13 Minke Street - Chapter 22: Laughter

Mrs. Hughes was dead – no, she was gone.

However, Karen, who had escaped the dangerous situation, did not feel the slightest relief.

A man was kneeling before him along with a ‘woman’, if she could be considered as such.

In any case, these two people brought him immense pressure.

Karen was clear that there must be some misunderstanding here. But he was also clear that he could not explain this misunderstanding.

Look at how they got rid of Mrs. Hughes… Karen believed that if they wanted to, it would be even easier to get rid of him too.

At this moment, Karen had to thank his previous life’s profession and all kinds of strange things he had encountered after awakening in this life. In short, his psychological quality was good, provided that it did not involve a true life-or-death situation.

What does ‘life-or-death’ moment mean? It’s akin to when Mrs. Hughes raised the knife earlier; at that moment, Karen was genuinely terrified beyond measure. It’s like not crying until he saw the coffin. Before the coffin lid was closed, he could still manage a forced smile.

But, it was quite embarrassing that these two people merely knelt before him without saying anything. And Karen didn’t know how to start either. His chance to speak was slim, and if he said the wrong thing, he would have to shut up forever in the future.

I follow your will, O Great One.

Karen began to recall what the man in the red suit had said to him before.

Did they mistake me for someone else?

No, it shouldn’t be.

Whether it was the previous ‘Karen’ or the current him, neither of them had the qualifications to make these two kneel.

They definitely did not mistake his identity, but they should have mistaken about his strength.

Simplify complex problems.

They had taken him for a great being. Although he didn’t know the reason, but for now, he could only continue to pretend to be a ‘great being’.

But, what exactly should he do?

Karen now wanted to go home. He missed Diss’s study.

Oh, damn, Diss wasn’t home today!

Alfred and Ms. Molly continued to maintain their kneeling positions.

After a long time, they finally heard the voice from the great being in front of them:

“Tired…”

Alfred lowered his head even further, and Ms. Molly did the same.

Karen got up from the bed. His movements was very slow, because his body still felt wobbly.

Alfred knelt and moved to the side, clearing the way for the great being to advance.

Karen took one step at a time. In fact, he now had an urge, such as rushing out of the room door, running down the stairs, then rushing out of the entrance and running out of the yard gate to that red ‘Cayman’ sedan, and finally stepping on the accelerator pedal to escape with his life.

But, glancing at the neatly shattered glass beneath the window, Karen recalled how the man in the red suit had entered earlier. Even if he sprouted two extra legs, he doubted he could outrun him.

But since he had already gotten out of bed, he couldn’t turn around and go back and sit on the bed again, right?

In the end, Karen came to the pile of Mrs. Hughes’ clothes, bent over, and picked up those clothes. Well, they were relics now.

Actually, Karen had a good impression of Mrs. Hughes. He believed that most of the time, Mrs. Hughes was still herself, except when she wanted to engage in artistic creation.

However, he did not dwell too much on sadness. After picking up the clothes, Karen looked out the window at the moon in the sky.

“The moonlight is not bad,” he said.

Alfred and Ms. Molly still knelt obediently.

Karen tried his best to stabilize his breathing, and continued to walk slowly to the window. The friction between the soles of his shoes and the broken glasses made a somewhat harsh sound. Karen raised his head, pretending to be immersed in the moonlight that night.

Behind him, there was a slight sound. Alfred and Ms. Molly had completely changed their direction – turning from kneeling towards the bed to kneeling towards the window.

No, please speak, you two!

If you just kneel there without saying anything, how will I know what I should perform?

His hand holding Mrs. Hughes’s clothes touched a small box: a cigarette case.

At this critical juncture, an idea suddenly popped into Karen’s mind. An idea that made him want to both laugh and slap himself.

If I bungle my performance in the next moment and get swallowed up, why not have one more cigarette before getting swallowed up?

No, what the hell am I thinking!!!

Although he was scolding himself inwardly, his muscle memory still led Karen to grab the cigarette case. It was a brand of ‘Honey’ cigarette, a thin cigarette tailored toward women.

He turned the cigarette case upside down in his palm. He tapped it, and tapped it again, before a half-length cigarette slid out.

Karen retrieved it. With it’s filter end down, he tapped it against the back of his hand.

Then, he lifted it to his lips, biting into it gently.

Then, he picked up the purple rose-printed lighter and tilted his face downward at a 45 degree angle.

click

The cigarette lit up. 

