"Your parents… I killed them with my own hands."
Orpheus had been prepared for some kind of revelation when his grandfather said he was going to share a secret. Even though he was still bedridden, he had braced himself mentally.
But he never expected his grandfather to skip any introductory preamble and hit him with such a bombshell right off the bat.
Perhaps this was exactly like what Orpheus had said earlier: get straight to the point and say what needs to be said.
"Your parents, like me, were also Judges of the Church of Order."
Orpheus noticed that Dies used the term "Judge," not "Cleric."
According to Puer, different churches may use different titles, but they generally follow a particular hierarchy:
"Purifier—Servant of the Gods;
Inquirer—Divine Revelation;
Reflector—Shepherd of the Gods.
And the fourth level: Judge."
The first three levels were somewhat like low-ranking government officials, but when it came to the level of Judge, it was like reaching the upper echelon, comparable to a local governor. Based on Dies' status, being a Judge was equivalent to being the highest-ranking authority in a region.
So, Orpheus' parents had held significant positions.
The Immorales family, having produced three Judges, must have been considered a prestigious family within the Church of Order—certainly not a family to be underestimated.
"They were contaminated during a mission to purge demons. The contamination was irreversible, impossible to cure or save. At their request, I chose to release them from their suffering."
Upon hearing this, Orpheus wasn't particularly surprised.
Even Puer had said that Dies was a man who cared deeply about his family. Dies hadn't killed him because of his connection to Orpheus, the grandson.
Although Orpheus had once seen a drawing in the previous Orpheus' notebook suggesting that his grandfather had killed his parents, he was certain Dies had his reasons.
While Dies spoke of this with a calm tone, Orpheus could understand the pain he must have felt, a man who cherished his family, when he was forced to kill his own two loved ones.
But contamination… irreversible?
When the "Coin of Sin" had contaminated Ron earlier, it seemed reversible. Dies had performed a "Cleansing," and Ron returned to normal afterward.
Yet, Orpheus' parents had suffered an irreversible contamination.
The difference was like comparing Ron's condition to someone who had food poisoning and could be cured with medication, whereas his parents were like those who had ingested poison with no chance of survival.
"From then on, you became a child without parents. It was after their deaths that I began to regret bringing your father and mother into the Church. I regretted how many members of the Immorales family had been lost because of our dedication to the Church of Order and its sacrifices.
Every generation of the Immorales family has had to endure the pain of losing loved ones.
What's even more ridiculous is that although we run a funeral business, we're not even allowed to hold a proper funeral for our own family members who pass away."
Orpheus remembered Puer mentioning that the bodies of the clergy would be "reclaimed."
"So, I made a decision: after I'm gone, the Immorales family will permanently withdraw from the Church of Order.
I want Mason, Winnie, their children, and you—my family—to avoid the whirlpool of darkness in this world. I want you all to live normal lives as ordinary people.
Even though ordinary people are bound to face aging, illness, death, and all kinds of unforeseen circumstances, it's far better than witnessing the twisted cruelty and having your soul tarnished, unable to find peace."
At this, Dies gave a self-deprecating smile:
"In the end, I'm a selfish man. My sight only reaches as far as the doorstep of our home.
Maybe when I was younger, I was devoted to the doctrine. Maybe I once proclaimed that I was willing to sacrifice everything for the Light of Order. Maybe I once hoped to defend the Immorales family's honor within the Church of Order.
But now, all I want is for my family to be healthy, to live stable lives, and if possible, to be happy."
Dies' gaze turned toward the window.
Orpheus realized that Dies was no longer just recounting the story; he was expressing his innermost feelings. These were thoughts he couldn't share with the rest of the family, thoughts he had kept bottled up.
"I, Dies Immorales, am just that kind of a failure."
This was the most genuine confession from a serious elder.
"And then… you got sick. Very sick. I did everything in my power to save you, but I failed. You still passed away."
Orpheus fell silent.
That statement laid everything bare.
"I lied to Mason and Mary, telling them I was taking you to a hospital in Bellwin known for treating rare diseases. But the truth is, you had already stopped breathing by the time I took you away. You were already dead.
I lost my son, I lost my daughter-in-law, and now, I was about to lose you too.
