TBR CH45

Chapter 45: A Tangled Mess

There is a fable like this.

Once there was a devil imprisoned in a brass bottle, and the bottle was discarded in the vast, boundless sea. As long as someone pried open the tin seal on the bottle’s mouth from the outside, the devil could regain his freedom.

So the devil began his long wait.

The first hundred years, he thought: if someone saves me, I will give him countless gold and silver treasures.

However, no one came.

The second hundred years, he thought: if someone saves me, I will let him obtain the most prominent fame and status in the world.

However, no one came.

The third hundred years, he swore: as long as someone saves me, I will grant his every wish.

However, no one came.

After that, the devil’s thoughts accumulated into deep malice over the long years. It thought, if someone found it now, it would kill them. This was its way of repaying kindness, twisted and cruel, but understandable.

Of course, the devil in the story ultimately received its due punishment.

But Tar knew the ending of another similar story. The demon had waited for more than three hundred years. In the endless time, his thoughts changed again and again.

In his imagination, he had loved the hypothetical person who saved him, and had also hated the hypothetical person who saved him.

At his most frequent, he wanted to present everything in the world to him on a golden platter one day, and the next day he wanted to give him the cruelest, most ruthless, and most painful death in the world, torturing him bit by bit.

In his imagination, his bond with the human he had never met gradually deepened. He thought countless times about what kind of eyes that person would have, what kind of hair, what kind of fate, what he would want, and what kind of attitude he would have towards him.

Thinking about these things was meaningless, he knew, but he could do nothing else.

The devil gradually became moody. He replayed the scene of being found in his mind again and again, until finally, both love and hate were blurred. He gradually couldn’t see his own attitude clearly. The desire to be found also faded with the erosion of time.

It had been too long.

A hundred years or a thousand years, he could no longer tell the difference.

No one would find him. One day, the demon in the bottle told himself this.

No one would ever save him.

This was something he couldn’t see hope for even after another ten thousand years. He had fantasized about such a person in his empty imagination for so long that he almost thought he really existed. And that was wrong.

This person did not exist, and would not come.

So, in the very, very end, he shattered the bottle and came out himself.

For Edwin, for a long time, Tar was the closest existence to him. For the demon, being in such intimate contact with a human was also unprecedented.

The Bishop’s biological clock was very accurate. As before, he opened his eyes just as the morning light touched the curtains. Tar spun his chair to face Edwin’s direction, but turned back two seconds later.

The demon first heard the Bishop’s breathing become slightly disordered for a minute or two.

He had just woken up, which was normal. Besides, he hadn’t had such a deep and sweet sleep in a long time. Those terrifying phantoms and painful dreams had sunk to the bottom of a sunless lake, unable to climb ashore to trouble him in the slightest.

Tar had looked at the Bishop’s captured dreams out of boredom last night… this was something he didn’t plan to tell Edwin.

How to put it, it could also be said to reflect the Bishop’s personal character.

In his dreams, any ordinary thing could become a deadly weapon. All scenes were shrouded in an ominous and gloomy haze, overrun with unimaginable monsters, yet there was no safe haven.

How did he maintain that rational and cold facade during the day with this mental state?

Then, Tar heard the soft rustling of fabric. He was changing clothes.

The Bishop’s attire was always exquisite and would be adjusted for different occasions, but the characteristic was that they were all a bit excessively conservative, almost not revealing an inch of skin. The long robes covered down to his ankles, and the silver buttons had to be worked through the buttonholes with some effort, tightly adorning the clothes.

This subtle sound strongly indicated the presence of another person in the room. The room was very quiet, and the reality of two people being forced to live together day and night was infinitely magnified.

Tar thought, Edwin had probably also been forced to hear the creak of his chair and the light sound of a page turning in the most dazed period just after waking up.

There was still a demon here.

The Bishop pulled open the heavy velvet curtains and saw Tar sitting boredly in his seat, holding a quill, but not writing anything, just swinging it back and forth, letting the ink from the tip drip onto the large black book.

