Gun of Ashes-Chapter 788 - 38 The Living Dead

"Ivar Rodbrock..."

Inside the room, Hebdo whispered this familiar name, looking up at the dim ceiling, lost in his thoughts.

Lorenzo guessed Hebdo was reading a novel, but he was only half right.

The table lamp emitted a warm light, making the entire room cozy, but it couldn't dispel the gloom in Hebdo's heart. It was like a flickering candle flame, seemingly about to be engulfed entirely by the darkness of the room in the next second.

Hebdo leaned against the headboard, with "Victoria's Secret" resting on his knees. He glanced through a few pages, trying to set aside the chaotic thoughts, but he couldn't. His mind was entirely occupied by the task, with one anticipated scene after another flashing before his eyes.

He didn't tell Lorenzo, but actually, Hebdo was one of Ivar's only friends... It's not entirely accurate to say so. To be precise, Hebdo was one of the very few, apart from Ivar's brothers, willing to approach him.

Closing his eyes, the image of that guy lingered in his mind.

In the warlike Viking nations, every Viking was robust under the sculpture of the cold wind, but Ivar was different. He was a frail guy, not fierce-looking, rather somewhat delicate. The worst part was, he was disabled and couldn't stand.

Compared to his brave brothers, Ivar was so special. Some said he was the illegitimate son of the King of the Ice Sea, while others said he was the ominous child whose legs were devoured by the Devil before birth. Some also said he was the King of the Ice Sea's most beloved child. According to Viking tradition, such a naturally deformed child would be strangled in the cradle, but he survived.

In short, since his birth, he had been shrouded in various rumors.

Before meeting Ivar for the first time, Hebdo learned about him through these rumors. He was mentally prepared to meet this mysterious guy, but the result surprised him.

Hebdo still remembers the first time he met Ivar. It was in a vast square, where the cold wind raged, and passersby were reluctant to linger. Only that guy was like an anomaly, sitting in a wheelchair, reaching out to touch the sea of flowers.

Those were Ivar's favorite flowers, a type called Ice Heath, which looked very ordinary, just like common white wildflowers.

They were widespread in the Viking nations, the only kind that could strangely survive and bloom in that freezing place. Its scent was refreshing, like the cold wind blowing. When you're amidst the sea of Ice Heath, people couldn't even distinguish whether it was the floral fragrance or the actual cold wind blowing.

Yes, it was at that moment.

"Hebdo Aguilar, from today on, I am your new protector."

Hebdo remembers saying that. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Ivar didn't respond. After a long while, he moved his wheelchair and turned his head.

Just as the rumors said, he was a frail guy. Years of paralysis had atrophied all his muscles, his skin was pale to a sickly shade, and his face thin as if carved by a knife.

At that moment, Hebdo thought a lot. He felt that Ivar's existence was a sorrow, a disgrace to the King of the Ice Sea. A guy like him was destined not to enter Odin's hall and participate in the endless feast.

But then Hebdo saw those deep eyes of Ivar.

To this day, he still can't find the right words to describe how he felt then. Just relying on intuition, Hebdo only felt as if he was wounded.

Wounded by something unknown hidden deep in those eyes.

...

"He's a very odd guy, likes flowers and plants, appears gentle, but his eyes are incredibly fierce... like a bad-tempered little dog, knowing it can't harm others, but still likes to howl at them."

Erin slowly narrated Ivar's stories.

In her words, the eccentric and violent Ivar turned into a harmless little dog. Lorenzo knew very well that this was Erin's usual description, as if she described every man like this, one little dog with a different personality after another, but Lorenzo still found it strange.

"Was he not wary? A strange woman suddenly approaching him," Lorenzo asked, "According to you, Ivar is a reclusive and odd guy, yet one day a woman came to him... I suppose he's not that foolish, right?"

Erin's conversation stopped.

She had always maintained a composed demeanor, coupled with her own bizarre disguise. If not constantly reminding oneself that this woman was an enemy, many people would easily be deceived by her.

"How can one be wary? Mr. Holmes,"

Erin smiled at him, countered.

"Do you know about supply and demand relationships?"

"I do, but it has nothing to do with what we're talking about," Lorenzo said.

"How could it be unrelated?"

Erin got up and approached Lorenzo. Though wrapped in bandages and her wounds hadn't healed, it didn't restrict her movements.

"Just like giving food to the hungry, wealth to the greedy, giving care... even love, to a poor, reclusive, congenitally disabled guy."

For a moment, Lorenzo thought of Selyu. At that time, she had also used what Erin called "supply and demand relationships" to win over Mrs. Van Rudd.