Gun of Ashes

”So you anticipated all this from the start?”

”I wouldn’t say anticipated, just had a bit of a hunch.”

Voices could be heard, sounding like two men talking about something.

”A hunch about what?” the man asked.

”A hunch that Erin Adler isn’t a simple person; she must have other plans that we’re not aware of yet,” the other man replied.

”So this is a trap you set? You bastard, you used me!” the man’s voice rose.

”It’s not using you, it’s just being prepared. I guessed that if Erin wanted to do something, being alone with you would be her only chance. We wouldn’t be there, only you, who had lost to her before, would be,” the other man continued.

”What do you mean, lost to her?”

”You were tricked by her once, weren’t you? If it’s still you, it would make her lower her guard.”

”Lower her guard? She almost killed me!”

”But I changed the bullets for you; otherwise, she might have used real bullets when she shot at you. You’d be dead now.”

”So I should thank you, huh?” The man’s voice was filled with anger.

”If you’d like, you can thank me,” the other man shamelessly said.

”Lorenzo!”

Red Falcon’s voice rose. He was about to curse Lorenzo but was interrupted by Lorenzo.

”She seems to be waking up.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a blurry face appeared in view, unclear to her, and then a slight pain came from her neck.

”Florun Potion, should help you wake up... Wow, Red Falcon, you hit her hard. Can’t you be gentle with a lady?”

”She almost killed me, Lorenzo! Almost, just a bit more!”

As the two bickered, Erin slowly came to her senses.

She was unclear about what exactly Florun Potion was, but the effects were obvious. She felt as if her head was removed from her skull, soaked in cold water, then roughly shoved back in after cooling.

Erin blinked hard and finally saw her surroundings clearly. She was lying on a bed, trying to move, but her limbs were clearly tied with something, and on either side of her were Lorenzo and Red Falcon, sitting on her left and right.

Red Falcon’s arm was completely bandaged, with a brace hanging around his neck. His face had many new wounds, which Erin remembered she had just caused.

Lorenzo, on the other hand, looked the same as always, staring at her seriously, but in the depths of his gray-blue eyes, there was a hint of amusement.

He had won. Erin couldn’t hold back and revealed her plan in front of Lorenzo.

”Even though you said you came to help us, how could I believe someone like you?”

Seeing Erin wake up, Lorenzo began to speak slowly.

”Was all this your doing?”

Erin’s voice was weak; her head hurt a lot, though it was understandable. Red Falcon had hit her with all his might, and the doctor had cut off her long hair to bandage the wound, wrapping her head in layers.

”Yes, your time alone with Red Falcon and the weapons in the violin case were all prepared for you. If you really had any plans, you wouldn’t have missed this opportunity.”

Lorenzo continued.

”You’ve already turned against the Iron Law Bureau, and after this action, you’re bound to be against me as well. That’s not a good situation. Besides, you don’t have full confidence of escaping, do you?”

Lorenzo continued analyzing Erin’s thoughts, finding it more interesting the deeper he dug.

”So what exactly is the reason? What kind of thought would make you risk so much?”

Faced with Lorenzo’s questions, Erin acted as if nothing happened. Like Lorenzo, she was skilled at hiding her true thoughts.

The two briefly met eyes, and Lorenzo, feeling a bit helpless, spoke.

”Red Falcon, you should go rest.”

”Rest? I can still go on!”

Red Falcon was surprised but responded. Although he could only move one hand, he still felt like challenging Erin. Oddly, Red Falcon wanted to compete with Erin today.

Seeing this, Erin smiled helplessly. She felt foolish for being toppled by such a guy. Lorenzo then stood up, his face serious as he spoke.

”Let me put it another way: leave, understand?”

”Ah... fine.”

With two hands, he couldn’t beat Lorenzo, let alone with one. Red Falcon looked at the two and then walked out. From the doorway, Eve and Hebdo could be seen tidying up the living room, which Red Falcon and Erin had nearly turned upside down during their fight.

Lorenzo followed and glanced over at the living room.

”Hasn’t Heracles come back yet?”

”No, but Polo has been brought back.”

Eve said, pointing at the big rat running around everywhere. After they returned, the staff had brought it back. As for where Heracles went, no one knew.

”Is that so...”

Lorenzo wasn’t worried about Heracles. Besides that peculiar brain, Heracles had no other strengths, so he had a clear understanding of himself. Pursuing benefits and avoiding harm was too simple for him.

Shutting the door, only Lorenzo and Erin were left in the room. He sat back in his seat, looked at Erin, and then spoke softly.