novelraw Chapter 78: The Road Continues
Chapter 78: The Road Continues
The doctor had just left. Aunt Winnie lay on her side on Tiz’s bed, gently wiping his forehead with a warm towel.
“Karon, come out with me for a moment,” Mason said.
Karon stood up and followed his uncle out of the bedroom. Mason then opened the door to Karon’s own room and motioned for him to come inside.
Uncle and nephew sat facing each other. Mason sat on the bed, while Karon pulled the chair over from his desk and sat down in front of the man.
“None of us expected something like this to happen to your grandfather.”
Karon nodded. In truth, he had expected it. Not only that, the current situation was much better than the worst outcome he had imagined.
That was because Tiz had fulfilled his promise. He had returned alive. He had even said that he could be awakened.
But the price of that awakening...
Karon felt that waking Tiz would be no different from “awakening” an ordinary corpse. Once the last trace of remnant spirituality in his body was consumed, all that would remain would be truly nothing more than a corpse, in the purest sense of the word.
Was that tragic?
No. Because comparison changed everything. It was, instead, a kind of relief. Tiz was still able to be awakened. He was not dead, nor had he left forever.
So Karon adjusted himself, suppressing his sorrow and forcing his heart to stay filled with forward-looking hope. Tiz had already done everything he could. The road ahead was now Karon’s to walk. And what lay at the end of that road?
In the past, it had been vague. He had thought about seeing more of the world, moving freely without a fixed destination. Now there was a clear goal: Repaying the crow’s care.
Tiz had said that if Karon ever faced a grievance he could not accept, he should come back and wake him. But what Karon imagined was waking Tiz to ask what he wanted for dinner.
“Karon?” Mason noticed that Karon had drifted off.
“Yes, Uncle. Please continue.”
“Your grandfather is already in this state. The doctor said this is a condition elderly people are prone to. He might wake up in a month or two, or he might never wake up at all and stay in bed like this.”
“I understand.”
“So you should not go to Veyn. Stay here. Your aunts and I will be here. Let’s run the funeral home properly together, alright?”
Karon fell silent.
“You still want to go to Veyn?”
“Yes, Uncle.” Karon met Mason’s gaze directly.
“I truly don’t understand, Karon.”
“Uncle, this was Grandpa’s arrangement.”
Karon could only bring Tiz up again. If he stayed on Mink Street, all he would be able to do would be to tend to Tiz as he lay in his bed, sit by his side every day and speak to him alone. But if Karon did that, Tiz would never have a chance to awaken again.
Smack! Mason clapped his hands together, clenched his teeth, and opened his arms. Tears welled in his eyes. “Now I finally understand how my older brother felt when he saw the choice Winnie and I made back then.”
“Uncle, I know that insisting on leaving now...”
“No, no, you misunderstand, Karon.” Mason wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and smiled. “Relax. The matters here at home will be handled by your aunts and me. Your grandfather will always be well taken care of. You can rest assured.
“Go to Veyn. Don’t carry any burden in your heart. Truly. Unless you don’t trust your uncle and aunts here.”
Mason patted his chest, stood up, walked over to Karon, bent down, and placed both hands on Karon’s shoulders. “Home is a place that will always care about you, and will never want to become a burden to you.”
***
“Mason, are we doing something wrong?”
“Yes. Toward Big Bro, it’s not very fair.”
On the steps, a much younger Winnie sat beside Mason. “I feel like we’re letting Big Bro down,” she said. “He didn’t even get to choose. Should we try again? Go back to Father’s room and let Big Bro choose first this time?”
“It wouldn’t matter. We already chose. Even if Big Brother chose first, he would still choose to stay and run the funeral home.”
“Are we... too selfish?”
“Hey, Mason, Winnie, what are you two sitting here talking about?” A clear voice sounded from behind them. Two arms followed, draping over Mason’s and Winnie’s shoulders. They turned their heads to see a face that always wore a gentle smile. “Don’t carry any burden. Since you’ve decided to go out, then put everything down and go see the world properly. The home will be taken care of by your big brother.
“Home is a place that will always care about you, and will never want to become a burden to you.”
***
Mink Street’s church.
The repairs were already underway, most of them focused on the long trench that had been gouged through the center aisle.
Rasma had combed his hair and trimmed his beard. Today, he wore a priest’s robe, which gave him a far more proper and solemn air than before. No longer did he resemble a shabby old man who looked like he was either heading to a pastry shop or had just come out of one.
Of course, if he were not sitting on a bench with his legs crossed while trimming his nails, the image would have been better.
Standing before him was Simon, squad leader of the Order’s Whip.
