Scepter of Thorns

Edward opened his eyes and found himself lying on a big soft bed, with a cup of hot milk on the bedside table on the left.Anna knocked on the door, "Mr. Doyle, are you awake?"

"Well, come in." Edward put the pillow upright on the head of the bed, and leaned on it himself, "Thank you for your hard work."

Anna smiled and didn't speak. She tucked the quilt for Edward, then pointed to the hot milk on the bedside table: "Your body temperature is very low, you'd better drink something warm. I added honey to the milk, I hope it suits your appetite. "

Edward closed his eyes and nodded indiscriminately, but there was an imperceptible ferocity on his face.He suddenly felt very cold, as if embracing the coldness of the soul with the undead.He knew that the room was warm because Anna hit the flint, and there was a faint element of fire flowing.But it didn't work, he shrank back into the quilt and shivered.

Anna glanced at him worriedly, and went out without saying anything.

Edward didn't touch the glass of milk, his aversion to sweets was deep in his bones.He still remembers that when he was four or five years old, the person called "mother" was keen on baking desserts, and he would make a lot of them every time he did.But her craftsmanship is not good, and she puts too much saccharin.She didn't eat it herself, so she took the tray and forced him to eat it.

He wanted to hide, but she would always find him.Once he pissed her off, and his mother locked him in the cubicle with a silly smile.

That was the longest time he had been locked up, starving in the dark until a glimmer of light appeared in front of him.His mother was holding a tray of desserts, a bright red curve was drawn at the corner of her mouth.He took the tray and ate it, as if enduring a never-ending punishment.Tears flowed down his cheeks and into his mouth.

Honey is like □□.

Edward lay on the bed for a while, chaotic memories flashed, and the cold in his body subsided little by little.A brand-new and unknown force filled his body, he felt something was different, but he couldn't tell the specifics.

The change was after the intense sex and love... Edward's face darkened for a moment, he couldn't cry like a woman and die, he could only force himself to forget, this kind of thing is a shame for life.

After his body temperature returned to normal, Edward sat up from the bed, and casually picked a more formal dress from the closet to change into.He poured milk into the bathroom spout, then found the Staff of Lies hidden behind his cloak, and tried to slip it into his shadow.Fortunately, he succeeded, although the process was a bit laborious.Edward exhaled. This is what he read in the book. Demons who can manipulate shadows are generally nobles, with noble blood and powerful magic. His body is still honored by the Monroe family.

He opened the door, scanned the room he had lived in for the last time, and suddenly felt that something was wrong.

...Wait, where's the crow? !

※※※

Kroo stared at the woman in front of him coldly, a trace of disdain flashed in his eyes.

"Bring me a strand of your master's hair, remember it's golden." She stabbed the pentagonal cone into the back of the crow's head, and whispered, "He will have a short change after drinking milk, but it will never affect the crow. The state of the demons, so don't worry, don't worry too much, just do as I say."

Anna pulled out the pentagonal pyramid, removed the sound barrier, opened a window and let the crow fly.She knew that humanoid familiars were more cunning and harder to hypnotize, but this was not a problem in front of the pentagonal pyramid.She spent two or three seconds missing the blond beauty lying on the bed, thinking that half-breeds were beautiful.

Just like her.

The crow "flapping Lengling" flew into the bedroom from the window, and then saw its owner staring at it with a scrutinizing gaze.The Demon Race standing at the door, ready to go, said first, "Where have you been?"

Kroo obediently flew into the cage, with a bit of flattery: "Go out and fly around, this mansion is really magnificent from the air."

"Oh." Edward sighed in surprise, "Then please tell me, which part of this mansion occupies the largest area from a height?"

"The gray hall has a shrine inside." Croof's words seemed to follow him, "It should be the main hall, where large-scale social events are held."

Edward didn't refute anything, just took a deep look at it, and the warning was self-evident, "I'm going to a dance later, I hope you can stay in this room honestly instead of flying around .”

He closed the door and left.The crow naturally ignored the master's words, it pecked off one of its own feathers, and then flew out along the window lightly.

Edward had just learned about the ball.He received a notice from the housekeeper that he was going to attend an important dance at night, so he was asked to prepare in advance.To be honest, Edward couldn't figure out why Caesar sent him an invitation. His identity and position were very embarrassing, and he couldn't stand interrogation at all. You must know that the favorite thing for some female nobles is to get to the bottom of it.

This gave him a feeling of being pulled up to make up the numbers.

