"When you're discharged and back home, after you've healed, let's sit down and have a proper talk. I'll tell you everything you want to know."
"Okay, Grandpa."
Orpheus didn't refuse. At this point, there was no reason to reject or even be afraid of anything anymore.
If he hadn't seen Mr. Mo Sang's dance,
If he hadn't seen Mrs. Hughes possessed by an otherworldly demon,
If he hadn't faced Alfred and Mrs. Molly standing right in front of him,
If he hadn't been stabbed by his own grandfather,
Perhaps everything could have continued on in that unspoken understanding, and life's gears would keep moving smoothly.
But having reached this point, it was clearly foolish to deceive himself any longer;
Covering his ears,
Closing his eyes,
Pretending everything was still peaceful,
Would be as ridiculous as Duke calling to say he'd figured out who the real culprit was but refusing to tell over the phone. Instead, he would invite Orpheus to meet somewhere, only for Orpheus to arrive and find that Duke had already been killed by the culprit.
That would be an insult to intelligence.
"Rest well. Don't worry about the matters at home," said Dies.
"Okay, Grandpa."
Dies turned and left the hospital room;
Peuer tried to sneak out through the gap in the door, but a heel kicked him back inside.
"Bang!"
Peuer flipped over, landing awkwardly as the door closed behind Dies.
Peuer looked up at Orpheus lying in bed, but Orpheus couldn't be bothered to pay attention to him. Instead, he picked up the novel the nurse had lent him, *I Bound Your Heart*, and continued reading.
The story was about a commoner girl who was loved by a prince of the Vien royal family. They overcame societal obstacles and got married, followed by the girl's encounters with the royal family and high society.
The plot seemed somewhat cliché to Orpheus, but he gleaned useful information about Vien's societal structure from it.
In many ways, Rulan was like a protectorate of Vien. Their economies were closely intertwined, and culturally, Rulan had adopted much from Vien.
To the elite of Rulan, Vien was the real grand stage they aspired to reach.
Peuer jumped onto the chair beside the bed, curled up, and appeared to fall asleep.
As sleepiness crept over him, Orpheus set the book down and turned off the lights.
Sleep.
…
Late at night;
In another hospital;
In a hospital room;
Mr. Hoffen, who had been asleep, slowly opened his eyes. A familiar figure appeared beside his bed.
The caretaker sleeping in the next bed was still snoring and hadn't noticed the visitor.
"I stabbed him," said Dies.
Hoffen smiled,
"He didn't die, did he?"
"No."
"If you had killed him, knowing you, you'd simply say he was dead, not explain what you did or didn't do."
"I couldn't bring myself to do it," Dies admitted.
"Dies, I helped you prepare that divine summoning ritual. We both know how powerful it was.
But we failed.
Because the soul we summoned wasn't truly Orpheus.
He isn't Orpheus, and I knew it from the first time I saw him."
"I know."
"He's not your grandson anymore, Dies. You need to face reality. I have cancer and not much time left, which is why I agreed to help you. I know how much family means to you.
But with a ritual that powerful,
Since the soul we summoned isn't Orpheus,
That means…
It's very likely he's an evil god!
He might still be weak now because he's just descended and needs time to recover.
But you must realize,
Once an evil god regains his strength,
The chaos he could bring!
You need to kill him, Dies."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because… he calls me Grandpa."
"Dies, do you realize your mercy could lead to a disaster for countless people?"
Dies was silent for a moment,
Then he laughed,
"Those people outside don't call me Grandpa."
…
When Orpheus woke up, it was already light outside. He pressed the call button, and soon Nurse Mina walked in, smiling. "Orpheus, did you enjoy the book?"
"It's an interesting story."
"I thought only girls like us enjoyed that kind of story."
"Boys do too. It helps us understand girls better."
"You're quite funny."
Mina helped Orpheus get up, put a robe around his shoulders, and assisted him to the private bathroom attached to his hospital room. After he washed up, she helped him with breakfast.
It was a simple meal: corn porridge with a variety of fruits.
Orpheus wasn't too fond of mixing fruits with his main meals, even if it was supposed to be healthy.
"Would you like me to help you take a walk?" asked Mina.
"Is that allowed?" Orpheus asked,
Not wondering if it was in her duties, but whether his injuries allowed it.
"Yes, the doctor said your main issue was blood loss…"
Mina gently touched Orpheus's chest,
The wound was on the other side,
"Some light movement will help you recover faster."
