Embers of Embers

Chapter 313 The Knight Novel
The city is slowly waking up. Iron snakes rush through the stagnant water, splashing water half as high as a man. It seems that this gloomy rainy season needs a break. It is rare that the sky does not continue to rain, but the dark clouds are still there. Hanging high, blocking all light.
Iron Snake stopped at the intersection. As the car door opened, Lorenzo was squeezed out by the crowd. He staggered before he stabilized his figure in the crowd.
As the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, Old Dunling is extremely developed compared to the entire world. Steam engines use this place as their origin and continue to spread outward. Although over the years of changes, Ying'er has been greatly changed. Vig and surrounding countries, but in places other than Old Dunling, it is still not as advanced as Old Dunling.
For many foreigners, riding an iron snake is a very novel experience. There are also trains and steam engines in their hometowns, but transportation in the city still mainly relies on horse-drawn carriages, which are iron snakes that rumble forward on the ground. It's very strange in their eyes.
Lorenzo had almost the same feeling when he rode it for the first time. He gripped the handle tightly, fearing that the strange thing under his feet would explode in the next second.
Perhaps because the rain stopped, there were gradually more pedestrians on the street, and there was a splashing sound from the sewer nearby, like countless rats running wildly.
This is the other side of Old Dunling, the Nancheng District that Lorenzo rarely visits. Even when he comes here, he has to keep looking at the street signs. After walking for an unknown amount of time, he finally found his destination.
It is a bookstore located on the corner of the street. The door is slightly open. From the outside, you can see the mountains of books inside. However, it is unclear why. There are very few customers here. Almost no one comes here. Even if there are customers, those customers I don't know why they tightened the brim of their hats, as if they didn't want people to see them clearly, looking like thieves.
Lorenzo was a little confused, and when he was about to enter the bookstore, he clearly felt the looks from the passers-by around him.
It wasn't a malicious look, Lorenzo could feel it, but more of a look of confusion and confusion.
As if there was something wrong with Lorenzo entering a bookstore...
Lorenzo didn't care that much. After all, he was a demon hunter. He wasn't afraid of monsters, so how could he be afraid of the looks of passers-by?
Pushing open the door, Lorenzo walked in openly, and then he felt it.
Countless looks of astonishment fell on Lorenzo. The guests in the bookstore all looked at him with their peripheral vision, which made Lorenzo tremble.
what happened?
Lorenzo swallowed, feeling more and more that something was wrong, but he did not feel any sense of crisis, but his hand was already on the handle of the folding knife, ready to kill everyone at any time.
A guest came over, wearing a hat and lowering his head indoors, holding a black bag in his hand. It was bulging and he didn't know what it contained.
The customer walked very fast. After leaving the bookstore, he ran straight into the alley around the corner.
"This……"
Lorenzo was a little confused, and then he heard that extremely small voice.
"Boss, these, these, and these."
Another customer stood in front of the counter and picked up several books. The boss understood what the customer meant and quickly paid the bill and gave the customer a black bag to put the books in.
The movements were smooth and smooth without any delay. The guest took the things and disappeared from Lorenzo's sight in an instant just like the previous guest.
There are many more situations like this in bookstores. It’s extremely quiet here. No one speaks unless there is a necessary conversation. They hand over the money and deliver the goods. If Lorenzo didn’t know the details of this store, he would even think that these people Trading in hallucinogens.
But it's not much different now, the whole atmosphere seems to be the kind of spies meeting each other during the war.
"I said...what are you doing?"
Lorenzo couldn't stand it anymore and walked to the counter to look at the old guy with beaming eyes.
"Lorenzo?"
The boss didn't expect to welcome such a special guest.
Oscar Wilde, a not very best-selling writer, was also a member of Nordero. Logically speaking, with Nordero's financial resources, Oscar had no need to continue writing books to make money, but this guy not only continued to write Books, and even opened a small bookstore.
"Business as normal, what's wrong?"
Oscar didn't realize how strange his bookstore was. Lorenzo was about to ask something when a customer walked over and put a few books on the counter.
The packaging of the books was very simple, but the titles surprised Lorenzo.
"The Difference Engine and the Old Dunling", "The Saker at Night", "Victoria's Secret", "Daily Life About Oscar Wilde"...
With the advancement of science and technology, culture and ideas are also changing. The traditional and serious writings are no longer loved by young people. Instead, everyone has begun to like some simple and fantasy writings, just like the yearning of common people for the legendary knight life. Therefore these texts are called chivalric novels.
However, just like the collision between the new era and the old era, when the steam engine first appeared, some people believed that it was the power of the devil, sealing human souls in steel, and rejected these technologies. The same is true for these knight novels, which have been around for some time. , but still not recognized by tradition.
Lorenzo covered his face. He knew these things from Kestrel's mouth. This high-ranking knight who killed monsters during the day and also killed monsters at night was supposed to be ruthless and efficient, but who knew that secretly he especially liked these knight novels? , and recommended the book "Falcon Under the Night" to Lorenzo more than once.
Okay, okay, these are nothing. Lorenzo has read some more or less. After all, he also likes reading. Sometimes he even thinks about whether to write out the stories he got in [Baptism of the Gods]. Make a fortune.
But...but...
"Have you been reduced to this?"
Lorenzo asked hysterically, pointing to the book "The Daily Life of Oscar Wilde".
Based on his understanding of Oscar, what he wrote was probably not serious.
"What does it mean to be degenerate? Traditional literature is certainly my ideal, but these emerging texts are also my favorite. I am a very philanthropic person. Don't reduce me to those rigid old guys."
Oscar himself became proud.
Silence, and then only silence.
How to defeat a psychopath?Find someone more crazy than him.
