Steampunk Era: Mad Abield
Chapter 51: Forty-sixth Lesson: One Step at a Time

Chapter 51: Forty-sixth Lesson: One Step at a Time

Soon enough, students began to arrive, and seeing the situation at hand, these young people said nothing; instead, they cooperated willingly with the screening... to which Malin could only say these guys were a little too practiced at this, truly a heart-wrenching sight.

Then again, if you choose art and have a love for beauty, you should know what you might encounter in this damned world.

As the investigation proceeded, Malin found out none of the students had any issue—not even the girls in Julian’s daughter’s class.

"It seems we are up against a very cunning opponent," the Justice Maiden also shared her viewpoint, for them, justice was never about talking—it was about doing: "What she’s done is very covert, but excessive is as bad as deficient. For an academy established by the Church of Art and Beauty, it’s just too clean."

"Is there such a saying?" Malin asked, curious.

"Yes, there is," the Justice Maiden nodded.

"Then all we can hope for is that the messengers reach the War God Academy in time, or else they’ll just have to rely on themselves to escape alive," Malin said before falling silent for a while and then turning to the Proxy beside him, "By the way, the lad you recommended to me earlier, can he be trusted?"

"He is the most trustworthy, Your Excellency. After all, he is the surviving second son of the Domingo family, among the Thirty Braves. This year, after he completes his Proxy contract, he can return to his family with honor," the Deputy Commander hurriedly replied.

Malin nodded, "If that’s the case, then it should be the best."

As the investigation deepened, Malin also noticed the problem—as the Justice Maiden said, it was too clean, with no scent of Chaos and not even a trace of Spirits.

What would make the giant rats keep their distance? Of course, it’s the presence they feared.

"I’m uneasy," Malin admitted as the last group of boarding boys left, turning to the Justice Maiden, "Julian’s daughter is not here, and those students from the Church of the War God might directly encounter her at their homes."

"If that’s the case, then they are as good as dead," the Justice Maiden said, shaking her head, "But that’s not your fault, Malin, it’s the job they chose for themselves."

"No, I should not have let them undertake this investigation so lightly. If something happens to them, I will take responsibility," Malin stated, after which he shook his head at the Proxy, signaling that the investigation of the academy was complete.

The elderly men with white hair and beards stood before Malin, both smiling.

"Elders, I entrust the manor outside the city to you two."

"Leave it to us, young fellow."

After making arrangements with the elders, Malin turned to leave.

The Justice Maiden hurried to keep up with Malin, "Your Excellency, there are still some Proxies who haven’t left the academy..."

"Given the current situation, there should be no surprises, so let’s go to Julian’s house... Speaking of which, I still don’t know your name," Malin turned, looking at the young lady.

"Matilda," the young lady smiled shyly, "Ordinarily, as the Justice Maiden, I shouldn’t reveal my true name, but it’s clear that you aren’t aware of this, so I can tell you, but regardless, just call me Justice Maiden."

"...Alright then, you, come with me to meet Mr. Julian’s daughter," Malin said.

Malin believed Julian’s daughter must be in her home in the city.

Because... where else would be better for hunting than right in the city.

At this point, Malin suddenly turned, looking at a Proxy leading a group of girls over, and raised his hand, "You!"

The Proxy and the girls all stopped in their tracks, and the female Proxy first looked at the girls beside her, then pointed to herself, "Your Excellency, are you calling me?"

"Yes, Miss Proxy, come here quickly," Malin said, nodding with a smile.

The Proxy comforted the girls she’d brought with her and then approached Malin, "Your Excellency, is there a problem?"

"Where did you find them?" Malin asked.

The Justice Maiden seemed puzzled but still waited for her answer, as it was an internal affair of the Church of the Goddess of Harvest.

"In the villa used by the female students, I found them drinking tea in the backyard," the Proxy answered with a smile.

Malin turned his head to look at the Deputy Commander, who was drenched in sweat, gesturing for the Proxies to back away.

Malin looked somewhat relieved in the other direction—several Paladins had begun to disperse, and the assembling Punishers were scattering too, with the Punisher Commander looking worriedly at himself.

Smiling and shaking his head to indicate the young man need not worry about him, Malin turned back to the lady and took a deep breath, "Katerina, where are your companions?"

At this moment, the Justice Maiden finally realized what was happening and took two steps back, giving way to the shooting fields of the Paladins behind her. At the same time, her hand was already on the revolver at her waist.

Not far away, the old Mage picked up his Apprentice and stuffed her directly into the carriage.

Proxy froze for a moment, then her expression began to twist, a smile that wasn’t a smile, a cry worse than a cry, no longer the confident and charming smile, bloodshot eyes instantly taking over her eyeballs, and as she opened her mouth to reply, Malin had already drawn his revolver from his waist, pressed it against her chest, and fired.

