Steampunk Era: Mad Abield
Chapter 474 - 320: The Endless Night (Part 2)

Chapter 474: Chapter 320: The Endless Night (Part 2)

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"He will die from severe pneumonia after falling into the sea, and if not, he will likely suffer from some lingering illness. All of this — considering the state of his wallet — represents a debt too heavy to repay." The boss walked up to him, extended his hand, and patted his shoulder. "Mr. Malin has given you a medicament worth a fortune, freeing you from your ailments, while he, appearing very much the respectable society president, has no Mr. Malin to serve as his own boss. I suppose, this is just life."

"Yes, sir, my life was given to me by Mr. Malin. You’re not wrong, this is life." The man sincerely replied.

"Remember, Mr. Malin once said, ’Kindness is a gift given to friends, and death is the best present for an enemy.’" The old soldier finished speaking, extending his hand. The other man nodded, then supported the old soldier’s hand and lightly kissed the ring symbolizing power and duty that adorned it.

This was the ring given only to those who had experienced life and death with Mr. Malin, a medal awarded by Mr. Malin to those he trusted, and an item countless members of the group dreamed of possessing.

"Spirits." The old soldier looked toward the one in the iron mask.

"Do you have a problem?" The spirit stood up.

"I know you don’t like doing dirty jobs, but there’s one perfect for you. The local business guild’s chairman is well known to have seven large warehouses, but few living souls know he has another warehouse in the old town to the west of the city, where he keeps things that can’t see the light of day. Burn it down, let’s lighten the load on the chairman’s wallet."

"That place? Sure, count on me. My apprentice and I have been in there before; it’s no problem to light it up. But if you want to contain the news, we’ll have to eliminate everyone there. Last time I was there, there were about thirty people, all dressed like refugees. I need a squad of helpers." The spirit looked at the old soldier: "Get me a squad, just make sure they’re good shots."

"I’ll give you a squad." The one-eyed man said and then looked at the old soldier: "What about us?"

"The rest of your men and mine will wait for news. Once we find those guys, we’ll go and chop off their heads. They provoked a conflict between us and the police, causing harm to seven workers and getting forty-two household heads thrown into jail. This blood debt needs to be cleansed with blood."

Just then, the door to the council chamber was knocked on. The old soldier recognized the rhythm of the knocking and opened the door, looking at the half-frozen lad covered in snow. Despite shivering from the cold, the lad still excitedly relayed good news: "The half-human kid found several of them. They’re in a small block in the new district to the north of the city, with not many people around. It’s the perfect opportunity to strike."

"Ha, the kids found them." The half-human laughed and slapped his thigh: "There are lots of narrow alleys there, good for our guys to ambush those fleeing with crossbows."

"Right, tell everyone to use crossbows and revolvers, and only shoot if absolutely necessary." The old soldier finished speaking and looked at the one-eyed: "Let’s go."

"Take us with you. Us dwarves have expertise in close combat. And, kill them all." The dwarves swiftly followed the ranks.

"No, if possible, leave some alive. We need to find out who’s giving the orders from them."

"That’s alright. Aside from being rather good with axes, we’re also quite proficient at using clubs."

Once the council chamber had emptied, Ms. Lena, who had stood in the corner and been treated as air by all, finally put down the newspaper she was holding. Lady Anna’s maid let out a surprised sigh: "What a surprising meeting. I thought at first that they would charge against the city hall like thugs and get into a scuffle with the police, then kill all those audacious guild fellows."

"They are not workers but thugs that you speak of, Lena." Lady Anna emerged from the opened portal, looking at the closed door: "The kid is really adept at creating miracles. I never understood why he made the workers learn to read and write, but now I finally grasp the true meaning of ’knowledge is power.’ Knowledge isn’t just the poisoned wine given to mortals by the Mimicking Bird, Lena."

"Yes, Anna. But is it really okay to have thrown the newspaper’s editor into the sea?"

"It’s fine. Once you’ve resolved to be a weapon, you should understand that swords break and spears snap. Every mortal tool eventually meets its day of ruin."

Anna finished speaking as a portal opened behind her: "Now that we’ve watched the excitement, it’s time for us to leave, Lena."

"Should we let Goethe know?"

"Better tell him, or he’ll always think someone is taking over his Carterburg right under his nose."

......

"The guests at the newspaper next door seem quite happy today." The orange-peel cat, carrying a new menu, approached the counter. The Thainan spirit meowed and handed the menu to the boss.

"When customers are happy, we can make more money." The Thainan boss replied while passing the menu through to the kitchen window behind him: "Honey, we need to add more dishes."

"They sure can eat."

"Eating well keeps the body strong."

Laughter came from the kitchen; the boss glanced down to see his wife and several spirits beginning to cook.

As the head chef, his wife was cutting a large chop of meat into pieces, while some spirits were preparing a base, others finely slicing vegetables, and still others were peeling. One of the spirits noticed the store manager: "Any problem, meow?" The black-furred cat spirit asked.

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