Episode-741
Chapter : 1461
The funeral for Captain Zafer and his men was a somber affair. Rain fell on the capital, washing the soot from the cobblestones but not the grief from the faces of the families. Lloyd stood in the back, watching. He felt the weight of every life lost.
"They were good men," a voice said beside him.
It was Headmaster Valerius. He looked older today. The weight of his own failure with Rubaiya hung heavy on him.
"They were," Lloyd agreed. "They didn't deserve this."
"None of us do," Valerius said. "But war does not care about what we deserve."
"This wasn't war," Lloyd said. "This was a snatch and grab. Bael took her back. He wanted to make a point."
"And the point is?"
"That no one escapes," Lloyd said. "That his reach is infinite."
"Is it?" Valerius asked. "Or is he just... loud?"
Lloyd looked at the Headmaster. "What do you mean?"
"Devils thrive on fear," Valerius said. "They project power to hide their limits. If Bael was truly omnipotent, he would have killed you, me, and the King by now. Instead, he steals a broken girl and kills a few guards. Why?"
"Because he can't touch us yet," Lloyd realized. "He's still establishing his foothold. He's still building his anchor."
"Exactly," Valerius nodded. "He is strong, but he is not here. Not fully. He is projecting through cracks in the world. If we seal the cracks... we cut off the hand."
"The Crimson Caravan," Lloyd said. "That's the crack."
"Find it," Valerius said. "Close it."
Lloyd left the funeral. He went to the Royal Intelligence headquarters. He needed to talk to the new Captain of the Police. A man named Gerrick.
Gerrick was younger than Zafer, sharper, more bureaucratic. He sat behind a desk piled high with files.
"Lord Ferrum," Gerrick said, not rising. "I read your report. Demons. Soul eating. Smiley faces. It reads like a penny dreadful."
"It's the truth," Lloyd said. "And we need to find the woman who sold the cursed items to Daniel. The one in the Midnight Market."
"We've been looking for her for months," Gerrick sighed. "She's a phantom. 'The Crone', they call her. She sells a cursed amulet, waits for the buyer to die, then vanishes."
"She's not a Crone," Lloyd said. "She's an illusion. Rubaiya's spirit, Legion, projected a glamour. That's why you couldn't catch her. You were looking for a person. You should have been looking for a mana signature."
Gerrick frowned. "A spirit projection? Capable of independent commerce? That's... advanced."
"Rubaiya was a genius," Lloyd said. "Evil, but a genius. She used the spirit to distance herself from the crimes. Daniel never saw her face. He saw the Crone."
"So the Crone is gone," Gerrick said. "Rubaiya is gone. The trail is dead."
"Not completely," Lloyd said. "The Crone had a supplier. Someone gave Rubaiya the raw materials. The cursed ingots. The obsidian."
He leaned over the desk. "I need you to check the port logs. Look for shipments from the East. Look for crates marked with a red target symbol."
Gerrick hesitated. "That's a lot of paperwork, Lord Ferrum."
"Do it," Lloyd ordered. "Or the next time a convoy burns, it might be yours."
Gerrick paled. "I'll put my best men on it."
Lloyd left the station. He felt restless. He was chasing ghosts.
He walked to the Midnight Market. It was empty by day, just a collection of tattered tents and seagulls fighting over fish guts.
He found the spot where Daniel had met the Crone. He activated his [All-Seeing Eye].
The residue was faint, but it was there. The black sludge of the parasite. But underneath it... something else.
A trace of red dust.
Lloyd touched it. He rubbed it between his fingers. It was gritty. It smelled of spice and dry earth.
"Red sand," Lloyd whispered. "From the Eastern Deserts."
It confirmed Roy's theory. The Crimson Caravan. They were bringing the corruption from the desert.
"Bael is operating out of the East," Lloyd deduced. "He's using the trade routes to infect the kingdom. It's a biological attack disguised as commerce."
He needed to tell Ken. He needed to warn him.
He pulled out a communication crystal. "Ken. Come in."
Static.
"Ken?"
Nothing.
The signal was blocked. Or Ken was out of range. Or...
"No," Lloyd thought. "He's fine. He's Ken."
But the silence was heavy.
"They're in the desert," Lloyd realized. "The Red Sand Desert. Magic is wonky there. That's why Bael chose it. It's a blind spot."
