Chapter 64: Makeup Update!
Misha was terrified.
In that instant, countless thoughts drifted through his mind. By the end, he had even mapped out a potential escape route.
If the human High Priest could identify the culprit just by casually glancing at the Gate to Another World, then Lance… wouldn’t he be exposed for sure?
And if Lance was exposed, wouldn’t Misha be treated as an accomplice and dragged down with him?!
So… should he deny everything to the death and insist he knew nothing of what Lance had done? Or should he grab Lance right now and make a run for it?
Misha swallowed nervously, his throat tight. He even started to spiral, worrying that Samuel taking him to see the Knight Captain and the High Priest might be some trap set by the Knight Captain to entrap an accomplice.
Misha asked, “The Knight Captain… is your brother…”
“Oh! He’s very curious about the Hero who has two Divine Envoys!” Samuel replied enthusiastically.
Misha: “…”
He frowned, wondering if that was just a casual excuse the Knight Captain had made up.
“He’s also very curious about the two Divine Envoys,” Samuel added.
Misha: “But…”
“Please hurry and get changed!” Samuel flashed a brilliant smile at Misha. “Divine Envoy Misha, I’ll be waiting for you outside the door!”
Misha: “…”
Misha had no choice.
It was all just speculation anyway. Maybe the Knight Captain simply wanted to meet them?
He changed into his outdoor clothes. Having left in a hurry, he hadn’t brought many outfits, and he certainly didn’t have any formal wear like Samuel had suggested. He had originally been holding Lance’s sword, but the thought of the High Priest possessing some “Art of Insight” made him terrified to bring it along.
Misha wished he could stuff Lance’s sword into the most hidden corner of the room. He even piled a bunch of junk on top of it for good measure. Only then did he feel slightly more at ease. Nervous and apprehensive, he opened the door, ready to leave with Samuel.
The knights outside seemed to know Samuel’s identity. As Misha walked alongside Samuel, he received the gaze of countless knights. Some even took the initiative to greet them, which only made him more nervous.
He had assumed Samuel would take him to a house within the Elven town, but to his surprise, Samuel led him straight out of the town, heading north.
Even outside the town, Misha could still see the Church’s knights along the road.
They seemed to have set up camp outside the town. For a moment, Misha couldn’t even estimate how many people they had brought. It seemed the Church viewed this matter with extreme gravity, far exceeding Misha’s expectations.
They walked to the other end of the camp where there was a clearing. From a distance, Misha spotted Lance in the crowd. The Hero’s appearance was too striking; it was hard not to notice him.
Lance hadn’t been arrested, and it didn’t look like anyone suspected him of being the culprit. People were gathered around him, seemingly listening to someone speak, while the Hero…
The Hero was zoning out.
He was zoning out so obviously, without the slightest attempt to hide it. He simply stared blankly into mid-air, his gaze unwavering regardless of the reactions around him.
Misha breathed a sigh of relief first, thankful that the people from the Church hadn’t discovered the Hero’s true nature yet. Then, he couldn’t help but follow the Hero’s gaze, looking up into the sky, curious about what the Hero was staring at so intently.
Suddenly, he saw a black shadow in the sky diving rapidly toward the clearing in the camp. It startled Misha so much that he couldn’t help but gasp in a hushed voice, “What is th—”
He choked back the rest of his words.
The thing was moving too fast, so Misha hadn’t seen it clearly at first. But as it neared the ground, it suddenly slowed, landing lightly. It lowered its wings and neck submissively, allowing the person on its back to dismount.
Misha: “…”
Misha was stunned.
That was… a dragon?
Its near-perfect golden scales glittered in the sunlight. Its elegant neck curve, its slender form—everything about it was different from the black dragons Misha had seen.
Misha didn’t understand.
Why were human dragons golden and so beautiful, while their monster dragons only had pitch-black, rough scales and massive, brutish bodies?
Misha admitted it. He was a little jealous.
What Lance was staring at, of course, was this beautiful dragon.
Misha noticed Lance’s gaze pause for a moment. He couldn’t help but recall what Lance had once told him—Lance seemed… to really want a dragon as a mount.
The Hero’s overly unconventional thoughts had caused Misha a lot of confusion in the past. But seeing the look in the Hero’s eyes now, Misha understood instantly: The Hero was coveting that dragon.
Not only that, but he looked as if he couldn’t resist asking the Dragon Knight where he had bought such a beautiful dragon.
Misha sucked in a breath. Before the Hero could do anything outrageous, he hurriedly ran over.
Samuel quickly followed in Misha’s footsteps, whispering urgently in his ear, “Divine Envoy Misha, that’s my brother.”
Misha: “…”
Only then did Misha realize that the person Samuel was pointing to was the knight who had just dismounted from the dragon.
He was also wearing armor, but his looked lighter. At that moment, he was raising his hand to remove his helmet.
