Steampunk Era: Mad Abield
Chapter 557 - 380: Many Tales of the Small Town (4)

Chapter 557: Chapter 380: Many Tales of the Small Town (4)

Malin had attended dinner at the old Ding Qi’s home for three days in a row, showing ample respect to the elder—originally planning to leave at noon on the third day, but the train crew found several parts that needed replacing, so he ended up waiting half a day longer.

When the train was finally ready to depart, the half-human appeared and gave Malin some rather unwelcome news—the thief hadn’t been found, but he suggested it was likely the work of a traitor from the local Thieves Brotherhood, and added that if Malin did encounter him, dead or alive didn’t matter, it would be two thousand Mowish on sight.

Malin smiled and decided to let the fellow earn this hard money himself.

"Do you still hold a grudge against me?" Malin asked the half-human before leaving.

"I do." The half-human nodded candidly: "Apart from a formidable opponent, the rest were brothers who have followed me for over a decade... Your Excellency, does the word ’brother’ sound particularly foolish coming from my mouth?"

Facing this question, Malin was silent for a moment, then shook his head: "...You are a soldier under Whitehead, normally speaking, they aren’t your brothers, but after acting for twenty years, those brothers of yours are no longer the peers who sweated with you on the training ground, so it’s not foolish of you to use that word. It proves you haven’t gone mad, even though indeed, they aren’t your brothers."

For some reason, Malin reached out and patted the half-human on the shoulder: "Your brothers are not them, nor the ones sitting in offices, or those lofty bigwigs, but those who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the innocents of this realm, for all those young ones facing hunger and cold, igniting themselves."

"...Thank you, Your Excellency." The half-human smiled and wiped the corner of his eyes: "You’ve seen my embarrassment."

"May I ask, what made you start doing this in the first place?"

"My father was a member of the Brotherhood, I thought what he did was wrong, so I joined Whitehead’s intelligence division incognito, but I was eliminated during the political vetting, but... Catalia told me to go back, he said the organization needed my sacrifice."

"Standard noble speak." Malin shook his head.

"...I have never regretted it, if not me, someone else would have done it, but after all, I was the most suitable at the time. I have a father in the Brotherhood, which none of my peers had," the half-human finished saying and smiled at Malin: "Thank you, Your Excellency, I will still hate you in the future, but I understand, all of this is the damn world’s fault. If everyone had a job, if the Evil God had not appeared in this world, every one of us might have had completely different fates."

"That’s right, so get on with your duties, I won’t trouble you about the little thief anymore, but don’t expect to get him from me," said Malin and shook hands with the half-human: "By the way, I still don’t know your name."

"Scarface." The half-human pointed to the scar on his face: "But to those familiar with me, like you, just call me Jefflyn."

"Alright, Jefflyn, it’s better... we don’t meet again."

The half-human nodded with a smile: "Indeed, it’s better we don’t meet again. Safe travels."

"Same to you." Malin gestured invitingly and watched the half-human leave the platform before jumping onto the starting train.

Taking off his slightly sweaty shirt, Malin glanced at the girls sitting on the sofa: "I’m going to take a shower first."

"Sure." The girls replied in unison.

Malin nodded and then turned to Matilda: "Matilda, come and scrub my back."

The Big-eared Fox responded and then quickly ran to the bathroom, saying she was going to run the water for the bath.

Malin looked at Faye and the others and finally started to smile: "Do you really have to wait until I’m in the bath before you’ll get up and kill Jefflyn?"

The five girls’ eyes widened like copper bells.

"I am Salis’s true master, it told me all about your plans," Malin cleared the girls’ doubts so they wouldn’t be suspicious.

"We saw that you had a good conversation with him..." Jessica, as the eldest, was the first to come forward to address Malin.

That made Malin happy; the girl, being the oldest of the sisters, had learned to stand in front of her younger siblings and face the possible wrath of the family head.

This caused the last bit of anger in Malin to disappear without a trace.

"I’m angry, not because you wanted to kill him, but because you tried to do it behind my back. As the head of the household, you should hear such plans from me, so now I’m telling you, the only true word in everything Jefflyn just told me was his hatred for me, so go ahead, kill him. Salis is yours; it will lead you to him. Ambush and kill him and his brothers on the way, Mana will open a two-way teleportation gate for you."

With that, Malin looked at Faye: "My dear, you must tell me everything next time, I cannot accept the loss of any one of you... So, make it quick, I’ll take a shower when you come back."

After speaking, Malin stood in front of the bathroom door.

