13 Mink Street

Karon turned around and sat on the steps with his back to Saman. He understood. Saman intended to die for his faith. “I don’t think your choice is particularly great.”

“I already said it, I’m a coward. From the moment I chose to stay here as a groundskeeper, I’ve been a coward all the way until today. I don’t think I have anything to do with greatness. I’ve always been escaping, always immersing myself in my own world. I’m content with it, and I’ve long grown used to it.

“I don’t even think I’m dying for Pamireth. When I heard the news, I didn’t feel much anger. Maybe I just can’t adapt, and I’m too lazy to try anymore. Heh. The most important thing is, I’m old. In fact, I’m older than I look. When people get old, they become conservative, they become stubborn, but it’s not that they like being conservative, or that they enjoy being stubborn, or that they reject change, it’s just that when you can see that you don’t have many years left, you no longer have the energy to struggle.

“It’s like riding a tram. You’re only one stop away from getting off. Even if a seat becomes available, you don’t bother going over to sit. You just stand where you are until you reach your stop.”

Saman reached out and lightly pushed Karon’s shoulder. “By the way, my pipe was taken back by your servant.”

Karon took out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket and handed them over.

Saman pulled one out and placed it between his lips, then took another and handed it to Karon. “I know you care about your health, but can you keep me company for one cigarette? Next time we meet will be my funeral.”

Karon accepted it.

Saman exhaled a ring of smoke and asked, “But I’m still curious. What does greatness look like to you?”

“I’m not qualified to judge whether you are great,” Karon replied. “But I respect your choice.”

“Hah, we’re just chatting. Say whatever you want. No need to be so formal.”

“Alright. In my view, greatness is something like sacrificing and dedicating yourself for others. It’s something that is clearly right, yet very difficult for me to do. Those who can do it, I consider great.”

“Be more specific,” Saman pressed.

“I once saw pilgrims walking along a rugged mountain road. Their clothes were worn and tattered, yet they were serene and devout, walking step by step toward the sacred place they longed for.”

“And you think they are great?”

“No.” Karon shook his head. “I think the people who built the road through those mountains are great.”

Saman froze for a moment, then understanding dawned on him. He smiled. “I think I understand. When you greeted the God of Order in front of me that day, I already realized that you hold a certain disdain for faith that exists only within one’s inner world.”

Karon shook his head. “No.”

“No?”

“I think faith, besides bringing inner peace, should guide our actions in reality. In other words, our understanding of things and our behavior should be unified. Otherwise, if faith only exists to let a person indulge and immerse themselves...” Karon raised the cigarette between his fingers, “...then how is it any different from the nicotine in this cigarette?”

Saman fell silent. The two smoked quietly. Karon took only two puffs before dropping his cigarette to the ground and crushing it under his foot.

Saman smoked his all the way down to the filter before flicking it aside.

“If I had met you earlier, it would have been interesting,” Saman said. “But I would still choose to end things on the day the talks conclude.”

“I said it already. I respect your choice.”

Karon stood up, preparing to leave. At that moment, Saman asked, “So what you believe in is Order itself, not the God of Order?”

Karon paused, lifted his chin slightly, then shrugged. “There’s a question I’ve thought about for a long time, but I’ve never found an answer.”

“What question?”

“What does adding the word ‘God’ in front of Order actually do?”

“Ah... ha!” Saman burst into laughter, wiping tears from his eyes with the back of his hand.

Karon waved and said, “See you at the funeral.”

After Karon drove away, Saman sat back down on the steps. The cigarette pack and lighter had been left with him. He sat there alone, smoking three cigarettes in succession.

Finally, a familiar figure emerged from the darkness.

“Are you deliberately avoiding him?” Saman asked.

“No. I was handling some matters related to the upcoming mission. I just arrived late.”

“Have you eaten?”

“Not yet.”

“I’ll add some coal. That kid said this hot pot can be reheated. As long as you don’t mind our saliva. Oh, and the utensils he brought are quite interesting. Very suitable for hot pot.”

“I don’t mind.” Nio sat down beside the pot. Saman took out more ingredients for him.

“That kid said some interesting things to me tonight.”

“He always says interesting things, because he is an interesting person.”

“Yes. He said he doesn’t believe in the God of Order.”

“Oh.”

“‘Oh’? That’s all you have to say?”

“What else should I say?”