He looked to be under thirty, with hair and eye color nearly identical to Samuel’s. Their features were sixty or seventy percent similar, though he looked more solemn and upright. Judging solely by appearance, he looked much more reliable than Samuel.
His gaze rested on Misha and Samuel as they hurried over. With a smile in his eyes, he said to Lance, “It seems your Divine Envoy has arrived.”
Lance stared at his dragon.
Then he turned his head, smiled at the rushing Misha, and said, “You must be Divine Envoy Misha. Samuel has mentioned me to you.”
Lance continued to stare at his dragon.
“I am Ismael,” the man said. “Captain of the Royal Capital Knight Order.”
Lance still stared at his dragon.
Misha: “…”
Hero! Stop looking!
That gaze is too direct! Even Misha felt scared watching it!
Samuel couldn’t wait to introduce Misha and Ismael to each other. Suddenly, a soft golden light radiated from the beautiful golden dragon behind Ismael. A moment later, its body seemed to shrink in an instant, transforming into a young man in his twenties standing silently beside Ismael.
Misha had to admit, the human form of this golden dragon was also quite beautiful. He couldn’t help but take a few more glances.
Then, in the next moment, he saw the Hero look away in utter disappointment.
Misha: “…”
He understood.
The Hero only liked dragons.
As for the human the dragon turned into…
They couldn’t fly, and they couldn’t be ridden. What was the use?
Misha took a deep breath, looking cautiously at Ismael and the beautiful dragonkin before him, terrified that the Hero’s overly direct gaze might have disgusted them.
Fortunately, Ismael hadn’t discovered the Hero’s ugly true colors yet. He simply wore that humble and polite smile as he introduced the dragonkin to Lance and Misha. “This is my bonded dragon, Sylvia.”
The dragonkin bowed slightly, greeting them.
Misha hurriedly returned the bow, turning his head to search for Arlo.
He didn’t see Arlo, but Ismael was already preparing to discuss business.
“I’m afraid it will take some time for the High Priest to arrive,” he sighed. “He is still attempting to receive a revelation from Goddess Ginises.”
Misha froze. “Attempting?”
Ismael smiled bitterly. “Since last night, the High Priest hasn’t been able to hear the Goddess’s words.”
Misha was stunned and somewhat surprised.
He remembered what Arlo had said—the destruction of the Gate to Another World would affect their connection to the Divine Realm. But Arlo had also said that the destruction of the Gate would likely only affect the immediate vicinity. The Royal Capital was far away; could it be that even the Capital was affected by the Gate’s destruction?
“Only this morning did the High Priest finally receive a sliver of a revelation,” Ismael sighed softly. “But the message was intermittent, only a few words. It’s difficult for us to discern the Goddess’s meaning.”
Misha: “…”
Although he didn’t fully understand what was happening, Misha could make some rough assumptions.
The Gate to Another World was destroyed, completely severing the connection to the Divine Realm in the nearby area. Areas further away were also rippled with the aftereffects.
But this influence would gradually recover with the passage of time. As long as the High Priest waited a bit longer in the sanctuary, he should be able to hear Ginises’s oracle.
It was precisely because of this that the matter was so terrifying to the Church. They had dispatched so many knights here to investigate the matter thoroughly.
Misha couldn’t help but cast a glance of admiration at Lance.
Looking at it this way, Lance had really done something incredible.
Although it wasn’t a good thing, the fact that he alone had caused such a tremor through the entire Church and the Divine Realm… was actually kind of impressive.
Misha shook his head, trying to shake this strange thought out of his brain.
“Without the permission of the Goddess and the High Priest, we cannot enter the Holy Land at will.” Ismael sighed helplessly again. He clearly didn’t agree with this protocol, but he had no choice. “I could only take a rough look from the air earlier.”
Misha: “…”
So he had flown up on the dragon just to check the damage to the Gate.
Ismael remained worried. “The Gate to Another World is severely damaged. Or rather, it has been almost completely destroyed from the base.”
Guilty, Misha nodded. “How terrible.”
Ismael: “I was worried that if we went in too late, some clues might disappear.”
Misha: “Mmh…”
For some reason, he had a bad premonition.
Ismael: “God bless us. It is fortunate that you, Lord Lance, are nearby.”
Misha: “…”
Wait, Ismael doesn’t want the Hero to go into the Holy Land to investigate, does he?
Let the culprit who committed the crime investigate his own crime?
Let’s not do that!!!
But Misha didn’t have a proper excuse to stop it. He hesitated, his feelings complicated, watching as Ismael prepared to voice his request.
Lance suddenly spoke, saying solemnly, “Since the Church is going to investigate, then this matter shouldn’t have anything to do with us anymore, right?”
Misha: “…”
Ismael: “…”
Lance: “So, can we leave?”
Ismael: “Uh…”
Misha glared furiously at Lance.
What do you mean “nothing to do with us”?
What do you mean “can we leave”?
Isn’t this all your fault!
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