Chapter 85.2 – A Passion for Candor
The Archon’s NPC mode finally deactivated. He said to them politely: “Lord Inspectors, I humbly request your attendance at a welcome banquet that has been prepared for you.”

Du Ze thought that it would just be a small luncheon. He hadn’t expected the Archon to hold such a lavish banquet. In a garden the size of four football fields, tables were filled with delicious food that had beautiful purple and red plants as decorations. At the banquet, all of the food was placed on the tables while gorgeously dressed people traveled between the table. A fountain of wine made a colorful splash and the whole place had an atmosphere of extravagance and luxury.

Despite the crowd, Du Ze could easily pick out the governor from among the people surrounding him since the light he emitted announced his presence to all.

A lot of people were looking at Xiu and Eric with eager, admiring eyes. Soon, a brave fellow took the lead in approaching them. That was the beginning. More and more people were attracted to the two, like tiny iron pieces attracted by a magnet. A steady stream of people flowed towards them. Eric was soon surrounded by a crowd. Many people also wanted to get close to Xiu but Old John, with a refined and gentlemanly air, very gently struck the ground in front of Xiu, creating a 10-meter deep hole. After that, no one dared try to touch Xiu anymore.

The two enjoyed a quiet lunch as Old John went to the tables to fetch them food. Du Ze stared at the mechanical puppet who smiled as he walked towards them with two plates in his hands, four plates on his arms, two plates on his shoulders, and a plate on his head. Du Ze and Xiu’s digestive abilities were far behind Old John’s supply speed. A silly, cute person attempted to eat ten plates and was soundly defeated in battle.

“How about something to drink to aid digestion?” Xiu suggested.

Old John was as fast to supply them with drink as he had been to supply them with food. He brought back not just a large amount of drinks but also a rich variety of them. Du Ze looked at the variously colored goblets. His eyes were confused by all the choices. Xiu stretched out his hand, picked up a goblet filled with a pale liquid, and offered it to Du Ze.

“I remember that you liked the taste of this.”

Du Ze automatically took the goblet. He smelled a faint fruity bouquet that seemed familiar but gave him a strange feeling.

“This is a fruit wine.” Old John laughed and went on to explain like a teacher expounding on a popular science topic: “Its production process is simple, the flavor is mellow, and when one drinks it, one feels very warm. Because of this, mercenary soldiers like this drink a lot.”

Du Ze finally remembered when he had drunk this wine. When they climbed up Snow Mountain, Eddie gave him this wine. Du Ze drank a mouthful from the goblet. The familiar fruity fragrance filled his mouth and the warmth of the wine flowed down his throat, making him want to drink another mouthful.

A few more mouthfuls and he could already see the bottom of the goblet. Du Ze put down the empty cup and a new one appeared in front of him.

“There’s a lot more here.” Xiu made an effort to persuade him.

Du Ze stared at the corners of Xiu’s mouth that were turned up at an angle. He didn’t know why but he felt an inexplicable sense of oncoming danger. A silly, cute person cautiously asked: “You aren’t going to drink?”

“I’ll drink.” Xiu gave the goblet to Du Ze and he also picked up a cup of fruit wine for himself.

When he saw what was happening, Old John seemed to want to say something but stopped himself: “Little Master, drinking will lead to…”

Before Old John finished speaking, Xiu had already drunk the fruit wine. He hadn’t put down the cup yet when he fell down.

“Bang.”

The goblet fell to the ground and made a clear sound. The Moe Lord was lying in Du Ze arms, his body limp, seemingly unconscious. The gnome’s long, curly eyelashes quivered with his every breath and his flaxen hair had slipped down his face. His tender, white face was faintly flushed. It’s enough to make people think criminal thoughts.

“Ah, I thought it would be like this.” Old John shook his head helplessly, with a kind of rueful “boys will be boys” expression on his face. He said, smiling: “The Little Masters have never had a good tolerance for strong alcohol.”

Du Ze, holding Xiu who had keeled over from just one drink, was shaken by this unexpected attack on his world view.

WTF! This is not scientific! No matter which fantasy novel it is, the gnomes and dwarves have always loved to drink! They are the type that will say “Give me wine and I’ll drink with you.” How come a gnome drank a cup then keeled over? How could it turn out like this?!

Old John saw Du Ze’s doubtful look and explained: “Alcohol affects the nerves and the gnomes manufacture machinery that demands the utmost precision, therefore the little masters do not drink.”

… This trait is just as powerful as the racial talent. Du Ze looked at Xiu lying in his arms. The Moe Lord is certainly not the type of person who doesn’t drink. This means that the reason why he fell down limp and unconscious after one drink is because of his gnome body.

Since the Moe Lord was in this state, they could not stay at the banquet. Old John sent away the alarmed Archon and the other NPCs. Du Ze lifted Xiu and followed their attendants out of the banquet area. They arrived at the double bedroom suite and Du Ze was just putting the sleeping gnome on the soft bed in the left bedroom when he heard someone calling him.

“God’s Messenger.” Eric’s voice came from behind Du Ze.

Du Ze turned back and saw the blond son of god standing at the door, smiling brightly at him.

When your friend’s rival calls you, what will you do?

