13 Mink Street

“All right, it’s all done. Though it’s a little ugly.” Saman stood, a pipe between his teeth as he studied the coffin before him.

This coffin, well, it could be called a coffin for the moment, but there was nothing smooth or elegant about it. Many of the runes and ritual array patterns were exposed right on its surface, like tangled electrical wires hanging through a slum.

The joints of the coffin’s lid had also been done very crudely. There was no sense of refinement anywhere, only roughness and haste at every turn.

Alfred reached out and ran a hand over the coffin, recalling the day and night spent rushing to complete the task. He had to admit that he was deeply impressed by Saman’s skill in forging spatial holy relics. In this field, the old man truly was a genuine expert.

Alfred had never really stepped into Saman’s domain of expertise before, so there had not been any particularly strong feeling about this, yet as soon as he had actually stepped in himself, Alfred could clearly see just what kind of a giant the old man was in his field.

“In the future, you can just follow this process when you make the other coffins. Of course, there’ll be no need to rush things the way I did this time, so you’ll be able to make them properly and beautiful.”

“When I make a new coffin later, I’ll move you into that one instead.”

“No, no, absolutely not! It may be ugly, but at least I made this one myself, so I can rest easy. It’s ugly, but it’ll definitely work.

“I’ve no desire to lie in a coffin that hasn’t passed inspection. Imagine coming back to check on me a few years from now, only to discover that what little spiritual power I had has already dissipated, and I’ve turned into a puddle of broken flesh. At that point, I wouldn’t even be able to cry if I want to.”

“You should have more confidence in me.”

“Yes, true enough. Aside from always muttering cryptic sayings, you really do learn fast. Where did you study ritual arrays?”

“Elder Hoffen.”

“Elder Hoffen? From which church?”

“The Church of Principle.”

“How is it that I don’t remember such a figure from the Church of Principle? He ought to be quite old, the sort who should have already been famous thirty years ago.”

“It’s normal for you not to know of him, as he was the elder responsible for guarding the Wheel of Principle.”

“Oh, was he? Quite an extraordinary figure, then.”

Dinkom and Pike were both so tired that they had nearly gone numb, yet each one still stood straight with five hundred Order credits of overtime pay clutched in their hand. They were still waiting for their next instructions to be given at any moment.

Saman’s gaze swept over the two men, and he chuckled. “Heh. Those two Divine Servants look like they’re nearly at Divine Seeker.”

Alfred turned to them and said, “You’ve worked hard. Go and get some rest.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Yes, sir.”

Pike and Dinkom walked out with stiff legs. They felt that if they kept working overtime much longer, it would become unclear who this hurriedly made coffin would actually be used for.

“I’m about to lie down in it, and that brat Karon still isn’t back?”

“You ought to learn to show Young Master proper respect.”

“He doesn’t say anything himself, so what are you getting worked up about?”

“If the god on high has no need for anything, why is there still a church?”

“Yes, yes, I understand.” Saman waved a hand. “It’s just that this all still feels a little unreal. As though after death I fell into a dream, and I don’t know whether I might wake up at any moment.”

“There’s a problem with your ritual array.” Alfred picked up the ritual array schematic. “What exactly is this core configuration here supposed to be?”

“I thought you wouldn’t be able to spot that.” Saman smiled.

A coffin was a coffin, while a ritual array was a ritual array. Only when the twelve coffins worked in tandem with the array could the true effect be achieved.

“This is a sacrificial position, isn’t it?” Alfred asked.

“Of course. I’d stake anything that where the First Knight Regiment sleeps, things are arranged in much the same way. Think about it and it becomes obvious; How could spiritual power possibly appear out of thin air? Even if you want to nourish a flower, you still have to water it and fertilize it.”

“All right. I understand.”

“Hm? That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“You have nothing more you want to ask about this core position of the array?”

“For others, it might be a problem. For Young Master, it isn’t.” Alfred clearly understood that his young master possessed an ability that was very nearly miraculous in nature. The cost Karon had to pay to use Awakening was extremely low, which meant that he could replenish a corpse’s spiritual power by the cheapest possible method.

