13 Mink Street

Chapter 72: The Generosity Of The God Of Order

“Tomorrow is Miss Eunice’s birthday?”

“Yes, Grandpa.”

“Invite her over for dinner tomorrow. Last time, your uncle and both of your aunts went out to the amusement park and neglected proper courtesy. We should make up for it.”

“Alright, Grandpa.”

“Also, today is Old Hoffen’s Day of Passing.”

“Yes, Grandpa. I remember.”

“Go to 128 Mink Street.”

“Alright, Grandpa.”

The Day of Passing was roughly equivalent to what Karon had known in his previous life as the rites conducted between the seventh day after death and the thirty-fifth. In Swillen, people also commemorated the deceased on several specific days after their passing.

But why would they commemorate Mr. Hoffen’s Day of Passing by going to 128 Mink Street?

What had been Tiz’s purpose in having Karon stare at that candle stand last night, and what had that dream actually meant?

He had slept the entire night in the study chair. Did that mean Tiz had gone out last night and had only just returned? What had he gone to do last night?

Karon did not ask Tiz any of these questions. Instead, he stood at the window and watched as Tiz went straight to his own bedroom.

Intuition said that someone inside 128 Mink Street would be able to give some answers.

After going to the second floor to pour himself some water, Karon returned to the third floor, took a shower, and changed into some relatively formal clothes. He skipped breakfast and went directly downstairs to head out, but at that moment, the phone in the first-floor parlor rang. Karon answered it. “Hello, this is the Immers Funeral Home.”

“Karon, I’m back.” It was Piaget. “Can I come see you for a counseling session now? The bank just opened, and I’ve already withdrawn the money.”

“I have something to take care of right now.”

“Oh, I see.”

“You can go home first, and once I’m done, I’ll stop by your place this afternoon.”

Both Piaget and Eunice lived on Rhine Street, and Karon was already planning to go to Eunice’s home in the afternoon to invite her, so he could visit Piaget after that.

“Alright, alright. I’ll make some coffee at home and wait for you.”

“Okay. See you this afternoon.”

“See you.” After hanging up, Karon stepped out of the house. The rain had stopped that morning, but the ground was still damp.

When Karon arrived at the door of 128 Mink Street, it opened on its own before he could even knock.

The one who opened it was Mr. Hoffen himself, dressed in a simple black suit. Seeing Karon at the door, Mr. Hoffen excitedly said, “Oh, Karon, are you here to attend my Day of Passing ceremony?”

“Yes, Mr. Hoffen.”

“Then, on behalf of myself, I welcome you to my Day of Passing ceremony.”

This should have been an extremely unsettling sight; A deceased man personally greeting a guest who had come to attend his own memorial rite.

However, while Karon was indeed a bit surprised to see Mr. Hoffen standing there, he was not shocked.

An additional small dining table had been placed on the first floor, and it held several plates of pastries and a teapot. Opposite the table was a square wooden stool, upon which rested a framed memorial photograph.

In the photograph, Mr. Hoffen was wearing the exact same clothes he currently wore. The picture must have been taken early that same morning, or rather, before dawn. With Alfred around, such a thing was hardly a problem.

Noticing Karon looking at the photograph, Mr. Hoffen smiled. “I think it turned out quite well. It captured my spirit. My only regret is that the skin on my face looks a bit loose. I had Ms. Molly redo the tightening, but clearly her skills remain greatly inferior to your aunt’s. Still, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to trouble Mary again, would it?”

“No.” Karon agreed.

Aunt Mary often said that back when her makeup skills had been at their peak, there had even been celebrities who had specifically requested her services.

Of course, Karon suspected that Aunt Mary no longer wished to hear that kind of repetitive praise these days.

“Come, sit.”

“Alright, Mr. Hoffen.”

“Hm? What did you call me?”

“Grandpa Hoffen.”

“That’s right, Grandpa. Got it?”

“Yes, Grandpa Hoffen.”

“Drop the name.”

“Grandpa.”

“That’s my good boy.”

Mr. Hoffen reached out and gently patted Karon’s face, and then moved to pour him some tea. Karon quickly took the teapot and poured it for himself.

