Embers of Embers

Chapter 193 Prologue: Long-lost Reunion [Thanks to the leader of Qiqiu]
922 in the Inlveg calendar.
Emerald.
The heavy bell rang, melodious and deep, as if it came from the lingering sound of ancient history. Just listening to it can feel the solemn heaviness.
The setting sun loomed behind the clouds, turning most of the sky into a crimson curtain. The boys were sitting on the bank of the Tiber River, with all this reflected in the calm water, as if they were in the sky.
This is perhaps the most pious moment in this city. The whole world is covered by a red curtain, and everything seems so solemn. The low voice of prayer echoes in this magnificent city, accompanied by the constant ringing of bells, just like in End of silence today.
Two somewhat lonely figures sat quietly on the shore. This was one of the few times during the day when they could go out. However, even though they were going out, they were still within the scope of supervision.
The priests in white robes stood far away, but their position and distance were well controlled. They formed a circle, tightly surrounding the boys, and kept an appropriate distance so that they could always be in sight.
The blond boy raised his head and looked at the priests with some boredom.
"They were always watching me."
"Us to be precise."
The boy sitting next to him responded. He scanned the surrounding area. In fact, there were many boys like them here. They all wore the same robes and were scattered everywhere. Their white clothes shone in the sun.
Holy, but also like a group of prisoners under supervision, but what binds them is not the law, but divine authority.
"It's so annoying, they..."
The blond boy shook his head and then asked.
"Where did you get your number?"
"042."
The boy beside him responded.
"Do you really seem to accept the rules they set?" Seeing 042 accept his identity so calmly, he seemed a little shocked.
"Otherwise? They gave us food and a place to live... I think it's okay." 042 replied, "And don't you just want to show off yourself? You clearly know my number."
Indeed, each boy's number was printed on their robes. From the time they came here and were accepted by the evangelical church, they lost their names and were replaced only by cold numbers.
"You are just a restless lamb. If the priest knows that you secretly use your 'name', you will be imprisoned again." 042 warned.
Priests often describe them like this, they are the lambs of God, and priests are shepherds. Lambs do not need names, they only need piety and obedience.But there are always restless ones among the lambs, who are eager to jump out of the siege fence.
The boy in front of him is such a restless lamb. He has become worse and worse since he was "baptized". Every child saw strange and bizarre things in that mysterious baptism, some of which were so complicated that even the boy himself I don’t know how to describe it either.
But they did get something in that mysterious baptism. Some people got knowledge, some people got psychedelic dreams, and some people, just like him, got names.
"047 You need to calm down, I don't want anything to happen to you."
042 frowned and advised.
He and 047 are very good friends. Before they were accepted by the Evangelical Church, they used to ride together on the streets of Feilengcui. Although they received a lot of beatings and a few meals, for these beggars, , but lived a free and happy life.
After being accepted by the evangelical church, everything was reversed. They were trained and taught, and were provided with food and shelter, but they lost a bit of freedom. Even looking at the sun had to be under the supervision of the priests.
"No, no, no, people always need something." 047 said.
"for example?"
"For example, the name, 042, you have always been like this, a little too cowardly." 047 hugged 042's shoulders and said mysteriously.
"Sometimes, people need to make mistakes and do some taboo things. Anyway, it is just a small evil, and God will not care about it."
"Is that why you're so persistent?"
042 I don’t understand. As long as you obey it honestly, why do you do those unnecessary things?
"No name is a beast after all, 042."
He continued.
"But I'm different. I have a name. I'm no longer a beast. I hope you can be the same."
042 still looked indifferent and answered calmly.
"Look, maybe one day, I will change under your influence..."
The two looked at each other slightly, then laughed, looking a little bit reluctant and sad.
"This may be the last time we see each other. The priests have said that the ceremony is about to be held. Only a few of us will survive."
042 also imitated 047's appearance. Their arms were intertwined and they were holding each other's shoulders. Their shadows were slender in the sunlight.