At his feet was the replaced carpet, the same color as the roses on the table.

The demon turned his head. His voice had a candy-like sweetness, but he didn’t seem to really care. “Good morning, dear Bishop. Did you sleep well last night?”

Only a day had passed, Edwin thought, and his life seemed to be already full of the traces of a demon.

But this feeling… was strange.

Being so close to another person—no, a demon. He remembered seeing Tar when he was awakened from the nightmare last night. That was when he was at his most vulnerable and unguarded, but nothing bad had happened. The situation had instead become very good.

Also, the demon before him knew his deepest secret. But he didn’t seem to think it was a problem, and hadn’t even mentioned it a second time.

All of this was a bit light and unrealistic, so his answer was also a little dazed, his voice still hoarse from just waking up. “I slept well. That was very effective, thank you.”

The demon smiled. “I am honored.”

The Bishop put on his boots and got out of bed. His scepter was placed by the side of the bed, and his rosary was always with him, which at least ensured he wouldn’t be in a situation where he couldn’t use Light magic. Tar remembered the blade hidden in his boot, which had been stabbed into the man’s chest yesterday.

Then he picked up his scepter, looking completely awake.

That little bit of softness from before had also disappeared without a trace.

Tar was a demon, and a low-level demon useless to him at that. He still remembered this point clearly.

He was ready to go out. But Tar remaining in the room was like a time bomb. Edwin hesitated for a moment, then improved the magic circle at the door.

All of this was done in front of the demon. Tar was noncommittal about it.

“Sorry, but I have to make sure you can’t go out, especially within the Holy See.” This was not for the demon’s safety, but for Edwin’s reputation. As the Bishop of the Church of Light, his strength far surpassed that of a low-level demon, and there must be others within the church who could see through his disguise.

Even if Tar had sworn that he was proficient in disguise, the Bishop was not willing to take the risk.

Yesterday’s situation… was very clear. Tar had gone out, but that was also within his expectations. The situation had been too rushed. The original formation did not have the function of preventing “the existence in the room from leaving,” and later the intruder had broken the formation.

Now the formation had been improved. The Bishop had personally added a triple barrier of demon-repelling runes. It could not harm Tar, but it should be effective in preventing him from leaving.

“Alright,” he silently adjusted the new formation. The demon spoke before he did. “In that case, you should be able to rest assured.”

Even if he had been at ease originally, he should start to doubt after hearing this. Edwin sighed in his heart, stood outside the door, and looked back inside. “My request is the same as yesterday. If you are bored, you can also read my books…”

Would a demon really be interested in such things?

Tar said with a smile, “Same as yesterday, Bishop. Please don’t worry.”

Same as yesterday.

This was the reason why, a quarter of an hour later, Tar was wandering inside the Holy See again.

With the Holy Son’s condition improving, this tightly run machine that was the Holy See began to turn its gears again.

Starting today, the church was open to visitors again. The silver-white great gates slowly opened, and the pious people flooded in.

Today’s morning prayer was not Edwin’s special session, but on this day of the week, he had to go to the Pope to report on his duties. The shiny black stallion neighed and stopped in front of the church gate. The demon hid in the black shadow cast by the building, observing everyone who came to visit.

There was, of course, a reason for this.

Although the Holy Son had a very high status and freedom in the church, for safety reasons, the Holy Knights guarding the core of the Holy See had temporarily restricted Noah’s outings.

At the same time, the Holy See had not fully announced the Holy Son’s current state to the outside world. The big shots he had provoked were probably anxious at this time, thinking of coming to see him.

Although this was the territory of the God of Light, for love, what was a momentary danger?

Before, it was for Noah’s responsibility and reputation that they had actively chosen to stay away. And this serious injury was the best excuse.

Noah looked down from the window of his room.

The Holy Son’s residence was an independent building in the Holy See, right behind the main cathedral, relatively central yet private, and also equipped with a small garden. The window opened on the side of the garden, thoughtfully avoiding the disturbance of the crowd.

This also made His Highness the Holy Son a little annoyed.

