Embers of Embers

Chapter 287
Shrike looked at Lorenzo in confusion, wondering why this guy suddenly mentioned this.
Lorenzo looked out the window. Behind the hazy rain curtain was the city where he had lived for more than seven years.
Seven years ago, Lorenzo arrived in Old Dunling, from the Holy Evangelical Papal State to Inverg. To be honest, the journey was not a good one. At that time, he had just experienced the Night of Holy Advent and personally destroyed those familiar people. There is no joy in welcoming a new life at all, only pain that is so painful that it is almost numb.
Lorenzo remembered that he staggered to Old Dunling, but was rejected because he did not have a formal identity. Like most foreigners, he came to Xiacheng District. For those extremely vicious people in Xiacheng District, it was like A new stranger like Lorenzo is still very valuable.
They wanted to rob Lorenzo, but at that time Lorenzo had nothing left except the box with the nailed sword. The result was also very simple. Those people were killed by Lorenzo. It was simple and brutal, just like venting his anger. The same anger as his own incompetence.
It was for this reason that Lorenzo changed from a stranger to a dangerous stranger, and he was noticed by the Shrike who had just taken office, and what followed was the one everyone knows.
Shrike provides Lorenzo with a new identity and a new life, while Lorenzo works for Shrike to maintain balance in downtown.
It has been seven years in a flash. I don’t know if I am sighing at the speed of time or the forgetfulness of human beings.
"How did you think of this then?"
Shrike felt something was vaguely wrong. Although he only knew the situation at that meeting temporarily, he thought that Lorenzo had recovered from his current situation, but now it seemed that he was still struggling with the past.
"I just want to confirm...the reality of the memory from someone else's perspective." Lorenzo thought for a while and said.
Different people have different perceptions of the same thing. Just like the Night of Holy Advent, although Lorenzo experienced it personally, in the eyes of every survivor, everything about the Night of Holy Advent is completely different.
Shrike recalled briefly, then recounted the past.
"When I saw you, you were in a very bad state. You were covered in injuries, very serious injuries..."
Thinking about it carefully, the weirdness of Lorenzo was revealed at that time. The kind of injury could easily take away a person's life, but Lorenzo had several fatal injuries on his body at that time, some had healed, and some His body was still bleeding and covered in filth.
The witcher's strong body allowed him to reach Old Dunling alive, but it was a pity that Shrike didn't notice these at the time. He only thought that these were left behind by Lorenzo when he fought with those gang members.
"You were in a very poor mental state at the time and it was difficult for us to talk to you at first."
Shrike seemed to have reached the key point, and Lorenzo listened intently, lowering his eyes and not showing his emotion.
"How bad is it?"
Lorenzo couldn't remember those things clearly, he only remembered that he had reached a deal with the Shrike, but he didn't know what actually happened.
He was scared.
Lorenzo was very afraid that the transaction between him and Shrike was also a figment of his own mind, a lie full of loopholes, and he subconsciously tried to cover up the key points.
"It's so bad that you were mumbling strange words at the time. Most of them were sobbed that you couldn't hear them clearly, but you could distinguish some prayers among them." Shrike said.
"It's those words in your Gospel. I got to know Mockingbird at that time. He was a believer in your church and talked about those prayers all day long, so I remember them very clearly."
"only these?"
"That's all," Shrike said, "What else do you want to do? Burn that blazing fire? Inspire the secret blood? If that were the case, you would have been killed by us as a monster... even if you weren't killed. The story after death will be completely different, and there will be no such bad things as now."
Lorenzo stopped talking, just thinking quietly.
If there is a chaotic period in memory, it is during the night of Holy Advent and the period after Holy Advent to the old Dunling. After the beginning of a new life, Lorenzo felt like he was reborn and had a new life. Name, a new beginning, it was also at that time that the memory gradually stabilized, and the unbearable past was deliberately buried until today.
I really didn't expect that in order to live hard, I would just live in a hazy state. This feeling is really not a good one.
"So, where are we going?"