Obviously Oscar at this moment is the one who is more insane than Lorenzo. Lorenzo had just experienced a desperate fight more than ten hours ago, escaped from the hands of the demon hunter with forbidden knowledge, and barely managed to survive in Busca. Luo Nai took a short rest and then rushed over anxiously, preparing to report Shermans's death to Oscar.
But what about Oscar?
This old immortal is holding a pen and signing his damn daily life.
This feeling is really fragmented. One moment it was an earth-shattering battle of despair, and the next second it turned into a fight with the patients in the ward.
"Thanks for liking! Thanks for liking!"
The old guy sent the guest away with a smile on his face, and the guest trotted away and disappeared from sight, not wanting to stay in people's eyes for a second longer.
In the eyes of many people, chivalry novels are unpalatable, and they are often said to be "no serious person would read this stuff." Therefore, many readers buy books secretly.
Lorenzo began to understand the eyes of passers-by and the hellish atmosphere of this bookstore.
"Well, there is a saying. The knight novels I wrote are more popular than my official works. Some people even regard me as an idol."
Oscar stood up as he spoke, said sorry to the remaining customers in the bookstore, and then closed the door.
Although he was a little nervous, Oscar knew that Lorenzo was a death-like guy, and he would never bring any good news every time he came, not to mention the hilt-like bulge under his coat at the moment.
There was a faint smell of blood in the air, so strong that even the smell of these books could not be concealed.
Lorenzo was simply flipping through the book "The Daily Life of Oscar Wilde" by the bookshelf. After reading it for a few times, Lorenzo felt a pain in his eyes. The text was simply unpalatable.
A casual glance at a few paragraphs will reveal Oscar's writing style.
In the story, he is still a writer, but in the story, he is a great literary giant famous in four countries. Even Queen Victoria is his reader. Due to some differences in the plot, she even summoned him to the Platinum Palace overnight to discuss.
After a short reading, Lorenzo almost couldn’t recognize Oscar. In his writing, Oscar himself was simply a peerless hunk. He had seen the extreme northern winter on Nordero’s ship, and also embarked on the journey. He has lived in beautiful and fertile lands, fought battles with Viking pirates, and drifted freely on the endless ocean.
"What is this? Oscar Wilde?"
Lorenzo would not believe the nonsense in the book.
"Actually, I did consider this when I first named it, but I felt it might be too serious." He answered seriously.
This guy really thought hard about the title.
There are more than just knight novels on the bookshelf. The ones placed at the front are basically Oscar's works. Except for that damn fantasy autobiography, the rest are all his traditional literature. However, judging from the stock of those books, here On the other hand, the Oscars are really not very popular.
It is said that books are the ocean of knowledge, but this ocean feels a bit strange.
Lorenzo and Oscar sat opposite each other in the bookstore. After a long silence, Lorenzo sighed helplessly.
"I'm so tired..."
Oscar laughed.
"Lorenzo Holmes, your life is a little too depressing, why not have some fun."
Lorenzo nodded and picked up a book on the shelf casually.
Fun, Lorenzo did not reject these things, but now he really couldn't relax. What he had experienced before made him feel uneasy and frightened.
"Oscar, I solved the matter you gave me."
Lorenzo said, opening the book.
"You found Shermans?"
Oscar's eyes lit up. Although he was not a best-selling writer, he was a member of Nordro.
"Yes, I found Shermans, but he died not long after."
Lorenzo said calmly.
Oscar was startled, and then his joking expression gradually turned serious.
"Is he dead...?"
"Death due to the witchers of the new order. There were so many of them that I didn't have the power to bring him out."
Lorenzo said to Oscar while simply reading the book.
"Is that so..."
"Shermans surrendered to the Purge Agency early in the morning. Miguel seemed to be planning to use him as the contact between the exiles and the Purge Agency. However, his position was exposed and he was assassinated by the demon hunters of the new order."
Lorenzo hid the part about the notes. He didn't know what the so-called curse was, but he knew very well that if it really existed, Oscar would definitely not be able to bear it.
"At first I thought that the Purge Agency had exposed his position and that they had reached an agreement with the New Order. But then I found something was wrong. If it was the Purge Agency that gave up on Shermans, it should have been the Purge Agency that took action. They The New Order will not be allowed to do this within the borders of Yernweg.”
"What do you think the problem is?" Oscar asked.
"The letter."
Lorenzo said this after thinking for a while.
"That letter written with secret blood. There is no need for the Purification Agency to send such a letter. This is the old Dunling. They don't need to be so sneaky. The new sect? After losing the "Book of Revelation", the secret blood will not be used much. , and what's the point of them sending it to me? To lure me to Shermans, and then capture me there?"
Lorenzo thought, "But if that's the case, their first target should be me, not Shermans."
"Have you thought of anything?" Oscar asked.
"Mystic blood... Inferior quality of mystic blood."
Lorenzo said softly, and his mind returned to the events after the birthday of the gods, when he traced the inferior mystic blood that was still in circulation.
"Lawrence's remnants..."
After the deadly battle on the train, low-quality secret blood was still secretly circulating. If it hadn't been for the sudden visit of the New Order, which brought about the mystery of Lorenzo's own identity, Lorenzo would have been prepared to track down the remnants.
They have formed a certain scale, have a certain degree of understanding of "Revelation", and can also produce secret blood on a large scale.
A sudden chill enveloped Lorenzo, and he suddenly realized that he was immersed in the battle with the new cult and ignored these more deadly remnants.
"Damn!"
Lorenzo cursed under his breath, and Oscar didn't understand why Lorenzo changed so quickly.
This was his negligence. There is a far more deadly force lurking in the old Dunling than the new cult. After so long, how much inferior secret blood can they produce?And how many demons can such secret blood create?
Old Dunling is densely populated. Once the demon gets out of control, the entire city may fall overnight...
Another Advent night.
(End of this chapter)