“Strictly speaking, there’s not much difference between me and Tiz, as far as you’re concerned.”

“Of course.” Karon responded. After all, Tiz was at home.

“Even though I kept shouting about wanting Tiz to kill you, I still protected you before I died.”

“Yes. I have always remembered your kindness.”

“I could tell. I really liked the inscription you left on my tombstone.”

“I’m glad you liked it.”

“That’s life. That’s living. Obsessions are like spiderwebs, easy to form, and just as easy to scatter and break. We may be powerless to change much, but we can still cherish what we once had. Of course, it was only after climbing out of my grave and seeing that inscription that I felt this way. Someone who hasn’t died once can’t truly understand.” As he said this, Mr. Hoffen smiled at Karon.

Karon raised his teacup and took a sip.

“After the Day of Passing ceremony ends, next time, help cremate me.”

“Alright.” Karon nodded.

“This body of mine won’t be able to handle another ‘awakening.’” Mr. Hoffen sighed as he placed a pastry onto Karon’s plate. “You eat. I can’t eat any longer. I can’t taste anything now.”

“Alright.” Karon began eating. He had skipped breakfast and was indeed hungry.

Mr. Hoffen then began to recount everything that had happened the previous night. Karon listened attentively while drinking tea and eating pastries, until—

“What? You’re saying there’s now a heretical god living inside Kevin?”

“Yes.” Mr. Hoffen nodded. “That’s a gift from me and Tiz, your two grandfathers. Do you like it?”

“Grandpa, what I mean is, is it safe?”

“I personally set up the ritual array. Don’t worry, it’s very safe. But this is for you.” Mr. Hoffen handed Karon a notebook. “It contains some ritual arrays and operating methods I wrote down. You won’t need them right now, you probably will in the future.”

“Thank you, Grandpa.”

Karon casually flipped a page. The title read Church of Night Forbidden Array, Night’s Lament.

He flipped another page: Church of Order Forbidden Array, Divine Judgment.

Karon immediately closed the notebook again. Alright, never mind.

This was why Mr. Hoffen could be Tiz’s friend. Though the old man might look weak, and indeed, he was weak, in another sense, he embodied the saying that knowledge is power.

He was absolutely not someone to be underestimated. Perhaps, like Tiz, Mr. Hoffen had simply chosen to maintain a low profile, which was why his status within the Church of Principle had been so inconspicuous.

“When I was telling you earlier, you didn’t seem particularly shocked. No, were you only shocked by the dog?”

“There were already things I’d been wondering about.” Karon replied. “I just happened to get the answers from you.”

“Oh, I see.” Mr. Hoffen lowered his voice and asked, “So can you tell me how you managed to squeeze out a heretical god and successfully take over his warmed bed?”

Karon shrugged. “Grandpa, I really don’t know.”

“Grandpa believes you.”

The two of them sat facing each other.

“How are things going with Miss Eunice?”

“Pretty well.”

“Is the young lady good-looking?”

“She is.”

“That’s good. Men and women are all the same. As long as the other person is good-looking, you’re willing to endure more temper, and you cool off faster too. Unfortunately, my inheritance has already been divided among my children. Even my house has been sold, which is why I couldn’t even hold my Day of Passing ceremony at my own home, so Grandpa can’t give you any money.”

“Thank you, Grandpa. The notebook alone is already priceless.”

“The main thing is, once you’re dead, even the tea is cold.” Mr. Hoffen gestured at the teacup in his hand. Since he was now a cold corpse, the tea cooled even faster in his grasp.

As he spoke, Mr. Hoffen pulled out a large bag from under the table and handed it to Karon. “These are a complete collection of beginner arrays. I stayed up all night writing them. Before long, you’ll go to Veyn and undergo purification, gaining the power of faith. Then, you’ll be able to try learning and using these. I’ve made detailed notes and explanations with the principles and precautions all laid out. There are arrays from many religions.”

Looking at the ten thick books placed before him, Karon said in surprise, “You wrote all of these last night?”

“I never liked keeping notes, and have always preferred to store things in my head. You know how it is, for many churches, these things are truly forbidden, which is why they don’t allow them to circulate. If my notes were leaked, it could cause enormous trouble. But now, it doesn’t matter. I’m already dead and my children have taken my property. I’ve already fulfilled my obligations to them.”