“The personnel withdrawal has been arranged?” Rasma asked.
“Yes, High Priest. Everything has been arranged. All have withdrawn from Roja City.”
“Good.”
“However, I still suggest setting up a dedicated observation contact point on Mink Street, just in case...”
“Don’t be stupid.”
“Yes.”
“Tiz’s home is something Tiz will watch over himself, even while he is sleeping. If you think placing a squad near his house to monitor his family would go unnoticed by him, then you are mistaken. He has already made himself very clear. He wants his family to remain permanently removed from the Church’s vortex. The three Temple elders have already agreed.
“Simon, don’t ever try to be clever. In the eyes of truly clever people, that only makes you look foolish.”
“Yes, High Priest. I understand.”
“In my authority as High Priest, I order the Order’s Whip to remove its attention from Mink Street entirely.”
“Yes, sir.”
Rasma nodded and continued watching the workers repairing the church.
Simon hesitated, then asked, “High Priest, your attire today is...”
“Tiz is asleep. I plan to stand in as the priest here for a while.”
“And the Central Administration...”
“There isn’t much there that requires my attention, and I won’t stay long. Elder Gale has already agreed, and he hopes that during my time here as priest, I might find a new breakthrough.
“Tiz condensed three godhead fragments here. I don’t ask for that much; One would be enough. Perhaps there are things he left behind here that could help me.”
“With you here, High Priest, everything will remain stable.”
“So keep your dogs on a shorter leash,” Rasma said, blowing on his freshly trimmed nails. “Careful, or you might draw blood.”
“I understand.”
Simon left. Watching the man’s retreating figure, a trace of shadow surfaced in Rasma’s eyes. He had never liked power struggles, but within the Church, they were unavoidable.
Take the Order’s Whip, for example. It was technically independent of the Church. Its direct superior was always a very senior Temple elder, though Rasma himself did not know who. There were also countless factions within the Church, formed by differences in interests or doctrinal interpretation, as well as Order legacy families bound by bloodline. The ancestors of some of these factions and families were currently within the Temple.
This made being High Priest largely meaningless. Power could not truly be enforced. More often than not, the High Priest was nothing more than a decorative figure placed on display.
Rasma lowered his head and continued trimming his nails.
At that moment, a nearby worker leaned on his shovel, wiped sweat from his brow, and smiled at Rasma as if he were just an ordinary priest.
“Father, I’ve always thought about something: I don’t like dealing with people, and I don’t like troublesome things, I want to find a quiet place and gain peace in my heart.
“So, can I join the Church? Or can I find peace within the Church?”
Without lifting his head, Rasma replied, “The more you want to escape something, the more you will be forced to face it once you enter the Church.”
He chuckled softly and continued, “A fish feels confined even in a stream. Do you really think jumping into a fish tank would make it free?”
***
“You’re coming along,” Mr. Hoffen stated, pointing at Alfred.
Alfred nodded.
“And you? You’re not coming?” Mr. Hoffen asked Ms. Molly.
She shook her head. “I plan to stay. I want to stay here and watch the house for the Young Master.”
“A smart choice,” Mr. Hoffen commented. “Watching the house is easy work, but when merit is tallied later on, you won’t be forgotten.”
“I didn’t think that far,” Ms. Molly explained. “I just feel that since Sir Tiz is lying down now, and the Young Master is leaving for Veyn, he won’t feel at ease about the house. So I plan to stay.”
Hoffen nodded. “Practical. And him...” He pointed at Alfred. “He thinks too much.”
“I have many thoughts about the Young Master’s future,” Alfred agreed. “So I want to stay by his side and witness it with him.”
At Oak Cemetery, Alfred had personally witnessed Tiz’s terror, but he had also witnessed the power of Mr. Hoffen’s knowledge. A ritual array capable of sealing a heretical god, completed in just fifteen minutes, despite the fact that Mr. Hoffen had crawled out of a grave barely an hour earlier.
“I’m giving Karon a set of basic ritual arrays. You can learn along with him. With that Succubus Eye, you should learn and remember quickly. Talent is not something to show off. If it cannot be directed toward continuous improvement, it is just wasted.”
“Yes. I’ve memorized everything you said. I’ll improve myself as much as possible so I can be useful to the Young Master in more places.”
Mr. Hoffen nodded. He glanced at the clock on the wall and let out a long breath. “I really want to see Tiz one last time.”
“You can go now,” Alfred said. “I’ve checked. The perimeter is clean.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about. I want Tiz to remain in my memory as confident and steady. I don’t want to see him lying in bed.”
“Sir Tiz is indeed someone worthy of the utmost respect,” Alfred agreed.
