TBR CH48

Chapter 48: Seeking Life in Death

Five days passed uneventfully since that day.

Or perhaps not without ripples. The number of old books in the room grew. Edwin had used his authority as Bishop to enter the kingdom’s archives. He had also, through certain means, found Prince Angelo’s borrowing records.

Something like summoning a demon would inevitably leave traces. According to Tar, the demon lord had been following the prince for decades. Perhaps some trace had been left behind from back then…

Most importantly, how to stop the reawakening of his bloodline.

In Edwin’s life before this, he had paid particular attention to matters related to bloodlines. Blood-swapping was an obscure and ancient forbidden art, and there were no successful cases recorded in the texts; the pages were filled with stark white bones. Edwin was probably the only person in hundreds of years to use this method to eliminate the influence of his bloodline, a sarcastic and fortunate test subject.

The Bishop hardly rested at night, once again turning page after page of those damaged and decaying books. Sometimes, Tar had to cover his eyes when he desperately needed sleep. The demon’s ability was very useful; it could make the Bishop treat sleep as something as perfunctory as eating.

Tar stood by Edwin’s side. The latter had just awoken from a deep sleep, forcibly roused by Tar at his request. The Bishop’s gray eyes were clouded with the confusion of waking for only an instant before they hardened into cold indifference. He threw himself into his work almost without a moment’s pause.

Trying to block the magic, trying to establish conflicting forbidden arts, trying to kill the demon. The Bishop of the Church of Light possessed a promised ability. Even with a mortal body, he dared to dream of having the power to stop the devil.

Looking only at these things, one would think this soul was powerful and at ease, not yet forced to a dead end. But Tar knew he could hardly pretend everything was normal anymore.

The demon sat乖巧地 next to Edwin, propping his chin on his hand. Sometimes the Bishop would suddenly raise his eyes to look at him, revealing a rare, shattered demeanor, like a bottle full of cracks, but it was only a fleeting moment. Soon, he would lower his head again, and Tar would pretend not to have seen anything.

Usually, this happened when he was reading various descriptions of succubi. The Church’s collection of books was already filled with damning evaluations of demons, let alone a creature as profane as a succubus, which should not exist under the light. But Edwin could feel with extreme clarity that this branch of his bloodline was reawakening, bit by bit.

The Bishop still fastened his buttons from hem to collar. Beneath the cover of his elaborate robes, his skin was pale and growing increasingly sensitive. A light touch could leave a large red mark. The bishop’s robe was embroidered with a silver crest, and the back, despite the embroiderer’s exquisite skill, was inevitably covered in thread ends that pricked at the skin. For an ordinary person, this might be insignificant, but Tar felt that Edwin must be quite uncomfortable at the moment.

Actually, one shouldn’t wear so much during this period… The demon wisely did not offer this suggestion to Edwin. The other, of course, knew this in his heart. So he would only despise himself more, wanting to hide everything under decent clothing.

Sometimes, he would hand Edwin a cup of tea—Tar had nothing better to do anyway, and he was adept at such things. Edwin would not look up, just taking it directly. So, one time, the demon accidentally touched the back of the Bishop’s hand.

The outcome was that the tea almost spilled. Fortunately, the demon’s speed was faster.

Edwin knew that the high-intensity work and resistance to the established fact had made him overly neurotic. He opened his mouth in some confusion but said nothing, trying to pretend he didn’t care, that it was just a trivial accident. If only he hadn’t stared intently at the intact teacup until the water was completely cold, without taking a sip.

This was a painful, hidden, and transformative process of change. Outwardly, Edwin was still that noble and pure Bishop. But internally, he was being shattered and repainted, bit by bit, and there was nothing he could do. At least, he hadn’t found any solution yet.

This process should have been hidden from everyone’s eyes, but Tar saw it all. He was an uninvited guest, and the Bishop’s life had to be open to him.

During these days, the demon was with him almost constantly. Edwin had countless fragmented sleeps, and every time he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was that pair of pomegranate-red pupils.

Spending too much time with any creature, one must avoid forming habits. He concealed his own bewilderment, but he also knew he couldn’t hide it from the clever demon. He knew Tar saw his forced cover-up but didn’t expose it.

When he himself was unsure of who he was, the demon would show him a smile as rich as a rose and call him “my dear Bishop” in a cloyingly sweet voice. This was like an anchor. Though not a stable one, it at least allowed him to briefly find himself again. Edwin didn’t know what this meant, nor whether it was good or bad.

On the sixth day of the investigation, the spell took effect. But it was not any spell to stop things from getting worse. The success of the magic circle could only mean one thing: Edwin’s succubus bloodline had reached a certain concentration.

—Now, the kinship magic could finally be performed.

If he wished, the Bishop could find his relatives. Strangers he had never met.

