Gun of Ashes

Chapter 13: Chapter 7 Reasoning of Fraud

The dusk in Old Dunling is far from pleasant; the sky is gloomy, with endless steam forming a hazy dome that hides everything. The last rays of sunlight could not pierce through the layers of gloom, leaving only a blurry red tide that looks like a fiery rain falling upon the world.

The Zeppelin Airship glides slowly through the clouds like a giant whale; from the ground, only its shadow appearing straight out of mythology can be seen.

Lorenzo comfortably sits in the driver’s seat; ever since he altered the steam tram’s route, the group of suspects disappeared from his sight.

”Detective, actually we could collaborate.”

Regardless of Eve’s condition behind him, Lorenzo speaks into the fierce wind.

”Our target is the same group, and capturing them will unveil those precious clues. As for what follows, we can discuss it later, what do you think?”

Eve thought it over for a moment amidst the turbulence, eventually lowering her gun. Despite the brief contact, Lorenzo had impressed her immensely during this short time.

She had never seen someone so... composed, as if all things were under his control; deep, powerful.

”So are you agreeing to this proposal now?”

Lorenzo asks with enigmatic eyes, as if a hidden conspiracy is forming beneath the gray-blue veil.

”Lorenzo Holmes.”

A name is the first step to trust.

Eve hesitantly extends her hand, but just as she’s about to say her name, Lorenzo withdraws his hand.

”Eve Vosar, I know your name.”

”How do you know?”

Eve’s heart instantly becomes alert again, and she starts to regret this brief alliance.

”I am a detective; this sort of thing is simple.” Lorenzo’s gaze wanders over her.

”Brand new uniform, neat attire, clearly someone who just reported at the police station for duty... You really should see the usual state of your colleagues; they’re practically always drunk, and someone like you stands out among them.”

Like appraising an item, Lorenzo comments.

”Full of drive, brimming with enthusiasm, passionately against evil, you’re a typical graduate, full of fantasies about the world, eager to make a mark.”

Shaking his head in distress, Lorenzo continues.

”Another child misled by glorified news; this line of work isn’t as simple as you imagine. It’s not a world where you say ’hands up,’ and the criminal obediently raises their hands. The timid will turn and run, while the bold might shoot you before you finish talking.”

His words are harsh yet precise, at least to Eve it seemed so, though she also felt indignant, as if her secret was uncovered, exposed to sunlight.

”You’re also of noble descent; it’s evident from your necklace.”

Lorenzo points to Eve’s smooth neck where a silver necklace holds a nail-sized ruby. It was originally hidden under her clothes but slipped out during the violent collision.

”That’s not something an ordinary noble can afford to wear... You know, the police force’s newcomer list usually has markings. They favor those from noble backgrounds to prevent these sons of the nobility from dying accidentally; you can check it when you return. This list is conveniently posted on your bulletin board.”

With a mysterious smile, Lorenzo appears infinitely enigmatic and powerful to Eve.

”How do you know about the police station?”

Suyalan Hall isn’t a place anyone can easily access, Eve couldn’t fathom.

”My poor nephew died this morning, surely I can report a case, right?” Lorenzo smiles.

Whether it’s Suyalan Hall or the City Hall, Lorenzo never fears entering them due to their reputation. As long as there’s a legitimate reason, these places are accessible to ordinary people.

”Among the marked nobility, there are only a few, of which only one is female. I guess that’s you, correct?”

”Eve Vosar.”

Eve was thoroughly astounded by Lorenzo’s words, and seeing her somewhat frightened expression, Lorenzo was supremely satisfied.

Lorenzo Holmes, he’s merely a second-rate detective skilled in deceit. That’s his self-evaluation; in this world, there isn’t such a thing as supreme intelligence. Even if it existed, it shouldn’t be a detective but rather locked up by the madmen at the Mechanical Institute till death.

A brain that could propel the technological development of the world used to fight crime? That’s quite the waste.

The most perfect deceit should combine with truth. He wouldn’t tell Eve that during the recent collision, her police ID fell out too, detailing her information at the station. He also wouldn’t inform her that for Bola’s convenience in the Lower City District’s business, Bola’s informant had long been concealed in Suyalan Hall; any personnel movement would be reported to that terrifying Butcherbird by nightfall.

Pairing real results with mysterious deduction is what Lorenzo has always done; even full of flaws, but before the real outcome, they can only believe, just like a mathematical formula, as long as the derivation is correct, no matter how absurd the answer, it’s bound to be correct.

”Do you believe I’m a detective now?”

Lorenzo reveals that trademark smile, everything is in his grasp.

...

”Where are we heading now?”

Even though temporarily on the same front, Eve still doesn’t relax her vigilance.

”On the road to interception, their goal is the Lower City District. There are many routes to quickly reach there, but only one intersection allows them rapid passage.”

To manage the chaos in the Lower City District, Old Dunling’s measure is isolation. The two districts are differentiated by tall buildings and walls, leaving only a few wide intersections for guarding.

Even without passing through intersections, it’s possible to reach the Lower City District. For the sake of profits, they’ve long opened up tunnels between buildings, but now the group is riding horses, and for rapid passage, they can only go through the intersection.

