Gun of Ashes

”Of course not.”

Lorenzo’s answer was somewhat unexpected.

”But you are the only choice left, I can only trust you.”

”Fighting against demons isn’t something that can be solved by mere slogans. I need a powerful backup, a lethal arsenal, and even an army unafraid of death. But relying only on my own strength makes it too laughable. Among the current forces, it seems only you are left for me to choose.”

Lorenzo made his explanation.

”What about Nordro?”

Arthur had always worried that Lorenzo would be taken away by those Nordro folks. Once he’s away from Ingwig’s native land, the Purification Mechanism becomes powerless against Nordro.

”They won’t do. In the end, Nordro is just a bunch of merchants. If conditions are right, I think they wouldn’t mind selling demons as products. But similarly, if the price is right, they could also be hired to fight against demons.”

Although the only contact Lorenzo had with Nordro was Oscar, from this guy one could see Nordro’s way of doing things, including the ’Nation-Builder’ behind Nordro.

Though the real intentions of these Nation-Builders were unclear, it could be understood that they aren’t absolutely opposed to demons. If their goals could be achieved, they wouldn’t even mind the existence of demons.

”Then cheers to our hypocritical friendship!”

Lorenzo said while picking up his glass and clinking it with Arthur’s, then he downed the red wine in one gulp.

Arthur was completely swept up in Lorenzo’s rhythm. After clinking glasses, he couldn’t help but drink the wine in his cup too, but immediately after his face showed a difficult expression.

”What a strange taste.”

”Don’t mind it. After all, there’s not much money left, let’s just make do.”

Though he said that, Lorenzo looked at Arthur with a face full of disdain.

”Then pick a time, I need to meet Merlin. I have lots of important information to share with him, and also...”

Lorenzo thought for a moment and finally said it out loud.

”I want to meet Queen Victoria.”

The scene became silent for a moment, Arthur looked at Lorenzo with a heavy gaze, while Lorenzo carelessly picked a corner of his pajamas and wiped the wine stain from his lips.

”It’s what you said, trust is really important. But that storm has already eroded the trust between us. If we want better cooperation, let me personally meet her, many things I need to confirm in person.”

”I... I will apply to her.”

This was the only condition Arthur couldn’t directly answer Lorenzo.

The entire Victoria Royal Family had been bothered by the King’s Curse, under that fragile constitution, even a slight injury could put Queen Victoria’s life at risk. If Lorenzo, this madman, were allowed to meet her, who knows what might happen.

Perhaps Ingwig would just end up with a different queen?

”But Arthur, are you ready?”

Lorenzo’s mood switched rapidly. Just now he was still joking, but now he became serious again.

”What do you mean?”

”For what’s coming next, a deeper study of demons.”

Looking at Lorenzo’s solemn expression, Arthur felt his mouth go dry for a moment, the entire atmosphere became oppressive with Lorenzo’s emotional shifts.

”What is it.”

”I’ve got a general hypothesis about all this, the cursed knowledge, the root of demons, and this... twisted world.”

Lorenzo’s eyes glanced at the clutter, a book revealed its corner, that was Shermans’ notes.

”But I don’t know what will happen next, perhaps something terrible.”

This was a lie, Lorenzo knew very well what would happen if he continued to delve into it, those bizarre Silencers.

One of Lorenzo de’ Medici’s plans was to make 016 voluntarily take part in the Ascension. In his view, Silencers seemed to be a product of Ascension. Instead of continuing to venture after them, why not create one himself?

The final experiment succeeded, Watson appeared, taking on a neither human nor ghost form. In this state, she indeed had some resemblance to the Silencers, and then came Lorenzo de’ Medici’s own Ascension.

The story afterward became very clear. He failed, everything was handed over to Lorenzo, to continue exploring the Boundary, investigating this disease known as the demon, searching for the Patient Zero that triggered all this.

Lorenzo dared not take risks. He was worried that if he recklessly studied all this, it might trigger a second Night of the Holy Arrival, and concerning all this, he had a new doubt.

Watson and the Silencers were so similar, both intangible. The only difference was Watson needed a certain medium to interfere with reality, like how she manipulated the Black Angel to rescue herself. But the Silencers didn’t need this. If necessary, they could directly use existing materials to construct their bodies, thereby affecting reality.

As for himself, Authority - Gabriel...

Lorenzo once asked Watson why the Alchemy Matrix he carried was clearly not this, yet he could manipulate dual series Authority, and Watson’s answer was also unclear.

The origin of all this, ”Revelation,” had been lost, the detailed parts were only recorded there, everything else originates from his own conjectures and the information Lorenzo de’ Medici left before his death.

Watson said Authority - Gabriel was very special, it was related to Ascension.

Ascension means refining the mundane to ascend to a higher level. She said perhaps humans indeed possess so-called souls, consciousness, or spirit bodies, and this power of Ascension directly acted on this deeper level, hence Lorenzo’s soul underwent a qualitative change, acquiring this extraordinary authority.

It doesn’t vanish with the destruction of flesh, but remains deeply buried within Lorenzo’s soul, following like a shadow.

”Lorenzo!”

Arthur’s shout brought Lorenzo back from his thoughts. He was first a bit dazed, seemingly surprised that he had been thinking for so long. But sitting opposite him, Arthur felt the difference in Lorenzo just now.

Lorenzo himself didn’t notice, while discussing these abominable things, he had already unconsciously gripped the Armor-Piercing Hammer at his waist, as if the next second, a demon would appear from the dark corners to tear both of them to pieces.

”Anyway, take it slowly, Arthur. Compared with the whole historical process, our understanding of demons has seen a qualitative breakthrough in these few years.”

Lorenzo comforted at the end.

All mysteries began to gradually clear the fog and became distinct, in this twisted world, Lorenzo was about to touch the deeply buried Truth.

At that moment, the clock struck midnight, Arthur heard a commotion outside the door with a vigilant appearance, and then Lorenzo spoke.

”Arthur, it’s Saturday.”

Arthur was a bit puzzled about what Lorenzo was saying, and at that moment, the room door was pushed open again, a group of women chirping walked in, calling Lorenzo’s name, while commenting on the decor of the office.

Arthur was somewhat confused, and the personnel he brought outside the door were also somewhat puzzled. As the midnight bell rang, carriage after carriage stopped outside the door. They initially looked very guarded, even secretly gripping their gun handles, but following that, a group of women walked out from inside.

”What’s going on? Lorenzo!”

Arthur was somewhat at a loss with the situation, among some of the women, he even had impressions of the upper echelons of the nobility.

”Firstly, I’m a detective. Though it’s somewhat shameful to admit, I have a fixed clientele.”

Lorenzo looked like someone who loves life.

The members of the Saturday Housewives cried to Lorenzo upon seeing him, someone asked why he had been closed for so long, someone asked why he had opened his office in such a remote place, and someone said they hadn’t noticed before but found that Lorenzo looked pretty good, did he maybe have an interest...?

The scene was chaotic, various pre-written commission notes floated everywhere.

No one cared about Arthur’s presence, and he deliberately avoided others’ gazes, just signaling to Lorenzo with a look before leaving silently.

Lorenzo smiled and responded to the clients’ questions, while casually picking up the scattered commission notes and organizing them together.