Steampunk Era: Mad Abield
Chapter 618: Section 432: Road (1)

Chapter 618: Section 432: Road (1)

He pulled the trigger, watched through the scope as the yellow deer stumbled and fell after running a few steps, Clovis got up and walked over with Nova, still with Maya, to kill the still-living yellow deer. Maya directly started to dissect it, Nova looked down at the yellow deer: "Maya, you’ve known Malin the longest, what do you think of him?"

"Big brother is a very good person, although sometimes he can have a bad temper and be fierce in his actions, but he’s never been angry with those who are innocent, and he’s never been cruel to me."

"Hmm, that’s really nice, I envy you for knowing Malin so early on. If I had known Malin back then, maybe... a lot of things wouldn’t have happened."

Speaking of this, Nova laughed and sighed.

Her mutterings piqued Clovis’s curiosity: "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing much, just some personal little secrets of mine, which aren’t good to talk about."

"I see, I have them too, actually. Everyone has little secrets in their hearts," Clovis said distractedly, cradling her firearm across her chest while surveying the world.

"Yes, I have little secrets, too," Maya continued to open the deer’s belly with a knife, and then spoke.

"You have secrets too?" Clovis said with some surprise—as far as she was concerned, Maya was the sister least capable of keeping secrets. Everyone had their own private secrets, but how could Maya possibly have any?

"Didn’t you all say that everyone has little secrets in their heart? In fact, big brother has them too; he just never talks about them. Of course, I would never ask."

"How would you know he has secrets if you aren’t the worm in his belly?" Nova asked with a laugh.

"If big brother doesn’t tell, I won’t tell either." Maya shook her head: "Nova, don’t think about tricking me into spilling everything."

"You’re not dumb," Nova said with a laugh.

Then, as if it were the most natural thing, Maya stuck out her tongue: "Maya is not dumb, it’s just that many times, I’m too lazy to show off my intelligence."

"Wow, our Maya is quite the philosopher," Clovis said with a laugh.

"Big brother likes smart girls. Sister Faye was the smartest back then, and Maya worked really hard to keep up with everyone. Although now I am a Shaman that can stand on her own, there was a time when I didn’t even know how to perform spellcasting," Maya said, throwing the deer’s intestines into a bucket and looking at Clovis, "Brother once told me, he wants to see you smiling."

Clovis fell silent for a moment, then nodded: "I understand. I’ll definitely try to smile more from now on." After saying that, the Bunny Girl smiled happily.

"What about me?" Nova asked.

"Big brother wants to help you. That’s what I read from his heart. He thinks that you look very pitiful when you are sad."

"...Yes, that’s true. During the days I followed Malin, for the first time, I felt happiness, something I had never felt after losing my father and before meeting Malin."

"I always thought that I would eventually forget what happiness was, thanks to Malin," Nova said with a sigh.

Maya nodded with a smile at Nova’s words.

Big brother always liked to help everyone and never turned anyone away, and although these were the reasons that upset Maya, now she thought that Malin was truly an outstanding man.

His every action was in line with his justice and never let down the sisters who trusted in him.

The sisters had gathered because of the strong bloodline in brother’s body. Their love was genuine, but they did not hide their greed either.

Only Maya could be Malin’s most considerate lover and was destined to eternally follow him as his lover.

Be it the end of the world or the reboot of the universe, no matter how time changes, Maya will always be Malin’s Maya.

May the Lord be merciful, I will keep my oath, let not those who love be parted.

.........

Nova frowned slightly, just now she felt a tinge of murky aura. She glanced around; this Semi-Plane with the presence of the World Tree should not harbor any different kind. What was that just now?

Was I mistaken?

Nova glanced at Clovis again. The Bunny Girl was observing a herd of deer in the distance. Even though the mutation was severe, to the point where even the head was covered in fur, Nova was sure that this fully Orcified Toby Rabbitfolk was in the best condition possible—her consciousness clear, her body intact, even if her legs had transformed with reversed joints, none of these mutations had caused her any adverse reactions.

Malin truly is a remarkable being. Not to mention all he has created on the battlefield, just the fact that he helped Clovis escape a mutated fate proves he’s a great man.

Nova admitted that her approach to Malin was partly for revenge, but more so for her clan to acquire the finest bloodline.

On this point, whether it was her, Faye, Jessica, Lillim, or even Rewo, they all harbored such little thoughts—they pledged loyalty to Malin so that their children could inherit the most outstanding paternal bloodline.

