Chapter 69: Some Clarifications
Misha was in despair.
He never should have trusted this Hero.
What absolute power? What brilliant strategy? The Hero clearly just wanted to bring the sword back to the Gate, deliberately rub it in the place where the magic was thickest, and then go out and act like a rascal, insisting that the magic on his sword was picked up after dropping it on the ground.
Did this Hero really shatter the Gate?
Did this Hero, who didn’t look like a hero at all, really possess the ability to shatter the Gate?
He didn’t believe it!
Misha tried hard to calm himself down.
He watched the Hero pick up the sword again and drop it a few more times. He even took the sword and stirred it around in the rubble, as if trying to coat it with the attached magic more evenly. Then Lance turned around and asked Misha, “How does your… whatever eye… look now?”
Misha: “…”
Misha was tired; Misha didn’t want to look.
The magic here was so thick it was visible to the naked eye. He didn’t need to open his Demon Eye to know what the Hero’s sword looked like.
Or rather, from the moment the two of them entered the Holy Land and approached the Gate, Lance’s sword would inevitably have been coated with a large amount of magic from the Gate. Once Lance did this, no explanation he gave later would be problematic.
Compared to the clumsy method of simply throwing the sword away, this was certainly a more reasonable and convenient way to cover it up.
Lance had already sheathed his sword, saying, “It seems next time, I can’t use my own sword.”
Misha: “…”
How has the Hero already planned his next bad deed?
Planning it is one thing, but why say it right in front of him?!
“The Divine Realm should be in chaos by now, but this chaos won’t last too long,” Lance said. “It seems time is a bit tight.”
Misha was confused. “Tight?”
“They will definitely find a way to repair the Gate,” Lance sighed. “It requires a huge amount of time and energy, but the Gate isn’t irreparable. If they fix it, I’ll be in trouble.”
Misha: “…”
Is he revealing his future criminal plans to him?
Wait, why is the Hero telling him this?
With one Gate destroyed, the guards at the other Gates would surely become stricter. If Gates were destroyed one after another, it would be practically confirming that the Hero’s target was the Gates. Both humans and the Divine Race would do everything in their power to stop him.
At that point, even if the Hero’s identity wasn’t exposed, his plan would become incredibly difficult. Not to mention the Divine Realm would try to repair the previous Gate. He was essentially fighting the Divine Realm all by himself. Such moth-to-a-flame behavior would definitely not end well.
Misha hesitated, feeling he perhaps should advise the Hero.
Why destroy the Gates?
He thought that even if his views differed from the Divine Race, there was no need to take such extreme actions as he did today.
Misha felt this applied to both the gods and Lance.
He paused, startled to realize that this was the third time today he had doubted the gods. He frowned, wishing he could stuff all those thoughts back into his brain. Panicked, he tried to divert his attention, so he hurriedly asked Lance, “You… what exactly do you want to do?”
“Haven’t you figured it out yet?” Lance answered with a smile. “Destroy all the Gates to Another World, of course.”
Misha: “…”
What he wanted to do was indeed consistent with Misha’s guess.
Lance wanted to destroy all the Gates, which meant completely cutting off the connection between this world and the Divine Realm.
Misha felt a bit weary, but after entering the Holy Land, Lance seemed to answer every question he asked. He was curious about Lance’s reasons, so Misha hesitated slightly before asking, “Why do you want to do this?”
Lance smiled at him. “I said, all information requires an equivalent exchange.”
Misha: “…”
Here we go again.
This annoying Hero is starting again.
Misha looked away and said stiffly, “I don’t want to know now.”
Lance: “You will know eventually.”
Misha: “I’m not interested.”
Lance paused slightly, coughed lightly, and said, “Actually—”
“No need to tell me. I’m just an ‘accomplice’,” Misha interrupted the Hero. “Whatever you want to do has nothing to do with me.”
Lance: “…”
Misha: “You’ve made up your excuse, right? If you have, let’s go back now.”
Lance: “…”
Lance seemed to finally realize—
Misha seemed a little angry.
