Arthur sat quietly in front of the window, watching the sunset over Old Dunling.

It's a cold city, only steel and condensed cold water, only at sunset, the fiery red light curtain spreads down, warming the cold hue a little, although it is only a brief illusion, but it is also reassuring.

Tired sigh, drank the wine in the cup, the hard work of the past few days made him a little depressed, maybe he didn't expect to be more tired to fight with these people than to fight demons, obviously he wanted to kill Anthony with one shot, but for the sake of profit, Arthur still had to smile and entertain these guests with a smile.

Of course, there is a deeper game in addition to this, and the exiles have taken refuge in the purification mechanism, and although they are also suspicious, they are not in much danger compared to the problems of the Mission, and now the Mission, Father Anthony, he does not know all this.

The Purifier is trading with both at the same time, which is like dancing on the tip of a knife, even though this is the home of the Old Dunling, the Purifier Trap, but Arthur can't help but worry about whether there will be any accidents.

What made him even more sorrowful was the information that Father Anthony had brought to him on the night of Anthony's arrival.

The Anthony priest came prepared, as if planned, and threw one great piece of information after another at Arthur, which may not change the situation, but it could cause internal problems on his side, and he had told Galahad to confirm them to the exiles.

Slowly put down the wine glass, his hands trembled uncontrollably, and he looked carefully, his skin was also full of wrinkles, and he was also old.

Arthur watched as the fiery red clouds grew gloomy, watching the darkness engulf the city little by little, and slowly, as if he were fascinated, his gaze became gradually glazed, until a sudden noise interrupted it.

The door behind him was pushed open, and Blue Jade stood panting in the doorway, holding a capsule-shaped object in her hand.

This is the pneumatic logistics transportation system of the purification mechanism, and when the object to be transported is placed into this capsule, it will be propelled by compressed gas, and spread along the ground in the logistics pipeline, covering the hidden strongholds of each purification mechanism in the old Dunling. This is often used to transmit vital information, and is often used in broken domes to control the movement of people.

"News from Galahad?"

Seeing the Blue Jade return, Arthur turned his head sharply and asked.

Blue Jade was too tired to speak, she just nodded vigorously.

She didn't know what Arthur wanted to do, it seemed that there was some important information that needed to reach him quickly, so Blue Emerald was dispatched, she went to the nearest stronghold nearby, and then borrowed the pneumatic logistics there to obtain this information sent from there.

And then that's what happened now, running all the way back, just to make Arthur see it sooner.

Arthur also showed his urgency, and greeted him directly, ignoring the blue jade, snatched the capsule, and tore off the warning seal on it, and when he opened it, there were several reports inside, as well as several black and white photos.

As if some terrible secret was at hand, Arthur grabbed the reports with Galahad's handwriting on them, and he recorded all the important information from his conversation with Shermans, and the words were reflected in his eyes, and as he continued to read, they weaved a story that Arthur was a little difficult to accept.

The old fellow couldn't believe it, and repeatedly confirmed Galahad's records, but the words would not be deformed, they had already been recorded, and repeated observations only kept this truth in his mind, and he seemed to realize this, and finally sat back in his chair a little lonely.

Blue Jade has never seen such Arthur, maybe this is Arthur's performance of too much pressure, this guy has been fighting with Anthony in the past few days, the two are fighting with each other, trying to get as much benefit as possible for themselves, and during this time Arthur has not visited his daughter, Eve has not been heard from since she was admitted to the Black Mountain Hospital, Arthur is very worried about her situation.

She was about to say something, but Arthur preemptively spoke before her.

"Anthony succeeded, should he really be the new pope's henchman? ”

He muttered to himself, his expression complicated.

"How...... What's wrong?"

Blue Jade asked suspiciously, although it was Arthur's guard, there were many things that she could not know, and she didn't know anything about the conversation between Arthur and Anthony.

"We are a sturdy group, the Pure Removal Mechanism is indestructible, and any external force exerts it will only make us closer and stronger, but what about when it starts to split from within?"

Arthur looked at the black-and-white photo and said slowly.

"What's going on?" "Blue Jade began to realize the seriousness of the problem.

