The Divine Armor of the Old Century（Book 1）

Chapter 26

"Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you."

In the pitch-black night, it seemed someone was whispering and murmuring. Preus barely made out these words, which came from the Gospel.

Before the rise of steam technology, the Western world was ruled by the Holy Gospel Empire, which stirred up conflicts and wars on the land in the name of God. Under the power of faith, the Holy Crusades ravaged the islands and continents wherever they went, leaving destruction in their wake.

Under God's will, they wielded divine authority until Erlvig emerged victorious in the War of Radiance, shattering all beliefs with steam technology. With the leap in technology, the conservative Holy Gospel Empire and the steam-powered nations formed a massive military gap, rendering faith unable to rule over anyone again.

Despite this, the influence of the Gospel Church on the nations persisted. After all, Old Dunlin was initially established by the Romans, and most people still maintained their awe and faith in it. They whispered together, their prayers converging into a torrential stream.

At this moment, Officer Preus was kneeling on the ground, somewhat confused by everything that had happened tonight. Hours ago, the sheriff had summoned all available personnel, and he wasn't clear on what was happening. All he knew was that this was the first time in recent years that the Suallan Hall had launched such a massive operation. He thought it was some secret mission, and he had even prepared himself for death in battle. However, when a large number of mounted police arrived here, they were greeted not by what they expected, but by the Royal Guards.

Preus rarely saw this group of soldiers in red cloaks. During the War of Radiance, they were Erlvig's elite. There was a rumor that their cloaks were originally black, but were dyed red by the blood of their enemies, and those who feared them called them the Redshirt Army.

The iron boots clattered against the ground, the crisp sound echoing in everyone's ears. Residents living not far from the Lower District opened their windows, ready to curse at those who had woken them up, but when they looked out, they were greeted by an unprecedented darkness.

The Red Guards blocked off the entire underground palace and its surroundings. They raised firearms that were cast into cannons, creating walls of iron to prevent any unrelated people from seeing what was happening here. Mechanica cut off all electricity in the area several minutes ago, plunging everything into darkness and isolating people from the dirty secrets.

There was no resistance, nor was there any need for it. The Royal Guards had not even given the mounted police a chance to understand the situation before they were subdued. Consequently, a group of Suallan Hall mounted police had all their weapons confiscated and were forced to kneel in the cold night of Old Dunlin.

Something must have happened tonight. Everywhere was eerily silent. Aside from the sound of iron boots, all that remained was the sound of everyone's breath and the murmurs of prayers.

Suddenly, one of the mounted police officers stood up. Several soldiers from the Royal Guards immediately aimed their guns at him. These were weapons Preus had never seen before, likely secret creations of Mechanica, but he didn't dare to look too closely. He knew that the more he knew, the quicker he would die.

"I am Chief Donas of the Suallan Hall. I have the authority to see your leader!" Donas shouted angrily, unable to tolerate this treatment any longer. However, what awaited him was a heavy blow from the butt of a rifle. The soldiers paid no attention to his identity.

"Chief Donas?" Someone tentatively spoke in the darkness. Turning his head slightly, Donas, in pain, saw a man emerging from the darkness.

The man wore attire Donas had never seen before. The edges of his black cloak bore exquisite patterns, and both his sword and gun were of unfamiliar models. But judging from the intricate craftsmanship, they must be excellent weapons for killing.