Gun of Ashes

Nowadays, there are just a few war machines patrolling the streets, and everyone has quickly grown accustomed to them. In fact, possibly due to a bizarre love for "large robots," it's said that many young people have rushed to enlist, inquiring about which military branch would allow them to operate these contraptions.

Lorenzo leaned against the doorway, watching as the thing disappeared from his view.

"A new era."

He murmured softly, recalling the Nail Sword and firearms inside the room, and also his identity as a Demon Hunter. At this moment, Lorenzo distinctly felt the sense of changing times.

Lorenzo is the last Demon Hunter of the old Order, bearing the pure Secret Blood.

He recalled Oscar visiting him a few days ago. The old fellow thanked him for his remarkable achievements, as if Lorenzo's accomplishments partly credited Oscar, although Oscar did nothing. Then Oscar talked about succession, hinting that it might be time for him to retire.

Oscar indeed should retire, and upon careful reflection, Oscar's life has been quite a failure, much like Lorenzo's.

"A successor?"

Lorenzo pondered for a moment, then completely dismissed the thought of a successor from his mind.

Secret Blood is not a good thing; its related corruption and even the Inexpressibles come with it.

On the return journey from the Silent Sea, Lorenzo wasn't happy. He thought about many things; severing the path of Ascension is not easy, and he couldn't conceive of a perfect solution. After all, the ancestors tried numerous times and all failed. For a brief moment, he doubted himself.

Upon returning indoors, Lorenzo picked up an apple, then retrieved a hand axe embedded in the target hanging on the wall.

It was a hand axe with a notably savage style, inscribed with a few crooked Viking runes that Lorenzo couldn't decipher. Hebdo explained the word as "courage."

This was Hebdo's gift to Lorenzo.

After the Silent Sea journey ended, Hebdo didn't return to Ingwig with the Morning Glow Advance; he chose to stay in the Viking countries. The intrigues among the King and Lords still existed, and he had once sworn loyalty to the King of the Ice Sea.

Despite reluctance, there was no alternative.

Galron returned to Ice Bay, undertaking its reconstruction. He would become the new Lord...

At this thought, Lorenzo's expression was somewhat hesitant.

Galron is the new Lord, who was the old Lord?

Lorenzo tried hard to remember but couldn't recall what he looked like. He decided it wasn't worth it anyway, as such things aren't important.

Slouching on the couch, Lorenzo propped his feet on the long table and used Hebdo's hand axe to peel the apple, demonstrating remarkable skill as the peeled apple skin remained unbroken in a circle.

Then...

"Froki Willgardson."

Lorenzo softly uttered the name.

After returning from the Silent Sea, they stopped for a while in the Viking countries. Lorenzo enlisted many people to investigate this name, but all came up empty; no one within the Viking countries knew of this person's existence.

Some even doubted if Lorenzo had gone mad during the Silent Sea voyage, conjuring such a person in his imagination, but Lorenzo knew clearly, Froki truly existed.

"Sorry, I still don't know who you are."

He took a bite of the apple, chewed it as he spoke, with his gaze slowly lifting, falling upon the wall at the end of the long table.

There originally hung Mrs. Van Rudd's map, but Lorenzo had taken it down, replacing it with his own map… more accurately, it was Froki Willgardson's map of the Western world.

Froki's mind held the most comprehensive nautical chart of the Western world, detailing remote seas and islands. Lorenzo commissioned the Purification Mechanism to gather maps from other countries, and after continuous piecing and corrections, Lorenzo used these maps to create the most detailed map of the Western world currently.

At this moment, a series of red crosses marked across the vast map, totaling around a dozen, scattered across different lands, some in uninhabited areas, some in cities, and others beneath the sea.

The red cross closest to Lorenzo was located in Ingwig, far to the west.

Upon seeing it, Lorenzo couldn't help but feel a bit dazed, recalling that about two years ago, in approximately this location, Lorenzo resumed his old trade, creating havoc in Ende Town.

Lorenzo squinted slightly, like a sleeping cat, and no one knew what he was contemplating. Suddenly the doorbell rang, interrupting his drowsiness; he lifted his head, seeing a silhouette standing at the door.

"Lo-ren-zo!"

The person at the door deliberately elongated his voice, spreading his arms wide and shouting aloud.

At this moment, Lorenzo suddenly felt a sense of familiarity, vaguely recalling hearing such an awkward shout somewhere before, but knowing he was not one to suffer losses, he immediately shouted back.

"Red-Falcon!"

Lorenzo sprang from the couch, leaped over the long table with one foot, and embraced the figure at the door.

Well, the embrace failed; just as they were about to hug, Lorenzo deliberately rotated his body, feigning a slip of the foot, landing an elbow to Red Falcon's stomach, who immediately wore an expression of anguish, reeling backwards, then toppling down with Lorenzo.

"Honestly, Red Falcon, although I'm glad to see you again, your excessive enthusiasm is quite off-putting."

Lorenzo quickly got up, dusted off his clothes, then extended a hand toward the fallen Red Falcon.

Since returning to Ingwig, this was Lorenzo's first reunion with Red Falcon. Reportedly, after taking a holiday, the guy was saddled with a massive workload, ostensibly to train Red Falcon, planning for his future promotion.

At the time, Red Falcon was thrilled, working hard, only to realize after a stint that he seemed to have been duped.

Unfortunately, by the time Red Falcon realized this, it was too late. Now, the guy had just concluded his endless overtime, crawling back home from the west, covered in dirt.

"Well, considering you've helped me earn so much money, I'll let you off this time."

Red Falcon clutched his belly as he got up, grumbling threatening words.

"Earning money?"

Lorenzo curiously eyed Red Falcon.

"Merlin, you know that he's been to the Silent Sea, so I bet on whether you'll make it back."

Lorenzo chuckled, unexpected that Merlin would engage in such antics, but it was rather fitting; with those lunatics of the Perpetual Motion Pump, nothing would surprise him.

"You bet I'd come back?"

"Absolutely, I made a killing."

Judging by Red Falcon's excitement, he indeed profited this time; Lorenzo glanced at him then extended his hand.

"?"

"Split fifty-fifty."

"??"

Lorenzo somehow produced another Viking hand axe, thunking it against the door frame beside Red Falcon.

"???"

Red Falcon looked at Lorenzo, a nervous gaze; as the saying goes, people die for wealth as birds for food.

Only Red Falcon never expected, the dignified Mr. Holmes, to take an interest in his measly three cents.

While Red Falcon was considering whether to pay or bolder grow, taking a swing at the crazy man in front of him, Lorenzo suddenly snorted.

"Just kidding, instead of robbing you, I'd rather rob a bank."

With that, Lorenzo pulled out the hand axe and handed it to Red Falcon.

"Uh?"

"A gift from Hebdo; he wanted me to give this to you."

Hebdo didn't just prepare one gift; he also brought one for Red Falcon. Besides Lorenzo, the person Hebdo got along best with was Red Falcon.

Even Lorenzo couldn't conceive how the two ended up bonding over knight novels and such.

"Cough, cough, should have said so earlier… honestly, Lorenzo, I think you've come back even crazier; maybe you should check into Black Mountain Hospital?"

Lorenzo shook his head and sat back on the couch, casually lighting a cigarette, puffing away.

"You know, Red Falcon, this Silent Sea journey taught me many truths."

"Such as?"

"Like, people should be more optimistic."

Lorenzo said as he spat out saliva tinged with ashes.

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