Steampunk Era: Mad Abield
Chapter 489 - 328: Separation (1)

Chapter 489: Chapter 328: Separation (1)

Waking from a dream once more, the old man sat up by himself, as if he were the most intricate machine, putting on his favorite old sweater, even though it was frayed, even though the beige sweater had now grown somewhat pale.

He fastened each button one by one, his slender hands had lost all their muscle, leaving only skin wrapped around bone, full of wrinkles, full of the vicissitudes that time had brought him.

He took the black, slim-fitting pants with patches from a chair beside him, put them on, and then buckled his somewhat aged leather belt onto the waist of the pants.

The last loop was already somewhat too big, wasn’t it?

With such a sigh, the old man changed into black leather shoes, very old by now, but they were a birthday gift he had cherished for a long time.

Snow was falling outside the window, and the old man turned up the arcane lamp by the window. He stood up and walked toward the washroom.

Washing his face, brushing his teeth, just like always.

The needless skin on his face was wrinkled, and the old man carefully wiped it, only to rub off a piece of skin, revealing the dark red flesh underneath that seemed as if it were necrotized.

Old fellow, you’ve reached your last day, haven’t you?

Looking at himself in the mirror, the old man sighed and stepped out of the washroom.

He lingered by the cabinet, which was filled with picture frames and paintings.

There was a portrait of himself as a child with his mentor, a photo of himself in middle age with his child, and even a recent color photo with his last two apprentices.

All these would be Colin’s now.

And this room would be inherited by Colin as well.

Only, he would not live here, for the suffering borne by his sect was about to end, after him, there need be no more sacrifices, no more lives burdened with suffering.

The old man turned and looked at the painting on the wall; it was his first apprentice, with a face full of smiles.

Moving to the coat rack, the old man reached out with trembling hands and took his flat cap—this was the meager testament to the existence of his sect in the world.

They changed their faith, changed the object of their worship, just to seal away that Evil God... now, it’s all coming to an end, something that should be cause for happiness.

The old man sighed, put on his Priest’s coat, and then wrapped his scarf around his neck before heading to the door.

After a few steps, the old man felt the arcane lamp dim, and it seemed a young girl’s call came from behind him.

·Hoffman, it’s me.

...The old man stopped walking, his hand on the doorknob, but he couldn’t turn it.

·Hoffman, it’s me, what’s wrong, why aren’t you looking at me?

The old man trembled, and finally cloudy tears rolled down from the corners of his wrinkled eyes.

His instinct was to turn around, his heart wanted to embrace the owner of the voice, but he himself... couldn’t remember who the owner of the voice was anymore.

So, in the end, he still turned the doorknob.

Because everything was in the past, the owner of such a voice had not appeared in his life.

In that moment, the room lit up once again.

The old man pushed open the door, looked back into the room, and saw nothing.

It was as if the call he had just heard was only a hallucination in his brain.

Walking to the end of the corridor, leaning on his cane as he passed the first door, the door unexpectedly opened a crack, and a small face peered through.

·Mentor.

She called out like that.

The old man smiled and nodded.

Then the door opened wider, and the little girl poked her head out.

·Mentor, where are you going?

To witness my end, to depict my final moments, to fulfill my mission.

The old man reached out his hand and ruffled the little head.

·Could you please not go?

She looked at him with expectation, with pleading.

The old man shook his head and continued on.

That was the room of his first female apprentice; she later became an adult and eventually married an Apprentice of the Church.

She and her husband had been dead for thirty-seven years already.

Were they there to see him off?

The old man sighed and approached the second door.

Inside the room, which had been empty, now was filled with furniture from bygone days, and a young man leaned against the doorframe.

·Old fellow, you’re still wearing the sweater I gave you.

The old man smiled and nodded; he reached out his hand and embraced the young man for a moment.

"Karl, I’m leaving," said the old man.

·I know, Mentor... let’s meet again in the Goddess of Harvest’s paradise.

