The sky was gloomy, the sun had already set on the horizon, the earth had dimmed, and the lights of thousands of houses were lit one by one in this huge city.
In a secret room, a man sat on a jet-black seat inlaid with gemstones, while gently stroking the jade ring on his thumb with his fingers, he spoke to a man kneeling in front of him.
"Sir, things are going well."
The kneeling man whispered.
"According to the plan, we secretly provoked those two groups of people, made them quarrel and caused chaos. Our people have successfully instigated those little devils to do that thing, and the things have been secretly sent to the palace... I must be able to see it soon. to the result you want."
"This time, 'that person' is dead."
"At that time, no one will notice, and they will think that it is just an accident caused by the struggle between the children, and the blame will fall on the 'ignorant' Prince Garland."
"very good."
The man in the seat nodded in satisfaction.
"Well done," he said.
He turned his head, looked beyond the window, looked into the distance, and looked in the direction of the royal city.
His gaze in that direction was gloomy, revealing a deep disgust.
"Leaving that damn bastard alive will only cause me more trouble."
The extreme hatred for that bastard made this man, who had always been proud of his status as a collateral member of the royal family and paid great attention to his demeanor and language, spit out vicious curses at this moment.
He looked gloomily in that direction, his eyes seemed to see the existence that disgusted him through the sky, and he made a sound like a curse.
He said grimly, "That little bastard... he should have died."
…
…
Little fat Tal has been very depressed recently.
Originally, on that day, His Highness Gallan said that he had a good relationship with him (he made up his own mind), which made him very happy. But it didn't take long for him to discover that more and more people came to His Highness.
Tarr is actually very self-aware. He knows that he has almost no strengths, and he can't do anything, so when he saw so many people flocking to please His Highness Garland, he immediately became anxious, for fear that his position in front of His Highness would be suppressed by others.
What made him a little relieved was that although more and more people were courting His Highness, His Highness was gentle towards everyone, but the gentleness was mild, and it seemed that he did not have a special favor for anyone.
Hmm, don't think he doesn't know.
Those people who came to please His Highness all wanted to be His Highness's followers.
However, the followers of His Highness are not everyone who can do it.
So far, apart from the Lord Cayhoes, only himself, who was personally designated by His Highness to accompany him, was barely qualified to be called His Highness's follower.
However, the little fat man is still very dangerous.
Although His Highness does not accept new followers now, but one day there will be someone who is powerful, or someone who will please His Highness... Then his position will be unstable.
No, he has to find a way!
As a result, Taal, who had a sense of crisis, jumped up and down even more. He is a chubby little fat man, and he looks a little stupid and cute, and he is flexible and sweet. During this time, he has been familiar with the maids and guards in the palace.
The little fat man looks harmless to humans and animals, and his presence is not high, so almost no one will guard against him. Taking advantage of this, he secretly heard a lot of strange gossip, and then he ran to Garland, and told Garland the gossip as a joke, sometimes some The very strange news really made Garlan couldn't help laughing.
Your Highness looks so cute when she smiles~~~
With this thought in mind, the little fat man Tal firmly took this incident as his career, vowed to become His Highness's pistachio, and made His Highness laugh every day.
It is said that this evening, just after the meal time, he rushed to Garland again, ready to tell Garland a big news.
Compared to Tarr's spirited appearance, Garlan looked a little sluggish and couldn't get his spirits up.
Because he would have that terrible dream every night these few days, he couldn't sleep well at night, and he couldn't tell others why he couldn't sleep, so he could only find a reason to fool him.
So, when Tarr came over excitedly, Garlan was lying on the jade lounge chair, looking listless.
"His Royal Highness, let me tell you, something good is about to happen-"
"yes."
Garlan hummed lazily, still thinking about what to do if he continued to have nightmares tonight.
"I know you're very unhappy recently. That Prince Heimos is always targeting you. He must have done it on purpose. He's going to embarrass you no matter where you are..."
Tarr opened his mouth and snapped and scolded Heimos, but there were always a few words over and over, which made Garland drowsy.