"Thank you."
With Mina's support, Orpheus walked out of the hospital room. It was convenient that the room was on the first floor.
Once outside, he breathed in the fresh air and soaked up the sunlight. Only in moments like this do people realize the importance of health, though it wouldn't take long before they'd return to their usual unhealthy habits.
"How old are you?" Orpheus asked Mina.
"Seventeen, just graduated from nursing school. I know you're fifteen. I'm older than you."
In Rulan, fifteen was considered the "threshold of adulthood." Generally, if someone didn't continue their education past fifteen, they could start working. Some kids from poorer families started working even earlier.
While Rulan had strict laws against child labor (defined as under fifteen), factory owners weren't hiring child laborers—they were just using expendable machinery parts.
In the time since his awakening, Orpheus had come to understand that this was a society with a vast gap between the rich and the poor.
The disparity wasn't just between the Inmeres family and the Adams family. Many at the true bottom struggled daily to feed their families.
Orpheus had often measured income using the wage of an average factory worker, which was 2000 Lu coins a month. But in reality, many workers in small workshops earned less than 40 Lu coins a day. Undocumented workers earned even less.
There were many in this lower class, but Orpheus had little contact with them because the Inmeres family's clients were all middle class or higher. Even when Mary Auntie complained about welfare cases, they still had to have clear, established residency to qualify for services.
"I know your family," said Mina.
"Oh?"
"Inmeres. When my aunt passed away, we held her funeral at your family's establishment. But I didn't see you that day."
"That's unfortunate. You missed me."
"You're quite funny. I don't even have a boyfriend."
Orpheus blinked, realizing Mina had misunderstood him.
After walking for a bit, Orpheus began to sweat, and Mina helped him sit on a bench. She pulled out a handkerchief and carefully wiped his face.
Her behavior, her every smile, was deliberately charming.
This wasn't a criticism. Whenever people liked someone, they naturally tried to show off their best sides.
"What do you like to do in your free time?" Mina asked.
"I like helping my family, like helping my aunt wipe down corpses."
"..." Mina.
At that moment, Orpheus spotted three familiar figures approaching—Uncle Mason, Paul, and Ron.
Uncle Mason had his hands in his pockets, walking ahead.
Paul and Ron were pushing stretchers.
"Uncle!"
Orpheus called out.
"Oh, Orpheus." Uncle Mason smiled and walked over. "I was going to visit your room."
"Young Master Orpheus."
"The young master looks much better."
"Uncle, what are you doing here?"
"Oh, when I visited you the other day, you were still unconscious. So, I had afternoon tea with the head of this hospital's inpatient department, and here we are today."
Uncle Mason gave Orpheus a knowing look.
Orpheus smiled and nodded.
"I'll be back this afternoon to check on you."
"Alright, Uncle."
Business clearly took priority. This hospital was in Mordock District, quite far from Chiswick Street. It wasn't originally part of the Inmeres family's "business territory," but this visit expanded their influence.
But they'd need to move the client quickly before local funeral homes tried to take them.
"He's your uncle?" Mina asked.
"Yes."
"Your family is very handsome."
"Thank you."
It wasn't just flattery. Uncle Mason was older now, and his figure couldn't compare to a young man's, but even so, his appearance remained "scholarly" and handsome for his age.
Despite the hardships, Aunt Mary had stuck with Uncle Mason, and it was definitely out of love. But love had to be sustained.
When life isn't going smoothly, there has to be something worth staying for. If you're also ugly, what's left to appreciate?
"Of course, you're very handsome too," Mina added.
"
Thank you."
Orpheus had become somewhat immune to such compliments. It felt about as casual as saying, "Nice weather today."
"Can I ask you a personal question?" Mina asked.
"Of course."
"How much do you spend in a month?"
"I spend enough, but I'm not sure exactly how much." Orpheus remembered that he was now a full-fledged family employee and could receive dividends. But he didn't know his exact monthly income.
"I only make 1,200 Lu coins a month," Mina said. "Barely enough to get by, and there's never anything left."
"That little?"
"The benefits are decent, and the salary goes up with experience." Mina explained, "But I don't really like being a nurse. Taking care of you is nice, but sometimes I have to care for grumpy old ladies or lecherous old men."
"Breathing clients are always troublesome."
"Exactly." Mina rolled her eyes. "Phew…"
This girl was quite interesting. Orpheus didn't mind her. She was frank and sincere.
