13 Mink Street

After eating pastries and drinking tea, Vintral escorted Karon and Alfred out of the apartment building when it was time for them to go.

“Thank your grandmother again for me. Her pastries suited my preferences perfectly.”

“Thank you. Grandma will definitely be very happy to hear your praise.”

After parting, Karon and Alfred got into the car. “Young Master, Vintral’s family’s benefactor is actually Sir Tiz.”

Alfred had also recognized the man in the painting. After all, Alfred had once fought Tiz evenly.

“Mhmm.”

“In that case, it is only natural for Vintral to become your subordinate in the future, Young Master.”

“No, there is nothing natural about this. When Grandpa helped them back then, it was most likely also for experimentation. Even if the final results benefited them, in essence, both sides conducted an equal transaction. Their gratitude is their business. There’s no need for us to announce ourselves as their benefactors.

“Also, Grandpa’s affairs can’t be made public.”

“Young Master, it is the right to consider this.”

“Alright, let’s go home. I want to rest for a while.”

***

The next afternoon, Karon was sitting in the study, drinking ice water as he read, when the telephone rang. “Hello, Pavaro Funeral Home.”

“Karon.” The captain’s voice came through the receiver. “I almost forgot to congratulate you for passing the selection.”

“If you need something, Captain, just say it.” Karon was not naive enough to think the captain had truly suddenly remembered to offer congratulations and had specially called for that.

“It’s like this; I’m currently leading most of the squad on a mission in Port Mulberry.”

“Why wasn’t I notified?”

“We set out late last night. I thought you still needed to prepare for the final selection and didn’t want to disrupt you, so I didn’t notify you. Right, the exact date has been announced: the day after tomorrow, eight in the morning. You need to go to the Church Affairs Building again and use the teleportation array to reach the site of the last selection. Remember the time.”

“Alright, I’ve made a note of it.”

“But there’s something I need your help with now. There’s no other way. I can’t spare anyone at this moment.”

“Go ahead, Captain.”

“Take a trip to the Requil Theater in the southern district and pick something up for me. The performance starts at seven in the evening. You can buy a ticket to get in. Find the actor named Hiddinks and tell him the Hunting Hounds sent you to collect the goods. He’ll give it to you.

“I don’t know what he’s using to contain it, but if you’re curious, go ahead and open it and take a look when it’s time. It’s fine.”

“Alright, Captain. I understand.”

“Mhmm. Sorry to trouble you with this errand, but I won’t feel at ease letting someone else pick it up.”

“I’ll go pick it up. Right, Captain, have you gone to Lemar’s studio yet?”

“I have. There’s still time, isn’t there? Last night, I had Memphis keep watch at the studio.”

“Memphis?”

“Mhmm. Originally, I wanted to arrange for Richard to go, but his legs made that inconvenient.”

“His legs... are inconvenient?”

“It seems they’re broken.”

“This...”

“So it’s temporarily inconvenient for Memphis to stay home, and I had him go to the pottery studio.”

“Alright. I understand, Captain.”

“That’s it for now. The arrest operation on my side starts tonight. I need to rest first.”

“Mhmm.”

After hanging up, Karon left the study. In the warehouse, Alfred, Pu’er, and Kevin were conducting a refining experiment, preparing to begin dealing with that purple egg. Thus, Karon did not call Alfred to go out with him. When he arrived in the front hall, he saw Pike and Dinkom sitting there reading newspapers. Karon beckoned to Pike. “Pike, come out with me.”

“Yes, Boss.”

Under Dinkom’s envious gaze, Pike climbed in the driver’s seat and drove for the boss.

It was still too early for the performance, so Karon did not go to Requil Theater first. Instead, he came to Lemar’s studio. Pike waited in the car, while Karon got out and pushed open the door to the pottery studio and went in. As soon as he entered, he saw Memphis sitting inside, a turntable before him as he worked on some pottery.

When Memphis saw Karon arrive, he instinctively tried to stand.

“No, no, continue. Continue. Don’t delay your work.”

Memphis remained seated and continued carefully controlling the angle with his hands.

“Where is Mr. Lemar?” Karon asked.

“He just went out to buy dinner.”

“When did you arrive?”

“The captain told me to come last night. It just so happened that it was inconvenient for me to stay at home.”

“Richard...”

“Both his legs are broken.”

Karon pursed his lips. “Sorry. If I had been more forceful back then, he could have obtained a slot.”

But even if he had not passed the selection, surely he should not have been beaten so badly? Since when had the Gorman family’s discipline become so strict? In truth, the reason Richard had such a relaxed personality was because he had never been subjected to much pressure while growing up. His family had always been tolerant, especially after his parents had separated.

“Hmm?” Memphis realized that Karon had misunderstood something. “It wasn’t because of the selection. He made another mistake.”

