Chapter 23: Hello, My Ticket
If Lance hadn’t mentioned the human prince, Misa would have forgotten about this aspect of the human-monster conflict.
But why does this damned hero always remember such useless things!
Misa hadn’t had time to contact the Great Demon Ashbi, to ask for a sacrifice for their demonic causeāto send his adorable little Devinte sweetheart back to the human capital. This was a dangerous request, and Misa found it difficult to make.
The lord finally remembered their long-lost prince. He looked enlightened, nodding at Lance, eagerly asking, “Sir Lance, do you know where Prince Devinte is?”
Lance turned to Misa.
Misa: “…”
Misa wanted to cry.
He took a deep breath, looked up at the sky, and stammered, “Iā¦ I have a general idea.”
Lance simply turned back. “He knows.”
Misa: “…”
Lance: “Before the dwarves are ready, let’s go get the prince back.”
Even after leaving the cathedral, Misa couldn’t suppress his complicated emotions.
He couldn’t figure it out.
No, he could.
Thanks to Arlo’s guidance, he finally understood the hero’s principles.
He always prioritized money, with “making money” always on his mind. Reasoning with such a hero was useless, because his logic was different from normal people’s. He always had countless arguments; debating with him would only lead to a trap.
He had to use the hero’s methods to defeat him.
Misa stopped, gently tugging on Lance’s sleeve.
“Sir Lance,” Misa whispered. “Thatā¦ the Demon King’s castleā¦”
Lance looked at him questioningly.
Misa again used his invincible gentle smile, widening his eyes slightly, earnestly telling Lance, “The Demon King is really, really rich.”
Lance: “…”
“The Demon King’s castle is overflowing with treasure. Just one item would make you a wealthy man,” Misa nodded vigorously. “If you defeat the Demon King, all that treasure will be yours.”
Lance was even more puzzled. “So?”
Misa: “You’ll become the world’s richest man!”
He wasn’t lying.
The air and water quality in the Demon King’s castle weren’t great, but as the final challenge for the hero, it contained countless rare jewels, top-tier equipment unavailable elsewhere, and, as far as he knew, a flaming skeleton horse for the hero and an unhatched dragon egg.
These were priceless treasures, and he believed that using them as bait would quickly lure the heroā
Lance frowned, still questioningly asking, “So?”
Misa vaguely felt something was wrong. “Aren’t you tempted?”
“It’s not mine,” Lance said. “Why would I be tempted?”
Misa: “…”
Wrong, this wasn’t how Misa predicted it would go.
He tried to emphasize the Demon King’s wealth and wickedness, implying that seizing such wicked wealth was justified.
“The Demon King is the worst villain in this world,” Misa said. “There’s a lot of treasure in the Demon King’s castleā”
Lance interrupted Misa. “That’s also wealth he worked hard to accumulate.”
Misa: “Ah?”
Lance frowned. “Taking someone else’s hard-earned wealth is wrong.”
Misa gasped.
“But he’s the Demon King! The most evil Demon King!” Misa emphasized. “The Demon King is a bad guy!”
Lance: “What did he do?”
Misa: “…”
Damn it, why are we back to this question?
As a demon who hadn’t done anything bad, Misa found it hard to answer.
He felt he’d been trapped again in the hero’s logic. If he continued, he’d only sink deeper. He couldn’t think like the hero; he had to attack his weaknessāhis love of money.
Misa used his softest voice, issuing a demonic temptation.
Misa: “Sir Lance, don’t you want to be the world’s richest man?”
Lance: “No.”
Misa: “You justā¦ ah?”
Ah? No?
Didn’t the hero’s face scream, “I want to make money, let me make money”?
Lance had naturally changed the subject. “After tonight’s duel, we have to go to the dwarves.”
Good, he automatically added “we,” leaving Misa no chance to refuse.
Lance frowned slightly. “Tonight’s duelā¦”
He was deep in thought, his furrowed brow showing worry.
Misa desperately hoped the hero would win. Seeing Lance’s frown, he remembered Samuel’s terrifying strength and couldn’t help but worry, softly asking, “Sir Lance, are you confident?”
Lance paused slightly. “That Samuelā¦”
Misa added, “He’s so strong.”
Lance: “…”
“I asked Arlo,” Misa said anxiously. “He said he was knocked unconscious by Samuel before he could see anything.”
Lance: “…”
Lance slightly pursed his lips, displeased with Misa’s words.
Misa didn’t notice Lance’s unusual behavior, continuing to plan how to get the hero back on track.
