Shadow of the Evil God

"Don't look at me like that." She stroked his cheek. "You look like a wronged puppy."

"What on earth have you been doing living in my body for so long? Watching every move of a human like a dog?" Cesar asked her.

"What else could I do besides admire you for using your words like sharp blades to wound others?" Ajiehe asked. "In fact, I think there's no practical point in discussing who's more like a dog. You know what I mean. It's like you always thought you were the dog's owner, trying to educate your loyal, indentured puppy. But when you find yourself walking the dog, only to be led into the deepest depths of the Tao, sinking little by little, do you realize who's actually walking whom?"

"Then you have a way to avoid sinking?"

"Of course I haven't," she said. "That's why it's so wonderful to meet someone like you on this road where no one wants to die. Maybe we could make a bet to see who goes crazy first."

"Only if I can live long enough to go crazy."

"This is the most realistic view, but I like it." Ajiehe agreed, "If you can't even survive

When I go crazy, that madness will be nothing but an illusory sign. She stretched out her claws and walked barefoot on the ground, her fingers stroking from his cheek to the back of his neck, and her body circled around him, from in front of him to behind him, "Have you thought about what kind of lie you want to weave? As a eloquent person,

Lobbyist, there is probably no one better than you at this."

"It depends on the identity of the person writing the letter."

"A teacher in the school," she said. "Although she has teachers in various fields, he is not a particularly important one, but he is still a teacher after all."

"Does he have the power to recommend?"

"Well... yes, but what qualifies you as her teacher? You can't teach her how to tell lies and hurt people with words, right?"

"I think you're better at telling lies and hurting people with words than I am."

Ajeh shrugged, her arms draped over him, the fur tickling his neck and shoulders. "As much as I'd like to argue, there's really no need to prioritize," she said, then amended her tone. "Besides, I think you could teach someone this. Nobles are all prone to lying."

"Don't you have any more practical advice?"

"The Duke's daughter knows nothing about military command. Is that enough? Even though you seem to know only a little bit better than nothing."

Cesar nodded. "That's enough. The actual results are enough to fool people for a while."

"You can't fool people into giving you the materials you need by just fooling around, Cesar. I don't think I told you yet that she can get in touch with the guys imprisoned at the military academy, which is why she dared to discuss command with you. Even if you gain the upper hand with the dead man's recommendation, you can't avoid the endless questioning and suspicion that follows," Ajeh whispered in his ear. "She's watching. If you make one mistake, you'll lose everything."

"It's no different than the dilemma I'm facing now," Cesar said. "It's just one more problem. It's much easier to deal with than having an uninvited guest in your head."

Chapter 115 Cut It Off

"Oh, really?"

"Well," Cesar looked at her, "I was just wondering what would happen if I tried to kill you here, or if you ate me here."

"Who knows?" Ajeh shrugged. "You could try. Perhaps you should make it your goal. You've already wasted too much time since you slaked your thirst in the streets of Noyen. Why not go a few steps further down the road, Cesar? Perhaps you'll find an opportunity to capture me and tear me to pieces? That's what you did then, anyway."

The eyes of her wolf half were wide open, while the gray irises of her human half were slightly narrowed, as if expressing a different emotion. Cesar vaguely felt that her human face wasn't expressionless, but simply unable to express itself as she wished. Perhaps it conveyed some deeper emotion, or perhaps her words weren't always what she said.

As she spoke, Ajeh took a step back, her arms outstretched in an invitation. She stood on the pointe of her wolf paws, looking like a dancer. Her movements were graceful, and her gestures made him realize she was more than just a cursed beast.

The words she uttered also told him that she was not one of the cursed people born in the Sasule tribe in recent years. Her life was much longer, her experience was mysterious, and she was related to a lost history.

Looking at the paw he always kept in his arms in Noien, Cesar suddenly felt curious, so he took advantage of her reaching out and grabbed it, pressing down along the pad in the center of her paw. To be honest, he had done this in Noien before, and the animal's paw hadn't reacted at all. Now that the paw was on her, things might be different.

Sharp claws emerged from her closed palm, gleaming coldly, looking sharp and piercing, causing a dull pain as they pierced his wrist. Strangely enough, tears welled up in his eyes, for he had often pinched the puppy's paw like this when he was still called Duanwu. Many past events had been isolated on the other side of the altar in Noi'en, a symbol of his farewell to the past. They weren't non-existent, just covered in dust.

Ajiehe stared at him, "What are you doing?"

"I'm missing the old days in Noien," he said casually.

"You're a little too boring."

"I've always been bored," Cesar responded, holding her claw in his palm. "I don't care about kingdom disputes or historical changes. I just want to find a place to spend my boring life. Everything else is forced. So now I have a question. If that Ajehe finds a way to drive you out, once I'm outside, will I still be able to hold it in my hand like this?"