After scolding Prince Heimos, Tar came over mysteriously and whispered: "However, His Royal Highness Gallan, you will have fun watching it soon, don't worry, someone will help you teach him a good lesson. of."
"what?"
Lessons from Heimos
Who in this world has the ability to teach that person a lesson
Even now, only a few well-known people such as Brother Camos can do it, but no one who can do it will be so bored to teach an underage boy a lesson.
"Really, I hid behind and overheard the group of Sims. They said that they got something, and they used it to teach Prince Heimos a lesson, so that he would not be so arrogant. Breathe out."
"…??"
Garlan vaguely remembered... Sim's group were only eleven or twelve year olds
He sat up lazily and didn't bother to say a word.
Those little devils want to teach Heimos a lesson... In fact, they are sent to teach people a lesson, right
Tarr got closer, and in a very mysterious tone, he lowered his voice and continued.
"It is said that Sim and the others got 'devil's blood'."
"what is that?"
"It's a very scary, pitch-black thing," said the little fat man in a tone of horror stories. "It's almost impossible to wash off when you get it on your skin. Where it touches your skin, it will get pimples, redness and swelling, and your skin will become irritated. All eroded into black."
"It is said that it is the blood that the demons from hell shed on the earth. Anyone who touches it will be targeted by the demons and cursed. No matter what they do, they will be very unlucky."
Garland: "..."
This is also a kind of superstition, the kind of unlucky whoever encounters it.
Do these people actually believe it? After all, they're just a bunch of bastards.
He complained so in his heart, resting his chin in one hand, and said lazily.
"So they're going to get that 'devil's blood' on Heimos? Make him unlucky?"
"Well! They say they got it with great difficulty!"
Tarr nodded excitedly.
"When I was hiding and eavesdropping, I also saw 'devil's blood'."
The little fat man's round face wrinkled into a bun as soon as he said this, showing a very uncomfortable look.
"I can't tell... It just feels very disgusting... It's really dark, dark, and sticky, and it makes people uncomfortable to look at... Ah, Your Highness, will I be cursed when I see something like that? , will it be very unlucky these two days?"
Garlan was amused by the bitter gourd face of the little fat man.
"How is it possible, there is nothing that will be unlucky at a glance."
Tarr muttered unconvincingly.
"Because it looks really disgusting, and there is a pungent smell, greasy like oil, and it moves like something disgusting is wriggling..."
Garland didn't care much, it sounded like a prank by a group of children, and I'm afraid he would only be taught a lesson by Heimos.
Well, those people are jumping up and down every day. Although they revolve around them, they are not their subordinates after all. They are just schoolmates who study together. It is not easy for them to ask or restrict them. Moss hit a wall and suffered a big loss, and he will probably be honest.
Anyway, that group of brats wouldn't be Heimos's opponent even if they went together.
Thinking like this, the child who listened to Tarr's words turned his head casually, and a red light fell on his face. It was the fiery red light of the last moment when the setting sun fell into the horizon, and the traces of burning clouds on the horizon could be vaguely seen.
He subconsciously stared at the churning cloud of fire.
bright red...
As if there was a flame burning hot in the sky, it was like the flame in his dream...
flame.
Suddenly, the eyelids of Gallan, who was staring at the burning cloud, twitched fiercely.
His heart was beating wildly for no reason.
['Devil's Blood'…]
[It's pitch black...has an unpleasant pungent smell...like oil...]
Garland's eyes widened suddenly.
A very terrifying thought that made his heart skip a beat suddenly rose in his heart.
The fire of the setting sun came, and the fiery clouds on the horizon reflected in his golden pupils, as if in an instant, the red flames attacked him overwhelmingly.
Turning his pupils into a fiery red—
"… Tal."
"Yes, what's the matter, Your Highness~~~"
"Where?"
Garlan had already rolled over to the ground, his face was tense, and he was so nervous that he was breathing quickly.
"What? Where are you asking?"
"Where are the Sims blocking Heimos?!"
…
…
Weir Atrium, that is the only way back from the martial arts training ground, it is a slightly narrow road.
