Gun of Ashes

This was a premeditated attack, and in an instant, Ice Bay plunged into chaos. The patrol teams ran through the streets, trying to stabilize the situation, but the forces hidden within Ice Bay also became agitated, pushing the disorder to the extreme, making it difficult for the patrols to control the situation.

Flames soared into the sky, and people fought in the darkness. Blood flowed everywhere, while others could only hide in the dark corners of their houses, trembling, praying for the night to pass.

”What’s going on?”

Blue Jade protected Selyu, hiding in the corner. They extinguished the lights inside the room, surrounded by darkness, while Hebdo stood by the window, sidelong glancing at the chaos outside.

”The assassination of Froki has begun.”

Hebdo said coldly, holding a firearm and a folding blade, his muscles tense, ready to strike.

”Let’s get ready to leave, everyone.”

At this moment, Selyu stood up from the darkness and said expressionlessly.

”Leave? Are you crazy? Walking into the chaos?” Hebdo thought the girl before him was insane, as this was clearly the safest place.

Selyu shook her head; as a mere spectator passing by, she seemed to be the one most aware of the situation.

”Everyone wishes for Froki to die, but you need Froki, don’t you?”

Selyu looked outside the window, where flames burned and figures flickered among them.

Blue Jade’s face changed slightly, understanding Selyu’s meaning, ”We need to find Froki; he cannot die here.”

”There’s Lorenzo too, and under such circumstances, I believe he would think of this as well. Maybe he’s already on his way to Froki’s residence.” Hebdo’s heart churned, yet he calmed down and made a judgment.

”Precisely because of this, we should go find Froki.”

Selyu said again, looking at Blue Jade and Hebdo, her eyes clear, piercing through the darkness in their hearts.

”I know you must be hiding something from me, right? Maybe this escort is just a cover, and you have other actions to perform.”

Alarm bells rang in Blue Jade’s mind; she had long heard of Selyu’s keen intuition, and now confronted with it, she felt immense pressure. It seemed like no secret could be hidden from the woman before her, and the two were completely exposed in her eyes.

”Froki is very important to you, he must be kept alive.”

”What are you trying to say?” Hebdo asked.

”It’s simple. Find Froki now, and maybe we’ll meet Lorenzo there and then kidnap him, escaping this damned place,” Selyu revealed her plan, ”No need to communicate with Ice Bay, nor apply for the King’s permission, easily bypassing the Lords’ constraints.”

”The civil war among the Viking nations has never ended, and we unfortunate bunch have been dragged into the chessboard. The best decision now is to tip the chessboard over and have none play further.”

Listening to Selyu’s simple and crude plan, Hebdo’s expression twisted; he hesitated and struggled. Meanwhile, Selyu slowly drew a delicate dagger and then winked at Blue Jade.

Blue Jade froze, totally unclear about Selyu’s implication, but her small action didn’t escape Blue Jade’s notice, as she saw the sharp dagger being gripped in Selyu’s hand.

”Wait a minute! Wait a minute!”

Blue Jade panicked; if her guess was correct, Selyu meant for her to cooperate in offing Hebdo. What was going on with this girl?

She grabbed Selyu’s hand, making her retract the dagger, while Selyu stared blankly at Blue Jade and then said in a low voice.

”Hebdo is the King’s subordinate; maybe he’s the one who set us up. Soon someone will come to kill us and then pin Froki’s death on us.”

”Why would you think that?” Blue Jade couldn’t help but ask.

”Isn’t this common sense?”

Selyu evidently didn’t understand Blue Jade; if not for her intervention, Selyu might really have offed Hebdo and proceeded to hijack Froki.

Blue Jade fell silent. Though she had seen Selyu as a delicate and adorable doll during these days of interaction, now she found an absurdly sharp dagger hidden behind the soft paddings.

”Then Hebdo, how can you prove you’re on our side?”

Finding her ambush failed, with no chance of killing Hebdo, Selyu could only see if he could become a teammate.

Hebdo swallowed hard, having seen the dagger too. This girl felt strange to him, cold and silent, like a calm sea without ripples.

Looking into the sea, the layers of darkness overshadowed everything visible.

Indeed, none of Lorenzo’s friends were normal people.

Hebdo concluded internally, then said seriously.

”I... at least have a life-and-death friendship with Lorenzo.”

Selyu stared at him, her ice-blue eyes scrutinizing the Viking before her. Soon, she sighed.

”Forget it, let’s go.”

Selyu picked up a coat, wrapping herself tightly, inserting the dagger and folding blade in her pocket while grabbing a gun, fully armed.

”Is she really the Duke? Is there a problem with your Ingwig education?”

Hebdo and Blue Jade followed behind Selyu, asking in a low voice, having seen her as a harmless little girl all these days, yet now she was full of killing intent.

”She was mentored by Mr. Lorenzo Holmes, indeed.” Blue Jade replied with some helplessness.

Hebdo didn’t know what else to say for a moment, merely following them. Selyu’s words indeed moved them; regardless, Froki mustn’t die, for he is crucial.