Gun of Ashes

”So take a break, Lorenzo.”

Merlin called out again as he watched the departing figure.

”Originally, this was prepared for a new experiment, and the subjects are ordinary people, so many indicators are set to normal standards. With your participation this time, to maximize the experimental effect, we have to reset everything.”

”How long will it take?”

Lorenzo stopped; he didn’t want to stay underground for too long.

”It won’t end anytime soon, we also need to readjust the power supply.”

As Merlin was speaking, someone came over to escort Lorenzo to rest.

”Follow him, you can take this time to write a will.”

”Are you serious?”

Merlin was inexplicably fixated on the will, going on endlessly.

”Of course, life is so fragile, maybe this time the invincible Lorenzo Holmes might fall?”

Merlin said this and then ignored Lorenzo, watching him leave with a side glance before instructing people to connect new cables, causing bright sparks and thunder to flash from above.

He was the person in charge here. Although Merlin had to obey Arthur to some extent, Arthur was currently busy dealing with Anthony, so Merlin privately approved this experiment. Everyone had their own pursuits, and Merlin’s pursuit was undoubtedly this Truth, now just an inch away.

Merlin couldn’t care less about Arthur, but then someone came with a message from Arthur.

”Arthur wants to talk to you.”

”At this moment?”

Merlin found the timing unexpectedly uncanny.

After hesitating for a moment, he nodded and headed to the control room to answer the call.

”Merlin?”

Arthur’s voice came from the other end of the phone. He seemed unsure of who was on the other end, but according to the rules, Merlin was the only one qualified to take this call, making his suspicion quite odd.

”It’s me, what’s the matter?”

The timing of Arthur’s call was too precise, leading Merlin to suspect that his private experiment might have angered him, but Merlin didn’t care anymore. It was hard to get Lorenzo to cooperate with this highly risky experiment, and he was determined to proceed.

This was one of the most annoying aspects of Alchemists: their pathological obsession with knowledge. But if you set aside this trait, these Alchemists were generally quite reliable.

”I have verified Anthony’s information... at least partially.”

Arthur’s voice was filled with severity.

Through Shermans’ confirmation, it could be proven that Lorenzo indeed deceived everyone regarding his identity, but Arthur was still unable to confirm the part about the Pseudo Holy Grail.

Most of those who knew about that eerie object perished on the Night of the Holy Arrival. Shermans wasn’t present, so he survived, but for the same reason, he couldn’t ascertain the truthfulness of Anthony’s words.

”What do you… want to do?” Merlin asked directly.

”I don’t know either. Regarding this guy Lorenzo, I just realized we have no means to counterbalance him. If he wants to, he could become as dangerous as Lawrence.”

Arthur’s voice revealed concern. The single combat ability of Demon Hunters was terrifyingly strong; even sending the Armor of Original Sin to besiege Lorenzo would likely have little chance of success, especially given the need for the armor’s replenishment, which the Demon Hunter didn’t require.

The Evangelical Church had created the most perfect weapon, that could still maintain formidable combat power even amid the rampant growth of modern weapons.

”But he’s not Lawrence.” Merlin defended Lorenzo.

”Arthur, you’re worrying too much. Have you forgotten the original tenet of the Purification Mechanism? The past is destined to be discarded. If our past were criteria to evaluate ourselves, half of the people in the Purification Mechanism would be sent to prison.”

”But Lorenzo...”

”I know what you’re afraid of; it’s also a precaution that needs to be guarded against, right?”

Arthur’s voice slowly sounded.

”Yes, Lorenzo is a trustworthy guy, but we need to prepare for all potential scenarios, just like the plans we’ve made before. Suppose Ingwig falls, suppose the spread of demons becomes uncontrollable, suppose you and I, the managers of the Purification Mechanism, are completely wiped out... We should prepare for every possible danger... Lorenzo is no exception.”

Nobody knows how many contingency plans the Purification Mechanism has for potential dangers, but what’s clear is that with these plans, the mechanism has continued to exist smoothly until now.

Monsters require shackles, even Arthur and his people are no exception.

”I understand. At least Lorenzo hasn’t shown any adversarial side yet. There is already a preliminary plan for him, which I will report to the Cleaners upon completion.”

Merlin replied, then hung up the phone.

A comfortable life always makes one forget those difficult times. In the early days of the Purification Mechanism’s establishment, those were truly cruel times. Knights brandished weapons against demons, and they had to be constantly vigilant not only against the demons but also potential corruption in their allies and themselves.

There’s no absolutely safe mind, only absolutely secure contingency plans.

...

”How was your rest?”

A few hours later, after the adjustments for the Black Angel experiment were complete, Lorenzo staggered over from the other side.