The young man smiled and nodded, then turned and closed the door behind him.

The smile faded from the old man’s face as he moved forward; this was his favorite apprentice, to whom he was as a father to his son.

He did not disappoint, becoming an impressive Stage Five at a young age.

Then, he advanced no further, for his fate had drawn a full stop, a long time ago in a battle against a Chaos invasion in the Carterburg region, where he died, and his remains were never recovered.

Who else might be waiting for him?

The old man struggled forward, and finally, at the third door, he saw a young boy, smiling shyly.

·Good morning, Mentor.

The old man nodded, tears once again falling as he stretched out his hand and tousled the boy’s hair.

"Good morning," the old man said.

· Mentor, the scarf I gave you, how did it become so tattered?

"I’m sorry, I ruined it," the old man tried to smile.

· Never mind, I’ll work and buy you a new one... By the way, Mentor, where are you going?

The old man knelt down and embraced the child.

"The Mentor is old and must complete his mission," he said.

As he spoke, he brushed the child’s hair from his forehead and gently kissed him there.

· Mentor...will we meet again?

The child, as if understanding something, had tears in the corners of his eyes.

The old man nodded with a smile.

"We will meet again."

The old man stood up, leaning against the door frame, and tousled the child’s hair: "Go inside, don’t catch a cold. Your Mentor will come to find you with your favorite treats."

· Okay, I’ll be waiting for you, Mentor.

The child, smiling, closed the door, and before it shut completely, he waved at the old man.

· Goodbye, Mentor.

The old man nodded and only after the door closed did he continue his steps.

At the same time, tears streamed down his face.

Mil Doran, the most sensible Apprentice the old man had ever seen in his life. Yet, during one chaotic siege, he was captured by Chaotic Believers inside the city and in the end, the old man could only find a tiny remnant of him in a cooking pot.

Walking past the fourth door, the old man turned his head to look at the woman standing in front of it, who was smiling at him.

· Good morning, Mentor.

"Good morning, my child," the old man smiled back.

· Everyone is waiting for you in the front hall.

She said so and reached out to help the old man move forward.

Past the corridor’s end and through the grand doors, the Mentor saw his Apprentices of various ages gathered in the hall.

He saw Mil with the little children, Karl and the young ones smiling at him, and the older ones, fortunate enough to have lived to a ripe age.

· Mentor, where are you going?

The woman beside him asked.

· To complete my mission.

The old man said, as he brushed the woman’s hand away.

I must go alone.

He walked toward his children.

Embracing each one in turn.

As he hugged the last girl, she looked at him curiously.

· Mentor, what happened to Brother Amm, why hasn’t he come, and many other brothers and sisters are missing too.

This was Sophia, Sophia Mischael.

Colin’s last Apprentice before her.

The old man shook his head.

· They are waiting for me.

· Waiting for you? Where?

· In a place far away, children.

The old man clapped his hands.

His Apprentices all looked at him.

· I am leaving to fulfill my final mission, and I have good news for everyone. From now on, no one will take over from me. It all ends here, our Church will no longer have a vessel, everything... is over.

The children seemed not to understand, but the old man still smiled and bid each one goodbye.

· Mentor, don’t leave.

The children were trying to keep him.

Without looking back, he just walked to the door that led outside.

Placing his hand on the door.

Then, a little hand pressed against his.

· Hoffman, it’s me, Natalie.

The old man turned and indulgently tousled the girl’s hair.

Then, he turned the handle forcefully.

Outside, the world was bitterly cold, his Apprentice Colin stood before him, extending a hand to support his right hand: "Mentor, let’s go."

The old man turned to look at the brightly lit, yet profoundly empty, hall.

Another hand supported his left.

He turned and saw his last Apprentice.

"Mentor, let’s go," the child named Malin looked at him, his face beaming with smiles.

"...Let’s go," he nodded, his face full of smiles.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.