"It's complicated...... Let me think about it. ”

Arthur seemed to be thinking about the stakes, and it took a long time for him to speak again.

"Blue Jade, what do you think...... Is Lorenzo Holmes an enemy?"

Looking at the man in the photo, he didn't wait for Lan Jade's answer, this sentence was more like saying to the person in the photo.

He whispered.

"Are you an enemy? ”

The night covered the old Dunling, and in Arthur's soft questioning, the sound of galloping carriages came from the window, the horses breathed heat, the hooves of the horses struck heavily on the stone bricks, and the wheels turned rapidly, running over the debris and silt, washing through the stagnant water, and abandoning them all.

Time passed, and Anthony stretched out his hand to lift the curtain, and cast his eyes out of the carriage, carefully admiring the night of the old Dunling, which, despite his high status, was also the first time he had come to the old Dunling, and every place here was new to him.

It's like a strange new land, and every place has something to offer strangers.

Steaming towers, blazing furnaces, steam spilling from beneath the earth's surface, and whales surrounding the sky.

These were things that had never been seen in the Emerald Jade, and even Anthony couldn't help but tremble slightly, in awe of this advanced city.

"How does it feel?"

Arthur asked the passenger who had just disembarked, and after receiving Anthony, the carriage headed towards the embassy, which was the first contact between the two kingdoms in many years, and Arthur tried to be as strong as possible, and pulled Anthony directly into his carriage without giving him any time to rest.

"It's good, it's hard to imagine that humans do this. ”

Anthony did not hesitate to praise himself, and the towering buildings rose in rows, and they were erected one after another under the hazy mist, forming a cold and oppressive steel jungle.

"So how about I get straight to the point?"

Arthur said directly, although Anthony's attitude was not bad, but he didn't want to be too polite with this guy.

"Getting down to business? Well, this is a matter of urgency for us in the Gospel Church. ”

Anthony didn't show much expression, and the hideous scar on his face calmed down, and as he spoke, he lifted the box he was carrying, and took out the documents that had been prepared from it.

"According to the Stagnant Temple's report, we have discovered traces of Lawrence, who is active in your lands in Ingwig, and we hope to cooperate in his capture. ”

Arthur was silent, he did not tell the information that Lawrence was dead.

"The main purpose is for the book of Revelation, right? ”

Arthur asked directly, this is what the evangelical church cares more about than a traitor.

"Of course, but that's not all. ”

Anthony wasn't surprised that Arthur knew this, and just continued.

"According to our investigation, the Sacred Coffin has appeared on your territory. ”

The Forbidden Coffin contained the remains of the Holy Grail, which would be thrown into the deep sea and temporarily sealed according to the Evangelical Church, but it was contested between the Purifier and Lawrence, which ended with Lawrence's victory.

"Yes. ”

Arthur replied, but more information he did not reveal.

Seeing this, Anthony seemed to have a headache, and then said indifferently.

"Arthur, we are here this time with the purpose of cooperation, not to go to war, which will not benefit either of us, but will only allow those demons and those betrayers to take advantage of it. ”

"If you want to blame it, it's the problems left over from history, after all, your Demon Hunting Order was once so strong, even we can only survive in the shadows. ”

Arthur's words smelled of gunpowder, it was not the demons that once scared the purifiers, but the demon hunting cult behind the sea, they monopolized the technology to fight demons, and they would never allow a second demon hunting cult to appear, until the inflow of armor technology, the development of the original sin armor, they had a certain strength to resist, and the purification mechanism got better from this panicked situation.

But soon his attitude changed, and then he said.

"You're right, I'm a decider, I only have positions and interests, not personal feelings. There are no absolute enemies, only absolute interests. ”

Arthur continued, as if in a show of sincerity.

"The Purifier didn't get the Sacred Coffin, it was snatched by Lawrence. ”

"It can be seen that if you had obtained the Sacred Coffin, the Old Dunling might have fallen a few months ago...... You guys have no idea what they are. ”

Anthony looks like he knows everything, and his expression is always on top, which makes Arthur very unhappy.

"That is the source of all evil, the hiding place of all iniquity. ”

"Are you here to recycle it, with the book of Revelation?" asked Arthur.