He flicked his wrist to shake off the lighter’s flame, took a drag, then moved the cigarette away. With the cigarette butt facing down, he exhaled a smoke ring.

This was a standard set of movements belonging to an old smoker, or perhaps every old smoker had their own set of habitual movements and postures with slight differences, but the essence was almost the same.

While doing this action, it was as if a BGM started playing around him. No matter who you are, or where you are, whether on a construction site or at a smoking area of a train station – or like himself now, being scrutinized by two ‘ghosts’ – this sequence of actions momentarily elevated you beyond the mundane. You feel as if you’re observing the world through a profound gaze.

The faint scent of smoke permeated the air.

Alfred remained kneeling, and so did Ms. Molly.

“Heh…”

A slight tremor coursed through Alfred’s body. Instinctively, he wanted to lift his head, but he suppressed the urge.

Karen pursed his lips, the taste of bitterness lingering.

Then, he extracted another cigarette. With tremendous self-control, and suppressing his trembling hands, he said to Alfred:

“Want one?”

He….is asking me? After a moment’s hesitation, Alfred summoned his courage and raised his head.

He saw the great being standing by the window, holding out a cigarette to him. The moonlight shone upon him. As if he were adorned with a golden halo, he looked sacred and inviolable.

“Hm?”

“I…” Alfred slowly stood up, walked cautiously to Karen, reached out, took the cigarette, and put it in his mouth.

The next moment-

Click!

-Karen ignited the lighter, flames dancing.

Alfred’s body was trembling. The great being, the Godsend, was actually going to… light a cigarette for him?

Both cigarettes and alcohol carried significant cultural weight, especially in the rituals of offering and toasting. When performed by someone of higher status, it often left a profound impact on those below.

Alfred leaned in, lit the cigarette, and with a mix of trepidation and excitement, took a drag. He shifted slightly to avoid exhaling smoke directly toward the great being.

Good, he smoked it. Karen then took out another cigarette and looked at Ms. Molly, who was still kneeling there. “You want one too?”

Fuck, what the hell am I doing!!!!

Karen cursed himself frantically in his heart.

Ms. Molly stood up and then walked over somewhat dazedly. Her red high heels tapped out a pleasant rhythm on the floor as she approached Karen.

She had no hands. But fortunately, she had a face.

Karen proactively brought the filter end of the cigarette to Ms. Molly’s mouth. Ms. Molly leaned forward slightly, opened her mouth, and took it in.

Karen picked up the lighter and ignited it for her.

Then, Ms. Molly began smoking.

Could you imagine what Ms. Molly looked like smoking? It’s a sight that no sane artist could ever compose!

But Karen truly witnessed it.

And now, although Karen was extremely frightened and horrified inwardly, the indescribable implication of this scene went straight to his funny bone, making him want to burst out laughing.

Karen held it in. In order not to ruin his image, he turned around, facing the window.

At the same time, Alfred and Ms. Molly followed suit, also turning to face the window.

Three people.

Looking at the moon.

Each with a cigarette dangling from their mouths.

Heavens, what an utterly bizarre scene!

Karen felt his cheeks about to cramp from holding in laughter. He subconsciously tried to use smoking to distract himself, but when he took a drag, he couldn’t hold it back any longer. Laughter burst out like a broken dam.

“Hahaha…cough cough…hahaha…”

He choked, coughing violently, but the laughter could not be stopped. The cycle of coughing and laughter continued.

He laughed until tears came out.

He laughed until he felt like his brain was broken.

He laughed until he felt like he had messed everything up and was doomed.

Doomed!!!

Karen continued laughing, regretfully slapping the windowsill with his palm. Even as he tried to contain himself, the laughter persisted.

No, I can’t laugh anymore, I have to stop, hold it in!

Alfred was stunned by this bizarre, unrestrained scene before him, and Ms. Molly was the same.

The great being before them….was laughing maniacally. It was laughter in its purest form, unrestrained and uncontrollable. 

Then, Alfred also laughed. At first, it was very soft, but then, in order to match the great being in front of him, he gradually increased the volume.

Beside him, Ms. Molly witnessed the great being’s laughter, and when Alfred followed suit, she joined in as well, laughing along.

Karen, who had just consciously tried to stop laughing, broke down again after hearing the two waves of laughter coming from behind him.

Dammit, what are you two laughing at!

“Hahahahaha!!!!”

“Hahaha!”

“Hahaha!”

What the hell are you laughing at, don’t make me laugh too, stop it!

