Do Heroes Need Welfare Too? - Chapter 104

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 104

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Hakan, who had received the Emperor’s command, did not return. It would be more fitting to say he could not return.

The corpse of Hakan that the Prince of the Evant Family brought, claiming to have caught the culprit, had a face that was deathly pale and blue.

He had not died but taken his own life.

‘Foolish thing. To die to a mere Hero.’

He had not thought that a Hero who had rolled around in the streets could surpass those who had received systematic knight training that was like torture.

It would have been the same even with the mage Kyrillos interfering.

How could those who had never fought together in their lives coordinate with incompatible weapons like sword and magic?

Rather, Kyrillos’s frail stamina would have only held the Hero back.

Yet Hakan had returned as a corpse.

And he died as the true culprit of the monster attack incident they had worked so hard to frame him for.

Clearly, the Hero was definitely hiding something.

He was extremely curious about what card the Hero was keeping so tightly hidden.

At that moment, the Mercenary Captain stopped his hurried steps toward his destination.

It was because of someone blocking his path and obstructing his route.

‘Speak of the devil and he appears.’

The Mercenary Captain sneered inwardly.

Adam stood before him, looking slightly more disheveled than usual as if he had come running urgently.

Perhaps because he always heard the Emperor’s curses about the Hero, he too harbored ill feelings toward the Hero.

It was an emotion mixed with a bit of jealousy.

‘He was merely lucky. The position of Hero wasn’t something he earned himself, was it?’

However, hiding his sinister inner thoughts, he spoke to the Hero before him with his characteristic grinning expression.

“May I ask why the Hero is here?”

Unlike the Mercenary Captain who greeted him as if pleased, Adam’s face was frighteningly hardened.

He was surely tense.

The reason he didn’t cross swords with the Hero immediately upon meeting was simple.

He didn’t think the Hero would have defeated Hakan through fair means anyway.

The same went for the Demon King.

The Demon King was simply weaker than usual because he couldn’t get sufficient rest due to his master’s underhanded method of awakening the Demon King’s revival early.

A mere Hero who was acting arrogant after killing such a Demon King wasn’t frightening at all.

“What about you?”

Instead of an answer, a question was returned to him.

“I asked first…”

The Mercenary Captain’s eyebrows twitched slightly, thinking he was being ignored.

Then, Adam drew his sword with quick movements and pointed it at him.

The Mercenary Captain, who had been silently watching the series of actions, smiled by raising the corners of his mouth.

“Are you daring to point your sword at me? I serve the Emperor. This is tantamount to treason.”

“What problem could there be in killing one of the Emperor’s dogs?”

The Emperor’s dog.

It was a derogatory term used to refer to them in secret.

Though they were practically the closest retainers serving the Emperor, it was a ridiculous profession to knights of noble birth.

Because they picked up commoners who had wandered the streets and raised them as knights.

That’s why they had no choice but to be loyal to their master.

Hakan must have died by taking poison himself with the same mindset.

He too could die for his master at any moment, but now was not the time.

He had not yet completed the Emperor’s command.

He had not dealt with the witness who had carelessly seen ‘that thing’ in the underground.

“I came here to find someone. Since it’s not you, Hero, please put away that sword.”

“It seems like your business and the person I’m looking for might be the same.”

“Hmm…”

The Mercenary Captain touched his nape in an exaggerated manner as if pondering.

Then he straightened his expression and spat out mocking words to Adam.

“I was going to overlook the treason this time, but it’s fascinating how one stupid wench can make such a mess of your reason.”

Before the laughing Mercenary Captain, Adam quietly looked at him.

Though the sword was still not put away, the Mercenary Captain strangely seemed relaxed.

“To be completely fooled by such a stupid letter.”

The Mercenary Captain took out a letter from his pocket and waved it before his eyes.

Adam immediately recognized the owner of the handwriting written on the envelope’s surface.

‘Iselda.’

