Chapter 8: This Hero
Misa felt an unspeakable guilt.
He saw many arrows stuck in Kali’s foot, some seemingly deeply embedded. When Kali pulled them out, blood was still on the arrowheads. But Misa didn’t know healing magic. Demon Lords are beings of darkness completely incompatible with healing power. He could only watch guiltily as Kali pulled out the arrows, whispering an apology: “I’m sorry…”
“It’s okay,” Kali sniffed. “Kali likes the Demon Lord.”
Misa was clearly not used to dealing with others’ undisguised kindness. He scratched his head, a little embarrassed to look away, but then he saw Saya sitting in the distance, her back to them, not even noticing Misa’s arrival.
Misa worried that Saya was also injured. He hurried over, stopping beside Saya, hesitantly asking, “Saya?”
Saya was startled and immediately turned around, giving Misa a somewhat rough smile that revealed two missing teeth.
“Demon Lord!” Saya was very surprised. “Look.”
She opened her palm to Misa. A fluffy bird was perched in her hand, tilting its head and chirping at Misa.
Misa remembered.
Outside the church, to show how terrifying the giants were, Kali had deliberately raised his voice and roared loudly toward the sky. At that time, an innocent nightingale happened to fly by, stunned by the giant’s booming roar and falling into Kali’s messy hair. This seemed to be that bird.
Saya didn’t care at all that she was injured.
She seemed to like the nightingale, and the nightingale didn’t seem afraid of her either. When Misa leaned closer to look at her palm, she raised her hand high, wanting to bring the nightingale closer to Misa.
Misa saw that she also had some wounds on her hand, arrow wounds, quite small for a giant—
But no matter how small, it would hurt when the arrow went in.
Misa frowned. He didn’t know why, but he remembered what Lance and the human lord had said.
Humans think monsters are ugly.
Humans are only so cruel to monsters.
But Misa didn’t think monsters were ugly.
He looked at Saya’s face. The giant’s features were very different from humans: rough muscle lines, cracked skin, and fangs that protruded from her upper lip, seeming indescribably ferocious. But if humans were willing to look up at the giants’ eyes, they should have noticed the peace and purity in those clear eyes.
He looked at the nightingale in Saya’s palm.
The nightingale’s song was clear and melodious. Not far away, Kali was propping up his chin, watching them, muttering enviously, “Kali also wants a little bird.”
Misa: “…”
Misa raised his hand, a faint light gathering in his palm.
“I can’t heal you,” Misa’s voice was full of apology. “Let me give you a gift.”
…
The faint light slowly rose into the air, like another moon rising in the night sky, attracting the attention of the small creatures in the forest.
Kali heard faint sounds coming from the forest below the mountain. He curiously looked up, and the nightingale in Saya’s palm spread its wings and flew into the air, chirping and calling to its companions in the distance.
Fluffy rabbits emerged from the bushes, rubbing their little heads against Saya’s giant toes. Deer from the forest carefully approached. A flock of nightingales swirled around the faint light, as if countless small animals had been drawn to this place, surrounding the two clumsy and careful giants.
—Like a beautiful dream.
Misa happily bounced back to the church.
It was already late. He was so sleepy that he couldn’t stop yawning and just wanted to go back and lie on his soft bed for a nap. He walked through the church’s long corridor, watching the moonlight pass through the church’s stained-glass windows, casting colorful patterns on the marble floor. Then he looked up and saw Lance standing by the window in the corridor.
Misa: “…”
“Misa?” Lance frowned. “Where did you go?”
Misa nervously chuckled a few times and casually made up an excuse: “I… I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a walk.”
Lance: “…”
Lance looked at Misa intently for a while, his gaze making Misa tremble with fear. Fortunately, he only looked at Misa for a moment before turning his gaze to the window and then very puzzledly asked, “Did you see the light over there on the mountain?”
Misa: “…No.”
Lance frowned: “And there are a lot of birds.”
Misa: “…Haha.”
Lance: “You really can’t see?”
Misa: “I’m sleepy; my eyes are closing. I’m so sleepy. I’ll go back to sleep—”
Lance grabbed his arm.
“I still have a question,” Lance frowned. “Don’t you need to test my strength?”
Misa: “…”
Misa thought about his human body’s setting.
He was just an ordinary believer in the goddess, who happened to know about the Savior Hero and specifically went to the Land of Blessing to call the hero to the Divine Tower.
Yes, he was just an ordinary person.
So Misa smiled at Lance and seriously answered his question.
“I don’t know, Lance-sama,” Misa blinked innocently. “I’m just an ordinary person, I don’t understand what a test is.”
Lance: “…”
Lance: “But…”
“Arlo is the divine messenger,” Misa desperately wanted to shift the blame. “You should ask him about this.”
Lance: “…”
Lance slowly nodded.
“Makes sense,” Lance said. “I’ll go ask him.”