Mana opened a teleportation gate for the girls.

Faye was the first to stand up; she pulled a suitcase from under the sofa and began to get dressed.

With her taking the lead, the rest of the girls also quickly finished changing and then, armed, stepped through the teleportation gate.

"Mr. Malin, you know everything," Matilda whispered from the bathroom.

"You haven’t told me anything," Malin turned his head and glared at her: "How’s the alignment transfer doing, do you need me to prepare a sacrificial offering for your redemption?"

This girl truly gave him a headache.

"It’s alright, it didn’t deviate much, I swear on my life I’m not lying!"

Feeling that Malin did not believe her, the Big-eared Fox patted her chest, vowing earnestly.

Ha, do you think that just because your tail (yi) is big and you have two of them, you’re no longer a member of the canine family?!

......

Jefflyn sat in the carriage, the Half-human glanced one last time in the direction of the station; when he turned back, the smile had completely vanished beneath his icy, rigid expression.

Your brethren are not those people, nor are they the ones sitting in offices, and certainly not those high and mighty figures. Your brethren are those who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the innocents of this country, who ignite their own lives for all the younglings facing cold and hunger... Such words are hard to believe, Mr. Malin, who do you think you are?

Do you think you’re one of those penniless bums? No matter how noble your words, you are just a Merchant.

We have never been fellow travellers; you have your sunlit path, and I have my log bridge. We exist in two different worlds, so let’s dispense with the pretty words.

At this moment, the carriage began to turn. Jefflyn sat inside, watching the outside where there were not many pedestrians on the street, some beggars near the park, but the park guards would stop these beggars from entering, after all, it was the meeting place for Nobles and their ladies.

Hmph, one day, the Farolians will surely awaken too.

With this confidence, Jefflyn noticed a flash on the distant Bell Tower, like the brief glint of reflected light, lending a touch of illumination to the building that was ruled by darkness.

Jefflyn squinted his eyes—that was his last memory in this world.

The next second, the Half-human shot through the forehead by a bullet collapsed inside the carriage, the sounds absorbed by the Soundproof Barrier, unnoticed by anyone.

Faye stood on the street side watching the carriage slowly but resolutely leaving. Eventually, Clovis emerged from the shadows: "A very perfect new plan, Faye."

"Malin once told me that wisdom is a person’s greatest treasure." Faye smiled and snapped her fingers, a portal appeared before them—a portal to leave the city was irrelevant, they had left anyway, and it was also an act to draw attention away from the Bell Tower.

If they didn’t inspect closely, they might well assume the bullet was fired from nearby on the street.

That’s what they call a battle of wits and bravery.

......

When the train arrived in Naples, Malin got off and saw Baron Catalia on the platform.

He stood there alone, and behind him, Baron Anthony Gallo had a very awkward smile facing his old friend, seemingly noticing Malin’s gaze, he smiled even more awkwardly.

Malin smiled at the old man and lifted his Assistant Priest cap: "Good afternoon, Baron Catalia, what wind has blown you my way?"

"Is Jefflyn’s death related to you?" Catalia Hemingway asked directly.

Malin glanced at the Paladin beside him: "What does it have to do with me? You can’t even figure out who your real brothers are. You say he’s dead, well, that’s a good death."

After speaking, Malin walked past the old man with the girls and then opened his arms wide: "Hey, Anthony, my friend, I hope I’m not late."

"Of course not, Mr. Malin, your growth is astonishing. If you have any secrets for longevity, please be sure to tell me," Anthony said, laughing as he shook hands with Malin, noting the departure of the white-haired old man, he looked at Malin: "Did you upset him?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Good brother, well done. It’s rare to see someone make him so frustrated," Anthony said with a belly laugh while turning to wave someone over.

Malin grinned at the approaching carriages: "By the way, there are people here to give you gifts."

"My God, seeing those two is such an honor. Thank you," Anthony shook hands with the two Half-humans, and afterward, he spotted Salis landing on Malin’s shoulder: "An eagle! My goodness, a Spirit, you’ve tamed him... them?" Anthony saw the backup rations and Spotty descend, as well as the younglings in the nest on the backup rations’ back.

"Too much surprise isn’t good for your health, groom-to-be," Malin said before turning to look at Nova getting off the carriage, and holding Rewo in her arms.

The two approached Malin, joining the line of girls.

Only then did Malin look at Mr. Anthony: "I suppose there’s no need for introductions?"

"Of course, Mr. Malin, you always manage to surprise me," the groom-to-be said with a complicated smile on his face.

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