"Finally a break."
Iguan said breathlessly, she had been dancing with Lorenzo since the beginning and she finally got a chance to take a break when they switched tracks.
So far the two had been successful in their lurking, no one had noticed anything unusual about the two or approached them to talk, instead they had some curious eyes surveying them, causing Iguan to panic a little.
"Don't worry, they are merely curious."
Lorenzo's words came at just the right time.
"This ball has been held so secretly for I don't know how many times that there is a sense of familiarity between the guests even when they are wearing masks, and with the extra us today, they must want to know where we came from."
"Shall we strike up a conversation?"
"There's no need, the more we talk the easier it is to reveal ourselves."
Lorenzo was a really good showman, and looking at him in that casual manner, he looked as if he had been there many times.
Gray-blue eyes roamed back and forth, he was actually disturbed, but he didn't say anything to Iguan, from the moment he saw that stained glass window that feeling was rising, that was supposed to be a building in a church, but now it appeared in the middle of this weird underground, it seemed that behind that glass was the gate to hell.
"Eve, have you seen the guards?" Lorenzo said suddenly.
"The guards?" The girl looked around, everything was bathed in joy, where were the guards.
"Yes, we've come all this way and there have been no guards except at the very beginning."
Lorenzo's features were in a rare state of concentration as he sat in his seat, nothing seemed to be out of place, it was like a normal ball, but then he suddenly realized what was going on, the attendants were making their way through the crowd, they were holding trays with coins and gold on top of them.
The trade had begun, or had begun since the two had entered the place, Lorenzo had expected some sort of formal speech followed by a glittering entrance surrounded by a group of handsome women, but now the goods of the trade were being passed through the crowd on trays like liquor.
Damn, then it was highly unlikely that Saber would show up.
Everything about this night was a perfect script; Lorenzo had counted on everything, but hadn't thought of any of this.
And just as Lorenzo was fretting, a valet approached with a tray of butcher's coins with gold and silver jewelry, Lorenzo feigned familiarity and was about to dismiss the valet with the last few butcher's coins when the valet spoke up.
"Sir, you have been invited."
The squire wore a mask and had an icy voice that made Lorenzo feel slightly uneasy in this situation.
"Invited me?"
Lorenzo asked again, only to see the squire let go of his body. Behind him on top of a high platform a man in a bull mask was waving at Lorenzo.
"Eve, get your weapons ready, we should be exposed."
Lorenzo stood up, whispering to Iguan in the process.
The girl's demeanor instantly pooped out a few moments later as well, her hand gently crouching on her thigh, only a light section of her dress separating the icy weapon from her.
"What are you going to do?
The girl asked him in a whisper as well, only to see Lorenzo pick up his pocket watch, it was 1:00 AM at the moment.
"Go to the appointment, there is no escape anymore."
Said Lorenzo taking Iguan's hand in stride.
...
This was the highest part of the hall, under the stained glass, Lorenzo remembered that there were many people on the platform when he looked at it from the ground floor, but when he arrived there was only one attendant standing far away except for the man who waved to him.
It was a warm and cheerful ball, but the place was empty and cold.
"Welcome my new friend."
The man offered a welcome, opening his hands to a body bearishly strong, a stature that went well with his mask, which reminded Lorenzo of the one on Burrow.
"It looks like I've been exposed, I'd like to know how you found me, Mr. Saber."
Lorenzo sat down across from Saber along with Iguan, he didn't hide it in the slightest, he just blurted it out, still with that same calm demeanor.
There was no need to cover up, that would be ridiculous instead, in fact, Saber could have just killed them instead of inviting them.
Saber smiled slightly, he was the master here, everything was under his control.
"From the time you got in the car, sir. You know that the living room here is not open to the public, the guests usually enough will be external even if it is to bring new guests to also need the old guests to apply to me, but such a place ..... And who would tell?
Everyone wears a disguise and dances lightly on the dance floor
"This is the kingdom of heaven, but people are greedy and no one will share this place with anyone else. That's why the guests only get fewer, but not more, not to mention your butcher's coins."
The Burrower's coin flipped over on the table, finally the Burrower's side was facing up and Sabo looked at Lorenzo, his eyes seemed to be glowing under that bull's mask.
