Gun of Ashes

It seems like I’m really going to get a promotion.

”Is there anything else besides this? There shouldn’t be worse news, right?”

”No, but there is another gathering. Do you want to come?” Blue Jade said.

”A gathering?”

”Yeah, an invitation from Oscar Wilde. He said, ’Let’s have a celebration banquet for you heroes’.”

Blue Jade said while taking out an invitation. Although it’s an invitation from Oscar, the address is the Stuart’s house. Looks like Oscar has successfully mooched off the Stuart family.

”Ah... Is that so? Is the time set?”

”Not yet, but it seems the Stuarts will send someone to pick you up.”

Bola couldn’t help but sigh at this.

”Such a wealthy family.”

Bola leaned against the wall, hugging the quilt in front of him, stretching out forcefully, almost sprawling his body across the bed.

He stared at the ceiling as the room gradually fell into silence, leaving only the sound of his and Blue Jade’s heartbeat and breathing.

Bola felt like he thought about a lot, but it also seemed he didn’t think about anything at all. His mind was simply blank, passing through boring yet peaceful times.

”Living is so good, Blue Jade.”

Bola sighed.

...

”Promotion... raise... retirement...”

Red Falcon nestled into the sofa, sleeping soundly, occasionally muttering in his sleep.

Due to a mix of emotions, Lorenzo finally didn’t let him sleep in his room but rather vindictively made Red Falcon sleep on the living room sofa. Anyway, this guy wouldn’t mind much.

Red Falcon leaned against the fireplace, like a big dog sleeping on a blanket in winter. His sleeping posture was terrible, striking various positions that Lorenzo couldn’t imitate.

Lorenzo sighed. If not unexpectedly, with Red Falcon’s personality, he would hang around here for days until he found a place to stay.

”Seems like you’ve got company now.”

Eve sat aside, looking at the sleeping Red Falcon, speaking mischievously.

”If possible, I still prefer living alone,” Lorenzo responded.

”Really?” Eve said, ”I thought you might enjoy a lively life.”

Lorenzo hesitated for a few seconds, then uncertainly said.

”Who knows, actually just now, before you and Red Falcon arrived, I was thinking that living alone seemed a bit boring, too quiet. I even considered inviting a few roommates.”

This time Lorenzo didn’t conceal but spoke truthfully.

These few days of rest, waking alone, sleeping alone... Clearly living in such a prosperous Old Dunling, the distance between Lorenzo and people has inexplicably widened.

”You’re just not quite used to it, right?”

”Used to it?”

”Yeah, fighting and killing occupy only a small part of life. For most people, their lives simply don’t have such days,” Eve said, ”Mediocrity is the norm for most people.”

”Is that so... Maybe.”

Lorenzo moved his injured arm, feeling the pain on it.

”I’m still learning how to be more human, how to live an ordinary life.”

Looking back on his life, Lorenzo only felt wonder and abnormality, a demon meat grinder with a blank face, eventually became like this.

In this case, many times Lorenzo can understand his fear. He’s accustomed to the demon meat grinder life. For ordinary people, that ordinary life, in Lorenzo’s view, is instead a mass of unknown difficult to grasp. Now he’s diving into such unknown, learning, adapting.

”Perhaps the missed things can still be compensated.”

Lorenzo said something Eve couldn’t understand, it was something from a conversation with Left Garrison back then, Lorenzo was in distress over the things he missed. But looking at it now, if he could eradicate demons, perhaps he still had a chance to make amends.

”But you must have something on your mind, right?”

Lorenzo suddenly changed the subject, directly pointing at Eve.

This sudden question caught Eve off guard, her expression slightly flustered. But facing Lorenzo’s cheeky eyes, she knew she couldn’t hide for long and simply admitted frankly.

”Indeed there is something.”

”What is it?”

”I seem to be getting a promotion.”

”Oh... Ah?”

Lorenzo exclaimed, getting up to look at Eve, clueless.

”Promotion? So soon? How long have you been in the job?”

”Who knows?”

Eve waved her hand, with a look of pride.

”Think about it, a newcomer, just in the job for this long, with such a rich resume, and I’m still a natural Ranger... Now there is a shortage of people, seems I’m going to be promoted to Upper-Rank Knight.”

Eve’s resume is quite impressive, having experienced many battles large and small, and she herself showed ample capability, becoming more and more composed on the hellish battlefield. Plus, the natural Ranger advantage allows her to plunge deep into enemy lines, cutting seven in and seven out.

Thinking back, Lorenzo’s expression subtly changed. Remembering back then when a girl trembled in fear facing the demon, now she can chase demons while hacking them, Lorenzo couldn’t help but marvel at the world’s bizarreness.

”Actually, it’s mainly because of Arthur, right?”

Lorenzo hit the nail on the head.

Eve was silent for a moment, then let out waves of sinister laughter.

”Then should I wish Ms. Phoenix a smooth career path?” Lorenzo also laughed.

”It’s natural, after I become...”

The two chuckled, Eve strongly patted Lorenzo’s shoulder.

”Do a good job, you’ll have your share afterward!”

”Then I can only thank the boss in advance for the appreciation.”

After laughing, Eve took a deep breath, then said energetically.

”It’s time for that dog Arthur to retire!”

”Yeah! Soon the Purification Mechanism will be your domain!”

The two were in high spirits, Red Falcon caught in between, just felt they were noisy.

In the dream, Red Falcon sat by the calm river, where there were silly and clumsy big fish. He could easily reel in a crowd with casual swings, the fish piling up beside him like a mountain, seeming like he’d never have to worry about food and drink.

Not knowing how much time had passed, the office fell silent again, Lorenzo and Eve didn’t say anything more, they seemed like they didn’t know what to chat about, but they didn’t feel awkward, just enjoyed this peace.

”I remembered something I chatted with Oscar about before.”

Among the silence, Lorenzo suddenly spoke.

”What?”

”I really like his books, and I’ve read quite a lot, but in many stories, they’re plot after plot, the characters are busy and panting, and I’m panting too...”

Lorenzo recalled.

”I really like those characters. Instead of fighting and killing, I want to see their ordinary daily life, but Oscar that guy never writes about these things.”

”And then?”

”Then?” Lorenzo laughed, ”Then I pointed the Nail Sword at his neck, the guy chickened out quickly.”

”Yet even so, he was still unwilling to write, but this time he told me why he didn’t write.”

”What was the reason?”

”Nothing much, just boring.”

Lorenzo enjoyed the peace, and like Red Falcon, almost melting into the sofa.

”Ordinary life is the norm for most people, with no thrilling stories, no twists and turns, just the precious ordinariness and boredom.”

”Sounds indeed quite dull.”

Eve agreed, she also felt like there wasn’t much to do anymore and lay limply with Lorenzo.

”But I really like it this way. Although boring, no one dies, no one gets hurt. Everyone lives like ordinary people, lives ordinarily, dies ordinarily.”

Lorenzo watched the flames in the fireplace, the flames quietly burning, calming the agitated spirit. Even a furious beast might peacefully fall asleep here.

”How nice...”

Lorenzo sighed, and right then, a furry leg stretched out from the other side, kicking Lorenzo in the face.

Red Falcon comfortably stretched his body, sleeping on the carpet from the sofa, poorly positioned.

Lorenzo got up expressionlessly, considering if there were any vacant beds at Black Mountain Hospital.