The defeated saint is also on the way to tame the evil god today

Alice sighed helplessly. She looked at the priests working on the string magic circle and whispered:

"Have you discovered what characteristics the person on this parchment has?"

"They are all senior executives of the academy." Xing Mo answered immediately.

"There's another one," Alice turned her gaze back to Xingmo's face, "besides the top brass, there are also people like Professor Lucius who have been granted permission to enter the White Tower due to their significant contributions."

"The targets on this list are all those who can enter the White Tower."

"But there is only one person who meets all the criteria for being hunted, but his name is not in the target range."

Alice looked at Xingmo, and without her having to speak, Xingmo was ready to say:

"It's Prince Austin..."

"He is the master of 'Steam Man'...?"

At this time, the vibration of the string was heard from the side. Xing Mo turned his head and saw that the black fluid flowing on the "Tree of Life" magic circle had all disappeared under the cleaning of the priests, and the base of the magic circle leaked out.

It was gold, shining and pure gold.

...END...

6) Steam, Song of Whale

"...In the White Tower District, two 'Steam Man' sightings occurred overnight. Councillor Aistin Aloen and Bishop Arcadia Sebarn were murdered. The police station and the 'Bell Keeper' are working together to investigate..."

"...a storm is brewing in the sea lanes, with winds currently reaching force five. It's speculated that a school of narwhals is migrating..."

"...Prince Austin spoke about the 'Steam Man' incident, stating that he would personally establish a foundation to provide relief to the victims and their families..."

"...Nefera Beta Magic Academy's latest release: Steady Wind String Sails..."

Aurora put down the newspaper and stretched.

The sunlight poured into Miriam's old apartment from the window. The photo frame beside the window, which contained the smiles of three people, was backlit, and the surface of the photo seemed to be covered with a layer of haze.

Today is Saturday, and I went to the Sunflower Hot Spring Baths the day before yesterday.

During these two days, the academy's top management tried to cover up the "Steam Man" incident, but the truth was exposed by those reporters wearing octagonal hats - after all, Bishop Arcadia was attending a banquet when he was murdered, and there were too many witnesses.

Naturally, the people in the academy were suddenly in a panic, and the streets became increasingly empty at night.

"Let's go take a nap," Aurora squinted her eyes and shielded her eyes from the sun. "How about you, little saint? Will you be my pillow?"

At this time, Xingmo was standing next to the coat rack, putting on a going-out robe, with the college uniform lining.

"I'm going out and might not be back until tonight," Xingmo said calmly. "I left some change on the table. Go find some nearby."

"Eh... so cold... how can there be servants who let their masters take care of their own lunch..."

Aurora rubbed her stomach and puffed out her cheeks slightly:

"Where are you going?"

"To attend a funeral." Xingmo adjusted his bow tie.

"Whose funeral?" Aurora tilted her head.

"My funeral."

Xing Mo said this, looking at the small table by the window, her eyes fixed on the photo.

Looking into her calm emerald green eyes, Aurora was silent for a while, and finally slumped down in the chair:

"Let's not go. After all, you're still a living person to us. It would be too strange to attend a living person's funeral."

"Take care of your own lunch." Xing Mo reminded again.

"Okay, don't worry," Aurora said. "Oh, by the way, let's come to the Cathedral of Saint Auros tonight and attend the Star Sea... oh no... the Tree of Life Mass!"

"OK, all right."

Surprisingly, Xingmo didn't say anything more and just pushed the door open and left.

After closing the door, Aurora stared at it for a while, then raised her head and stared at the empty ceiling in a daze.

......

After leaving Splash Street where Miriam's apartment was located, Xingmo hesitated between a steam locomotive and a horse-drawn carriage, and finally decided to spend more money to take the carriage.

After passing through the desolate streets of the northern city, the carriage entered the White Tower area and stopped in front of the Holy Spirit Church.

After getting off the carriage, Xingmo looked up at the tall "Holy Spirit Church".

This is the second largest church in the entire Baita District, second only to the "Xinghai Church" where the "Xinghai Church" is located.

This church is the headquarters of the "Bell Guardians" and is where Xingmo comes every weekend after being selected.

If I come here, I should probably run into some of my former colleagues, right? But most of them are out on business with Principal Merlin, so they might not be back anytime soon...

But I will definitely meet Alice-senpai.

Xing Mo adjusted his tie again and entered the area belonging to the Holy Spirit Church.

She did not enter the church, but walked along the cobblestone path on the side of the courtyard and went directly to the cemetery behind the church.

After passing through the black iron gate at the edge of the cemetery, green lawns spread out before your eyes. Tombstones are neatly arranged on the lawn, extending to the end of your sight.

It's autumn now, and it's still quite cold this morning.

Xing Mo walked among the graves without saying a word. Not long after she walked, she saw rows of people lined up in the distance.

The funeral had already begun, the church band was playing funeral music, and the pastor was standing beside the grave, holding the "Star Sea Canon" in his hand, mumbling something incoherently.

Xingmo stopped on the lawn and watched her own funeral through the crowd.

She listened to the melodious funeral music and glanced at the participants whose bodies were staggering - they were obviously civil servants in the White Pagoda District, who came to make up the number for the funeral of the "Bell Keeper" due to their job requirements.

It turns out that this is really what happens when you leave. Some people carve your name on a tombstone, and some people place flowers on your grave, but after doing all this, they scatter like birds and beasts, yawning and returning to their own lives.

Even the "Bell Guardian" is the same. If one guardian of the academy dies, there will be another.

In the end, everyone walked along the cobblestone road, but you stopped there and rested in the coffin under the soil.

Of the people who surrounded you when you were alive, only a small number will visit you occasionally.

Gradually, when those people die, you will be completely forgotten.

