Steam Age: I Fight Against Divine Authority with Otherworldly Tales

Chapter 99 The Twilight Removal Agent

The next morning arrived quickly, and Charles's caravan set off again.

Bald Toby pulled out his map, gestured on it, and sighed with relief, saying, "At the current pace, we should arrive at Weaver Hampton before dusk. After resting there, we should reach Libraton by tomorrow afternoon."

"Will we pass through more wilderness areas along the way?" Suren asked, somewhat worried.

Bald Toby chuckled and said, "I asked Mr. Loft before, and the route for the last two days has been on the right track. If nothing unexpected happens, we just need to get some rest."

Suren nodded, but he was still a little uneasy, after all, the journey was not peaceful and there might be unexpected events.

However, as Toby had predicted, the journey that followed was smooth sailing, and the group arrived in Weaverhampton before dusk.

After a brief exchange between Loft and the priests guarding the town, the group successfully entered the town.

Although it's called a small town, it actually covers a large area, roughly the size of three Loren towns.

"This is the only way to 'Libraton,' so it's a key trading hub where merchants from all over the world pass through," Bald Toby explained to the group, showing his well-informed side.

Suddenly, he gave a knowing look: "If you ladies want to relax, 'Ms. Jasmine's Flower Shop' is a good place to go. The ladies there are very welcoming."

"Flower House?" Suren asked, somewhat puzzled.

Aiselin's expression turned somewhat unpleasant, but she merely snorted coldly before glancing at Suren and asking, "You're planning to go?"

Suren was even more confused by her. He shrugged and said, "I'm not really interested in flowers, so never mind."

Bald Toby looked at Karen Dantès and Arthur Lucas sitting side by side with surprise, as if he suddenly understood something, and he revealed a meaningful smile.

"Is this bald guy thinking about something bad?" Suren noticed Toby's expression and felt that the other person seemed to have misunderstood something.

……

Soon, the caravan arrived at an inn, where Loft arranged rooms for everyone and also found a restaurant to prepare dinner.

Having mostly eaten bread these past few days, it was a rare treat to sit at the table and enjoy a delicious meal. Suren couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "I must say Charles is truly a good employer. Although there were some hiccups along the way, he arranged everything perfectly."

Suren believed that if it were a so-called nobleman like Viscount Albert Howard, they would probably have to solve their own food and clothing problems.

"Perhaps this is the difference between a merchant who rises through his own hard work and a nobleman who inherits his family's title directly."

Suren thought to himself, then picked up a piece of lamb and put it in his mouth to chew. The taste was not bad.

Loft specifically chose a fairly upscale restaurant, which used long tables, one of which could seat eight people.

Charles and Loft were sitting opposite each other in Loren. Charles raised a glass of red wine, took a sip, and said, "Mr. Dantes, after arriving in 'Libraton,' are you planning to return to Loren, or do you have some other plans?"

Suren's heart skipped a beat, and he replied with a smile, "I don't plan to go back to Loren Town. I plan to settle in 'Libraton'. I haven't decided on my next step yet."

"Hehe, Mr. Dantès, would you be interested in becoming my master's bodyguard? The salary will not disappoint you." As if they had discussed it beforehand, Loft quickly extended the invitation.

After thinking for a moment, Suren shook his head and refused, since being a guard was too restrictive.

Bald Toby chimed in at the opportune moment, "I think with Mr. Dantes' abilities, he could absolutely become an excellent 'Twilight Removalist'."

Charles and Loft were taken aback, then nodded.

"'Twilight Eraser'?" Suren was somewhat puzzled by this newly appeared term, as he had never heard of it in Loren Town.

Etherine, standing nearby, explained, "This is a new profession that emerged during the Rift Age. As crime increased, and the Church didn't have the resources to deal with it all, this profession, similar to bounty hunters, appeared among the common people."

"Of course, they only accept commissions involving the extraordinary, and their fees are not low," Loft added at the opportune moment.

Suren understood immediately; wasn't this just a combination of "private investigator" and "cleaner"?

However, he was still puzzled: "But doesn't the city have underground organizations like the Mist Exchange that specialize in issuing bounty missions?"

"These kinds of bounty missions are limited to small towns. There are too many similar missions in big cities like Libraton, and the Mist Exchange usually doesn't accept bounty commissions."

Loft chuckled, then added, "And the 'Libraton' court is now under the control of Percival Wood, who is notoriously averse to organizations like the Fog Exchange."

"Sigh, because of that guy, the Mist Exchange doesn't even have a fixed trading location in 'Libraton,' making it very difficult for our Night Owl Brotherhood to do business." Bald Toby took a big gulp, seemingly somewhat dissatisfied.

"Libraton doesn't sound so peaceful either; there's something fishy going on underneath."

Suren muttered to himself, then looked at Toby and asked, "Won't the Church pay attention to such a gray profession as the Twilight Removalers?"

"No, that won't happen. It's already a headache for those people to handle cases on their own. They'd be happy to have someone help them."

Bald Toby said nonchalantly, with a hint of mockery, "Those people from the Judgment Church are too dogmatic; their efficiency in solving cases isn't even as high as that of civilian trace removers."

As if remembering something, he reminded him, "By the way, you'd better not say you're a detective in Librardton."

"Oh? Why?" Suren couldn't help but ask, somewhat curious.

Loft, on the other hand, shook his head and said, "It all started with those guys from the Gate of Truth. Thirty years ago, a famous detective assisted Cecil Latimer, the Archbishop of the Libra Church, in solving a case."

It turned out that the detective was from the Gate of Truth, causing the Libra Church a great loss. From then on, Libraton's detectives began to receive "care" from the Church.

"This is truly an undeserved disaster..."

Suren couldn't help but sigh, then he immediately asked, "What kind of proof is needed to become a 'Twilight Eraser'?"

