Steampunk Era: Mad Abield
Chapter 527 - 358: Choice (Part 3)

Chapter 527: Chapter 358: Choice (Part 3)

Walking through the Church corridors, Mr. Mischael caressed the scar on the back of his right hand with his left—the scar a Hestor hound had left him in its dying moments.

With his abilities, he could have easily neutralized that attack, yet for some reason, he did not.

Though he had snapped the frenzied hunting dog’s neck in the very next second, the scar was indelible. That was why he had come to the Benevolent Church, where a female Priest had cleansed his wound and bandaged it for him.

Passing through the corridors and the hall, standing at the Church’s grand entrance, Mischael saw Jason, who was helping Shela down from the carriage, cradling an infant in her arms.

That was his nephew, the new generation of the Mischael family.

Though he bore the Sheringham surname, this fool Jason’s child, it was indisputable that he was still Shela’s child.

Therefore, Mr. Mischael went forward to greet them, first embracing his sister and then shaking hands with Jason, "What’s wrong with the child?"

His greeting was sincere and heartfelt.

"He’s having some trouble breathing, maybe caught a chill during the night," Jason said, somewhat awkwardly.

Mr. Mischael understood this issue well; in Carterburg, even though it was summer, the night climate could never be called hot, sometimes it even carried a chill.

"That must be taken care of. Oh, here, take this." Mr. Mischael took a cheque from his pocket and placed it in Jason’s hand, silencing him, "Take good care of your child, for the sake of the Benevolent Mother."

Then, the last head of the Mischael family mounted his travel horse, "I must be going now, take good care of yourselves and your child."

Controlling the reins, Mr. Mischael left without a backward glance, for if he lingered any longer, his once calm consciousness would be invaded by a ferocious impulse to kill.

That compelled Mr. Mischael to leave, for lately, he had been hearing three voices.

The original whisper continued its seduction, urging Mischael to complete the final sacrifice, the root of all incidents. Mischael was unable to solve this and could only listen to the whisper day after day.

The second whisper entered his sea of consciousness a year ago, claiming itself as the Master of Wisdom too, differing from the first. It revealed much information unknown to Mischael, telling him that the Master of Wisdom’s commandments had been partly stolen by the Mimicking Bird among the four Evil Gods and that he was the true Master of Wisdom.

Mischael didn’t know whom to believe, but it mentioned the sacrificial dilemma, highlighting the connection between the deaths in the Mischael family and a secret too inconvenient to reveal outright.

It didn’t provide Mischael with an answer, but as it mentioned, there was a problem with the first voice.

While Mischael didn’t know whom to trust, a third voice entered his mind.

It was a woman’s voice, melodious and crisp, helping Mischael separate himself from the Chaos’s curse and control, enabling him to live with a clear mind as long as he avoided his previous sacrifice targets.

That was the reason Mr. Mischael was able to live like a human being now.

She said her name was Ayla, the wife of the God of Vengeance. She acknowledged Mischael’s previous slaughters as avenging his family, but she did not recommend completing the last act of vengeance—for that would corrupt the original intent with Chaos, dooming him irredeemably. Mischael had no doubts about this, which was why he chose to flee from his own sister, realizing that her child bore the scent of the murderer.

Jason’s family had been involved in the assassination of the Mischael family, and his sister had borne progeny for the descendants of the murderers. This revelation devastated Mischael, but seeing the young couple’s loving demeanor, he could not but remain silent.

He could not let his sister lose her husband, nor could he let her lose her child.

Thus, he had no choice but to flee.

Why must Fate treat the Mischael family so cruelly?

Mr. Mischael had once asked the same question, believing there would be no answer. He thought this foreign deity would, like those two indistinct Masters of Wisdom, be powerless to respond.

But she gave Mr. Mischael an answer.

The Mischael family had killed the City Lord’s family during the last Tide of the Dead battle—although it was unintentional, as a subordinate family to the City Lord’s, such an act was utterly treasonous.

Every Noble in the city, according to the ancient laws of nobility, was responsible for several assassination rituals.

Mr. Mischael was a child picked up by the Mischael family, so they could have a child to carry on the family name, and Shela could live... because her mother was a distant relative of the City Lord’s family.

Mr. Mischael had collapsed upon learning this. He had never heard of any of this from his own father, and all the deaths in his family were not as he had imagined—a case of being victimized—but rather a willing sacrifice for redemption.

The Church was unaware, and the older generation of Noble families had passed away, leaving no one who remembered what had happened, with only speculation as to whether it was all connected to the Mischael family.

In the end, Mr. Mischael chose to give up his final revenge.

After understanding everything, it was impossible for him to fall into the trap that Chaos had set for him.

The young man on horseback arrived at the graveyard reserved for Nobles, dismounted, and approached his father’s tombstone, where the whole family was buried. Mischael thought that one day, he would be buried here too.

He was an adopted son, yet he became the last member of the Mischael family.

Shela, the true heiress, had ultimately chosen to marry an outsider.

The Mischael family had effectively come to an end.

Lighting a cigarette and placing it on the tombstone, Mr. Mischael stood still, waiting until the tobacco finally turned to ash.

"Father, I have a new path... Sorry for causing everyone trouble," he said.

Having spoken, Mr. Mischael decided to leave.

Walking down the steps, he saw a young man standing at the entrance of the graveyard.

The latter had an eyepatch over his left eye, was carrying flowers, and followed the gravedigger’s direction, walking up from the entrance of the graveyard.

"Who is that?" Mischael passed the gravedigger’s hut and handed a five-dollar bill to the old man.

The latter accepted the money: "He’s here for Hoffman."

To find Hoffman? That shouldn’t be right, weren’t his only remaining Apprentices Colin and Malin?

With this doubt, Mischael turned to glance at the young man, as if wishing to discern something from his silhouette.

Then he felt an excruciating pain at his waist.

The next second, as Mischael turned to ash, he looked at the old man, who bared a mouth full of sharp teeth: "A wretch who betrays his master must atone with death!"