Chapter : 1462
He put the crystal away. He couldn't help Ken now. Ken was on his own.
Lloyd stood in the empty market. He felt the wind blowing from the East. It felt hot. Unnatural.
"You're out there," Lloyd said to the horizon. "Building your army. Eating souls. Well, guess what? I'm building an army too."
He turned and walked away. He had a manufactory to run. He had a robot to finish.
The Hunter had his quarry. Now he just needed a bigger gun.
Lloyd returned to the Old Tower. It was quiet. The students were in class. Mina was organizing the library.
"Did you find anything?" Mina asked, looking up from a scroll.
"Red sand," Lloyd said. "It confirms the Eastern connection."
He sat down heavily. "And Zafer is dead. Bael took Rubaiya back."
Mina gasped. "Took her back? To... Hell?"
"Or his pocket dimension," Lloyd said. "Same difference."
He looked at the Golem Heart on the table. It was pulsing steadily. It was calm.
"We need to speed up," Lloyd said. "The Aegis. The weapons. We're running out of time. Bael isn't waiting. He's accelerating."
"We are at 45%," Mina said. "The neural link is stable. The chassis is reinforced. But we still need a power source for the flight thrusters. The Lilith Stones can't handle the output."
"I'll figure it out," Lloyd said. "I'll invent a new engine if I have to."
He walked over to the suit. It looked formidable. A giant metal knight. But it was still hollow.
"It needs a soul," Lloyd thought. "Not a human soul. A pilot's soul."
He touched the cold metal. "Soon, buddy. Soon you'll fly."
Just then, a runner arrived. A young boy, out of breath.
"Lord Ferrum!" the boy panted. "Message! From the estate!"
Lloyd took the letter. It was from his father.
Lloyd,
Rubaiya is dead. Official report says suicide. She jumped from the wagon before the fire started. Found her body in the river. Case closed.
Lloyd stared at the letter.
"Lies," he whispered.
"What?" Mina asked.
"The official story," Lloyd said, handing her the letter. "They're covering it up. They're saying she killed herself. To prevent panic. To hide the fact that a Devil King just reached down and plucked her out of custody."
"It is... convenient," Mina said.
"It's a whitewash," Lloyd said. "The King doesn't want people to know we are losing."
He crumpled the letter. "Fine. Let them lie. Let the people sleep. It makes my job easier if they aren't screaming."
He looked at Mina. "But we know the truth. We know what we're fighting."
"We do," Mina said. She stood up and walked over to him. She put her hand on his arm. "And we will fight it."
"Yeah," Lloyd said. "We will."
He felt a new resolve hardening in his gut. Bael had won this round. He had reclaimed his pawn. He had killed the guards. He had shown his power.
"He thinks he's untouchable," Lloyd thought. "He thinks we're ants."
He looked at the Aegis suit. He looked at the Golem Heart. He looked at the rifle blueprints on the wall.
"Ants can bite," Lloyd whispered. "And ants can build."
He picked up his wrench.
"Back to work," Lloyd said. "We have a devil to kill."
The investigation was over. The truth was known. Now, it was just a matter of preparation.
Lloyd Ferrum was done playing detective. He was done playing professor.
He was the Major General again. And he was going to war.
Two days later, Lloyd returned to the Ferrum mansion. He needed to check on his base. He needed to see his family.
The estate was quiet. The elephants were still on the lawn, eating the prize-winning roses. Lord Hakim was still drinking all the tea.
"Home sweet home," Lloyd muttered.
He walked into the Grand Hall. Rosa was there. She was directing the servants. She looked perfect. Ice cold. Beautiful.
She saw him. She stopped.
"You're back," she said.
"I am," Lloyd said. "Briefly. I have to go back to the Academy. The work..."
"The work," Rosa repeated. "Is she there?"
"Mina is my assistant," Lloyd said, keeping his voice neutral. "Yes."
Rosa nodded. She didn't scream. She didn't freeze him. She just looked... tired.
"The capital is buzzing," Rosa said. "About the convoy. About the suicide."
"It's a tragedy," Lloyd said.
"Is it?" Rosa asked. She walked closer to him. "Or is it a cover-up?"
Lloyd looked at her. She was sharp. She always had been.
"What do you think?" Lloyd asked.