The Divine Armor of the Old Century（Book 1）

Chapter 55

Under the pitch-black canopy of night, powerful spotlights swept across the earth indiscriminately, their dazzling beams like the eyes of giants, scrutinizing the darkness for hidden anomalies.

It was already late at night. Despite the low temperature, the surrounding machinery roared incessantly, releasing vast clouds of steam from the engines, slightly burning the skin.

Due to Lloyd's fierce assault, the regular carriages of the Radiant Express had been reduced to charred frameworks. Fortunately, they were of little use to begin with. Thus, the massive cranes came into play, their heavy iron hooks smashing down to remove each carriage from the tracks. Soon, the pre-prepared armored carriages from the shadows were placed on the tracks one by one.

"So many have died. What should we do with them?" Eve asked, her voice tinged with sorrow as she gazed at the charred bodies strewn about. Though they were all demons, just a few hours ago, they had been living, breathing humans with their own lives, families, and dreams.

But now, none of that mattered. They were dead, and soon there might be no one left to remember them, vanishing silently into oblivion.

"We have a department specifically for handling these aftermaths. Leave it to them," Falcon responded, referring to the secret group known as the Scavengers. After each battle against the demons, it was their job to clean up the battlefield and prevent any potential contamination or other issues.

Most of them were retirees from the Purification Agency, retaining their knowledge of demons while enjoying a peaceful retirement in a non-combat department. Truly a "conscientious" company, not letting people go even after retirement.

The girl crouched at the edge of the platform, her head bowed, lost in thought.

After overhearing Lloyd and Shrike's conversation, she had a basic understanding of the situation. This group was from a secret organization called the Purification Agency, directly serving Queen Victoria. Their internal ranks were modeled after the knights of the Round Table from the Yngvild mythos: Knight Commander, Upper Knights, Lower Knights, and Squires. The individuals like Falcon that Eve had met were Upper Knights, resistant to demonic corruption and the backbone of the force.

"So, you also need to go to that Ender Town?" Lloyd asked, glancing at the busy people and then at Eve, crouched in the corner.

"Yes," Shrike replied curtly, unwilling to elaborate.

Lloyd found this amusing. Looking at Shrike, he said, "We need to exchange information. And wasn't it you who initially commissioned me for all this?"

If it hadn't been for Shrike's commission, Lloyd wouldn't have delved so deeply into this matter. In a way, Shrike had set everything in motion.

"I've uncovered some clues. That thing is called the Sacred Coffin, right? It's lying in a small town called Ender, waiting for us to retrieve it."

"I'm surprised you found out so much," Shrike remarked, not overly shocked but rather impressed. He always held Lloyd in high regard. If Lloyd hadn't uncovered these deeper secrets, it would have been unlike him.

"After all, I am a detective," Lloyd said.

"A part-time demon hunter?" Shrike suggested.

"Former demon hunter, to be precise. I'm retired," Lloyd corrected.

Shrike snorted, clearly skeptical of Lloyd's words. "Demon hunters can retire?"

"Yes, I got tired of that life. I ran away to Old Dunning to start anew. Every word is true," Lloyd sighed, reflecting on his past life filled with battles. There was nothing worth reminiscing about. It was like a bad novel, read once and then forever left on some forgotten shelf.