The Divine Armor of the Old Century（Book 1）

Chapter 133

What a terrifying answer, no one could have expected such a result.

　　"I've learned about the Sacred Coffin. It's a real mess," Arthur sighed, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on him.

　　Lloyd, pushing his wheelchair, walked alongside Arthur through the vast underground tunnels. Thanks to the hard-working ventilators, the air was much improved, though still mixed with strange and complex scents. At least it was breathable.

　　Dim lights hung above, extending along the tracks to the farthest reaches of sight. Complex steam pipes ran parallel to the tracks, and where maintenance had faltered, condensation dripped down, soaking large patches of the ground.

　　"This isn't just a mess, Arthur. All of Old Dunling is in danger now," Lloyd tried to keep his voice steady.

　　If the demonic infestation erupted within the city, given its dense population, conventional firepower couldn't suppress the demonic tide. The only solution would be to detonate the Furnace Pillar, sending all of Old Dunling underground.

　　"Hmm... do you know what's inside that Sacred Coffin?" Arthur asked slowly after a long silence.

　　At this moment, he displayed his leadership abilities, thoughts and plans flooding his mind, alongside constant regret. Why did such troubles always fall upon his tenure?

　　"A demon. The last demon," Lloyd answered. "According to Medanzo, it's a demon that embodies the very concept of 'demon.' You could understand it as, if we kill it, the concept of demons will vanish from the world."

　　"Then what exactly does it look like? Is it a human, an object, a creature? Surely it has a form," Arthur continued, not surprised by the conceptual explanation, as if he had anticipated it.

　　Lloyd hesitated. He realized he had never thought about this.

　　"I don't know. The ritual to deal with it occurs on the Day of Divine Birth. Only those bestowed with angelic names participate. I was merely guarding outside the church."

　　It had been a grand execution, warming the cold winter night with the fervor of the church.

　　"So, even you don't know what's inside," Arthur concluded.

　　Lloyd nodded silently.

　　"Then why are you so sure, why is the Evangelical Church so sure that killing this demon, this Holy Grail, will erase the concept of demons?" Arthur asked, changing his angle of inquiry. He seemed to know something, maintaining absolute rationality.

　　Lloyd found himself at a loss for words. But Arthur pressed on.

　　"Mr. Holmes, actually, the Exorcism Bureau has dealt with far more mysterious objects than you can imagine. To combat demons, we conduct many experiments and controls. One of our principles is to make everything understandable."

　　"Like corrosion, like demons, we interpret them with understandable technology and formulas. Think of Geiger counters, prefrontal lobotomies... So, Mr. Holmes, what do you think is most crucial for maintaining a religion?"

　　Arthur's gaze bore into Lloyd. Despite being a man gravely injured, his eyes were as sharp as swords, cutting through Lloyd's confusion.

　　"Faith..."

　　"No, it's ignorance. Only the ignorance of the masses can uphold a flawed myth, Mr. Holmes. Consider this: if you strip away the mystical religious terms, you'll find the essence of all our sacred blood technologies is pure science."

　　Arthur coughed violently, pain still wracking his body, but his gaze never wavered from Lloyd. Lloyd couldn't look away either, locked in the stare.

　　"So, what do we need to fight demons? Rationality, right?" Arthur said quickly, his voice calm but striking like thunder.

　　"But Mr. Holmes, is it truly rational to believe in such an ethereal god?"

　　Such heretical words would have condemned Arthur to a witch hunt by Michael the Demon Hunter in the past. Hundreds of years ago, he would have been burned at the stake by the Pope himself.

　　"Mr. Holmes, I can see you're not a true believer. Those stubborn beliefs haven't stifled your thoughts. That's why I'm telling you this. Fanatics are a real hassle. When Ingwe first promoted the steam engine, those people claimed it was a devil's device, imprisoning poor souls to work for us."

　　Arthur laughed disdainfully.

　　"That's why we've always clashed with the Evangelical Church. They thrive on ignorance, while Ingwe seeks to illuminate every land with the light of technology."

　　Arthur had long seen through everything. Lloyd was a soldier, while he was the general orchestrating the grand strategy.

　　"The old era is over. The new era is unstoppable. If the Sacred Evangelical Papal State doesn't crush Ingwe soon, advancing steam technology will continuously erode ignorance."

　　"Sometimes, I thank the Night of Divine Advent. If not for this event severely wounding the Evangelical Church, we would have been at war with them by now. War is inevitable."

　　"A world war... right?" Lloyd felt a bit suffocated.

　　"Don't worry about that, Mr. Holmes. That's not your concern. Our immediate task is to figure out what Reverend Lawrence is planning and where he is," Arthur instructed Lloyd to stop. The two stood in the dim tunnel, with endless grayness stretching in both directions.

　　"The only full support you have now is from the Exorcism Bureau, Mr. Holmes. I believe we've established enough trust by now," Arthur said, revealing his purpose.

　　"This is a win-win cooperation, but first, I need to know what really happened on the Night of Divine Advent. Can you? I need to understand the whole event for the Exorcism Bureau to operate effectively."

　　One man's power is limited. Without the Exorcism Bureau's aid, Lloyd would have long been dead at Reverend Lawrence's hands. He couldn't fight alone forever.

　　"But it involves the Holy Grail. It's highly corrosive..." Lloyd shook his head, reluctant to accept it, refusing.

　　It was a deeply buried night in Lloyd's heart, his personal vendetta.

　　"It can be transmitted through 'words,' right?" Arthur interrupted. As the head of the Exorcism Bureau, he knew as much about demons as Lloyd did.

　　"So please, organize your words, Mr. Holmes. Just omit the parts we shouldn't hear," Arthur pressed, staring at Lloyd. They were kindred spirits, both daring individuals, lone wolves forming a pack.

　　From the tunnel's end came the sound of iron, a steel beast approaching, making the tracks tremble and a gale rush through, finally halting slowly.

　　The steam metro's doors opened, and as the steam cleared, a gray-robed figure's face emerged.

　　"Merlin is the greatest alchemist I've ever known. You don't mind an extra listener, do you?" Arthur's voice flowed as Merlin pulled back his hood, smiling slightly at Lloyd.