Five chaotic days had passed since that day. These five days had not been very pleasant for Noah.

He began to reflect on his carelessness that day. Before that, his capturing progress had been smooth sailing. When dealing with them one by one, there were no scruples. Those in power, no matter what kind of leader or king, all looked deeply and unrepentantly in love with him. Thus, apart from the initial contact, they had not given him a deep understanding of their status.

This was why he had completely failed to anticipate that after a separation of a year and a half, his lovers would resort to such means out of dissatisfaction upon seeing him again. In the final analysis, Noah had never loved them, so he naturally couldn’t comprehend their feelings of being separated from their beloved.

In his past life, Noah had been in the business of swindling money. Although he had also scammed experienced middle-aged white-collar workers, his targets were more often easily deceived students and the elderly.

At this moment, he leaned limply against the sofa, his eyes dazedly reflecting the pearly lights of the room. After a long while, he let out a soft sigh. The system was broadcasting reminders in his mind incessantly, trying to urge him to take action as soon as possible.

“Shut up,” the Child of Destiny said icily.

His hands unconsciously fiddled with the soft silk cover of the sofa. Although magic had already cleaned up all traces, the fear and excitement from just now still flashed in his mind.

Until the last moment, the system was still advising him to reject Edward’s advances and forcibly find an excuse to send him away. That way, he might still have been able to catch the last guest he had an appointment with. But Noah rejected this proposal.

If the Holy Son had learned anything that day, it was that before trying to grasp the unknown, one should first hold on tightly to the known.

Sure enough, after a long-awaited night of passion, the slight sense of danger Edward had previously exuded vanished completely. His lover was, as he had thought, pure and gentle, waiting for him. Even during an unexpected meeting, he had proactively clung to his chest. Wasn’t this something to be relieved about? As for the little bit of dissatisfaction from before, it became insignificant after being satisfied.

In this atmosphere, there seemed to be no reason not to accept the request Noah made with emotion and reason. What’s more, what the Holy Son said also made sense. In his current situation, the Holy See would still hold ceremonies to ask the God of Light to descend for protection. For safety’s sake, daily meetings as expected were not realistic.

“My little nightingale…” This was almost a sweet annoyance. Edward held him by the waist, reluctant to let go.

But Noah couldn’t help but cast his gaze out the window. After Edward’s visit, using Prince Angelo’s power, the Holy Knights were guarding the Holy Son’s residence with airtight security, ensuring the privacy of their conversation.

The last guest on his appointment list was the ruler of the elves, the Dark Elf King Ans’el. He was not the pure elf more easily accepted by the world. The elven race had been divided into light and dark branches thousands of years ago, and in this generation, the dark elves had undoubtedly achieved an overwhelming victory. In the continent, the elven race and the Mother Tree of the Elves occupied an important position of power, which had now been completely tainted by an ominous force. And the only remaining light elves were forced to leave their homeland and wander everywhere.

Upon seeing the fully guarded Church of Light, the other party should have known that today was not an appropriate time. So he was met with a firmly closed door. According to the system’s report, Ans’el had almost reached Noah’s building, but that was as far as he got.

Guards stood downstairs, and the room was under tight protection. Voices and movements could not be seen by anyone outside. People would tell him that His Highness the Holy Son had a visitor.

Of course, at that closest moment, the Holy Son had also been terrified for a split second. But soon, the increasing distance let Noah relax a little. A king who prided himself on his nobility would not do something like forcing his way in, and Noah’s status as the Holy Son served as the best cover for his temporary absence.

No doubt, when he looked up at the pure white building where the Holy Son lived in the twilight, he would absolutely not imagine that his lover was currently in bed with another man, thoroughly cuckolding him.

I’ll deal with it later, Noah thought. It’s no big deal. Isn’t it just setting up a reasonable deception? He was lucky, after all. The chaos of this day was due to his own carelessness. It wouldn’t be like this from now on.

However… it might have been too early to say that.

Having learned his lesson, Noah did his best to stagger the appointments with these difficult capture targets in the following days and placate them one by one. But things always became more chaotic than he imagined.

Adelaide had a one-track mind and was inflexible. Many things had to be said directly to him to be effective, but speaking directly would damage the Holy Son’s image.

Edward was flirtatious and dangerous. Noah had to satisfy his demands, act coy and cute, and also do his best to dissuade his lover’s burgeoning desire for control.

As for the Dark Elf King Ans’el… he was currently the most difficult target to handle. What’s more, he had been turned away at the door on the first day. Noah had to spend twice the effort on him, allocating the most time to him.

In addition, there was that overly old-fashioned priest who watched his every move like a moth, placing too many restrictions on his actions.

He had to coax this one and then satisfy that one. Although each capture target doted on him, as the world’s villains, their ways of expressing love, when put together, were truly a bit too much for Noah to handle.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, the Holy Son barely managed to restore balance, placating each target. It took a lot of time, but the result was satisfactory. The Holy Son successfully persuaded each capture target not to come to the Holy See on their own initiative without his invitation. Although this was still a far cry from his original plan of having them all leave the capital, they all unanimously decided to stay here for a while longer. Perhaps they still held expectations of meeting. Noah was temporarily unable to persuade them to give up this idea.

Also, during the meetings, not out of carelessness or negligence, it was simply impossible not to attract any attention. Noah often felt the old priest’s stern gaze on him, as if he had seen through something. This gaze was like a bomb destined to explode, making the Holy Son determined to strike first.

But, all this had to be put aside before the upcoming ceremony. The God of Light’s second baptism was approaching. The Holy See had already prepared the holy relics for the god’s descent. The god would descend with a light rarely seen in the world into the heart of the Church to visit his most beloved believer.

Noah knew he had to seize this opportunity.

Change is a process, but with accumulation, there will always come a day of qualitative change. So when Tar saw Edwin rush into the room after the morning service, he thought something was wrong with his body again.

Then, he silently received a look from the Bishop. It was not the shame of being on the verge of breaking, but the thin mist on a blade’s edge.

“It’s an emergency,” Edwin said. “The Pope has ordered me to go to the royal palace immediately.”

The royal palace, in the end, did not belong to that puppet emperor; most of it was in the hands of Prince Angelo. In other words, the attack had begun.

Edwin nodded and then explained, “The reason the prince gave is that traces of demonic activity have appeared in the royal palace, so someone from the Church is needed to investigate.”

Tar couldn’t help but laugh, earning a somewhat warning glance from the Bishop. The young demon reluctantly suppressed the corners of his mouth, but his words still carried a faint trace of amusement. “I thought the devil had already settled down in the royal palace—” For Prince Angelo to be able to use such an excuse after making a pact with a demon, it could be considered an additional discount.

But Edwin had to go. It was an undeniable request. No matter what the private relationship between the royal family and the Church of Light was, after Prince Angelo had made this matter known throughout the city, Edwin had to take responsibility for it.

“Tar,” Edwin hesitated for a moment. “You can’t enter the royal palace.”

Demons could easily recognize each other’s aura. Although Tar was skilled at concealment, the Bishop didn’t think a low-level demon could truly be flawless in front of a lord-level demon. Another problem was that Tar couldn’t be too far away from him, as this would simultaneously weaken both of their soul powers.

Tar nodded乖巧地. This matter was not easy to solve, but it could be discussed later.

While thinking, Edwin was organizing the necessary tools. Those holy artifacts, gleaming with a gentle luster, were irresistible, type-disadvantaged weapons against demons weaker than Edwin. As the Archbishop of the Church of Light’s headquarters, Edwin had climbed to this position step by step through his own strength. He was only twenty years old, so it must be that he could wield the power of light to its greatest extent.

Theoretically, Tar belonged to the type that could be easily dealt with by the Archbishop. In reality, this demon who had deceived Edwin was now shamelessly concerned about him. “Edwin, are you sure you’re… still okay now?” He didn’t specify the problem, but what he was asking was self-evident.

The Bishop unconsciously tightened the top silver clasp. He didn’t know what he was thinking, lost in thought for a few seconds, then held out his hand. “Touch me.”

“…What?” Tar knew best how unbearable touch had become for Edwin these past few days. A light touch was enough to make him almost pour a whole cup of scalding tea on himself. So he quickly understood Edwin’s meaning.

The demon tentatively placed his long fingers on the Bishop’s hand. He seemed to tremble slightly. Tar could feel the skin under his fingers tense for a moment, then was forcibly smoothed to a normal texture by the power of his will.

Then, Tar further clasped Edwin’s hand, the sensation now extending to his wrist. Further up was the heavy bishop’s robe. This time, Edwin did not tremble. He just quietly let him inflict the undeservedly hot touch on him, then tried to suppress the stimulated tension and discomfort.

He had to learn this. Only a nascent succubus would be afraid of even a touch, and he was the restrained and reserved Bishop of the Church. He was well aware that most of his reaction at this moment did not stem from physiology, but from a psychological inability to bear it.

This was desensitization therapy.

Edwin didn’t know what awaited him in the royal palace, but it was certainly nothing good. Thinking of the worst, if Prince Angelo intended to deal him a fatal blow in this unexpected situation, it would be the best opportunity. And thinking of the best, in the court environment, the Bishop would inevitably have to face shaking hands with others.

This human’s rationality was truly maintained to a frightening degree.

Tar was somewhat amusedly forced to maintain the hand-holding posture, because Edwin showed no intention of letting him go, and the Bishop was actually able to continue organizing the things he needed to take with his other hand.

