Gun of Ashes

Chapter 29: Chapter 22: Lucky Coin

Eve looked at the coin in front of her. She had never seen such currency before, unsure if it was money from a particular country or merely a commemorative coin. Her expression was somewhat flustered, but soon she calmed down, her eyes sharp as a blade.

With Phoenix family blood running through her veins, like a spiritual pillar, Eve knew very well she couldn’t be afraid. She was destined to appear in the Hall of Manifestation, the Duchess of the Phoenix, and this was not the end yet.

”Is it okay?”

Eve picked up the coin and inquired Lorenzo. This was a gamble between him and Sabo, and her current role seemed somewhat like that of a croupier.

Lorenzo nodded and then said to Sabo.

”No mind games, no cheating, no skills that can be transcended, it’s pure luck. I like it.”

”That’s great then.”

Sabo nodded as well, feeling happy that Lorenzo agreed to this seemingly absurd gamble.

”One side is a shield, the other is a battle axe.”

”I choose the shield,” Lorenzo said directly, without looking at Eve, keeping his gaze fixed on Sabo.

”This coin must be quite old. I remember it’s a currency that has been abandoned.”

”Yes, a currency issued by the Viking Kingdom Novbedo over a dozen years ago. You know how the Vikings thrived as pirates, with all sorts of currencies available. This was considered the first currency to unify the Vikings internally, but now it’s rarely seen on the market, mostly in the hands of collectors.”

Sabo spoke with some nostalgia, and while he spoke, Eve tossed the coin in her hand. It flew and soared in the air, under the light appearing like a silver-white elf.

”It must have some significance for you, doesn’t it? A reminder of home, perhaps? You don’t seem like the collector type, you wouldn’t keep it for so long, right?”

The concept of ”seeing an object and feeling emotions” is probably akin to retired soldiers regularly looking at their medals of honor.

”I don’t miss that icy snowy place. Being born there was a mistake. I keep it simply because it was the first thing I won at a gambling table. For it, I lost my first finger; it’s my lucky coin.”

Sabo said as he rubbed his left hand where a little finger used to be, now just an empty space with a scar left due to improperly handling the wound.

”At that time I had four fingers left. I beat that bastard, but he was also a coward, so I killed him. That seemed to be my first time killing someone. It felt truly great to have one’s fate in their own hands.”

His words carried excitement, this abnormal experience was far more legendary than imagined.

The coin fell, and the girl swiftly caught it with her hand, then covered it on the table. This was originally a child’s game, but now it felt heavy.

”Uncover it.”

Upon hearing Lorenzo’s words, Eve slowly lifted her hand, revealing the battle axe atop, indicating Lorenzo had lost.

”Who are you really?”

Sabo rubbed his scar, his gaze filled with longing, as if he truly wanted to know this answer.

”Lorenzo Holmes, a detective.”

Lorenzo answered directly, but Sabo shook his head vigorously, seemingly dissatisfied with that answer.

”What I want to know is your identity before coming to Old Dunling, who were you really.”

Like Bola, he was filled with curiosity about the mysterious detective’s past.

After hesitating for a few seconds, Lorenzo said.

”A priest.”

Even Eve beside him was a bit puzzled. No one expected to connect this crazy bastard with the noble figure of a priest.

”A priest? From the Evangelical Church?”

Being a priest wasn’t an uncommon profession. A hundred years ago, the world was ruled by the Holy Evangelical Pope Kingdom, spreading countless priests to various nations, manipulating countries in the name of faith. But with the rise of steam technology, the notion of faith plummeted to the bottom. Muskets and airships released everyone from the shackles of belief.

Sabo laughed without further questioning, and then continued.

”This time I’m betting on the battle axe.”

So Eve tossed the coin again, rising and falling in the air, neither of them looking at its flips. They kept staring at each other, their tones peaceful, yet internally tense. This time again, the battle axe was facing up, and Sabo won once more.

”Why did you come to Old Dunling?”

”Because it’s Old Dunling: the world’s most technologically advanced city, the city of hope, the Steam City, where roaring machines cast aside the old era forever.

The people of Florence say it’s a good place. Compared to the elusive belief, it harbors gold everywhere. Opportunities and fortunes abound. It opens to everyone; coming here means starting a new life.”

Lorenzo spoke calmly, as if recounting a story unrelated to himself.

”Indeed, the Church’s power has dwindled. To consolidate their rule, those kings have demolished church after church with muskets. It’s not like a hundred years ago when you priests could live comfortably just by donations.”