“Another mistake? What mistake?”

Memphis hesitated slightly, because this mistake was not something that was appropriate to say aloud. However, after considering Karon’s “identity,” Memphis decided not to conceal things. “He’s been using my name to sign bills in Maple Street’s pastry shops.”

Karon blinked. He could not keep the corners of his mouth from twitching twice. To avoid laughing out loud, he could only open his mouth and cover it with a few sighs. Alright. Those two legs were not broken unjustly.

Karon even suspected that when Richard had told Memphis to go play at the pastry shops on Maple Street yesterday and had reported that he identified himself as “Young Master Eisen” there, the young man had added so much fuel to the fire that he had burned his own legs off.

“He’s still young.”

“Actually, he’s really not anymore...”

“Beat him more and he’ll be fine.”

Memphis paused, then nodded. “It is useful.”

“His talent is very good, but he hasn’t fully cashed it in yet. I think he needs a bit of pressure.”

“Yes, I understand. I know. This is my problem. Due to my own reasons, I neglected to spur him on.”

“But you still need to pay attention to the method. Breaking his legs, although there are Arts to treat them and the worm inside his body can also help him recover, is ultimately too unsightly.

“Also, if you keep beating his flesh, he may get used to it before long. If things go badly, he may even start enjoying it.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“Some psychic Arts are quite useful. They can torment people without leaving any scars, and can also help him develop his potential.”

“What you said makes a lot of sense!”

At this moment, Lemar returned, carrying food. Seeing Karon, the man immediately smiled. “You haven’t had dinner yet, have you?”

“Not yet.”

“Let’s eat together!”

Memphis gave up on his half-finished piece and went to wash his hands. The three then sat by the counter eating dinner. Halfway through, Lemar portioned some out and sent it to Pike, who was still waiting in the car.

After finishing the simple dinner, Karon went to look at Serena again. She was sitting on the bed in her bedroom, completely motionless. She was still in a “locked” state. Karon said a few words of encouragement to her, which felt like the appropriate gesture, then walked out.

Memphis had spent the last night in the studio, and would likely do so again tonight. Karon guessed that it was likely that only he had been told the truth. As for Richard’s family, they had likely been given the excuse that he had been beaten because he had failed the selection exam. With only that excuse, such a severe beating certainly must have drawn complaints from the family, so it was temporarily inconvenient for Eisen to return home. He might as well stay in the studio.

With an Expositor present, Karon believed the pottery studio would certainly be very safe.

After taking his leave, Karon got back into the car and had Pike drive to Requil Theater.

The theater did not have a horizontal signboard. Since it was located within an alley, the signboard was placed vertically right at the entrance. An old man sat there collecting tickets, which cost five rels each. Karon bought one and walked in. The theater was not large inside, but there were quite a few people. There was still a quarter of an hour before the performance began, but more than twenty people were already seated.

The theater mainly used storytelling as its performance style, but it was not like the talk shows of later generations. The stories told here were usually somewhat indecent, mainly fabricated private scandals. Basically, the theater featured erotica.

Karon had no intention of listening to the stories. He went directly backstage. The performers’ dressing room was very small, with only enough space for three stools. Two men were putting on makeup inside.

“Excuse me, is Hiddinks here?”

“I am. What is it?”

“The Hunting Hounds sent me to collect the goods.”

“Alright, wait a moment.”

The middle-aged actor crouched down and pulled out a few bricks. He took an iron box out from the opening and handed it to Karon. The box was covered with rust. Of the remaining pattern, the words Children’s Candy could be made out.

Karon nodded to Hiddink, took the item, and turned to leave.

“Hey, wait!” Hiddink called after Karon.

“What is it?”

“The credits?”

“Credits?”

“The final payment of 5,000 Order credits!”

Hearing this sudden development, Karon realized that he did not find it strange at all. This really was exactly the sort of thing the captain would do. “I don’t have that many credits on me. How about this? I’ll have someone deliver them to you later.”

“That won’t do. That won’t work. You have to give me the credits before I can let you take the item away!” As he spoke, Hiddinks came forward to snatch back the box.

Sigh. Karon had no choice but to summon Chains of Order to lock Hiddinks’s feet.

The man wanted to grab Karon, but discovered that he was unable to move from where he stood. Then, cold sweat started streaming from his face. He seemed to have realized Karon’s identity, and Hiddink no longer dared to struggle. “I don’t want the credits anymore. Take the item! Take it!”

“Someone will come by with your credits later. I won’t cheat you.”

This was a transaction between the captain and the man. Karon would not withhold his credits, although he was also very clear that after paying these 5,000 Order credits on the captain’s behalf, any hope of recuperating them from the captain was pitifully small.

