Embers of Embers

Chapter 23 Lucky Coin
Eve looked at the coins in front of her. She had never seen such a currency before. She didn't know whether it was the currency of a certain country or a simple commemorative coin. She looked a little panicked, but soon Eve calmed down, and her pupils were as sharp as sticks. Blade.
The blood of the Phoenix family flows in her body, just like the support of her spirit. Eve clearly knows that she cannot be afraid. She is the one destined to appear in the hall of manifestations, the duchess of the phoenix, and she is still there. Not the end.
"is it okay?"
Eve picked up the coin and asked Lorenzo that this was a gamble between him and Sabo. Her current status was somewhat like a croupier.
Lorenzo nodded and then said to Sabo.
"There's no psychological warfare, no cheating, no overriding techniques. It's just pure luck. I like it."
"That's great."
Sabo also nodded, and he was very happy that Lorenzo could agree to this seemingly absurd bet.
"One side is a shield, and the other side is a battle axe."
"I choose the shield." Lorenzo said directly without looking at Eve. He kept staring at Sabo.
"This coin must be old. I remember it was abandoned currency."
"Yes, the currency issued by the Viking Kingdom Nobido more than ten years ago. You also know that the Vikings made their fortune as pirates. They have various currencies. This can be regarded as the first currency to unify the Vikings. However, They are rarely seen on the market now and are mostly in the hands of collectors.”
Sabo said with some nostalgia. As he spoke, Eve tossed the coin in her hand. It flew up in the air, like a silver elf under the light.
"It must have some meaning to you. Do you miss the things from your hometown? You don't look like a collector. You won't keep them for so long, right?"
This is probably what the saying "seeing things brings emotions" means, just like soldiers who have retired from the battlefield will still look at their medals of honor regularly.
"I don't miss that icy place. It was a mistake to be born there. I only kept it because it was the first thing I won at the gambling table. I lost my first finger for it. It’s my lucky coin.”
Sabo said as he rubbed his left hand. The spot where his little finger should have been was now empty. There was only a scar left because the wound was not treated properly.
"I still had four fingers. I beat that bastard, but he was also a coward, so I killed him. It was like the first time I killed someone. It felt really good to have my destiny in my own hands. ."
There was excitement in his words, and the abnormal experience in front of him was far more legendary than imagined.
When the coin fell, the girl quickly caught it with her hands, and then covered it on the table. This was originally a game like a child's, but now it is extremely heavy.
"Uncover it."
After hearing Lorenzo's words, Eve slowly opened her hand. On it was a tomahawk. Lorenzo lost.
"Who are you?"
Sabo rubbed his scar, his eyes full of desire, as if this was really what he wanted to know.
"Lorenzo Holmes, a detective."
Lorenzo replied directly, but Sabo shook his head vigorously, as if he was not satisfied with this answer.
"What I want to know is your identity before you came to Old Dunling, who you really are."
Like Shrike, he was full of curiosity about the mysterious detective's past.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Lorenzo said.
"Priest."
Even Eve on the side was a little confused. I am afraid that no one can connect this crazy bastard with the noble priest.
"A pastor? A pastor of an evangelical church?"
Priests are not a rare profession. A hundred years ago, the master of the world was the Holy Gospel Papal State. They relied on their doctrines to send countless priests to various countries, and secretly controlled the countries in the name of faith. But as time goes by, With the rise of steam technology, so-called faith has hit rock bottom. Fire guns and airships have freed everyone from the shackles of faith.
Sabo laughed as he spoke and continued without further questioning.
"This time I bet on the tomahawk."
Eve tossed the coin, and it rose and fell in the air. Neither of them looked at the flip in the air. They stared at each other, their voices full of peace, but their hearts were still tense.This time the tomahawk was still up, and Sabo won again.
"Why did you come to Old Dunling?"
"Because this is Old Dunling. The city with the most advanced technology in the world, the city of hope, the city of steam. The roaring machines have abandoned the old era forever.
People in Feilengcui say that this is a good place. Compared with illusory beliefs, there is gold hidden everywhere, opportunities and wealth are everywhere. It is open to everyone. As long as you come here, you will have a new life. . "
Lorenzo spoke calmly, as calmly as if he was telling a story that had nothing to do with him.
"Yes, the power of the church is getting less and less. In order to consolidate their rule, the kings relied on firecrackers to destroy churches one after another. It is not 100 years ago now. At that time, you pastors could live a comfortable life just by raising donations. That’s it.”
It seemed that Lorenzo was just a gold digger in the name of Old Dunling, Sabo felt a little ridiculous.
"I never thought that an executioner like you could once be a priest. Aren't you afraid of divine punishment?"
Countless people died in the Red River Massacre, and the methods were so cruel that even a butcher would be horrified, and all of this was done by the detective who was a priest before him.
"If divine punishment really exists, I'm afraid your place has been turned into a sea of ​​fire by thunder."
The singing band stopped a long time ago, they also inhaled hallucinogens, their faces twisted and hugged each other and danced strangely, and it was the same on the dance floor, people tore their clothes and skin, and there were countless more people on their white bodies. The ten bloody wounds were like wild beasts, making meaningless roars and lows, and human civilization was completely abandoned.
"Maybe the gods are just waiting for our death to be liquidated? You go first this time."
"It's still a shield."
"Why did you choose the shield? You have already lost twice." Sabo was puzzled.
"You beat me twice, so you have less luck than me. Lady Luck doesn't favor anyone, and now she will let me win it back." He was confident.
Eve opened her hand, and it seemed that just as Lorenzo said, it was the shield this time, and he won.
"What exactly is that shipment?"
This is what Lorenzo needs to know most at this moment, that mysterious cargo, everything that happened tonight was caused by it.
"The sacred coffin, it is said that those people dug it out of a sunken ship in the ice sea. Many people have died for this thing."
"Sacred Coffin? What is that?"
Lorenzo had never heard of such a thing, not even in theology.
"I do not know either."
Sabo said candidly, "It's like a certain pronoun, like a god in the evangelical church. Do you know what it is specifically? Is it a person, an object, or something else? Just like the Holy Grail in doctrine, it's just something." A pronoun that represents something that cannot be stated."
"Human beings cannot describe something like that, so they can only call it a sacred and noble name."
As if something was touched, Lorenzo noticed something strange.
The coin is tossed again, flipped, and then dropped.
"Shield or battle axe."
This time it was Eve who asked, because this time neither of them spoke first.
"shield."
Sabo said suddenly, this time he chose Lorenzo's shield.
Open the coin, as Lorenzo said, the goddess of fortune will not favor anyone, and Lorenzo the tomahawk won again.
But this time Lorenzo was not in a hurry to ask questions, but picked up his pocket watch and looked at the time.
"What's going to happen to you next?"
It was late at night, and even if something happened, it would be after dawn, and it was still a long time before dawn. Sabo was a little curious about what Lorenzo was waiting for.
"Yeah, so this will be my last question."
"It's not a good thing to just run away after winning." Sabo's eyes were slightly cold. The most taboo thing at the gambling table is this kind of thing. Running away after winning. Although gamblers are not good people, this is considered a good thing among gamblers. The villain.
"Please understand, there is nothing we can do about it."
Lorenzo said and stood up and walked to the edge of the high platform. The location here is really good. Everything can be seen in front of his eyes. The original prosperity is no longer there. Under the hall are bodies in a mess. Now hallucinogens Their nerves had been completely paralyzed. This time they didn't even have the strength to stand. They lay on the carpet with confusion in their eyes.
The high-ranking nobles are like humble beggars, stripped of their glory and dignity, like the miserable livestock in the fence.
"What do you usually do with these people?"
"Is this a matter of bet?"
"Of course not, I'm just curious... You will still satisfy my curiosity, right?"
As he spoke, Lorenzo showed a kind smile to Sabo, as if he was really curious.
"It's very simple. We will send the guests to a luxurious hotel in the inner city. After they are tired, they will wake up on a soft and clean big bed. Outside is the wonderful world of old Dunling, and last night Everything is like a dream come true.”
"What a wonderful ending, isn't it?"
"Sounds really good."
Lorenzo nodded in approval, and then asked the last question.
"Where are those people? The crew of the Silver Fish, who transported the sacred coffin, and the people who blocked me that day, where are they?"
This was Lorenzo's last question, and he wanted to get the answer. Just like before, Sabo didn't hide anything, and he was so frank that Lorenzo almost thought he was one of his own.
"They are all dead. Even if they are not dead, they are almost dead."
Sabo said directly.
"All dead?"
Lorenzo couldn't believe it, and then his pupils tightened as if he realized something, and he asked.
"You killed them?"
(End of this chapter)