The Ashen Keeper

Chapter 30

[Marco POV]

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"She's infected with the old blood.", I announced with a heavy heart.

Despite years of not catching the disease, mother was finally inflicted with the old blood. Julia was lucky that mother only fainted when she started bleeding.

The disease works by first taking away your ability to think.

Somehow, mother was lucky.

The fact that she could not think as much as an average person will slow the disease down but, I do not know how much longer she would have.

She has been unconscious for three days now.

Just when life started becoming better for us, bad news follows one after another.

Master had died. Mother was infected. I have no idea on whether Julia is infected or not.

The church was also starting to catch up onto the actions of me and my brother.

Luckily, there was some hope.

The disease appears to be dormant right now. So, mother might return back to normal. I pray to the old blood that everything will turn out fine.

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[A few years later]

[Fabrizo POV]

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The church had finally caught us.

They were generous enough to leave mother and sister alone but, they went after me and my brother.

I do not know what happened to Marco, but I believe he will be alright. After all these years, our acts of blackmailing, murdering and extorting has finally come to an end.

A group of hunters were hunting me down. I had killed three of them but there were many more.

I can easily kill any hunter in a duel but not when they came in droves.

I was in my temporary hideout right now. It was a trap. I couldn't keep running forever. I was also in a bad state with wounds all over me.

A few hunters burst in. I took out a firearm and blow out a hole in the first hunter who came right in. They must have been amateurs because they held little caution.

The other three who came along with him fired back. None of them hit me luckily.

I took out another firearm as reloading would take some time and shot them back.

I missed them entirely and nailed a random beast out in the forests. So, I ran to the top where I prepared the cannon.

I took a shot and tore another two to shreds.

While the last one was shocked so, I quickly held a cleaver and slashed him. But, by this time, my luck finally seems to run out.

I was surrounded by beasts that were attracted by the voice of the firearm. I could also hear other hunters closing in.

It appears that my sinful life was finally coming to an end. I should repent.

Stop kidding me!

Repent?

Repent after all the gods put us through.

If they didn't want me to sin, he wouldn't have given mother her condition.

Ah ... I will never repent for I have no regrets.

Even if my life, finally ended in pain.

Even if I got another chance at life, I only wish to be reborn in this family.