Gun of Ashes

Without the slightest hesitation, Oscar firmly denied.

”I won’t, I’ll stay far away, preferably never getting involved with anyone again. If possible... dying alone in the wilderness wouldn’t be too bad.”

After he finished speaking, as if realizing something, Oscar froze in place, dazed for a long time.

”Oscar, long ago, I thought I was an ordinary person, but later I met some other people who made me realize that being ordinary isn’t an inherent trait, but a self-made choice.”

Selyu started to ramble, remembering another friend.

Sometimes Selyu envied Eve; she made her choice, escaped Arthur’s cage, brave even more than men, wielding the Folding Blade ferociously slaying demons.

Selyu also wanted to make such a choice, but her reason told her a different answer.

”Everyone has their suitable place, just like you are only suited to write books, not to slay demons with Lorenzo.”

”I’m the same, I’m not suited for the battlefield, clashing with demons, instead, I’d hold others back... but that doesn’t mean I’m powerless in everything.

Even though I’m a woman, I have the ability to wield a sword, and if I can’t swing it, at least I can thrust a dagger.”

Selyu put down her pen and stretched, taking a mid-break.

”Now let’s switch roles. If you were that woman, what would you do? Oscar, you’re a writer, let your imagination run wild.”

Selyu exuded an awe-inspiring dignity, appearing accustomed to her identity as the Nation-Builder, speaking with confident authority.

”I... I can hardly imagine what being a woman would be like.”

Oscar gave a perplexing answer.

Selyu sighed helplessly; Oscar was like Lorenzo, always breaking the solemn atmosphere with nonsense when serious questions arose.

”Then what would you do?” Oscar retorted.

”Simple, I’m not as strong as a desperado, so I’d find another way, like running for mayor of a small town, offering weapons and healthcare fully to the desperado. Whatever he needs, give it to him, until the enemies are utterly defeated.”

Selyu clasped her hands in front of her, smiling at Oscar.

”Without prey, a hunter is no longer a hunter; without enemies, a desperado has no reason to continue his journey.”

...

”What’s your take on Duke Stuart joining the Nation-Builder?”

In the dark depths underground, Arthur asked Merlin beside him.

The existence of the Nation-Builder has gradually spread among the upper echelons of the Purification Mechanism. At first, everyone was astonished; before the Nation-Builder appeared, they thought the Purification Mechanism was the nation’s highest secret organization. But never did they expect there was still an even larger web enveloping the countries.

That’s the true center of power, the table deciding the fate of this vast communion.

But now a new star has come to this table. She is so young, and no one knows what changes her arrival will bring to all this.

”I’ll be a bystander, how else can I see it,” Merlin said, uninterested in the shifts among the upper echelons, ”as long as she’s willing to provide research funding for the Perpetual Motion Pump, I’m very welcoming to newcomers.”

”Then I suppose you’ll really like her; Stuart’s house and the Purification Mechanism have started a series of negotiations. They don’t have much capability, but they certainly have plenty of money, having business in the Viking countries, and in the coming days, your Perpetual Motion Pump will be extraordinarily affluent.”

Arthur picked up the document, flipping through it briefly.

Hearing this, Merlin snatched the document, his numb face showing rare signs of twitching.

”Any demands? Being so generous, surely there are a bunch of complicated demands, right?”

Merlin wasn’t overtaken by euphoria but asked calmly.

As a researcher, he was very aware of the annoyance brought by such patrons, who always thought that paying money entitled them to interfere in his research.

”There are no demands. The Stuart house states it’s a long-term investment, not concerned with short-term returns. But if there must be a demand...”

Arthur leaned against the observation window, pointing at an iron box being dragged into the Perpetual Motion Pump by rails.

”Duke Stuart has a relatively personal request: she needs you to fix that thing, preferably make it stronger. If possible, she suggests melting Holy Silver into it, restructuring its armor and frame, and prioritizing the development of all Holy Silver Weapons for this thing, even experimental weapons.”

He thought for a moment, then continued speaking to Merlin.

”Rounded up, it can be seen as experimental research, which shouldn’t conflict with your research direction.”

”Indeed, this new patron’s friendliness is simply surprising,” Merlin found it incredible, even Queen Victoria would pose some troublesome demands to them, not expecting this instead, ”but is it really this way? Won’t there be any added conditions in the future?”

”Don’t think about the future, old friend. If we don’t solve these issues, we won’t even have a future, let alone troubles from the future.”

Arthur looked at the slowly descending iron box, not in a good mood, ”What do you think of Lorenzo’s plan?”

”Not bad, instead of sharp weapons, what we need to do is ensure more can survive; the Mechanical Institute has already begun construction, and we’ll transform Old Dunling into a fortress. If it fails, hopefully someone will survive this disaster.”

Merlin sighed deeply, his stiff face devoid of expression, never having any expression, his vacant gaze alongside Arthur watching the iron box.

”I just detest making such decisions, planning for defeat before the war even starts.”

”Reality is harsh, we need such plans.” Arthur said.

”I understand, and Lorenzo understands too, so he came up with this plan... I assume he’s not very happy either.”

The iron box fell to the ground, technicians surrounded it, dismantling the outer iron plates, trying to reveal what’s inside.

Merlin observed this unknown gift; he hadn’t read the documents Arthur brought thoroughly, curious about what Duke Stuart actually sent.

”Wait a moment, is this thing from the Perpetual Motion Pump?”

Merlin noticed the serial number on the iron box.

”Yes, it is.” Arthur said.

During their conversation, shrill alarm sounds roared, the Geiger Counter emitted a piercing scream, technicians retreated immediately, but it was too late.

The iron box had been opened, heavy iron plates crashed down, revealing silver-white metal in the layers in-between, an iron box covered in Holy Silver.

The surrounding iron plates all toppled over, like an opened gift box, exposing what’s inside the iron box. Amidst the flying dust, a jagged, ferocious figure appeared under the light.

”She asked me to repair this thing?”

Merlin looked at that ominous figure, feeling surprised.

”That’s right, the first-generation Armor of Original Sin, code-named Black Angel, it was almost completely destroyed in the operation at Silent Sea.”

Arthur also looked at the standing Black Angel; at this moment, most of its Iron Feathers had fallen off, the remaining ones broken, its armor battered with pits, its frame burned gray-black, even bent.

These weren’t the fatal factors; what’s truly deadly was the completely out-of-control demon flesh. To manage this armor, all the flesh attached to it was completely stripped away, leaving only metallic remnants.

”What good would it do if repaired, who can control it?”

Merlin mumbled to himself, but just after speaking, a candidate popped into his mind, then he looked at Arthur.

Arthur guessed Merlin’s thought, nodding along.

”Indeed, Duke Stuart becoming a Nation-Builder is what I’m worried about.”

Mocking laughter vaguely echoed, coming from Lorenzo’s arrogant chuckle.