Gun of Ashes

Though money is an external possession, when it accumulates, one must admit, it looks quite appealing.

”Next round, next round! Is there no one else?”

Lorenzo waited for a while, shouting to the people around him, but still, no one stepped forward, and the casino sank into silence.

Someone opened the doors and windows, and a cold breeze blew inside, extinguishing people’s desires and plunging them into a cold daze, followed by a surge of anger.

The ones playing cards here are mostly those engaged in unspeakable dealings, blood-stained thugs.

The crowd gathered, eyes filled with malice.

Bola forcefully pressed Lorenzo’s shoulder. With Lorenzo around, there was no need to worry about personal safety, but this wasn’t the Lower City District, it was Ice Bay, and they still had a task to perform.

”If no one’s playing, then I’m leaving. Where can I exchange these chips for money?”

Lorenzo ignored Bola’s hint. He tugged at the dealer’s sleeve, who looked at Lorenzo with terror. This guy just didn’t get the atmosphere; if it were him, he would have long left the chips behind and quietly left.

”No one can win forever.”

A voice sounded, and people moved aside to reveal a man behind them, with a scarred face that gave a fierce impression. Lorenzo temporarily dubbed him ”Scarface” in his mind.

”So you’re here to pick a fight, is that it?”

Bola pulled hard on Lorenzo’s collar. This guy was clearly here to stir up trouble.

”What else then?” Lorenzo said in a low voice, ”Wherever there are people, there are rules, and there are those who set them. Are we supposed to go house-to-house to find out who’s the lord’s spy?”

”As the local king of this grey area, he can’t be unaware of these things. We just need to find their leader, interrogate him harshly, and we can get the information.”

Lorenzo analyzed reasonably and logically.

Bola looked at him for a moment, he believed him, but then he felt something was off. They could completely eliminate everyone silently and then interrogate, rather than wasting time at the gambling table. This reasoning seemed like Lorenzo making excuses for himself.

”If luck is good enough, one can indeed keep winning.”

Lorenzo shouted loudly.

”You cheated.”

Scarface didn’t care about Lorenzo’s explanation and stated confidently.

The situation was becoming precarious, the dealer had long retreated, leaving only these two outsiders in the hall with a group of aggressive Vikings.

”Ahem, wanna learn? I can actually teach you,” Lorenzo said something strange, ”but I want to see your boss.”

”I am the boss!”

Scarface shouted.

Lorenzo squinted his eyes, scrutinizing him. He felt this person was somewhat dumb, not much like a boss, and recalled the past; Lorenzo once participated in a gamble like this. He thought the guy in front of him was just a scapegoat; the real boss was still hidden in the shadows.

”Then it seems we can’t talk this out.”

Lorenzo slowly stood up, placing his hands on the gambling table, his head lowered, without looking at anyone.

Bola guessed right, Lorenzo did this on purpose, and in reality, they weren’t here to find the lord’s spy at all.

”Bola, you say, with the internal strife and external threats at Ice Bay, if we trigger a conflict, does Galron still have the strength to protect Froki?”

”What... what are you saying?”

Bola doubted his ears. He knew Lorenzo’s plans were always insane, but he never thought it would be this sinister.

”I’m saying, proceed as planned.”

”What plan!”

Bola was on the verge of a breakdown; Lorenzo had told him nothing and started gambling as soon as they came in. The stakes were from a Viking he knocked out and robbed.

Lorenzo looked at Bola as if he were a fool, then flipped the gambling table.

Countless chips soared into the air, catching everyone’s attention. The next moment, cold metal emerged from the wooden cover as Lorenzo swung the Staff Sword, cutting the gambling table in half.

A storm erupted without siding with any faction, like a sudden tempest.

The next moment, an invisible and violent pressure descended. Fire flickered in Lorenzo’s eyes, spreading fear and despair. The enraged Vikings were frozen in place, unable to attack as if seized by some terrible evil anomaly.

They stared at Lorenzo, and it felt like staring into the Abyss.

At that moment, the sharp sound of an explosion erupted, brilliant flames igniting with Lorenzo’s swing of the sword, tearing through the night sky, setting Ice Bay’s dock ablaze.

”Did you... do that?”

Bola watched the flames lit up the darkness, shocked in his heart. Judging by the fire, they’d likely be beheaded at the docks by dawn.

”If I said it wasn’t me, would you believe it?”

Lorenzo was also stunned. He turned back to look at the burning flames, the warm breeze mingling with the scent of blood.

”Then what’s going on?” Bola questioned, this was beyond his expectations.

As Lorenzo pondered, Scarface rushed forward with a knife. Metal clashed, and Scarface felt an irresistible force in his hand. The dagger was then flicked away, fiercely embedding into the wooden table.

Before Scarface could react, a heavy punch struck his face, breaking his nose, blood spilling, crashing into the crowd, causing chaos.

Amid cries and howls, a group of burly men rushed up, shouting tearfully.

”Boss! Boss! What’s wrong with you!”

Seeing their genuine cries, Lorenzo paused, then couldn’t help but ask.

”Is he really your boss?”

”What else then?”

The burly men shouted, tear-streaked, drawing their weapons, looking ready to follow their boss to the Heroic Spirit Hall.

Listening to their sincere words, Lorenzo was somewhat moved. Having lived in the deceitful Lower City District for so long, he hadn’t encountered such honest and straightforward people in a while. If they say he’s the boss, he’s the boss, straightforward and resolute, touching to the point of tears.

”This guy really is a lunatic from the Apocalypse Society! They’re dragging Ice Bay along with them to the Heroic Spirit Hall!”

The burly men looked at Lorenzo with the Staff Sword, then at the raging fire outside, the constant screams and chaos.

”Wait a minute? Apocalypse Society!”

Lorenzo felt he heard something that shouldn’t appear here. He raised the Staff Sword, pointing the tip at them all.

The pressure from the Secret Blood forced the burly men, their hearts pounding, unable to retaliate against Lorenzo’s blade.

”You’re...not one of them?”

Scarface slowly sat up, covering his nose, his voice muffled.

”What’s going on...could it be...”

Lorenzo suddenly thought of something, looking at Bola, a bit of panic in his eyes.

He remembered Ragnar’s words; Froki attended the Apocalypse Society’s gathering, supposed to die with the other members there, but he escaped, returning alive to Ice Bay...

”The lord betrayed the society, he was supposed to die there, the society won’t let this happen, traitors will be punished...”

Scarface tore open his chest, revealing a burn scar twisted into a cross. It seemed a tattoo had been there, but it was burnt off.

”I was once one of them. I know their madness, and this is their revenge.”

Scarface said with several degrees of fear.

”Spread death.”

Lorenzo grabbed Bola and rushed out of the casino, seeing the night sky ablaze, the flames stretching up to the mountainside, nearing the lord’s residence.

”They want to kill Froki, let him complete his death.”

Bola’s voice trembled. He had thought there might be battles in Ice Bay, but he hadn’t expected it to come so quickly and to be so overwhelming.

”What do we do, Lorenzo!”

In response to Bola’s inquiry, Lorenzo had somehow donned a silver crown, shining in the night, one hand holding up the Staff Sword, the other gripping the Winchester.

”Follow the original plan!”

He said, then charged into the burning night.