Chapter 45.1 The Reader and Protagonist Definitely Have to Be in True Love

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(Translation Note: I’m honestly not sure whether Eric should be called “son of god” or “son of the lord.” The literal translation is actually “son of god” but historically it was has also been used for the son of the Emperor. So the meaning could be more like “the son of the ruler/lord.” I’ve decided to use both terms interchangeably.)

Chapter 45.1 – Reader: Selling out teammates.

“Do you know the Starlight troupe? It’s the most famous acting troupe in the Chaos Continent. They are now looking for an actor to be their leading man. I think you are very suitable – you are very good-looking. If you are willing to play the lead role, the payment is very good. Will you consider it?”

Enoch didn’t wilt under Xiu’s ice-cold gaze. The thief’s temperament had always been impulsive, and he was the type of person who easily warms up to strangers.¹ When he first caught a glimpse of the silver-haired elf, Enoch was convinced that no creature could be more like Cecil than the elf – Cecil, who was the most beautiful person in the world.

So Enoch left his companion and rushed off right away to accost the elf. Now Enoch was feeling a bit depressed. It’s true that his request was a abrupt, but isn’t the elf’s cold face giving off a murderous feeling?

A feeling that danger was near …

The short-haired thief subconsciously tensed his body and his professional instincts made him start to look for an escape route. As his eyes swept his surroundings, he saw Du Ze. Enoch stopped and stared at Du Ze. His attention had been attracted by the silver-haired elf and he hadn’t noticed that he had a companion, and that companion is –

“It’s you?!” Enoch pointed at Du Ze and shouted: “Where were you taken to? Eric has been looking for you!”

Eh, the rival is looking for this young man?!

Du Ze did not have much time to think before Xiu acted. With a new grudge added to the old one, Xiu swiftly moved to Enoch. The speed of an Archer Saint² is not something Enoch can match. Xiu grabbed the surprised thief’s face, then paused. His head jerked up just in time to see Enoch jumping on a roof while carrying Du Ze. The Enoch beside Xiu began to flicker before disappearing. It was only an illusion that Enoch produced when he carried off Du Ze.

Du Ze knows about this trick. It’s Enoch’s special skill: shadow shifting. This skill uses light and shadow to create an image to attract the attention of the enemy. It’s one of the skills that Thief King Jack created. Well, that’s not the point. The point is … how did this innocent bystander get involved in the action again?

Slung over Enoch’s shoulder as he ran, Du Ze began to struggle but he was stopped by a word from Enoch.

“Hey? Don’t move, I don’t want to knock you out.”

The bitter reader asked gloomily: “Why did you grab me?”

“So you are not mute. Your voice is good. You don’t like to speak?” Even while they were escaping, Enoch was still quite talkative: “I don’t know why but Eric seems very concerned about you, so when I saw you I wanted to help but …”

Youth, you are seeking the rhythm of death!³

Du Ze can’t help but make a sad expression. Before the Moe Lord confessed to him he thought that many things had a very philosophical reason behind them, such as why Xiu was angry in the Gnome Ruins, or why Xiu didn’t like the cute Ariel. Now some silly, cute person knows the truth and his tears are about to fall. Moe Lord, to ignore all of the younger sisters’ and brothers’ plot for the sake of an unworthy cannon fodder, is it really alright?

… But why is the rival looking for this young man?

Enoch used the various terrain to speed himself up. Xiu has not caught up with them and Du Ze suddenly realized that this was a very good opportunity.

“Where is my book?”

“What book … Oh, you mean the book with two people on the cover?” Enoch’s voice was filled with curiosity: “What’s in that book? Eric looked inside and was shocked. That was the first time I saw Eric look so panicked.”

… Please light a candle for the lost innocence of the son of god.

“Eric wouldn’t let us look, so this thief stole it.” Enoch’s words revealed great regret: “But Eric put a lot of seals on it. I can’t take a look at it.”

Du Ze felt the urge to praise the son of god. Well done!

So now the evildoer is in Enoch’s hands? Du Ze thought that this development was quite good. After all, he wanted to find a place to hide it. Therefore it would be better to leave it with Enoch. Enoch couldn’t open it anyway.

His happy thoughts were interrupted by the thief who said with great ambition: “This won’t stop me! I know a lot of people and they say will soon be able to break the seals!”

