For dried fish!

November 15, Sunday. Sunny.

Kallen prepared lunch. The family had been booked from the 14th through the 17th, but there was still no news of their "guest," so everyone was effectively on "paid leave."

With Aunt Winnie and Aunt Mary helping him, Kallen made an exceptionally lavish lunch.

There were three main dishes:

braised pig's trotters, scallops with minced garlic and glass noodles, and rabbit with young ginger, prepared Zigong-style.

There was plenty of each. The trotters and scallops filled large platters to the brim, while the rabbit was served in a large basin.

Kallen had made this adjustment to suit his family's eating habits. Perhaps because they were still far from tired of his dishes, whenever they encountered something delicious, they simply piled into it, whether it was a main dish or a side.

And since they had previously eaten a lot of sweets and meat, they had a high tolerance for rich food.

When he had made pig's head meat last time, for instance, Kallen had been craving a taste of home, but a few pieces had satisfied him. Ron and Uncle Mason, who returned that evening, had simply kept forking meat from the platter into their mouths.

The side dishes came in smaller portions: shredded pork with celery, sliced pork with bitter melon, cucumber salad, tomatoes sprinkled with sugar, and kelp salad.

The soup was crucian carp and tofu soup.

Kallen stood in the kitchen doorway, wiping his hands with a damp towel as he watched Mina, Chris, and Sarah, a school friend Mina had brought home that day. The three girls bustled back and forth, carrying dishes and setting the table.

Uncle Mason looked at the table laden with food,

and said with feeling,

"Ever since our Kallen started cooking, I've wanted to do away with breakfast altogether so it won't take up any room in my stomach at lunchtime. Come on, everyone, sit down. Darling, bring out our red wine. This is our first company dinner with our new employees."

"All right."

Aunt Mary brought out a bottle of red wine and uncorked it. Mina took it from her and began pouring everyone a glass.

The children, of course, had orange juice.

Still, Mina quite naturally poured red wine into the glass at Kallen's place.

Dressed in gray work clothes, Alfred thrust his neck forward with exaggerated enthusiasm, took a deep breath, and exclaimed,

"Heavens, that smells wonderful! And it looks so tempting!"

Miss Molly, dressed as a maid, nodded vigorously in agreement.

Then, almost simultaneously, the two looked at Kallen in the kitchen doorway, making no effort to hide the astonishment in their eyes.

Seeing the two of them there, however, had already spoiled some of Kallen's appetite.

It wasn't because of the cooking fumes.

Just then, Dis came down from the third floor.

Everyone seated at the table rose. Kallen clearly saw Dis's gaze sweep over Alfred and Miss Molly, but he said nothing and sat down at the head of the table.

"What a splendid lunch. Enjoy yourselves, everyone."

Everyone sat down.

Dis sat at one end of the long table, with Uncle Mason opposite him.

Along one side sat Aunt Mary, Aunt Winnie, Chris, Mina, and Mina's classmate Sarah.

On the other side sat Ron, Alfred, Miss Molly, and Lunt.

Kallen put down the towel and sat beside Lunt.

Everyone began eating.

Praise mingled with ravenous eating.

Kallen was already accustomed to the sight.

Even his grandfather, who had the best table manners, always ate his cooking quickly, though never in an exaggerated fashion.

Alfred and Miss Molly, enjoying "food personally cooked by the great being" for the first time, were even more dramatic. Alfred ate with tears brimming in his eyes, while Miss Molly choked back sobs as she stuffed pig's trotters into her mouth.

"Is it good?"

Mina asked her classmate.

Sarah nodded. "Yes, it's delicious."

Mina used the serving spoon to put some food on Sarah's plate. She knew her classmate had always been reserved and shy, and would feel embarrassed helping herself.

Kallen tried a little of each dish, then began drinking soup.

As he drank, he watched his grandfather.

His grandfather was once again the first to finish.

Part of the reason was that the others felt somewhat constrained eating in his presence. He probably realized this too, which was why he always left the table quickly.

"I'm finished. Take your time."

Dis left the table and went upstairs.

Once he was gone, Uncle Mason and Ron led the way, standing up to help themselves to more food.

"I've had roast rabbit before, but this is my first time having it prepared this way. It's so tender," Uncle Mason remarked. "Kallen, I'm starting to regret it. If only I'd known, I would have used the money for buying the Crematorium Society to open a restaurant on Mink Street instead!"

"Yes, yes." Ron nodded repeatedly as he ate his eighth scallop.

Alfred said, "This is the first time I've tasted food so magnificent."

Miss Molly said, "Yes, so magnificent that I can't help crying. It feels as though I haven't truly eaten a meal in years."

You really haven't eaten in years. You don't even have anywhere to digest it.

Uncle Mason laughed. "Don't worry. From now on, whenever we're not busy, these will be our staff meals. I guarantee you won't get staff meals of this caliber working anywhere else!"

Sarah ate quietly in small bites, stealing frequent glances at Kallen. A handsome older boy who could cook so well had undeniable appeal to the opposite sex, regardless of age.

