The Divine Armor of the Old Century（Book 1）

Chapter 56

The Glorious steam train roared through the pitch-black night once again, its golden lights blazing at the forefront, spewing endless steam like a beast emerging from the white mist. The carriages swayed gently, and a girl gazed out into the dark world, lost in her thoughts.

As the commander of this operation, Shrike finished inspecting the weapons from Burhans and then moved to the front of the train with Blue Jay to adjust the armaments. The soldiers in the other carriages sat ready, weapons in hand, prepared for the next battle. Due to his unique nature, Lloyd sat with Eve in an empty cargo carriage, the door open to the rushing wind.

Opposite them was Red Hawk, responsible for keeping an eye on Lloyd. However, if the detective decided to act, no one on this train could stop him.

"We initially planned to protect you, but we realized that staying with us might be safer. The weapons on this train could easily destroy a small town," Red Hawk explained to Eve when she asked.

Lloyd seemed utterly unbothered, slumped to one side with a cigarette in his mouth. The smoke was swept away by the wind as soon as he exhaled. Feeling a bit cold, Eve stood up and slowly closed the door.

"It feels... so heavy," Eve said suddenly after a long pause, her head bowed, her expression unreadable.

Red Hawk was at a loss, not knowing what to make of it as he watched them.

"When the casualties reach a certain number, they become just a line of digits," Lloyd understood what troubled the girl. Just minutes ago, he had burned hundreds of people to death... although they had become monsters.

"Yes, but if we don't kill them, we won't survive," Eve said as she sat next to Lloyd, beginning to truly understand the cold, relentless choices she had to make.

"Don't you feel any guilt?" Eve asked. Killing was still taking life, no matter the justification. She hadn't felt the weight of it before, but now it pressed down on her like never before.

"Why should I feel guilty for doing good?" Lloyd responded as if he didn't understand Eve's question.

"Huh?" Eve was momentarily speechless. Doing good? What was this detective thinking?

Red Hawk felt a strange sense of irony, unsure whether to admire Lloyd's peculiar mindset or not. What had been a scene of youthful sorrow quickly turned into a critique of Lloyd's seemingly antisocial nature.

"Aren't we doing good? If we don't deal with these monsters here, they will spread and infect even more people," Lloyd argued, leaving Eve at a loss for words.

"Don't you have any sense of good and evil?" she asked.

"Good and evil? What do you think they are? I understand why you're sad; so many died quietly, but it's like nature. When disaster strikes, we don't pray or repent; we minimize harm," Lloyd replied nonchalantly. Good and evil didn't bind him; only his unwavering will and purpose did.

"Countless cattle and sheep are slaughtered daily for our tables. Compared to that, our relationship with these monsters is the same. The real world isn't bound by good and evil. It's not black and white, but a mix of grey," Lloyd explained. He saw the sadness on Eve's face.

"Am I... weak?" she asked.

"Quite the opposite. You have deep empathy; you mourn for others. It's a wonderful quality, showing you haven't become as ruthless as I am," Lloyd said, smiling. Red Hawk shared the same expression, a look of appreciation for the young girl's kindness.

"Eve, you said you wanted to be like your father, right?" Lloyd asked, mentioning her father made her perk up. She looked at him, curious about what he would say next.

"The path to your goal is fragile, like floating ice on a sea. To progress, you must leave things behind. Only then can you tread on those fragile steps," Lloyd advised.

"Did you abandon anything?" she asked.

"Everything, or maybe nothing. Just think about it. More choices await you," Lloyd said, standing up. Red Hawk followed, ready to monitor him.

"Do you have another communicator? Give me one," Lloyd asked, extending his hand.

Red Hawk didn't hesitate, knowing Lloyd was a critical part of their plan. He handed over the device.

"This can communicate across distances?" Lloyd admired the technology, used only in military fields.

"It has a range limit and is susceptible to signal interference," Red Hawk explained.

"Like what?"

"Monsters. They emit slight radiation, which we use to detect them, but strong radiation can disrupt communication," Red Hawk said.

"Did you develop this? The Order didn't have this. We relied on intuition," Lloyd noted.

"One must find ways to survive. Without blood magic, we needed an alternative," Red Hawk responded.

"Found your substitute, huh?" Lloyd smiled, then stepped through the carriage door.

"Where are you going?" Red Hawk asked, gripping his gun. He regretted being alone with Lloyd, a man who could set the entire train on fire.

"To see Shrike," Lloyd replied, drawing his sword halfway from its scabbard, looking serious.

"What's wrong?"

"The situation feels off."

"What do you mean?" Red Hawk asked.

Lloyd stood between the carriages, the wind blowing his deer-stalker hat into the night, his golden hair flying wildly. He stared into the distance where the horizon melded into darkness. The stars had dimmed, and despite the nearing dawn, the horizon remained shadowed, as if dawn would never come.

"Don't you think... this night is too long?" he asked. The night was far from over.