The Divine Armor of the Old Century（Book 1）

Chapter 48

Camu Reynardo, or better known as the Red Kite, watched the detective before him with keen interest. He had heard many tales about this man, but he never expected to encounter him in person today.

Six years ago, this enigmatic detective arrived in Old Dunlin. To secure the support of the local crime lord, Borlow, he orchestrated the horrifying Red River Massacre. The Red Kite had been a participant of sorts, well aware of the grim details. Back then, the Lower City was rife with competing factions, with nobles colluding with gangs. Borlow's authority was crumbling, leaving him powerless to control the rampant violence. To reclaim his dominance, Borlow assigned Lloyd his first mission.

Lloyd was to gather evidence of the crimes committed by the gangs and nobles. With this evidence, the army would storm the Lower City, resetting the balance and ensuring the nobles who sought to control the area were brought to justice. In return, Borlow promised Lloyd—a stranger to these parts—a new life: a legitimate identity, a dream job, and a fresh start.

Lloyd succeeded, but in a way no one could have anticipated. He located the criminals, tortured them for information, and then killed them. By the time Borlow arrived, the Thames was littered with corpses, its waters turned a murky red. With each scream and name added to the list, Lloyd's methods were clear.

"Sigh, Old Dunlin's not a great place," Lloyd mused, tearing petals from a flower in a nearby vase. "It's hard to stay cheerful with the sun only coming out once every few centuries."

"At least the west is better," the Red Kite responded with a smile. "Even if it's for work, it'll feel like a vacation."

He had expected Lloyd Holmes to be a cold-blooded killer, but their time together had shattered that notion. However, he remained cautious; anyone could wear a mask.

"I'll just be a moment," the Red Kite said, excusing himself as he walked to the rear of the train car. The instant he turned away, his smile vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating expression. This mission was critical. To ensure the weapons from Burhans remained undiscovered by curious passengers, he was first to board and guard the cargo. Running into Lloyd here was unexpected.

According to Borlow's deathbed confession, it was Lloyd who had abducted Eve Phoenix. Though it was unclear how he escaped the catacombs, Lloyd's connection to the supernatural was undeniable. The Purification Commission maintained a zero-tolerance policy for such individuals. Normally, knights would have besieged Lloyd's home the day after the catacombs collapsed, but his infamous Red River Massacre and the current shortage of senior knights had delayed his arrest.

Now this troublemaker was on the Radiance. The Red Kite wasn't sure of Lloyd's intentions, but decided it was prudent to alert Borlow.

Pushing through the heavy iron doors and past the cargo crates, even the train staff were unaware of the additional compartment at the front of the train. Behind thick steel plates were heavily armed soldiers with cutting-edge weapons, mechanical marvels turned into cold-blooded killing machines.

In the center of this makeshift mobile command post was a radio, surrounded by ample supplies. Soldiers guarded the ends of the car, beyond which lay the forbidden chamber where Burhans' weapons slumbered.

"Tell Borlow to prepare. We've got some unwelcome guests," the Red Kite instructed, retrieving a revolver from the weapons rack and concealing it under his coat. Keeping a weapon handy was a wise precaution when dealing with someone who could escape from catacombs undetected.

With that in mind, the Red Kite began to head back to his seat, but a thunderous gunshot echoed from the rear of the train...

A few minutes earlier, Lloyd had been watching the departing Red Kite. Bored, he turned his gaze to the pitch-black window. Finding nothing of interest outside, he began observing the passengers inside the carriage.