The dark steam tram moved silently in the gray fog-shrouded city, this time period was the thickest fog at night in the old Dunling, the visual range was no more than ten meters, the ghost tram was chosen to start at this time, it did not make any sound, along the tracks on the remote road, cleverly missed all the patrolling mounted police, stop and go along the way and pick up many mysterious guests, everyone sat in the gorgeous carriage, the soundproof compartment isolated each seat from each other.

Eve looked out the window, it was pitch black, there was nothing, it was just a tin can that was cut off from everything, and the enclosed space made her panic.

"Where are you taking me?"

Eve began to regret a little, the detective in front of her was not trustworthy, at least not completely trustworthy, and she should be wary of him.

This was the compartment in the carriage, and Lorenzo sat across from Eve, who looked familiar and said slowly.

"Attend Saab's ball. ”

As he spoke, Lorenzo took out a mask and handed it to Eve.

"Saab was mainly in the smuggling business, and he had a group of cooperative Viking pirates in the northern seas, who were responsible for looting and delivering goods to the port of Rendona, where Saab would sell the stolen goods. ”

"Those are the things that are not visible, and the common people have no purchasing power, except for the nobles of the upper class, so he will hold regular balls, although they are called balls, but they are actually a trade fair, with one hand to pay and one to deliver. ”

Listening to Lorenzo's words, Eve's heart calmed down slightly.

"The threshold for wanting to participate in this ball is very high, and I also got tickets through the entrusting staff. ”

"The coin?"

Eve was impressed by the coin, which was the center of a country, but there was a currency in circulation that had never been seen before, and Eve had to be wary.

"Yes, they usually call it a butcher's coin, and it was minted by the owner of the lower town, the Shrike Bird. It is engraved with the motif of the shrike bird. ”

Lorenzo explains to Eve the intricacies of the lower town.

Where there are people, rules arise and classes are divided, even in the chaotic and squalid lower town.

"All you need to do to rule a region is to unify the currency, and now everyone knows that coins and banknotes with lions are hard currency internationally, while coins with shrike birds in the lower town are the mainstream, and every butcher coin can be traded directly, and in the black market you can exchange it for any currency. ”

"You can think of it as a huge casino in the whole of Downtown, and the butcher coins in your hand are your chips. ”

Lorenzo said as he took out a few more and handed them to Eve, and the heavy ones were used, not knowing what precious metal they were made of.

"Sabo is a very cautious man, his business is very profitable, everyone wants to replace him, usually he hides in a heavily guarded bunker, but this time he will be at the ball, and that is the only chance we can get direct access to him. ”

"He wouldn't let people know where the ball was, and every time there was a ball, the postman would deliver letters to the nobles, inform them of the station stops, and then leave at midnight.

Lorenzo said as he put on a mask for himself, a brass mask with sporadic gears trimmed around the edges.

"So we don't know where we're going?"

Eve also wore a mask, with feathers stuck around the edges, like some keen bird. She looked out the window at the darkness and nothing.

"Yes. ”

Lorenzo nodded.

"Although Saab was a Viking, he was never reckless, and even said that he was a little too cautious. ”

The Vikings were a group of reckless men who believed that it was glorious to die on the battlefield, and that their souls would be brought back to Valhalla, where they would join the never-ending feast of the gods and ancestors. This belief was strong in the days of ignorance hundreds of years ago, and this group of desperate Vikings once went straight to the gate of Old Dunling.

Unfortunately, times have changed, and all faith will be shaken under the incessant artillery fire, and when the war airship is laden with ammunition and swept through the kingdom's airspace, everything of the old times is swept into the grave.

"How do you know this? ”

Eve asked suddenly, looking at Lorenzo with blue-green eyes under the mask, and beneath the brass mask was a mysterious identity.

"You're a detective, you've got butcher coins, and you know so many secrets, how did you do it. ”

Eve conditionally believed that Lorenzo was a two-five-boy who had acted like a big brother in the underworld from the start, more like a wanted boss than a detective.

This had to warn Eve, and now that Lorenzo's weapon was on him, she had the complete upper hand.

Lorenzo was silent for a few seconds at Eve's question, then smiled calmly.

