TBR CH46

Edwin knew this moment would come.

The incident with the Holy Son was the spark that ignited everything. Now, the many hidden scandals of the God of Light Church were being eagerly discussed, and the man standing before him was the very one who had spread those rumors. Prince Angelo sometimes appeared like an overly excitable madman, but the power behind him was not to be underestimated.

He was the biological brother of the reigning king, but everyone believed he was the one who truly decided the fate of the kingdom.

Back when the old king was still alive, he had doted on him excessively. Yet, for some reason, he had not passed the throne to this child who had carried so many expectations. In fact, he had even issued a decree that he did not wish to see him again before his death. , in turn, had displayed the utmost cold-bloodedness.

While his father lay on his deathbed, feebly kissing the God of Light’s cross, he had been in a brothel, summoning a group of courtesans to indulge in pleasure.

Before the old king died, he murmured, “God, forgive this child.”

If had heard those words, he would likely have sneered.

In the end, the young prince had made one wrong move. If he had not exposed a flaw, allowing his father to discover that he had sold his soul to the devil, perhaps his brother would have died a miserable death long ago, and the one now sitting on the throne would have been him.

Or… if he had poisoned the old king just a little sooner.

But it made little difference now. His brother was no match for him—power had already been completely stripped from the throne. The truth the old king had taken to his grave would never be spoken again. He was of noble birth and was destined to rule over all.

Until he tried to extend his hand toward the God of Light Church and was met with unexpected resistance.

His carefully selected puppet had been perfect, yet in the final election, he was defeated by a nameless, lowborn upstart.

He still remembered how Edwin had methodically exposed the deep ties between that candidate and the prince, revealing the unspeakable filth he had been involved in. Under Edwin’s precise logic, the man had nowhere to hide, stammering and panicked, casting a desperate look toward him for help.

At that moment, when their eyes met, knew he had lost.

But that was fine—he wouldn’t lose a second time.

The demon with whom he had made his pact was Sata, one of the Seven Pillars of Hell. understood that Sata cared only for sacrifices and souls, looking down upon him as a mere mortal.

But wasn’t this the natural order of the world? Power was dictated by race and bloodline. Humans could not fight against demons, and lowly origins would never surpass noble heritage.

Sata had helped him uncover Edwin’s greatest weakness, and that weakness was so fatal that it filled with a burning, almost ecstatic delight.

“We must confirm it as soon as possible,” he said.

He did not bother to hide his malice—his opponent had long been aware of it.

The bishop ran a finger over the ruby scepter in his hand, then lifted his gaze, showing no sign of being offended by the interruption.

“Your Highness,” he said quietly.

“The affairs of the Church are not something you need to concern yourself with. Demons have corrupted the minds of those spreading these rumors. I will pray for their forgiveness, but I have no guilt in my heart. Aside from the God of Light, I have no need to prove anything to anyone.”

“That’s not quite right…”

’s smile deepened. “The reputation of the Church affects the faith of its followers. As a servant of God, Your Excellency, all you need to do is spare a little of your time to put an end to this farce. I represent the kingdom, and I am more than willing to dedicate everything to the God of Light—so why are you so reluctant?”

The tension between them grew, sharp as drawn swords.

The Pope sat upon his golden throne, his aged eyes slowly opening to take in the scene before him. Had he been younger, he might have felt more inclined to speak.

But he was too old. One morning, as he had gazed into the mirror, ambition had simply left him—like losing his appetite.

“Hmm…”

He spoke slowly, “Edwin, my dear child, I, of course, believe in your piety. But Prince Angelo’s words are not without merit. Prince , do you have any means or witnesses to verify the truth of these rumors here and now?”

This development was still within Edwin’s expectations. He lowered his head slightly in acknowledgment of the Pope’s words.

The prince’s smile stiffened for a brief moment.

“There was a witness…”

But he had died yesterday. Edwin silently completed the thought in his mind as he listened to ’s explanation to the Pope. At the end of it, the prince even had the gall to feign sorrow and sigh,

“May God forgive his sins. He must have been overwhelmed by guilt for his lies.”

Nonsense. No one killed themselves by stabbing a knife into their own chest. Of course, might not have known the exact details of the death—after all, the local bishop had kept his mouth tightly shut, clearly acting under Edwin’s orders. For now, he was untouchable.

“Of course, I request that Bishop Edwin undergo a basic examination.”

steadied his expression, his smile growing uncomfortably wide.

Demons had physical traits—their blood was black.

The bishop fell silent for a moment, then looked toward the Pope. The Pope held his gaze, then shook his head, signaling him to comply with the request. But the old man also reiterated,

“Every clergyman who enters the Church undergoes thorough inspection, Your Highness. This is merely a formality.”

Though, testing Edwin for any demonic traits was an absolute waste of time.

No matter how one looked at him, he was nothing more than an ordinary human.

knew this wouldn’t be enough. He had expected it. Yet he still felt a twinge of disappointment. That gray-haired, cowering man had told him that the ritual had been incomplete—there should have been some residual signs left behind.

Edwin was an enigma. He must have already erased the evidence.

But never intended to win in one move. He preferred to corner his prey step by step. The trap wasn’t fully set just yet.

For now, there was just one more test left.

Edwin requested a dagger from the Pope.

The Pope’s dagger gleamed with gold and jade, its silver light shimmering. The bishop pressed it lightly against his pale skin, and immediately, bright red blood surged forth from the wound. A vivid, unmistakably human color.

A faint scent of blood spread through the chamber.

It was likely the first time in many years that this room had seen blood spilled.

The Pope gave a small nod of approval, signaling that this was enough. But when he turned to look at the prince’s expression, he was taken aback.

Even though Edwin had proven his innocence, even though ’s attempt had yielded nothing, the prince still wore an arrogant, victorious smile.

His grin was even wider than before as he exclaimed with enthusiasm,

“What terrible rumors! Bishop, I have complete faith in your innocence—especially since you so generously proved it… Of course, there are still a few more small tests to conduct, but they are of little consequence. Congratulations!”

It wasn’t over.

Everyone in the room had the same realization, including the one standing in the shadows—Tal.

The young demon stared thoughtfully at Edwin’s wound, which had already stopped bleeding.

A human wound did not heal so quickly. The scar on his pale skin gaped like a snarling mouth, and just now, someone had fed that mouth something.

At the moment Edwin had cut his arm, lowering his gaze to inspect the wound, Prince Angelo had silently unfurled his clenched palm. No one could have seen it—not with the trickery of a high-ranking demon.

It was clear that the prince’s demon had planted something into Edwin’s open wound—a seed infused with demonic energy.

No one else knew, but Tarksius only needed to sense it to understand its purpose.

No matter how much Edwin disguised his lineage, he could not deny the truth written into his soul.

Even if the blood of an incubus had been diluted beyond recognition—it had always been there.

And this seed could gradually expand the bloodline of the demons, gaining the upper hand. Devils often used this trick to transform hybrid demonic beasts, making the demonic energy in their bodies stronger, yet they never expected that one day it would be used on a human.

The seed had already been planted.

One day, it would take root and sprout.

*

On the other side, Noah had finally found the lost Adelaide.

This was truly no easy task—the Holy Church covered a vast area, and Adelaide had somehow managed to wander to the furthest possible spot from the Holy Son’s residence. As the Holy Son, Noah was not supposed to show himself in public, so he tried to take routes with fewer people. Even so, he still inevitably ran into a few clergy members.

Though they were slightly surprised, they all kindly asked,

“Your Holiness, where are you headed? Do you need any assistance?”

But Noah could not answer such questions. He could only make up a few excuses to get by. He found these people irritating and felt an inexplicable surge of anger toward Adelaide as well. He could only quicken his pace, praying that no one else would be around when he found Adelaide.

Unfortunately, when Noah finally saw him, the dragon was asking a passerby for directions.

After wandering for so long, even a fool should have realized something was wrong with their sense of direction. At this moment, Adelaide really wanted to spread his wings and take to the skies, using the view from above to get his bearings—but that was not an option.

So… he had no choice but to ask someone for directions.

The one he asked was an elderly priest. The priest adjusted his glasses and carefully scrutinized the strange man in black who had suddenly asked for directions to the Holy Son’s residence. He wasn’t sure what to make of him.

Even though the man repeatedly assured him, “I definitely won’t go there,”

Something about him didn’t seem ordinary…

Adelaide was growing more and more anxious, and to outsiders, the black-clad man’s aura was growing increasingly dark and oppressive, as if some terrifying power was gathering within him. The elderly priest was startled, instinctively taking two steps back.

Under such circumstances, there was no way he would give Adelaide the correct directions. He casually pointed in a completely different direction before hurriedly leaving, intending to report the suspicious figure to the Holy Knights.

In the shadows nearby, Noah had witnessed everything and was practically frantic. Yet he couldn’t simply step forward and lead Adelaide away. Watching as the dragon’s dark aura dissipated and he cheerfully thanked the old priest before happily heading in the wrong direction, Noah finally rushed out from an empty corridor.

“Adelaide,” Noah whispered. “I’m right here.”

“Noah!”

The black dragon’s voice was far too loud. Noah was so anxious that he wanted to cover his mouth, already feeling incredibly irritated. Adelaide had completely messed up his plans, and worse, he had left a flaw behind in the church. This would hinder Noah’s next target and could even trigger the church’s defenses again, leaving a stain on his record.

His mind was a mess, but he quickly calmed his expression, putting on a sweet smile.

“I’ve been looking for you. The church is so big—it’s normal to get lost. But we should be more careful.”

The moment Adelaide saw the Holy Son’s breathtaking smile, he was utterly dazed, losing all ability to think. He didn’t resist at all as Noah pulled him into a nearby corner, only snapping out of his daze once they were there.

“Noah, you’re so beautiful.”

Adelaide praised him sincerely, “You’re the most beautiful being I’ve ever seen.”

Of course. That was just the effect of the system’s ‘beloved by all’ aura.

Then, the black dragon suddenly remembered why he had come here. He hurriedly examined Noah from different angles before asking,

“How is your injury? Does it still hurt? I brought a lot of dragon treasures that might help.”

Adelaide started pulling various items out of his pockets and stuffing them into Noah’s hands. But His Holiness was already feeling a headache coming on. Even if these things were placed in his hands, he couldn’t use them. He was the Holy Son of the church—whether or not others noticed, the moment the God of Light healed him again, all would be revealed.

How was he supposed to hide all these things? And how could he even use them?

Most importantly, after meeting the gods, Noah had completely lost interest in the black dragon. Naturally, the black dragon’s treasures couldn’t compare to the rewards that slipped through the fingers of the God of Light or the God of Darkness.

“No need,”

Noah quickly said, stopping Adelaide from giving him more things. His tone carried a hint of impatience, but when he realized his attitude was a little off, he softened his voice again.

“I know you like me, Adelaide, but I’d feel bad accepting so many things from you… I wouldn’t even know how to repay you. Hmm, just give me something small.”

“You don’t need to repay me…”

The black dragon sounded a little disappointed.

But whatever Noah said, he obeyed. So, he began struggling with his pile of gifts, trying to find the most valuable one among them.

Time was running out.

Noah thought to himself—he was the Holy Son, and his whereabouts shouldn’t be unaccounted for too long without an escort. But he couldn’t take Adelaide back to his residence, so he had to get rid of him here. He had only an hour left before his next scheduled meeting.

“Adelaide,” he suddenly said, “that one will do.”

He pointed at a string of prayer beads carved from Dragon’s Breath Wood, which had the effect of warming the body and healing injuries. Adelaide hesitated—he seemed to think there was something better—but Noah almost impatiently urged him to put everything else away.

The black dragon felt a little hurt.

But Noah was growing more anxious by the second. He hastily placated Adelaide with a few sweet words, though his mind was elsewhere. Even Adelaide could sense that his lover was simply humoring him, but love still overcame his defenses.

He had so many things he wanted to tell Noah. Ever since Noah left, he had been terribly lonely, spending every day missing him. He had even counted all the stars in Dragon’s Valley…

Adelaide held Noah’s hand, about to start rambling, but he was interrupted again.

This time, however, it was different.

Noah’s expression tensed as he silently moved toward the corner where voices could be heard.

“Yes… right here… a man in black… said he was looking for the Holy Son’s residence…”

“His aura… is unusual… Yes, please confirm the Holy Son’s safety as soon as possible…”

No—no way!

Noah was horrified. He no longer cared about Adelaide’s endless words of affection—he just wanted to scold him for his careless slip of the tongue. But he forcibly swallowed those words and instead said,

“My dear, I have to go now. I love you, please believe that. We’ll talk later.”

The black dragon asked gloomily,

“Noah, we barely said anything. Even if you’re afraid of being discovered, can’t you stay just two more minutes?”

It wasn’t a matter of being discovered. If the Holy Knights became alert and increased their surveillance because he was missing, his next plans would be ruined.

Adelaide asked,

“Can I come back later?”

At this point in the plan, Noah was supposed to sweet-talk him into staying in Dragon’s Valley. But there was no time to think of a good excuse now.

He gritted his teeth.

“You can.”

Adelaide made one last suggestion:

“If you’re worried about that man spreading the news, I could try killing him.”

Noah almost laughed in disbelief—killing someone inside the church? This dragon was insane. Of course, he put on a pure and righteous facade, sternly refusing Adelaide’s offer.

…But the idea left a faint mark in his mind.

And so, their brief reunion came to an end.

*

When Edwin returned to his bedroom, he found the formation at the door untouched, and Tal was sitting inside, his eyes shining as he looked at him.

The demon’s voice, light and gentle with a strange undertone, flowed out as he tilted his head and said,

“Welcome back.”

A wave of exhaustion swept over in an instant.

At least there was one good thing. Edwin comforted himself—Tal looked well-behaved, sitting there reading all morning. Then, he saw the cover of the book: A Thousand Ways to Deal with Demons.

It was an old, traditionally compiled encyclopedia, with some methods already proven ineffective. Seeing a real demon sitting in his room reading such a book was, no matter how one thought about it, rather strange.

Tal put the book down. Edwin caught a glimpse of the subheading on the page:

“Hybrids and the Seed of Demons?”

That did not sound good. But Tal looked at him righteously, his expression unchanged. Edwin inexplicably felt relieved. Perhaps, to the demon before him, this was not something worth dwelling on.

Then, the long-suppressed self-loathing and disgust finally found an outlet.

Edwin rolled up his sleeve, staring at the scars on his hand. Then, he drew a blade from his boot and traced it along an already healed wound, splitting the flesh open again. Fresh blood welled up once more.

But this time, the blood seemed a little darker.

Someone had tampered with it. Edwin knew this, but today’s actions were unavoidable. had to witness his bloodshed—it was part of the Church’s promise to the royal family, and his act was a necessary sacrifice.

However, something had entered his veins, now slowly and stickily producing some sort of filth.

He knew that too.

“Tal,” Edwin suddenly spoke. “Can you sense the other half of my bloodline now?”

It was said that demons resonated with their kind.

Tal walked over lightly, his demon’s boots barely making a sound, like an agile cat. He extended an arm, his slender fingers dipping into Edwin’s fresh blood.

Then, the bishop watched as his demon stuck out his tongue and licked the blood from his fingertip.

Tal’s actions were like those of a swift yet wary carnivore—there was a terrifying beauty to it. A demon tasting human blood always carried unsettling implications that sent chills down one’s spine.

Edwin wanted to say something but, after a moment’s thought, held his tongue.

“Bishop, who did you meet this morning?”

Tal lowered his hand. His pomegranate-red pupils sizzled and melted once again, reforming into the vertical slit of a demon’s eye. He was asking knowingly. But it didn’t matter—no one would know there had been a fourth person in the room.

After all, he was just an innocent little demon.

Yet Edwin caught the deeper meaning behind his words. He had asked Tal about his bloodline, but Tal had skipped over that and instead inquired about the people he had met.

“,” the bishop answered honestly. “This kingdom’s prince, and its true ruler.”

“I would have thought you had met a powerful demon,” Tal said.

“There is high-ranking demonic magic attached to your wound. If it was truly as you said, then that means Prince Angelo must have a formidable demon behind him… By the way, I’ve never been able to smell the demon blood in you, but now, it seems there’s a faint trace.”

Edwin was silent for a moment.

Tal even had time to crack a joke:

“Looks like he succeeded where you failed—summoning a powerful demon?”

And whose fault was that…

Edwin stared at the wound on his hand, feeling an overwhelming sense of disgust and revulsion. The nausea swarmed over him, almost making him want to retch without restraint. But in the end, his face only turned a shade paler.

“Is there a way to fix this?”

“I’m just a low-ranking demon, dear bishop.”

It was a standard response. The gap between low-ranking and high-ranking demons was like an unbridgeable chasm. Edwin hadn’t really expected Tal to do anything—what mattered was figuring out what he could do.

Then Tal suddenly spoke again:

“Perhaps, Edwin, I can disguise your aura. I told you before—I’m good at that.”

Indeed… He couldn’t just walk around with a bloodline aura that other demons could easily recognize.

At that moment, the bishop became fully aware that Tal was also a resource to be used.

And the only one he could trust with absolute certainty was Tal.

After all, a demon could not deceive the contract he had signed.

This was an uneven battle. He stood on the weaker side, with only a powerless low-ranking demon at his side, while his opponent was a noble prince backed by a powerful demon.

The two sides had a strange similarity, yet the outcome was clear at a glance.

But still…

The gray in Edwin’s eyes was like the mist behind a cape, concealing turbulent waves beneath—never still.

Every step he had taken to get here had been a dance on the edge of a blade. He did not believe in an endpoint. Even now, even at this point, he would win.

Tal thought: What a beautiful soul.

He would never be satisfied, never give up, always seeking more.

Even a demon couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of anticipation for this human.

He decided to help him.

But only as Tal, not as the dark god Tarcsius—so his strength would be limited.

Just like a fleeting joke.

—How far would he go?