Lorenzo asked. The water vapor outside the window was like the rising fog at night in Old Dunling, covering his sight. Only the flower-like umbrellas could be seen, and thunder flashed from time to time.
Before, Lorenzo was very confident about the purge mechanism and never asked where he was going, but now he felt that it was better to be vigilant.
Lorenzo looked at the shrike opposite him with evil intentions. After all, this guy was an orthodox gang boss and a loyal high-ranking knight of the purge agency. Maybe he was stalling for time now, and the carriage would drive into a An open area was prepared in advance, and then countless artillery fire blasted itself into dust.
This is not the first time that the purification agency has done this. This is how Lawrence died.
Shrike obviously didn't notice Lorenzo's thoughts, and maybe he didn't expect that in such a short period of time, Lorenzo would become a guy full of fantasies of being killed.
"go home."
Shrike said calmly, it was just like usual, nothing special.
"go home?"
Such words obviously didn't suit Lorenzo, and he didn't even understand. Shrike then continued to explain.
"121A Cork Street...takes you home, that's all."
……
It was raining heavily, and the dark carriage stopped in front of 121A Cork Street. Through the window, you could see the light inside and the busy figure, just like the same daily routine that had been repeated countless times before.
Lorenzo stepped out of the carriage suspiciously, somewhat confused as to what the shrike was trying to do.
"If you can, don't go missing... at least tell me what you are going to do before disappearing?" Shrike said while sitting in the car.
"Is this surveillance?"
"Of course, there is nothing we can do about it. There is something in you that could lead to the death of all the people in Old Dunling, and we know nothing about it. Even you yourself don't know about it. As for cooperating with us, You are obviously even more unwilling."
Shrike talked about his intention to purge the mechanism.
"Hand you over to the Evangelical Church? That's impossible. If we put you in our prison, you will definitely not be honest. You are just a troublesome hedgehog. Instead of tossing these things, it's better to just be the same as usual, except A few more pairs of eyes to observe you.”
"Won't you trust me more?" Lorenzo couldn't help but said.
After hearing this, Shrike laughed out loud, more of a mockery.
"Trust? How can I trust you? Lorenzo, I always said you were crazy before, but you are really crazy. Although you said you would not do that kind of thing that would endanger everyone, who knows what you really think Woolen cloth?"
Shrike couldn't help but think of Lorenzo's resolute death in order to kill Lawrence. This is a lunatic who doesn't even care about his own life in order to achieve his goal. What credibility does a lunatic say?
"Lorenzo, to Inverg, you are a stranger, to the Evangelical Church, you are a dangerous... traitor? Anyway, it's okay, everything is fine. You are in the gap, you will not definitely belong. Either side, but you are facing a danger that both sides are afraid of."
Shrike took a deep breath and said helplessly.
"Do you know what we usually call people like you?"
"who?"
"Anarcho-terrorists."
Shrike said and closed the door. He was too lazy to pay attention to Lorenzo, and was not prepared to listen to Lorenzo's damn guarantees. The carriage splashed water and disappeared into the rain curtain so quickly.
Lorenzo looked at the black figure disappearing behind the curtain of rain, and couldn't help but look around. The shrike was very honest. At this moment, in a corner, there was a pair of eyes peering at Lorenzo himself... It seemed that he Need to tighten the curtains.
After standing in the rain for a while, Lorenzo pushed open the door. He tried his best to pretend that nothing had happened. This was the best solution, just pretending to be normal.
"Hi...Lorenzo?"
She bumped into the busy Mrs. Van Ludt head-on. She thought it was Higgs who came back, but she didn't expect that it was Lorenzo who came back.
"I thought you would be missing for many days again."
Mrs. Van Rude looked Lorenzo up and down, and after realizing that Lorenzo was back with all his limbs intact, she felt relieved about him.
Suddenly, Lorenzo, a stranger, has lived here for so many years. After such a long time together, Mrs. Verde has become accustomed to Lorenzo's elusiveness.
Looking at the figure who was busy again, Lorenzo had a strange feeling.
In fact, abandoning those monsters, Lorenzo also has a seemingly normal life. Although it is only seemingly, it can also give him a little relief for a guy who is on the edge of normal society.
