husband for the help you showed me back then. Also, I am the young master’s servant.”

“You- you are his servant?” Ms. Lake remembered what Karon had said before, about how the person being taken to the hospital was his boss. However, the woman very quickly realized that she did not need to ask further questions. She simply smiled and nodded. “So that’s how it is. No wonder, no wonder.”

The late night snack was a simple vegetable soup and cheese sandwiches. Karon two and drank a bowl of soup.

Collecting the plates, Ms. Lake excused herself and returned to her room to rest, while Karon and Alfred returned to the workroom again.

“Young Master, actually, the simplest way to get an answer would be for you to Awaken her and ask her directly. Wouldn’t that make everything clear?” Alfred asked.

“What you are looking at right now is her body after restoration. Her original condition was grotesque. I believe she had already entered a state of corruption. If she is Awakened, it will only bring back another bloodthirsty madwoman.”

“What you say is true, Young Master. She must have chosen suicide at the last moment. If not the final step, who would be willing to die?”

“Alright, let’s go home first.” Karon locked the workroom and kept the key with him.

As they walked out, they saw Pike bundled in some bedding in a corner of the shop, snoring loudly. Karon had ordered the two men that, from now on, either Pike or Dinkom had to stay on night watch each night. This was Pike’s turn.

“When I came in, I did nothing to conceal myself, but he didn’t notice at all,” Alfred said.

“I never expected him to do anything in the first place, but for just a mother and her two daughters to be left here alone, even having someone snoring at night is enough to offer a greater sense of safety.”

“Quite right, Young Master.”

“In a while, when we have more money on hand, we can renovate the back section. Running back and forth between the two sides every day is rather troublesome.”

“Don’t worry, Young Master. I’ll start making plans tomorrow.”

“Right, tomorrow you should come back with me as well, to set up the mourning hall.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Karon got into the car. Just as Alfred was about to start the engine, he saw a blue sedan drive past them. As the car approached the funeral home, it slowed down sharply and then pulled over at the curb, parking.

Alfred stopped from turning the key. Karon reached over and tapped the car radio.

A moment later, static came through the speakers. After the static dissipated, they heard the sobbing of a man. He was truly crying, sounding to be in mourning. As he wept, he kept calling a woman’s name, “Elisa... Elisa... my Elisa...”

Karon reached over and touched his ring, taking on Mr. Pavaro’s appearance. He then got out of the car and walked straight over to the blue sedan. When he reached the passenger side door, he saw a man burying his face in the steering wheel, crying.

Karon reached over and knocked on the window. The man was startled and immediately turned to look. As he did so, Karon noticed the man’s hand reach for his chest. It was the motion of reaching for a gun. The fact that this man needed to reach for a gun meant he was very weak.

Even so, Karon also hesitated for a moment. Should he chant to put up a shield in front of himself first?

In the end, he simply pointed at the funeral home across the street.

The man seemed to realize who was standing outside of his door. He immediately took out a pistol and tossed it onto the passenger seat. Karon opened the car door, picked up the pistol, and then sat down in the seat.

“Are you Inquisitor Pavaro?” the man asked.

“Mhmm.”

“Thank you for being willing to help my wife have a funeral.” The man actually knelt to Karon. While the car was very cramped, he still managed to complete the motion.

“You know Captain Nio?” Karon asked.

“Yes, I know Captain Nio. I knew him before he became captain. Hm? Your voice?” The man noticed that Pavaro’s voice was now different from the voice on the phone.

Karon heard the doubt in the man’s voice, but had no intention of explaining anything. He simply said, “I want to know the relationship between you and Nio.”

“After my wife and I escaped the family, we wandered and came to Veyn. In those earlier years, we lived in Port Mulberry. At the time, Nio was the Whip of Order captain of Port Mulberry.”

York City existed on a different level, so while it might look like Nio’s transfer from Port Mulberry to serve as the Whip of Order squad captain in York City was a lateral transfer, it was truly a promotion.

“At the time, Captain Nio was investigating a case and was ambushed and injured. My wife and I saved him. That’s how we met. Later, with his help, my wife was able to postpone the time before she was lost. If not for him, my wife might have been lost two years ago.

