Steampunk Era: Mad Abield

"Father, it seems you did not give Lord Malin an explanation," Shelton said softly, watching his father walk past him.

"You silly child, do you think Lord Malin needs me to explain about a dead man?" The Duke of the House of Brice looked at the Baron of the House of Brice, a smile spread across the former’s face: "Whether it’s for the family or for your own friendship, you’re not wrong to ask. But have you considered why your friend did not ask himself?"

"...Because he knows, whoever dares to frame a High Priest of Truth is destined to be tied to the stake, right?"

"Exactly, I was wondering why Nagoth’s troops would appear at the hunting grounds, why they came neither early nor late, but at the time of our hunt. Now you see, isn’t there already an answer?" The Duke of Brice said and patted his son’s shoulder: "See that? The Church’s people have already come looking. You go and keep those foolish Barons in check. If they think their friendship can stand against the Church, then hand them over to the Church along with their lands. Our friends at the Church will provide an answer that leaves no one able to say a word."

......

Malin watched as the Baron under severe torture confessed his reckless assassination desires, only to be disappointed, so when his accomplices were killed, the guy lost his mind in anger, hence the previous performance.

But then again, for the sake of immortality, the country folk of this era indeed were full of imagination. Without Malin, the private troops of the House of Brice would have blindly fallen into the trap. Not weakened by Malin, this contingent of Nagoth’s Chaos troops would have definitely caused heavy loss to the House of Brice, even the possibility of total annihilation.

Now that the truth had been exposed, no one objected to sending this person to the pyre. The Barons who were previous indignant about the Church controlling their ’friend’ were now rushing to apologize to Malin, and there was a unified opinion on how to construct the pyre—there was no need for the Church’s friends to intervene; they would take care of it themselves, in righteous indignation.

So there was Malin, tapping the head of a dying Beastman with a Staff of Civilization transformed from a World Tree Sapling, while watching the Barons stack the funeral pyre for their former ’old friend’ with fervent enthusiasm.

"Lord Malin will not kill this Beastman?"

"I think we can save it and then use it to test how much damage Holy Water can cause to such a creature. This life must be from another plane, just worshipping the Evil God. The researchers will like it," Malin said and signaled his Guards to bind the Beastman.