Gun of Ashes

Under the protection of the Red Falcon, Yawei also boarded the rear carriage with Selyu. After preparations were complete, the pitch-black convoy began traversing the streets of Old Dunling.

”I really didn’t expect you to come in person.”

”This matter involves a future Duke; one can never be too cautious.”

”Who are those people?”

Lorenzo asked directly.

Those mysterious invaders, although it’s unclear exactly who’s using whom, it is certain that those people are connected to Demons.

”We’ve already investigated them, but there’s both good news and bad news.”

Merlin, rare to be coy, didn’t wait for Lorenzo to press the issue and revealed everything, as if realizing that the Demon Hunter’s mood wasn’t great at the moment.

”The good news is, with our Purification Mechanism’s control, we identified their identities in just one night.”

This was indeed a highly efficient execution, Lorenzo nodded in agreement.

”They are Exiled People, relics of the Radiant War.”

”Exiled People?”

Lorenzo didn’t understand how this related to Exiled People.

”Exactly, Exiled People. Due to historical reasons, although they live on Ingwig’s land, we don’t really get along with them. Even if policies advocate equal treatment, there are always those who look with hatred.”

This reminded Lorenzo of that Baron; for some Ingwig people, oppressing Exiled People was quite normal.

”Under such conflict, it gave many restless individuals an opportunity.”

Merlin explained.

”This isn’t the Purification Mechanism’s domain. We only combat Demons. In this respect, other departments are involved, but due to work, we know quite a bit. Recently, Exiled People in the south have consolidated, and among them, radicals established a terrorist organization targeting Ingwig.”

”I suppose it’s the Gaulunaro people’s doing, right?”

Lorenzo remarked, considering the social status and poor economic resources of Exiled People. They couldn’t achieve this unless someone was assisting them from behind.

”So, these invaders are also members of that Exiled People terrorist organization?”

Merlin nodded.

”Exactly. In the south, they’ve launched several attacks on the nobility, which has caught our attention; it was unexpected that they managed to reach Old Dunling.”

Lorenzo shook his head, correcting the statement.

”Rather than not expecting them to reach Old Dunling, what truly surprised us is their connection to Lawrence Dean.”

”Lawrence Dean?”

Merlin’s expression turned serious immediately, starting to comprehend why Lorenzo was so cold—it was related to Lawrence Dean.

”Does this relate to Lawrence Dean?”

Within the Purification Mechanism, Lawrence Dean posed a significant threat, and countermeasure groups had produced several contingency plans for potential harm he might cause.

”Yes.”

Lorenzo nodded and said,

”If my deduction is correct, all of this is orchestrated by Lawrence Dean behind the scenes... His target is Selyu.”

”Miss Stuart? What does he intend to do?”

Merlin appeared quite puzzled; if Lawrence Dean was attacking the Phoenix family, he could understand somewhat, but now he’s completely lost.

”I don’t know either, if I did, we wouldn’t be so passive.”

Lorenzo looked at Merlin with intense caution. If Lawrence Dean could invade others’ wills at will using erosion as a medium, then everyone in the Purification Mechanism fighting Demons was at risk of being invaded.

In other words, Lawrence Dean could invade at any time, and maybe even the Merlin before him might already be invaded. It could be Lawrence Dean conversing with him now.

This was the most troublesome enemy Lorenzo had ever encountered.

”But beyond Lawrence Dean, what is Merlin’s other piece of bad news?”

Lorenzo gazed into Merlin’s hollow eyes; honestly, there was no bad news capable of impacting Lorenzo anymore.

”The bad news is those two are already in a state of brain death.”

Merlin replied.

”Brain death?”

This was a new concept for Lorenzo.

Due to the past Evangelical Church’s teachings, dissecting corpses was considered an act of blasphemy, greatly hindering the progress of modern medicine at the time. Lorenzo recalled attending classes at the Royal Medical College and professors specifically discussing this historical context.

To uncover the Truth of the human body, given the era’s environment back then, the profession of Gravediggers was born—they excavated the recently buried Dead, sold them at a set price, advancing anatomy studies.

Yet even so, exploration of the human brain remained pitifully limited, requiring not just corpses but at times numerous live experiments.

Considering the Perpetual Motion Pump’s experimental conditions, Lorenzo seemed to understand something.

”Brain death is one terminology we use to define death; it was discovered during our research on frontal lobe removal surgeries, occurring when brain damage is extreme.

”Severe coma, disappearance of autonomous respiratory capability and brainstem reflexes.”

Merlin attempted to explain using terminology Lorenzo could comprehend.

”Under external force, the body can remain healthily alive, but it merely becomes a breathing piece of flesh, with the soul inside already gone.”

”Consciousness thoroughly extinguished.”

Lorenzo’s gaze dropped slightly, contemplating this newfound knowledge.

Consciousness extinguished... Brain death...

During the final moments of those two invaders, that terrifying and hideous expression.

Hello...

The hoarse voice echoed in his ears, giving Lorenzo a new idea. Perhaps at that instant, those two were already dead; their minds had been utterly destroyed, allowing a new will to enter, greeting him from afar using others’ bodies.

Lawrence Dean.

All signs pointed towards that mysterious renegade. He carried the Holy Grail; no bizarre ability Lawrence Dean bore would cause Lorenzo surprise.

After all, that’s the source of the concept of Demons, the inception of it all.

Deep breath—after immense powerlessness, came the fury of revenge, burning fiercely, propelling Lorenzo, urging this soul of the Night of the Holy Arrival to keep moving forward.

”So, no intel can be extracted?”

”That’s not true; we will investigate how they entered Old Dunling. There will always be some clues left for us, but it’ll surely take considerable time.”

Merlin was confident in the Purification Mechanism’s executional power, yet looking toward Lorenzo, this Demon Hunter appeared more silent.

”Then Mr. Holmes, can you explain to me the specifics of this situation? The Exiled People, Lawrence Dean, and Stuart’s heir—how does this all come together?”

Lorenzo raised his head, studying Merlin, speaking softly.

”This could turn into a rather complex story.”

”No problem, we have plenty of time to pass.”

Merlin said, lifting the curtain, peering through the gap at the world outside the carriage. The vast industrial zone loomed closer, akin to a steel forest, with only him knowing where they were about to arrive.

Seeing this, Lorenzo hesitated slightly, but after some contemplation, he decided it’s not the time to hide secrets, and asked,

”Merlin, do you know about the [Gap]?”

The mysterious, enigmatic thing connects everyone.

Perhaps the Alchemy Master before him could provide some answers.

In response, Merlin shook his head, the mysterious Alchemist softly said,

”Mr. Holmes, rather than ’words’, I’d rather you describe that so-called [Gap], because different countries have distinct cultures, and Hunters pursuing Demons have various terminologies.”

Merlin leaned against the back of his chair, guiding Lorenzo, proving himself as an excellent Scholar, a mysterious Scholar.

”Maybe I comprehended what [Gap] is, just within my knowledge, this entity isn’t called [Gap].”

”Just like in some madmen’s eyes, hateful monsters aren’t called Demons—they regard them as... God.”

The Alchemist spoke with profound implication, as if hinting at something.