Deep Sea Embers

Anne didn't know what happened - she just had time to see two strangers standing at the entrance to the cemetery, but her sight was blocked by the slightly stooped body of the old guard, and the old man's slightly nervous voice came to her ears: "Kid, don't look over there."

The little girl was a little nervous: "Grandpa caretaker, what's wrong?"

"Don't move, don't talk, it's okay." The old man said softly, while his eyes still stayed on the burly figure. He put one hand beside him to block Annie's restless sight, and the other hand pressed On the chest - there is a talisman that, if necessary, can be used to trigger an alarm throughout the cemetery.

The burly figure walked this way.

All the muscles in the old man's body tensed up.

"Good morning," a deep voice said from the thickly bandaged house. "

The communication was clear and the attitude was friendly - just like the previous contact, this unnameable "visitor" showed a friendly attitude.

But the muscles on the old guard's body did not dare to relax at all. He had thought that sooner or later this visitor would come to visit him again, and he also thought about the circumstances under which he would communicate with the visitor, but he never expected that the visitor would be so upright. He arrived at the entrance of the cemetery and stood on the opposite side to say hello to him. He didn't know whether Anne behind him would be affected by this visitor, so he could only stay between the two as much as possible, thinking quickly about the next response. .

The old man's nervousness completely fell into Duncan's eyes.

You look even more nervous than when you first met - is it because of the child you are protecting behind you?

The old guard looked at what the other person took out in astonishment, and subconsciously took it before he realized what was happening. He blinked in confusion, never expecting that an unnameable visitor came to the cemetery in a physical form, just to give him a piece of cake. letter.

A... letter? It's actually a letter? !

It seemed that because of the sudden change in the atmosphere, Anne seemed a little nervous. She shrank behind the old guard: Yes, yes. "

"Ah, that's good, I can save some trouble," Duncan said, raising his hand to dig in his pocket - this action made the cemetery guard in front of him visibly stunned, and he smiled and shook his head. "Don't be nervous. If I really have bad intentions, I don't need to raise my hand."

But the cemetery guard next to him reacted suddenly.

Duncan looked quietly at the little girl who was poking her head out from behind the old guard, staring at his eyes and the outline of his eyebrows that were vaguely similar to Captain Bartokto.

"It's easy to slip on snowy days," Duncan nodded, looked at the little girl and asked casually, "What's your name? How old are you this year?"

"My name is Anne," the girl said without warning, "Anne Bardencan, I am seventeen years old this year!"

"Captain Bartokto Baqiuying, what is your relationship?"

Duncan slowly bent over, keeping his eyes level with the girl, and tried to speak as gently as possible: "Is your surname Bardencan?"

As Annie spoke, her voice suddenly became louder.

"He is...my father." Anne whispered, then subconsciously grabbed the old guard's clothes and looked up at the old man, as if she wanted to ask for help.

Duncan suddenly stretched out his hand and rubbed Annie's head - a little unmelted snowflake fell from the thick woolen hat and mixed with the snow.

The old guard's pupils shrank slightly, but he quickly concealed the change in his expression.

"Give this to the 'gatekeeper' named Agatha, or directly to your cathedral," Duncan said casually, "Anyway, it's a message, as long as the message is delivered."

He just asked casually, but he didn't expect... things would be such a coincidence.

But he took a step slower.

The old man suddenly pressed Annie's shoulders to tell the child to stop talking. Then he raised his head and looked directly into Duncan's eyes: "Is what you said...is the truth?"

"I just want to

He is just here to visit the cemetery, and he is a person who has nothing to do with the church," the old man said immediately. After realizing that Annie was really not affected, he relaxed a little, "He is trying to persuade the child to go back. The weather today is too bad. . "

"To make a small contribution to the safety of the city," Duncan smiled, but unfortunately his friendly expression was completely blocked by the bandage. Then he looked past the old guard and looked at the little girl hiding behind the old man, " Does it scare you?"