"..."

As the priest shouted "May the stars accept his soul", the cenotaph fell into the grave, and countless soil flew up from the air, covering the coffin.

At this time, the crowd who came to mourn gradually dispersed, and the priest closed the scriptures and strode away.

Only after the crowd had dispersed did Xingmo see the fiery red.

Senior Alice still stood in front of the grave, not saying a word.

Vivian was standing beside her, saying something to Alice and wiping her face with a handkerchief.

From a distance, Xing Mo looked at Senior Alice's back and was stunned for a moment.

She lowered her head, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly.

It turns out that even such a strong-willed senior like Alice can cry.

Xingmo pulled up his hood, turned around and walked away.

......

More than ten minutes later, Xingmo found Mentor Lucius at the edge of the cemetery.

The mentor was squatting in front of a tombstone, whispering something.

By the time Xingmo reached the grave, Lucius had already stood up, and there was a bunch of white flowers wrapped in newspaper next to the tombstone.

He was wearing a black windbreaker with an evening suit underneath and holding a black silk hat in his hand, looking like a solemn and classic gentleman.

Normally, the professor dressed very casually, but only here did his bookish air give way to a heavy seriousness.

"I didn't see you at the funeral." Lucius glanced at Xingmo and immediately smiled gently.

He put his hat back on his head, and the deep outline added a touch of solemnity.

"I was watching from a distance and didn't get close," Xing Mo said.

She also squatted down, took out a bouquet of flowers she had bought at the entrance of the cemetery, and placed them in front of the tombstone.

The name engraved on the tombstone was Miriam Phillips.

"She's been gone for two years," Lucius murmured. "I always hear someone knocking on my office door, as if she's going to rush in yelling and tell me about her new discovery of the day."

"Milliam is always lively." Xingmo whispered.

"The last thing she did was protect the Citadel, preventing the spread of the highly toxic alchemical vapors." Lucius looked up at the gray sky, "but it's getting increasingly overcast."

Xing Mo lowered her head and looked at Miriam's tombstone, her vision a little blurry.

Yes, ever since Miriam left, she has been almost alone except for senior Alice who occasionally comes to see her.

But Miriam's death posture seemed to be imprinted in her mind, replaying it every late night.

That girl values ​​the Citadel more than her own life.

Perhaps, it is because of this that Xingmo studies so hard, strives to become stronger, and strives to improve his ranking among the "Bell Guardians".

This might also be why she went to Mortiheim without hesitation, pointing her wand at the god in the blizzard, and never took a step back.

"The funeral buried 'Bell Guardian' Xingmo," Xingmo looked up at his mentor, "but as long as I'm here, the Citadel will be fine."

6) Steam, Whale Song (Part 2)

Lucius glanced at Xingmo, a relieved smile on his face:

"You are a good child just like Miriam. You are so young, but you have put so much burden on your shoulders."

His body was a little hunched, not as strong as before.

"Teacher, is your injury serious?" Xing Mo observed the teacher's expression.

"It's okay, it's just a minor injury, it's not important." Lucius shook his head. "The important thing is... our troubles have increased..."

"It's the 'Steam Man', right?" Xing Mo's eyes dimmed a little.

"Yes, when it attacked me, I saw it break free from the academy's string formation," Lucius recalled. "It was at least six-stringed, even close to being a 'demigod'..."

Is he close to being a demigod? No wonder he was able to escape after being hit by Aurora's tree spear...

"We still don't know whether it inherently possesses such power, or whether the steam armor gave it strength," Lucius murmured. "But the important thing is... the Church still can't explain how it was able to commit crimes between the White Tower District and the Academy District. You know, all three attacks that night occurred within half an hour. Without any defensive magic being triggered, it even appeared openly in Nefera Beta's back garden..."

"Perhaps, as in urban legends, it is the ghost of the 'Steam Revolution', a ghost." Lucius smiled sarcastically.

"Don't think like that, mentor, we will catch it sooner or later." Xingmo comforted.

A cool breeze blew across the lawn, creating ripples. The two of them felt like they were standing on a rippling lake.

Looking up at the gray sky, Lucius tightened the collar of his windbreaker. An organ-like voice came intermittently:

"I... recognized the device on it."

"What?" Xingmo turned his head suddenly.

She met her mentor's lake-blue eyes—the eyes were now so blue that they looked dark, like a sea brewing a whirlpool.

"I recognize the steam alchemy array on it," Lucius said in a hoarse voice, "that's the prototype that was activated on the day Miriam died. The murderer who caused her death sneaked into my workshop just for that prototype..."

"They stole the prototype's blueprints, released alchemical vapors, and tried to pin the death of tens of thousands of people on me!"

"But Miriam saved the lives of those innocent people, and because of that... because of that..."

Lucius' body trembled and he knelt on the lawn. Xingmo wanted to reach out to help him, but the middle-aged gentleman raised his hand to refuse.

He stood up, holding his knees, and took a deep breath until he calmed down.

"Are you sure you didn't see it wrong..." Xing Mo murmured.

She knew what this meant: the person behind the "Steam Man" was most likely the murderer who killed Miriam, and so many years later, the murderer pushed aside the mist of time and revealed an eye.

"I'm not mistaken. The Fire String base, combined with the Shadow String, generates instantaneous high temperatures, resulting in a lighter-colored steam," Lucius whispered. "If that creature wishes, it can actively cause the string reactor on its body to go out of control, releasing alchemical vapors even larger... and thicker... than the night Miriam left..."

"If it is released in the White Tower area and not stopped, the entire Academy City may become a dead city."

Lucius pulled at the sleeve of his windbreaker, and Xingmo noticed that his hands, with their blue veins exposed, were shaking.