The Duke in the Spire of Thorns

"So, alchemy is a wonderful science, isn't it?"

Aponomo said with a smile: "You see, I should have decayed into a pile of bones in despair, but in the end, with the help of alchemy, I not only did not die, but was reborn."

"I follow in your footsteps. I dare say that I have achieved unparalleled achievements in the subject of alchemy. Except for you in the past, no one has achieved higher achievements in this subject than me." Ah Benomo said: "So, I am not just inviting you to meet me today, I also want to invite you to join me again."

"Together we can climb the peak of alchemy and achieve more miraculous achievements."

Aponomo's tone was slow, with unhurried grace.But Celeste always felt that there was a hint of urgency in his attitude.

"Thank you very much for your kindness."

Celeste couldn't find any intimacy from him. Although Aponomo showed him goodwill again and again, he had no sense of reality to the "sister" in his dream. Now facing Abo Nuomo, He also couldn't treat each other as family members all of a sudden.

"But I'm not interested in alchemy." He avoided the topic of alchemy, "As for you... well... I have to say, after so many years, it's a very strange feeling to see your former relatives again It feels like, although we are not related by blood now, but the years have brought us to meet again. We can become legal brothers if you want."

"Of course, there is no meaning of forcing." He added: "Everything is subject to your wishes."

Celeste turned the topic back to the field he was familiar with, and decided to discuss this point with the other party. He really knows very little about alchemy, and the so-called "past" in the dream has no sense of reality. Benomo is a dangerous person, and Celeste is very worried about saying the wrong thing.

"Law."

Aponomo smiled indifferently: "The props fabricated by human beings to deceive themselves and attack each other, how do you regard it as a standard?"

"Please pay attention to your words." Celeste corrected blankly: "The law is the embodiment of justice and order, and it is sacred! Please don't attack it at will."

"Oh? Since you think so, then fine."

Aponomo shrugged his shoulders and nodded indifferently, "Let me try to make you happy." He raised the corners of his lips: "For example, do you feel that your life and health Is it unreliable to be attached to a small pendant?"

He said: "Do you want to change a little bit? Take full control of your own destiny?"

·

The angel's footsteps were light and soundless, his broad wings were gathered behind his back, and on his beautiful face was a divine aura of compassion: "Hi everyone."

He fluttered his wings and flew to the high altar, looking down at the people kneeling all over the ground.

These human beings showed ecstatic expressions after seeing the angels. They raised their heads and asked, "Who is the chosen one for this month?"

Kings, queens, princes, dukes, marquises... Those who can almost control the fate of the Os Empire have long forgotten their mission. They just knelt, like lambs begging to be caressed, staring at God ecstatically and humbly Angel on the altar.

The angel looked down at them, and said softly, "Earl Durin, the Lord has felt your devout prayer, and you will receive His blessing." The angel held a tube of cloudy green liquid in his white palm.

It's a pity that Celeste didn't see this scene, otherwise, he would definitely feel that the things in the angel's hands are very familiar.

...It was very similar to the "life potion" refined by the alchemist Marion that he once regarded as a life-saving straw.

Earl Durin was already an old nobleman, his once dazzling golden hair was now dull and sparse, and his chestnut-like eyes were cloudy like sewage in a mud pit.His once good face was covered with wrinkles. He could feel the loss of his life force every day. Only when he knelt under the altar, this maddening feeling would disappear.

Tremblingly, he took the potion handed over by the angel, raised his head and drank it without hesitation as if receiving a gift.

Immediately, the wrinkles on his face disappeared, his blond hair became lush and dazzling, and the old man turned back into the young man who disappeared in time in front of many companions.

"God! Thank God!"

Feeling the long-lost vitality, Earl Durin knelt down at the feet of the angel, with tears in his eyes: "I will serve my Lord more devoutly!"

"Now, the Lord has a more important matter to give to those who have received divine grace."

The angel said: "Earl Durin, Duke Melisley..." He named many names, "The Lord hopes to bring peace to the whole world. If you are willing to play the role of your own descendants, after contributing to the well-being of the world , you will receive a special honor."

"That is: Whenever you grow old, the Lord will judge you according to your contributions. If you have made enough contributions to the world, then you can be young again, and reappear in the world as descendants, but , if you fail the hope of the Lord, you will never have the chance to regain your youth, and you can only meet a terrible death in lamentation."

The angel smiled slightly, "As long as you have gratitude to the Lord in your heart and strictly obey the Lord's command, you can live forever in the world."

