Gun of Ashes

Old Dunling was still the same as ever; it seemed that the heavy rain hadn’t changed anything, yet there seemed to be some subtle change that many failed to notice.

The door of 121A Cork Street hadn’t opened in a long time, and no light shone from the windows. It seemed to have become an empty house, no longer inhabited by anyone.

Occasionally, passersby would stand by the roadside, casting their gaze towards the house. They vaguely remembered this place, remembered the grumpy old lady who lived there, the elusive tenant, and the guy who liked to do community service.

It seemed as if they had all left, doing who knows what. However, such thoughts did not linger long in the minds of the passersby. For them, the people and matters of 121A Cork Street were just a fallen leaf in life, not worth too much concern.

And so, dust slowly filled the steps.

Red Falcon stood under the distant eaves, watching the house from afar, taking the record someone handed to him, and sighed helplessly.

”How is it?”

Bluebird walked over and then asked.

”No movement at all, not a trace of anyone coming back, and the surveillance personnel have not found anything unusual… It seems Lorenzo is really dead.”

Red Falcon’s face was full of sorrow.

A month and a half had passed since the Fall of Reichenbach. During this time, the Purification Mechanism had never given up on searching for Lorenzo’s whereabouts. Based on the investigation of the crash site, they hadn’t found Lorenzo’s body. With the previous understanding of this lunatic, most believed Lorenzo wasn’t dead, that he was hiding from everyone.

”If he’s still alive, do you think he would still be in Old Dunling?” Bluebird asked, a similar worry on his face.

In that desperate storm, they had experienced too much together and witnessed Lancelot’s death. After that, rumors spread that Lorenzo had clashed with the Purification Mechanism’s higher-ups beforehand, so Lorenzo’s hiding was reasonable.

”How would I know such a thing?”

Red Falcon answered casually, but at this moment, he seemed to see something, and his expression suddenly became tense.

Bluebird also noticed Red Falcon’s reaction, and their gaze turned to where he was looking.

A carriage stopped in front of 121A Cork Street, and not just one, but many carriages suddenly stopped there. Workers came down from the carriages, picked up tools and ladders, and began working, creating a lively scene.

”What’s going on?”

Red Falcon looked at Bluebird in amazement.

”How would I know?”

Bluebird was also dumbfounded. During Lorenzo’s disappearance, this place had been heavily monitored by the Purification Mechanism, basically eliminating the possibility of any external interference. But today, such a crowd appeared out of nowhere, and their work seemed to be happening right at 121A Cork Street.

”Do we need to stop them?”

Red Falcon asked, caught off guard by the sudden event.

”This... wait a minute.”

Bluebird was about to say something, but what he saw interrupted his words.

A drowsy guy appeared on the balcony of the second floor of 121A Cork Street, wearing light blue pajamas and a ridiculous nightcap.

What’s going on? Wasn’t this place supposed to be empty?

The two exchanged glances, reading the same thought from each other’s eyes.

But this wasn’t the end. The strange guy scratched his head, looked at the workers busy on the first floor, and his sharp eyes caught sight of the two lurking in the corner.

He raised his hand and waved, greeting the two.

”Yo! Good morning!”

Seeing the familiar figure, Red Falcon and Bluebird were completely stunned.

...

Though Mrs. Van Rudd had left, the interior decor remained unchanged, just as it had always been. However, this time, the one sitting on the main sofa wasn’t the bad-tempered old lady, but rather a grinning lunatic.

Lorenzo looked at the two guests, propping his leg as if he were the master.

”What’s this? You both seem surprised.”

Lorenzo broke the silence first, looking quite pleased, as if the storm’s impact had faded away, and he had reverted to his nervously energetic self.

”How should I put it? It is surprising. I thought your return would be... crazier.”

Red Falcon thought for a moment before replying. Considering his understanding of Lorenzo, he expected his survival to be followed by a flashy return. Surprisingly ordinary this time, it left Red Falcon’s high hopes somewhat unfulfilled.

Bluebird wasn’t thinking about that. He was already prepared to resolve the matter here and then give a good lecture to those responsible for surveillance. A big living person returned here and even took a nap, yet they had no clue.

”Oh? Is that so? But... isn’t a non-crazy entrance, also a kind of particularly crazy entrance?”

Lorenzo asked, then laughed again.

After the laughter, he finally got serious, and the two across from him also became stern.

”You’ve been missing for a month and a half, but now you’re showing up, which means you’re no longer planning to avoid us, Lorenzo. So, are you ready to answer our questions?”