"By the way, Lorenzo, someone came to see you before."
Mrs. Van Rude suddenly thought of her recent visitor, raised her head and shouted to Lorenzo.
"Is your face familiar?"
Lorenzo asked.
Although Mrs. Vallude didn't know anything about the purification agency, she recognized some of the visitors. From her simple description, Lorenzo could figure out who was coming.
"No, it's someone I haven't seen before."
It was rare that Mrs. Van Lude had never seen that person before. Then she frowned, as if she wanted to carefully recall the person's appearance, but strangely she couldn't remember anything.
Suddenly, a pair of blazing white eyes flashed in the darkness of memory, and the burning pure white eyes reflected Mrs. Fanlude's face. The scene flashed by, but she couldn't help but stand there.
A slight pain came from his mind, and the old guy rubbed his head vigorously.
"Well, I can't remember. It seems I'm getting old too?"
Mrs. Van Rude obviously didn't pay attention to these things. She blamed the reason on her aging body.
Looking down at his wrinkled hands, blue blood vessels bulged on the shriveled skin. More than ten years ago, these hands were white and smooth, but now they have become like this.
"yes……"
Lorenzo thought about it and realized that after changing his previous coldness, even the most cold-blooded guy would have some feelings after living there for so long.
"You should consider retirement. Although you are considered retirement now... find someone to take care of you, such as Sigg." Lorenzo said.
"Are you dissing me because I'm old and useless?"
"No, no, I didn't mean that." Lorenzo said quickly.
Mrs. Van Lude is a proud woman who once danced and attracted countless young men to chase her. Just like many beautiful girls, she is a little different. She is also an air cavalry, falling from the sky and blowing off the enemy's heads with a single shot.
She can laugh at herself, but she doesn't like it when others say it.
But this time Mrs. Vanlude's anger quickly dissipated, and she sat on the sofa nearby and sighed.
"Although I don't want to admit defeat, I still have to admit that people can't beat time."
She raised her head and continued.
"Actually, I did consider retirement living."
Surprisingly, Mrs. Van Ludd would actually talk about this seriously with herself. Lorenzo looked around, and he always felt that she should talk to Higg about this matter, but obviously Higg is not at home now.
Lorenzo sat down obediently and listened to the old man's complaints.
"Then what's your plan?"
"What else could it be? Sell the house and go to a small town in the countryside with the money. The house in Old Dunling is very expensive. The money is enough for me to use until I die. If I save more, I might be able to hire some handsome people. Young man."
Mrs. Van Rude fantasized about those damned beauties, and then knocked her knees hard.
"Jiudunling is a city that destroys people. My injured leg can't bear the damn cold."
It was an old injury from her days as an air trooper, and as she aged, these ailments haunted her like evil spirits.
Lorenzo quite agrees with Mrs. Van Lund's idea. Old Dunling is gloomy and humid, and the air is full of debris from the factory. This is a city suitable for hard work, but definitely not suitable for old age.
"Sounds good... wait, sell the house!"
Lorenzo suddenly realized something was wrong.
"Yes, the house is sold, otherwise where would the money come from?"
"But...but..."
Lorenzo said and pointed to the stairs, after that was his own room, he was a little incoherent.
"Where do I live?"
"None of my business?"
All Lorenzo's words were rejected. The old lady was very tough, but then she said a little sadly.
"Lorenzo, there is no such thing as a feast that lasts forever. You can live for a long time, but I only have a few years left at most."
The old man's body is engraved with the passage of time, and his words are full of dust.
"You will grow up, get a wife and have children. You can't still rent a house until then, right?"
Lorenzo was startled. He suddenly couldn't say anything and could only listen quietly.
"Actually, I wanted to drive you out a long time ago, and then go to live in the country, but I thought, where can you live if I drive you out? Actually, I'm not worried about you, Lorenzo, you are a wild dog They are the same guys, and wild dogs can always survive no matter how bad the environment is.”
It was unclear whether it was praise or disparagement, but the old man looked at him with a smile.
(End of this chapter)