I heard that the Red River is flooding, so Caesar must be busy allocating funds for flood control recently, so he probably doesn't have time to take care of his small role.So there is another person behind the opponent who is manipulating the overall situation, and his discovery by Sophia is probably related to this person.

Could it be... him?

Edward went to the main hall under the leadership of the servants. He was dressed in a simple and low-key manner, obviously knowing the role he was about to play.He entered the ballroom through the side door and easily blended into the crowd.

The toasts are staggered, and the clothes are fragrant and the temples are shadowed.A few candles were lit symbolically, leaving a large shadow.Pairs of scarlet eyes gleamed in the darkness, tacitly conveying their desire for each other.

The crystal stones are everywhere like ordinary stones, the light is dim, and there is only a piece of colorful.They are piled half a meter high in the huge ballroom, but they are just separated from the expensive shoes.

The demons in the ballroom laughed and danced.Their laughter was shrill and their dancing was distorted.From time to time, intertwined figures are projected onto the wall by candlelight, and the smell of perfume and sex seduces desire and makes people restless.

It was a feast for the devil.

Edward took a deep breath and adjusted his state to the best.When he saw the dazzling array of food, he realized that he hadn’t eaten for a long time. Counting the gods’ share, it was about two or three weeks. He first picked out something that suited his appetite and ate something. The hand suddenly handed him sugar, and the long cuffs were shaking, "Do you want sugar?"

Edward glanced back, it was a man with black shoulder-length curly hair, he was smiling friendly, his lips were bright red, as if something had been applied.But most striking are the runes he has tattooed on his robes, which undulate like waves with his master's movements.But those things that look exquisite and beautiful can activate the magic circle in an instant, delivering a fatal blow.

Edward also smiled at him, took the sugar and poured it into the coffee, "Thank you. What's your name?"

"Angstie Beckery, just call me Ang." The black-haired man patted him on the shoulder, "What about you?"

... Bakery.

At this moment, Edward deeply realized what it means to meet each other on a narrow road, and the magic crystal of the Bakery family is still in his space ring.He looked around calmly, and after making sure no one was paying attention, he said in a hoarse voice, "Doyle."

He didn't state his surname clearly, nor did he expose the Monroe family. Lilith obviously didn't intend to let herself be included in the family tree, and he wasn't that affectionate.

Ange belongs to the kind of person who knows how to advance and retreat, so he didn't pursue further after seeing this.He understood that it was inconvenient for the other party to give out his full name, but this did not affect the communication between the two. He jokingly brought up a topic, "Hey, it's nothing. You are the first person who hasn't heard about my family since I found out about it." People who react so much, when talking to me, the demons will always ask more questions about the surname 'Beckery'."

...He didn't want to ask any more questions, since the Viscount of the Bakery family was the first sacrifice he killed.Oh, and there is also a mixed-race illegitimate child who can't bear to deal with it.

"Well, it's really nothing, just abandoning the family for someone you shouldn't love." Ange sighed inadvertently, "there are many such nobles in the devil world, maybe because they are too boring?"

Thinking about his own mother Lilia seems to be the same.

Anger didn't care whether he was listening or not, he continued on his own: "I heard that there is still blood left there, of course, it is a mixed race." Looking at Edward with bright eyes, he asked softly, "Do you hate the half-blood clock?"

"It can't be said." Edward wanted to take a sip of coffee to cover up the inexplicable emotions in his heart, but remembered that there was sugar in the coffee, so he had to put it aside, "It's just a bunch of poor people who were abandoned."

The light from the silver candlestick cast a vague shadow around him, and the expression hidden in the darkness was a bit helpless and mocking, but more of a pity.Like the statues enshrined in the temple, they always look down on the believers with such an expression.

Ange still stared at him, "So beautiful."

He kissed the back of Edward's hand, and left silently.

※※※

As Edward thought, Caesar was busy.

Busy playing, busy raising money, busy flood control, he is really busy.

The prom was just a cover to escape the eyeliner of the Black Queen.Caesar was sitting in a small room in the back hall, and in front of him was a round table surrounded by twelve seats, on which sat one by one the rulers of the aristocratic families who had good relations with the Anti-Cross.These influential figures in the demon world had solemn expressions and said nothing, but the seats at four o'clock were empty, and there was still a demon clan missing.

There were regular knocks on the door, and Caesar got up to open the door himself. Ange was standing outside the door and smiling at him friendly.