“I thought you would react more.”

Nio picked up a piece of meat with the chopsticks and asked, “Didn’t you say it on purpose because you knew it would make me appreciate him more? What? Did you expect me to get angry at him because of what you said?”

Saman let out a short laugh. “You’re interesting too.”

The pot began to boil. Nio started adding ingredients, and Saman lit another cigarette. “I’ve never understood what you’re trying to do.”

“I don’t know either. I’m still thinking about that question myself.”

“And then?” Saman pressed. “There’s no need to hide anything from me. I’m about to die anyway.”

“I’m not hiding anything. Precisely because I don’t know what I want, I just continue going through the motions, doing what needs to be done. I’m not like you. I don’t want to die, but the reason I don’t want to die doesn’t seem to be for the sake of living.”

“What is that supposed to mean? Building roads while bowing in pilgrimage?”

Nio lifted a piece of cooked meat and asked, “What does that mean?”

“It doesn’t mean anything. I’m too lazy to explain. Next time, come earlier and you can eavesdrop.” At that, Saman suddenly slapped his forehead. “Ah, right. There won’t be a next time.”

He stood up. “Eat. Leave things here when you’re done. I’ll clean up in the morning. I’m going to sleep.”

“Alright.”

Saman pushed open the door. Before entering, he turned back and called out to Nio, “Oh, right, I almost forgot. My dearest Nio, you are welcome to attend my funeral.”

***

By the time Karon returned home, it was once again very late. Sometimes he wondered how it was that he seemed to do so little each day, yet always ended up returning home at midnight or even later, earlier out and later back than those who worked regular jobs.

In contrast, when he was on missions, his schedule and meals were far more regular. It felt as if he was gradually becoming like Fannie and Paige, as though being on a mission was his normal life.

Pushing open the bedroom door, Karon saw Pu’er and Kevin playing with the old refrigerator. It had already been cleaned by Alfred. The layer of grime was gone from the outside, but the dents and dullness remained. It still looked like an old appliance.

“Mm, Karon, a spatial artifact. Impressive. Being a chef really paid off,” Pu’er said.

“Woof!” Kevin nodded.

“Have you figured it out?” Karon asked.

“Didn’t that old caretaker give you a manual?” Pu’er asked.

“No.”

“He forgot?”

“I think he did it on purpose. He’ll probably only give it to me at his funeral.”

Pu’er flicked her tail. “But he definitely didn’t expect that you to have a genius cat at home.”

“Woof!”

“Oh, and a genius stupid dog.”

Kevin wagged his tail excitedly.

“So, what have you figured out?” Karon asked.

“It’s only been back for a short while, so we’re still studying it. But it’s not a big problem. Give us about a week and we can produce a manual for you.

“For now, we can confirm that it’s a spatial transfer device, somewhat similar to the teleportation arrays preserved by various churches, but more stable. The only issue is that it can’t transport living beings, nor anything imbued with spirituality.

“The refrigerator contains the main array, while the pipe and flute have auxiliary arrays carved into them. Within a reasonable distance, say within York City, you can use either the pipe or the flute as a summoning medium. Draw a small summoning array on the ground or a table, and whatever is stored in the refrigerator can be transported to you.

“But simply plugging it in also isn’t enough. You’ll need to buy some amethyst crystals from the black market as an energy source. When idle, it won’t consume much, but during use, the consumption is concentrated.”

“So, if time and taxi fare allow, it’s still better for me to just go home and get things myself?”

“In theory, yes, but the stupid dog says this refrigerator has an upgrade path. With our current conditions, there’s no need to try upgrading yet. First, you don’t need it. Second, after upgrading, the cost of summoning items within York City would be the same as summoning them across the sea from Swillen.

“For your last mission, all the credits you earned would only be enough to support a single use.”

“And now? Without upgrading, just within York City?”

“Once we’ve fully figured it out and you’ve read our manual, ignoring depreciation and only counting material costs, each use would cost about three months of Pavaro’s stipend. In short, one use costs three Pavs.”

Karon suddenly recalled how Saman had casually summoned dumplings from the refrigerator while they were sitting outside eating together. Just to avoid walking a few steps, he spent over three thousand credits?

Of course, there was the element of Saman deliberately demonstrating its use. Still, that was expensive.

