Chapter 56: Elven Industry
Misha was also shocked.
“I… just realized? Eh?” Misha opened his eyes wide in disbelief. “Didn’t he… only have these thoughts recently?”
Arlo couldn’t help taking a deep breath.
What do you mean “only now”?
Hasn’t this Hero had these strange thoughts from the very beginning?
Arlo remembered it clearly. He had slept in the Divine Tower for three years, finally waiting for the Savior Hero. Before he could fully open his eyes, Lance grabbed Misha and left.
Not only that, but the initial Lance didn’t believe Arlo was a Divine Envoy; he only liked and trusted Misha. Not to mention later, when Misha jumped into the volcano, risking his life to save Lance.
Arlo put himself in Lance’s shoes. If he were Lance, he would naturally fall for Misha immediately too.
At first, it might have just been the budding of affection, but their time together had gradually turned that affection into ambiguity. Lance was very obvious about it; he never thought to hide it. From start to finish, Misha was probably the only one who hadn’t realized it.
Misha didn’t believe it.
He only felt the Hero’s affection in the last few days. Before that, Lance treated him just like everyone else—ignoring him. How could that be liking him? In the Hero’s heart, there should only be making money!
Arlo sighed deeply.
He turned around and waved toward Samuel and Lance. This action startled Misha, who thought Arlo was going to call Lance over to confirm the matter personally.
Misha shrank behind Arlo, but Arlo just cleared his throat and said, “Samuel, come here a moment.”
Samuel listened to Arlo very well.
Ever since he accidentally injured Arlo, he had been almost obedient to him. He came over immediately, stood beside them, and asked curiously, “What is it, Divine Envoy Arlo?”
Arlo looked serious. “The question I’m about to ask you, you absolutely cannot repeat to anyone.”
Samuel promised earnestly, “Please rest assured. Gossip is a sin forbidden by God.”
Arlo nodded in satisfaction. “Good. Then keep your voice down.”
Samuel immediately lowered his voice, responding in a near-whisper, “Ask away, Divine Envoy Arlo.”
Misha: “…”
Misha felt this was very weird.
He didn’t know what Arlo wanted to ask Samuel, but his intuition told him it wouldn’t be a good question.
Sure enough, Arlo cleared his throat and asked, “Samuel, what do you think is the relationship between Lance and Misha?”
Misha: “…”
Huh? Asking this isn’t appropriate!
But Samuel didn’t think there was any problem.
He answered sincerely, “It’s the relationship between a Hero and a Divine Envoy.”
Misha: “…Right! Isn’t that just a normal, ordinary relationship!”
Arlo asked again, “Then what about me and the Hero?”
Samuel paused, stunned, and said, “Uh… a slightly more ordinary Hero and Divine Envoy relationship.”
Misha: “…”
There are so many types of Hero and Divine Envoy relationships?
Arlo and Lance are a “slightly more ordinary” relationship, so what about him? Is his a “slightly more complex” Hero and Divine Envoy relationship?
Arlo seemed satisfied with the answer.
He turned to Misha and asked, “Do you understand now?”
Misha: “…I don’t understand.”
Just Divine Envoys. How could they make it sound so complicated?
Arlo sighed, feeling like iron that wouldn’t become steel. He turned back to Samuel and asked more bluntly, “Samuel, what kind of feelings do you think Lance holds for Misha?”
Samuel answered without hesitation, “Lord Lance likes Divine Envoy Misha very much.”
Misha: “…”
Misha’s face flushed slightly.
Arlo asked again, “What kind of like is it?”
Samuel: “The kind a Hero has for a Divine Envoy.”
Arlo turned to look at Misha again.
He thought Misha should have some reaction this time, but Misha still looked confused and said softly, “Isn’t that just friendship?”
Arlo: “…”
Samuel: “…”
“It’s normal that I didn’t see it,” Misha nodded affirmatively. “No one else noticed either.”
Arlo: “…”
Samuel: “…”
Arlo didn’t know what else to say.
He thought, Misha is still a rookie Demon Lord. He certainly doesn’t know much about the Divine Envoy curriculum. It’s perfectly normal for him not to know about the special relationship between Divine Envoys and Heroes.
He really wanted to talk to Misha about this carefully, giving him a few examples. But he didn’t know this world well, and Samuel was here, so he couldn’t rashly bring up examples from other worlds. He could only look at Samuel and hint vaguely.
Samuel didn’t let Arlo down.
“Not friends,” Samuel said, confused. “Don’t most Divine Envoys develop romantic relationships with Heroes?”
Misha: “…”
Misha: “Ah?!”
Wait! What kind of relationship is that?!
Isn’t it said that most Heroes marry princesses? What’s this about Divine Envoys?
“Legendary Heroes either marry the princess or end up with their Divine Envoy,” Samuel nodded seriously. “It’s just that for some reason… Divine Envoys seem to die rather young.”
Misha: “…”
Samuel paused, slightly nervous, and said, “Divine Envoy Misha, I didn’t mean to curse you.”
