Do Heroes Need Welfare Too? - Chapter 111

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

Chapter 111

He was probably dead.

Even on the day of the hunting tournament, despite being injured, he had fought on equal terms with that Adam.

Since he was alive, his mother who was said to be a mercenary was also…

“Hero, I showed him Lawrence’s face at twenty years old, just as you asked. It was a portrait painted with his companions on the day they departed for the Demon King expedition.”

When she readily told him the content he had been waiting for, Adam met her gaze.

“But he recognized him immediately.”

Iselda also didn’t avoid Adam’s gaze and observed his expression.

“Strange, isn’t it? How could the previous Hero be in the Imperial Palace dungeons? It’s been nearly 20 years since then… No matter how smart Erwin is, how could he instantly recognize the face of someone who has aged with time? I can’t trust Erwin’s words. I’m sorry for such a far-fetched story.”

“No. That was sufficient information.”

Even though she had secured Erwin, Iselda expressed extreme regret that she couldn’t provide proper information.

However, Adam seemed satisfied with just that small piece of information.

I wasn’t surprised either, given what Adam had told me before.

‘So Hero Lawrence wasn’t missing but being held by the Emperor? Or maybe he hid himself and was discovered by the Emperor.’

But still, the age didn’t match.

No matter how gracefully one ages, it’s difficult to recognize a human face that has met the flow of time at once.

Especially if it was Erwin, who had been hiding in the underground and hadn’t met many people.

Perhaps noticing my doubt, Adam suddenly spoke up.

“Eve, do you know how long monsters live?”

“…”

“What about demons?”

“Come to think of it, I’ve never thought about it…”

In the game, both only appeared as evil that had to be defeated.

I had never deeply considered how many years they lived, or how many more years they would live.

“When demonic energy deeply permeates the body, aging stops. You could say they live almost eternally until death.”

At Adam’s calm words, I opened my mouth.

There was such a setting? But Adam isn’t even a monster, so how does he know that?

“You didn’t know this, it seems.”

“I didn’t know! How did you know, Adam?”

“Potato told me.”

“…Potato? When did you two become so close?”

“When you weren’t at the Demon King’s Castle.”

“That would be when you kicked me out!”

“…No, that was…”

He rubbed his face with his hands, looking sorry. His expression looked like he was about to cry, so I shut my mouth.

‘Wanting to torment him more would definitely be mean.’

I put all my effort into not mentioning it further and patted his back.

Only then did Adam’s teary eyes sparkle. At his gaze looking at me as if asking whether I really forgave him, I silently nodded.

Meanwhile, Iselda seemed troubled that she couldn’t provide meaningful information to us, racking her brain.

“Oh, but according to Erwin, he’s alive but doesn’t seem alive. He said he was like a doll without reason. Even when he approached, he just stared blankly.”

If Lawrence, who should be over forty, appeared in the form of the Hero from his lifetime, that would make sense.

It meant he wasn’t properly alive.

“He’s like an undead.”

“Undead?”

“Ah, like a living corpse. Preserved in their appearance from life and moving according to their controller’s commands.”

Recalling the zombies and undead from various media, I could understand why Erwin was so terrified.

However, since Erwin said there was no violence even when he watched, he might still have control over his own body.

The Emperor’s secret weapon.

Or a weapon that would consume himself.

I was so lost in deep thought that I didn’t notice the gaze watching me intently.

“Eve is really smart. You know many fascinating things too.”

An ordinary person wouldn’t easily think of undead.

But when I heard that someone who should be dead was preserved in their young appearance, it flashed in my mind.

I had watched many horror movies of that type. I had played many games too.

However, since I couldn’t explain all that to Adam in detail, I smiled awkwardly.

Adam didn’t erase his smile as he muttered.

“You know information you shouldn’t normally know, so why didn’t you know until now…”

“Huh?”

Adam’s gaze, which had been directed at Iselda, slowly moved to me.

“I should have thought about it from when it became suspiciously obvious that only the same personnel were being assigned.”

As if reflecting on the past, Adam’s gaze turned somewhere else again.

His eyes had sunk deep, as if lost in thought.

His bright eyes were beautiful even in the darkness, but they also looked somewhat gloomy.

However, when he met my gaze again, as if the emotions I had just seen were fake, only emotions like joy, happiness, and bliss remained.

“That’s why I couldn’t hear the voice.”

Was it because I was a bit far away that my voice wasn’t heard well?

“Can you hear me if I come closer?”

I said, taking a step closer to Adam.

Adam seemed pleased even by this small action, showing a smile.

I couldn’t understand why he was making such an expression.

It was the face someone chosen by a cat that hadn’t opened its heart despite being fed for years, but finally rubbed its head for the first time, would show.

“You were right next to me from the beginning…”

I couldn’t understand Adam’s intention in suddenly bringing up such words.

When I stared at him blankly after hearing his cryptic words, Adam smiled and said.

“It’s nothing.”

Well, since I came closer, it should be fine.

I reached out and stroked his head. He naturally lowered his head toward me.

However, Iselda beside us was looking at him with a strange expression.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Do you understand, kid?”

“Huh? Wasn’t he just asking me to come closer?”

“Before that…”

Iselda frowned as if something was bothering her and said.

“Mercenary Queen Iselda.”

At Adam’s sharp call, Iselda straightened her back that she had bent to explain to me.

It was such a low voice that it was hard to believe it was Adam’s voice.

It sounded exactly like a warning, so I unconsciously looked at him.

Surely he’s not getting angry at Iselda, who personally brought us information?

However, Adam’s expression was the same as usual.

Rather, he tilted his head with a gentle face without a trace of malice.

“Ha, this is completely split personality…”

Iselda let out a deflated laugh.

Fortunately, she didn’t seem upset. Was this their way of joking?

When they laughed heartily, I awkwardly joined in.

“To think there’d be something not cute next to something this cute…”

“But our Hero is cute, isn’t he?”

I quickly retorted.

Our Adam is cute.

He’s no longer small like a dot, and he doesn’t have an objectively cute face, but what’s wrong with him looking that way to me?

Iselda looked at my confident eyes that showed not a hint of lies and seemed slightly incredulous.

“That tall beanpole, what’s cute about him. Of course, at first I thought he had some cute aspects… Anyone would think he’s been rolling around in a battlefield for about 100 years.”

It wasn’t appropriate words to say to Adam, who wasn’t even twenty years old yet.

Of course, there were often times when I thought Adam was mature unlike his peers. But whenever he played pranks on me, I would quickly forget about it.

Iselda had experienced Erwin and received help in other ways, so she thought highly of Adam’s mental age.

But that’s not right.

Adam jokes well like kids his age, plays pranks well, laughs well and chatters well…

“So you don’t like him?”

“No, he’s fun to tease.”

That’s a relief. It seemed Iselda had taken a liking to Adam too.

It was fortunate that even when Adam grumbled, she didn’t take his words at face value and brushed them off gently.

Adam didn’t seem to like that aspect though…

‘The one without friends loses, Adam.’

So he should be grateful when I make friends for him.

After we safely rescued Erwin and brought him back, Iselda’s favorability toward us had already shot through the roof.

She had become the kind of person who, if we said we needed liver and gallbladder, couldn’t give us her own but would gladly catch some street thugs to provide them.

“Kid, look at this.”

“Yes?”

Iselda pointed at Adam so he couldn’t see, then came close to me.

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