"Your so-called boring life has affected the lives and deaths of countless people, Cesar. You say you don't care, but you pick up things and don't want to let go. Isn't that too hypocritical?"

"Really? Very good, then I can't bear to let go of this claw either. Do you have any opinion on this?" Cesar asked back.

"You can cut it off and carry it with you. I won't be able to resist anyway. It's just an arm. If you want to cut off all my limbs, it's up to you." said Ajiehe.

Cesar was about to say she was too radical when his mind suddenly changed.

He opened his eyes involuntarily. He sat up in the chair in the interrogation room, feeling dazed, as if he had just had a long dream, and yawned.

"How long have I slept?" he asked.

The dog blinked in the dark. "I've been staring at you for over an hour, and there's nothing I can do."

It happened.”

"Go find the body hidden nearby," Cesar said, yawning. "That guy hasn't been dead for long. While he still has some consciousness left, we can use him to write a letter with their school's mark. Once he's dead, we won't be able to use him."

Urbino's child was a problem, but it was merely a minor issue stemming from the Gonzales issue. As long as Gonzales could be dealt with, the Duke's daughter would have nothing to fear. Therefore, the core of the matter lay in Gonzales's rebellion. This place held the key to his future foothold in Olidan. If he could capitalize on her momentum, perhaps he could forge a better situation.

He has told so many lies that he is not afraid of adding this one.

.......

"I can conclude that Gonzales' rebellion is not as simple as it appears, my lord. I have reason to suspect it has a deeper political background.

Based on Cesar's report on the "Military Guide," I checked every eligible officer who had graduated from the military academy, but I found nothing. I checked their children, their relatives, their lieutenants, and even officers who had fled Dominica seeking political asylum, but nothing came of it. Considering only the obvious clues, the only explanation is that academy students were involved, but that doesn't make sense. It's impossible for someone to master military strategy simply by studying military manuals.

Did I tell you about my daughter's ridiculous thoughts? I know they are excellent military graduates, but without an old officer to guide them to gain practical combat experience, they are nothing, let alone now they can only sit in school and exchange letters with her.

Back to the topic just now. Think about it, my Lord. What experienced general could use the "Military Essentials" to set a trap without being discovered? You know, the late king's supporters are still active. As long as the late king's daughter, Her Majesty, survives, they will continue to attempt a rebellion to put her on the throne. I don't mean to force her death; I'm simply stating the facts. Considering Gonzales's location, they may even have secret connections with Dominic. You know, they can't just send a few young officers.

I will continue to investigate the rebellion in Gonzales, and before the illegitimate son of Count Thane has fully investigated the situation here, I do not recommend sending any officers worthy of assassination to Gonzales. As for this Cesar, since he was able to withstand the assassination attempt by the Dominican royal family, I believe he will have his own way of survival in Gonzales.

So, back to the previous topic, I've already dissuaded Diana from going to Gonzales. I hope Your Majesty can help keep her in the capital, sending her out to socialize, attend balls, and banquets. Although she can't inherit my family business, she still has that status, and I can't let her act so rashly..."

There was a noise, and Urbino looked up from his desk at his butler, who had rushed in from the door. The butler was still round and fat, his belt barely holding his belly, and he looked like a ball rolling in from the door.

"The eldest lady disappeared." He gasped, "She left a letter for you, and then she disappeared right before my eyes."

Chapter 116 You are too vulgar

......

If you don't count the mage who used him as a book, then all of Cesar's operations in Gonzales have been going smoothly so far. Although the prisoners in the prison are mostly clueless bandits and farmers, after interrogation, they did reveal several paths commonly used by the rebels, some of which are currently in use, and some that were used in the past but had to be abandoned due to increased patrols.

During this period, Governor Formey claimed that Gonzales' fortress lacked everything and could not provide more military supplies. Fortunately, he still had the property of the Duke's daughter that he had begged from the Duke.

The intelligence on these roads seemed worthless; the terrain was rugged and narrow, and the sides were not conducive to ambushes. However, to exploit them, one didn't have to focus on them themselves. Under the pretext of rectifying military discipline, Cesar forcefully transferred several militia units back to Gonzales. In doing so, he conveyed his dissatisfaction with Governor Formey and demonstrated his intention to establish his authority within the army, ignoring his opinions.

This was a legitimate conflict. While Cesar's goal wasn't conflict per se, he had no intention of communicating with Fermi. If Gonzales' governor were merely greedy and incompetent, it would be fine. However, his repeated evasion of Cesar's requests and his refusal to cooperate with him in providing necessary supplies made further communication unnecessary.

