Klein didn't go to see Benson and Melissa, because the level he was entangled in had already grown far too high—getting close to his brother and sister would only bring disaster upon them. For beings unaware of Klein's original identity, such actions would help them understand the relationship between Benson, Melissa, and Klein; and for those who already knew what Klein had been through before, it would confirm one thing: that Klein still retained his humanity and still cared deeply about his family.
Therefore, staying away from Benson and Melissa was the best protection he could offer them.
Of course, Klein had long since learned about his brother and sister's situation through Miss "Justice":
During the war, Benson had demonstrated his shrewdness and tact at the Ministry of Finance, earning multiple promotions—he was now the deputy director of the Fifth Bureau, with an annual salary of three hundred pounds;
Melissa had caught the eye of her mentor, Portland Montet, who had given her an opportunity—the chance to become a Beyonder. The president of
This was Melissa's secret, but it couldn't escape the notice of a half-god-level Spectator. Moreover, Audrey had told Klein with certainty that Melissa was inclined to accept and would make her decision within the next few days.
Regarding this matter, Klein's attitude was tacit approval. On one hand, the inspiration gained from the Savant Pathway was fairly limited, so Melissa was unlikely to hear voices she shouldn't hear or see visions she shouldn't see. On the other hand, as the apocalypse drew nearer, the likelihood of madness caused by lower-Sequence potions was further decreasing—and he, a Miracle Invoker, could help reduce the risk of losing control.
"For a mechanics enthusiast, Sequence 9 'Savant' is more than enough… Montet's attitude is the same—he doesn't want a follower of the 'Goddess of the Night' to receive too many potions from the Church of Steam…"
"With the apocalypse approaching day by day, the invisible barrier growing ever weaker, and the Outer Deities' erosion of this world becoming more and more obvious, the probability of ordinary people encountering supernatural events will absolutely continue to rise. From that perspective, Melissa becoming a Beyonder is actually a good thing. If she can successfully advance to Sequence 6 'Artisan'—the 'Machinery Expert'—she can both fulfill her dream and protect herself and Benson…"
"Have Miss 'Justice' find an opportunity to tell Melissa about the 'Acting method' without being obvious about it. How far she grows after that will depend on her own efforts. At most, I can give her some good luck—oh, and formulas, materials… I really am like an overly worried brother. Heh, well, I was one all along… Does this count as fulfilling a 'wish' in some sense?"
"Wait—Melissa definitely has the wish of bringing Klein back to life. If I walked right up to her now, would I get enough feedback?"
"…No, that would bring catastrophic disaster upon her and Benson…" Klein shook his head, stopping himself from making excuses.
He then adjusted the top hat on his head, turned into an inn on the side, took out a gold pound, and rented a room.
That gold pound was real—it was an item Klein had brought back to reality some time ago.
—During that earlier war, Klein had, through Miss "Justice", donated a total of fourteen thousand eight hundred pounds in banknotes, gold bars worth fourteen thousand two hundred pounds before the war, and nearly twenty high-quality gemstones. Apart from the strange items sitting in his pile of miscellaneous goods, all he had left on him were thirty-nine Loen gold coins and ten high-quality gemstones.
Glancing at the soli and pennies the innkeeper had returned, Klein pocketed them casually, entered the room, and walked up to the full-length mirror.
He then took out paper and pen and drew the incantation for summoning the "Magic Mirror"
Time ticked by, second after second, and nothing unusual appeared in the room.
The full-length mirror remained silent.
A few more seconds passed. Klein chuckled softly, raised an eyebrow, and drew a gold coin from his pocket.
…………
Clack. Clack. Clack.
A steam locomotive belching thick smoke raced along the rails, heading toward the western end of the continent.
Equus, his hair a disheveled mess, stood inside one of the carriages alongside a member of the "Mechanical Heart," both staring intently at the metal cage ahead of them.
On the cage, metallic spikes bristled outward in all directions, flickering with a somewhat dim glow.
“Executive, after we go to Intis this time, do you plan to return to Loen?” The member of the “Mechanical Heart” with typically Loen features asked, glancing at the plains flashing past outside the window.
After the war ended, the Church of Steam, having taken the wrong side, was forced to swallow the bitter fruit of defeat. Within the deadline set by the two major churches—the Goddess of the Night and the Storm—they had to relocate all Beyonders above Demigod rank and all sealed artefacts of Grade 2 or higher out of Loen.
In other words, they had lost their former status. From now on, they could only preach in Loen like the Church of the Earth, maintaining only a small number of cathedrals.
If not for the fact that too many people worshipped the “
Similarly, a small number of cathedrals only required a small number of “Mechanical Heart” members. Most of the Church of Steam’s Beyonders in Loen would have to migrate to Intis.
Equus was silent for a few seconds before saying with a bitter smile:
“I have to follow the Archbishops’ arrangements, but I will actively apply to return to Loen. My childhood, my adolescence, my youth—they are all here. There are too many memories I cannot bear to part with…”
As he spoke, his gaze drifted, as if he could once again see that city of a thousand sights.
Just at that moment, the spike-covered metal cage suddenly shook violently.
Bands of silvery-white lightning materialized out of thin air, striking down one after another. All of them were absorbed by the metal cage, then conducted through several rubber-coated cables to the ground outside the steam train, dragging out a trail of fire.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
It seemed as if invisible hands were slapping the metal cage, but they couldn’t breach the barrier at all.
“The ‘Demon Mirror’ is reacting very fiercely… It’s always been quiet before,” the “Mechanical Heart” member who had asked the earlier question remarked in confusion.
Amid the banging sounds, Equus instinctively ran a hand through his hair: