Chapter 45: The Hero’s Truth (Part 1)
Misha felt that over the course of the day, Lance must have accumulated a great deal of dissatisfaction toward the farmer and Todd.
Under normal circumstances, he would have gotten angry long ago. Today, however, he had been determined to play the role of a “normal hero,” which led to the baffling series of events that followed.
But now, the clock had struck midnight. Lanceās “One-Day Normal Hero Experience Card” had expired.
Pent-up rage is far more terrifying than immediate anger. Misha was filled with sympathy for the farmer and Todd, and he couldn’t help but thinkāI hope when this is all over, the damage to the farmer and Todd wonāt be too catastrophic.
Misha also realized something else.
Although he always found this Hero annoying, the “pretending-to-be-normal” Hero was actually the weirdest of all.
By comparison, he didn’t like ordinary heroesāor rather, he didn’t like the normal hero Lance pretended to be. That persona was clearly an overly kind doormat. Misha was a Demon King, and Demon Kings didn’t like people like that!
Of course, a human like Lance, who was more like a Demon King than the Demon King himself, was also unacceptable.
That was too scary. Hanging around him meant inevitably getting bullied.
Lance had already stood up and asked, “Was there anything unusual about this ghost you mentioned, before or after it changed?”
Even his tone was completely different from his gentle demeanor just moments ago. The look in his eyes as he regarded the farmer and Todd held none of that tepid kindness. He frowned slightly, his gaze sharp and direct as it rested on the farmer, making the man involuntarily gulp.
“It seems… it seems not,” the farmer said nervously. “Right, there shouldn’t be.”
He felt as if the Hero had become a different person. He even began to wonder if he had found the wrong man; this adventurer, confirmed by the Goddess, didn’t look like someone easily dismissed.
But the farmer’s answer was ambiguous, and Lance was clearly unsatisfied.
“You said it attacked Todd,” Lance asked. “Did its change happen before it attacked Todd, or after?”
The farmer answered cautiously, “The first time it acted strangely was when it injured Todd.”
Lance turned his gaze to Todd. “What did you do?”
Todd scratched his head, thinking hard.
“I…” Todd racked his brains. “I can’t remember.”
Lance: “…”
Lanceās expression was unkind. Misha felt that Lance might be wanting to punch Todd in the face.
Todd was still trying hard to remember.
“I only saw papers all over the floor covered in drawings, and some strange things,” Todd frowned, struggling to describe what he had seen. “And weird balls, uh, just like what they talk about in the Demon God ritualsā”
Lance interrupted him mercilessly. “You know about Demon God rituals?”
Misha couldn’t help but inhale comfortably.
Ah, nice. The familiar Hero who interrupts people is back.
It sounded so much more soothing.
Todd was stunned by Lanceās sudden shift in tone. He gulped nervously again and said cautiously, “I heard about it when I went to the church.”
Lance clicked his tongue softly.
Rarely did he need Todd to elaborate on things heard from the Holy See; he knew exactly what they were.
Anything unreasonable, anything that might shake the authority of the church, was branded as evil related to monsters. And behaviors that the church and ordinary people couldn’t understand were labeled as wicked acts of summoning Archdemons.
Lance could invent dozens of such scenarios with his eyes closed.
Based on their description, he now felt that the so-called ghost probably hadn’t done anything truly heinous. Just like the ongoing hostility between monsters and humans, it was merely a consequence of misunderstanding. The most hateful ones were clearly the “gods” who deliberately guided humans and monsters into conflict.
Since that was the case, he didn’t need to ask any more questions about the specifics.
He would just go and see for himself.
Seeing Lance about to leave, Misha immediately stood up, ready to follow.
But Lance seemed to recall the excessively absurd experiences of the day. He turned back and posed his final question.
“You went to ask for an Oracle,” Lance frowned slightly. “So, did the Goddess tell you to slack off like this so you could find someone else to help?”
The farmer didn’t understand what Lance meant by “slack off.”
He could only answer half of Lance’s question. “The Goddess told us to set up trials so we could identify the true Hero.”
Lance: “Did she come up with the trials for you?”
The farmer: “…Most of them, yes.”
Lance took a deep breath, looking as if he hated that iron wouldn’t become steel.
It was the first time Misha had seen Lance show such a speechless expression. He recalled everything they had been through today, then thought about the “trials” the farmer mentioned, and suddenly understood Lance’s mood perfectly.
“Is your Goddess really okay in the head?” Lance tried his best to calm himself. “Think seriously. Is this method really reliable?”
The farmer: “But… but that was an Oracle…”
“You believe whatever an Oracle says?” Lance raised an eyebrow. “Do you have a brain just to make yourself taller?”
Misha nervously tugged at Lance’s sleeve.
Misha whispered, “Too mean.”
Lance: “…”
Lance softened his tone slightly. “You should at least think.”
Beside them, Todd nodded vigorously, agreeing with Lance’s sentiment.
“That’s right! I also think it’s very unreliable!” Todd said loudly. “That’s why I kept saying, Father, just be yourself!”
Misha: “…”
Lance: “…”
Todd patted his chest proudly. “See, I’ve always been myself.”
Lance: “…”
Misha: “…”
Todd, I beg you, please stop talking.
What do you mean “be yourself”? Didn’t you just sleep under a tree all day today?
Misha stole a glance at Lance and, sure enough, saw Lanceās expression grow a few shades graver. Perhaps in the next moment, he would turn his firepower on Todd.
But Todd didn’t notice anything wrong. He continued happily recounting his own story.
“I’ve always been very firm,” Todd said. “No one has ever been able to change me.”
Lance: “…”
Todd: “Not even Lily, whom I like, can do it!”
Lance: “…”
Lanceās complexion seemed to improve slightly.
Misha breathed a sigh of relief. Although he didn’t know why Lance had suddenly cooled down, it was a good thing. At least tonight, Todd wouldn’t suffer some terrible punishment from Lance.
But in the next moment, Lance nodded along with Todd.
“You’re right,” Lance said. “People shouldn’t change casually.”
Misha: “?”
Is this still the Hero I know?
How could the Hero I know agree with someone who slacks off all day?
“Don’t lose yourself just to please someone you like.” Lance even patted Todd on the shoulder. “This is life advice.”
Misha: “Mm…”
Misha: “Mm?!”
Wait, what on earth is Lance saying?
Don’t… lose yourself to please someone you like?!
Is he talking about how he forcibly suppressed his nature and insisted on pretending to be a normal hero for a day, just to please Misha?
Misha almost immediately focused on the words “someone you like.”
Good.
This detestable Hero.
Misha pouted angrily.
Teasing him on purpose again, right?!
Misha huffed and puffed as he followed behind Lance, heading toward the abandoned cabin on the farm.
It was already past midnight. There were no lights on the road to the abandoned wooden hut. The only source of illumination around them was the small lantern in Lance’s hand.
Although Misha was a Demon King, he had never seen a real ghost. After all, such strange spiritual bodies didn’t exist in the Divine Realm, and the vast family of monsters didn’t include ghosts. During his boring three years in the human world, he had read many strange novels, which meantā
Misha, the World Destroyer, Enemy of the Gods, and cruel, evil Demon King…
Was very afraid of ghosts.
But he was still angry with Lance. He hated Lance. He couldn’t hide behind a human and bring shame to demonkind. So he gathered his courage, held his head high, and took the initiative to walk in front, looking up at the wooden hut behind the dense forest not far away.
Hmm. Pitch-black, swaying trees, a dilapidated little wooden hut.
The eerie cries of unknown birds in the distance.
And the birds and beasts scattering in all directions as Lance passed by.
It perfectly matched the description of a haunted place in those horror stories.
He shivered involuntarily and began to wonder if he should take the initiative to say something to make a brief truce with Lance. Then he could walk a little closer to him, using his great Demon King body to protectāprotect this frail human…
Szzt. A cluster of ghostly green fire lit up beside him.
Misha recoiled in terror, crashing right into Lance’s arms.
Lance: “…”
Misha: “…”
Misha was very embarrassed.
“Too… too sudden,” Misha feigned calm. “Anyone would be scared if something appeared right in front of their eyes.”
Lance: “…”
“That is a will-o’-the-wisp,” Lance emphasized. “Just a will-o’-the-wisp.”
Misha shivered again.
Damn it, of course I know that! Don’t repeat that word!
“It’s light emitted by the spontaneous combustion of phosphorus produced by decaying corpses,” Lance said. “If you like, I can get some for you to play with when we go back.”
Misha: “…”
Huh?
What is he talking about?
Lance paused slightly. He lifted the lantern, and in its light, seeing Misha’s pale face, he finally realized that Misha seemed a bit panicked.
“It’s okay, uh…” Lance awkwardly tried to think of a way to comfort Misha. “Although I wasn’t supposed to believe in ghosts and gods, your world…”
Misha’s voice trembled. “…What?”
Lance: “If everyone turns into a ghost when they die, and he scares you to death, wouldn’t it be awkward for you two to float in the air staring at each other?”
Misha: “…”
Misha was not comforted at all.
He shivered, feeling that the surroundings had become even more terrifying.
“You also have necromancers,” Lance suddenly had another strange idea. “If I summon his skeleton to meet him, who would be more awkward?”
Misha: “Stop talking!”
Lance: “Is his body him, or is his ghost himā”
He stopped mid-sentence and whirled around, coming face-to-face with a pale visage floating in mid-air behind them.
It was a strange figure wrapped in a long robe, drifting lightly, surrounded by wandering green ghost fires. It grinned at Lance and Misha, revealing a smile that no human could possibly achieve.
“Hu… Humans…” Its voice was intermittent, carrying a fear that didn’t belong to this world. “Leave… leave my…”
Misha’s face went white. He stumbled back a few steps, only to have his arm caught by Lance.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Lance said. “He’s no different from Ashby’s astral projection.”
Misha looked up, trembling. “…Huh?”
Lance suddenly raised his sword and sliced the ghost in half at the waist.
“If he can touch things in the human world, it naturally implies one thing,” Lance said calmly. “I can hit him.”
Misha: “…”
No, is this the time to consider that?
The terrifying phantom slowly condensed back into form in mid-air, while Lance raised his sword, shielding Misha behind him, and looked at the ghost again.
His gaze was sharp. In battle, he seemed to become a different person, shedding his usual eccentricity and the annoying habit of saying strange things.
Looking at his back, Misha felt for the first time that this Hero chosen by the gods was a reliable partner, a king worthy of entrusting the world to.
“Nothing to be afraid of,” Lance suddenly said during the interval while the ghost was reforming. “Since we have the chance, let me tell you a truth.”
He slashed the ghost’s waist again, then slowly retracted his sword, earnestly stating the truth he had once realized.
“All fear in this world stems from a lack of firepower,” Lance said. “If I can hit it, I can kill it.”
Misha: “?”
What kind of truth is that?!!
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