"I said I had a big buddy, and he told me all this, do you believe it?"

I'm afraid no one would have imagined that the noble Shrike would become Lorenzo's backup, after all, the class gap between the two is too huge, one is the emperor in the dark, and the other is an unknown detective.

"Actually, whether I answer you or not, you will have questions about me, don't you? We are only allies united by interests, such alliances are the strongest and most fragile, and when interests diverge, we become mortal enemies. ”

Lorenzo said indifferently, rational is not like ordinary people.

"Eve, the lower town is a huge casino, and even life is a gamble, and you can't control anything but yourself, and the cards in your hand. ”

Gray-blue eyes stared at her, and her voice was calm and powerful.

"The first bet, bet on whether I'm worth believing and how. If you think I'm credible, if you don't think I'm trustworthy, it's too late to leave. ”

Holding up a finger, Lorenzo finally said.

Eve was silent, she was struggling.

She is the princess of the Phoenix family, just like Lorenzo said, she is noble, if Lorenzo tries to cheat, she is now a sheep going to the wolf's den, but in the same way, if she doesn't make any achievements, her father will definitely find a way to transfer him out of the Suaran Hall.

With safety on one side and dreams on the other, Eve made a decision without even thinking about it.

"If you dare to lie to me, I swear I'll kill you. ”

The girl said viciously, then leaned back in her chair, waiting to arrive at the ball.

This is really a stubborn person, if it weren't for her background, maybe Eve could really be a good police detective.

Lorenzo didn't say much, and everything had gone smoothly so far for the night, and from the moment the girl accepted Lorenzo's invitation, he knew that she wouldn't give up so well, just because she was a child of the Phoenix family.

Only the immortal bird was born from the ashes, not a free-roaming chicken.

The carriage shook slightly, and there was a faint sound of conversation in the surrounding compartments, and finally everything disappeared.

Finally, the attendants knocked on the door to inform them that they had arrived.

According to Lorenzo's script, the two of them will be a couple tonight, although Eve doesn't understand why it wasn't the noblewoman and his waiter, but in the strange atmosphere around her, she didn't say anything, and was just pulled away by Lorenzo.

The white mist of steam slowly rose, making the air warm.

The small platform was already full of people, most of them dressed in luxury clothes and wearing different masks, and they were the buyers of tonight's ball, because no one could recognize anyone with masks, but in fact even if they knew each other, they would remain silent, and this ball was like a dream, and nothing should be remembered after waking up.

The lights were dim, and Eve could only see the gray fog and darkness around her, and she only knew that she was in the lower town, but she didn't know where it was.

Looking at the sky, the familiar black shadow still swimming in the clouds, she was a little relieved.

"If you don't understand, please keep silent, our identity tonight is a new couple, Saab will be wary of newcomers joining, don't show your stuff. ”

Eve nodded and did not speak, and at that moment the squire stepped out, bowed, and led everyone to the ball.

It was a winding road, accompanied only by dim lights, and there was nothing but that, and the gunmen followed the back of the line to prevent anyone from leaving.

As she went, Eve suddenly smelled a strange smell, followed by more light rising.

At the feet is the welcoming red carpet, and from the faint light, there is a ruin-like decay nearby, and the faint light comes from the fire candles, and behind the faint light is the old and withered faces, like the dead people who are looking at the light.

Lorenzo tightened her, and then Eve saw more, and there was a fishy smell in the darkness, as if something was flowing slowly, and a whimpering scream was faintly heard.

So the closed door was opened.

It was like the gate of heaven, with endless light pouring out from the gate ahead, the smell of wine and singing, the intoxicating sound of coins colliding together, and the lazy moaning of the restless spirit. The guests let out a cry of exclamation, and then hurried to the paradise of the heavenly kingdom, fanatical as if they were devout believers.

Mead and cheese, wealth and beauty, that's a taboo that satisfies everyone, as long as you're willing to sacrifice your life to join.

Lorenzo...... What is this?"

Eve stood in front of the gate, her heart frozen as if it had been shaken by a great shock, but Lorenzo did not comfort her, but whispered in her ear.

"Welcome to the dark side of Old Dunling, Miss Eve Phoenix. ”