In other words, if the ritual array’s core position were left vacant, the rate at which the occupants of the twelve coffins lost their spiritual power would be drastically restrained, and if the young master stood in the array’s core position once every few months and used his own reservoirs as the supply, he could stimulate the array’s effects to the greatest extent and allow it to “nourish” those within the twelve coffins.

Saman regarded this as an extremely difficult obstacle. In order to maintain the size of the First Knight Regiment, the Church of Order paid an enormous price every single year.

“You needn’t worry about it.” Alfred tapped on the coffin with a hand. “Go on, lie down and begin your sleep.”

“I’m waiting for Karon to come back. I want to say one more thing to him.

“This won’t do. I’m still awake here, and he’s run off on his own. What, did he go out to attend a banquet?”

“Yes. Dinner.”

“What kind of dinner could be that important?”

“A very important one.”

“All right, then.” Saman took another draw on his pipe, and then laughed at himself. “My bodily organs are beginning to deteriorate. Even the stimulation from tobacco is growing faint.”

Just then, they heard Ciri’s voice outside. “Young Master, you’re back.”

Karon did not return to his bedroom first, but instead entered the storage room. He walked over to the coffin, and ran a hand over it. “It’s hideous.”

Thanks to his experience working on Mink Street, Karon possessed a certain aesthetic sense when it came to coffins.

“As long as it works.” Saman lowered his pipe, and his voice dropped a bit as well.

“Then you’ll just have to put up with it for now.”

“I’m not upset. Once the eyes close, you know nothing anymore. Wherever you lie down is still lying down.”

“I’ll replace it for you with a new one later,” Karon said.

“No need, no need. I don’t care about that.”

“But I do.” Karon looked at Alfred and instructed, “In the end, all twelve coffins must match as a single set. Otherwise, they’ll offend my eyes.”

“I understand, Young Master.”

Karon looked back at Saman. “Do you still need to go out and look around a bit more?”

“No, there’s nothing left to see. Everything from my previous life has already been dealt with. I just wanted to wait for you to come back and say one more thing.”

“All right, say it.”

“From now on, am I your slave?”

Karon was just about to answer, but Saman answered his own question first, “The sort where heaven and earth are not benevolent, but treat all things as straw dogs?”

“Which kind do you prefer?”

“The latter. At least then I can understand that kind of relationship, and in my own heart, I’ll feel much easier.”

“All right, then it’s the latter.”

“Yes. So the next time I’m awakened, please... Please be a little loftier; a little more proper.”

“All right. I understand.”

“Then I’m going to sleep.” Saman laid down in the coffin of his own accord. Before closing his eyes, he smiled again and said, “Closing my eyes without any ties left behind feels wonderful. It’s almost like finding that feeling from childhood, when after a whole day of playing, you finally went to sleep.”

Karon said, “When children go to sleep, they’re usually looking forward to tomorrow, because tomorrow means they can go on playing.”

“Yes. That’s right.” Saman placed both hands upon his chest and formed the ceremonial seal of the Church of Pamireth. “I’ve already struck the pose. The next time I awaken, I’ll offer you my praise.”

“Unfortunately, I’m not very interested in your praise.”

“Yes, yes, that’s it! That’s exactly the feeling; that properness.”

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Karon’s lips.

Saman cleared his throat and called out, “Good night!”

Alfred lowered the coffin lid. The ritual array built into the coffin activated, and Saman sank into spatial sealing.

“Were Dinkom and Pike acceptable as assistants?” Karon asked.

“I believe there’s no problem. There are still quite a few technical matters I haven’t fully understood or mastered, but if I’m simply copying them from a template, reproducing these coffins shouldn’t be difficult.”

“Good. That’s enough.”

“One more thing, Young Master. Pike and Dinkom seem to be close to entering the Divine Seeker rank. It will probably happen this month.”

“I noticed.”

“Their aptitude may be mediocre, but fortunately for them, they met you, Young Master.”

