Half-step Purgatory

For a long time, Malin always felt that Fate had been quite generous to him. Although he had to face that life-threatening job every day, as long as he had the lovely Leopard Girl cooking delicious food for him daily, and as long as there was meat to eat and cats to stroke, life wasn't too unbearable. Working a bit harder and facing some difficulties on the job weren't really an issue for a man.
Moreover, being able to live two lives meant one shouldn't have too high demands, right, Mr. Different-Kind?
Having said that, and without waiting for an answer, the young man snapped his fingers, and the white flame on his fingertip lit the tobacco in his other hand, then he flicked it towards the non-human entity on the stake.
Welcome to Abield, to witness the last splendor of the steampunk era.
And the madness.

Steampunk Era: Mad Abield

"Marshal Sergei, welcome back from your leave." The guard at the entrance opened the gate for Sergei, and once again, the door of the military staff headquarters opened for him. The middle-aged man who had just completed the identification check smiled.


"I'm back," he said, while offering a cigarette to the guards.


The guards accepted the cigarettes with big grins, and the atmosphere immediately became more relaxed.


See, Marshal Sergei is still the same old Sergei, and these guards are surely the same old guards.


Having lit a cigarette and inquired about recent events, Sergei, reassured that the current situation on the battlefront was not bad, bid farewell to the guards and entered the great hall.


Unbuckling the gun holster from his waist, he handed it to a guard who approached him. Sergei noticed his unfamiliar face: "Soldier, you are…"


Section 571: Conflict (Part Two)