Gun of Ashes

Applause thundered.

Everyone was celebrating this moment of bestowed honor, and it was at this moment that Duke Phoenix noticed countless gazes. He suddenly looked up and found one familiar face after another in the witnessing crowd; they were smiling at him, nodding in acknowledgement.

It was them, those who swore in the war, those of the Stuart group.

This was the grant of Selyu; every family sent a representative, they were never absent.

As Arthur, for the first time, he felt the unknown, the unknown of Old Dunling, the unknown of Ingwig. He had never imagined that this power would be so strong and hidden so deeply. In that eerie feeling, he realized something.

"Was it you who chose Selyu?" he asked.

Yawei nodded.

"Everyone likes this girl, although she's a bit willful, but girls, you know..."

He spoke slowly, the ancient will connected them together, just like the Purification Mechanism that binds these madmen together.

Duke Phoenix looked at Yawei with some reverence, looking at the people in the crowd who were gesturing at him.

"I will keep it secret."

"Even if you tell, it won't matter, no one will believe it, just like Baskerville."

Yawei said calmly.

The ceremony ended, and everyone gathered around to celebrate the young Duke.

"Right, could you please pass this on to Lorenzo?"

It seemed like he remembered something, Yawei took out a badge; it was the Stuart family emblem, sixty-one swords crossed like a round shield.

"Selyu said she finally bestowed it to Lorenzo."

Duke Phoenix took the badge, his voice somewhat hesitant.

"You should know, at that time she didn't have the authority of a Duke, and the Queen had long imposed restrictions on your arbitrary bestowals."

"Of course I know, and even if the Queen acknowledges it, so what? Lorenzo is a Demon Hunter, a madman fighting demons... he is destined to be a guy hiding in the shadows, afraid of the light.

Besides, truly bestowing it upon him, he would certainly add a strange prefix to his self-introduction."

Yawei continued, his face smiling.

"This is just recognition from a willful child, he won't appear in Stuart's history, nor will he be recorded, at most, he would have a corner in unofficial history, but that would be many years from now."

"Is there any meaning in this?"

Duke Phoenix was puzzled, unknown honor, this is just a beautiful delusion.

"Yes, no meaning, he won't exist in any position, but quite the contrary, he will be very meaningful, always existing in that precious position."

"Where?"

He asked somewhat curiously.

"Here."

Yawei reached out and gently tapped Duke Phoenix's chest.

"In her here."

The old butler left, just like others, surrounding and celebrating the girl adorned with honor. Duke Phoenix stood somewhat dazed in place, the ancient secret had just been revealed, so casually, like an afternoon chat, yet the lingering effect now slowly echoed, striking the heart.

Not sure how long it took, he finally lowered his head slowly, looking at that badge in his hand.

It was different from the normal Stuart emblem; on the sword-forged round shield, there was an extra sword, the sixty-second sword, the thirty-third current recipient, an oath-taker destined to remain hidden in the darkness.