The Divine Armor of the Old Century（Book 1）

Chapter 117

"So, what do we do next?"

In the cramped interior of the carriage, Joey, Beryl, and Lloyd exchanged glances. The deadlock in their investigation weighed heavily upon them, and they each found themselves burying their heads in their hands.

No one could answer Joey's question. Lloyd remained silent, the recent conversation revealing that the demon's revenge could target any noble who had ever employed a Remnant. This meant their potential targets were numerous, nearly impossible to count. It was infeasible for Lloyd to visit every noble, nor did time permit such an endeavor.

Lloyd cared little for the fates of these nobles; his only concern was the source of the tainted secret blood. But now, everything seemed shrouded in a dense fog, with no clear direction to pursue.

"Can we trace the clients of the Ayd couple?"

"Not really. They're not like Hughes, who commanded significant attention."

Beryl shook his head. Though he controlled the lower town, monitoring every individual's life was beyond his capabilities.

"But if we consider the broader picture, I have some intriguing news. Before Hughes died, he was attacked by a group of people."

Lloyd raised his head slightly, signaling Beryl to continue.

"Not all Remnants are as passive as they seem. Some have banded together, attempting to fight against this injustice. A significant number of them didn't come to Old Dunling voluntarily; they were lured here. Hughes and his kind promised them high wages, only for them to find themselves trapped in endless exploitation."

Beryl continued, "You must understand the shrewdness of these merchants. Many Remnants, though technically free, live no better than slaves. They were coerced into signing unfair contracts and must work ceaselessly until their terms are fulfilled."

"They want revenge?"

"They only wanted to threaten Hughes into letting them go."

Beryl shook his head regretfully.

"But there's no way they could defeat Hughes... The interests at stake are layered and intertwined. Even if Hughes wanted to release them, the nobles behind him would never agree. It's an ecosystem, a twisted one, much like this distorted city."

Lloyd fell silent, his mind racing.

"I've already spread the news about these deaths. If anyone's feeling guilty, they'll come to us."

Joey chimed in from the other side.

Lloyd shook his head, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"They won't. You saw Baron Abel's attitude. To them, the deaths of those people mean nothing. They don't even feel guilty..."

"This is the effect of hatred and class division. Lloyd, I understand your current loathing for those people, but their behavior is, in a way, understandable."

Beryl spoke up, looking at Lloyd. He despised such behavior but could still understand it.

"Our hatred with the Gaulunars has persisted for too long. A hundred years of the Glorious War have etched this hatred into the blood of every Ingwig. Some see it as their fathers' hatred, while others can't let go..."

"The fathers' hatred has passed onto these Remnants, hasn't it?" Lloyd remarked.

Beryl nodded and pointed at himself.

"Sometimes the irony is here. We're humans, yet some among us lack independent thought, harboring prejudices and hatred that have nothing to do with them."