Hopping onto the carriage, Malin didn’t choose to crawl into the cabin but sat at the front instead, "Old Kaman, back to North City District."
"Understood." Driving the carriage was an old Proxy.
Proxies are usually less skilled in martial abilities than Punishers, but they typically master a variety of skills, often serving as the offspring of Noble followers, such a Proxy would usually retire after serving a certain number of years, though a small portion of these Noble offspring serve the Church for life, until they grow old.
Yet this Proxy, Kaman Sergei, was different; he was an orphan raised by the Church, serving as a Proxy from an early age until his elder years.
He was also Hoffman’s personal Proxy, and this time he was assigned by the mentor as a safeguard for Malin.
"Malin, there was a burst of gunfire at the academy earlier, has it been suppressed?" The road from the academy to the city district was rather vacant, so Old Kaman was able to whip the horses and still inquire about the incidents at the academy.
"It’s been suppressed, there were plenty of ’different kind’. Gungel’s youngest daughter turned the entire academy into nothing less than a perfect den of demons, so right now I’m really worried about those Church of the War God students. If they encountered that little daughter of the Gungel family, I think they have no hope of survival." Seated next to Old Kaman, Malin began to load his Revolver while responding to his question.
"Which ’different kind’ Evil God do you think it is?"
"Probably that one who fancies art."
When it comes to the names of Evil Gods, everyone is tacitly in agreement, never to utter that name, no matter what.
Thinking about it is fine, but absolutely do not say it out loud.
"I don’t think so." The old Proxy said, facing Malin’s inquiring gaze and smiled, "If it were that one, it wouldn’t let its different kind crawl like a dog, on the contrary, it would dress them up like people, after all, it’s the one who loves art. I feel it’s more like the other two."
"The other two?" As Malin thought about it, he recognized the two potential identities—Jianqi, Terror.
Nagoth is out of the question—after all, if it were him, Carterburg would already be facing a plague by now, and that Mr. Gungel certainly wouldn’t have blown himself up like a balloon—rotting into a mass is the mark of Nagoth.
Jianqi is like the Mimicking Bird of this world, and as for Terror... "I don’t think it’s the one who enjoys blood sacrifices," Malin shook his head, "It prefers honorable battle, gaining joy from killing every person who defies it in a direct combat."
"Then it looks like it’s the Mimicking Bird, considering what you’ve seen at the academy, do they all seem quite cunning?" The old Proxy asked with a smile.
Malin nodded, "That’s right, very cunning different kind, they disguise themselves as innocent... then it’s over, I have to tell that old elder of the Church of the War God that his Apprentices are probably dead for sure."
With that, Malin’s mood grew very bleak.
It was like a role-playing group, what was a happy early game of kicking cans, turned out to be a major Demilich (Challenge Rating 29, an end for any starting group).
"Regret is a futile lament, Malin. What you need to do right now is to return to North City District, find Gungel’s youngest daughter and purify her." Old Kaman seemed to see the regrets and dissatisfaction in Malin’s heart, smiling as he comforted Malin, "Old Hoffman always says that you’re the most talented child he has ever seen, but you have to understand, fighting against different kind isn’t playing house for children, one wrong step could cost a life. So, kiddo, don’t let regret consume your soul, remember what you have done today, and don’t let each sacrifice and mistake happen again in your life."
"...Thank you for the guidance, Old Kaman," Malin nodded.
"It’s nothing, when our generation was young, our mentors and old Proxies also guided us . So, it’s just the cycle of time. We grow old, and the future of this world needs you." Old Kaman said, laughing.
For some reason, Malin always felt that Old Kaman was reflecting on his past.
But just as he had said, Malin would not regret anymore. Everyone has to bear the consequences of their choices. It’s true that under his command, the Church of the War God squad went to Gungel’s residence in the city. Therefore, he must go there, to see the living or find the corpses.
As for eliminating something, that’s just part of the responsibilities that come with being the commander.
Leaning to the left of the door, the Half-human Carter looked up at his captain, "Pobuka, just to be clear, are we going in with force, or are we knocking on the door?"
"I think we should knock first because if there are different kind or something else inside, with our meaty scent, they would have probably broken down the door already to dig something out of us," the Dwarf said in a hushed tone, but still pulled out a canister from his waist, "but I don’t have the final say, Pobuka, if you think an assault is in order, then you open the door and I’ll throw in this Silver Powder Grenade."
