The Secret Code of Monsters.

Chapter 17 Arrival
Mercy, judgment, wisdom.

Roland tapped the tablecloth.

White waves of sound shuttled through the carriage, outlining the woman's smiling face.

She looked a little lazy, her hair was loosened a little, a few strands fell on both sides of her cheeks, softening her outline;

The corners of her eyes were slightly drooped, making her look less sharp;

Her flesh-colored lips were slightly upturned, and the gentle afternoon sunlight made her look just the right amount of blurry.

Outside the window were woods, lakes and flying birds that flew by and never came back, but the drunken woman only cared about the cup filled with scarlet liquid in her hand.

"You may be wisdom. It is hard for me to imagine why a woman as smart and wise as you would not embark on a path that symbolizes wisdom."

Before he finished speaking, Roland tilted his head to the other side and said in a gentle voice:
"You may be merciful. You are a believer whose duty is to judge evil, but after the trial, you are still willing to shelter a young man who has suffered a disaster from the wind and rain, and you never get tired of it. It would be a pity if someone like you did not embark on the path of mercy."

He did not mention the trial, but in his second sentence he made clear his speculation.

Enid was happy.

"Seeing you're so good at complimenting me, I feel relieved."

She didn't care about Roland's flattery.

"If you are really that kind of simple-minded person, it will not be easy to live a good life."

Enid tucked her hair behind her ears and admitted, "You're right."

Trial.

One who brings the flame of purification to the blasphemer.

When she confirmed Roland's guess, the line of words beside her face suddenly became very long.

"The Burner, Executor."

"To see them is to see the flames."

"Among the three branches of the Holy Cross, Judgment is the most inhumane. Their goal is 'purification', their methods are cruel, they don't listen to pleas, and they have no mercy."

"Men, women, the elderly, even babies."

"They are called the 'Dirty Dogs of Flame'."

“But in a sense.”

"They are also the cleanest of the three."

Roland finished reading the text silently.

The cleanest of the three...

Ms. Enid is indeed a good person.

At least so far, I've been treating myself well.

"I can't promise you that I will agree, ma'am." Roland said sincerely, "I know nothing about mysticism, including the other world you mentioned - if possible, I hope to learn more about that world. Then, I will make a choice..."

that's enough.

Enid said.

Don't tell anyone, and then embrace your new life.

She pushed the pie toward Roland, took his hand, and placed it on the plate.

"Eat more, you're too thin."

"I have just..."

"Eat a little more." Enid held her chin and looked at him, her brown eyes reflecting the boy's raven-colored hair and golden eyes - of course, she didn't know that her "rude" behavior was seen by the person opposite her.

"An evil bat that is extremely happy because of appreciating beautiful things."

"She likes this handsome black-haired, golden-eyed male cat."
-
Miss Nina, what on earth did you do to the things in my head before this?

Roland felt a little uncomfortable. He touched the fork beside him, lowered his head and said hesitantly, "I, I want to ask you..."

Ask about that uncle.

For the person who is about to adopt...

The unknown made him uneasy.

In fact, Enid didn't know much:
"I've never heard of a big shot named Collins. Besides, if he could make a name for himself, he wouldn't have left home without a single letter - or maybe he didn't get along very well with his brother." "I heard from the villagers that he went to London 20 years ago and never came back."

"You must be prepared to endure hardships, Roland."

"I'll try to apply for subsidies for you, but that doesn't mean you'll live well."

"Born in a place like that, you should know what real hardship is," Enid leaned back, "or maybe he doesn't want to raise you—"

"Then come to church."

"You are always welcome in the Inquisition."

"Curse Roland Collins's unwanted evil bat."
-
indeed.

Ms. Enid's cold face was full of an expression of "It's best if he dies."

and…

subsidy?

He had never heard of any subsidies.

Mr. Abner said that the best subsidy for the poor is the whip and scolding: "If you can be more diligent, even if you work five more hours, how can you fall into this situation?"

The subsidy is Daniel's words before he died of illness: "May the Father of all things bless you."

"I'll help you apply."

Enid tilted her head to look out the window, not knowing what she was thinking.

Post-disaster subsidies

"Church: Compassionate Eyes/Verbal Blessings (Hope Encouragement)"

"Evil Thought Bat: Underwear/Shirt/Bow Tie/Pants/Socks/Leather Shoes/Boots/Coat/Inner Coat/Outer Coat/Top Hat/Cane/Living Expenses/Delicious Food/Mystical Knowledge/Protection/Guidance, etc."

"Note: Everyday gloves are missing."
-
I didn't ask you to fill in the gaps for me.

Thinking of what the other party had done recently, Roland couldn't help but sigh: "You are so kind to me, ma'am. I don't know how to repay you."

The money he was wearing would be enough to keep him alive for quite a while.

"Thank the Father of All Things, Roland." The woman's fingers slid across the black glossy wooden window hinges, as gracefully and naturally as if she were striking the black and white keys of a piano.

She frowned, as if she had been sitting for too long, "The iron box is still more comfortable..."

…………

……

The carriage journey from Forkshire to the capital took two days.

During this period, they rested several times (Enid was worried that Roland could not withstand the long journey), and finally in the evening of the third day, the horses' hooves slowly stepped into the city.

It seemed that it had just rained here, and the occasional swaying gas lamps made the road look like an undulating golden lake.

Sparks flickered in groups of three or two on the roadside. They were men wearing work hats.

They squatted beside the black holes or doorways where the colorful posters were posted, and saluted Roland's carriage with indifference.

The night is a bit cool.

As we went further in, we saw more and more carriages coming and going.

The pines and spruces here were planted like the teeth of a half-grown child in an orphanage, or as disorderly as a chess game halfway through.

Some shadows hid under the trees, and when the carriage passed by, they popped their heads out to take a look - some were so busy hugging each other that they had no time to care whether there was a carriage or something else behind the tree.

The shops along the street range from fish hooks to brooms, sauces to flour.

The button shop and the trouser shop are separate, although they should be together;
Knives and knife shops are also different, depending on the colorful posters or door headboards posted at the door.

The small tobacco shops and taverns were not much different from those in the county - perhaps they simply knew that people who came here to spend money didn't care what the storefront looked like.

The carriage drove along an unlit night road and turned several corners.

Stopped on a residential street.

Very narrow.

"We're here, Roland."

(End of this chapter)