Gun of Ashes

Slowly opening his eyes... In fact, Lorenzo had already been awake for a while, but he just hadn’t opened his eyes to see where he was.

Lorenzo was contemplating; he was curious about where he would wake up this time, since the last memory he had was of collapsing to the ground.

Every time after fainting, Lorenzo would wake up in odd places, and the first thing he would always see was a different ceiling. It seemed that these ceilings were the true ”save points” in a sense, and waking up each time was a new beginning, so he was wondering what it would be like this time.

A metal ceiling? Or perhaps a wall like a mural, or maybe a ceiling plastered with posters like an advertisement wall?

Finally, he opened his eyes, and what met his gaze was a pattern intertwined with shades of brown and pale yellow, looping endlessly to form a continually extending picture, with light-colored curtains falling from the corners of its extension.

Wait a minute...

Lorenzo sat up abruptly. The terrifying headache seemed to have ended, but all traumas leave marks, even mental wounds. Still, Lorenzo could feel a faint pain throbbing in his mind.

But this wasn’t the time to worry about that.

He looked around. Although there weren’t many luxurious ornaments, the decor exuded an air of wealth, suggesting that this wasn’t a place someone like Lorenzo could easily come to.

On the chair by the soft bed were Lorenzo’s clothes, not just his clothes, but a set of new ones as well, and all his carried weapons had been neatly arranged and displayed, like a set of doll accessories, clear and organized.

Yet, there was a new problem—his clothes were here, so what was he wearing?

Looking down, Lorenzo was in light blue pajamas, which didn’t seem to be prepared specifically for him, as the clothes were quite loose.

”No, something isn’t right here...”

Lorenzo muttered to himself.

Having struggled for so many years in Old Dunling, what situations hadn’t he experienced? If he woke up hanging, ready to be executed, he wouldn’t be surprised. But now, in such a place... This was indeed a situation he had never encountered.

”Maybe I’m still dreaming...”

Lorenzo thought for a moment and made this decision.

So, he lay back down, covering his head with the blanket. After about a minute, Lorenzo sat up again.

He couldn’t sleep.

Lorenzo climbed out of bed, grabbed the Winchester, and walked straight out of the room.

A dignified demon hunter, no storm he hasn’t weathered.

Outside the door was a silent corridor; the carpet stretched to the end of his sight. Through the nearby window, Lorenzo could see the gloomy sky of Old Dunling, the solid walls extending to the ground, and the garden district isolating the crowded streets.

”You’re awake?”

A voice suddenly sounded behind him.

Lorenzo instinctively swung the handle of the Winchester, only to see a familiar face come into view.

”Good morning, Mr. Holmes.”

Looking at this ”uninvited guest,” Yawei tried to put on a friendly smile as much as possible.

Lorenzo glanced at Yawei, then at the scenery outside the window, seeming to realize where he was.

His expression turned a bit awkward.

”How... am I here?”

”Well... this might be a... rather complicated story.”

Yawei said, stepping past Lorenzo, gesturing in an inviting manner.

...

It was a somewhat absurd scene; under the intricately crafted crystal chandelier, a long table stood in the center of the room, a fire crackling in the fireplace, and the servants left after serving breakfast, leaving only the meticulous old steward, Yawei, standing on the other side.

At one end of the long table was the young mistress of the house, and beside her was Lorenzo, struggling to eat.

”So... why did you come out in pajamas? And with a gun?”

Selyu couldn’t help but ask.

”It’s a long story.”

Lorenzo seemed unwilling to explain anything about it; Yawei indeed had fooled him, who knew he was being brought to breakfast.

Ignoring Selyu’s somewhat disdainful look, Lorenzo lowered his head and started eating. He didn’t know how long he had been asleep, but he was famished now.

”Looks like you’re recovering well.”

Selyu watched Lorenzo’s voraciousness, unable to do anything but admire the demon hunter’s robust constitution. When she had found him in the alley, he seemed no different from a dead man.

”You seem well too.”

Lorenzo made some small talk, exchanging greetings.

Ever since Dean Lawrence’s attack, Lorenzo hadn’t seen Selyu. As one of the involved parties, she seemed unscathed.

”Have you joined now too?”

Lorenzo thought for a moment and asked.

Although he didn’t know how the Purification Mechanism handled subsequent matters, the demons were surely exposed entirely before Selyu, and given her special status, she might now be one of those in the know.

”Pretty much.”

Selyu nodded, unclear about what deal the Purification Mechanism made with her. She hadn’t been dragged away by those Cleaners for psychological suggestions or something like amnesiac hypnosis.

Mentioning this, Lorenzo glanced at Yawei, standing at the side; at this moment, only the three of them were left here.

”He knows about these too, but...”

Halfway through her sentence, Selyu seemed to think of something. She gestured to Yawei with her eyes. The old steward still looked a bit uneasy but had no choice but to leave, leaving only Lorenzo and Selyu here now.