"Of course, that's the property of the Evangelical Church, and that's what we've always done, so we need Lawrence's whereabouts. ”

The Stagnant Sanctuary had roughly judged Lawrence's location, but this was Invig's territory, and Anthony needed the help of the Purifier for further action.

"Is that so...... But he's dead, and the trail is broken. ”

Arthur didn't hide it and said it directly.

The purification mechanism has been searched for a long time, and after Lawrence's death, the Sacred Coffin ...... Or that the remains of the Holy Grail and the Book of Revelation in the Sacred Coffin have mysteriously disappeared, and both of these things can be very dangerous, they have searched as much as they can, but still found nothing, and after that, there is still secret blood, a new type of secret blood mixed with hallucinogens.

Lawrence has a team, and that team hides in the depths, and the longer they hide, the more dangerous it becomes, and it is better to take the help of the Evangelical Church than to seek it alone.

"He's dead?"

Anthony also looked surprised, he couldn't have imagined that the terrible Demon Hunter Sect would also die, and then he thought of something, and asked with some doubts.

"You killed him?"

Arthur nodded, a little threatening.

"This is not the time when swords and shields can reign, steel and fire are the new masters. ”

The flames of Invig's industry were blazing, and Lawrence was powerless to resist in the torrent.

Anthony stared into Arthur's eyes, hoping to find some flaws in them, and the atmosphere froze, and the carriage sped through the streets of Old Dunling, rolling up the fog and dissipating it.

"No...... You can't do it alone, Lawrence's monster, he's lived so long, the witcher is this monster, the older he gets, the more powerful he becomes......"

After a brief moment of consternation, Anthony reacted and whispered.

"What do you mean, getting older?" Arthur clearly did not understand his words.

"This is my sincerity, this is one of the secrets that no one knows, the witchers do not die well, because when they reach a certain age, they are secretly executed, and Lawrence is an exception, this monster has lived for a long time, so long that no one can check him anymore. ”

Seeing this situation, Anthony also appropriately released certain secrets.

This time Anthony's attitude was indeed like he wanted to have a good talk with Arthur, he continued.

"Because of the intensity of the battle against demons, the demon hunters suffered heavy casualties, but there will always be some demon hunters who survive, but as they get older, their will will weaken, and the power of the demon will be stronger. ”

"So what?" Arthur motioned for him to continue, "that's a good start, Anthony, and that's what intelligence exchange looks like. ”

Anthony paused for a moment, hesitated for a few moments, and then continued, this is not to think about the stakes.

"You've tried to replicate the secret blood technique, haven't you?"

There is nothing to deny, Arthur nodded, indicating that in fact, the horizontal comparison of the Ranger technology is the secret blood technology, which was born in the depths of the Black Mountain Hospital for secret research, but was eventually stopped for various reasons.

"Actually, the secret blood technology is to inject the blood of demons into the body of the demon hunter, but we all know that blood will die, just like the blood in the human body, it will die, it will be metabolized, and then new blood will appear from the body's hematopoietic system to replace those who die. ”

Anthony tried to explain this to Arthur, and he didn't know the specifics, although he was the new patriarch, he was also the worst patriarch in the history of the Demon Hunting Order, taking office at such a chaotic and difficult time for the Evangelical Church, and if he couldn't recapture the book of Revelation, he would probably be the last patriarch.

"So what?"

"Therefore, no matter how weird and tenacious the secret blood is, after the baptism of time, it will die and be metabolized in the body of the person who is qualified for the secret blood. ”

Anthony's voice warmed.

"But the demon hunters have not lost their strength over time, precisely because the secret blood gives them power and at the same time is also transforming them, little by little, until the human body's hematopoietic system begins to produce a small amount of secret blood to maintain the existence of the secret blood in the body. ”

"This is the core of the book of Revelation, how to refine the secret blood, but all this can be done in the human body under the transformation of the secret blood. ”

Anthony looked at Arthur who fell silent, and the speeding carriage seemed to turn into a rumbling train, and they were heading for some unknown place, where they might be able to get there, or they might die on the way.

"As I get older, this transformation becomes more and more complete, and it's a ...... Demonization, demonization of reason.