For a while, I wondered if this was punishment from the God of Order for my disloyalty, that He had learned of my betrayal and was deliberately sending calamities to take you away from me.
While you were being resuscitated, I repented. I even swore that if the God of Order could restore my little Orpheus to health, I would dedicate the rest of my life, without reservation, to the Church of Order, to protecting the Light of Order.
The Immorales family would continue to carry on the honor of the Church of Order, becoming its most loyal defenders. I would bring you into the church, and I would pass everything down to you.
Because at least our sacrifices would have been rewarded.
But…
You still died.
The God of Order did not answer my prayers. In fact, I doubt He even heard them."
Dies' voice grew quieter.
Finally, he raised his head slowly and continued in a calm tone:
"When I looked at your body, I said something to you, and to the sky."
He paused, spreading his hands as if reminiscing, or perhaps savoring the memory.
No, it was as if he was reliving it.
And he said:
"God of Order, you bastard son of a whore!"
When these words came out, Orpheus felt a bit disoriented, as if the light and shadows around him had shifted slightly.
He knew this was just a psychological reaction.
Even in his past life, though he didn't believe in any religion and wasn't one to bow down before idols, he wouldn't go so far as to curse the gods. He'd never dare, fearing it might bring bad luck.
Yet here, in a world where religion clearly held true power, Dies, a Judge of the Church of Order, had just blasphemed against the god right in front of him.
"He took you away from me, but I refused to agree. You were still young, a lonely child who hadn't even had the chance to truly experience life. There was still so much you hadn't seen or heard.
It wasn't fair for you to leave just like that. It wasn't fair to you, to your father, to your mother…
To me…
To the entire Immorales family!
So, I sought out Mr. Hoffen.
Mr. Hoffen is a retired Shepherd of the Church of Principles, but his knowledge and abilities go far beyond that of an ordinary Shepherd. He knows many secrets and understands how to control and enact them.
I once saved his life. I was despicable enough to use that life-saving favor as leverage, and in the end, he agreed to help me.
With his assistance, I completed an extremely high-level god-summoning ritual in an abandoned factory on the outskirts of Bellwin.
Do you know, Orpheus…
After the ritual was complete, I didn't rush to leave, even though I knew the commotion would attract the attention of the government and many major churches. I still spent a full three minutes there.
I pressed my ear to your chest…
And I heard your heart beating again.
That joy… I was intoxicated by it.
This wasn't some 'resurrection spell' cast on your corpse; that would have just been an empty shell, a flickering candle, a self-deception.
This was my grandson's body, once again filled with a soul.
My grandson, once again full of life.
My grandson… he came back to life."
Orpheus took a deep breath. He knew that the one who had come back wasn't "Orpheus." It was him.
So, his soul had been summoned into Orpheus' body, which had died due to an accident, effectively "reviving" him.
His revival in this world wasn't random or a stroke of luck—it was all part of Dies' plan.
For a moment, Orpheus felt a pang of guilt. Because of him, Dies' plan to bring back his grandson hadn't actually succeeded.
"I believe that's why Alfred treats you with such deference. He must have figured out what happened—connecting you to the god-summoning ritual in Bellwin.
Both Hoffen and Puer helped me a lot in preparing for the ritual, though they probably didn't believe I could actually pull off such a high-level god-summoning. They likely thought they were just helping a grief-stricken old man fulfill his last wish.
But to their surprise…
The ritual succeeded.
And then, they both kept trying to persuade me to kill the god that had descended, while it was still weak."
Orpheus pressed his lips together.
He wasn't worried that Dies would
kill him now.
If Dies had wanted to, he would have done so long ago.
The old man was not one to hesitate.
After all, a man who dared to curse the God of Order would never act indecisively or timidly.
Still, Orpheus couldn't help but ask out of curiosity:
"Grandpa, why didn't you kill me?"
Orpheus knew the way he phrased it was a bit provocative, but he only dared to ask such a question with Dies.
Dies looked at him and asked, "What did you just call me?"
"Grandpa."
"Then you are my grandson."
Orpheus chuckled. Lying on the bed, he turned his head and stared at the ceiling before asking again:
"But why?"