"You are late." Caesar closed the door and sat back in the chief seat.An Ge also sat in the originally vacant seat, and he spread his hands indifferently, "It seems that the situation is far more serious than I thought."

"Yes." Caesar said sternly, "If it wasn't for Lilith's preparations, I'm afraid Tinta would have ceased to exist." He pulled out a stack of documents from under the round table, "Now the most we can spend on this property is only five dollars. My dear, everyone must be aware of the purpose of my summoning you this time."

"A crystal shell." The demon who was sitting at one o'clock said a number.

"A crystal shell." The demon sitting next to him interfaced.

"A crystal shell." They continued one by one.

……

"Two crystal shells." When it was An Ge's turn, his attitude was a little casual, as if he didn't take the money seriously.

Caesar glanced at him, but said nothing.

The demon clan at one o'clock knocked on the table, "Your Highness, we are in the same boat as you now, so we can't stand by and watch. But you don't want us to be disappointed, there must be a return for our hard work."

"You're right." Caesar smiled after imitating Anger, "I believe you will be happy for your wisdom in the future."

"Your Highness." Just as Caesar was about to adjourn the meeting, An Ge suddenly said, "Shouldn't you tell me what you plan to do with the money?"

As soon as he opened his mouth, Caesar raised his eyebrows.

"A total of seventeen crystal shells. Seven crystal shells are used to purchase raw materials, seven crystal shells are used to pay the salaries of the poor, and the remaining three crystal shells are reserved for emergencies. If there is no need, they will be refunded in proportion Every family." Caesar put the document back, "It's been done this way before. Do you have any questions, Angosty...Duke."

"Your arrangement is very reasonable." Ange's tone was full of appreciation. He suddenly stood up and walked to Caesar's side. There seemed to be something blue in his pure black pupils that lit up, like a flash of phosphorous fire. . "Then we will leave first."

The meeting broke up, and the demons left the room one after another, and Caesar was the last to leave here.He locked the room, adjusted his appearance against the reflective stone inlaid on the door, and then stepped onto the stage.

The crowd fell silent for a moment, and a candlestick near him lit up, covering Caesar in a ray of light.He spread his bony wings to show respect, and opened his lips slightly to say something.

But at this very moment——

A pentagonal pyramid shot out from an unknown corner in the audience, and hit his chest with a fierce wind!Caesar reacted quite quickly. When his heart was only a punch away in the pentagonal pyramid, he quickly condensed a shield with dark elements to relieve the impact, and then turned his body sideways to avoid the range of the pentagonal pyramid.

These actions all happen in just five seconds.

The shield did not block the pentagonal pyramid, it broke through the restraint and slammed into the wall, but was bounced by the wall to Edward's direction as if it was on a soft surface.The crowd began to scream and rush towards the exit, it penetrated the body of the demon all the way, and finally rushed into Edward's sight.

The speed is too fast!Edward only had time to lean down to avoid the shooting range of the pentagonal pyramid, but he didn't expect a crow to suddenly appear from his shadow, and its black feathers shook off its body, forming a black net that enveloped Edward's body.It barked hoarsely at Edward, as if desperately trying to tell him something.

The crow spread its wings and flew to the center of the net. It gathered the originally thin dark elements on its body and sent them to all parts of the net.The pentagon slammed into the wall behind Edward, then bounced back, heading straight for it!

The cold cone pierced the crow's heart.It screamed, turned into black smoke and engulfed the pentagonal pyramid, abruptly changing the direction of the cone, the tip of the cone that was originally facing Edward's neck just sank into his right shoulder.Dark purple blood gushed out continuously, soaking the pentagonal pyramid, but the black smoke surrounding it had already dissipated.

Edward finally understood why the dark element couldn't resist it, because there was a firm layer of light element attached to the tip of the cone.He felt chills all over his body, and his consciousness was drowsy. Those light elements were like bloodthirsty ants, they gnawed at the wound frantically, and then nibbled away at his body bit by bit.

It was like a feast.

----Chapter27. Feast & End----

The author has something to say:

Crow, pawn.

My God, the update frequency is so cheap like me, the collection is not falling but rising QVQ, so I decided to repay the society with 10000+ saved manuscripts... Of course, the stupid author will be dragged to Dunhuang by the Queen Mother on August 8th, and the saved manuscripts are only Chapter 6 I try my best to catch up...

In other words, 4000+ in one chapter is really a lot of money, I hope I can be satisfied T^T