“System,” he was so troubled for the first time. “Adelaide told me in his letter that he would sneak in to see me this morning… Why hasn’t he come yet? If he’s any later, it won’t be good if he runs into Edward.”

The appointed meeting place was the rose bed by the fence of the small garden. Almost no one would come here on normal days, and the Holy Knights on guard had also been sent away by Noah.

The Holy Son had instructed the black dragon to be careful, to disguise himself as a visitor who had just come to the capital and was not familiar with the internal structure of the Holy See, so that he could “accidentally wander into” the Holy Son’s residence and “happen to” run into Noah standing by the flower bed.

“Although I miss you too,” Noah had replied in his letter. “But we still have to be discreet within the Holy See. Adelaide, you are the only partner in my life, and I love you the most, so don’t be too hasty.”

And then the black dragon had been foolishly tricked over, his heart full of love about to melt.

He couldn’t possibly stand him up… The Holy Son bit his lip and heard the system report the distance between him and his conquest target. They were clearly so close, so why couldn’t he see him?

Adelaide was, at this moment, gloriously lost in the church.

The standard for “accidentally wandering in” had indeed been met, but unfortunately, he really couldn’t find the place.

You couldn’t blame an inexperienced abyss dragon. The Dragon Valley where dragons lived was spacious and deep. There were never so many turns, nor so many corners.

Now in human form, he was not very used to this body and line of sight to begin with, and he also had to distinguish between east, south, west, and north. It was really a bit difficult for a dragon.

He was a little torn about whether to ask for directions.

Adelaide hadn’t had much interaction with humans. The area he had the most contact with was how to attack them, so he was very afraid he would give himself away as soon as he opened his mouth.

But perhaps his dazed and wandering state had attracted the attention of others. A priest in standard Holy See attire walked towards him and asked with a smile, “Sir, is this your first time at the church? Do you need help?”

Such a good thing! Adelaide was about to ask how to get to the Holy Son’s place when he abruptly stopped himself, the four words “don’t give yourself away” that Noah had instructed him with suddenly appearing in his mind.

“Uh,” the black-clothed, black-haired man transformed from the black dragon said drily. “No, no need. I’m just taking a walk here.”

It sounded a little strange.

The other party, however, did not change his attitude because of his restraint, but nodded at him friendly. “The church welcomes visitors from afar. You may tour freely, but please do not approach the corner on the south side. His Highness the Holy Son is recuperating there. It would not be good to disturb or offend him.”

Adelaide felt as if he had found a savior. He said, stammering, “Thank you so much. I will definitely not fly… walk there. Please rest assured.”

The priest smiled noncommittally, then friendly parted ways with him.

The black dragon watched the priest’s hurried departing steps, almost moved to tears, and headed straight for the south side he had just pointed to.

He walked too hastily. Of course, this was due to his desire to see his lover as soon as possible, but…

This way, he missed seeing the priest who had given him directions suddenly disappear into the shadow of the church, then change his appearance, and cast a meaningful look in the direction of his departure.

He had a pair of pomegranate-red eyes that seemed to be constantly flowing.

In his eyes was a familiar mockery.

—Having pointed Adelaide in the completely opposite direction, Tar felt extremely good.

From the first moment this inexplicably black-clothed man entered the Holy See, the Dark God had recognized his old acquaintance.

Adelaide had been spinning in circles in the church, but he looked exactly like a foolish outlander. Those hurrying priests would not be so kind as to help him.

Tarksius watched the joke for a while with great satisfaction.

Although the structure of the church in the capital was complex, even by fumbling around, one would eventually find their way. Adelaide was about to head in the right direction, which made Tar sigh with some regret.

Then he changed into the appearance of a priest and kindly gave him directions.

Presumably, this not-so-bright black dragon would have a good while to waste.

The culprit shrugged, no longer paying attention to him, but cast his gaze elsewhere. The young demon moved through the church silently, using the shadows.

His target was the depths of the church, where Edwin also was, but that was not the point.

At the entrance just now, a golden carriage had stopped.

Some wealthy people would use gold and gems to adorn their means of transportation, but this carriage was obviously more luxurious and restrained. Four young and powerful pure black colts pawed the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

The priests who had been arranged in advance to receive them trotted over and lifted the silk curtains. Only then did the person in the carriage slowly step down.

Without a doubt, this carriage came from the royal family. And this person was a noble guest of the Holy See.

Tar was not quite clear about his status, but this middle-aged man exuded a refined and decadent aura.

The fabric on his body was woven from the unique silk of the merman race, which was almost only circulated on the black market and was priceless. His golden hair was impeccably trimmed, his palms broad and pale, not having seen much sun, and were fully adorned with a string of rings, all of top-quality gems, sparkling under the sun.

Even his beard was perfectly trimmed, probably being maintained every day, although the demon did not agree with the aesthetic of having a beard.

His eyes were the strangest part.

This upper-class person’s pupils were different from people’s stereotyped impressions. They were an ignorant and innocent light blue, like a child’s eyes.

One could imagine how he enjoyed everything with a clear conscience, issuing orders from on high, while showing an air of complete ignorance and innocence.

The demon’s keen hearing was enough to capture the whispers of the people around him: “Prince Angelo… it’s him?… Why is His Highness the Prince here again… It is said he plans to…”

Tar was not unfamiliar with such humans, nor was he very interested.

What really attracted his attention was the familiar scent faintly emanating from him.

A wisp of aura from this His Highness the Prince was silently collected in Tar’s hand. The dark black qi was gradually forced to appear in the air by his demonic power, rolling in his palm.

The demon tilted his head with some regret, watching this condescending figure being escorted by the priests towards the depths of the Holy See.

Although…

Tar thought, Edwin should already know who his enemy was.

But the Bishop might not know that His Highness the Prince’s aura was mixed with a well-hidden demonic aura. This aura lingered around his soul, but it was not from his bloodline, but from a powerful devil.

Yesterday when they had visited the parish church in the Vadin District, Tar had paused for a moment when he had entered the door.

The aura of his own kind. The mark of a great demon.

It seemed that before the Bishop’s attempt to summon a demon, someone in this capital had already done so, and succeeded. This His Highness the Prince had sold his soul to a devil in exchange for boundless power and fame.

And the man in the black robe who had contacted the gray-haired man had left a similar aura, and must have had countless connections with this prince.

To fight a real devil as a mortal—Tar thought happily, Edwin, can you win?

Noah could not bear it any longer.

Especially when the system’s cold mechanical voice reported that Adelaide was walking further and further away, with no sign of turning back from his lost path.

Most of the morning had passed. And his schedule for today was very full.

The Holy See had reopened to the public for the first time after the incident. Noah’s original calculation was perfect: meet one former conquest target in the morning, afternoon, and evening respectively, exchange a few words of affection, and then trick them into leaving.

He had enough confidence in his own charm and persuasiveness. Even if the system thought his scheme was too dangerous, the Child of Luck was determined to go his own way.

If he had met these targets at the very beginning, their doubts would probably have been mostly dispelled.

Unfortunately, no matter how charming His Highness the Holy Son was, he had no outlet for it on the air.

The rose bushes were almost about to be ignited by Noah’s anxious gaze. The stunningly beautiful youth at this moment had a quality of being on the verge of tears, making one want to cherish him, but there was no object of appreciation.

The Holy Son gritted his teeth, “System, I’m going to find him now.”

This was not in the plan. Noah really couldn’t figure it out.

In his eyes, Adelaide was one of the easiest targets to handle. Back then, in the dragon race’s territory, the abyss dragon’s roar had scattered the souls of all other living creatures, yet it had been submissive only to him, bringing him to a dragon’s lair full of gold, silver, and jewels, sharing all the good things with him.

Dragons are creatures that care a lot about appearance; they like beautiful, shiny things.

So Adelaide had fallen in love with the harem aura-endowed Noah at first sight in almost a second.