Misha: “…”
Misha didn’t mind Samuel saying that.
He just understood the implication of Samuel’s words.
Like being a Demon Lord, being a Divine Envoy was just a job. Did the so-called “dying early” happen because their romance with the mission target was exposed, leading the Divine Realm to recall them?
But thinking carefully, he inexplicably felt Samuel made some sense.
Divine Envoys were different from Demon Lords. Divine Envoys accompanied the Hero from morning till night, experiencing countless hardships together to save the world. Under such circumstances, it would be strange if feelings didn’t develop between them.
So, in Samuel’s eyes, he and Lance… were in that kind of Hero-Envoy relationship?
Samuel added, “Divine Envoy Misha is so cute. If I were the Hero, I think I would like you too.”
Misha: “…”
Samuel scratched his head again. “It’s so nice. I can see that between you and the Hero—”
Misha interrupted him hurriedly, “There is no such thing!”
Samuel: “…”
Misha: “There is nothing between him and me!”
Samuel: “…”
Misha: “I don’t like him at all!”
Samuel: “…”
Samuel turned his head to look at Arlo, a trace of doubt in his eyes, as if he couldn’t figure out where his judgment had gone wrong.
Samuel asked doubtfully, “Did Divine Envoy Misha… have a fight with Lord Lance?”
Misha: “…”
Arlo coughed, waved his hand at Samuel, and said, “It’s okay. You can go back now.”
Samuel left.
Misha covered his face, feeling his worldview shattered repeatedly in such a short time. He had learned so many important things that his mind was in chaos. He couldn’t return to normal for a while.
Arlo turned back and sighed at Misha.
“I understand. This really isn’t a good thing.” Arlo thought for a moment and emphasized, “Even if you were really a Divine Envoy, this wouldn’t be a good thing.”
Misha: “…”
Right. The Divine Realm didn’t support or encourage this kind of workplace romance, let alone the fact that he wasn’t a Divine Envoy at all, but the Hero’s mortal enemy, the Demon Lord.
Of course Arlo couldn’t help worrying.
Misha had to tell Arlo his original plan.
Once they went to the human Kingdom’s capital, as soon as a fight broke out between the Hero and the Black Dragon Gilry, he would immediately take advantage of the chaos to “go missing” and return to the Demon Lord’s Castle. He absolutely would not stay by the Hero’s side.
He would cut everything off at the source, leaving the Hero no chance to let his imagination run wild.
But Arlo was clearly concerned about another part of Misha’s statement.
“A fight between the Hero and the Black Dragon?” Arlo frowned. “Can that thing… last even a minute?”
Misha: “…”
Arlo: “In such a short time, you probably won’t be able to run away, right?”
Misha: “…”
Arlo: “How about to be safe, we think of another way?”
Misha: “…”
Based on Misha’s trust in the Black Dragon’s combat power, he felt there was no need to think of other ways.
It wasn’t a question of combat power. Mainly, the Black Dragon’s dragon form was really, really big. The trouble brought by a giant dragon definitely couldn’t be solved within a minute.
Arlo was very worried.
“An ordinary person might not be able to,” Arlo whispered. “But Lance… I feel he definitely can.”
Misha: “…”
Misha walked back with Arlo.
If they were gone too long, they worried Lance would think things were strange. Fortunately, Lance just looked at them without asking anything and said, “Let’s rest here for the night.”
Earlier in the sanctuary, Lance had been anxious to go to the Royal Capital to expose the Black Dragon’s conspiracy. Arlo naturally found it strange and subconsciously said, “The teleportation circle is very convenient—”
Lance: “Misha still doesn’t seem very comfortable.”
Misha, whose face looked bad because he had learned too much at once: “…”
Arlo coughed, naturally understanding Lance’s meaning.
Lance tilted his head slightly, looking at the obviously overly quiet elven town behind him.
Lance: “I’m quite curious about the elves too.”
Misha: “…”
No, don’t go persecuting the elves anymore!!!
Since the Elf Priest hadn’t left yet, after Lance said this, he looked at the Priest and asked, “We. Stay.”
The Elf Priest nodded slowly.
Lance: “You answer questions.”
The Elf Priest nodded again.
Lance was very satisfied.
He decided to start asking about the elves’ livelihood.
This time, his sentences were finally longer, not just curt words, but they were still very direct and lacked politeness.
Lance: “What is your town’s main industry?”
The Elf Priest was stunned. “…Industry?”
Lance: “I didn’t see any farmland.”
Elf Priest: “Mm… don’t farm.”
Lance: “Hunting?”
Elf Priest shook his head.
Lance: “…Husbandry?”
Elf Priest shook his head again.
Lance frowned, looking at the Tree of Life in the distance, and a strange idea formed in his mind.
Lance raised his hand and pointed at the Tree of Life.
The Elf Priest finally nodded.
Lance: “…Rely on guarding the Holy Land?”
Elf Priest: “Rely on Church.”
Lance: “…”
Elf Priest: “We, guard. They, give money.”
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