"Did you know sir, that a butcher's coin can be exchanged for three gold lion coins, enough to keep a family in the lower city alive for a few months, and it doesn't depreciate with the rise and fall of prices, so as long as you take it to a redemption point you're sure to get your money's worth."
Saber said slyly.
"The lower city is a garbage dump, and to protect the butcher's coins poor people will hide them in the closest place they can find, gently rubbing their hands against them at countless moments to make sure it's there. That is their life.
"But look at your butcher's coins, brand new as if they had just been taken out of the mint, the kind of new city that only that honorable Burroughs has."
The various details exposed Lorenzo, and he nodded slightly. But the figure was poor, there was no need to hide anything then Lorenzo directly took out that silver and white revolver and pointed it at Saber, it was a dangerous move, but it was as if the squire who was not far away didn't see it.
"Then I assume you recognize this gun."
"Burrow's gun, of course I recognize it."
Saber seemed to be unsurprised by the appearance of this gun, not even fluctuating in any way, picking up a glass of wine on the side and pouring in the blood-like wine.
"It's called Deathstroke, because Burrow says that when it fires that sound is a lot like the bells of the dead."
The bells tolled the bullets discharged and the dead slept forever beneath the earth
Lorenzo looked at the ghosts and gods etched on the nest of bullets, the demons counterattacking the territory of the gods before burning to ashes in a great fire.
"I just wanted to come and ask a few questions, there's no need for bloodshed."
"But when you came armed you were ready to bleed weren't you?"
The two stared at each other for some moments, the same emotion showing in their eyes, like hunters on a narrow path, they both knew exactly what was going to happen next.
It was just a simple conversation, but that weird pressure choked Iguan's throat, from the moment she landed in her seat she couldn't say anything, or even say she couldn't even move, even when Lorenzo lifted her skirt and picked up the gun called Deathstroke she didn't put up any resistance.
This joyous dance was not broken by Lorenzo's drawing of the gun, but both of them clearly felt the undercurrent of this.
"How about a compromise?"
Lorenzo suddenly lowered his gun, abandoning his assertive demeanor and wearing a smile full of assurance beneath his brass mask.
"You seem well aware of the status quo."
Saber surveyed the man in front of him, and he was suddenly mildly interested.
"Yeah, so what if I kill you, I'm sure I won't get out of here alive. You're doing unseen business here, you don't just have to protect yourself, you also have to satisfy those guests, after all, here they are the guests, take off the mask and they are the handles of various important positions in the old Dunling, you living is a stain for them, they join hands and you will surely die."
Lorenzo looked at the gilded hall and could not imagine how much money Saber had bet on this place.
"At your command, I'm sure a group of guards will come out and evacuate with the guests, and then this place will be turned into a bunker where no one can escape or come in."
Just like the hot springs off of that tunnel, a man with a cannon guarding the outside would have trouble leaving even if there was an army hidden in the dungeon, but in the same way, as long as Saber guarded that tunnel, no one would be able to breach the place.
"You won't resist Burrow, but only just, I can't dig anything up as long as you keep quiet."
"And how will you do that sir?"
"How about a bet?" Speaking of betting Lorenzo's eyes lit up for a moment."
"A bet?"
"Yes, only on the bet, we are evenly matched, Goddess of Fortune will not favor either side, no flow no conflict, harmony."
"Well .... Very interesting."
Saber was a bit surprised, but did as he was told. He clapped his hands, and the valet came carrying an ornate case, which opened to reveal poker dice of all kinds.
"Which one to play?"
Saber said and shuffled the cards, the Queen and King rolling back and forth in his hands, finally laying flat on top of the table as if they were unfurling dry armies.
Lorenzo shook his head and picked up the revolver again, only this time he opened the chamber and exited one bullet into the chamber.
"Actually, I'm not much of a card player, I prefer pure... over all that math... Luck."
Five bullets lay horizontally and vertically on the table, the brass casings reflecting the masks of the three men, and the nests were spun with a hard clatter.
Lorenzo's voice was soft, pressing the familiar words from memory, then said.
"One in six chance."