The bones, internal organs, and muscles all began to be different from ordinary people, and the flesh was gradually dominated by secret blood...... Do you know what I mean?"

Arthur nodded stiffly, and then he said slowly.

"Lawrence betrayed you and sparked the night of Advent...... This was his premeditation and your persecution, right?"

Anthony replied with a blank face.

"The demon hunters are not out of control, but as time goes on, they are still demonizing, and the more time passes, the deeper their demonization will become, until they are different from ordinary people from the inside out, and at that time, they break through the threshold and completely awaken the secret blood in their bodies...... It was an uncontrollable disaster. ”

"So witchers have a life limit, but Lawrence survived with the power of Cardinal Medici, the longer he lived, the more dangerous it became, and the aging will could not control the body demonized by the secret blood, and we could not tolerate such a risk. ”

Arthur couldn't believe it, but then he felt a little ridiculous, and he laughed.

"So you're all doing it all at your own peril?"

"Not really, just an old will, fearing death.

The witcher appears to be stable, maintaining the familiar human form, but underneath that skin is a completely different flesh and blood, a body eroded and alienated by the secret blood. ”

Anthony's calmness makes people feel chills, Arthur can't help but think of Lorenzo, the witcher is like this, he doesn't belong to humans, he doesn't belong to demons, he lives tenaciously between the cracks.

"I think you can understand that, like those knights of yours, you do the same when they become more dangerous, right?"

Arthur was stunned, he wanted to say something to refute him, but he remembered the walking corpses who were lying in the Black Mountain Hospital, long since they lost their minds, and his voice weakened again.

He was old, far less decisive than he had been when he had been, and he might have been as ruthless as Anthony, but time had worn him down, and his impregnable walls were full of cracks.

"Lawrence has lived so long, and he is more powerful than we can imagine, and it is difficult for you to kill him unless someone else helps. ”

Anthony continued his analysis, and he remembered the name, and from the report of the Stasis Temple, another witcher appeared near Lawrence.

"Yes, this witcher named Lorenzo Holmes...... Or a detective. ”

Anthony said as he pulled out several black-and-white photographs from the file, all from different angles, but the common denominator was the man's face.

"Don't be surprised, though the Evangelical Church is in decline, we at least had a glorious age, didn't we? We have far more demonic technology than you see. ”

Arthur took the photo, regrouped his emotions, and became cold and ruthless, "It looks like the rest of you can't hide it from you." ”

"Indeed, it seems that with his assistance, you killed Lawrence, and you know a great deal from his mouth about the secrets of our Evangelical Church. ”

All of this was expected by Anthony, who was far younger and more cruel than Arthur, and it could be said that the exiles were the seven hills from which he led the Templars.

"Why, do you want to capture this betrayer?" asked Arthur maliciously.

Lorenzo has become a great help to the Purifier, and no one can shake the cooperation between the Purifier and Lorenzo until there is not enough interest.

"Almost, you can't let him wander like this. ”

Anthony said without emotion, the secret order continues, and these witchers who survived the night of Presence are still being hunted.

Arthur laughed suddenly, he couldn't understand Anthony's intentions.

"The Book of Revelation, the remains of the Holy Grail, Lorenzo Holmes...... I suppose you're going to let us help hunt down the fugitives, don't you?"

None of these incidents are easy, let alone all together.

"So, Father Anthony, what price can you pay for all this, and the Evangelical Church behind you, that Seni Lothair?"

Arthur was slightly angry, but he also gradually regained his old feeling, and the two of them were like cold machines, putting all the interests in front of them, only pursuing the maximization of their own interests.

Anthony was silent, there was no sound except for the sound of the wheels spinning and hitting the ground, and the icy cold wind poured into the car, stimulating the nerves of the two of them.

Suddenly Anthony laughed, with a hint of mockery and contempt in his smile, and then he said.

"Sometimes, you don't have to pay a price, as long as you have the same stakes, you say? Arthur, just like you joined forces with Lorenzo Holmes, because you are both against Lawrence, so there is no cost, and he will help you. ”

"You think we have the same stakes, and I'll work with you to capture Lorenzo?"