“Keep an eye on things.”

“Yes, Young Master. When the time draws near, this subordinate will report to you in advance.”

“Report to me for what?”

“Only you, Young Master, are qualified to bestow revelation upon them.”

Karon immediately understood what Alfred meant, and asked, “Wouldn’t that be too large a step?”

“Only after receiving a Divine Seeker’s true revelation can they be considered one of us.”

Seeing that Karon still hesitated, Alfred continued, “The God of Order is too far away from them, while you, Young Master, are right beside them.”

“I understand. But before they reach Divine Seeker, I’ll give them both a chance to choose. If I forcibly twist their Divine Seeker revelation, how would I be any different from the God of Order?”

“I believe they will make the correct choice.” Inwardly, Alfred added another sentence, After all, the God of Order only gives them one hundred credits a month.

Karon returned to his bedroom. Pu’er was lying on the bed, wrapped in a little blanket. She had apparently just taken a bath. “Oh, my busy little Karon has finally returned.”

“Do you enjoy greeting people like that?”

“Not particularly, but I feel that these sorts of greetings help to establish my status as an elder.”

“You’re overthinking things. No one has ever mistaken you for being young.”

“Oh ho, your mouth today is smeared with Veynic bean paste!”

“I’m going to Lemar’s studio tomorrow. Have you finished preparing the requirements for your puppets?”

“Mmm, not yet. I’m planning to wait until Little John comes back from boarding school on break to have him help the two of us draw our portraits.”

“That troublesome?”

“We’ve finally got a chance to appear in human form, so naturally we have to be careful.”

Kevin immediately nodded. “Fine. Tell me when the time comes.”

He then went to the washroom, took a bath, and returned to lay on the bed. “Today, I think the old madam recognized me.”

“The old madam? Your grandmother?” Pu’er rolled onto her side to look at Karon. “She recognized you?”

“I’m not completely certain, but that’s the feeling I got. It seems she doesn’t have faith in the God of Order.”

“Yes, the one she believes in should be the progenitor of the Altair family. It’s a very mysterious family faith system.”

“You know about it?”

“I only heard Tiz mention it once a long time ago. You know how seriously Tiz has always taken family matters. The Gorman family may know nothing of the existence of the Immers family, but Tiz definitely knows about them.”

“You’re sure?”

“About which part?”

“I think she recognized me, but she still didn’t expose me. She even tried as much as possible to cover up her own lapse.”

“You mean she could know something about the Immers family?”

“I’m not sure. If she saw that I was hiding my identity, then logically she should have found a chance to speak with me alone and questioned me, but she skipped that step entirely. It was as if she had already decided that my concealment was necessary.”

“I think that, for the sake of the Gorman family, hiding your identity from them is the most suitable choice. A sleeping Tiz protects 13 Mink Street, but this place has no such protection.”

“I know that.”

“I don’t know very much about the Altair family. They’ve always been mysterious. I only know that they seem to possess some strange kind of perception. They aren’t a dominant family, yet their lineage has been around for a very long time.

“Also, their inheritance isn’t like that of the Allen family, where the direct line all live together in Allen Manor. The Altairs have always been very loose and scattered, yet they’ve never been cut off. In fact, they don’t even quite feel like a family that follows a family faith system.”

“Woof! Woof!” Karon sat up and looked at Kevin, who had just entered the room.

Pu’er interpreted, “The stupid dog says that the Altair family is a family blessed by the God of Eternity.”

“The God of Eternity?”

“Apparently a very distant High God.”

“Woof! Woof!”

“The stupid dog says the God of Eternity was born before the God of Light. Before the God of Light and the Church of Light became the representatives of the orthodox gods and orthodox churches, that position belonged to the God of Eternity and the Church of Eternity.”

“Woof! Woof! Woof!”

“At the end of the epoch two epochs ago, the God of Eternity suddenly vanished, so the divine war in the first half of the last epoch was basically fought between forces represented by the God of Light and those of the God of Eternity. The purpose was to eliminate the order left behind by the God of Eternity.”

“Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!”

“The Altair family once guarded the God of Eternity, though it’s unclear whether that happened before the God of Eternity became a god, if some accident occurred midway after ascension, or perhaps the god simply became human again and walked the world.

“In any case, the God of Eternity was moved by the warmth and harmony of the Altair family, and so bestowed a blessing upon them, one that meant their family would love and cherish one another for generation after generation.”

Pu’er frowned. “That story sounds very familiar. I think something similar is recorded in Light Epoch too. When the God of Light walked the mortal world, he also liked doing things like that.”

“Woof! Woof!”

“The stupid dog says all gods’ stories are just copied from one another. He also says the purpose of churches revising their mythic narratives is to erase and obliterate.”

“Two epochs have passed, which means that this is the third epoch. The God of Eternity should have fallen long ago, but the blessing is still in effect?”

“Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!”

“It would definitely have grown weaker and thinner, but if a member of the family married into the line of a high-ranking priest, there’s a good chance that their offspring could activate the bloodline. The reason that the Altair family remains so mysterious is because they have no ambitions. In many cases, members are not even aware that they belong to the Altair family. And strictly speaking, this blessing doesn’t even count as a family faith system, because it doesn’t conflict with faith at all.”

So Uncle Eisen and my mother had their Altair bloodline awaken their perception because of his grandfather, Mr. Derron?

No, then what about Grandma, then?

Karon recalled his grandmother’s reaction when she had first seen him. Her bloodline was clearly awakened.

Then again, as Derron’s wife, and being a member of an Expositor family like the Gormans, she could hardly be an ordinary woman.

“Today, I finally found out why Mr. Eisen became like he is. He sensed his sister’s suffering the moment before she died after being corrupted. On top of that, in a dream, he also made the choice to help end that suffering.

“Because they awakened the Altair bloodline in one another, it’s possible some kind of specific bond formed between them. I think it allows people of the same bloodline to gain a more direct form of perception and empathy for one another, something that can’t really be described in words. It’s a blessing, but in some sense, a blessing can sometimes turn into a curse.”

There was nothing wrong with Eisen’s personal quality or mental organization. Karon even felt the man resembled Nio a little. They were both strong and calm men. After all, becoming an Expositor was no easy thing.

It was just that Eisen was always walking in circles.

Pu’er looked at Kevin and asked, “You know the Altair family very well?”

“Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!”

“Uh...” Pu’er froze.

“What did Kevin say?”

Pu’er replied, “The stupid dog says that in the previous epoch, many nobles—real nobles—would, in order to satisfy their longing for beautiful love, deliberately capture people with the Altair bloodline, and then refine their bloodline and souls and take the resulting extract together with the person they loved, transforming the blessing into the making of a perfect love story.

“Some political marriages even used this method to make a union seem more genuine. They would deliberately prepare medicines made from the blood and souls of Altair family members for both spouses, and for a time, that was standard equipment for arranged marriages.”

Pu’er added, “But in this epoch, that custom was cut off long ago. At least, I’ve never heard of it. Otherwise that idiot Bernard would definitely have gotten his hands on some.”

Every matter had two sides to it. A god’s blessing and a god’s curse might merely be the same thing flipped over to face the other way. Or perhaps the thing itself never changed at all, just the angle from which people looked at it.

Karon said, “Richard should also have also activated the Altair bloodline, or perhaps be on the verge of activating it.”

That would explain why Richard, for all his background as a pampered young master, had been so unusually affectionate towards Karon when they first met, despite believing Karon to be a mere Divine Servant.

“That’s right, it should be exactly that.” Pu’er echoed the conclusion.

“Wait.” Karon raised his hand. “There’s still one person we’ve left out. That person may be the same as well.”

“Meow?”

“Woof?”

“Mr. Eisen has suffered mental torment all this time because of his bloodline link with his sister, while this other person may also have been enduring the same torment the entire time.” Karon lifted a hand and pointed at himself, then said, “The Karon who shut himself away.”