Steampunk Era: Mad Abield
Chapter 987: Section 642: The Fish and the Fisherman (Part 1)

Chapter 987: Section 642: The Fish and the Fisherman (Part 1)

When the legion set out southwards, Malin didn’t go to the scene to bid farewell. It wasn’t out of sorrow, nor to show respect to the Crown Prince, but because Malin felt he couldn’t face these young people marching toward the battlefield to meet death. Malin had broken his promise. Even though he had numerous explanations to justify it, a broken promise was still a broken promise, and Malin had never wanted to argue about it.

Besides, Malin had plans in his heart—if the battle went well, then everything would be fine. If not... Malin must make up his mind to end his journey. He would have to return to the Northern Kingdom and act before Chaos devoured this country to save everything.

The fires of civilization remained only in Europe and Asia, and Malin couldn’t allow Europe’s flame to extinguish, because this would mean Chaos would free up even more forces to invade Asia. Or perhaps... if there were another Tide of the Dead, the Eastern Human World would have to face the apocalyptic Chaos Army alone.

Malin was saving others, as well as himself. No one could remain unscathed in such a chaotic world.

As for the Eastern Human World, Malin had previously given Meng Quyi some blueprints. That’s why Mr. Meng always spoke to Malin with both warmth and respect. He understood what Malin was thinking—that this Malin Gaiate, this Half-blood, wanted the Eastern Human World to last longer in the upcoming Chaos invasion, so that the Western Human World would face less pressure.

Who would have thought that a legendary figure from the Western Human World would wholeheartedly assist the Eastern Human World?

Of course, Malin wouldn’t reveal this little secret buried in his heart. No one else could empathize with him anymore. He lived in a past eight millennia gone, an era wiped away into obscurity—unknown facets buried in history, like a sentence Malin had once read in a novel: The word "era" is made up of everyone alive in it, with each person’s memories, joys, sorrows, love, and hate forming a part of it. And every era, when its people pass away, ultimately fades, becoming a mere part of the word "history."

Yet Malin was still alive, and so his era remained alive too. Though it was an era full of conflict, regret, and pain—not perfect—but in Malin’s eyes, it held his dearest and most treasured memories.

That country, that homeland, was Malin’s true home. But... the Eastern Human World as it is now, well, it had probably already become unrecognizable.

Ever since Malin had grasped that the world he was in was truly the future, he had thought about this countless times. Europe had already become like this—what of Asia?

Unimaginable. Inconceivable. Malin didn’t even dare to ask Jason and the others.

Like a wayfarer exiled far from home, Malin feared hearing bad news... But now, he realized there was no way to keep avoiding it. He had to go back, had to see it with his own eyes. Because Malin had an intuition: if he missed this chance, he would regret it forever.

A teleportation gate formed behind Malin. Feeling its familiar energy, Malin turned and saw Lagrove step out: "Why are you here?"

"I heard you were here, Lord Malin..." Lagrove moved to the edge of the rooftop and looked out at the army marching beyond the city gates. "You said you wouldn’t see them off, but here you are, watching them leave."

"...After all, they’re soldiers I trained myself. I should have led them into battle," Malin sighed. "Speaking of which, you and Todd always come to me with purpose—what do you need this time?"

Malin’s question was soon answered. Lagrove had a relative named Hitchcock Dendel, who had been chosen by the Northern Kingdom as its official envoy. Envoys from other kingdoms had already been selected and would soon arrive in Carterburg. There, the Thanan delegation would join them, and together they would sail to the Eastern Human World.

This young man was asking Malin to look out for him—because being an envoy, being young, had its advantages. Malin agreed with this. Out on the sea, if you didn’t have strength and the robust physique of youth, you were just waiting for Death to knock on your door.

"Lord Malin, I feel you understand the Thanan people well. What do you imagine the Eastern Human World would look like?" Lagrove placed his hand on the railing as he stared at the streets below and posed the question to Malin.

Malin shook his head: "I don’t know. All I know is that they, like us, are nothing more than pitiable souls struggling in this damned apocalypse."

This was all Malin could say. This world had walked the edge of destruction for too long—so long that people had forgotten the distant past when the planet’s inhabitants freed themselves from the shackles of gravity, when they had been the masters of the very ground beneath their feet.

"...Yes, each and every one of us is merely surviving in this damned world," Lagrove loosened his grip on the railing and glanced at Malin. "Lord Malin, safe travels. The Officer Goldhatch and Officer Halil that you recommended to us have proven to be quite reliable. Todd and I will help them continue tracing the real murderer behind Mendel’s death."

"Leave it to you. If you find the killer, please notify me—I want to personally deal with that assassin... I once swore to avenge someone my age. But I’ve failed to find the murderer until now. This time, let me finish it with my own hands."