The Divine Armor of the Old Century（Book 1）

Chapter 44

Lloyd returned home slowly after sunset, carrying the pitch-black box on his back. Mist rose from the ground along his path, with prismatic light filtering through the fine droplets, casting an ethereal and mesmerizing glow.

After a brief greeting with Mrs. Van Lut, Lloyd went straight to his room and locked the door behind him. He took out the only piece of intelligence he had acquired from the catacombs that night: an account book. The primary reason he had saved Eve was this very ledger. It had accompanied Eve when she left the catacombs on a small boat, preserving it in perfect condition with its clear handwriting.

Human memory is unreliable. No matter how hard one tries to remember, it's always possible to forget, often without realizing it. This is why every organization, no matter its nature, needs a ledger to keep detailed records of its expenditures. Even Sabot's mafia is no exception.

Lloyd's fingers traced the accounts, flipping through the pages. The entries were chaotic, suggesting the bookkeeper was not particularly skilled. Disparate expenditures were jumbled together with no clear order. Some transactions, perhaps significant, were marked with strange symbols.

Despite scrutinizing the ledger for a long time, Lloyd found no clues. After a moment of thought, he calmly took out a cigarette filled with windkell herb, pondering whether the mysterious clairvoyance it granted might help him. However, Lloyd hesitated. His connection to darkness had deepened significantly, and he was unsure what consuming this herb again might unleash.

But then again, what did it matter? When in doubt, smoke it out.

Lloyd lit the cigarette, his hand absentmindedly opening the box he had brought back from the graveyard. It contained more than he expected: besides the sword blade, there were numerous bottles and jars.

Gripping the reassuringly cold blade, he inhaled deeply, drawing the herbal smoke into his lungs. As he focused on the ledger, the world around him plunged into darkness.

The familiar sound of ocean waves filled his ears, the moist wind carrying the scent of the sea. Furious waves crashed against the shore, shattering into a spray of white foam upon the rocks.

Lloyd looked down, his expression uncharacteristically serious. Beneath his feet, the ground was soft, with withered yellow grass growing upon it. The setting was so vivid and real that, had Lloyd not been fully aware, he might have believed he had truly arrived in this unknown place.

The advantage was that his clairvoyance allowed him to see more clues; the downside was his deepened connection with the darkness.

A ghostly green light flickered not far ahead, resembling a burning green sun or perhaps a gigantic eye gazing at the world.

He lifted his head and saw the lighthouse he had seen repeatedly in his visions. It stood before him, its damp structure covered in moss and vines. An ominous light radiated from its top. If nothing was amiss, the mysterious Holy Coffin was likely stored within.

This was the source of everything.

After a brief moment of excitement, Lloyd calmed himself. He needed more clues. The coastlines of Ingelwig were lined with lighthouses, at least a hundred of them. He had to identify distinguishing features.

As he surveyed his surroundings, a raspy voice broke the silence. A shadow enveloped him, standing against the green light. The creature's breath was warm like that of a giant bear, emanating from its blood-streaked maw.

Lloyd felt no fear. He had experienced clairvoyance many times. While the visions wrapped some truth, they were mostly illusions, mere trickery of the herbs and the unknown forces.