First, such a talented person as Samuel shouldn’t be wasted.
According to his demon training in the divine realm, heroes in other worlds were always happy to invite talented individuals to join their team. By the time they reached the Demon King’s castle, the hero’s team had at least four or five people, not counting the emissary; some had more than a dozen. Samuel seemed strong, and Misa thought he could be the hero’s first teammate.
Misa cleared his throat and suggested to the hero, “He’s so strong, how about weā”
Lance: “I’ll defeat him.”
Misa: “…Eh? That’s not what I meant!”
Lance pursed his lips, clearly displeased, emphasizing to Misa, “Don’t worry, he can’t beat me.”
Misa: “…”
No, the hero’s reaction seemed wrong.
Misa assumed the hero hadn’t fully understood him and diligently explained, “Sir Lance, I think Samuel would be a very strong teammate.”
Lance snorted.
Misa coughed lightly. “A strong knight would be very beneficial on your difficult journey ahead.”
“Difficult journey?” Lance raised an eyebrow. “What difficulties?”
Misa: “…”
Misa’s smile froze.
He suddenly remembered what Arlo had saidāthat the hero might be hiding his strength, that he might be even stronger than he showed that day.
But from what Misa had seen, the current hero was already very strong.
If he was hiding even more strength, the journey aheadā¦ might indeed present no great difficulties.
But Misa was still persistent.
He thought that even if the hero was incredibly strong, many things on his journey couldn’t be done alone.
The hero couldn’t go it alone; he needed companions.
Misa coughed. “Sir Lance, even if your journey isn’t dangerous, you still need companions.”
Lance: “…”
Misa tried his best to introduce the companions they needed.
“First, you need a horse,” Misa said seriously. “The journey is long, you’ll need a mount.”
Lance frowned. “But strong people ride dragons.”
Misa: “ā¦That depends on whether the dragons are willing!”
Lance: “They’ll be willing.”
Misa: “…”
Misa had a bad feeling looking at Lance’s expression.
He took a breath, decided to skip the topic, and after much thought, said, “At leastā¦ at least someone to carry your luggage.”
Lance: “…”
Lance finally found Misa’s words reasonable.
They would have more and more things to carry, so they needed someone to help carry things and set up camp. Misa was out of the question; he looked incapable, no explanation needed. Arlo could, but he was a healer and a top-notch boxing champion, so he was busy. They shouldn’t give the champion too much work.
That meant they needed at least a strong laborer.
Well, the strong knight Samuel who could knock out Arlo with one punch.
Wasn’t that perfect?
Lance thought for a moment and nodded.
Misa: “…”
Misa felt Lance had thought of something strange.
He felt he’d said something wrong. Samuel wasn’t a porter. He decided to emphasize Samuel’s other qualities as a knight, but he found it hard to describe them. After much thought, he managed one sentence: “Heā¦ he’s a knight of Celestial City, a noble, and other human cities will respect and treat him well.”
Lance: “…”
Misa: “Taking him along will make things easy in any city.”
Lance stroked his chin. “Mmā¦”
Misa: “Sir Lance, think about it, he can connect us with the lords of other cities.”
Lance: “…”
Misa: “He can handle all official matters!”
Lance: “…”
Misa: “This will ensure a smooth journey!”
Lance looked understanding. “Oh, a ticket.”
Misa: “Ah?”
Lance: “That’s useful.”
Misa: “…”
No, what ticket?
That’s not how you’re supposed to use it!
No matter how much Misa emphasized Samuel’s excellent fighting ability, Lance showed no interest.
He disregarded Misa’s description of Samuel’s strength and seemed slightly unhappy with Misa’s excessive praise.
He only seemed to care about Samuel’s other, strange uses. However, he finally agreed to Misa’s suggestion and wanted to bring Samuel along, so Misa thought the result was good, despite the roundabout process.
As for what Lance thought, it wasn’t that important.
Misa believed he could correct him gradually.
They finally waited until nightfall. Samuel and several Celestial City knights were already waiting in the courtyard.
Misa followed Lance, approaching Samuel, who bowed respectfully to Lance, still with a hint of guilt in his tone, saying, “Sir Lance, Emissary Misa, good evening.”
Misa smiled awkwardly at Samuel.
Samuel asked, “Emissary Arloā¦ how is he?”
Misa was about to answer when Lance bowed slightly to Samuel.
“Hello,” Lance said politely. “My ticket.”
Samuel: “…Ah?”
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