"Yes, I hope we can all survive. Dean Lawrence said that he is very optimistic about me and that I have a good chance of becoming the best."
047 said, he respected the old man very much. He was the mentor of all children and the mentor of the so-called demon hunter in the future. He was wearing a sacred red robe and had an extraordinary status.
"so good."
042 is happy for 047.
"042!"
shouted a priest.
I don't know when another group of people appeared in the shadow of the building. They gathered around an old man. He also wore a red robe similar to that of Dean Lawrence. The bright color seemed to be red with blood, and his expression was not angry. Self-prestige, with a solemn solemnity.
047 Just looking at the old man from a distance, he felt an inexplicable pressure, and he asked in a low voice.
"Who is that?"
"This is what I want to tell you today." 042 seemed a bit hesitant, as if he didn't know how to speak.
"I was...chosen."
"Selected?"
"Yes," he said, "they said I was not qualified and that I would be assigned to another place."
"That's where he is?" 047 pointed at the old man, but his movement was quickly stopped by 042. That was a cardinal with a high status, a cardinal with power. Any disrespect would be charged with blasphemy, and then Being hanged, 042 has seen too many such things.
"Who is he?"
"Lorenzo...Lorenzo Medici."
042 responded quietly.
047 was slightly stunned. Although he had never seen this person before, he knew too much about this person's identity.
The Medici family, several popes in history have come from this family, and now it is the largest plutocratic family in the entire Holy Evangelical Papal State. Apart from the banking industry, it is involved in other industries and controls huge wealth. Successive popes have served and managed the flow of wealth throughout the evangelical church.Under the operation of this terrible family, the wealth expanded like a snowball, and they continued to lend money to small countries one after another, burning contracts in exchange for land.
The old man in front of him is the most outstanding Medici in the past, Lorenzo Medici. When he was young, the power of the Medici family reached its peak under his leadership. For a time, his power was greater than that of the Pope. Even bigger, he is the true ruler of the entire Feileng Cui.
But even such a person will grow old. He was standing not far away. Except for the bright red robe, he looked like an ordinary old man.
"042!"
The priests shouted impatiently and walked towards them.
"Looks like I'm leaving, 047."
Looking at his old friend, 042 said reluctantly.
"As long as we survive, we will meet again, 042." 047 didn't look sad. He knew that going to the old man's place was better than staying here. "But, you know I hate this number."
The pace of leaving stagnated slightly, 042 turned his head, and the pious lamb finally became restless, and he whispered goodbye.
"Well...goodbye, Mr. Holmes, we'll see you again.
……
Slowly opening his eyes, what he saw was not a strange ceiling, but large swaths of sunlight, which shone on the man's face through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows.
"what……"
Lorenzo let out a strange groan, then adjusted his position on the sofa, found a more comfortable angle, and curled up again.
I hugged the blanket hard, everything was warm and very comfortable.
However, it seemed that someone didn't want to make him comfortable and deliberately made loud noises, but it seemed that it still couldn't wake Lorenzo up, so the man couldn't bear it and came over, lifted up the blanket, and yelled.
"Stop lying down! Lorenzo! If you lie down any longer, you will rot!"
The kestrel screamed, and Lorenzo, who was lifted up by him, also screamed with him, like two crowing roosters, crowing.
Lorenzo was thrown to the ground. He lay completely flat on the carpet, as if sleepiness was still tormenting him, and his eyes were bleary.
But Kestrel seemed like he couldn't stand this guy anymore, so he dragged him up hard, but no matter how hard Kestrel tried, the great detective's rotten look remained unmoved, no matter how hard you hit him with swords, guns and sticks. It has no effect.
In the end, Kestrel sweated profusely and sat down on the sofa where Lorenzo had been sitting. He looked angrily at Lorenzo on the ground. The great detective was twisting and turning like a plump cock. Caterpillar.