“Hahaha!”

Karen turned around, and happened to see Ms. Molly’s cigarette fall out of her mouth because she had no hands to hold it.

Dammit!

“Hahahahaha!!!”

Karen laughed until tears came out.

“Hahahahaha!!!” Alfred couldn’t stop either.

To ease the awkwardness, and since the cigarette had already fallen down, Ms. Molly also raised her volume in raucous laughter.

You two are crazy!

Laughter is contagious. Even if something is not funny, when someone next to you suddenly starts laughing, you can’t help but be drawn in and start laughing too. Your mind may not understand why, but your body can’t control itself.

Karen didn’t know how long he laughed for, but at the end he laughed until he almost had no energy left, almost to the point of oxygen deprivation. He slowly stopped.

“It’s been a long time since I laughed, to the point that I had almost forgotten what laughter feels like.” Ms. Molly’s voice drifted out.

She finally spoke.

Karen immediately became alert, starting to use the universal lines he’d used to console patients in his previous life. “Sometimes, letting go of obsessions is how you can pick up what you truly want.”

Upon hearing this, Ms. Molly’s body – or more precisely, her two plump legs – trembled slightly.

Then, she knelt down again. “Thank you for your guidance. I will remember your teachings.”

At this moment, Alfred suddenly spoke up:

“The Judge from Church of Order is here.” 

Church of Order? Judge?

Karen looked out the window with some confusion, and saw a familiar figure appear outside the yard gate…Diss.

Beside grandpa, there was also a small creature. Under the night, it was hard to see clearly, but its eyes shone like amber – it was Pu’er.

Now Karen almost instinctively wanted to shout: ‘Grandpa, save me!’

But weighing the distances between himself and the two beside him, and his grandpa at the gate below, Karen gave up on that plan.

But regardless, his grandpa’s appearance gave Karen a great sense of security.

He stood there, looking out at Diss, and said calmly, “I live at his house.”

Alfred’s eyes immediately lit up, and he asked, “Is this Judge from the Church of Order your attendant?”

That’s right, every great being would have attendants manifest around them before their rise to power, to protect them through the initial difficult period. Isn’t that how the religious stories go?!

Attendants could be powerful demons, or…powerful humans.

No wonder this one, despite being so powerful, had stayed in Roja City as merely a Judge – it turned out he had such a great mission all along!

Karen answered:

“He is this body’s grandfather in terms of blood lineage.”

Karen swore that this statement was entirely truthful; he hadn’t added any embellishments.

In fact, facing this red-eyed fellow, Karen dared not lie. It’s because he had a feeling that this guy was very sensitive, and could detect lies told to his face.

This body’s grandfather in terms of blood lineage… Alfred’s mind whirled.

So, this was a divine being who had descended, borrowing a human body, experiencing conception, birth, growth, and reaching adulthood to carry out his mission of founding a religion!

It made sense now.

Everything made sense!

This is a true deity descended to the human realm. A true god!

So that’s why he has his own unique language, because his existence, his lifespan, can no longer be comprehended by any civilization!

And that’s why he has his own sacred hymns, because he is a god, his songs are his sacred hymns – he doesn’t need to start from scratch, he himself is the origin!

The god has already descended, and he has already prepared everything!

Alfred knelt down again, reverently saying, “Please forgive me. My impudence has disturbed your progress from greatness toward the light.”

“I forgive your transgressions.”

“Thank you for your mercy.” But Alfred did not rise, instead steeling himself as he directly said, “I hope to follow in your footsteps, to be your falcon, your mule, your most loyal and glorious servant!”

Beside him, Ms. Molly also spoke:

“I will be your legs, just to witness your great path.”

Karen blinked. This situation left him at a loss.

He could only look at his grandfather, who was standing below.

And show a helpless smile.

…

At the entrance of 128 Minke Street.

Diss and Pu’er were both looking up at the second floor window.

Pu’er spoke:

“Diss, you regret it now, don’t you? 

“That absolutely forbidden ritual has summoned a truly formidable demon.

“Before, your eyes were deceived by his outward appearance, and your heart was also blinded by so-called family affection.

“Look, he has already subdued these two demons.

“Look again, with his wings now fully grown, he is showing you a defiant smile.”

Translator’s Note:

Previously, I used the word ‘Inquisitor’. I’ve changed it to ‘Judge’ for more accurate translation. Also, I’ve changed ‘Church of Order of God’ to simply ‘Church of Order’. It’s better for a smooth reading experience.