Gun of Ashes

”Are you afraid of Hebdo?”

Erin’s expression paused for a moment, though brief, it was incredibly obvious in Lorenzo’s eyes.

She looked at Lorenzo, unsure of what to say for a while, and finally, she asked helplessly.

”When did you find out?”

”From the first time you met Hebdo, your reaction was interesting, like a mouse encountering a cat... you were very frightened.”

Erin didn’t continue to explain. Her expression relaxed, the disguise she had always kept up fell away at this moment. She finally seemed a bit relieved, although she didn’t want it to be this way, but to keep pretending in front of Lorenzo would only embarrass herself.

”Your main purpose of driving away Red Falcon was also to isolate Hebdo, wasn’t it?”

Erin looked at the closed door, realizing that she avoided talking about Hebdo with Lorenzo every time.

”Yes, compared to you, I’m more uneasy about that guy.”

Lorenzo stared intently at Erin, his gaze made Erin a bit uncomfortable.

”Hebdo is Ivar’s personal guard.” Erin said.

Lorenzo thought for a moment.

”A love triangle?”

”?”

Unable to bear Erin’s disdainful look, Lorenzo repeatedly apologized.

”Sorry, I was just trying to lighten the mood.”

”Is there any need to lighten the mood?”

Erin almost laughed in exasperation at Lorenzo.

”I thought so, at least that’s how it seemed to me.” Lorenzo continued to explain.

”After all, you are the famous Erin Adler. Before coming here, Hebdo warned me countless times. In his eyes, you are like a cold viper, and you saw how Red Falcon looked.

You so easily captured his mind. Honestly, it’s hard not to be wary.”

Perhaps surprised by how Lorenzo perceived her, Erin shook her head. She had been beaten by Red Falcon, her whole body ached, the pain interfering with her thoughts.

”Do you smoke?” Lorenzo asked, ”You look a bit rough.”

Erin nodded, then continued.

”You know my work, to get close to the target, I’m quite versatile. I even learned to repair steam engines, though it was a crash course.”

Erin recalled those troublesome jobs as she spoke.

”At that time, my target was a captain. He managed a smuggling line of arms. I boarded as a mechanic, he thought it would be an unforgettable journey with me, but in the end, I shoved him into the furnace, leaving not even ashes.”

”Wow, that sounds pretty grim.”

Lorenzo said as he handed a cigarette mixed with Wind Tobacco to Erin and lit it for her.

”Hallucinogen?”

Erin immediately realized the problem with the cigarette, and Lorenzo answered.

”More or less, I use it for stress relief, helps relieve the pain quite a bit.”

”Indeed.”

Erin also felt it, the pain diluted, gradually she felt nothing.

Leaning against the headboard, she seemed to realize she couldn’t change anything. Her slightly reddened eyes finally overflowed, and she tilted her head back, trying not to let Lorenzo see this embarrassing scene.

”If it’s not a love triangle, then what is it?”

Lorenzo tactfully didn’t look at Erin, instead casually picked up a book from the side and flipped through it. Surprisingly, it was that damned ”Secrets of Victoria.”

Actually, he was also quite curious about the ending of this story.

”I’ve read this book.”

Erin glanced at the book from the side, not knowing exactly to whom she was speaking.

”Many times, I could only hide in my room, during those boring periods, I read these odd books. Actually, back then, my ending wasn’t that much different from this.”

”What do you mean?”

”I once had a chance, a chance to escape.”

Erin recalled as she spoke, puffing away.

”Ivar asked me if I was interested in leaving here. Even though that guy always looked like he was owed money, incredibly gloomy, he liked to wander around. In his words, he hated the cold north and wanted to see warm lands.”

Perhaps the Wind Tobacco was taking effect, Erin wasn’t sure if it was an illusion or not, in her blurred vision she saw that long-lost face.

”But he is the offspring of the King of the Ice Sea. Though deformed from birth, his status remained higher than most, bearing extraordinary significance. He said he cherished his childhood most, back when his father wasn’t the King of the Ice Sea, nor did he see him as a deformity, he would take him out to sea.

Even though the burden was heavy, Ivar could still howl against the storm, but with the crowning, all that was lost.”

Lorenzo felt he was getting close to the deep secret, he softly asked.

”And then? What happened? Did you plan to abscond with Ivar?”

Erin stayed silent for a moment, then nodded.

”It was a long-planned escape. I plotted a route, we would tour nations, everything was beautiful, even his guard Hebdo was convinced by me.”

”Actually, Hebdo was a nice guy, he once privately told me he sympathized with Ivar. Though it might seem pitiable, disgustingly so, he thought Vikings shouldn’t die in wheelchairs, let alone someone who carried the blood of the King of the Ice Sea. He couldn’t bear to see Ivar continue to dwindle like this.

So under my persuasion, he let us go.”

Erin took a deep breath, a cigarette burned out, and Lorenzo compliantly handed her another one. The Wind Tobacco made Erin very relaxed, in such exhaustion, it was her most unwary moment, also the best chance for Lorenzo to learn secrets.

”And then?”

Lorenzo kept pressing.

”Then? Then, as you might guess, at first everyone was happy, like in the story of ’Secrets of Victoria’, the boy and girl escaped to an unknown journey, Hebdo took all the blame to cover our tracks, and then... I let him down.”

Erin’s gaze was somewhat vacant, staring straight ahead into the void.

”The joy didn’t last long, we were intercepted by Iron Law Bureau warships lying in wait in the open sea, Ivar was captured, and at the time he was as if knowing it would happen, not saying a word.”

Lorenzo looked at Erin, suddenly realizing his suspicion might be true, feeling a pang of fear, and... an absurdity.

”What a low-level mistake, how could you make such a mistake, Erin?” Lorenzo asked.

Erin turned to look at Lorenzo, knowing she had been seen through, she smiled and questioned back.

”And you, Lorenzo Holmes, have you never made a mistake in your life?”

Lorenzo was stunned, and Erin continued.

”Perhaps this is human frailty, I suspect Mr. Holmes, you’ve killed many, an uncountable number.”

Lorenzo stiffly nodded, Erin asked.

”Can you still distinguish whether it’s pure slaughter or executing what you believe to be justice? Can you tell the difference?”

Erin laughed self-mockingly.

”Just like me, like us, we all wear masks, but sometimes we remember the mask exists, but more often it’s merged with our face and can’t be removed.”

”This is just too sad, Erin.”

Lorenzo felt sorrowful for all of this, pitying Erin.

”Did you fall in love with him?”

Silence, not knowing how long this silence persisted, Erin started laughing, unable to stop, eventually coughing, pulling at her wounds.

”How could I?”

As if it were some sort of amusing joke, she almost laughed to tears.