"As long as you're strong enough, that's fine." Bald Toby smiled meaningfully. "Of course, you'll also need some connections to ensure a steady stream of commissions."

He held up one finger and added, "Of course, a stable address and a public identity are also needed. After all, even if the church doesn't investigate, 'Twilight Removalist' isn't a profession that can be openly displayed."

"Hehe, Mr. Dantes, if you're interested, I can recommend some clients to you."

Charles extended an olive branch, then smiled and said, "Of course, I might need your help then."

"This is the master's address. You can contact us through this address once you've settled in." Loft pushed a card over at the opportune moment. Suren picked it up and saw that it contained Charles's contact address.

Suren put the card away and thanked the two of them.

Then Aetherine suddenly spoke up: "By the way, Mr. Russell, after we arrive at the gates of Libraton, Karen, Kane, and I have some business to attend to in the wilderness, so we will leave ahead of time."

Her tone was very curt, as if she were merely informing rather than negotiating.

Suren paused for a moment, thinking to himself, "This doesn't exactly violate the contract, since the contract only states that we'll escort Charles's caravan safely to its destination. But what else needs to be done in the wilderness?"

Charles was surprisingly not annoyed by Etherine's words. He simply nodded and said, "I understand. I will prepare the payment in advance."

The atmosphere remained relatively harmonious, and everyone chatted and finished dinner.

After finishing their meal, Charles, Loft, Henry, and others bid a brief farewell to Suren and headed to the inn.

Bald Toby said he was going to relax at "Ms. Jasmine's Flower Shop".

Watching Toby's departing figure, Suren felt a little strange: "This guy doesn't seem like someone who likes flowers, and are flower shops even open at night in this era?"

Noticing Suren's gaze, Etherine scoffed, "Why don't you go relax at the flower shop?"

"What flower shop is open so late at night? I guess that guy just made up an excuse, maybe he went to trade information." Suren stroked his chin, guessing at Bald Toby's real purpose.

Upon hearing this, Etherine stared at Suren suspiciously for a while, leaving Suren somewhat puzzled.

Suren broke the awkward silence first: "Let's not talk about that. We finally have some free time, how about we go for a walk?"

Aiselin paused, thinking to herself, 'He probably wants to ask me something again. Oh well, I'll just go with him.'

To Etherine's surprise, Suren simply led her around the town for the rest of the time, rarely speaking a word.

He and Etherine walked through the streets, listening to the cries of street vendors and occasionally encountering busking singers.

Suren felt a long-lost peace. The past month's experiences had indeed left him somewhat exhausted, and this rare moment of leisure was a welcome respite for his mind and body.

Looking at the relaxed Suren, Etherine curiously examined him, as if this was the first time she had observed him up close.

The two strolled along, and as they passed a bookstore, Suren seemed to remember something. He stopped, a playful smile on his face, and looked at Aiselin: "How about we go in and buy a book, like 'The Moon Girl and the Black Cat Prince'?"

"Ah, I already have one..."

Etherine answered instinctively, then realized that Suren was teasing her. She snorted and ignored Suren.

Just as Suren chuckled and was about to say something, a person walking out of the bookstore caught her attention.

The man looked somewhat old, with strands of silver mixed in with his black hair.

He wore an elegant pair of gold-rimmed glasses, had a lean face, and his eyes were bright and piercing, revealing a pure sense of rationality. Su Lun had only seen similar eyes on scholars who were engrossed in research in his previous life.

Noticing Suren's gaze, he gave Suren a restrained smile before quickly leaving.

Suren stared blankly at the other person's back for a moment. The person had given him a strange feeling—like seeing one of his own kind.

Etherine followed Suren's gaze, somewhat puzzled, "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with him?"

"It's nothing, maybe it's just my imagination..." Suren murmured, shaking his head. He really didn't sense any extraordinary power from the other person; the other person looked like an ordinary person no matter how you looked at it.

……

When Suren and Etherine returned to the hotel, it was already late. They said goodbye to each other and prepared to go back to their rooms to rest.

Suren watched Aiselin's retreating figure and couldn't help but say, "Hey, thank you for keeping me company tonight."

Etherine didn't turn around, but a smile appeared on her lips.

……

Before they knew it, it was already the afternoon of the second day, and Charles's caravan finally arrived at "Libraton," bringing this commission to a perfect close.

As agreed, Suren, Etherine, and Kara did not enter the city with the caravan, and Charles paid their bounty in advance.

After bidding farewell to the caravan members, Suren followed Aetherine and Kara into a grove of trees in the wilderness. He asked with some curiosity, "What are we going to do now?"

"I'll take you to the 'Skeletons'," Etherine replied without turning her head, then looked around as if searching for something.

"The mortuary?" Suren felt the name was somewhat ominous.

Then, as if she had found something, Etherine parted a bush, revealing a hidden path behind it.

Suren followed Etherine onto the secluded path.

Along the way, Etherine would sometimes change direction, and sometimes step onto another hidden path, following an elusive route.

If it weren't for Etherine leading the way, Suren would probably have been lost in the wilderness long ago.

The two continued to walk through the wilderness, and after walking for an unknown amount of time, Etherine stopped after passing through a grove of trees.

Suren stopped behind Etherine and found that it was just an ordinary grassy area with nothing special about it.

Before Suren could even ask a question, Etherine stretched out her right hand, seemingly resonating with something. The air distorted, and the grass in front of her disappeared.

About 300 meters away, a building with a distinctly medieval style appeared before Suren's eyes. The walls were made of gray stone bricks, and some moss even grew on them.

At the top of the city wall, one could vaguely see some cannons emitting strange light, exuding a dangerous aura.

In a daze, Suren even thought that he was not in the steam age, but in the Middle Ages.