When Heimos came out of the corridor, the sun had almost set in the west, and the sky had darkened.
There are two rows of white stone poles erected on both sides of this road. There is a shelf at the top of the stone pole, on which are placed two small braziers about the size of a palm, which are used for lighting at night.
Generally speaking, the street lamps used for night lighting are specially made olive oil lamps, which are more durable and brighter. However, the road around this atrium is relatively spacious, there are no tall buildings, and it is slightly closer to the coast, so the sea breeze is relatively strong. The shrubs and trees on both sides here are very dense, so there have been cases where the sea breeze blew down the oil lamps and caused fires.
After that, the stone poles here were replaced with fire trays filled with charcoal fire, so that even if they fell, they would not burn all at once.
However, because the illumination of the charcoal fire is not enough, the stone poles on both sides are relatively close, almost one more than one meter.
After all afternoon of rigorous training on the martial arts field, Heimos was also a little tired at the moment. He came out of the promenade and walked up the narrow passage of the Vail Atrium.
The faint light of the fire plate on the stone poles on both sides reflected on his side cheeks, there were faint traces of sweat on his forehead, and a bruise on his arm was also very conspicuous.
Just as he was walking quietly by himself, there was a sudden noise in front of him.
A group of teenagers about his age were opposite him, walking towards him, talking and laughing with each other as if they were deliberately amplifying their voices.
Heimos frowned, recognizing that the group of people who troubled him last time were on the opposite side, and it seemed that they did not meet by accident. I am afraid that this group of people came to block him on purpose.
"Ah, Prince Heimos."
Pretending to have just seen Heimos, the dozen or so teenagers saluted and continued to walk over to Heimos.
However, when passing by Heimos, the two teenagers holding the jar in their hands suddenly became unsteady, swayed, and splashed the contents of the jar at him.
The distance between the two was too close, and the thing that was sprinkled was liquid again. No matter how fast Heimos reacted, he could only avoid half of it.
The black liquid splashed from the porcelain jar in the hands of the young man behind splashed onto his body. The jet-black liquid started from where his left arm was close to his shoulders and went down to his left foot, almost halfway through his body. The body is covered.
A pungent smell hit his nostrils, and the black, greasy liquid that had splashed half of his body, and he didn't know what it was, slowly flowed down his body.
The uncomfortable feeling on the covered skin and the disgusting smell made Heimos frown.
"I'm sorry, Prince Heimos, I accidentally slipped my foot, I'm really sorry."
The two teenagers who poured half of Heimos with black liquid looked frightened, bowed their heads, and kept apologizing.
"To actually make your noble body stained with 'devil's blood', I am really a death sentence."
"Oh, what can I do? Those who are stained with 'devil's blood' will be cursed by the devil."
"It's hard to wash off~~~"
"It's said to be unlucky for a long time."
"I'll be targeted by the devil in the future—"
The teenagers next to him were chattering, and it sounded like they were worried about Heimos, but the tone seemed to be gloating.
The boy named Sim who took the lead spoke bluntly.
"This was originally something that His Royal Highness Gallan asked us to find. It was intended to be given to you, Prince Heimos, but we didn't expect it to be delivered in advance. Ah, I'm so sorry." He said with a smile, "You don't Because of this trivial matter, will you go to King Camos to report to His Highness? After all, our Highness is still young, just joking with you."
Heimosben just frowned, turned his head sideways, and looked at the dirty black liquid on his body faintly.
He didn't pay attention to what those teenagers said about being difficult to wash, contamination will be cursed, bad luck, etc. He just felt a little annoyed at the level of mischief by such a little kid.
However, the name that suddenly broke into his ear made the corners of his eyes jump abruptly, and his pupils suddenly contracted, and then he slowly relaxed.
There was no expression on his face that was shrouded in shadows, but his thin lips were pursed, and the lip line suddenly became a little sharper.
He spoke, his voice very low.
He said, "… Garland?"
Heimos suddenly made a sound, which made Sim and the others startled.
Heimos didn't know when he raised his eyes to stare at them. His golden red eyes were like the darkest night, and there was a little icy glimmer in the bottom of his eyes, which made people tremble in their chests when they saw it.