Although they also loved Mr. Malin, compared with Matilda, with Clovis, with Maya... they felt inferior.

Matilda was a Paladin of the God of Justice, and for her, love was not the most important thing in her life. In Nova’s eyes, even though it seemed that she was the one who needed Malin’s paternal lineage the most, this fox girl was actually the one among them with the deepest feelings.

She was deeply infatuated with Malin, enchanted by his contributions to the world. She loved Malin, but what she loved most was the love he held in his heart for the world. Born and raised in a family of heroes, she was also always ready to become a hero herself. Her love for Malin was pure, devoid of any additional motives. She wanted to bear his children and would certainly take on Malin’s surname.

And Clovis? To her, Malin was the great being who had rescued her from a life of hardship, the rope that helped her climb out of a deformed abyss. She loved Malin, and that was far more important to her than any lineage. She wholeheartedly wanted to help Malin, diligently learning and exploring in order to be of assistance to him... She might not bear Malin’s children, because in Nova’s view, Clovis’s deformation ran so deep that she might not be able to conceive with Malin at all.

But it was precisely for this reason that Nova saw what she believed to be the purest form of love in this world, a beauty that took her breath away, for she understood that her own status barred her from loving Malin with such purity.

She was a woman, but also the ruler of a nation. She had a responsibility to all those on this land who were willing to follow her.

And Maya... During this time, Maya was the one that Nova found most incomprehensible.

She harbored the jealousy a normal girl might feel, yet she also possessed an empathy that Nova could not fathom. She would be jealous of the interactions other sisters had with Malin but would not become angry or show it. Her feelings for Malin had far surpassed love, resembling more that of kinship. She loved Malin, but this love exceeded that of a romantic relationship. He and she seemed to have regarded each other as the most precious person a long time ago.

In Nova’s opinion, if Malin one day were to have his mind corrupted by Chaos, then Maya would surely be the only one to follow him.

Whether as a hero beside the Savior or as a champion beside the destroyer of worlds, Maya would follow with unflagging enthusiasm.

As long as she could be with Malin, she could endure all hardships.

This was the most terrifying belief, also the emotion that shocked Nova the most. She understood it was something she could never achieve in her lifetime.

Being able to possess such pure feelings was indeed enviable.

.........

Lillim stood at the doorway of the shop, watching the children playing merrily on the street. The sheep girl felt worried because as she grew older, the increasingly difficult promotion had more than once troubled her. Without being promoted, she couldn’t stabilize her lineage at the Silver level, and Malin’s lineage was a high-ranked one even among those of Golden Blood. She, being too weak as a woman, would not possibly be able to bear his child.

It seemed Mr. Malin understood this too, for he never engaged in futile efforts. Even though Jessica had become a member of the Silver Folk, as far as Lillim knew, he had not attempted to do so because of it.

Weakness surely is the original sin, Lillim. Look at your pitiful self, lamenting again. Can’t you make more of an effort and strive to achieve the Silver Bloodline?

Lillim pursed her lips, watching the children run further and further away.

"Lillim, we’re leaving!" Faye’s voice rang out. Lillim turned around, revealing a smile that even she despised—not because she detested Faye, but because she loathed her own hypocrisy.

Her sisters were always kind to her. No one disliked her because she was a sheep person, nor did they look down on her because she was a little Priest. Yet Lillim hated herself.

She hated her inability to be strong.

At that moment, cries of alarm came from the other end of the street. Lillim turned her head and saw a panicked carriage rushing by, and a child hanging on the hook of the carriage’s harness.

"Damn, I’ll stop the carriage," said Jessica, dropping the merchandise she was holding. Then she saw Lillim’s raised hand.

As a member of the Shepherd’s Church, Lillim was adept at calming animals. With the help of her Spell Formation, the two horses pulling the carriage gradually came to a stop.

The child hanging on was rescued, and the coachman jumped out of the carriage, thanking Lillim in a fluster.

"It’s nothing... I, I was just lending a hand."

Lillim felt she hadn’t made any outstanding contribution.

But she heard Faye’s encouragement, "Our Lillim is a very outstanding sister, you know."

Huh, is that so?

Lillim looked up at Faye. "Am I, am I outstanding?"

"Yes, your efforts are visible to the naked eye, so you are outstanding, Lillim," Faye said.

Lillim smiled—what about Mr. Malin, would he think the same?

"When we go home, I’ll definitely tell Malin about your courage, ability, and actions. You will surely be praised by Malin."

Really?

Lillim suddenly became somewhat expectant.