It seemed Lorenzo was only a gold seeker drawn by the name of Old Dunling, which Sabo found somewhat amusing.

”I truly didn’t expect someone like you, a executioner, to have been a priest. Aren’t you afraid of divine punishment?”

The Red River Tragedy claimed countless lives, its cruelty terrifying even to butchers, all perpetrated by this detective who was once a priest.

”If divine punishment truly existed, then this place would have long been struck by lightning and reduced to a sea of fire.”

The band had long since stopped performing, they too had inhaled the hallucinogen and were dancing bizarrely, with their twisted faces clinging together. And so it was in that dance floor, people tearing at clothes and skin, their pale bodies covered with dozens of bloody wounds, like beasts, emitting meaningless howls and murmuring—human civilization was completely abandoned.

”Perhaps God is just waiting for us to die for a reckoning? This time, you first.”

”Still the shield.”

”Why choose the shield again? You’ve lost twice.” Sabo was puzzled.

”You’ve won twice against me, so your luck is less than mine. The Goddess of Fortune doesn’t favor anyone; now she’ll let me win back.” He was full of confidence.

Eve uncovered her hand, as if, just as Lorenzo said, this time it was the shield, and he won.

”What exactly is that cargo?”

This was the most important thing Lorenzo needed to know at that moment; everything tonight stemmed from it, the mysterious cargo.

”Holy Coffin, it’s said that group excavated it from a shipwreck in the Ice Sea, and many have died for it.”

”Holy Coffin? What is that?”

Lorenzo had never heard of such a thing, even in theology there wasn’t such a term.

”I don’t know either.”

Sabo spoke honestly, ”It’s like a pronoun, like the God in the Evangelical Church, do you know exactly what it is? Is it human or object, or something else, like the Holy Grail in the doctrine, merely a pronoun for some indescribable thing.”

”Humans cannot describe such a thing, so they use sacred and noble names to honor it.”

Something seemed to be triggered, Lorenzo sensed a trace of oddity.

The coin was tossed once more, flipping and then falling.

”Shield or battle axe?”

This time it was Eve asking, for neither spoke first.

”Shield.”

Sabo suddenly said, this time he chose Lorenzo’s shield.

Uncovering the coin, just as Lorenzo said, the Goddess of Fortune favors no one; it was the battle axe, and Lorenzo won again.

However, this time Lorenzo didn’t rush to ask a question, but instead picked up the pocket watch to check the time.

”Do you have something planned next?”

It’s late night now, even if there were plans they would be for after dawn, and there’s still a long time before dawn, Sabo was curious what Lorenzo was waiting for.

”Yes, so this will be my last question.”

”Winning and then leaving is not a good thing.” Sabo’s eyes became slightly cold, at the gambling table, such behavior is most taboo, winning and running; though gamblers aren’t good people, this is considered villainous among them.

”Please understand, it’s unavoidable.”

Lorenzo stood and walked to the edge of the high platform, the spot was indeed nice, everything could be seen clearly, the initial prosperity was no more, below the hall were bodies in incongruous states, now entirely paralyzed by the hallucinogen, this time they didn’t even have the strength to stand, lying on the carpet, their eyes in chaos.

High and mighty nobles like lowly beggars, stripped of glory and dignity, like pitiable livestock within a pen.

”How do you usually handle these people?”

”Is this a wagering question?”

”Of course not, I’m just very curious... you’ll satisfy this bit of curiosity, won’t you.”

Saying this, Lorenzo flashed Sabo a kind smile, as if he were genuinely curious.

”Very simple, back to where they came from, we’ll send our guests to luxurious hotels in the Inner City District, they’ll awake in clean, soft beds after shedding their fatigue, outside is the beautiful world of Old Dunling, and everything last night will seem like a dream illusion.”

”Quite a beautiful ending, isn’t it?”

”Sounds really nice.”

Lorenzo nodded in acknowledgment, then asked the final question.

”What about those people? The crew of the Silverfish, they transported the Holy Coffin, and those who stopped me that day, where are they all?”

This was Lorenzo’s last question; he hoped for answers, like before, Sabo didn’t hide anything, his frankness almost made Lorenzo believe he was one of his own.

”They’re all dead, even if not, they’re as good as dead.”

Sabo said bluntly.

”All dead?”

Lorenzo found it hard to believe, then as if realizing something, his pupils tightened, he asked.

”Did you kill them?”