Misa: “…”
Now?
He looked at the night outside the window and thought Arlo might already be asleep, so he hurriedly followed Lance, trying to stop him from disturbing someone’s sleep.
“Lance-sama, the divine messenger may already be asleep,” Misa lowered his voice and earnestly persuaded. “We shouldn’t—”
Lance had already knocked on Arlo’s door.
He heard Misa’s persuasion and hesitated, but he had already knocked on the door. He paused for a while before lowering his voice and tentatively whispering, “…Arlo?”
There was no answer.
Misa breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, “See, the divine messenger is indeed asleep.”
Lance nodded and was about to leave with Misa, but the door was suddenly pulled open from inside. Arlo, wearing a sleeping robe and a long sleeping cap, was holding a very thick diary and excitedly looked at Lance.
“I’m here! I’m here!” Arlo could barely contain his excitement. “Lance-sama, you finally remember my name!”
Misa: “…”
Thinking carefully, this seemed to be the first time Lance directly called Arlo’s name.
Lance was clearly startled: “I’ve always remembered it.”
Arlo was even more moved.
“So you’ve always remembered my name!” Arlo gasped, almost in tears. “As your divine messenger, I’m really happy.”
Misa: “…”
So humble, Arlo!
Lance paused again, looking at Arlo’s overly excited expression, not knowing how to speak. Misa gently tugged at Arlo’s clothes and whispered, “He wants you to test his strength.”
Arlo: “Strength?”
Misa lowered his voice: “He seems worried that he can’t beat the giants.”
Arlo understood.
This hero was finally willing to make progress!
“I understand, leave it to me!” Arlo almost couldn’t help but smile. “Let me be your opponent!”
Arlo thought simply.
He was a highly skilled physician, proficient in all healing arts in the world; he could easily heal minor injuries with magic. He was also an experienced divine messenger with extensive combat experience who had personally trained countless heroes. The current hero had only just left the beginner village and couldn’t possibly cause him any real harm.
He was just a sparring partner. As long as he set up a simple protective shield, the hero wouldn’t even be able to touch a hair on his head.
Besides, this was clearly a good opportunity to cultivate feelings with the hero. As long as he taught the hero a few tricks and told him some tips on fighting enemies, his favorability would surely increase!
Arlo was very proactive and eager to try. He took Lance and Misa to the church’s courtyard, then tossed back his long hair and smiled at the hero, saying, “Come on.”
Lance: “…”
Lance hesitated.
Arlo: “What are you hesitating for, hit me~”
Lance turned to Misa: “I’ll go get a wooden sword.”
“It’s okay!” Arlo confidently maintained his smile. “I’m the strongest healer in this world, you can’t hit me!”
Lance: “…”
“Use your fastest speed, your greatest strength,” Arlo proudly puffed out his chest. “Hit me!”
Lance: “…”
Arlo put up a basic magic shield: “As long as you can hurt me, I’ll—”
Lance’s unsheathed sword thudded against his forehead.
Misa gasped, and Lance was also startled. He quickly retracted his sword, never expecting that this seemingly solid protective shield would break with a light touch.
Arlo covered his face; he seemed quite injured. Lance was very nervous and at a loss. Misa spoke first, asking, “Divine messenger, are you okay?”
Arlo looked up, a clear line of blood flowing down his forehead. He managed a wry smile, smiling at Lance and Misa.
“I’m fine, of course, I’m fine,” Arlo tried to maintain his smile. “Just a small mistake.”
A true divine messenger would never give up!
He must have not used magic for three years, and the protective shield he just put up was too thin. It was just a small mistake; he would correct it next time.
White light emanated from Arlo’s hand, healing the wound on his forehead. After wiping the blood from his face, he erected a magic shield again. This time, he used high-level magic, confident that this shield couldn’t be broken even by giants. He said to Lance, “Come on! Try again!”
Lance: “…”
Lance didn’t dare to raise his sword.
Arlo encouraged Lance.
“This magic shield can’t be broken even by ten giants,” Arlo exaggerated his abilities. “Come on, try hitting me!”
Lance: “…”
“Don’t hesitate!” Arlo shouted. “You can’t hurt me!”
Lance hesitantly raised his sword.
This time, Arlo’s magic shield did have some effect. Lance’s first attack didn’t penetrate the shield. Arlo breathed a sigh of relief, smugly thinking that it was indeed just his mistake. Seeing Lance hesitantly holding his sword, he couldn’t help but raise his voice, assuming the posture he used when training divine messengers in the divine realm, shouting, “Why so weak, didn’t you eat?”
Lance: “…”
Arlo: “Use more strength!”
Lance’s sword struck Arlo on the head.
Arlo: “…”
Misa: “…”
A line of blood ran down the divine messenger’s beautiful face, and Arlo fell into thought.
No, no, no!
How could a hero who just left the beginner village have such strong strength?