Even without his looks, being part of the Inmeres family would have given him plenty of confidence in the dating market. Whatever negative reputation funeral directors might have, it didn't hold up against a pile of Lu coins.
However, Orpheus wasn't planning on settling down and starting a family here just yet. First, he was still young. Second, he had much bigger problems to solve.
"Shall we head back? I feel like lying down."
"Of course, I'll help you."
With Mina's assistance, Orpheus returned to the hospital wing. As they approached his room, the head nurse called out:
"Mina, could you come over and take this plasma to the operating room? They're short on staff."
"You go ahead. I can make it back to bed." Orpheus said.
"Alright."
Orpheus stood at the door to his room, taking a deep breath.
For some reason, the smell of disinfectant in his room seemed much stronger than outside.
But,
Just as Orpheus stepped into the room,
A faint rustling sound reached his ears:
"My money… my money… my money… my money..."
Orpheus froze in place.
That feeling instantly reminded him of the sobbing he had heard from Mr. Mo Sang in the basement at home.
"My money… my money… my money…"
The voice continued.
Orpheus ignored it, entered the room, lay down on the bed, and picked up his novel, preparing to continue reading.
"Meow…"
Peuer jumped onto the bed, looking at him.
"My money… my money… my money…"
That damned voice—it inexplicably grew louder, like an old woman was lying under his bed, whispering to him relentlessly.
Orpheus set the book down and covered his ears with his hands.
The voice persisted;
It wasn't a sound he was "hearing."
"Meow…"
Peuer called out again.
Orpheus grabbed Peuer and placed him on his back, belly facing him.
Previously so aloof, Peuer now seemed embarrassed and uncomfortable in this position.
"You're behind this, aren't you?"
Peuer shook his head, using his tail to cover his belly.
"You're definitely behind this."
"Meow!"
Peuer shook his head again, denying it.
"So what's going on with my ears?"
"Meow, meow meow, meow meow meow, meow."
Orpheus nodded thoughtfully and replied,
"Meow meow meow, meow."
"..." Peuer was dumbfounded.
"You really can't talk?"
"Meow."
"Even Mrs. Molly can talk, but you can't?"
"Meow."
Orpheus didn't believe it. He could understand Mrs. Hughes's transformation—it was within his range of acceptance. But Mrs. Molly had shocked him so much that Peuer's lack of speech seemed almost inconsistent.
"You can't talk? Fine. When I'm discharged, I'll find a tomcat and get you paired up."
"Meow…"
"I swear by the God of Order."
The God of Order was something Orpheus had picked up from Piaget. He remembered that night when Alfred had referred to Dies as:
"This judgment officer from the Church of Order is your retainer?"
So Dies's position was that.
Sure enough,
Upon hearing Orpheus swear in the name of the God of Order, Peuer panicked.
Orpheus was a firm materialist. Materialists don't deny the existence of the supernatural. If the supernatural appears before them, they will study and redefine it to fit into the framework of material reality.
To put it simply, Orpheus wasn't superstitious.
But Peuer knew that if Dies found out his grandson had sworn in the name of the God of Order, Dies might actually fulfill the vow by finding her a tomcat.
"It wasn't me."
A clear female voice;
With a hint of mature charm;
It was quite pleasant to listen to.
Orpheus stared at Peuer,
Peuer stared back at Orpheus.
Orpheus let go, and Peuer lay flat against the bed.
"So, you really can talk."
"You're despicable! You're the most shameless human I've ever met! I've never heard of anyone threatening a cat's virtue!"
"I've never heard of a cat that cares about its virtue."
"We care! Humans just don't respect a cat's feelings!"
"Alright, alright."
Orpheus closed his eyes, taking a moment to digest everything. Then he opened them again, staring at Peuer, and asked:
"So, what's going on with the voice I keep hearing?"
"I'm curious about that too. You haven't gone through purification, so how are you able to hear it?"
"Purification?" Orpheus picked up on the word. "Like a baptism?"
"That's just a placebo."
"Oh?"
"True purification is when you're cleansed by the aura of a holy artifact, allowing you to develop heightened senses, enabling you to see things that ordinary people can't.
Of course, purification has many different names, and the process isn't limited to holy artifacts. However, using a church's holy artifact is the safest and most reliable method.
If an ordinary person encounters an otherworldly demon and survives, there's a chance they'll undergo purification. There's also a chance they'll go insane."