If it weren't for his improper status in Olidan and the fact that Formey had his own personal guards, he would have wanted to lead his team to storm the Governor's Palace, capture the people, and then tear down the entire Governor's Palace and exchange it for military supplies.

Cesar's deployment created a gap in the defense of the entrances and exits of the roads that were originally within the patrol area, and the roads that the rebels used to use became unobstructed. During the entire process, no one reminded him of these inadvertently exposed defense gaps, at least not Fermi himself and his officers. Cesar felt that either they had not investigated the general route of the rebels' movement and simply sent everyone to patrol every area they could think of, or they

I deliberately wanted to see him make trouble.

He set up an ambush at the mines where these small roads led directly. To be honest, he was taking a risk, but the location of the rebels' stronghold was still unclear, and their method of action was also unclear.

Before he got the important intelligence, he could only think of deliberately exposing loopholes to increase his initiative, and then capture more prisoners by ambush.

To minimize the risk of leaks, Cesar mobilized several officers involved in the ambush, including Varedo, and spent an entire night conversing with them before arranging for them to secretly prepare near the mines. He himself remained at Fort Gonzales, directing the other officers and a large number of militiamen to drill continuously in the barracks, creating the appearance that the garrison was busy with drills and could not be disturbed.

Whether or not things would pan out remained to be seen, but as for whether he should personally go to the ambush site, honestly, he didn't think it was necessary. With the tactics already arranged, all he could do was stand at the front and boost morale. However, he wasn't a king, nor a renowned general. Even if he went there in person, what kind of inspiration would he achieve?

Motivating a large group of soldiers was different from motivating a few officers who had just graduated from a military academy. He had fully experienced this with a few disobedient porters in Noyen. Rather than considering himself an indispensable leader at all times, it was better to hand the matter over to an officer who had already completed an ambush.

At least he could be sure that the officers he sent out as key commanders were under his control.

As the morning sun filtered through the curtains, Cesar felt it was time to get up, but his mind seemed to be churning, foaming like it was soaking in a pool of blood, and his feeling was sticky and dull. His right arm seemed to have transformed into a creeping shadow, gradually splitting and stretching, spreading across the room like branches.

An invisible shadow wrapped around the girl's fair neck and slender waist, slowly crawling across her skin. She woke, a trace of worry on her face, and in his blurry vision, she looked like a wavering reflection on a rippling lake. Somehow, she looked even more endearing than before, a soft halo of light intertwined with dark shadows, plastered all over her body like a tattoo.

Firth murmured something, but he didn't hear it. He just held her tightly in his arms, feeling her soft, boneless body. She trembled from the touch all over her body and welcomed him in.

"Don't push it too deep..." She bit his ear and said it again, "Do you hear me?"

Cesar stared blankly at the girl in his arms, still feeling confused. He couldn't speak, and his mind wasn't quite working, but holding her was the right thing to do.

"Don't stare at me like that, like a..."

She struggled only briefly before surrendering in his arms.

......

"This feeling is horrible," Fils said, ruffling her wet hair. "I'm not talking about the feeling itself, but the feeling of sinking into a damp, muddy swamp, unable to think, you know? Sinking lower and lower, sinking lower and lower."

Cesar still felt a little dizzy as he lifted her out of the wooden tub where she had washed herself.

She placed her hand on his chest, whispering something unspeakable to humans while caressing it. Then she grasped it hard, and a vine-like shadow emerged. "Can you make it move?" she asked.

“I’m still dizzy…”

"I was the one who was almost out of breath just now, but you're the one saying these incoherent things here." Fields muttered.

Cesar carried her, a wet, slippery mass of soft jade, to the bed and tucked her into the thick sheets. He took an apple from the side and pondered it for a long time, unable to think of what to do. Phils stretched her limbs for a moment, interlacing her long, white fingers above her head, looking quite energetic. She sat down on him, stared at him for a moment, then tapped the apple in his palm—it suddenly split into many pieces, but his vision was too blurry to count them.

“If you can’t see clearly, close your eyes and use other methods to feel,” she said.

He tried to feed a piece of apple into Phils's half-open mouth before placing his fingers on her cheek and slowly stroking them from ear to throat, surprisingly gently, as if stroking a piece of fragile silk. She flinched, perhaps because the touch was too gentle. After a moment, she took his hand and guided his fingers from her shoulder, down her arm, until they touched her fingertips on the other side and then interlocked.

"I meant to ask you to count the apples on your fingers." After a long silence, Phils suddenly said, "Originally."

Cesar opened his eyes and looked down at her.

Firth fell silent. She seemed to be trying to appear relaxed and composed. However, she wasn't good at disguising herself and often hesitated. In the early days, she had often acted outrageously, but that was just a way of venting her inner repression. Now that she had vented it all, she began to try not to reveal her inner thoughts.