Those days had been very pleasant. Adelaide had unquestionable say within the clan. As the partner the dragon race had sworn lifelong loyalty to, he naturally received the highest treatment.

The abyss dragon was very authoritative within the clan. Although sometimes a bit slow, his strength was still powerful, and his temperament was still unfathomable…

Noah thought irritably, He can’t possibly be this hopelessly lost inside the Holy See for so long, can he?

In the solemn reception room, the Pope sat on a high-backed chair made of pure gold and carved with flowers. This was the high position he exclusively enjoyed as the mouthpiece of God.

Edwin stood by his side with his head slightly bowed, his hand resting on his ruby scepter.

The thick walnut wood door was pushed open, sliding across the floor without making a sound.

Angelo walked in, followed by five or six attendants, who were just about to lay out the prepared cushions for him, tidy up the Prince’s appearance, and listen to his commands at any time. But they were suddenly stopped by Angelo with a wave of his hand.

He deliberately put on an innocent smile and said cheerfully, “In this room, besides His Holiness the Pope, who is worthy of sitting? Don’t you think so, Bishop Edwin?”

Edwin’s gaze was still a calm, deep gray. He made the sign of the cross on his chest and bowed his head to him in a blessing. “You are right, Your Highness the Prince. We are all children of God, and God naturally treats everyone equally.”

“Ha—” Angelo let out a short, cheerful laugh, then made a surprising move.

Just when everyone thought he would stand out of respect for the Pope, he ordered his attendants to lay out the cushions again, then sat down with a swagger. “Even so… I strained my back riding a horse a couple of days ago, so I’m afraid I’ll have to sit down. Your Holiness the Pope, you will forgive this little bit of disrespect, won’t you?”

Since he had put it that way, the Pope naturally couldn’t object.

The only person left standing in the room was Edwin.

And… Tar, watching the show from a corner.

After all, with the strength of a Dark God, no one present could discover his hidden trace. He stood very close to the Bishop, observing his expression with great interest.

Edwin’s expression still hadn’t changed.

He looked indifferently at the prince sitting before him, his gray pupils like some glass balls shrouded in mist, with an inorganic texture, not reacting to his deliberate actions.

There was an embarrassing silence in the room for a few seconds, then it was broken by Angelo’s sharp laughter.

“Why so serious? I heard the Holy Son is recovering well. Isn’t this a great joyous occasion?”

The Prince finally decided to get to his main topic. His light blue pupils dilated slightly. “I have come this time,” he said, looking at the Pope now, “mainly to express the royal family’s sincerest condolences to His Highness the Holy Son. The royal family has always been the God of Light’s most devout servant. The King sent precious resources yesterday. If it can be of any use, it would be a great fortune.”

The Pope nodded. This old man said kindly, “God will see your loyalty.”

Tar couldn’t help but laugh in the dark. The devil on the Prince would probably not agree with that statement.

And Edwin had nothing to say.

In fact, he had no room to intervene in the matter of the Holy Son at all. He had been cut off from the core of power, which was also due to various considerations.

But he knew Angelo had not really come to congratulate him. He must have other purposes.

Sure enough, His Highness the Prince cast a look of feigned pity at him.

His middle-aged man’s face, combined with his feigned innocent tone, was simply nauseating. “I’m very sorry. I’ve recently heard some rumors about you—my dear Bishop. Heavens, I really can’t believe it. How could they slander a high-ranking priest who works for God like this!”

Just as Edwin was about to speak, he was interrupted.

“Of course I wouldn’t believe you have the lowly bloodline of a succubus, but…” The Prince particularly emphasized the pronunciation of the word “succubus.” This word probably resounded in this solemn meeting room for the first time, striking the eardrums of everyone present.

“I think, this kind of rumor that concerns the reputation of the Holy See and the royal family,” Angelo’s tone became inexplicably cheerful. He winked at the person before him as if trying to get closer.

Edwin did not miss the cruel glint of a snake that flashed past his eyes. “We must take action as soon as possible to confirm things clearly, don’t you agree, Bishop?”

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