Karon turned and walked out of the theater. After getting into the car, he instructed Pike, “After we return, ask Alfred for 5,000 credits and deliver them to the man inside named Hiddinks.”

“I’ll remember that, Boss.” Pike nodded as he started the car.

Karon did not stand on ceremony in regards to the captain either. He opened the iron box, and found a pendant inside. However, this pendant looked like it could be opened. Because of his previous experience accidentally breaking the Whip of Order ring, Karon held the pendant in his hand and examined it for a while to confirm that it was not also made of plastic. Following the seam, he used his fingertips to pry the pendant open. Inside was a tooth.

He reached out and pinched the tooth, holding it in front of him. No matter how he looked at it, the tooth seemed completely ordinary. He closed his eyes, then opened them again. They instantly turned red, and the Darkmoon Eyes appeared. Pike, who was driving, felt his heart quiver. He took a deep, steadying breath and braced himself.

Karon closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the Darkmoon Eyes disappeared. Alright. From the look of things, at the moment, the Darkmoon Eyes only affected his use of the power of the Darkmoon. They could not be used for detailed observation.

He placed the tooth back into the pendant, then closed the iron box properly. Karon twisted his neck and looked out the window. He saw a group of people wearing tall pointed hats and white robes, holding torches as they marched through the streets.

This movement had actually appeared a long time ago, but the scale was growing larger and larger. When the car drove through the crowd, Karon sensed a cold, sinister feeling, even though they were clearly all ordinary people.

After returning to the funeral home, Pike immediately went to withdraw the credits while Karon carried the iron box to the study. Just as he sat down behind the desk, a white light appeared inside the study, and the previous owner’s phantom appeared.

Seeing him come out, Karon poured himself some water and smiled. “It’s been a long time since you came out.”

The old man replied, “I had wanted to come out last time, but there was someone standing behind you, so I didn’t dare.”

“Who?”

“That one from your family faith system.”

“Oh, I understand.”

“There is also another reason. I feel that I can no longer preach to you, as I might even end up influenced by you instead. Every time I appear, I need to spend a long time calming myself afterward.”

“Heh. Right, do you recognize this thing?” Karon opened the box, pried open the pendant, took out the tooth, and held it toward the old man.

The item the captain wanted should be related to either the Bloodfiends or to Light. If it were related to Order, he would not have needed to deliberately ask Karon to pick it up.

After carefully examining it, the old man said, “This is a tooth.”

“I know it isn’t a bullet.”

“You can attempt to stimulate it with your own power. Of course, if it is only a commemorative object, it may very likely be damaged because of that.”

Karon shook his head and said, “I’m merely a bit curious. There’s no need to deliberately know what it is.”

“Young Master,” Alfred called from outside the study.

“Come in.”

Alfred walked in. “Young Master, under Kevin’s guidance, that egg has already begun being refined. It is expected to take one day, so it should be finished in time for you to participate in the final selection.”

“My selection is at eight in the morning the day after tomorrow, so I probably need to arrive at the underground level of the Church Affairs Building by six.”

“Then there is enough time.”

“But you still need to consider one thing; if I rush to transform the Heart of Sea God before then, will it cause me to sleep for two days and two nights like before?”

“Your servant understands. I will immediately ask Kevin if there is any way to accelerate it. In any case, we cannot let it affect Young Master’s final selection.”

“Mhmm, good.”

At that moment, Alfred looked at the tooth in Karon’s hand.

“You know what this is?” Karon asked.

“I...” Alfred stepped forward, and Karon handed him the tooth. Alfred cupped the tooth in both hands. Then, his Succubus Eye activated, though his eyes no longer glowed blood-red. Instead, they were somewhat pink. Karon remembered that in the past, whenever Alfred had activated his Succubus Eye, his eyes had become completely blood-red. This also proved that after Alfred began following Karon, the changes he had experienced went beyond the disappearance of his demonkin aura.

As the Succubus Eye activated, the tooth in Alfred’s palm seemed to receive some kind of response, and actually started to float upward.

Seeing this, Karon could not help but understand why so many people wanted Alfred’s eyes. Purely in terms of utility, the Succubus Eye was far more practical than the Darkmoon Eyes. Like the Darkmoon Blade, the Darkmoon Eyes needed to be paired with a specific bloodline to be used. Their specialized value was incomparable, but to most people, they were even less useful than a chicken rib.

Suddenly, Alfred trembled. The light in his eyes instantly turned black. His hand clenched, gripping the tooth tightly as a low growl emerged from his throat.

In an instant, the entire study, no, the entire funeral home fell into darkness.

“Huff... huff... huff...” The sound of breathing came from up ahead, from the sides, and then from overhead. It felt like the breathing was nearly pressing close against Karon’s body. It felt as if a monstrous beast was observing him from within the darkness. This feeling was incomparably familiar, because he had experienced it just yesterday. The illusion beast, Corvasini!