Whether it was sent in haste, the handwriting was smeared as if flowing, but there was no way he wouldn’t recognize Iselda’s handwriting.

The memory of watching her work beside him was still clearly embedded in his mind.

He should have suspected the servant who came claiming to inform him about the appointment ceremony format from the beginning.

He hadn’t expected them to intercept Iselda’s letter as well.

“That child must be a very important witness.”

“Hmm, how could we dare fathom that person’s will?”

“I wonder. He doesn’t seem to be a sun of the Empire worthy of such reverence that you’d say ‘dare.’ I think I can tell. He must want to hide it badly enough to send Imperial Guards after a witness. For example…”

Twitch.

The Mercenary Captain’s brow furrowed.

How dare he spout words that dishonor his master.

However, his expression changed involuntarily at the following words.

“Like the previous Hero hidden somewhere in the Imperial Palace.”

“…”

The eyes of the Mercenary Captain, who had been wearing a smiling face, became narrow.

The Mercenary Captain’s face, drained of all laughter, was frighteningly expressionless.

“Since Hakan had no particular wounds, it wasn’t torture either… How did you know? As expected, the witness must have told you everything.”

“Rather, I’d like to ask you something.”

Adam slowly opened his mouth.

“How did you awaken the Demon King so early?”

The Mercenary Captain smiled with pursed lips.

“I asked first, but is ignoring questions a Hero’s privilege?”

Adam’s response, which had been irritating him from earlier, became the trigger.

“If you won’t answer, it would be better to tear your mouth apart.”

The Mercenary Captain, who had been ignored twice now, clearly showed his displeasure.

“Indeed, dealing with you first would make that person’s plan easier too.”

Adam rushed at him as if that was exactly what he wanted.

And at that moment, the Mercenary Captain, who had drawn his hidden sword, swung it at him.

A force stronger than expected flew toward Adam.

Adam quickly twisted his sword to deflect the attack and looked at the Mercenary Captain.

“…!”

And he widened his eyes as if doubting what he saw.

After the 6th Hero Lawrence went missing, there were also Hero’s belongings that disappeared with him.

They were unfortunate items that couldn’t be passed down to Adam, the next Hero, because Lawrence had vanished.

Especially the sword of Lauzentia, who was considered the greatest blacksmith.

It was a sword imbued with holy power thanks to being with an outstanding Hero.

Though it fell short of the sword of Nermia made by the 1st Hero, objects that had been with strong individuals for long periods developed an ego resembling their owner.

Or mystical abilities would dwell within them.

That this sword was with that person meant…

Seeing Adam’s expression clearly showing surprise, the Mercenary Captain smiled.

“You recognize it, I see.”

“Well, it’s the treasured sword of House of Evant that Lawrence used to wield.”

Though it had rarely appeared in official ceremonies and few would recognize it, Adam was an exception.

Lawrence was the 6th Hero, and the Temple kept records of everything related to Heroes.

Occasionally, the Elderly High Priest would mutter, “If only we had that holy sword he possessed, the Hero could have defeated the Demon King much more easily.”

And when he had taken Nermia’s sword, which they didn’t even know existed in the Temple, they praised him as one truly blessed by God’s grace.

In any case, there would be only one reason why he boldly displayed the sword that had disappeared along with Lawrence.

After all, he had no intention of letting Adam go either.

“There won’t be any witnesses anyway. No ordinary person would recognize this sword, so you just need to disappear.”

The Mercenary Captain readjusted his grip on the sword as if preparing to swing again.

The unique ability dwelling within the sword that Lawrence had used.

This sword amplified the user’s abilities several times over. With this sword, the Hero was nothing more than an ant before a storm.

The Mercenary Captain grinned, baring his teeth in confidence of victory.

“Oh my, but I’ve already seen it?”

Just then, a voice familiar to both of them interjected.

Adam showed surprise while the Mercenary Captain wore a flustered expression as they watched the figure slowly walking between them.

“Hello there, Hero. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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