At that moment, the sound of a car came from outside. A hearse parked in front of 128 Mink Street. Karon pushed a gurney inside. Ms. Molly hurried downstairs in high heels and opened the door.
She wore black stockings and red heels. She remembered that the Young Master hadn’t seemed fond of her ordinary shoes last time, so before he left Roja City, she wanted to leave a deeper impression.
Karon only smiled at her. He did not look at her feet. After handing over the gurney, he walked straight into the living room.
Seeing Karon arrive, Mr. Hoffen braced himself on the armrests and stood up. “Tiz has gone to sleep. It’s time for me to be cremated.”
“It’s still early. Why not sit a bit longer?” Karon asked with a smile.
“No. I can feel my mind isn’t very clear anymore. If I linger, I’ll probably embarrass myself.”
“Alright, Grandpa.” With Alfred’s help, Karon guided Hoffen onto the gurney and into the hearse.
Before leaving, Karon turned to Ms. Molly. “You’re staying?”
“Yes, Young Master. The house can’t be left unattended. I’ll continue assisting Ms. Mary in watching over it.
“Also, Mr. Hoffen taught me a way to make use of the Church of Principle’s letter transmission system. After you go to Veyn, you can use it to write home.”
“Thank you. That will be a lot of trouble for you.”
Karon hesitated, then stood properly before her. “Thank you, Ms. Molly.”
“You’re too polite, Young Master. This is what I should do.”
“Do you need me to come along?” Alfred asked.
“No.”
“Understood, Young Master.”
Karon sat in the driver’s seat and started the hearse. The destination was the former Hughes Crematorium, now the Immers Crematorium managed by Paul.
Mr. Hoffen lay on the gurney, smiling. “How is Tiz?”
“Grandpa is sleeping soundly.”
“Don’t worry about the house. Even while sleeping, Tiz will always keep one eye on his family.”
“I know. I trust Grandpa.”
“Once you get to Veyn, see if you like it. Fortunately, you can cook. The food in Veyn is truly terrible.”
“I’ve heard.”
“If life there suits you, you could consider living like a normal person. I think that’s what Tiz truly wants.”
“I know. But I want to one day be able to come back and wake Grandpa.”
Mr. Hoffen chuckled. “Alright.”
“Grandpa Hoffen, is there a way for you to be like Grandpa...”
“No. Tiz and I are different. I’m more like an ordinary person who happens to know a bit more. You don’t need to think about such things for me. I’ve lived a wonderful life. I’ve died twice already. Burial and cremation, I get to experience both. That’s already more than most people.”
The hearse arrived at the Immers Crematorium. “Grandpa, would you like to go in now, or lie down a bit longer?”
“Let me lie for a bit. There’s something I’ve been debating whether to say, but now that we’re here, I’ve decided. If it should be said, then say it. I’m someone who’s died twice and is about to turn to ash.”
“Alright.” Karon moved to Hoffen’s side.
“Karon, you’ve read the Light of Order, haven’t you?”
“Yes. Several times.” The first time, he had believed it to just be propaganda and only skimmed through it. After learning it was a reference text, he had read it almost every night before bed these past months.
“Then tell me, which story in its mythological overview left the deepest impression on you?”
Karon thought for a moment. “One is when the God of Order gave his daughter Ankara three purple bookmarks. The other is the God of Order casting his daughter into the jaws of a monstrous beast as punishment, which is said to be the origin of the Light of Order.”
Mr. Hoffen nodded. He suddenly reached out and grabbed Karon’s wrist. His thumb and index finger were already useless, but his middle, ring, and little fingers hooked tightly.
“Did Tiz give you bookmarks?”
“Yes.”
“How many?”
“Two. One is still with me. I never wrote a name on it and keep it as a keepsake. The other was given to Miss Eunice’s mother.”
“There is actually a third.”
“A third?”
“Yes. The third bookmark is Tiz himself, lying in bed at home right now. It is precisely because of this third bookmark that the Church of Order will not interfere with the Immers family, and that the Immers family can live peacefully as ordinary people.”
“Yes. That makes sense.”
“I heard that you once compared that monstrous beast to the black cat in your home.”
“Yes.”
“You believe the God of Order is false, that he did not truly punish Ankara. That the beast was domesticated and merely carried Ankara away to hide elsewhere, which means that the Light of Order is a false light.”
“Yes.”
“Just like how your Pu’er is about to take you to Veyn...”
Karon’s expression froze.
Mr. Hoffen began coughing violently, but forced himself to suppress it and continued, “Karon, have you noticed something? The two things the God of Order did to Ankara...
“In truth... Tiz did the same for you.”