Steampunk Era: Mad Abield
Chapter 442 - Two Hundred and Ninety-Eight: Parting Ways to Meet Again (5)

Chapter 442: Chapter Two Hundred and Ninety-Eight: Parting Ways to Meet Again (5)

Truth be told, after the grand competition in Regensburg ended, Malin felt he had fallen into a happy time of eating and waiting for death, but happy days usually pass quickly. When the team from the Church of the Goddess of Harvest was preparing to return to Carterburg, Malin still brought the girls to the train station and attached their carriage to the end of the train.

"I thought you would live in Regensburg," lamented the younger brother of the Quaiser family at Malin’s punctuality.

Malin didn’t want to explain anything—he certainly couldn’t tell the guy that he was returning to Carterburg just to see his mentor off on his final journey.

On the way back to Carterburg, the temperature continued to drop, and soon everyone was changing into winter clothes. Malin, too, had no choice but to change—as a Frost Giant’s whelp, he really wasn’t afraid of the cold. Now, with his bloodline steady, all his traits were in working condition.

When they arrived at Carterburg, it was already deep winter, and old Hoffman had only two months left.

Malin visited him at the first opportunity and found the old man had aged so much that he could hardly recognize him.

Kneeling in front of his mentor’s wheelchair, Malin looked at the dry back of his hand and at his thin head full of liver spots: "I’ve come back."

Perhaps hearing Malin’s voice, he opened his wrinkled eyes, glanced at Malin, then smiled and nodded, "Good boy, you’re back."

"Is everything ready for the ritual? Has Ails contacted you?"

"Yes, the Lord of Justice has made a promise for us... that Lich agreed to either seal or kill the Evil God within his territory. Anyway, even if some of its energy leaks, nothing there can be tainted—because there’s nothing that can be tainted."

"Mentor..." Malin lifted the old man’s hand. In that moment, he seemed to see the old Dean, who was bound to have such a kind appearance in his final moments.

In the past, he had also thought if one day he died of old age, whether she would recognize him when he saw her... but now it all seems like wishes that could never be fulfilled.

"Child, thank you. You have ended the suffering of the sect for me. I have been asking myself recently if all this could be my memories as I am dying. Has Colin completed the surgery? Has Margaret returned to Regensburg with her curse for me? ... And Anna, will this child come before me at the last moment to strike off my head with her own hands..."

At this point, the old man reached out his hand to touch Malin’s head: "My child, Fate brought us together that day, and I thank the Goddess of Fate... She brought you to me and let the Secret Keeper Sect attain final redemption... My child, you haven’t forgotten your promise to me, have you?"

"Yes, I will see to it that those poor sisters and brothers of mine attain final redemption, and their souls shall return to the River of Souls. I will help Colin; the orphanage in Carterburg will be a place of salvation for those helpless children. They will become useful people to this world... I swear, mentor, that one day our descendants will break free from the shackles of gravity once again. Our descendants will explore this vast universe, and neither this world under our feet nor the Chaos we face will be the greatest adversary to our existence... By then, I believe we will be our own masters, applying knowledge in the right place. Our courage, our love, our cunning will all be so. At that time, Chaos will not be able to corrupt any one of us."

The old man smiled and nodded, then bent down to embrace Malin: "Thank you, my child, you have told me the most wonderful story, thank you."

Malin also embraced the old man: "Mentor, take care of yourself. On that day, I will attend your ceremony as the last Apprentice of the Secret Keeper Sect."

"... Then come, child, bear witness to us." The old man stroked the top of Malin’s head: "On the last day, I will give you your father’s diary... Your father spent his life searching for Truth but never knew that there really isn’t any truth in this world..."

"... Do you want me to tell him?"

"No need, after he dies, when you Purify him, then tell him."

This response made Malin frown: "Mentor, my father... how could he die?"

"Silly child, people always die. It is Fate and it is Truth. As a Demon Hunter, he spent his life fighting against Chaos. His body has long been overburdened. The Truth Sequence is the only long sequence that does not strengthen lifespan. As an original profession, Demon Hunters even suffer damages to their lifespan..."

"Then why don’t you tell him the truth? He’s been searching for the reason for Sophia’s death all his life, hasn’t he?" Malin looked at the old man, who sighed with a smile: "You already know."

