Steampunk Era: Mad Abield
Chapter 1004: Section 649: Eastern Observations (Part 5)_2

Chapter 1004: Section 649: Eastern Observations (Part 5)_2

It’s probably the kind of profit that’s around 400%, right? In other words, that streetlamp—Malin undoubtedly deserves the title.

Sigh, in these times, trying to save the world and make some money, only to be labeled as a swindler by the Spirits—it’s so tough.

Afterward, Malin and Mr. Meng chatted for a while. In addition to The Hangman, Malin also heard Mr. Meng mention several other strange True Lords. These True Lords had one thing in common: they were mostly eccentric and refused to leave their spot.

As for refusing to move, Malin’s thoughts aligned with those of the Thanan. Spirits arising after death could only affect the area where they perished, as they were no longer truly alive, merely lingering remnants of thought. Such Evil Gods... truly pitiful.

However, there was one True Lord that caught Malin’s attention—the Sigher.

This was a very peculiar Spirit, entirely harmless. Even the different kind and regular Spirits inhabiting its ruins were similarly benign. Chaos entering its territory would be purified. This Spirit sat in the plaza of a city from before the Great Destruction Era, speaking heavily accented words no one could understand. Yet its plaza was the gathering point of the greatest survivor city of the era, and everyone who visited the ruined city claimed that it felt as though their minds had been cleansed.

Precisely because of this, in the latter part of the Fourth Century, the Thanan came together once again and signed a treaty in that very city.

The seven survivor nations united once more. The Emperor of the largest Thainan country even voluntarily abdicated. Thainan entered another era governed by Sages, with the deeds of the nine Sages and their successors witnessed by all. Under their leadership, the Thanan were reclaiming the world.

The Sages Mr. Meng spoke of intrigued Malin deeply: "Sages... Are Sages transcendent?"

"No, Sages are just mortals. They’re chosen among the disabled, individuals incapable of connecting to the spell formation network or the spiritual energy pathways. They possess no transcendent talents."

With Mr. Meng’s introduction, Malin came to understand Sages—they were individuals unable to use any transcendent abilities. Once identified, these people would be taken under the mentorship of existing Sages. From the time children gained awareness, Sages would teach them, and after six years of schooling, those with excellent grades would become Sage apprentices. They would then follow the Sages to learn the skills of governance. When the Sages aged, their apprentices would inherit the Sage’s staff and continue guiding the Thainan civilization forward.

"How do the Sages ensure the purity of their actions?" Malin posed the question.

"They don’t marry or bear children. Sages refer to their apprentices as the children of the people. Sages themselves call themselves public servants, though we prefer to call them Heaven’s Patchers. Through their efforts, our civilization returned to its rightful path. I have long admired the Sages and even once wished as a child that I could be disabled, so I could become a Sage."

When it came to Sages, Mr. Meng seemed to open up entirely. Through his words, Malin sensed a young boy’s longing to become a hero.

"You have transcendent abilities; you’d never qualify as a Sage," Malin chuckled.

Mr. Meng also laughed lightly: "That’s true—I can’t be a Sage since I’m a transcendent. But when I was young, I had the privilege of meeting a Sage. That Sage told me that if I wished to do something for the land, I didn’t need to become a Sage. As long as I carried the intention, no matter what job I took, I would be helping this land and its people... It inspired me greatly. So, I worked hard to learn, even mastering Sydney and Northern Kingdom languages from the Western Human World craftsmen who accompanied the early envoy delegation. When the delegation needed me, I joined them. Speaking of which, I came to this land ten years ago, though you weren’t here then."

At this point, Mr. Meng placed the burnt-out stub of his cigarette into the trash bin.

"Malin, you’re the most remarkable young person I’ve encountered. You’re wiser than those apprentices. You’re stubborn yet adept at navigating situations; strong-willed yet know the value of compromise. If you wish to meet the Sages, I can arrange it for you."

"That’d be great. I do want to see these genuine Sages," Malin replied earnestly, recognizing how much the Sages truly accomplished.

To Malin, their deeds were akin to those of Saints reborn.

With this agreement, Malin bade farewell to Mr. Meng, who was heading below deck to rest.

At this moment, Meng Quyi approached from a distance. This young lady looked Malin over: "You’re the first peer I’ve seen who could talk so long with my stubborn father."

"Perhaps it’s because your father and I share similar principles," Malin smiled, nonchalantly teasing Meng Quyi. "Since I get along well with your dad, why not call me Uncle?"

This girl wasn’t slow-witted. She immediately caught Malin’s devious intent, sticking out her tongue: "You’re bluffing. You’re only getting my dad’s time because you’re a Legendary. He’s always busy—such a workaholic—he never stops working. Only someone like you could get him to sit and chat."

Malin smiled and countered: "Maybe it’s because I’m also a workaholic. You see, alike individuals tend to attract one another."

"..." Miss Meng Quyi scrutinized Malin and finally sighed in resignation: "You make such a good argument."

"Exactly! That’s what they call like-mindedness among heroes. Miss Meng, by the way... do you like your father?" Malin asked out of curiosity.

"I don’t like that man who doesn’t care about home," Meng Quyi snorted, but Malin distinctly caught a faint hum trailing her words.

Come on now. You heard yourself hum. Can’t you just be honest about your feelings and admit your love and resentment?

Malin chuckled, leaving Meng Quyi puzzled: "What are you laughing at?"

"I’m laughing at your tsundere attitude. You clearly admire your father as an outstanding man, yet you insist you don’t like him. There’s nothing shameful about admiring your dad," Malin laughed and turned toward the ship’s stern. "I’m off to see if Jason and No.3 have caught anything. Care to join me?"

Meng Quyi gave no response, but her light and hurried footsteps betrayed her mood.

Leading the young lady toward the stern, Malin spotted Jason holding a blowtorch, roasting fish. Initially, Malin wondered if such a method could truly cook fish thoroughly but quickly realized—these two guys couldn’t possibly fail at cooking two fish, right?

Come on. No.3 might fail, but Jason? Definitely not.

With this confidence, Malin took over one of Jason’s roasted fish, while Miss Meng Quyi also grabbed a skewer offered by Jason.

"Ladies first?" Malin asked with a gentlemanly smile.

"Yeah right! You go first," Meng Quyi shot him a glare.

So Malin closed his eyes and took a bite of the fish.

Hmm...!

Malin’s eyes widened: "Quyi, do you know? What you and I now hold in our hands is a completely new kind of roasted fish we’ve never tasted. That first bite—the freshness of the fish bursting in my mouth, the so-called delicacy must describe this kind of feeling akin to falling in love. The taste—the incomprehensible ultimate of life—this fish seems to have revived before my eyes, returning to its essence. The flavor tells me... how wonderful life truly is."

"Is it really that good?" Miss Meng Quyi curiously bit into her fish.

What followed was her running, screaming toward the freshwater barrel, having been burned by the spice.

Malin turned his head to see Sostak No.3 and Jason sharing a silent, joyful grin of mutual understanding between men.

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