"No... That's right! This is a gift from Prince Garland!"
Although Heimos saw his hair on his back, Sim still dared to answer with a stubborn neck.
"He said, it's best for you not to appear in front of him again. Where he is, you'd better stay away."
[This is His Highness's order.]
[The prince does not want you to be near him.]
The boy's eyes became deeper and deeper, and his lips became sharper.
He lowered his head slightly, and the fine black hair scattered in front of his eyes, casting a deep shadow on his eye sockets.
…
…
burning flames...
Slowly flowing dark water...
... the boy burned by the flames...
…
In previous lifetimes, the arm that Heimos had been bound with snow-white bandages...
... every life... those dreary eyes staring at me coldly... like poisoned eyes...
[Sim and the others said they would help you teach Prince Heimos a lesson.]
Devil's blood...
[It's a disgusting black liquid that is said to be cursed by the devil when it is contaminated.]
Do not! That is-
With almost all the strength of his life, Garlan was running forward desperately.
His breathless chest seemed to be about to explode because of the intense running, and the little fat man who couldn't keep up was already thrown behind him halfway through.
Sweat ran down the corners of his eyes, seeping into his eyes, causing his eyes to sting slightly.
But he was still running forward and did not dare to stop.
Perhaps the second he stopped breathing, that terrifying dream would be staged in front of him who couldn't catch up—
If that is really what happened in previous lives, then this time he will stop it no matter what!
Can't let that tragic thing happen again!
Finally, with a sharp turn, the end of the promenade is just ahead.
Near the exit of the promenade, he saw Heimos and other teenagers standing on the road in the atrium.
The moment he saw Heimos, the corners of Garlan's eyes twitched uncontrollably.
He saw that the half body of Heimos, who was facing away from him, had been doused with pitch-black liquid. At this moment, the viscous liquid was still dripping from the boy's body.
really.
He guessed right, the so-called 'devil's blood' is black oil.
Then it was also true that Heimos was burned in his dream—
Thinking of the tragic and terrifying scene in the dream, Garlan clenched his fists.
Fortunately, caught up.
His chest that was about to explode couldn't hold it any longer. He held onto the pillar and gasped violently.
Well, it's still too late.
That terrible thing hasn't happened yet.
He caught up.
Thinking so fortunately in his heart, Garlan, who took a few breaths, straightened up again, and quickly ran towards Heimos and the others.
However, as he ran forward, he was also a little puzzled.
...Anyway, Sim and the others would never have the guts to set the prince on fire...
Is it an accident
He thought so puzzledly, ran over there, and walked down the stairs at the exit of the promenade.
Suddenly, a black shadow passed from the darkened sky.
Garland's eyes widened suddenly.
The sharp arrow shot from the dark swept across the night sky and reflected in his dilated pupils.
The sharp arrow in the dark night shot silently from the dark place, and with a swish, it streaked an arc in the air.
At the end of that arc is a brazier at the top of a stone pole.
Heimos stood just below the stone pole—
With the arrow in his eyes, Garlan's mind went blank.
It was instinct, or subconscious, and he rushed forward.
Chasing the trajectory of the arrow passing through the air, he rushed over.
Sharp arrows galloped across the night sky.
That's too late!
It is impossible for a man to keep up with the speed of the arrow.
Garlan's hand stretched forward with all his strength—
With a snap, the tip of the arrow slammed into the fire plate on the stone pole.
The impacted fire plate swayed erratically and suddenly fell from above.
The red charcoal fire fell from the overturned fire plate, and the burning fire cut a bright trace in the dark night, and fell straight towards the boy who was half-drenched in black oil below.
Seeing that it will fall on the boy in the next second—
Someone rushed over from behind.
With outstretched hands, Garlan used all his life's strength to shove Heimos away from under the fallen fire plate.
The burning coals that fell from the night fell on the little child.
Chi Chi a few times.
It was the sound of burning flesh in the silent night sky.
The burning charcoal made deep dark marks on the child's snow-white skin.
"Garlan—?!!"