Gun of Ashes

”You indeed possess the flawed nature of mortals. Initially, I was reluctant to believe these things as well, given they surpass your imagination, right? Humans cannot imagine things they haven’t witnessed firsthand.”

Heracles laughed as if mocking Lorenzo, making him feel uncomfortable.

”Mr. Holmes, let’s go back to the cause of my search for ’you’. This was an intriguing beginning. At that time, I had access to enormous information. The entire city’s operations were clear before me. But the harder I tried to grasp it, the more I found an unfathomable fog within this city.”

”It hides the most secretive secrets. No matter how the Inferior Rats investigate, I cannot see through it. For all these years, the best I can do is be aware of its existence. There is something in this city that is absolutely unknown.”

His speech accelerated again, seemingly getting excited, possibly due to the lingering mental illness from the shipwreck. Heracles appeared somewhat insane.

”As you said, I am merely mortal. Mortals cannot achieve ’omniscience’. I also have limitations. Many things I haven’t witnessed firsthand, I can only infer through realistic foundations. But in this Old Dunling, there are too many stories with unusually large deviations.”

”You might not understand this definition. Simply put, many events defy common logical sense, or to say... there is some extraordinary force at work.”

Upon hearing the word ’extraordinary’, Lorenzo’s pupils contracted involuntarily. This slight change was incredibly clear in Heracles’s eyes. Confirmed as expected, he laughed even more joyfully.

”I began to investigate why this is so. The more I pursued, the more I discovered that cloud hanging over Old Dunling. In this city, there is another force, that extraordinary force!”

He stared intently at Lorenzo, loudly questioning.

”Mr. Holmes, you’ve seen that monster, right? What do you call them? Demon? You must have killed it, yet after killing it, you didn’t consider dealing with its corpse. It is so bizarre; its exposure would cause a significant impact on the public, right?”

”But you still walked away without looking back. Do you believe no one noticed, or do you believe someone would come to handle it after you left?”

Though Heracles was physically bound to the chair by Lorenzo, in those moments of madness, Lorenzo felt like he was the one tied to the chair.

Simultaneously, Lorenzo found it somewhat ridiculous. If what Heracles said was true, then this is a genius or a madman. He inferred the existence of the Purification Mechanism based on the visible clues from the city, even investigating inferior Secret Blood, and set up a scheme using Lorenzo.

”Actually, those rumors are true.”

Heracles suddenly said abruptly. He forcefully freed himself from the chair. Lorenzo instinctively tensed up, but Heracles didn’t make any excessive moves; he stayed seated on the chair.

”Like that archive, it’s real.”

”As I said, you’re one of the puppets too. Is all of this orchestrated by your group?” Lorenzo asked.

”No, what I said is true. All of this involves only me, along with those assisting Inferior Rats.”

”Of course, that archive genuinely exists; it’s just here.”

Heracles said, extending his index finger and forcefully pointing it at his temple.

”It’s right here, documenting everything I’ve seen and heard from the shipwreck to now. Everything is here, the past and future of this city, all of it!”

He said while walking up to Lorenzo, reaching out his hand, raising the corners of his mouth with effort beneath the handlebar mustache.

”Reintroducing, Heracles Christie. You may call me the Rat King, there’s no problem. After all, Polo’s three meals a day are my responsibility.”