The quicksilver bullet pierced her front, but didn’t exit through her back; the Proxy tainted by Chaos knelt down, screaming, her hands grasping her head, struggling, and as she opened her mouth, Malin had already shoved the revolver into it and pulled the trigger.

The girls she had brought with her began to shriek, and there were echoing responses from inside the academy. Malin pulled the revolver from the dead different kind’s mouth, turned his head to look at the seemingly humble dean standing not far away, "Before you die, do you have anything to say?"

Malin did not watch the scene of the girls being shot by Paladins and Punishers with firearms and spell formations.

It wasn’t that Malin was soft-hearted.

He was watching the dean’s transformation process.

Under Malin’s gaze, the skinny old man swelled up like an inflated balloon, the Justice Maiden stepped in front of Malin, "It’s the believer of the Mimicking Bird, no wonder we could not detect the scent of Chaos, but how did you find out?"

Parrots did not exist in this world or rather, they did, but were called Mimicking Birds, Chaos Evil Gods, lovers of conspiracy and deceit.

Only their followers could hide themselves.

But they would never have imagined that Malin could directly see the purple spiritual light on the poor Proxy they had tainted with his spirit sight.

"I saw it," said Malin, watching the dean’s transformation complete. He raised his hand, and pure white spiritual energy immediately formed therein. Under the gaze of all, Malin hurled it at the dean.

The holy spiritual energy penetrated his chest and, in an instant, the huge different kind began to self-immolate. It cried out and took a few steps before kneeling on the flagstones. Under everyone’s gaze, the body roasted by the holy spiritual energy began to distort, finally collapsing to the ground as if it had melted.

The shrieks of the different kinds drew closer; Malin looked at the Justice Maiden, "Have your messenger return to the city, inform the Bishops that all the academy’s instructors and students and their families need to be screened."

"Leave it to my Proxies," the Justice Maiden replied, looking at the different kinds running on all fours that emerged from the academy’s trees and bushes.

"I hear the Church of Art and Beauty screens this academy every year?" Malin turned to ask the Justice Maiden.

"Yes, sir," the Justice Maiden replied, "But now is not the time to discuss this, as there are more and more different kinds coming."

"Yes, so tell your Proxies to inform my Mentor that all members of the local Church of Art and Beauty cannot be trusted until they are screened." As he finished, Malin pointed his revolver at the different kinds charging toward them—compared to those flesh blobs he saw at the abandoned castle, these with human appearances were indeed ugly, and their actions were so slow it was pathetic.

...A bunch of waste.

...

"Mommy," the girl making pastries in the kitchen called out, her long hair draped over her shoulders, wearing her favorite white dress, she squeezed cream from the piping bag onto the freshly baked pastries.

After squeezing out two beautiful flowers, she turned to look into the living room; her mother did not respond, which upset her slightly. So, setting down the piping bag, she walked to the living room. In the sunlit hall, where the sun shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows, she did not see her mother, who had been chatting with guests. Instead, she followed the bloodstains up to the second floor, stopping outside her parents’ bedroom door. Through the wide-open door, she saw her mother and that guest.

The noble lady was now disgracefully perched on the guest, whose lifeless eyes stared at the ceiling, showing no reaction to the girl at the door.

"Mommy, don’t do this; this is our guest," the girl pouted, "Father’s guest."

"But..." her mother swallowed, turning her head. As she spun around, she gulped down the last piece of flesh, "It’s delicious. Mommy hasn’t eaten in a week."

"I’ve told you before, you must fast until Dad is completely transformed; otherwise, how will we explain to the returning Father where his dear friend has gone?" The girl sighed, "Mommy..." She turned her head toward the direction of the main door.

Her mother also stopped eating, turning with her daughter to look at the door.

"It’s fresh," the lady said involuntarily. With her daughter watching, she looked down and then up again, the savagery and ugliness gone from her face, confidence returning. The smiling lady stood up, wiped the blood from her mouth with a bedsheet, and looked completely renewed with the help of a spell formation. "It’s the young visitors."

"Yes, the young visitors." Her daughter looked dispassionately at her mother, "Mommy, next time smile after making sure there’s no meat stuck between your teeth."

The smiling, confident lady pulled a face, but when she smiled again, her long, snake-like tongue had already wiped away the unpleasant bit from between her teeth.

"I’ll welcome them."

"Yes, Mommy, it’s your job, and... remember to clean up the bloodstain on the floor." The girl was somewhat worried because she didn’t know if her mother would be able to cope without her.

Because the High God said, in this world, knowledge is the greatest power; the wise control everything, while the foolish mortals have but one path—to death.

But her anxiety quickly vanished from her face. Hearing the movements of the young lives jumping out of the car, the girl opened her little mouth, filled with dense, sharp teeth.

Then the girl closed her small mouth, and the sharp teeth returned to normal appearance. She turned around and lifted the corners of her mouth in the mirror.

Today’s Sherry Gungel was still the cutest child in the family.

Go for it, once Father joins this new home full of love and hope, Mother and I won’t have to starve anymore.