He carefully recalled his actions just now, then thought about the possible reasons for Misha’s anger. Finally, he sighed deeply, deciding to tell Misha at least part of his thoughts.
Although he wasn’t sure of Misha’s true thoughts, nor could he be certain Misha would agree to his request, he understood that the feeling of being led by the nose probably wasn’t pleasant.
“Of course it has something to do with you,” Lance finally said softly. “I’m telling you these plans because I want to bring you ‘on board’.”
Misha: “…”
Misha turned his head in disbelief, staring at the Hero in shock.
This Hero… does he really know what he’s saying?
Bring him on board? How could he possibly agree!
Before Lance could say another word, Misha couldn’t stop shaking his head.
“Don’t say anymore,” Misha said. “It’s impossible.”
“You are a ‘Demon Lord’,” Lance emphasized the last two words. “Don’t you want to try doing something a real Demon Lord would do?”
Misha: “No!”
He flatly rejected the Hero’s proposal, then, not wanting to hear another word, turned his head in panic and hurried to leave the place.
He couldn’t help but think: they say the God King is omniscient and omnipotent. Then… the Hero having said such blasphemous words to him, the God King must know everything.
He had wavered several times today; he absolutely would not share the blame for this blasphemy with the Hero.
“Maybe you shouldn’t deny it so quickly,” Lance said. “Wait until we get to the Dragon Clan—”
Misha: “I won’t agree then either!”
Lance: “Then… wait until you know the whole truth—”
Misha: “Impossible!”
Lance: “Ah, forget it then.”
Misha: “…”
The Hero giving up so easily didn’t seem like his usual self, which made Misha care a little bit.
And whenever the Hero acted so deliberately out of character, it usually meant… he had just dug a pit and was waiting for someone to jump in.
Misha decided to ignore it.
Lance sighed deeply again.
“What a pity,” Lance said. “I was thinking I should thank you for giving me information about the High Priest.”
Misha: “…”
Wait, thank?
“I said I would exchange equivalently with you,” Lance said leisurely. “I originally wanted to tell you some… news you wanted to know.”
Misha: “…”
No, this must be the Hero’s plot!
He absolutely wouldn’t believe it!
Lance: “But it looks like you don’t want to know.”
Misha: “…”
Lance: “In that case, let’s go back.”
Misha: “…”
Lance: “Mm, on the way back I have to think hard about how to deal with the investigation results. Don’t talk to me.”
Misha: “…”
Lance: “Shall we go?”
Misha: “…”
After saying this, Lance turned around without hesitation and walked quickly in the direction they came from.
Misha: “…”
Misha grabbed Lance’s sleeve.
“I… I really want to know,” Misha whispered. “Can you answer my question?”
Misha finally understood one thing.
There were many disputes within the Divine Realm, divided into countless factions. One faction always opposed humans gaining knowledge, advocating that the Divine Race should be prohibited from teaching any knowledge to humans. They believed that knowledge was the source of human greed; if they knew too much, they would crave more, eventually stepping onto an irreversible path of sin.
Back then, Misha didn’t understand. How could knowledge be a sin?
Now Misha understood.
At this moment, for him, his curiosity was his sin against the gods.
But Lance said he would clarify things for him! Even answering just one question counts as answering!
No, he was really curious; he had to know!
Misha seriously posed his question to the Hero, asking, “Is any question okay?”
Lance: “Partially.”
Misha: “…”
Misha frowned in disappointment, beginning to reflect on his excessive curiosity.
If not just any question could be asked, he might as well know nothing. Before he thoroughly betrayed the will of the gods, he should try harder to steer himself back to the right path!
“Some things, without evidence, even if I told you, you wouldn’t believe me,” Lance looked seriously into his eyes. “I hope to tell you those questions voluntarily when the time comes.”
Misha: “…”
Lance’s expression was serious; he didn’t seem to be joking. But even such a strange Hero had moments of serious conversation. Misha looked at him, hesitating whether to trust the Hero one more time, and probed, “Then… can I ask you a few questions first? If you can’t answer, can I ask other questions?”