“When he was transferred to York City, he brought us with him, and told us plainly that we had to come with him, because he was aware that my wife was about to lose herself. He could not watch her, and if she became lost, she would hunt down ordinary people and drink their blood.”

“When did your wife die?” Karon asked.

“This morning. Nio was also present.”

This morning? Karon remembered that when he had arrived at the office floor to speak with Nio, the man had said that he had only returned himself.

The truth was that Nio should have arrived at the office much earlier than Karon, having returned with Deputy Director Mion. Karon had also gone to process his Divine Servant credentials first, which had delayed him a rather long time.

“Did your wife commit suicide?” Karon asked.

“She did. She personally used a silver nail and nailed herself dead. Nio was there to witness it, because if Elisa couldn’t bring herself to do it, Nio said he would help.”

“Do you hate him?”

“Hate him? I don’t. Because my wife prepared years ago to kill herself before losing herself. She didn’t want to become a bloodthirsty devil. We are only deeply grateful to Nio. Because of him, Elisa and I were able to have two more years together; two happy, wonderful years, truly.

“Also, I was the one who begged Nio to help me to arrange for a funeral for Elisa. With her like this, ordinary funeral homes would never accept her, yet in York City, a funeral home run by an Inquisitor would be even less likely to accept her. If Elisa’s body fell into their hands, it would probably be turned in.

“At my pleading, Nio said I should beg Bluebridge Community’s Pavaro Funeral Home. He said you are an upright and kind person, and that only you might help us hold a funeral.”

“Are you also demonkin?” Karon asked. He couldn’t sense any demonkin aura from the man.

The man wiped his tears and said, “Sir, my name is Cohen, and I am a human.”

“Human?”

“I was a servant in Avanas Manor. My family has served the great Avanas family for generations.”

Karon knew the Avanas family. It was a very famous Bloodfiend family. “Then you and your wife?”

“Elisa was their young lady. Our love was not permitted in the manor, so we eloped.”

Oh, what a cliché love story.

“Does Nio know about what I agreed to do for you?” Karon asked.

“He doesn’t know, because this morning before he left, he told me that he and I no longer have anything to do with each other, and we won’t have any contact with each other again.”

***

Alfred watched as “Mr. Pavaro” got out of the blue sedan ahead. The blue sedan started and drove away. Then “Mr. Pavaro” opened the car door, got in, and changed back into his young master.

Alfred’s young master was holding an envelope, which he promptly handed over to Alfred. He accepted the envelope, opened it, and counted. “Young Master, this is 2000 Abyss credits. According to the black market exchange rate, that’s about 1600 Order credits.”

“Mhmm. It’s more than my Inquisitor stipend, Divine Servant stipend, and the Whip of Order informant stipend that I don’t even know if I can get, added together. I think there’s a lot of room for this line of business to grow. In the future, we might even specialize in funerals for non-ordinary people. The funeral fees won’t be in secular currency, only in credits.”

“You are right, Young Master.”

“Alright, let’s go home.”

***

Back at the apartment complex, they went inside their home. Pu’er rode Kevin down the stairs and excitedly announced, “Karon, I have good news for you! In three more days, our scrolls will be finished!”

“Shh.” Karon made a shushing gesture at them, picked up the receiver. “I need to report myself first.”

Alfred crouched down and grasped the phone line with both hands, his eyes turning red. With this, the outgoing call could not be traced by the telephone company.

Karon dialed the contact information listed on the sheet from the gray paper bag. That sheet had given a fixed method of submitting reports, such as dropping off letters, but it also had an emergency method. That was marked to only be used when absolutely necessary.

“Hello,” a woman’s voice said.

“This is Karon. I’m looking for the captain. I have something to report.”

“Wait a moment.”

Before long, Nio’s voice came through. “Hello?”

“Captain, our funeral home received a Bloodfiend corpse today. Inquisitor Pavaro not only won’t turn it in, he’s even preparing to hold a funeral for her.”

A faint sound of relief came from the other end of the line. It was subtle, but Karon caught it. A release, almost imperceptible. “Very well. I understand.”

“Captain, what should I do? Please give instructions!”

“You should... help him properly, and hold the funeral well.”