Gun of Ashes

”Yeah.”

Erin replied calmly.

This answer shattered all of Red Falcon’s fanciful ideas, leaving him speechless, unsure of what to say.

”I’m so lost, where should I go after leaving here?”

Erin said as she sat back down on the edge of the bed, as if she were consulting Red Falcon.

”With my crimes, I should be locked up by you, right? Even if I’m not imprisoned, where else can I go?”

Erin muttered to herself.

”Gaulunaro? My homeland? In truth, I have no feelings for that place, only bad memories. Not long ago, I was with you opposing the Iron Law Bureau, turning Maruri Port into what it is now. If I go back, they might execute me on the spot, right?”

Erin’s mind wandered to other places, and she smelled a cold fragrance at the tip of her nose.

”The Viking countries? Sure, there are still some fond memories there, but... some people are already dead. Seeing those places again will only add to the sadness, not to mention, if I appear in the Viking countries, I will likely be executed on the spot.”

Erin chuckled as she thought.

”Thinking about it, being imprisoned by your Purification Mechanism isn’t so bad, at least I’ll still be alive... Will you come visit me?”

Erin suddenly directed her words to Red Falcon, catching him off guard, but Red Falcon quickly responded.

”Of course!”

Red Falcon replied swiftly, feeling delighted at the thought of that image.

In the dark dungeon, accompanied by evil laughter, Red Falcon appeared before Erin, who was shivering behind iron bars, begging for Red Falcon’s forgiveness. Red Falcon would taunt her with a proud smile.

”That’s so great, truly like brothers who have gone through life and death together!”

Erin moved to embrace him after hearing this, but she clearly misunderstood Red Falcon’s thoughts and was kicked back by him.

”But you live so simply, without many troubles; everything is just work and daily life.”

Erin envied Red Falcon’s mindset.

In truth, the person who understood Erin the most at that moment was Lorenzo. They both shared the same troubles, like lambs wandering in this world, without a home of their own.

No... Lorenzo didn’t have a home, but he was close to finding it, finding a place that belonged to him while Erin had just lost everything not long ago.

She tried to redeem herself, but failed; everything returned to the burning fire.

”What a pity, Moon,” Erin said again.

”Pity what?”

”I can’t stay.”

Erin said as she turned her head, the light illuminating her face just right, and in the bright light, Red Falcon couldn’t make out her expression.

”I really want to stay, but I have no reason, no right to stay.”

Just like Hebdo said, she made mistakes, committed evil deeds, so Erin must be punished.

”I think there should be something more worthwhile for us to do than killing and fighting, but sadly, I still don’t know what that something is? I also don’t know how to find it. Maybe one day, at some moment, I will find it, or maybe even if I spend my whole life, I will never find relief.”

Erin spoke of things that Red Falcon couldn’t understand, and suddenly Red Falcon thought of something, as if it were a confession. He had also been to church and witnessed the conversations between priests and believers, just like now, a somewhat comfortable moment, as the confused believers confessed themselves... What would a priest do?

Red Falcon thought for a while, then smiled at Erin.

”If you were in such a predicament, what would you do, Moon?”

”Do you mean retirement?”

The work of the Purification Mechanism was almost everything in Red Falcon’s life. If one day he lost everything, it would probably be because of retirement or being fired.

Red Falcon thought seriously.

”First, I would finish reading ’Hawk Under the Night’.

He said it earnestly. Red Falcon loved this book, ranking it even above fishing.

Erin fell silent, then sighed after a long pause. Perhaps it was truly a different way of thinking. Sometimes, Red Falcon was ridiculously foolish, foolish enough to be frustrating.

”I like that book too, acting heroically under the night, how wonderful, even though no one knows who he is.”

Erin didn’t bother to discuss this with Red Falcon anymore and instead commented on the book.

”Right, I like it too, mainly because it’s very immersive.”

”Immersive?”

”Yeah, our Purification Mechanism is quite like the Hunting Falcon, fighting in the night where no one can see, although not punishing villains, Demons aren’t any more gentle than villains.”

Who would have thought that Red Falcon liked the book for this reason? But thinking about it, it does make sense. Red Falcon once suspected the book was written by some retired guy from the Purification Mechanism. Unfortunately, he never got to meet the author.

”Oh well, I shouldn’t have placed my hopes on you.”

Erin gave up on confessing to Red Falcon. She found Red Falcon funny, the type of person she liked, simple and pure, but they were destined not to be the same kind of people. These simple and pure folks couldn’t grasp Erin’s complex thoughts.

”In the end, people live just to survive, right? Only by staying alive can we do things, only by staying alive can we realize something that only existed as a vision, only by staying alive can there be infinite possibilities, and if you die, then there’s nothing left, everything disappears.”