Steampunk Era: Mad Abield
Chapter 252: Section 186: Familiar Strangers (Part Four)

Chapter 252: Section 186: Familiar Strangers (Part Four)

After being accustomed to the hustle and bustle of Carterburg, walking through a deserted city gave Malin a sense of absurdity.

Animals, Spirits seemed to be the owners of this city, occasionally, one could see hordes of giant rats scurrying by, and in their wake, the predators.

Sometimes, the predators noticed Malin, but it had been so long since humans inhabited this city that some of the newer generations hadn’t even seen humans before, hence they either withdrew in suspicion or... simply launched an attack.

Malin, retreating, paid them no heed, but those who attacked—after Malin shot a few with arrows and chopped off their heads—these dog-like Spirits retreated in mourning upon seeing the heads of their kind.

Malin finally returned home, to the home in this world; the front door on the first floor was damaged, Fio and its companions had become armor, clinging closely to protect Malin. The Illumination Spell lit up the hallway, Malin saw scattered skeletal remains in the living room of the old landlady on the first floor, the bones presumably belonging to her too.

It seemed she lived quite long, at least she was still alive before the outbreak of ’Faye’s mischief 19 years ago.’

He wondered how her grandson was doing.

He checked the kitchen and found a few cans; it seemed like cans had made their way into the lives of Carterburg’s residents.

Stepping out of the room on the first floor and ascending the somewhat damaged staircase to the second, Malin saw the paintings on the corridor walls. Looking at the doodles, Malin sighed—his sister had no talent for drawing, and even with the world changed, with time twisted, this world’s Maya had not shown any talent either.

Malin took out his key, unlocked the door, and lit the arcane lamp beside the door amid the dust. Looking at the intact room that was almost identical to his memories, Malin went to the window and drew the curtains. The heavy curtains could block the light to prevent anything from discovering something extra in the quiet building.

Malin did not wish for the curiosity of others to interrupt his grief. He walked to the sofa, looked at the skeleton lying there, and finally picked up the headband that had fallen by the bed.

It was a little gift Malin had chosen for Maya a week ago.

A heavy diary lay on the floor; Malin sat on the floor and relaxed his body against the sofa’s armrest, picked up the diary, and opened it.

’Today marks the fifteenth year since dad left home, the fifth year since brother left.’

In between the lines of the first page, Malin couldn’t help but frown.

His father had been gone for so long without returning; he feared the worst. As for where he died or if he became a changed human somewhere, that was beyond Malin’s knowledge.

Father, you fool, do you know, you let down your daughter.

All boys from the Gaiate family are useless... Malin continued to read.

’Three months into the ’Faye’s mischief,’ it’s almost been a week since Maya ate anything. Yesterday a wolf pack entered the city, scared away the deer, and even the giant rats disappeared. I have to go out and find food this afternoon.’

At this, Malin turned his head to look at his sister on the sofa then turned the page to the second one.

He killed a giant rat, but the noise of the fight attracted wolves, and during the chase, Spirits were drawn in. Maya’s left leg was broken... but she still managed to make it back home.

He turned another page.

The wound got infected, Maya felt so much pain, so much hunger, brother where are you.

Setting the diary on the floor, Malin turned around to look at the broken leg bone of the skeleton, stood up, and for the last time caressed the small hand bones, then placed the headband back on her skull.

Then, turning away, he returned to the door. In that turning moment, Malin saw his sister, now grown up, smiling as she rose from the sofa and ran towards him, her smile blossoming as she approached Malin until, just a few inches from his face, the grown-up sister cried out and started to burn, then turned into ashes.

Malin blinked and watched as the room gradually decayed into ruins, through the broken ceiling, he could see the stars.

Only the sofa remained intact, the dark color on the skeleton had faded away, and from behind the sofa, a little spirit of a Panso cat peeked out, watching Malin.

Malin struggled not to cry, smiling at the small Spiritual Body he waved, "Goodnight, Maya, your brother is heading out."

The Wraith also raised its hand, waving back.

Malin turned and walked downstairs.

.........

Back to the street, Malin didn’t know what to say, the only firm belief was that in the future, no matter what, he must keep his sister by his side.

He absolutely couldn’t let such a thing happen to his sister.

With that resolve, Malin went to check on Lillim’s home, discovering it empty, the little lamb had managed to escape the city, which somewhat comforted Malin.

Next was Jessica’s house, where he found the wolf girl’s home was also empty, and they seemed to have moved some furniture too; this discovery made Malin think that Werewolves indeed have accurate judgment when it comes to danger.

Last was Faye’s villa.

Passing through the city and arriving at dawn near the villa, the city was still silent, even the mechanical sounds were almost inaudible from afar.

Pushing open the partially closed wooden door, Malin passed through the overgrown hall; the thorns would be an annoyance to others, but to him, who possessed a World Tree Sapling, it was not an issue—as Malin passed, the thorns eagerly made way, allowing him to ascend the staircase to the second floor. The floorboards were broken, but the thorns formed bridges enabling Malin to cross.