Dies stood up, looking down at Orpheus.
"What do you mean, 'why?'"
"You know what I'm asking, don't you?"
"What's the difference between the current you and the you that was still in your mother's womb?"
"A big difference," Orpheus replied. "A very big difference."
I'm not the real "Orpheus."
No.
In fact, I'm nothing like "Orpheus."
He was withdrawn, timid, and fearful. I am the complete opposite.
Dies shook his head.
"I'm asking, what's the difference to me?"
"To you?"
"When my grandson was still in his mother's womb, before he was even born, where did my feelings for that child come from?
Did I know what his personality would be like?
Did I know what kind of person he would grow up to be?
Did I know what his beliefs would be?
I didn't even know whether he'd be a boy or a girl.
But I still loved him. I eagerly anticipated his birth. I even imagined him waking up in his cradle, crying."
"Is it because of bloodline…?" Orpheus asked. "Because of the Immorales blood running through his veins, the same blood that runs through yours?"
"No."
"No?"
"The reason I had such high hopes for the child in the womb was because I knew that when he was born, when he learned to speak, he would call me… Grandpa."
Orpheus fell silent.
He realized now that he had misunderstood Dies all along.
He had been applying his own assumptions to Dies' mindset. But Dies was Dies—his perspective on the world was different from that of ordinary people. Behind his serious exterior, he was actually very gentle.
"After the god-summoning ritual was complete, when I pressed my ear to your chest and heard your heartbeat, it was like being transported back to the time when your mother was pregnant with you. I stood there with a stern face, but inside, I was filled with hope for your healthy and safe arrival.
I had a feeling…
That once you woke up…
You would call me Grandpa.
But I wasn't entirely sure, and I was a little nervous."
Dies laughed softly, then continued, "So, when I brought you home and you first woke up, we were all gathered around you.
You looked around in confusion, scanning everyone's faces, but you didn't call out to anyone. I felt a bit disappointed.
But I understood.
After all, the newly 'born' you was still unfamiliar with this world.
How could you possibly wake up and start talking right away?"
Orpheus now remembered Dies' expression when he had first awakened—gentle, yet solemn. Gentle, yet solemn.
Before, when Orpheus recalled this scene, he thought Dies had realized he wasn't the real Orpheus and was debating whether to kill him.
But in reality, Dies had known from the start that the real Orpheus was never coming back.
He was just troubled—troubled that Orpheus hadn't called out to anyone right away.
"Hehehe…" Dies suddenly laughed again.
"And then, two days after you woke up, you started calling out to people. You were so enthusiastic—calling out to your cousins, your uncles, your aunts, and even me, your grandfather.
Do you know…
The way you called me 'Grandpa' with such flattery at first, it took me a while to get used to it."
"Hahahaha…" Orpheus burst into laughter too.
At the time, he had been so afraid. So afraid. In an unfamiliar world, the only people who could provide him with protection and support were his "family."
It was like a newborn baby needing its family for survival and protection when entering an unfamiliar world.
Dies reached out and tucked the blanket snugly around Orpheus.
"The high and mighty God took away my grandson, but I, Dies, refused to let him.
From the moment you first called me 'Grandpa'…
It didn't matter anymore whether you were a god or a demon."
Dies bent down and gently kissed Orpheus on the forehead.
"I lost a family member, but I gained a family member. Isn't that right?"
Orpheus nodded sincerely and replied:
"Yes, Grandpa."
I like this family. I really like this family.
I like my considerate cousin Mina, and Lunt, my sensible little cousin.
I like sweet little Chris.
I like Uncle Mason, who's a bit irreverent but always has the responsibilities of an elder at heart. I like Aunt Mary, who has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. I like Aunt Winnie, who seems strict but is kind underneath.
And I like you, Dies.
You don't know how cool you were when you cursed the gods just now.
"Rest well and heal."
Dies turned and opened the bedroom door.
At that moment, Orpheus propped himself up on his side, looking at Dies' retreating figure, and said:
"Grandpa, I will make sure our family lives a peaceful and happy life in the future. I promise."
Dies didn't turn around. He simply waved his hand and said:
"There's no need for you to do that."
Then, he added:
"Not while I'm still around."