Steampunk Era: Mad Abield
Chapter 457: Two Hundred and Ten: The Price of Growth

Chapter 457: Two Hundred and Ten: The Price of Growth

When Lady Malin held her child and appeared within Malin’s perception, he had already noticed the lady’s abnormality.

And when that child called out to him through several walls, Malin knew where the problem lay.

It was a Black Bride with her Baby Spirit.

Considering what Mr. Doma had said, it was a gift with Farole characteristics.

So, those who dreamt of returning to the medieval times were truly foolish; look at this world, the Sydney Union might still be decent, but in these even more barbaric fringe worlds, there isn’t much difference between humans and beasts.

Lady Malin was young, beautiful, and had an Earl lover of the same age. It was precisely because of this that Baron Malin ultimately died at the hands of her lover.

Malin didn’t know why she had transformed into a Black Bride; perhaps it was the shattering of her dreams to become a Countess, perhaps it was the feeling of betrayal by her beloved, the yearning to become a true Countess unfulfilled, only to be sold to a foreign Judge by her lover’s subordinates.

In the despair of a hopeless life, she transformed into a Black Bride on the rooftop.

Perhaps for this reason, when the little girl named Pam discovered Malin, she immediately chose to embrace the beacon before her, a being of both light and darkness.

Her lost soul clung to Malin, screaming and struggling because she found that the true murderer of her father, Mr. Malin, was right beside her, and Malin had to comfort her time and again until it was time for Earl Victor to face judgment.

What about the Earl, and what about Rick’s nephew? In Malin’s eyes, he was just like the nobles of Doma’s faction, mere greedy Hunters. They wanted to take this city for themselves and would stop at nothing, waiting for an opportunity rather than acting immediately upon discovering the City Lord’s downward spiral.

Cunning fellows, but a shame they encountered Malin, who would not just play chess but flip the chessboard, an amateur player that they were not prepared for.

Lady Anna perhaps wanted to test how Malin would handle such a complex situation and was probably disappointed by his performance since Malin disliked the noble stylings as well, allowing the Baby Spirit to commit violence.

After all, Malin felt it was his duty to fulfill that poor child’s wishes.

As for whether Earl Victor was her biological father... that was unlikely to be acknowledged by anyone.

Pam would forever only be the eldest daughter of Baron Malin, the only child he left in this world, and her eventual reduction to ashes... was just another testament to the cruelty of this world.

I remember someone saying that in times of peace, the death of one person could bring tears, but in times of war, the death of a million would just be a line in a history book called War.

"Mr. Malin, all personnel have been captured, this place..." Baron Tony stood honestly behind Malin, who nodded as he looked out the empty manor hall and through the Gothic floor-to-ceiling windows to the distant dawning sky.

He exited the hall, and two guards closed the manor’s double doors.

Through the slowly closing doors, Malin saw Lady Malin, and in her arms Pam, as well as the middle-aged man behind her.

Humph, had he forgiven her in the end? It seems like a fool for love really does meet a bad end.

Malin turned around and snapped his fingers; the guards hurled torches into the manor.

Malin turned back and smiled at the fist imprint hammered onto the manor door. How could there be innocent souls inside a sealed manor, except for Pam, whom he had purified himself? Lady Malin and Mr. Malin had long since become twisted.

The wails of souls grew fainter as Malin stepped towards the exit, with the guards following behind Baron Tony, their master warily staying a step aside Malin.

Along the road, lampposts held the bodies of Noble members confirmed to be tainted by Chaos, most of whom had already mutated under the holy energy. Thus, a row of monstrous corpses hung there, looking somewhat... odd.

But Malin thought it was quite fitting; too bad there were no cameras, otherwise he wouldn’t hesitate to have this scene photographed and printed on the newspaper’s front page.

Every one touched by Chaos will meet a bad end; it would surely make a great headline.

"Mr. Malin, the Church of Justice has sent word that there are still some who have not been tempted by Chaos and don’t have serious crimes. What should be done with them?"

"Ask our Protector of the Nation; the Northern front surely needs these warriors sworn to redeem themselves," Malin replied as he stood before the carriage and turned to Baron Tony, "Don’t even think of renovating this manor and giving it to me. Tear it down and erect a monument for heroes in its place to commemorate every brave soul lost in the war against Chaos."

After saying this, Malin jumped onto the carriage, "Also, Baron Tony, remember the oath you swore to me."

"Yes, Mr. Malin, I will always remember," the Baron bowed his head.

"May the Lord have mercy."

Malin nodded, then leaned back in the seat as the coachman cracked his whip: "Sir, where to?"

"Central District, perhaps Mage Bruny can open a door for me," Malin said as he settled back in his seat, his left hand touching a cold object; he looked down to see a Baby Spirit.

No, not a Baby Spirit—the creature before him did not carry the Negative Energy typically associated with Baby Spirits.