"Silver Powder Grenade, that doesn’t sound very lethal." The Half-human finished and raised the fragmentation grenade in his hands, "Look, this high-end goodie is newly-developed by the Church of the War God, just throw it in and it will ignite a flame, and even scatter shrapnel."
"This is a special grenade from the Goddess of Harvest Guild, designed for different kind and Spirits, the explosion will spread Silver Powder, which can injure any different kind and Spirits that fear silver."
"Sounds good, so what do we do?" Ganmu poked his head out from behind Sara, "Do we break in as standard procedure, or do we knock first?"
"Let’s knock first, like Anvil said, it’s too quiet, unnervingly so," before Pobuka could finish, everyone saw the mansion door get pulled open from the inside.
A beautiful lady stood at the door, her curious gaze sweeping over the people on either side of the door: "What are you doing here?"
"How did you know we were outside the door?" The gnome immediately raised his firearm.
"I saw your carriage from the second floor! You robbers!" The lady tried to retreat into the mansion in a panic, but the dwarf followed her in, pushing her aside and glanced around the hall: "No problem here."
"Iron Anvil, you might have hurt her... Come, madam, my apologies, we are investigators from the Church of the War God." Popuca walked up to her, extended his hand, showed her the church badge in his hand, then tucked away the badge, and took her hand, helping her up: "Here, I apologize for my companion’s recklessness."
"Thank you, you really are a gentleman." The lady seemed to believe Popuca’s identity, smiling and nodding her head: "Since you are members of the Church of the War God, may I boldly ask what brings you to Gungel’s residence, do you have official business?"
"No, we just came here to investigate a situation. Your husband passed away this morning, and my church sent me to inform you since it involves some matters related to Chaos." Popuca said, while noticing the young lady standing on the second floor: "I assume you are Mrs. Gungel and Miss Gungel."
"Yes, is there a problem?" The girl at the top of the stairs frowned: "Also, what are you talking about?! My father just left home this morning!"
"Yes, he left this morning to go to the Goddess of Harvest Church’s stall to get his health checked, and then in front of everyone, he turned into Chaos." Ganmu said the cold hard fact while picking up a biscuit from the coffee table and tossing it into her mouth, surveying her surroundings.
"Impossible! How could my father be Chaos!" The girl, both angry and anxious, ran down the stairs.
"Yes, miss, your father indeed became Chaos." Popuca sighed, feeling that this young lady must be innocent, so the guard he had been keeping up faltered, he wiped his nose and watched as the girl rushed toward him.
For some reason, Popuca felt the sky seemed to darken.
After finishing her biscuit, Ganmu turned around to grab another from the coffee table, then something huge crossed the corner of her vision. She looked up and saw a huge different kind.
Standing behind Carter.
Instinctively, she raised her lever firearm: "Carter! Run!"
Iron Anvil had never let his guard down. While the girl was running down the stairs with an anxious face charging toward Popuca, he was still watching her every move.
So when he saw the girl’s face... no, her whole face, split open into a massive mouth, he immediately raised his shotgun.
But he didn’t manage to pull the trigger because a tentacle pierced his neck from behind him.
The elf Twinleaf shook her head, observing the girl’s anxious appearance, she thought she had once again witnessed the joys and sorrows of humanity.
She also noticed Ganmu stealing biscuits from the coffee table—what was this young wolf girl thinking? Twinleaf felt she had to give this girl a good teaching.
Then she saw the girl’s face turn into a feeding orifice, witnessed the murder of Iron Anvil, and the panic, tension, and distortion in Ganmu’s eyes when she raised her firearm at him.
In her last moment, Twinleaf, having raised her crossbow, saw the flash from the muzzle of Ganmu’s firearm.
Watching the dwarf rush into the hall, Sara followed Carter and Twinleaf, consequently, she and she ended up standing at the doorstep; thus, Sara could only stand there as well—this was Popuca’s mission assignment, and she wouldn’t defy it.
Seeing Popuca help up the lady, Sara felt a slight irritation, then laughed at her own thoughts—after all, this lady seemed to be already in her forties, no amount of care could hide the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.
Besides, with Sara’s build, Popuca wouldn’t be able to help her up either.
Scratching her head, Sara noticed the young girl running down the stairs headlong, her rush toward Popuca, and then as if she wanted to swallow her lover whole.
Therefore, Sara raised her shotgun.
In the instant the gunshot rang out, she saw, from the corner of her eye, Iron Anvil’s beheaded body, the back half of Twinleaf’s skull dancing in the air, the twisted joy on Ganmu’s face, and Carter lunging towards her.