Everyone was very excited. They shouted gratitude, and the people whose names were called stood up and left behind the angel.

Those who were left behind looked at the direction they were leaving, their eyes filled with longing, and then they prayed more devoutly.

A group of shadows quietly lurked in the corner. It watched the ridiculous scene in front of it, stayed silent for a while, and left quietly.

·

"Fate is the most reliable only if it is in your own hands, isn't it?"

Aponomo's words are very provocative, "And I will have no reservations about you. As long as you are willing to settle down, you will discover the beauty of alchemy in a short time."

Celeste listened to his words, but there was no great fluctuation in his heart. He always felt that he had heard these words before.But he did a good job on the surface. He wavered first, then hesitated, and finally said hesitantly: "I have to admit, I'm a little moved."

"But it is not something that can be decided immediately to devote all my heart to alchemy. After all, it will involve a lot of money and wealth. I need to think about it for a while."

Abonomo bent his red lips, "I am looking forward to your response, by the way, please call me Ano."

It was almost late at night, and Aponomo warmly invited Celeste to live in the palace, and generously stated that he could choose any palace in the palace, even if he planned to live in the king's bedroom, there would be no problem.

He flaunted his power between the lines.

Celeste rejected his offer, and drove back to the mansion of Marquess Smedley in a car driven by an angel.

This conversation made him more sure of Aponomo's danger, but he still had no idea how to deal with him.

——If it doesn't work, he accepts Aponomo's kindness. Anyway, his wealth is enough for him to squander.

Celeste spent a few days without incident in Escrit's mansion.In the past few days, he was a little surprised to find that some nobles of the Os Empire seemed to have changed their sex, and began to donate money to the common people. They opened orphanages, set up soup sheds, and radiated their kindness regardless of everything.

That's great for commoners, but there's an oddity in it that can't be ignored.

But the commoners in the streets and alleys who received the favor of these nobles thanked Bishop Abenomo.

This is very strange, what on earth is Aberomo trying to do?

"Don't you think that's nice?"

Abonomo invited Celeste to the palace again, "In this way, the life of the common people has become much easier? They are very happy, aren't they?"

But this happiness is false, as long as the nobles change their minds, they will still fall into the previous situation.

Celeste thought so, but he didn't say it, why bother to say it?He didn't believe that Aponomo was really doing this for the well-being of the common people.

He agreed to learn alchemy from Aponomo.

In fact, there is a real master alchemist in his family, Escrito.

Celeste was already very talented in alchemy, and with Aponomo's selfless teaching and Escrit's remedial lessons, he made rapid progress.

A seemingly peaceful life passed in this way.

A month passed, and Celeste bid farewell to Aponomo: "I'm going back to deal with something, and I'll be back soon."

Aponomo agreed with a smile. He looked at Escrito beside Celeste and evoked a slightly malicious smile.

"Go ahead. I'm looking forward to your return. By the way, can I speak to your squire? I'm curious about him."

Escrit is currently bearing the title of Marquis of Smedley, but Aponomo called him "attendant" indifferently. Celeste was about to correct him when he received a call from Escrit special eyes.

His gentle and soothing eyes made Celeste stop what he was about to say, and he replied to Abenomo: "Okay."

After Celeste left, Aponomo said, "Why are you so guarded against me?"

"If you hadn't intervened, I wouldn't have ended so hastily. Look at what you've done."

"I am you, you are me, we are one, aren't we?"

Escrit corrected with a smile: "No, you are just my shadow, an abandoned thing, you are just a collection of abnormal things in me, you are not me."

"Really?" Aponomo was a little irritated: "Really? Then have you become a blank sheet of paper as expected? Oh, you don't think you're good at pretending to be a saint, do you? "

"Don't you think you are very sad?" Escrit said, "You still don't know why he abandoned alchemy, but I have long understood that this is the gap between us."

He frowned and smiled slightly: "So what if you change your appearance? A fake is a fake after all, and his teachings for so many years haven't made it clear to you."

The expression on Aponomo's face was distorted by anger, but soon, he calmed down again:

"Go back, go back and look forward to your wedding."

He said maliciously: "You can't say something to him now that I don't allow you to say? How does it feel to be controlled? Hmm? Maybe you can't wait for your wedding, your well-built body It is mine, and your soul will also become the nourishment for my growth."

"Who will be at the wedding then? You can't tell, can you?"