***

“Mm?” Pu’er shook her head. “Did it get dark, meow?”

“Woof!” Kevin’s voice came over, but Pu’er could not see the dog.

“I know it’s an illusion, but who caused it? Karon isn’t good at illusions. The only one in the house who is good at them is that one. Eh, it can’t be the radio demon, can it?”

“Woof!”

Fortunately, everyone else in the funeral home was basically asleep, so the impact was not large.

***

Crack! A crisp sound rang out. The darkness dissipated, and everything returned to normal.

Sitting behind the desk, Karon saw that Alfred was now kneeling on the study tiles. Blood seeped from the corners of his eyes.

The old man beside Karon commented in shock, “An illusion that can even affect a spiritual imprint?”

After saying this, the old man silently retreated, vanishing from the study.

“Forgive me... Young Master. I was affected and controlled by it just now.” Alfred opened his eyes. His eyes were filled with blood and exhaustion.

Karon asked, “Is that Corvasini’s tooth?”

Sometimes, myths felt more believable than reality itself. Although there was an enormous statue of the illusion beast Corvasini in the plaza outside of the Hall of Tiranus, towering like a crouching evil dragon, this tooth itself looked no different from an ordinary human tooth.

But... Pu’er had hidden the God of Light’s finger within her tail, and Rhanedar, the heretical god who had once slain the Sea God, was now a dog. On that basis, Corvasini’s tooth being so small seemed very easy to accept.

“What happened? What happened?” Kevin’s bald head directly pushed the study door open, carrying Pu’er on his back as he charged in.

Alfred opened his hand, revealing the tooth he held. Pu’er stared at it and carefully observed it. Kevin craned his neck, struggling to see, but because Pu’er was sitting on his back, it was somewhat difficult.

Pu’er jumped down from Kevin’s back, and only then could he lean against Alfred’s arm and carefully examine the tooth. “Stupid dog, do you recognize it?”

“Woof!”

“You’re not familiar with it?”

At this moment, the telephone on the desk rang. Karon answered, and the captain’s voice came from the other end. “Hello, Karon. You got the item, right?”

“Mhmm, got it.”

“Are you curious why I specifically asked you to pick up a very ordinary tooth?”

“Corvasini’s tooth is worth snatching up even if only to treat it as a souvenir.”

“Oh? Did that dog of yours tell you?”

Actually, it was my radio. “Captain, where did you get this tooth?”

“On the black market. The seller was selling it as a Bloodfiend tooth. There were two in total. I bought one on the spot, and reserved the second to be picked up today, which is why I had you go get it.

“That’s how the black market is. Often, very valuable things are sold as worthless things.”

“Are you really out on a mission, Captain?”

“Yes. But even if I didn’t have this mission, I would have found some other excuse to make you go pick it up.”

“To avoid paying the balance?”

“Yes. Cough... no...”

“Then why?”

“I’ve been freeloading your secrets, but lately, you haven’t even been letting me freeload anymore. Do you know how much pressure that puts on me?”

“So?”

“So, I found clues regarding the burial site of the illusion beast Corvasini. That’s a creature that was sealed by the God of Order himself. For a being of that level, every piece of its body is a priceless treasure.

“Are you interested?”

Karon noticed that even though Alfred had just been controlled, after regaining consciousness, he was still staring at the tooth in his hand. He had even forgotten to hand it back to Karon, which did not at all match his standard behavior.

Clearly, for someone who walked the path of psychic illusions like Alfred, the illusion beast Corvasini possessed an incomparably powerful allure.

From the time that Alfred had started following Karon, he had essentially never made any requests. Instead, he had always attentively coordinated with Karon in work and personal life. It was rare for Alfred to like and want something. Karon felt that, within his own conditions, he should satisfy the man’s desires as much as possible.

“Captain, when will you return?”

“It’s a secret... eh?

“Oh, I’ll return the day after tomorrow, so I won’t be in time to send you off for the exam, but I can’t believe you’ll have any problem. Also, there’s no need to be anxious. I still need to further organize and unearth the clues here, which I need a large amount of manpower to do. We definitely have to wait until after your final selection, or even after you go to the Reincarnation Gate before we proceed with this excavation plan, so you don’t need to rush. You can properly answer my questions first, such as telling me whether or not you’re very interested in this matter.”

With no other choice, Karon could only satisfy the captain’s desires. “Captain, I am very interested in this matter.”

On the other end of the phone, there were two light coughs. Then, in a suppressed and profound voice, the captain answered, “It’s a secret.”

“Captain, after you come back, tell me your current residential address.”

“What for?”

“My dog has been shedding badly recently. I want to send it to your place for a few days.”

Kevin: “...”