The whole body and mind seemed to be being tortured, and the kestrel had a hideous face.
What day is this?Kestrel can't remember it either. In short, he has witnessed Lorenzo's transformation from a terrifying and powerful demon hunter to a social waste for so many days. He wants to make this rotten guy move, but... ...But he still can't defeat the scum of this society.
The sound of footsteps sounded slowly, and the devout believers whispered prayers, which although slightly buzzed in Kestrel's head.
"Stop mumbling robin! Come and make him move!"
Kestrel said a little crazy.
But the robin obviously didn't want to pay attention to him. He glanced at the kestrel, then at Lorenzo on the ground, continued to mutter a strange prayer, and disappeared into the stairwell.
"Then Joey! Come on! If you continue to sleep like this, Lorenzo will really become a piece of trash!"
The kestrel howled, but like the robin, Joey passing by on the other side obviously didn't want to care about these things. He looked at Lorenzo's face covered in saliva with disgust, and shook his head firmly.
"You know I have a certain amount of mysophobia."
"So! I didn't see you feeling disgusted when I was killing the monster! Or maybe you think Lorenzo is more disgusting than the monster!"
Kestrel was going crazy.
As if some kind of strange erosion, under the influence of Lorenzo, the kestrel began to go crazy in some strange direction, but Lorenzo himself didn't care, like some kind of strange human observation, these days of torment The kestrel brought him great joy.
But now there is no fun left in Kestrel. Like a child who has lost his toy, the detective is a little lost.
It seemed that he had slept enough. He propped up his hand and propped his head up to look at the snowy scene outside the floor-to-ceiling window. He stretched out his other hand and grabbed randomly. Finally, he grabbed a plate of snacks from the low table and ate them casually.
Ignoring the wail of the kestrel behind him, he sighed quietly as if he had seen through the world of mortals.
"Life is so good..."
Mr. Lorenzo Holmes, who had lived for so many years and killed countless demons, praised the beauty of life as if he had given up on his mission.
It was like traveling through some wonderful parallel world, where there were no monsters or ghost churches. These unlucky ghosts were roommates living under the same roof, and they all talked nonsense together in the cold winter.
This is so crazy.
Even Lorenzo can't believe that such a life really has happened to him. However, the only drawback is that he lives with a group of rough guys. If possible, he would like to have a few rough guys. A female roommate.
But maybe he thought of something strange, and there was a stabbing pain in his mind, which made him wake up a little more, and it seemed that he couldn't sleep anymore. This nap ended here, Lorenzo swayed He stood up leisurely, and then walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window.
Looking at the afterglow of the setting sun, the whole world was covered with a red curtain, and it seemed a bit familiar, as if Lorenzo had seen all this before at some time.
Then a strange picture flashed in my mind, it seemed to be a farewell, a long-lost farewell, and the voice whispered from the depths of memory.
"Goodbye... Mr. Holmes, we will see you again."
After a strange stabbing pain, Lorenzo couldn't help covering his forehead.
This weird thing became more and more frequent. Ever since he killed Dean Lawrence, he would always dream about this weird thing. A boy said goodbye to him and said they would meet again.
Lorenzo could no longer tell whether this was a dream or a confused memory. Sometimes when he thought back carefully, he realized that his past was like broken glass, difficult to piece together.
He wouldn't have cared about this at all. Lorenzo was a monster fighting against demons and was always suffering from corrosive pollution. It was normal to have any neurological problems, but this time it was different.
Lorenzo had a strange premonition, as if some kind of prophecy was about to come true. He couldn't remember the name of the boy under the red curtain, and he couldn't remember why he wanted to meet again.
But at this moment, the weird feeling is getting more and more intense as time goes by. It seems that he is coming and wants to meet me again...from the depths of his memory.
It was as if something terrible was about to come true.
"We'll see you again..."
Lorenzo murmured in a low voice, as if talking in his sleep.
(End of this chapter)