"I'm hearing, 'My money, my money.'"
"I hear it too."
"Who's saying it?"
"The morgue is in the basement. Your room is directly above it, separated only by a concrete floor. Sometimes, bodies with strong attachments can issue these kinds of calls."
"Otherworldly demons?"
"No. Otherworldly demons are intelligent supernatural entities, like the Mrs. Molly you mentioned earlier. She's an otherworldly demon. As for Alfred, who stood beside you that night, he's a fairly strong one, powerful enough to negotiate with regional judgment officers or other church leaders for peaceful coexistence."
"You still haven't answered my original question. Why can I hear it?"
"I don't know!"
"Could it be related to the original Orpheus?"
"You finally admit it! You're not the real Orpheus!"
Peuer's tail stood on end, as if saying, "Gotcha!"
"Yes, I'm not Orpheus. Why don't you go tell Dies?"
Peuer let out a sigh, slumping back down, grumbling, "Dies is too focused on family. That's the Inmeres family tradition. The family motto is: Family above all else."
"Seems like you've been doing some snitching," Orpheus said. "Now answer my question. Does it have anything to do with the original Orpheus?"
"The original Orpheus?" Peuer pawed at the bed, looking indifferent. "He was just a mute autistic kid."
"I bet you've never said that to Dies before."
"Nope." Peuer chuckled. "After all, even a fool is still his family."
Stretching out his front and back paws, Peuer gave a big yawn, saying:
"Since Orpheus's parents died, Dies never planned to have his family go through purification again and walk the old path. So, the original Orpheus was just an ordinary person. He never exhibited any unusual behavior.
All the strange things started after you woke up.
But you don't need to feel confused. Even though you haven't undergone purification, in my eyes, you're already an otherworldly demon.
I still think your innocence is all an act, but Dies totally buys into it.
Deep inside, your soul must harbor violence and cruelty, am I right?"
"Meow!"
Orpheus grabbed Peuer by the tail and turned him around.
"I'm asking how I can block out this cursed voice, or rather… shut it off."
"Just close off your senses in that regard. It's simple."
"How exactly do I do that?"
"Close your eyes, focus on the sound, let it become clearer in your mind, then follow it down, exploring as you go…"
"I'm going to have Lent buy three of the most aggressive tomcats from the pet market when I'm discharged, and then I'll lock all four of you in the washroom."
"Oh, you're a beast."
"Give me a real answer."
"There isn't one. You haven't undergone purification, so everything you're 'hearing' and 'seeing' is based on instinct. You have no idea how to manage or use your perception.
It's like you've never seen a car, yet you're asking me to teach you how to drive. Is that possible?
But generally speaking, you'll just
have to endure it for a while. The spirit probably doesn't have the strength to keep calling out much longer."
"Like a cat in heat?"
"Oh, that's such a disgusting, racist comparison."
Orpheus let Peuer go and lay back down, trying to relax.
"My money… my money… my money…"
With his eyes closed, Orpheus muttered, "She's still calling."
Lying on Orpheus's stomach, Peuer replied nonchalantly, "It's just a corpse with slightly more attachment than usual. She'll run out of energy soon."
"My money… my money…"
Orpheus could only endure it.
Then—
"Creak…"
"I think I hear something else," Orpheus said.
"Normal, normal." Peuer waved a paw lazily. "When's lunch? You can order ahead. Just get me some fried fish."
"Shhh… shhh… shhh…"
"I think I hear shoes scraping on the floor."
"That's just nurses and patients walking outside," Peuer said. "Also, add a pudding for me."
"Click…"
"A door opening…"
"The room next door just opened."
In Orpheus's ears, the voice continued:
"Hmm? Madam, what are you doing here?"
"My money… my money fell…"
"If you've lost something, you should report it at the front desk. This is a morgue; how could you have dropped anything here?"
"My money… my money…"
"Ma'am, which room are you in? I'll help you back to your ward."
"My money… my money…"
"Alright, fine. I took your money. When we get back to your room, I'll give it back to you. Are you from the psych ward? The psychiatric ward should be…"
"You took my money!!!"
"AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!"
Orpheus suddenly sat up, wide-eyed.
"I also want some goat's milk… Ow, meow!"
Peuer tumbled under the bed, glaring angrily at Orpheus.
Orpheus turned to look at Peuer beneath the bed, swallowed hard, and said: