TBR CH61

Chapter 61: Ulterior Motives

The silver gates of the Holy See slid open silently. The usually solemn buildings seemed less forbidding on this day.

Edwin fastened the top button of his robe. The light-colored fabric was paired with pure gold buttons, which were hollowed out and carved with a rose pattern.

Tar thought it looked quite good. He had never seen the Bishop wear this outfit before; it was specially designed for the Holy See’s charity banquet.

Outside the white tower, the devout were already filing in, sharing in the grace under the brilliance of the divine with gratitude. At the same time, four black horses pulled an exquisite and magnificent carriage, carrying the most noble His Majesty the King and Prince Angelo, rushing towards the Church.

Inside the carriage, the nominal ruler of the palace, the great His Majesty the King, cowered in a corner of the carriage, feeling a terrifying presence hovering within. Prince Angelo covered the pulse of his left hand with his right. Clearly, he sensed the demon’s presence by his side.

The current great archbishop was very dangerous. No matter what, he had to make Satha guarantee his safety.

At the same time, he was hesitating whether he should play all his trump cards.

Inside the white tower…

The demon sat obediently on a chair, lacking a concept of the situation. He had never cared about this. Edwin didn’t hide it from him, but he also didn’t specifically tell him the current key points. His long knuckles ran through Tar’s hair. In his mind, he was thinking about the events that would happen today, bit by bit, but the movements of his hands were very steady.

Tar’s hair was soft, with a slight coolness, like high-quality silk.

The Bishop, focused and almost reverently, tied the hair ribbon for him. The scarlet gem flickered on the demon’s pure black hair. His movements were skillful. At most, Tar felt a little ticklish.

After everything was done, Edwin held his breath and looked at the masterpiece before him.

A demon that belonged completely to him.

He turned the chair, looking at him just as he had every time before he went out.

“Edwin, you should go,” Tar said softly. “See you tonight.”

This was not a one-hundred-percent-win gamble, but Edwin knew he would absolutely not fail. He trembled, feeling the scorching desire flowing from the depths of his blood vessels, as if he had already plucked the sweet fruit.

The one standing here tonight would only be him.

The Bishop enjoyed the last bit of warmth before leaving. For some reason, on a day filled with such a dangerous atmosphere, he desperately wanted to stay with Tar a little longer, and a little longer still. So now, it was almost time to depart. Edwin’s fingers reluctantly left the strands of hair. He leaned down, and the demon, sitting on the chair, lazily revealed a smile.

“Want a hug?” Tar said lightly, then opened his arms.

The embrace was proper and soft. The scent of roses from the demon’s body slightly stained the Lord Bishop’s. Edwin’s light gray pupils melted slightly in the embrace, and even his soul found a place to rest.

Before parting, he even received a sweet kiss as a gift, sticky and long.

“Wait for me to come back,” the Bishop said in a low voice, then suddenly felt that this conversation was too typical, as if the demon and he were already a familiar couple.

He was silent for a second, a bit embarrassed and a bit expectant.

Tar looked at him, blinked, with a hint of playfulness—sometimes, he would feel it was the other who was indulging him.

There was no more time.

“Alright,” the demon curled his lips. “I’ll wait for you to come back, my dear Bishop.”

Edwin had already pushed open the door. The triple protection formation sheltered the demon behind. The sacred power had built a strong guard, yet it was used to protect a weak, low-level demon. Like a dragon guarding its most precious treasure.

The last color he saw was the unique, bright pomegranate red of Tar’s pupils.

The door locked. Walking down the steps to the end of the white tower, that splash of red still burned before Edwin’s eyes. The Bishop was a little ashamed of caring so much about Tar, but he didn’t feel there was anything wrong with it.

However, as the Bishop’s footsteps gradually left the white tower where he lived and walked towards the grander stage that had already been set, the meaning of red changed.

Red was also the color of power.

The scepter Edwin held was adorned with a large pigeon’s blood stone. However, the royal crown had a larger gem, said to be priceless, a treasure coveted even by dragons in some distant place.

Red was also the color of blood.

On the road to the supreme position, too much had been sacrificed. Edwin had also been pierced by thorns. The blood of sacrifices had flowed before the throne.

I’ve already come this far, the Bishop thought. At any cost, I will finally get everything I want.

Power, fame, money, strength.

Ambition was hidden under the deep gray snow. Now, with the melting temperature, everything was revealed.

The Bishop’s eyes darkened. When he walked into the hall, everyone cast their gaze upon him, awestruck and silent. The young, handsome, yet high-ranking priest naturally walked to the very front of the banquet, standing with the aging Pope, making him appear exceptionally sharp.

The royal carriage had stopped in front of the palace gate. His arrival was just in time.

The moment he stepped into the hall, Angelo felt a sense of unease. This unease was not unfounded. On the contrary, he was very clearly aware of its source, which was in the incense burning in the hall.

“Do you find the incense interesting?”

His fated nemesis, Bishop Edwin, personally came to the door to welcome him and His Majesty the Emperor. His every move was impeccable, his etiquette thorough. As if surprised to notice his gaze, he explained, “This is a spice blessed by God, very precious, with the effect of exorcising evil spirits. The Holy See and the royal family have always had friendly exchanges. It must be appropriate to use them today. Before Your Highness the Prince, many nobles have come to inquire.”

Exorcising evil spirits. Edwin said it rather tactfully. In fact, this was one of the props the Church used when hunting devils. It certainly couldn’t kill a devil, but it could undoubtedly weaken their power, and creatures using evil forces would feel very uncomfortable under this incense.

Angelo was familiar with this method. It was exactly the same as how he had induced Edwin’s bloodline to act up in the prince’s residence back then.

An occasion one absolutely could not leave, an all-pervasive scent one could not resist.

…He was being given a taste of his own medicine.

A trace of gloom silently spread across the prince’s pure azure eyes. He thought rather maliciously: Does Edwin really think he can shake a devil with his human body? Just some spice that can’t be brought to the table. This stupid and stubborn resistance will of course be crushed by the unquestionable strength of a high-level demon.

If a demon lord could be easily affected by the ordinary exorcism methods of the Holy See, then how could devils still run rampant in their own domains?

He was right to think so.

Unfortunately, no, it should be said, therefore, the situation was not entirely as he wished.

Edwin certainly knew that the exorcism incense was not enough. His purpose was not this. He had added some other things to the incense. The materials were complex and difficult to handle. The most important ingredient among them was the devil’s blood.

Blood had always been the best medium. On this continent, intelligent creatures had begun to cast curses using blood thousands of years ago. This thing, even after leaving its host’s body, still had a part of it that remained connected to him.

Under the link of the contract, Angelo could feel Satha becoming unusually agitated.

The Bishop stared fixedly at the prince, also noticing the slight tremor in his left hand and the beads of sweat on his forehead.

A high-level demon could do this, shadowing the one who made the contract. And Tar had stated his own shortcomings from the beginning, unable to perform possession magic.

Edwin felt a slight regret. He fantasized about the scene of the demon being inseparable from him, savoring a bit of twisted sweetness.

However, the Bishop would absolutely not let him appear on such an occasion. He was so weak and needed his protection.

Angelo tried to calm his heartbeat while simultaneously trying to ask Satha what was wrong.

About a few seconds later, the devil’s low and hoarse voice finally rang in the prince’s eardrums, as rough as asphalt: “Your bishop has my blood. I’d better stay away from this incense.”

“You mean you’re leaving here?”

His Highness the Prince had a bad premonition. He covered the pulse of his left hand with his right, basically clutching it tightly. But his devil clearly would not go along with his wishes.

“Just outside.”

Satha tried his best to be patient with the human he had a contract with, but the surrounding spices made him feel pained and itchy. He was eager to leave, and a devil did not have a good temper. “Look, he’s using this spice to deal with me. He knows you’ll bring me with you and not let me leave. But isn’t this exactly what he wants? Don’t worry, I won’t go far. And his little tricks are of course useless against a pure human.”

Angelo hesitated for a moment.

He knew he couldn’t let himself look too flustered. On the surface, he just casually responded to Edwin’s introduction, then walked with his useless brother towards their designated seats, where there were chairs with gold threads.

At the same time, he was still silently communicating with the demon. “…We agreed before…”

Satha hid in Prince Angelo’s shadow. Hearing this, the devil raised his eyes to look at Bishop Edwin on the high platform. Those pupils, which seemed to be burning with flames, burned his figure bit by bit, leaving only a silhouette.

In the great bishop’s gray silhouette, the devil saw with satisfaction what he wanted to see: The demon seed originating from his power was, at this moment, undoubtedly still wandering in Edwin’s body. The pure black outline felt familiar to him.

“What’s there to worry about?” he questioned the prince. “It’s impossible for a human to get rid of a seed sown by a devil. And, your great archbishop doesn’t seem to have noticed what caused his previous two gaffes. I can only say, when I manipulate the magic seed to explode, you will get what you want.”

This made Angelo feel a little relieved.

But this sense of security could not dispel the gloomy unease in his heart.

Satha seemed unable to bear the uncomfortable incense any longer. The demon turned into a swift, pure black shadow and left his shadow. He left very cleanly. No one noticed. It was a speed that humans could not capture. Of course, not even Edwin could have noticed.

The Bishop still looked at their corner with a meaningful gaze.

Nothing had changed, as if the demon were still there.

And Angelo quickly regained his composure. He raised his innocent, light blue eyes and gave Edwin a smile like a truly ignorant child.

He also felt he could achieve victory.

The food at the charity banquet was very rich.

Roast chicken stuffed with rosemary, red wine, bread spread with foie gras—all the things of high society. The prince made sure that any dish he took was chosen completely at random, or at least someone had tasted it before him. Edwin couldn’t have tampered with it here.

Then again, what could he do to an ordinary human? The Bishop was certainly not foolish enough to poison him in public.

Angelo quickly used Satha’s departure as a weapon. He even began to feel that Edwin’s previous preparations were probably all for dealing with the devil, and now, the Bishop’s attack had completely missed its mark.

He began to feast on the food on the table, enjoying it completely, after every dish had been tasted by more than one person.

Until Lord Bishop personally came to propose a toast.

This was the final part of the banquet. The calm before was clearly not the real situation. Edwin had no more opportunities.

This was the best time.

Two glasses of red wine, glittering with the same light under the lights, like fresh blood.

—You can choose one glass and sentence the other to death, but you cannot choose neither.

Angelo was not that stupid.

He took the glass Edwin handed him, smiled, turned around, and stuffed the chosen red wine into the hands of His Majesty the King.

This wasn’t against etiquette, was it?

Edwin quietly watched his actions, revealing a fake smile. And his useless brother looked at the wine in the glass with trepidation, as if staring at a cup of poison, not daring to touch the rim of the glass with his lips.

“Your Majesty the King,” the Bishop said, “don’t worry, this is fine red wine.”

The King still hesitated, not immediately drinking the brew in his cup.

Angelo, on the other hand, began to feel remorse.

So, this step of precaution was wrong. Edwin had no intention of putting anything in the red wine he handed him. A high-ranking great archbishop would not set up such an obvious trap.

It would be hard to say later. He had already been forced into a corner. He could, of course, find an excuse not to drink the second glass, but regardless of whether Edwin had actually tampered with it, such an action itself would draw huge criticism.

The Holy See and the royal family, the royal family and the Holy See.

Thinking of this, Angelo didn’t mind his image too much. Anyway, he had always been unpredictable. Such a harmless detail wouldn’t really hinder anything. He took the wine glass back from the King’s hand. “Dear brother,” his voice was sickeningly sweet, “you may have eaten too much and feel a little nauseous. Perhaps it’s better for me to drink this glass.”

The King was completely confused and obeyed his words dizzyingly. He didn’t look like a king at all, just a puppet of power.

Edwin lowered his eyes, concealing the fleeting mockery in his deep gray eyes.

His Majesty the King had certainly not been so stupid from the beginning. The old king had ultimately passed the throne to him because he saw that his mind was pure and he did not make major mistakes in his work. However, after ascending the throne, he became more and more forgetful, muddle-headed, and finally reached this point.

Who was to thank for this, need not be said.

Angelo snatched the wine glass; this glass belonged to him again. After a brief toast, His Highness the Prince drank the liquid without hesitation. The liquid was rich and smooth, flowing into his body. It tasted normal, at least not poisoned.

The prince felt he had reasonably and perfectly resolved this most easily tampered-with part.

Afterward, without the conditions of a banquet, it was just a simple speech. People stood far from each other, and Angelo could also consciously control the distance.

Most importantly, by then they would be outdoors, no longer bothered by the incense, and the devil could be by his side to ensure his safety.

He saw the trace of remorse and disappointment that appeared on Edwin’s face, which made him feel exhilarated. The Lord Bishop clenched his own wine glass but did not drink the wine in it. Instead, he pretended to change to a new liquid in order to pour another glass for the King.

Perhaps the problem was in Edwin’s glass of wine.

Angelo thought so.

And Edwin turned around.

In an instant, those feigned emotions of failure faded from the Bishop’s face like a tide. His expression was indifferent, a cruel determination in his eyes.

He released the hand holding the wine glass. Obsessing over which glass was pointless.

After all, the answer was in the palm of his hand.

The Bishop’s two knuckles bent slightly. A pure silver cross. If noticed, it could be completely explained as a decoration on a ring. The attire for the banquet was elaborate.

The cross was now hollow, waiting to be filled.

But it had not always been so.

The demon seed, without a source to drive it, would naturally fly to the most familiar place, such as a body full of the demon lord’s contract power.

The demon seed craved parasitism. The Bishop understood its habits, after countless nights buried in books, perhaps even better than the devil.

Edwin’s blood was pure. He pursed his lips, not rushing to swallow the wine, so the demon seed had nowhere to go, at least it couldn’t return.

In that brief moment, the instant of the toast, Pandora’s box was opened. The pure black seed could only flow into his body through the prince’s open throat, with absolutely no trace.

Now, not even the demon lord knew that the demon seed had changed its host body.

Edwin silently curled his lips.

Now, the main event was truly beginning.

And what he had to deal with next was a real devil.

Satha wandered aimlessly in the church, killing time.

He had first gone straight to Edwin’s room. This was one of his tasks.

But the demon lord soon found with disappointment that the Bishop was clearly overly vigilant about his own room. Three protective formations covered with Light emblems blocked the intrusion of all dark forces. Even if a demon lord could deal with these formations, it would take a lot of energy.

The Bishop must have been on his guard long ago.

However, such tight protection made it hard not to suspect what he was hiding.

The powerful devil thought for a moment, activated a communication spell, and explained something to the other side.

Afterward, Satha left this place and wandered in another direction.

The Holy See was large and complex. Logically speaking, even a demon lord would have to bear some risk wandering within it. But, today was the day of the charity banquet. Even on the periphery, many commoners were celebrating. It was not difficult to blend in. The most elite forces were all concentrated in the hall—

Then again, why care about these things?

What devils feared had never been humans, but gods. But, gods had long since rarely interfered in human affairs.

Now, his employer was Prince Angelo, a noble who stood at the highest point of the mortal world, born to have everything. And their opponent was just a human, or rather, a half-breed succubus.

Saying this word almost made Satha feel pity.

Edwin, what could he have? Many people discriminated against mixed-bloods because they were born unable to properly use the talents of both races.

The Bishop stubbornly insisted on his human identity because he knew that the power of feigned faith he had stolen by virtue of his human identity was much stronger than that of a lowly mixed-blood demon.

What a pity.

The demon lord thought with malice. His own demon seed was still in him, assimilating him at all times.

So, with just a flick of his fingers—

The magic seed would explode, and the aura belonging to a demon would quickly flow through Edwin’s bloodline.

Prince Angelo had chosen a very good time. In a little while, Edwin would be representing the Holy See to give a speech in the Grand Sanctuary, under the watchful eyes of the public.

This human who had once hurt him would be disgraced, stripped of all his power.

The Holy See would also become a laughingstock, losing its authority.

By then, he would be able to fulfill his contract with Angelo. His Highness the Prince would ascend to the highest point of humanity, and everything would be in his grasp. The other had promised to provide him with sacrifices for a long time, large batches of fresh human souls, filled with unwilling fear and terror, the devil’s favorite flavor.

Of course, there was still a small shadow behind it all.

That “existence behind the Bishop” had successfully helped Edwin overcome the incredible difficulty before. After deep and careful consideration, Angelo believed he was crucial, but for the time being, should not pose much of a threat.

His battle plan regarding him was placed as the second option. He was basically sure that once the Bishop was dealt with, this existence could be dealt with.

Satha thought this way, walking, until he felt the time was right.

The power of the contract did not allow him to be too far from Prince Angelo. At this moment, he vaguely sensed the prince sending him a request, asking him to go to the square outside the small sanctuary.

He didn’t have to worry about getting lost.

Everyone was heading there.

Edwin had finished the banquet. Everyone was satisfied. The devout populace had also gathered. People whispered solemnly, greeting each other in faith, coming to listen to the great bishop’s speech.

The speech didn’t have to have any specific content. It was basically the same old thing, those devout prayers, and blessings for everyone. The Bishop of the Holy See had to use his scepter to sprinkle the grace of God on everyone present, so fervent, so loyal. And the brilliance of the Holy Light that the Bishop could display also unquestionably reflected the strength of each generation of bishops.

Edwin didn’t look nervous at all.

He was about to go on stage, yet his expression was still calm, with a faint smile, exactly the same as when he presided over morning prayers. This was a rare occasion where everyone was treated equally. Even the prince and the emperor had to stand, just standing a little closer.

The nervous one, on the contrary, was His Highness the Prince. As if attending the ceremony for the first time, he kept looking left and right, his sky-blue eyes looking clear at a glance, but in reality, they were turning sharply.

It was not until he sensed the powerful devil getting closer and closer that he relaxed a little.

At the same time, a complete desire swept over the prince’s heart. For the first time, he felt success was so close. That pair of eyes, accustomed to disguise, finally revealed a dark, vicious trace for the first time.

The prince stood in the first row. The only one who could clearly see his expression was Bishop Edwin.

It was unknown if it was because he didn’t notice, or because he had long known. The Bishop was calm and composed.

He began to speak, his voice like gray iron, steady and calm: “It is a great honor that all of you present have gathered here out of faith in the God of Light, for me to convey God’s will to our brothers and sisters…”

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