The Divine Armor of the Old Century（Book 1）

Chapter 15

The pitch-black steam tram silently traversed the fog-shrouded city. This time period was when the fog was thickest in Old Dunling at night, with visibility not exceeding ten meters. The ghostly tram chose to depart at this time, making no noise as it advanced along the secluded tracks, cleverly avoiding all patrolling mounted police. Along the way, it stopped and picked up many mysterious passengers, all seated in luxurious compartments, each seat isolated by soundproof partitions.

Eve looked out the window into the darkness, seeing nothing. This was like a sealed tin can, isolating everything, making her feel anxious.

"Where exactly are you taking me?" Eve began to regret a bit. The detective in front of her wasn't trustworthy, at least not completely trustworthy. She should have been more cautious around him.

They were sitting facing each other in a compartment inside the carriage. Lloyd looked quite familiar, leisurely saying, "We're attending Sabo's ball."

As he spoke, Lloyd handed Eve a mask.

"Sabo primarily engages in smuggling. He has a group of Viking pirates in the northern seas who raid and deliver the goods to the Reindona port, then Sabo fences them."

"These are all illicit activities. Ordinary folks can't afford the goods, except for the upper-class nobles. So, he regularly holds balls. Though called balls, they're essentially trade fairs, where goods are exchanged for money."

Listening to Lloyd's words, Eve's heart calmed down slightly.

"Participation in this ball is highly exclusive. I managed to get tickets through contacts."

"The coin?"

Eve had a deep impression of that coin. It represented a nation's center but appeared to be circulating an unfamiliar currency. Eve had to remain cautious.

"Yes, they usually call it the Butcher's Coin. It's minted by the owner of the Lower City, the Shrike Bird. It's imprinted with the image of the Shrike Bird."

Lloyd explained the complexities of the Lower City to Eve.

Where there are people, rules emerge, and classes are delineated. Even in the chaotic and dirty Lower City, this was no exception.

"To rule an area, you need to unify currency. Everyone knows that coins and banknotes bearing a lion are hard currency internationally. But in the Lower City, coins imprinted with the Shrike Bird are mainstream. Each Butcher's Coin can be used directly in transactions, and in the black market, you can exchange it for any currency."

"You can think of the entire Lower City as a huge casino, and the Butcher's Coin in your hand is your chip."

As Lloyd spoke, he pulled out several coins and handed them to Eve. They felt heavy, made of some precious metal.

"Sabo is very cautious. His business is extremely profitable, and everyone wants to replace him. Usually, he hides in a heavily guarded fortress. But this time, he'll attend the ball. It's our only chance to directly contact him."

"He won't let people know the location of the ball. Every time there's a ball, couriers deliver letters to the nobles, informing them of the station's location, and then they depart at midnight."

As Lloyd spoke, he put on his mask—a brass mask adorned with sporadic gears along the edges.

"So, we don't know where we're going?"

Eve also put on her mask, feathers inserted into the edges, resembling a sharp-eyed bird. She looked out the window, still seeing nothing but darkness.

"That's right."