Gun of Ashes

The initial meeting was over, and Left Garrison said that if there were further contact, they would visit in person. Then, there were some miscellaneous matters and chatting with a few old folks, and Lorenzo was released back.

Unable to take the Purification Mechanism’s carriage on the way back, Lorenzo pestered Red Falcon to make it up to him by giving him a ride home, leaving Red Falcon quite exasperated. He cursed endlessly along the way, often annoyed by Lorenzo, and he never managed to annoy Lorenzo back, which left Red Falcon helpless.

Back in his familiar home, Lorenzo felt as though the anxiety of the past few days had finally eased, lying on the bed, feeling comfortable.

He remembered something, got out of bed, and sat at the desk, then opened a drawer and took out a photo album.

He flipped it open, revealing familiar faces.

Red Falcon, Bola, Eve, Selyu... and even Arthur.

The photos tucked inside varied, along with clippings from newspapers and some clearly torn from files, with yellowed edges. Beneath them were Lorenzo’s handwritten notes marking who these people were.

Since returning from the Silent Sea, Lorenzo had been very worried, fearing he’d forget someone. To prevent this, during his spare time, he collected these photos and compiled them all together.

Selyu’s photo was the easiest to collect, being Stuart’s Duchess. Any newspaper could provide her portrait. Arthur was similar, but those from the Purification Mechanism’s internal folks were rather difficult.

Lorenzo was too lazy to ask Red Falcon for a photo or take him to shoot one, knowing how torturous Red Falcon’s taunts could be, not inferior to his own. So, Lorenzo used strange applications to gain access to files, hoping those folks didn’t notice the missing photos.

One familiar face after another filled the album, ending with a group photo taken during their time in Gaulunaro.

The memories stirred, and Lorenzo calmed for a while, then put the album away, stuffing it back into the drawer, and headed downstairs.

”The Mechanical Institute has stopped all other production, fully assisting ’Death Row.’ Within half a month, we should be able to build a simple shelter under the Furnace Pillar. We cannot ensure the facilities are functional, but Holy Silver will fully cover the inside, blocking any invasion.”

Merlin’s words echoed in his mind, as Lorenzo scribbled on the map.

He swept everything off the table and laid the hanging map flat on it.

Old Dunling was under strict protection, with the Iron Whale and Armed Iron Serpent patrolling more frequently, not to mention the Peacekeepers patrolling the streets.

This wasn’t to curb Roger; iron and fire can’t kill him. All this was done for a somewhat cruel reason.

Once such a monster falls into Old Dunling, his release of corruption could create countless demons. Rather than fighting Roger, these arms were intended to kill citizens who might turn into demons.

Lorenzo drew a large triangle on the map, with its vertices located in Ingwig, Gaulunaro, and the Holy Evangelical Pope Kingdom.

Being uncertain of Roger’s specific movements, these three areas could potentially face his fierce attacks, and then... retaliation.

The thought gave Lorenzo a headache, feeling strange as though something was forgotten, or a wall was blocking him from thinking in a certain direction.

Under Heracles’ words, Lorenzo wondered if he had suffered from an Anti-Meme, but he couldn’t figure out why he would make a decision to forget something, or what it was that he forgot.

Thus, he found himself in a strange predicament. If he believed himself, Lorenzo shouldn’t delve deeper and should continue forgetting. If he doubted himself, he feared his actions might trigger some error.

Besides, is the truth really like this?

Countless doubts enveloped Lorenzo at the time when suspicion was least necessary, his mind severely tested.

He took out the ”Echo of the End,” fiddling with the black cube.

This black cube was highly tempting, like erosion. Lorenzo could feel its influence, drawing him to inquire, but he understood it wasn’t the black cube’s issue but his own.

Everyone is like this; when encountering such a world-altering black cube, no one can stop imagining it.

The magic lies not in gold, but in the heart.

Lorenzo rubbed the surface of the black cube, feeling its coldness, while his gaze remained fixed on the map.

His internal doubts intensified. Lorenzo liked everything being in his control, but now the mingling of reality and illusion made him uneasy, leading to a moment of delusion when staring at the black cube.

An Anti-Meme is self-contained information, needing a carrier to hold it. Therefore, is this black cube genuinely its carrier?

This is a black box; Lorenzo couldn’t prove any of it, just as he couldn’t prove whether he was influenced by the Anti-Meme.

”Perhaps I need another plan, a countermeasure for all possible... ultimate kills.”

Lorenzo leaned back, crossed his legs, holding the black cube like cradling a child.

An Anti-Meme requires a carrier; this carrier could be a heavy rain, a black cube, or even... a person.