Pu’er continued, “For example, your Aelius sword. It’s too large to carry around all the time. Once the refrigerator is fully operational, you can store it inside and summon it when needed. Just imagine, when you’re about to fight, the sword suddenly appears before you, and you grasp it...”

“And then?”

“Mm... at the very least, the scene would look really cool.”

“That actually makes sense.”

“Of course it does! Don’t doubt my aesthetics.”

“Alright, I’m going to wash up and sleep. There’s a mission tomorrow.” Karon went to the bathroom, took a shower, then laid down on his bed and quickly fell asleep. Pu’er and Kevin continued studying the refrigerator, completely absorbed in it.

The next morning at eight, Karon woke up. Instinctively glancing beside him, he didn’t see Pu’er. After getting up, he found Kevin sleeping beneath the refrigerator, while Pu’er was curled up on top of it.

Karon picked Pu’er up, placed her back on the bed and tucked her in before going to wash up.

“Young Master.” Alfred placed a small suitcase and a sword case in front of him. “I’ve packed your spare clothes and daily necessities.”

Karon felt that having Alfred in his life was truly wonderful. “Thank you.”

“It’s my duty.”

“I’m heading out. The house will be in your care for now. Also, if you have time, check on Ivy Cemetery.”

“Rest assured, Young Master. As for the cemetery, I will visit Mr. Saman every night and keep him company, giving him the highest level of guest treatment, so he may feel the warmth of our funeral home.”

“Good. I trust you.” Karon placed the sword case atop the suitcase and pushed it toward the shop entrance. Just as he was about to head to his car, he noticed a black luxury vehicle was already parked outside.

Pike and Dingkom stood nearby, one holding a broom, the other a cloth, both staring at the car as though it were an unattainable dream.

Karon walked over, and the car door opened. Fannie was inside, while Paige drove.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Karon said with a smile. He knew this treatment was not due to his looks, but because of the strength he had demonstrated on the arena the day before.

“We just got here.”

Karon put his suitcase in the trunk. The sword case was stored beneath the seat for easy access.

As usual, Paige drove them to the docks. After parking, all three reclined their seats. Karon got out, opened the trunk, and took out a neck pillow. Then he noticed there were two more.

He brought them back and handed one each to Fannie and Paige. His own was gray, Fannie’s was pink, and Paige’s was sky blue.

Fannie smiled. “Karon, you’re very thoughtful.”

The one who was thoughtful was Alfred.

“Oh?” Paige stroked the neck pillow and sighed. “Damn it, is this your thing? Teasing, but never actually sleeping together?”

Karon reminded her, “We’ll be sleeping in the same bed again tonight.”

“You know I mean the verb.”

The car fell silent as all three began to rest. There was nothing else to do but wait, and anything else would only consume energy. Sleeping was the best choice. Although he had slept well the previous night, Karon still slept until the afternoon, only waking when Fannie gently called him to eat.

As before, to avoid the smell of food lingering in the car, the three crouched beside the vehicle to eat their boxed meals.

After eating, they returned to sleep. When dusk approached, Fannie reminded them to use the restroom and freshen up. Everything was ready. The car was driven to a separate docking area.

Though only one car was visible, the surrounding arrangements involved far more than just the captain’s hidden team. A large number of the church’s secular resources had been mobilized as well. There was no need to display everything. The Church of Order did not need such displays.

In the distance, a small passenger ship came into view, slowly approaching, guided by a lead vessel.

The three stood outside the car. There was still time.

Fannie smiled. “Karon, did you prepare any idioms this time?”

Paige added, “Yeah. Make this one pregnant too. At this rate, our church will annex everything through you.”

“Isn’t the Divine Progeny supposed to be male?” Karon asked.

“Strictly speaking, a divine son has no gender. Anything related to gods can’t be measured by gender. There are records of male gods becoming pregnant and giving birth,” Fannie explained.

Paige immediately added, “So this divine son might be female.”

“I see.” Because of the previous misunderstanding, Karon had no intention of preparing anything extra this time. Last night at the cemetery, he had not asked Saman about the Church of Pamireth either.

The first time he had been nervous. This time, he was much more composed. He only needed to do his job. There was no need to force anything else.

The passenger ship drew closer.

Closer.

Closer still.

Karon slightly raised his chin, maintaining his posture, a polite smile already prepared, his gaze fixed on the approaching vessel.

Then, before his eyes, the ship exploded.

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