The Last Gentleman

[Bailey Hertha]

Bailey Hertha, a senior instructor at Gethsemane, has an unusual habit of "collecting fingers." Whether human or afflicted, as long as a finger has unique characteristics, it qualifies for her collection.

Her disciples often bring her fingers during their missions, attempting to please her. If Bailey is satisfied, she may even reward them with additional incentives.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Before becoming an instructor, Bailey herself underwent training at Gethsemane. Coincidentally, she and Zed were from the same cohort, shared a good private rapport, and even teamed up occasionally. However, they eventually chose entirely different paths.

Now, encountering a disciple trained by Zed brought back memories, making her less dismissive of this young man, who was not from Gethsemane.

When Yi Chen returned, she casually handed him a vial of healing potion and asked,

"How is Zed doing lately?"

"Although imprisoned in the basement of the teaching building, the academy fulfills his every request. He’s even allowed to conduct various physical experiments to continue his research on the human body.

Such treatment makes him indifferent to the notion of 'imprisonment.'

Hearing this, a flicker of melancholy crossed Bailey’s pale green eyes.

"That’s far better than I imagined. A shame... If only his eyesight hadn’t failed, he could’ve gone much further and wouldn’t be confined to Zion."

"Are you close to Zed?" Yi Chen asked tentatively.

Bailey shot him a sharp look, signaling him to shut up and drop the topic.

"Enough. Let’s discuss your matters now."

"Understood."

As soon as Yi Chen sat at the desk, Bailey seized his right hand, inspecting the shape of his fingers through her monocle and deciphering the information within.

"Worked in a cemetery before. No hand care.

However, the joint proportions are ideal, nail thickness is moderate, and blood circulation is uniform... Above average fingers, barely passable."

When Bailey released his hand, Yi Chen quickly pulled it back, wary that she might cut off one of his fingers for her collection.

"Relax. I don’t take fingers from the living," she remarked indifferently.

Bailey then opened the second drawer on the right side of her desk. She pulled out a stack of black files, carefully selecting one before handing it to Yi Chen.

"There aren’t too many 'troubles' to handle lately. This one seems suitable for you."

Taking the black file, Yi Chen noticed it described a mission entirely different from the tasks associated with the Gentleman’s Hall. Instead of a title, the document began with keywords:

---

Keywords: [Forest], [Church], [Investigation & Slaughter], [Gray-Erosion], [Group Operation]*

Summary:

In the village of Shepherd, located in Jose Valley, a small faction emerged months ago, gaining the villagers’ support and establishing a church in the valley under the name 'New Life Church'.

For the first few months, nothing seemed unusual. The village continued to follow the "rules" set by the organization, and their monthly contributions of crops and meat products even increased.

However, two weeks ago, the trees surrounding the village suddenly grew uncontrollably overnight, forming a structure akin to a wall that completely isolated the area from the outside world.

The growth continues to this day, affecting the entire ecosystem of Jose Valley.

The organization has dispatched a group of gentlemen to a temporary camp at the outskirts of Jose Valley to investigate the abnormalities in the forest.

The enclosed area inside the tree wall has already begun undergoing Gray-Erosion, showing clear signs of transformation into a gray zone.

Your task is to head to the 'Black-Eye Outpost' in Jose Valley, cooperate with the gentlemen stationed there, investigate the situation with the village and the church faction, retrieve critical clues, and attempt to eradicate the source of the Gray-Erosion.

Rewards will be determined based on the difficulty of the mission upon completion.

---

There is no task name or difficulty level, only operational instructions.

Based on the geographical books Yi Chen had read before, the so-called Jose Valley is about 300–400 kilometers from Zion. It is a forested valley surrounded by mountains, rich in vegetation and diverse wildlife, and home to some relatively primitive villages and tribes.

However,

With the advent of the Pathogenic Era, most of the villages began to decline. Some smaller villages were even "emptied out" within a few days, leaving no trace of their inhabitants.

Only a very small number of large villages managed to survive, though their populations continued to dwindle.

It wasn’t until the intervention of the organization, which established specific [Rules] for the villages, that the villagers could somewhat avoid disease and death, barely sustaining life within the villages.

Each year, the villages submit 10% of their livestock and agricultural products to Zion in exchange for the indirect protection of the gentlemen.

…

Yi Chen spoke softly: “The New Life Church... Is there no information on their numbers or situation?”

Bailey crossed her long legs, using a small knife to trim her nails.

“I don’t provide such trivial and tedious information. When you reach the Black Eye Outpost, ask the gentlemen responsible for investigating this matter.

That said, those guys are truly useless. They’ve spent so much time and still haven’t resolved this issue, forcing us at Gethsemane to send personnel for support.

If you two hadn’t come today, this task would have been assigned to someone else.”

At this moment, Jin suddenly raised an odd question:

“Instructor, have any gentlemen died in the forest or the villages?”

“Two teams of gentlemen went missing during an internal investigation beyond the Tree Wall. Whether they’re dead, I have no idea.”

“Missing… Interesting.”

Jin had only this one question, and he even seemed excited.

Yi Chen, however, had some thoughts and requests. “Could we be provided with the [Rules] of Shepherd Village?”

“You can get a copy of the relevant rules directly from the gentlemen’s hall. If you don’t want to waste time, head straight to the Black Eye Outpost, where the rules are surely on record.”

“If there’s nothing else, you can set out now.”

Jin, unable to contain himself, grabbed Yi Chen’s sleeve and started pulling him toward the door.

At this moment,

Instructor Bailey suddenly added, “Oh, one more thing. Jin~ step outside for a moment.

I need to have a private word with William since this is his first mission under our banner.”

“Alright.”

Jin waved goodbye to Yi Chen and temporarily left.

Once the hidden door closed,

Yi Chen suddenly felt his tie being yanked, pulling him toward the desk.

Instructor Bailey’s face was almost pressed against his.

“I just wanted to remind you: the kids who teamed up with Jin in the past, even gentlemen from a year above her, were all injured without exception, some quite severely. The worst-case scenario was death.

She can sometimes be extremely uncontrollable.

This area you’re entering has undergone deep gray-erosion and might even transform into a gray zone during your investigation.

If she exhibits reckless or impulsive behavior, you’ll need to actively restrain her to prevent fatal dangers.

If you both return unharmed, you can work as long-term partners in the future, and I’ll fully support it.

Jin is one of the most naturally talented 'Executioners' I’ve ever seen. Her only shortfall is ‘control.’ I hope you can become the most critical Control Gear within her.”

“Since I’ve chosen to collaborate with Jin, I’ll do everything I can.”

“Good~ One more thing, send my regards to Zed if that guy still remembers me.”

“Of course! Instructor Bailey, do you know what happened to Teacher Zed’s eyes?”

“That was the terrible price he paid for venturing deep into the gray zone without regard for the consequences…However, it was his madness that allowed the rest of us, myself included, to survive.”

“Enough talk! Get moving already.”

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