TBR CH42

Chapter 42: Teetering on the Brink

He must have wanted to say something, perhaps blurt out an inquiry of “what.” But Edwin forcefully stopped the questioning words at the tip of his tongue.

His gray eyes were closer to something inorganic, now quietly looking at this… corpse on the ground.

The process of inquiry was actually meaningless; the result was laid bare before him.

“I’ll…” The Bishop’s feet stepped onto the deep red wool carpet. He lowered his head and examined the dagger in the assassin’s hand, only then finally speaking. “I’ll handle it.”

The dead person was an assassin. This was not something glorious enough to be put on the table. The person who had sent him could probably have predicted the failure of the mission and would not pursue this operation any further.

As for how to dispose of a fresh corpse, for the Bishop, although it was a bit of a headache, it was not too difficult a matter.

The real difficulty was dealing with the other existence in the room. Tar had been watching him with his beautiful red eyes ever since he came in.

Alright, Edwin thought, he could understand that the other party didn’t want to take responsibility for this matter. He could even convince himself that the demon might have just been in the room and happened to run into the assassin, so he killed him decisively.

This was quite good; at least he wouldn’t go around blabbering.

But some questions didn’t quite add up, such as if Tar had been obediently staying in the room all along, then what was the deal with the roses stuck in his pen holder?

Noticing the Bishop’s gaze landing on the roses, the innocent-eyed demon struck first with a complaint. “Bishop, you’re clearly still young, but this room is too oppressive. Doesn’t this look much better?”

Alright.

Edwin took a deep breath. He had to face that terrible reminder once again: he would now have to live with a demon and be responsible for hiding him within the Holy See.

“I still want to mention,” the Bishop said, bending down to pull the dagger from the assassin’s corpse’s hand, while trying to sound as casual as possible as he negotiated with Tar, “moving around in the Holy See is very dangerous. I hope you can stay in the room as much as possible.”

“Perhaps the assassin brought the roses in,” Tar proposed, obviously talking nonsense and not really intending for the Bishop to believe him.

Edwin was quite sensitive to smells, a trait cultivated from being steeped in various incenses in the environment of the Holy See since childhood. So of course, he smelled the strong scent of roses on the demon.

The Bishop had no interest in arguing with a demon about things that had already happened. But he had not yet figured out the other’s background, so after a short moment of contemplation, he suddenly said to Tar, “I have to leave the Holy See for a trip this afternoon. You… will probably have to go out with me.”

“That far?”

The main reason was that he wasn’t at ease leaving him in the Holy See. After all, during the few hours of morning prayer, a corpse and a bouquet of roses had appeared in the room. He hid this thought in his heart and just answered, “It’s a bit of a distance. Also—”

Edwin clearly felt this question was very stupid, but the Bishop hesitated for a moment before raising it.

It could be considered a signal of friendly coexistence: “What color carpet do you like?”

Noah’s treatment could not be completed in a moment. The God of Light had sent down an oracle, stating that a ceremony must be held for the Holy Son every seven days, using the power of Light to gradually expel the remaining embers of darkness on his body.

In fact, Noah no longer felt any discomfort in his body. Perhaps this was just the superficial situation, or perhaps, the Holy Son let his thoughts wander, the God of Light’s decree was just a cover.

He knew the god would come to see him again.

Of course, it was unrealistic to expect a god to be devoted to him in a short time. In the process of the harem aura taking effect, the aura and the conqueror’s self-awareness intertwined, gradually eroding the sanity of the conquest target.

At this moment, the God of Light’s flawless performance had been broken by a small opening. He had developed a desire for Noah, this youth whose appearance was stunning enough to amaze him, and who was also his devotee.

But he was still reservedly walking the path of a god, not wanting the Holy Son to have expectations prematurely.

Seven days was a bit difficult for Noah to endure.

Recalling the appearance of the celestial god he had seen in his daze that day, Noah only felt an unbearable itch in his heart, eager to see the high and mighty god kneel before his charm. Then he thought back to the targets he had conquered.

Well, thinking it over, only Tarksius could be compared with the God of Light.

But the Dark God’s attitude was too malicious and cold. Even under the inducement of the harem aura, it was rare to see a look of obsession in his eyes. The conquest process had dragged on for a bit long, and even Noah felt tired and bored.

It’s still too slow, Noah thought. Prying open Tarksius’s cold heart is easier said than done. A god has everything, which means nothing can move him anymore.

But if it were the little demon from thousands of years ago who had nothing, the situation would be different.

The plan to conquer the God of Light was destined to prevent him from taking the old path of conquest in the church, getting intimate with Tar through contact. Even with those old lovers, he had to keep them as far away from the church as possible to avoid hindering his current goal.

Therefore, the conquest of Tar could not be too direct, but to summarize, it was simple: First, put him in a deadly situation, let him be abandoned by the world. Then descend from on high and become the only beam of light that redeems him.

As Noah was thinking, he suddenly heard the system’s voice sound: “Host, the Dark God’s current location has been fixed. It’s somewhere within the Holy See. The program can guide you to find him—you should go and see.”

It was right. This was important information.

But Noah hesitated for a moment when he got out of bed.

Was it too frequent?

The Holy Knights guarding the door would not be too concerned about his whereabouts. That upright and loyal youth would blush whenever he saw him now. If His Highness the Holy Son wanted to take a walk by himself within the Holy See, although there was some concern for his health, there was nothing improper about it.

Noah smiled at him, and the young knight became so flustered he couldn’t speak, only grinning foolishly.

“If you are not at ease,” he heard the incomparably beautiful youth wink at him with a hint of suggestion, “perhaps you would be willing to accompany me for a walk in the church?”

This, this was not a knight’s duty.

But it was the Holy Son’s request. He simply couldn’t refuse.

Besides, since the Holy Son had asked like this, did it mean he also had a little… a little good feeling towards him?

Noah got a follower without any effort and was extremely satisfied in his heart.

This way, he wouldn’t encounter too many obstacles walking in the Holy See, and he also had a free guide.

To be honest, as a Holy Son, he had been “touring” various parts of the continent ever since he transmigrated, and had even changed cores midway. He was indeed relatively unfamiliar with the structure of the church.

Including the interpersonal relationships within the Holy See.

Noah considered himself quite smart, but he still couldn’t see through the flaws of the priests in the church. Everyone seemed sufficiently pious, sufficiently holy, sufficiently blindly faithful, without any problems.

Who on earth would summon a demon in a place like this?

Thinking of this, he felt it was a good thing that the God of Light would descend after seven days.

These few days could give him a chance to breathe, to investigate the Dark God’s current situation. And of course, to deal with his old lovers.

It was already afternoon. The morning sun was already scorching hot, let alone the bright and brilliant noon. Even the knight holding an umbrella for him at all times showed a little hesitation.

Was it a bit inappropriate for His Highness the Holy Son to choose to take a walk at this time?

Just as confusion arose in his heart, he saw Noah turn his head and smile at him, pointing at the white tower in front of them, his voice light and with a hint of whining, “I’m tired. The white tower in front looks like it can block the sun, and I also want to go up and have a look.”

“But…” The young knight was a little troubled. The white tower was the venue for large-scale ceremonies and morning prayers. The residences of some high-ranking priests were also in the tower, including Great Archbishop Edwin.

It was afternoon now. Rushing over might disturb the rest of these clergy, and there was nothing to see.

But looking at the Holy Son’s delicate face, his slightly pale lips under the scorching sun, and the plea in his eyes, the knight steeled his heart and offered his hand to this Holy Son who was the apple of the Holy See’s eye. “Please be careful. I will take you to rest in the tower for a while. You want to pray in the small chapel, right? The God of Light will surely see your pure soul.”

Noah lowered his eyes, hiding the impatience and contempt in them, and just gently agreed with him, “You are right. That is exactly it.”

Edwin’s hand, reaching for the doorknob, paused for a moment. He once again cast a suggestive glance into the room, although on the surface, the room was empty, with nothing inside.

Meaning no demon, no roses, and no corpse.

Then he pushed the door open and looked at the two people who were sizing up his room and were at a loss because the door had suddenly opened.

One of them was the church’s Holy Son, Noah.

Edwin didn’t know much about this His Highness the Holy Son, partly because he hadn’t been in the position of Great Archbishop for long enough, and partly because this His Highness the Holy Son had claimed to have received God’s call two years ago and had traveled to various parts of the continent to preach.

The first time he saw Noah this time, it was when he was seriously injured and dying. Noah’s accident was faintly attributed to the Bishop’s dereliction of duty, although Edwin had almost no impression of the Holy Son before and had had no contact with him.

The youth’s face was mostly blocked by the knight, but the little that was revealed was enough to make one realize he possessed a beauty that could drive the world crazy.

If not for that pair of azure blue eyes peeking into the room without blinking, Edwin thought, perhaps he would also have been momentarily mesmerized by such stunning beauty.

The Holy Son’s beauty silently covered one’s thoughts. Realizing this, it actually made one feel a little uncomfortable.

The Bishop’s gray eyes showed no emotion, just pausing slightly on Noah, then turning to the other person.

That promising young Holy Knight.

He looked a little panicked and stood in front of the Holy Son, apologizing to him, “Your Excellency the Bishop, we did not mean to disturb. His Highness the Holy Son was planning to go to the small chapel to pray, just passing by here…”

“Oh,” Edwin’s voice was calm. “The small chapel is downstairs. I think you probably know that.”

The knight of course knew. If not for Noah suddenly expressing curiosity about the Bishop’s residence and insisting on going upstairs to see, how could such a situation have happened?

He could only brace himself and explain, and in his heart, he was also puzzled by the strange behavior of the Holy Son staring at Great Archbishop Edwin’s room.

Noah hesitated for a moment whether he should go forward, but the empty furnishings of the Bishop’s room dispelled his thought. The system’s detection would not be wrong. The demon Tar, transformed from the Dark God, must be inside at this moment.

Hiding in the Great Archbishop’s room, the meaning behind it was self-evident.

It would be too deliberate to speak at this time.

Besides, he really hadn’t expected the door to suddenly open, and had been at a loss for a moment.

The deep purple curtains tightly blocked the view. Noah had thought that if he couldn’t see inside, the people inside wouldn’t notice him stopping outside.

“It was me,” so Noah just listened as the knight gritted his teeth and took all the responsibility upon himself. “I told His Highness the Holy Son that the view from the top floor is beautiful and wanted to show His Highness.”

This made a little more sense, but the top floor was generally only open during ceremonies. Although reasonable, it was not quite in line with the rules.

Edwin also had no intention of making things difficult for the Holy Son.

He just nodded slightly at this explanation and closed the door again, knowing that the two would not stop here again.

When the light from outside was completely blocked, the closet door behind him creaked open. Tar walked out with a bit of a complaint. “You just locked me in the closet with a corpse…”

The demon straightened his hair. The soft, damp strands wound around his fingertips. He turned his head to look at the corpse in the closet. The Bishop had not forgotten to cover him with Light magic, so at least the blood wouldn’t be everywhere.

However, the closet had been made a little messy by the demon, and there was a smell of roses mixed with blood.

“Someone will come to handle it,” Edwin noticed Tar’s gaze and said, choosing his words carefully. “That being said, are you ready to leave now?”

“Just have to cover the horns, hide the eye color, and change into a different set of clothes, right?” Tar bowed gracefully, and in an instant, he transformed into a human appearance.

The sharp nails disappeared under the slender knuckles. The hair he had just tidied no longer had sharp horns. A devil’s appearance could mesmerize people; in other words, they were all very good-looking. The clothes on Tar were changed to ordinary fabric, but the smell of roses still lingered. Now the Bishop began to suspect the fragrance was purely his personal preference.

Edwin couldn’t help but look at his eyes. The color of his eyes had been blurred into a normal human brown, but he could still vaguely see a flowing garnet-red light in the demon’s vertical pupils.

Tar winked at him.

Although this appearance might not be able to deceive the eyes of the high-ranking priests in the Holy See, the person they were going to see on this trip would not have the ability to see through it.

“This is fine.” The Bishop put on his traveling outer robe. It was also the attire of a Holy See bishop. He seemed to have several sets in different colors. The one he was wearing now was a dark purple one, with golden rhinoceros horn buttons extending tightly to the collar, and silver patterns outlined on the hem of the robe, ascetic and solemn.

On the surface, Edwin was going to a certain district in the capital this afternoon to inspect the work of the parish.

But Tar guessed who he was going to see.

Edwin summoning him was a huge mistake. The Bishop’s situation was very bad. The assassin who had come to his room in the morning gave a small glimpse of it. But his ambitious soul had a rock-solid belief.

He would not give up taking action, would not give up changing the status quo, even if making any changes at this moment was like cutting through a tangled mess, making it difficult to find the real crux of the problem.

If this road was blocked, he would take another.

How… interesting.

Tarksius had originally just wanted to see what kind of greedy soul the human who had summoned him had. Now he was also a little curious to what extent this soul could fall. And—

He clearly knew everything the Bishop wanted to hide.

That absurd, malicious joke that was supposed to pronounce his fate.

“I know your secret,” Edwin suddenly heard Tar speak. The demon was sitting in the back seat of the carriage, but spoke slowly. His face instantly paled a little, but he barely maintained the calmness of the gray mist in his eyes and looked at Tar.

His hand was already covering the ruby scepter, to ensure that the coachman could not hear their conversation.

“Don’t worry, Bishop,” Tar showed him a sweet smile, seemingly not thinking he was saying anything worth special attention. “I know you’re trying to reach for the royal family’s authority, so you’ve attracted unnecessary attention. I know someone is already ready to take your place, to crush you in the mud, or burn you to ashes. I know that after the matter is exposed, you will be abandoned by everyone. Everyone will denounce you as a clown and a liar, or worse.”

“I know all this, just because of the side effects of the contract. Besides, I don’t discriminate against mixed-bloods. I’m just very curious, my dear Bishop, have you really not thought about it—”

The carriage stopped.

Edwin closed his eyes. He opened his mouth to stop Tar from saying the rest of the words. “Whatever you want to say—”

The demon obediently stopped his words. He heard the Bishop’s tired voice and suddenly remembered that this human had barely rested for almost two days and two nights.

That voice was like asphalt and flame, rolling roughly on his eardrums. “…You will get the answer after this matter.”

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