Kallen served Sarah a bowl of fish soup and placed it in front of her.

Sarah said shyly, "Thank you, Kallen."

Mina leaned over and whispered a few words into Sarah's ear, making her blush even harder.

Her brother had always been handsome, but now that he had become cheerful and composed, that charm of his...

Mina was certain that if her brother returned to school, his desk drawer would be stuffed with love letters every day.

Kallen smiled politely at everyone around the table, then rose.

"I'll go make Grandpa some tea."

Kallen went up to the third floor and knocked on Dis's study door.

"Come in."

Kallen opened the door and entered.

Dis was cleaning his glasses, though Kallen never normally saw him wearing them. He probably only used them in the study.

Kallen walked over to the desk and stood there without sitting.

Dis finished cleaning his glasses, set them aside, and glanced at Kallen.

"What is it?"

"Grandpa, don't you have anything to say?"

"About what?"

"About our two new employees, for instance?"

"Your aunt told me you did an excellent job promoting our company culture."

"That isn't what I meant, Grandpa. They're two otherworldly demons, but Uncle hired them without knowing what they are. One will be going out with him to transport bodies, and the other will be in the basement with Aunt, preparing our guests for viewing.

"Don't you think that's a serious problem?"

Dis shook his head. "I don't see a problem. Otherworldly demons sometimes need jobs too. Some might not need to eat, but they enjoy driving and wearing clothes, and they have ordinary expenses to cover."

"No problem?" Kallen stared in surprise. "There really isn't a problem? Grandpa, you're an Inquisitor of the Order God Church."

"Yes, I know." Dis lifted the lid of his teacup.

Kallen picked up the kettle and poured hot water into his grandfather's cup.

"An Inquisitor of the Order God Church is only responsible for maintaining order, not killing every otherworldly demon in sight."

Only then did Kallen realize the heart of the issue. He had made a fundamental mistake in his understanding.

Until now, he had always thought of his grandfather as something like a Taoist priest, duty-bound to "slay demons and defend the righteous path" and "exterminate all evil creatures." In reality, that was neither his grandfather's responsibility nor his interest.

"The last time I went to see Alfred, it was because of Jeff. But after learning that Jeff had been frightened to death while stealing, I forgave them.

"Under Ruilan law, a homeowner who kills a burglar or robber who breaks into their home is acting in self-defense and bears no legal liability.

"Then I warned them to behave themselves, and they agreed."

"But what about now? They've come into our home."

Dis smiled and spread his hands. "In fact, most Inquisitors keep a few otherworldly demons at home as helpers. Divine Servants and those at the Divine Revelation rank are only useful for running errands and doing paperwork. Divine Shepherds who can actually be of use often have better prospects, and go to the various Regional Administration Offices early for further training.

"Our family simply didn't have any before. Now we do. There's nothing particularly unusual about it."

"What about Puer?"

"Paul... Puer. That name you gave her has nearly 'corrected' me too.

"Actually, Puer doesn't count as a domestically kept otherworldly demon..."

Outside the study door,

Puer, who was standing there eavesdropping through the gap, smiled when she heard this.

"I'm family."

"Actually, Puer doesn't count as a domestically kept otherworldly demon. Who would deliberately keep such a weak otherworldly demon?"

"..." Puer!!!

"Puer had ties to the Immerlis Family before I was born. When I was still young, she became a cat.

"So now, we've merely added two assistants to meet the needs of my work as an Inquisitor, following the standard staffing procedures for Inquisitors of the Order God Church.

"The two of them approached me before their interviews. Only after I agreed did they go to Mason to be interviewed.

"In addition, I'll give them two certificates proving that they belong to the Order God Church's Inquisition office in Rojia City, Ruilan District.

"Otherworldly demons who work for a church and hold church credentials are very common, not only in the Order God Church, but in the other major orthodox churches as well."

Kallen recalled what Puer had said: the major orthodox churches were nothing more than otherworldly demons walking in the sunlight.

"But Grandpa, if you didn't need Otherworldly Demon assistants like these before, why do you suddenly need them now?"

"Because I'm old."

"Uh..."

Kallen truly hadn't expected Dis to give him such an unassailable reason.

Seeing his grandson's expression, Dis smiled, took a sip of tea, and said,

"I know what you're afraid of and worried about. Otherworldly demons are actually much like people. Not all of them are evil. Of course, because they possess special abilities beyond those of ordinary people, secular morals and laws can have trouble restraining them. But there are plenty of criminals among ordinary people too.

"Since they're willing to work here, I believe neither of them will pose any danger to the family.

"I've been an Inquisitor for so many years. In my view, it's people, rather than otherworldly demons, who are truly frightening.

"As for what you're worried about,

"the two of them consider you a great being descended into this world, and you're afraid you won't be able to keep up the act with them around you every day?"

"Yes."

"You don't need to act," Dis said. "You're beyond reproach."

"..." Kallen.