In front of the cemetery gate, there was suddenly silence.

He still couldn't understand what Duncan's words meant - he didn't even understand the existence of the tall and burly figure in front of him.

After he finished speaking, he took out a sealed letter from his windbreaker pocket and handed it to the old man in front of him.

"...I think so," Duncan thought for a moment. I don't know what the door of Death Chris is, or what humans will experience after death, but in front of a child, I know that I What should be said - and this is what I sincerely hope, "He sent me away himself."

"Also, don't forget this letter."

"You are Captain Bartokto's daughter - you live with your mother on Hearth Street?" Duncan looked at the little girl in front of him and asked again.

Duncan nodded slightly.

The same goes for the old guard on the side.

"...I've seen him before, although I'm not too familiar with him," Duncan said softly, "He asked me to visit you and your mother. I didn't have time to go find you, so I didn't expect to meet you here."

Annie nodded calmly, and then seemed to react: "You... know my dad?"

In fact, he no longer doubted what the old man told him a long time ago.

"Isn't the Priestess here?"

Duncan glanced curiously in the direction of the cemetery, "I have something more important to tell her."

However, the old man didn't react. He just looked shocked, as if he had thought of something, and looked at Duncan with an incredulous expression. At the same time, he looked at the young woman with a veil and a blond shawl in confusion.

Annie looked up and blinked.

The old guard was silent for a moment. He knew what the other party meant, and he also knew that as an ordinary person, Anne should not be affected by some extraordinary powers like himself. However, he still did not relax and just asked cautiously: "What are you doing this time?" What do you want to do here?”

On the back of the envelope, you can actually see the mark and number of a small local printing factory - this is not even a "ceremonial secret letter" condensed by extraordinary power. It was bought from a newsstand at the intersection, maybe even today I bought it when I passed by this morning.

"She just left," the old guard said, becoming more cautious because of the mention of Agatha. "What do you want to see her for?"

"Oh, then she is safe," Duncan said. "You should also understand what she can't see."

"No," Annie shook her head and carefully looked at the tall and burly figure opposite through the old man's fingers, "I'm very brave."

"I know you are friendly, but your existence itself may affect ordinary people," the old guard said cautiously, trying his best not to offend the visitor in front of him with his words, "This child has not received any extraordinary training. ”

The old guard blinked, and before he could speak, he only saw the green flames in front of his eyes flashing away.

The old guard's heart tightened, and he wanted to remind Anne, who had never been exposed to extraordinary power, not to speak. After all, it was a very dangerous move to reveal the name of a superior extraordinary person whose origin was clear——

"Relax," Duncan said, with a smile in his tone, "I don't have any hostility - and I won't hurt the kid behind you."

Then he paused and added: "I can contact her at any time - the cemetery caretaker is also a clergyman, and can directly contact the cathedral and the gatekeeper."

"I have a niece, and she is also very courageous," Duncan said, looking at the old man, "This child is..."

The sound of stepping on snow came from the side, and Alice was a little surprised.

He looked at the little girl who called herself "Anne Bardencan", then turned to look at Duncan: "Ah, I remember the surname Bardencan, isn't it...

The old man raised his head, his slightly cloudy and yellow eyes filled with obvious doubts and inquiries.

I turned over the envelope and took another look.

"My father..." Anne opened her mouth, but she couldn't think of what to say for a long time. After struggling to organize her words for a long time, she asked carefully, "He's really not dead yet... right?"

"Captain Bartokto is a great man, a great man - he should be in a country now, where he can have a good rest."

"It's almost time for me to leave," Duncan said. He looked at Anne, who was still a little confused about the situation, and then at the cemetery guard. "Although I have a lot to say, I still have a lot to do. , let’s meet again if we have a chance.

"Then...will he still be sent here?" Anne asked calmly, "The adults said that the souls of people who believe in the God of Death will return to Chris's cemetery after death. Then I was led to the gate, and the caretaker told me that this cemetery is..."