Although most of the efforts these past few days had been in vain, he had found some fragmentary records in some books about how to deal with a lord-level demon. Edwin had collected the mentioned materials. At this moment, his lips were tightly pressed as he organized them bit by bit into the bag he carried with him.

If it weren’t for Tar, the aura of a lord-level demon would have been impossible for the Bishop to detect. This would become one of their advantages. Perhaps the other party didn’t expect him to have made some preparations in advance, hoping to crush him with a swift strike.

Then, Edwin’s movements suddenly stopped.

Tar looked at him innocently, pretending he wasn’t the culprit who had just gently scratched the Bishop’s palm with his little finger. After all, they had been holding hands for a while. With Edwin’s adaptability, he was about to get used to Tar’s presence. The demon wanted to do something befitting his status, in other words, cause a little trouble.

The Bishop released his hand. Ah, as expected.

Using the moment of skin contact just now, Tar had used his divine power to look at Edwin’s blood. It was now dark red, almost turning into the black that represented a demon. Every day when he went out these past few days, Edwin would apply two layers of insurance. One was the demon magic to conceal his aura that Tar had promised, and the second was the defense he carefully added for himself. At the same time, the Bishop carried a bottle of bright red blood with him. This behavior was very similar to those meticulous vampire nobles who had high standards for blood quality. Of course, Edwin prepared it so that he could use his own strength to fake part of the scene if he had no other choice.

All in all, Tar thought, the Bishop was becoming more and more like a standard evil villain.

And this newborn villain finally finished organizing the things he needed. He had to set off for the royal palace immediately. This matter could not be refused, so he could only face it. The key question was, how to bring the demon along and avoid him entering the royal palace—

“I have an idea,” Tar said.

A quarter of an hour later, he was sitting in the carriage, while Edwin sat in the back seat.

“…I didn’t expect a demon to drive a carriage.” The Bishop stared at the demon’s back for a while, still feeling it was a bit strange. The demon’s posture was very skilled, and with his disguise, he did look like a qualified coachman.

The first time Tar had made him a cup of tea, he had had the same expression.

“My dear Bishop,” the demon’s black hair swayed slightly in the cool wind, so dark. “I can do much more than you imagine—I told you I’m good at disguise, and disguise requires being proficient in everything.”

But the profession of a coachman was still too close to humanity. A low-level demon needing to disguise himself as a coachman to escape the eyes of a high-level demon… It sounded utterly absurd.

“Tar,” Edwin couldn’t help but speak, although this wasn’t the time to ask such a question. “Before I summoned you, how did you live?”

The carriage stopped in front of the royal palace. Tar, transformed into a coachman, skillfully reined in the horses. The two black horses, with their glossy coats, obediently stopped, pawing the ground but raising no dust. This was the royal palace, after all.

Next, the two would have to part ways temporarily. The Bishop would go in, facing his unknown fate. Tar would wait for Edwin to return. Perhaps something unexpected would happen, but after all, there was still the possibility of everything being normal.

Edwin was silent. He still hadn’t received an answer. But theoretically, he didn’t really need this answer, so he should get out of the carriage.

Tar rarely fell silent with him, but the answer to this question was clearly taking too long. Perhaps he wasn’t so willing to say. Edwin knew this very well. But under the flickering daylight, the “coachman” in the front seat turned his head to look at him. In the well-disguised black eyes, the Bishop, for some reason, saw a fleeting flash of crimson, almost having the power to bewitch the heart.

This question was too close, Edwin thought, as if he wanted to understand the demon’s life. And the Bishop shouldn’t be like that. Was it because they were too close that they developed an unrealistic sense of intimacy with each other? But when the demon’s rose-scented palm brushed past his eyes, casting a shadow, did he not indeed feel a little bit of peace?

He could only guess that he would not spill the teacup again.

But were there not some times when a human wanted to understand a demon?

Tar smiled at him, a smile like a fresh rose, appearing beautiful yet mysterious. “Does Edwin want to understand me—I’m different from you. My only wish is to live freely.”

“Alright,” the demon spread his hands, making a helpless gesture, and extended a hand to the side with great gentlemanly flair. “Please get out of the carriage, Bishop. I will wait for you right here to come back.”

The carriages stopped in front of the royal palace would eventually gather together, and the coachmen would chat with each other. Tar had no opportunity to run off. Edwin had already seen a palace attendant walking towards his carriage.

The Bishop tightened his grip on his scepter. The ruby in his palm emitted a faint heat. “See you in a bit.”

This was an ordinary farewell, not to become an ethereal blessing. Edwin’s dark boots stepped onto the marble floor of the royal palace. He walked forward, bit by bit, disappearing into a place invisible to the common populace.

As if swallowed by the royal palace.

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