A, ignore him.

B, talk to him.

Faced with these two options, a silly, cute person gave up treatment and chose B.

“You left your book behind.” In Eric’s hands, a little yellow (hardcore) book shone brightly.

[System: Player, you can either drop the doujinshi, your moral integrity, or soap ~ please choose.]

A silly, cute person’s mind was suddenly flooded with images like a flashback – he went to the banquet and ate, sitting on the doujinshi, then later a bunch of stuff happened that made him forget about the existence of that little demon!

But what happened? Why did the rival pick it up and …

Eric came forward and handed the doujinshi to Du Ze. As he passed it over, Eric involuntarily glanced at the book’s cover and started slightly. His neck turned red as though he had remembered something.

When Du Ze looked at him, the son of the lord was looking straight ahead, avoiding his eyes for the first time.

Du Ze …Du Ze no longer wondered what his image was in Eric’s heart. It was time to throw away one’s broken moral integrity: What’s wrong with a male pervert?

Doujinshi: This child can be taught.

Seeing Du Ze calmly (so Eric thinks) accept the doujinshi, Eric also quickly regained his composure. Although he was still a little red, he was now able to look at Du Ze again with the usual firm manner, full of undisguised joy and reverence.

“I can finally talk to you.” Eric smiled sunnily. He glanced at the unconscious Xiu on the bed. “When he’s awake, I can’t talk to God’s Messenger.”

Du Ze silently gave the son of god 32 likes.1 Even though Eric knew that Du Ze was equipped with a little yellow (yaoi) doujinshi, incredibly Eric still insisted that Du Ze was their savior.

Du Ze thought about asking Eric for information. After all, it was the son of god who identified Du Ze as the God’s Messenger and brought him to the Temple of Light to see the god of light.

“God’s Messenger, why are you with him?” Eric’s voice was very soft as though he feared to offend Du Ze or wake up Xiu. “Why not destroy this heretic?”

“He is not a heretic!”

This was the first time that Du Ze had so loudly disagreed with someone. His voice echoed loudly in that space, like a ripple that spread out in the water. Not only Eric but even Du Ze was stunned by his own vehemence.

“… God’s Messenger, my God has told me everything. He is indeed a heretic.” Eric’s tone became solemn. “The merging of the Chaos Continent and its reverse side, the merging of the Divine and Mortal realms, and the present chaotic state of the continent is because of his existence.”

The merging of the two sides of the Chaos Continent is clearly Xiu’s masterpiece – well, in the original “Mixed Blood” plot, Xiu’s masterpiece made sense. As for the God and Mortal realms merging also being Xiu’s fault, Du Ze thought that was nonsense. The god of light was probably the culprit but put the blame on the Moe Lord’s shoulders?!

“That isn’t even the most important point. The most terrible thing about the heretic is this: that man will destroy the Chaos Continent!” Eric gazed at Du Ze, not missing even the slightest movement of the black-haired youth. “God’s Messenger, you know that, right …?”

Of course he knew that! Whether it was Yi Ye Zhi Qiu’s novel or the Time Corridor, they both plainly showed him that destined, doomed ending, but-

“So what.”

“God’s Messen- … My lord……?”

An expression of disbelief flashed through Eric’s face. It seemed impossible that the God’s Messenger he admired would say that. Du Ze did not see the shock on Eric’s face because he was gazing at Eric’s blond hair, a color without darkness that always gives one a good impression.

He knows a person who has been betrayed countless times and betrayed other people countless times, suffering countless rejections. Even the value of his very existence was denied by everyone,

[When you die, everyone will be happy.]

So that pitiful person did not know who he was. He fell apart and his existence became that of absolute loneliness. Because he had no sense of self or of being alive, that person treated everyone – including himself – as an abstract concept, instead of as a real person.

[But he was unhappy. So, to make him happy, everybody should die, hmm.]

That was the protagonist of “Mixed Blood.”

“If he tries to destroy the world, I will stop him,” said Du Ze. Eric’s eyes lit up but he didn’t even have time to rejoice before the black-haired youth with an impassive face said coldly: “You choose to kill, I choose to save, that’s all.”

Du Ze’s eyes were obviously clear and cold and did not contain any hidden meaning but Eric felt as though his heart was suddenly fiercely grabbed. Eric didn’t know whether this pain was anger or shame.

—— Redeeming sinners, spreading faith, and returning the fallen to the the light, isn’t this what the Temple of Light was supposed to do?

That person he had been looking for is so sarcastic.

********

Translator’s Notes:

I’m not happy with that last line. It’s 那个人是如此嘲讽着. The 那个人 parts means “lit. that person; fig. the person you have been looking for; Mr Right; the girl of one’s dreams.” The final part 嘲讽 means “to sneer at; to ridicule; to taunt.” But what is important is the meaning, right? Instead of a literal translation, perhaps it would be better to make it more readable. The problem is that the narration keeps changing POV, lol. I’m not sure if this is Eric thinking of Du Ze or Du Ze thinking about Xiu. It’s probably meant to be ambiguous so I just kept it like that.
I didn’t put a footnote for the “give up treatment” thing since I hope readers remember what it means from the previous use.
Here is an image that uses the 32 likes meme.