The journey was unhindered, and even the tiny spirits formed from plants cheered and scurried under Malin’s feet, smaller than Bippo, following Malin and feasting on the Spiritual Energy he provided, and when Malin reached Faye’s bedroom, they halted their pursuit.

Malin reached out his hand, feeling the barrier on the door, he pushed, and the barrier, as if sensing something, unraveled on its own, and the door opened.

The room was as clean as ever, as if time had stood still for decades.

Faye lay on the bed, not the petite Faye Malin was familiar with, but a Faye who had grown into a great beauty.

The only regret was the piece of metal lodged in her chest.

A small time stasis barrier instrument had fixed everything at that moment.

Malin approached the bedside, looking at the girl before him. The him from this world should not have had any contact with them—only with Maya—yet he still ended up losing her.

Lillim and Jessica were missing, Faye was a sleeping beauty, and Clovis... had grown so old that she was even losing hair.

Time never spares anyone.

He reached out and picked up the casually placed journal from the table. Malin opened it to find entries from after Faye turned sixteen, filled with her displeasure and annoyance with her persistent suitors.

They all just treated me as a high-value commodity. I left The Capital to avoid such a future becoming my fate, but it seems fate cannot be changed. A sage once said, the only difference in a girl’s life is whom she marries. I used to scoff at that idea, but now it seems I must admit it isn’t wrong.

I can’t change my fate anymore... If only the boy in my dreams were real, how wonderful that would be.

The boy in my dreams?

Malin continued flipping through the journal. Faye had sketched the boy, and Malin compared the drawing with his own reflection in the mirror, realizing... it was himself.

As he read on, the Faye in the journal grew older too. She ultimately chose to sever ties with her family, and her mother gave her another estate as her home. This stubborn girl lived in Carterburg as an art teacher, up until the robot uprising. The last entry she wrote was seven months after the uprising began.

The last time she saw the Panso Catfolk, Maya, had been a long while ago. Perhaps, like others, she became a casualty under the robots’ blades. It’s been increasingly difficult to see living people in the city. Maybe Miss Clovis in the Mage Tower could count as one... but... could she truly be considered alive?

The robots all ignore her; I really can’t believe she’s alive.

I should have left this city, but why did I stay?

If Miss Maya stays because she believes her brother will one day return to this dead city, then what about me?

Faye, why do you stay?

Well... maybe it’s because he’s in my dreams here.

I’m happy because only in this city do I dream of him every day. As if bewitched, I even wondered if this could be a trap by Chaos—but what a wonderful trap it would be.

His name is Malin, a very interesting boy. His sister is Miss Maya, and we met in our childhood during trafficking work.

In my dreams, I married him, and it was so blissful that every time I woke up, I’d think, Faye, I never expected you to be such a bastard, to lay hands on a child.

Life is getting tougher. I heard Engma’s Chaos Legion is out of control and moving southward. Mother must be fighting for the kingdom.

I wonder how my doppelganger is doing, with father and brothers gone, and the nobles using replicas so effectively.

But all this has nothing to do with me anymore. Now, I’m just a fool counting down to the end of her own life.

I might die tomorrow, but before I do, I want to know, Malin, are you human or a ghost?

I hope you are human, because then I may meet you one day.

But I’m afraid because if you are human, what does that make me?

A dumb ghost dreaming in broad daylight?

Having read to the end, Malin chose to close the journal and then vigorously wiped his face.

"You’ve already seen me, good morning, Faye." Malin looked at the girl before him and ultimately chose to turn and leave.

Upon leaving the room, the door closed naturally and then the barrier resumed its work.

The plant spirits chattered as they gathered around. Malin fed them, then retraced his steps out of the estate.

Returning the same way, he caught a deer and picked some wild carrots growing by the roadside. When he got back to the Mage Tower, Clovis was cooking something that smelled very odd, with several open cans at her feet.

"You’re back, what are you carrying?" Clovis looked over.

"You..." Malin wondered what that look meant, then suddenly remembered—Clovis was very old now, a rabbit losing its fur, not quite able to see clearly. That’s normal, isn’t it?

With that thought, Malin smiled and said, "It’s a deer, you wouldn’t like the meat, right? So I picked some wild vegetables for you, including your favorite, carrots." As he spoke, Malin set down the deer, then untied the carrots from his waist and as he handed them to the girl walking towards him, he saw her take one, wipe it on her clothes without washing it, and bite into it.

She devoured the whole carrot in a few bites, showing a happy smile: "Delicious, it’s been so long since I’ve had a carrot. It’s dangerous outside the city." Watching the old rabbit’s joyful smile, Malin picked up the carrots and stood in front of the sink to wash them.

"Thank you." Clovis’s voice of gratitude came from behind Malin, not in the soft Carterburg accent of a young rabbit, but with the hoarse tone of an old one.

No need to thank me, old woman.