What Dis didn't tell Kallen was that the second round of the major investigation into the Divine Descent Ritual in Bellwyn City had already begun. With the entire Order God Church vouching for him, what did he still have to worry about?

Old Hoffen was still clinging to life. He probably couldn't bear to die without seeing Kallen dead first.

When everyone believed you were an evil god descended into this world,

your own opinion

could, in fact, already be disregarded.

"They want to secure a place beside you early, just like when Mason used to trade stocks. What was it called?

"Oh, right. Buying the dip.

"If it makes them happy and they're willing, let them. Mason even lost his house, but didn't he still come home and carry on driving the hearse and living his life?

"If you gamble, you accept your losses, don't you?"

"I understand, Grandpa. Still, I think I'll need some time to adjust."

"I have absolutely no doubts about your ability to adjust. Truly."

Kallen left Dis's study.

Puer immediately slipped inside, jumped onto the desk, and said to Dis,

"Accept your losses? Why do I get the feeling they might actually have a chance of winning?"

Dis glanced at Puer and opened his palm.

Puer immediately jumped off the desk and put some distance between them.

"That night, I don't believe you didn't feel it. That pure power. No anomalies, no chaos. Weak, yes, but utterly pure.

"Dis,

"he hasn't even undergone Purification yet. He isn't even a Divine Servant."

Dis said nothing.

"Dis, do you really have no intention of letting Kallen undergo Purification? What if he isn't an evil god? Actually, you don't care whether he's an evil god or not, do you? But such a promising prospect-if you could bring him into the Church and set him on the path of Order,

"then the potential he could realize..."

"If I remember correctly, just last month you were constantly urging me to kill him."

Puer swished her tail.

"That was instinct. Instinctively, I took the human side."

"And now?"

"Only now have I realized something. I'm a fucking cat!!!"

Puer raised her head and continued,

"Even if he's an evil god, he's an evil god willing to make braised little fish for me. As a cat, what reason do I have to hate him?"

"A little food was enough to buy you off?"

"That's because you haven't experienced what it's like to eat cat food for a hundred years. It's easy for you to talk, Dis."

"I won't let him undergo Purification. I've also warned Alfred and Molly not to interfere with Kallen's development, or they will be punished."

"Now, I'm giving you the same warning, Paul... Puer.

If I find out you secretly performed Purification on Kallen,

not only will your hundred years of friendship with the Immerlis Family be wiped away, but I'll also make you taste true pain."

"How could I perform Purification? I'm such a weak little Otherworldly Demon. No, at this point, I'm an outright disgrace to Otherworldly Demons!"

"If it's only a matter of performing Purification, Puer, I doubt there's a higher-grade 'Sacred Artifact' than you in the entire Ruilan District."

At those words, Puer lazily lay down on the floor and asked curiously,

"Dis, are you still hung up on that vow of yours, that no one in the Immerlis Family after you would join the church? But two Otherworldly Demons have already moved in as helpers today. Either send Kallen out of Ruilan to study in another country, or keep letting him come into contact with all this. Heh, I believe that one day, he'll come to you himself and ask to undergo the Purification ritual.

Besides, I don't believe you really care about some vow. Haven't you sworn plenty of oaths to the Order God Church? Yet when it came time for Divine Descent, didn't you perform the Divine Descent Ritual anyway?

Most importantly,

as a grandfather,

there's often no limit to how far you'll give in to your grandson.

Damn it,

I even think you have far fewer limits with Kallen as he is now than with your other grandchildren, Mina, Lunt, and Chris.

Hmm, though I'm the same way."

"The second round of major investigations into the Divine Descent Ritual in Bellwyn City has already begun. Rasma has come from Headquarters to the Ruilan District to oversee it personally. Investigations by the other churches and organizations must also be underway.

As long as Kallen hasn't undergone Purification, he'll be an ordinary person in the eyes of a priest unless he deliberately reveals his power. That also means he'll be absolutely safe.

We can deal with the future when it comes;

for now, at least, let this storm pass."

"Understood." Puer stood up. "But there's something I need to remind you of. Alfred and Molly will certainly keep the secret for the sake of what they want, because no reward the Order God Church or any other church could offer would compare to even a fraction of what they'd gain by accompanying an Evil God as he grows.

The same goes for me.

But there's still one other person: Mr. Hoffen, who just won't die."

"He'll only hope that I kill Kallen with my own hands. He won't inform on him and let someone else kill my grandson, Dis."

Puer walked to the study door, then suddenly stopped again.

"Dis, there's one more thing I've been holding back from asking. A Divine Descent Ritual of that caliber usually requires the person performing it to pay an enormous price. Though I know you're powerful, more powerful than most people believe,

I'd really like to know what price you paid."

"When you're powerful enough, the price becomes negligible."

"Then there's nothing to worry about. I'm off to eat my Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish.

Oh,

that damned Evil God has already blinded me, and I've fallen under his spell.

That damned Evil God,

that damned Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish,

and worse still, I feel like I've already fallen in love with this sense of depravity."