Lance: “Of course.”
Misha thought seriously for a moment, recalling what Arlo had told him—that ordinary people could hardly possess the power to destroy the Gate, leading Arlo to suspect that the one who destroyed the Gate might be a god who had defected from the Divine Realm.
But this was obviously just Arlo’s suspicion.
He couldn’t even imagine if such a god existed, nor could he think of a god who might hold a grudge against the Divine Realm. Misha felt he could get the answer directly from Lance regarding all these doubts.
Asking such an odd question abruptly made Misha feel a bit weird. He hemmed and hawed, cleared his throat, and then asked, “Um… you… you aren’t a god, are you?”
Lance: “…”
Lance never expected Misha’s first question to be so strange.
He was stunned for a long while before he couldn’t help but laugh, saying, “I should admire your imagination.”
Misha: “…”
Good. It seems the Hero has nothing to do with the gods.
Not only no connection, but the Hero also wanted to mock him.
Damn it.
“I did go to the Divine Realm, but that was an accident,” Lance said. “Your gods were very unhappy, but they still couldn’t stop me from leaving the Divine Realm.”
Misha: “…”
He felt that the Hero had casually mentioned something incredibly impressive.
“I’m just an ordinary human,” Lance emphasized again. “I have nothing to do with gods.”
Misha thought about the myths created by humans he had heard and couldn’t help asking, “Then… no connection with the soul either?”
Lance: “…No.”
Misha: “No connection in a past life?”
Lance: “Strictly speaking, I don’t really believe in reincarnation.”
Misha: “How can a human be this strong!”
Lance paused slightly upon hearing his praise: “With diligent practice…”
Misha couldn’t help asking again: “And you haven’t received the gods’ blessings?”
Lance: “…”
He seemed to sigh, appearing slightly helpless and troubled, saying, “Actually, I don’t really believe in gods.”
Misha nodded: “I already knew that.”
More than just not believing, the Hero was practically a heretic.
“You may not have fully understood what I meant,” Lance smiled. “Strictly speaking, I am an atheist.”
Misha: “…”
Misha’s eyes widened slightly. He repeated the strange term after the Hero but remained extremely puzzled. He frowned and asked, “A… what?”
He didn’t understand.
The gods clearly existed, and the Divine Realm was definitely there. Under these circumstances, saying Lance didn’t worship the gods might be understandable, but he didn’t understand what Lance said afterwards.
Misha felt he had many ways to refute Lance, but then felt Lance’s idea was so absurd that there seemed no need to refute it.
He frowned and thought for a while, his mind in a mess. In the end, he just mumbled, “But the God King—”
“I told you, he’s a liar,” Lance said. “This is a scam.”
Misha scratched his head.
He couldn’t figure out what the “liar” and “scam” the Hero repeatedly emphasized were all about. Anyway, at this point, he couldn’t be bothered to warn the Hero not to speak blasphemy to avoid being discovered by the omniscient and omnipotent God King. After all, the Hero had even dismantled the Gate, and the God King hadn’t sent down divine punishment yet. So it seemed… the Hero cursing him a few times shouldn’t be a problem.
Misha sighed deeply.
This is terrible.
Staying with the Hero for too long, his thinking seemed to be gradually assimilating with the Hero’s.
Since that was the case, or rather, since it was already like this.
Misha asked curiously, “Then… what is the scam about?”
Lance: “…”
He fell silent for a moment, seeming to consider whether he should tell Misha everything now. But he didn’t have any evidence yet, and what he wanted to say was too outrageous; he didn’t think Misha would believe him based on just a few words.
But once they reached the Dragon Clan and went to the place Zebulun mentioned where the barrier was thinnest, he might have a chance to convince Misha.
Lance could only answer, “I can’t tell you yet.”
Misha: “…”
Misha knew it would end like this.
Lance coughed lightly again: “You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you now.”
Misha: “…”
Lance: “I’ll tell you after we get to the Dragon Clan.”
Misha: “…”
Hmph, this annoying dog Hero!!!
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