Arthur felt a little unreasonable, although Lorenzo was a little neurotic, but no matter how you look at it, he was much more reliable than Anthony.

"It's nature. Actually, I don't understand one thing about you, I came to meet you in a formal capacity, and you are very wary of me, even with malicious intentions, but what about Lorenzo Holmes?"

Anthony reveals his true intentions, and Lorenzo, the guy who has always appeared in the field of vision, is the best target compared to the remains of the Holy Grail of the Apocalypse.

"Lorenzo Holmes, a witcher who suddenly appeared before you, gained your trust simply by helping you hunt demons, and what you know about him is only from his own account. ”

He asked, as if he didn't understand.

"Is it so simple for you to accept a stranger from the authorities? What if everything Lorenzo Holmes says is a lie? You should know him too, he is a cunning liar, master of misleading and calculating, how can you be sure that the Lorenzo you have seen is true and not a lie?"

Anthony threw out a document as he spoke, and if it had been Arthur's fierce pursuit of him before, now it was Anthony's counterattack, and in this carriage, only words were used to meet the enemy.

"Do you know who he is?"

Anthony picked up the black-and-white photograph and showed it to Arthur, showing the man leaning against the street, spitting through the clouds.

"Lorenzo Holmes. ”

Arthur had seen this damn face so many times, how could he not remember.

But then Anthony sneered, and he asked again.

"And do you know his name when he was in the Demon Hunting Order?"

Arthur fell silent, he didn't know or know, and that's when he realized that Lorenzo had provided a lot of knowledge about demons, but he had never mentioned his name in the Order.

"Let's talk about it, Arthur, this document is full of information related to Lorenzo Holmes, all of which he had when he was in the Demon Hunting Order, let's compare whether he lied or not. ”

"Does it matter if he didn't lie? As for the origin, we have always been very open to the purification agency. Arthur shot back.

Hearing this, the coldness on Anthony's face was even worse, and he handed the documents directly to Arthur.

"But what if he's a dangerous demon, and he'll do anything to get close to you and kill Lawrence to gain your trust?"

Anthony folded his hands and leaned back in his chair, his voice cold and cold narrating the forbidden story.

"The night of Advent brings not only destruction, but also more terrible disasters, which are our mistakes and we are trying to make amends, as evidenced by my presence here. During that night, despite the heavy casualties of the Evangelical Church, we also succeeded in creating an unknown weapon. ”

"Unknown weapon?"

Arthur didn't understand why Anthony had suddenly mentioned this again.

"Yes, unknown, we don't know its nature, we don't know its form, we don't even say it's good or evil, when it was born on the night of the Advent, the night of destruction, the participants all died in the night of the Advent, and we also got the information about its existence from the mouths of the survivors. ”

"So what?"

"It is the evil born from the Holy Grail, a temptation of humanity into the forbidden unknown. ”

Anthony recalled the information given to him by the new pope, and even he would feel like hell was in front of him when he read it.

"According to Arnar's information, a demon hunter took it out in the battlefield of hell and escaped from the control of the Evangelical Church.

Based on the writing of those words, this may be a cult that rivals the Holy Grail. ”

Anthony looked directly at Arthur, the priest had come prepared from the start, and everyone had guessed his purpose, their intentions, and everything in the story.

Arthur suddenly felt an indescribable heaviness that sparked from the man in front of him, pressing down on his chest like a rock, and in this small carriage, he was overwhelmed.

"Go on. ”

Arthur's gaze was the same indifference, he began to understand what Anthony was saying and doing, and his gaze was fixed on the black and white photograph.

"Who is the witcher who took away the evil spirit?" he asked.

Anthony slowly picked up the black-and-white photo, and his voice seemed to sound from a strange nether.

"We call him 047, the witcher who bears the name of Medanzo. ”

Arthur's breath froze suddenly, and for a moment all sounds disappeared, except for Anthony's words that echoed in his ears.

"And you call him ...... Lorenzo Holmes. ”

In the silence of the night, only the carriage gradually disappeared into the darkness, and the roar of the wheels ran over the mud and stones, and over the years, and over every soul, so that some evil spirits dug up the grave and bathed in the soft moonlight.