They were not just being chased by Lorenzo; the mounted police from Suyalan Hall probably caught up with them long ago, triggering fierce gunfights along the way.

”How are you sure we can catch up?”

Eve didn’t understand, only to see Lorenzo pointing above, at the map hanging in the cockpit.

”You should pay attention to the daily news... like how the Lower City District will also be included in the Iron Serpent’s operational range.”

Lorenzo’s habit was reading newspapers, visiting the City Hall every week to check if there were any new regulations or similar things.

This habit he gleaned from a movie in his dreams, in which Earth, for failing to go to the Galaxy City Hall and look at regulations in time, was blown up to make way for a cosmic highway... a story filled with dark humor.

Alright, forget about the dreams of yesterday, let’s look at now.

A few months ago, Old Dunling decided to extend the Iron Serpent to the Lower City District. Lorenzo speculated that some high-level figure had set sights on the Lower City District, just like a long time ago.

Once the tracks were laid out in the Lower City District, the old armored Iron Serpent went online; Old Dunling could clean up the filth in the Lower City District at any time. Unfortunately, the operation failed just as it began.

The tracks indeed spread out in the Lower City District, but not a single Iron Serpent could enter it. The group of desperadoes was more united than anyone imagined. The operation was quickly called off, and instead, the track lines became the gang’s transport routes, with the black market economy surging. Bola was ecstatic at the time.

”Although it failed, the tracks in the Lower City District are connected with the Outer City District. It’s just that no one dares to drive there!”

Overlapping the map in his mind with the map in the cockpit, Lorenzo could intercept them outside the Lower City District.

...

The team rushed forward rapidly; the accidents that occurred during this operation far exceeded their expectations. Just as Lorenzo said, the mounted police from Suyalan Hall had already chased them down, the piercing police whistles echoing, like a Funeral Bell before the end of the world.

Though the situation was critical, the Lower City District was now right ahead. Once they reached there, even Suyalan Hall would find it tricky. Once they reached there, this lousy day would end.

In fact, at this moment, the day had grown mostly dark, only the red clouds on the horizon were still releasing their last glow.

This was the Gap of Old Dunling, as day was ending, night had yet to arrive.

A cool breeze brushed past, the steam whistle echoed back and forth.

They were almost there, but just then, a roar erupted, and the entire street started to tremble slightly, and then the Iron Serpent smashed through the mist and loomed.

”Finally caught up with you!”

The mist tore apart, and the great detective made a shining entrance.

Lorenzo stood in the cockpit, raising his Winchester, firing mercilessly, shooting alongside the mounted police behind them who saw Lorenzo as an enemy too. After the gunfire, there were several new bullet holes inside the carriage.

Almost there!

They thought so in their hearts, but then the Iron Serpent accelerated and appeared behind them.

Gunfire and explosions, the scene became chaotic, ears filled with intense impact and the screams of crowds, everything rolled over with the warmth of blood.

The Iron Serpent went off the rails.

The first thing the gang did after completing the tracks was to sever the connection between the tracks of the Lower City District and the Outer City District. The route indeed reached directly, but it was broken.

The Iron Serpent crushed the enemies and rolled over continually, finally coming to resemble a huge mass of scrap metal. The ground streaked with a long trail of blood, the not-yet-dead emitting powerless wails.

Eve’s head hurt intensely, her body felt like it was falling apart. At the last moment, she was flung out, her vision blurred by tears of pain. She struggled to stand up, and then she saw the dark figure under the fiery clouds.

Lorenzo held a shotgun in one hand, his cane in the other, standing not far from the wreckage of the Iron Serpent, with his foot stepping on a survivor.

”Looks like it’s just you left, buddy.”

The dark gun muzzle lowered, no one knew if Lorenzo would suddenly pull the trigger.

”I won’t say anything.”

That person said calmly, indifferent to the nearing death.

”Oh?”

Lorenzo chuckled; he was best at dealing with those with strong wills. But just as he was about to say more, the head beneath his feet burst open... he was dead.

The smile slowly froze, looking ahead, under the old building, the wounded figure glared fiercely at Lorenzo before tucking away the smoking gun muzzle and turning away.

It was the person responsible for insurance; he survived till the end.

This time Lorenzo was truly angry, but just as he lifted his foot, he halted. At this moment, more people emerged from around him, wielding guns and swords, menacingly.

As if suddenly aware of something, Lorenzo turned his head, the bustling city lay just a hundred meters away, the mounted police lined up neatly, gun barrels pointing upward, seemingly dividing the grandeur from the filth with an iron curtain, watching coldly.

Lorenzo had stepped into the Lower City District, the Iron Serpent squashed the enemies but also arrived within the Lower City District in the chaos.

More gangsters emerged, scattered like an ocean.

Now there was no way back; retreating meant being arrested by mounted police, advancing meant being killed by a mob. Right at Lorenzo’s wits’ end, another gunshot rang out.

Eve, terrified, gripped the gun hilt, in front of her lay a thug struck down by a single shot. Seemingly sensing Lorenzo’s gaze, she nervously explained.

”He... he made a move on me first!”

The situation was a bit awkward; before Lorenzo could say anything, the dense crowd pressed forward.