Cesar rubbed his eyes, trying to lessen his gaze. "Should I be looking at you with a slightly more flirtatious gaze?" he asked.

"Just don't be like that," she muttered, her cheeks still a little red, "It's too vulgar, I'm tired of it.

No. "

"I thought you were going to say affectionate. Although I certainly wasn't thinking straight at the time."

"It's just that the word is so vulgar," Fils pointed out.

"Why is it vulgar?"

"I want to be with worldly things

Draw the line,” she said.

Cesar thought she was talking nonsense. "Am I not a secular human being?"

"You probably only feel like a human being when you're dreaming," Fields pointed out again.

"Okay, I admit it, but in my heart I still think I am."

"Yes, that's right. You can think of yourself as whatever you want to think of yourself as, but I know you are not. What happened this morning proves it."

"Uh...did I hurt you?"

"It won't be worse than my dark circles," Firth replied. "If you hurt me, I'll cut your thing into ten equal parts, just like the apple. So you'd better worry about yourself." She picked up the apple pieces that had fallen on the quilt, wiped them with her hand, and stuffed them into his mouth. "Considering what happened just now, I think you can actually use them to a certain extent, but you just don't want to accept it in your heart."

He slurred as he chewed his apple, "Really?"

Firth stuffed another piece of apple into his mouth, then retaliated with another, squeezing his cheeks until they puffed out and swelled up. "Would you like to think about what you did with them and whether it's more complicated to kill someone with them or to crawl all over someone else?"

Chapter 117 Doubt and Belief

Cesar had hoped he could face this, but reality wasn't the case. The sky outside the window was indeed clear, and the atmosphere inside the barracks wasn't as stifling and frenzied as Noyen's. But to him, these were all appearances, fleeting morning mist. Hazy smoke drifted between the towering stone pillars, blending with the morning mist to appear ethereal. They were now on the third floor, at the edge of the barracks, and the soldiers' voices would sound vague and indeterminate, as hazy as the mist.

He felt that everything had a sense of uncertainty.

After swallowing a few apples, Cesar felt himself sobering up a bit. He gazed at the smooth, white nape of Phils's neck and her flaxen hair. He hugged her from behind, kissing her damp hair, and finally felt a sense of relief. But the longing that surged in his chest still made him want to curse himself. He knew in his heart that this longing was not normal, and that a brief moment of sexual desire alone would not alleviate it.

The fog at the other end of the road entangled his mind layer by layer. After he tried his best to ignore it for more than a month, the abnormal feeling still deepened.

"Actually, I've never heard of anyone resisting for as long as you have..." Firth suddenly tilted her head back and spoke hesitantly. She seemed to have pondered for a moment, but hadn't come to any conclusion. "There's no record of that happening," she added. "In fact, before you even reached your stage, people were already filled with abnormal desires and emotions."

Cesar didn't know how to answer for a moment. Is he really different from others? But he felt that there was no essential difference, it was just a difference in the length of time.

"Do you still think that using those inhuman abilities is corruption?" Firth turned and looked him in the eye. "I should tell you that others at your stage have already transformed a lot, and they look completely different. Even we have to be wary of them. We have to engrave all kinds of restrictive and even confining spells on our guards, making them covered in runes, so that we can feel at ease. But you... you are still the same as before."

"Will it be the same after what just happened?" Cesar asked her.

"You...you just don't know what your former companions have done." She whispered, leaning forward to put her arms around his neck, pressing her two delicate peach-shaped breasts against him. "What happened in the records is much bloodier, far more than just a passionate love affair. Take what happened just now, for example. You've become too gentle to be cursed. This has nothing to do with subjective restraint, Cesar, you must understand this. You didn't hurt me when you were unconscious, so you don't need to worry so much."

They hugged each other silently in the dim morning light that penetrated the curtains, feeling each other's heartbeats.

"I lost control of the streets in Neuen before," Cesar said. "The outcome back then was different."

"Maybe it's not out of control, but simply unused, and we don't know how to deal with it," Fields whispered. "You should reconsider cooperating with my experiment and actively contacting it."

"You mean I should look at it and use it from your perspective as a mage..."

Perhaps she was right, and he did need to understand, not the harm it left behind, but the many effects it had on him. To do this, he not only had to cooperate with her experiments, but also actively use those strange appendages in the experiments.

As a mage, Firth always believed that as long as he could clearly analyze its effects, he could consider its side effects and find ways to utilize it. He should treat it as a tool and think about how to maximize its effects rather than ignoring it. After all, he couldn't throw away this extremely harmful tool.

"You've always been suspicious." Phils