In the silly, cute person’s imagination, the Doujinshi, with a shy face, was surrounded a group of people. The Doujinshi sheepishly looked at them then lifted its skirt …

“… Give it back!”

“You want to get it back?” Enoch said: “Well, you can do me a favor and I’ll give you the book.”

Du Ze knows that this must be because of the one last task that Enoch must complete before he can finish his apprenticeship. In the novel, in order to make Xiu play the lead role in the “Cecil” play, Enoch was forced to sign a number of unequal contracts, and so he became one of the Moe Lord’s little brothers.

“Chirp!”

The little Phoenix on top of Du Ze’s head seemed to have recognized Enoch: Aha, this short-haired chirp was the one from before who stole its mother chirp!

“Whoomp!”

The Angry Bird hit Enoch’s forehead, using its own round body as a weapon. Enoch reeled back and almost fell down from the roof. He barely escaped the light arrow that was shot from above. The thief stiffened. The light arrow had grazed his nose; it was as though death had just brushed past him.

Du Ze turned to look. In front of them was a massive clock tower where the backlit Xiu was standing. Xiu once again drew his bow shaped like branches and leaves – a gift from the Tree of Life. This bow is an artifact that can automatically generate magic arrows.

His intuition told Enoch that his whole body was the target this time. The shadow shifting skill uses too much power, so he can only use it once a day. The silver-haired elf’s fingers loosed the arrows. Almost at the same instant, a fire dragon leapt up and hit the light arrows. Though the fire dragon was scattered by the light arrows, the flames did cover Xiu’s sight for a while and gave Enoch enough time to dodge. The thief avoided the arrows and ran to one side.

“Stupid Enoch! You got in trouble again!” Honey kicked Enoch with her foot then looked at Du Ze. “Gee, isn’t this the man Eric is looking for?”

“Yes, so I couldn’t help but steal him but I got into a fight with that dangerous guy.” Speaking of Xiu, Enoch’s eyes brightened again. “I tell you, I finally found the right act-”

“That opponent is tough.” Brawny Bart interrupted Enoch’s words. He pulled out his big sword and looked across them, his sight directed at the tower.

The fire dragon’s flames gradually dissipated in the air. Xiu was standing above them with a cold face, his whole body emanating a freezingly cold and menacing air. Despite this, the elf’s face was still hauntingly beautiful.

“So beautiful ah ~ I think I can finally recover from the pain of being lovelorn ~”

Bart smiled wryly: “Miss, please be careful.”

Xiu pulled the bow string. In his forked fingers, three magical arrows automatically appeared.

“Whoosh!”

So fast! Bart’s pupils contracted. He could not see the arrow’s trajectory but he could determine the target based on the position of Xiu’s fingers. His sword flashed and when his sword hit the arrow, their powerful force told him that the enemy is an Archer Saint.

“Boom!”

The sound alerted the city guards of the Star Empire, but as they looked up at the fighting, they were stunned – at their level, they can’t possibly intervene. The captain looked up and exclaimed: “Hey, isn’t that Lord Antonio’s granddaughter?!”

Enoch was distressed at having to dodge Xiu’s arrows. While he was jumping around, he complained to Du Ze: “Why are your companions always so terrible?!”

That’s because you’re always stepping on his explosive point!

“Put me down.”

“Find me time to put you down!”

“Belch.”

With an abrupt burp, all of the arrows were engulfed in flame. An old man with a bottle of wine appeared, dressed in tattered robes, his face red from drinking alcohol. When she saw the old man, Honey exclaimed: “Grandpa!”

Bart gasped and saluted the old man respectfully: “Master.”

The old man waved his hand and looked at Xiu, still at the clock tower, with drunken eyes: “Young people do need to work off their anger but they shouldn’t go too far. This is the Imperial City. If you make, a commotion again, I, Antonio, will appear, (belch) very useless. The royals are very stingy, it’s not easy for this old man to drink wine (belch).”

*********

Translator’s note: Check out this fanart. Angry Bird attack!

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1. 自来熟 Shandong dialect – meaning “two people meet for the first time but it feels like a meeting of old friends”
2. Sword Saint level but for archers
3. 少年你这是作死的节奏啊 Strange metaphor but it’s basically the same as “courting death.”