Steampunk Era: Mad Abield
Chapter 705: Section 488: Walking in the Snow (Part 1)

Chapter 705: Section 488: Walking in the Snow (Part 1)

Jon sat at the bar counter, swirling the liquor and ice in his glass with one hand while holding a cigarette in the other. The young man had just completed an adventure, targeting the ruins of the old era in the Engma Empire of the North, long ruled by Chaos. The ruins were filled with remnants of Chaos troops, and Jon and his companions had exerted considerable effort to clear a safe passage. From within those ruins, they found a device from the old engineering era, the screen still in operation, but the text displayed was not the ancient alphabet they were familiar with, but more resembled the Thainan script.

This puzzled Jon—had the Thainans been in contact with them before the Great Destruction? If there really had been contact, why had no history book ever mentioned these things?

With such questions in mind, they returned to Carterburg and handed it over, along with some other miscellaneous items they had found, to the Adventurers’ Guild, and received a decent reward in return.

"Jon, we’re going out to have some fun. What about you?" His young companions came down from the second floor, apparently ready to head to the Southern District to play some indecent games with some not-so-respectable ladies.

"I’m going home for a visit. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen my father and mothers." Jon let go of the glass and bit the cigarette in his mouth as he picked up his coat. "Enjoy yourselves, my friends."

"You too, young man. The next adventure is in a week. You can rest at home for a week," said the leader of the adventure team, a big man with a fraction of giant blood, with a laugh.

"That’s great." Jon bid them farewell at the front door and then made his way home.

It had been three years since he graduated, and although Jon couldn’t join the military, becoming an adventurer was a viable path for a second son of a family—rather than idling away in the family’s factory, he preferred taking advantage of his youth to venture out. Perhaps with a bit of luck, he might make a name for himself. He didn’t have to become a great Noble, but a life free of worries about food and clothing was not out of reach.

The likelihood of dying far from home was greater, but Jon had also found a girl he loved and wanted to take advantage of their youth to get married.

As a man, he couldn’t let her remain his eternal lover forever.

At the crossroads of the avenue, he stopped and watched the traffic lights powered by Technique Crystals turn red. Jon saw the carriages and motorized vehicles on his side stop, while those on the crossing avenue started to move.

When did all this start? Jon wondered, as he hadn’t been home in two years... However, this must be to control the flow of traffic on the roads, to prevent disorderly passing from clogging up the entire avenue.

Strange as it was, it turned out to be unexpectedly efficient; no one dared to break through this boundary.

When the green light came on, Jon stepped forward, crossing the white line that marked the pathway. Many others were crossing with him, and he heard their murmurs, seemingly discussing work issues.

Malin Group had opened a new factory in Rongma and was hiring new workers.

Some wanted to go, some were reluctant.

Jon thought of his sister, Lillim, and wondered how she was.

Ah, the little lamb that used to butt her brother with her horns was now someone else’s bride.

As he turned the corner near Church Street, Jon noticed that there were no groups of beggars or homeless people, which was a common sight in other cities. Why wasn’t that the case in this city?

While thinking about this, he saw a stall, a tent shielding from the wind and snow, and a young man huddled with a heater.

"Are you... hiring workers?" Jon looked at the little sign on the table and let out a puzzled exclamation.

"Yes, sir, if you’re local, I’m not taking you. I’m only coordinating here for refugees and beggars who fled to Carterburg," the young man replied, only noticing Jon’s attire as he looked up. "Hey, sir, have you just returned from outside?"

"Yes, how did you know?" Jon knew his Carterburg accent was innate.

"People who ask these kinds of questions are usually those who have lived outside for a while. People in Carterburg, if they are willing, don’t have to worry about going hungry; there are so many places needing workers now," the young man said with a smile. "Look, three months ago, I was just a young man from a village in the North. The village was hit by a disaster this year, and a swarm of Bear Goblins we’d never seen before burned the village. Those of us who knew about it early escaped. Lord Malin said it wasn’t realistic for us to go back and rebuild the village in the dead of winter, so he gave us this job."

Watching the young man’s contented expression, Jon nodded, smiling as he offered a cigarette to him, "Thank you for the explanation."

"You’re too kind," the young man took the cigarette and cheerfully lit it with the fire from his heater. "I see you’re quite a respectable gentleman. If you’re looking for a decent job, head to the gate of the North City District. They welcome gentlemen like you there. If you have a skill, you’ll definitely find a very good job - good enough to marry a wife in Carterburg."

"Thank you, but I already have someone I like," Jon said, saying goodbye to the young man, and continued on his way.

The Church of the Goddess of Harvest still looked the same, but today was the weekend, and it seemed that the afternoon sermon was being prepared. Even so, Jon saw many devout gentlemen with their families entering the church.

```

Hmm, it looks like a lot of preparations will be needed for the communion at noon.

Passing through Church Street, Jon approached the North City District. True to what the young man had said, there was a registration point near the city gate. Jon had no interest and merely glanced at it, finding out that registrants required a vast amount of knowledge—such as mathematics or other skills suitable for the job.

But all these were areas where Jon did not excel, so, with respect mixed with distance, he also passed through the main gate.

The closer he got to home, the more indecisive Jon became—after two years away, how would his mother reproach him, and how would his father rebuke him?

In the end, the young man saw his brother sitting on the steps outside their family’s front door—wearing a major’s uniform of the Sydney Union, it appeared he too had just returned for a visit.

Watching his brother there, smoking in silence, Jon lightened his steps until he came before him; only then did the youth notice his brother’s boots. He looked up and saw his brother’s smile.

"You fool, tell me, how did you upset Father this time?"

"You think I’m the one who made a mistake? Malin is here!"

Their conversation halted there, and Jon became curious, "So what if Malin is here? He is, after all, our family’s son-in-law, both richer and more handsome than you. There’s nothing for you to be angry about. Your lives have been different right from the start."

......

"Lillim is pregnant."

When Malin announced this to his father-in-law and mother-in-law, it was visibly clear that his father-in-law’s previously overcast face suddenly brightened.

The middle-aged man, who had still been grudging about Malin eloping with his daughter, immediately instructed his butler to start preparing lunch.

Malin declined, indicating he still had a few more visits to make.

"Everything’s settled?" The lamb’s mother keenly picked up on the implication in Malin’s words.

Malin nodded.

Amidst a flurry of congratulations, Malin left a few potion bottles and an invitation, hoping they could visit Thainan when they had time.

Unlike her distracted husband, the lady of the house promised Malin they would definitely visit Thainan after the spring had begun.

So, Malin bid farewell to them and then left the mansion.

Noticing that the family’s eldest and second sons were sitting on the steps, smoking silently.

"Jon?" Malin greeted him, to which the latter nodded his head in misery.

Heartbroken?

Malin assessed the state of the two men in his mind and decided it was best to keep a respectful distance—heartbroken men needed time to cool off alone.

He said goodbye to the two of them and eventually left the residence.

Where to next? Hmm... Malin opened the notebook in his hands.

It was Jessica’s house.

Come to think of it, it’s been a long time since he’s seen the old wolf. He wondered how the lame old man was faring lately.

```