“What I meant was, you write incredibly fast.”

“Oh, I used the most basic Art of the Church of Principle. It can be used for writing and setting up ritual arrays, boosting efficiency countless times. As long as your thinking can keep up, the pen won’t slow down. I’m rather foolish, so this is the only real Art I ever mastered.”

“You’re a great genius,” Karon said.

“Tiz is the real genius.” Mr. Hoffen waved his hand. “I won’t compete with him for that title. There’s no way to compete. I’ve never seen anyone whose greatest lifelong worry and resistance was becoming a god.”

Mr. Hoffen seemed to suddenly remember something. “Tomorrow is the last day, right? I mean for Tiz.”

“Yes.”

“What’s the plan for tomorrow?”

“Grandpa told me to invite Miss Eunice over for dinner.”

“He truly loves you, Karon.”

“I know.”

“I’ll probably die the day after tomorrow. I’ll try to hold out until Tiz’s day arrives. Right, remember to cremate me. There’s no need to collect the ashes. Just find a river and pour them in, or you can scatter them out the car window on your way home from the cremation; just try not to choke any pedestrians. That would be bad for public morality.”

“Alright, Grandpa. I’ll remember.”

“Are you full?”

“Yes.”

“Then, I, Hoffen, on behalf of Hoffen himself, declare this Day of Passing ceremony concluded.”

Karon stood up.

“Let’s go. You still need to invite Miss Eunice over for dinner tomorrow, don’t you?”

“There’s actually something I’ve always wanted to ask you.”

“Oh? Go ahead.”

“During that grand divine descent ritual, Grandpa, what price was actually paid?”

“The truth is, Tiz paid nothing at all. He was prepared for one, but the God of Order took nothing from him.”

“Nothing?”

“Yes, nothing.” Mr. Hoffen smiled. “Because that ‘Karon’ never returned or was resurrected, and while a heretical god was summoned, it never entered this body. I think it was because the ritual technically failed. You could even say it was a complete failure. It’s like negotiating a business deal; The altar and all of the preparations were just the deposit, but if the other party fails to deliver the goods, will you really be foolish enough to pay the remaining balance?”

“I see. Alright, I understand.”

“Don’t worry. Have faith in Tiz.”

“I always have.”

“That’s good.”

“Then Grandpa Hoffen— no, Grandpa, I’ll be taking my leave.”

“Remember to come collect my body in two days.”

“Alright, Grandpa.”

Mr. Hoffen stood at the door, watching Karon leave. Only after Karon had disappeared around the corner did the old man close the door and lean against it, murmuring to himself, “A completely failed ritual? In truth, Tiz was not the only one involved in preparing that ritual. There were four people: Tiz, me, Pu’er, and that lady from the Wall God Church, Ms. Linda. Tiz gained his most beloved grandson, and I can tell that his affection for this child comes from the heart, surpassing even the bonds of blood. In temperament, character, habits, and many other traits, this child closely matches Tiz himself. It may be unfair to the previous ‘Karon,’ but there’s no doubt that the current Karon better fits the image of a grandson in Tiz’s heart.

“As for me, before dying, I helped Tiz summon a heretical god. After death, I climbed out of the grave and helped Tiz seal another heretical god. Wasn’t that my dream? A lifetime spent rigidly abiding by doctrine, always walking the prescribed path, while harboring a deep-seated unwillingness to indulge in one true act of abandon.

“And Pu’er? She’s about to follow Karon back to Veyn, and even returning to her own family. Back then, she broke ties with her family and ended up living outside as a cat for more than a hundred years. What is her greatest dream? To one day be able to return home openly and legitimately.

“As for Linda, she fulfilled her long-cherished wish. Even though her own divine descent ritual failed, she finally saw the true god she worshipped. Or perhaps the husband she always felt guilty towards finally found a close companion to keep him company after she left him. That would neatly resolve her lingering worries.”

Mr. Hoffen reached up and pulled the sagging skin of his face back into place. “So could it be understood this way? That the God of Order may have already given all of us what we wanted?

“But then... what does the God of Order actually want?”