"Yes, but that’s all we know. Mentor, why don’t you tell him?"

"Do you want me to watch my brother’s child unable to handle the truth and then distort before my eyes?"

Hearing this answer, Malin fell silent for a moment before finally lowering his voice to apologize.

"My child, I have lived a life of pain. I watched the only descendant of my brother waste his years in endless searching. I held the answer in my hands, yet I couldn’t reveal everything from back then. I could only watch him grow old in his search... Perhaps one day, he’ll die on a journey to find the Truth. This child cannot find the Truth; he’s destined to be twisted and deformed by Chaos... So, Malin, my child, when the time comes, Purify your father."

"... I understand." Knowing this answer, Malin’s heart felt bitter—his mentor was right; the deception could make his father stronger. If he said that telling Gaiate the answer would distort him, it surely would.

Therefore... Malin had to continue to keep the secret, until the day... when his father no longer needed him to hold his tongue.

Having bid farewell to his mentor, Malin stepped out of the Church, where Colin was waiting for him by the roadside, accompanied by Margaret who appeared to be pregnant. She was wearing thick clothes, but they did nothing to hide the swell of her belly.

"Congratulations, Colin, you’re going to be a father." Malin extended his hand and fist-bumped his senior apprentice.

"Thank you, without you, my fate wouldn’t have changed," Colin said with a smile as he reached out to support Margaret. "So, Malin, would you be willing to be my child’s godfather?"

"...Sure," Malin nodded.

Being able to change the paths of Colin and Margaret, sparing them from such a harsh journey, was very good in Malin’s eyes.

"It’s really great that you agreed, thank you, Malin." Margaret approached and hugged Malin before looking up at him with a smile:

"I still remember the first time I met you, and in the blink of an eye, so many years have passed. You’ve grown up, Malin. I entrust my sister to you, take good care of her, okay?"

"She will be my eternal bride," Malin replied.

"Today I’m taking Margaret to the Benevolent Hospital, could you spend more time with our mentor?"

"He just kicked me out," Malin said a bit awkwardly.

"Then... in that case, let Malin accompany you to the Benevolent Hospital, Margaret. I’ll go and spend time with the mentor."

"Go, my dear, our mentor doesn’t have much time left. Every minute, every second is a countdown to the end of his life, and don’t worry about me, Malin is here," Margaret consoled with a smile.

Seeing the two of them, Malin had no reason to refuse.

In the end, Malin helped Margaret onto the carriage, while Colin entered the Church.

"Seeing you two reach this point in life makes me very happy," Malin said to the lady beside him, reflecting with a smile.

"I am also very happy because we have you. Without your help, I don’t even know what my and Colin’s lives would have become." Margaret looked at Malin and asked: "And you? You are an adult now too. Who will be the mother of your eldest son?"

That question... Malin really hadn’t thought about it. For him, he and the ladies were more like close family. As for who would bear his first son... Malin thought that it was better to let the women discuss that amongst themselves.

Hearing Malin’s answer, Margaret shook her head with a touch of exasperation: "You are being too indecisive like that. As the head of a family, you have to establish your authority."

"But I don’t feel that I have any remarkable authority, Margaret. I believe that as a man, I should take care of the matters outside the home, while the household matters should naturally be the responsibility of the ladies. This is a division of labor in society, and I also think they can do well outside the home, while I shouldn’t overstep and dictate their lives and happiness."

Malin said this and looked at Margaret: "Do you think I’m right?"

The wife of Colin smiled and eventually gave a firm answer.

"You have convinced me."

"After all, Colin only has one of me, while I have six," Malin joked, then suddenly felt a headache coming on: "I should buy myself a hat, the wind just now gave me a bit of a headache," he lamented, noticing that the Benevolent Church’s Benevolent Hospital was already in sight: "Margaret, we’ve arrived."

"That’s great. I’m here today to check on mine and Colin’s child, the Benevolent Physician said the child was a bit off."

"Then that definitely needs some careful adjustment," Malin said as he opened the carriage door, got out first, and then extended a helping hand to the lady.

"Which floor?"

"The third floor."

So Malin held the lady’s hand: "Let’s go."

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