Do Heroes Need Welfare Too? - Chapter 140

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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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Part 2, Chapter 7

* * *

It was only a few days later that Adam made a new proposal.

“Eve, would you like to go to the temple with me? There might be people you want to see.”

I nodded without hesitation. I couldn’t hide my willingness at his change from keeping me locked up tight, saying the outside was dangerous.

‘As expected, since I’ve been staying put, Adam must trust me now.’

Adam showed me dresses as if telling me to choose.

“When did you buy these?”

“I thought Eve would come to the mansion someday.”

I had never thought I would come to Adam’s mansion.

I felt something strange as I received the dress from Adam.

The temple we arrived at by carriage was different from the past appearance I had expected.

The temple was giving off a strange atmosphere different from when I left.

‘Have many people changed?’

Among those I passed by, there were hardly any faces I recognized.

Come to think of it, Meriel had also quit her priesthood and come down to the village.

Unlike the past, seeing Adam naturally coming and going from the temple, it seemed like something he had taken the initiative in.

However, Meriel’s departure must have been an unexpected action for him.

If Meriel, who was the next Elderly High Priest, left, the temple would inevitably be shaken.

As soon as Adam arrived at the temple, he talked with High Priests I’d never seen before and briefly left his seat.

‘Hmm, I don’t think the temple originally had this kind of atmosphere.’

And the surroundings were strangely quiet.

As if they had blocked people’s approach nearby.

I quietly came outside and looked around.

After confirming no one was there, I ran across the hallway.

I was feeling uncomfortable with the temple’s atmosphere that seemed to have changed like a solid prison when I finally discovered a familiar face.

‘Those people are…’

Weren’t they a ray, no, two rays of light in the bleak temple?

The joy was brief, as they too discovered me and their eyes instantly changed.

‘Ah, wait a minute.’

I quietly averted my eyes.

I had a strong feeling it would become troublesome. I hastily turned around from my steps approaching them.

However, it was already too late.

“I! be! ris! Sir!”

“Yes…”

My name echoed loudly through the quiet hallway. At this level, wouldn’t Adam outside hear it too?

I squeezed my eyes shut and timidly waved my hand to the High Priests who had run over.

Clearly in the temple, being quiet was expected, running was also forbidden, walking softly was natural, but those rules didn’t seem to apply to them.

They were like the temple’s troublemakers…

“How long has it been! Do you need anything by any chance?”

“Ah, no…”

They were the priest duo I had met in the old days.

Their bright, sparkling eyes had been upgraded even more than three years ago.

I tried hard to ignore their gazes with an expression like I might get indigestion.

“Iberis, is it really true that you’re a Saint?”

“I heard your divine power is tremendous!”

“So there are rumors that you stayed by the Hero’s side, is that really true? Following the 1st Hero, this would be the first time a Hero and Saint became lovers!”

My heart felt a little more at ease with the rapid-fire questions.

Right, this is the temple I know.

It wasn’t a place as quiet as a mouse like before.

“First of all, don’t believe rumors too much.”

I spoke sincerely to the priest duo.

No, what’s all this talk about Saint and whatnot? Even if we say Meriel mentioned the divine power, everything else was all strange talk.

More than that, this was a good encounter.

“You know, High Priests…”

“Yes, please ask your question!”

I slowly opened my mouth.

From the moment I reunited with Adam, there had been a nagging corner in my heart.

How Adam had spent those three years.

There must have been a trigger that made Adam, who had clearly been living quietly, suddenly decide on rebellion.

Other High Priests, especially the Elderly High Priest, would absolutely not tell me, but these two were different.

They were eagerly waiting for words to come out, moved that I had spoken to them first.

Even if I just asked what Adam’s sleeping habits were, they looked ready to find out immediately.

Of course, they were good fools who would probably ask Adam directly and call me over, putting me in a predicament.

Then, with a jingling sound, their heads turned in unison.

“Oh my, prayer time is approaching. If it’s not urgent, could we hear it next time?”

The High Priest was overflowing with regret until the moment he left the hallway, as if he truly felt sorry.

“Still, it’s better not to go outside the building. Many nobles come to pray, so you might run into them.”

I nodded and waved my hand telling him to hurry along, and the High Priest smiled brightly while waving his arms enthusiastically.

I smiled back awkwardly.

‘The person is… kind. He’s kind…’

Unable to give any more praise, I hastily cut off my train of thought.

* * *

I only came up to check on Adam’s condition, so why did it turn out like this?

The temple I came to with Adam wasn’t worse than my first impression.

Every High Priest I encountered treated me well to a burdensome degree.

Adam’s infinite trust and affection toward me also became a big reason for them to lower their guard.

Or perhaps he had given them a hint beforehand.

‘Still, not everyone is like that…’

One of the priest duo who said they were going to pray was peeking over my shoulder.

“Hello?”

“Oops, I got caught!”

“…”

Did he think I wouldn’t notice?

When he was lurking so obviously from behind?

Why did the High Priest come to me instead of going to the sanctuary during prayer time?

Contrary to the world’s view that they would be honest and upright while serving God, the temple also had complex relationships intertwined.

Until before, the Elderly High Priest had firmly grasped the temple’s power, but after looking around a bit, it didn’t seem to be the case anymore.

“Since Adam isn’t here, am I the next target?”

The High Priest who had been persistently sticking like a leech near Adam asked with a smile.

Then the High Priest scratched under his nose as if embarrassed.

‘That’s not a compliment.’

Still, even such innocent acting could be fake.

No matter how much I thought of them as the temple’s troublemakers, if they were High Priests, they couldn’t be slow-witted.

I tested him as if examining him.

“Or did the Elderly High Priest tell you to monitor me?”

“That can’t be!”

The High Priest jumped up and said.

Was it really not the case? Surely the Elderly High Priest knew Adam had brought me, yet showed no particular reaction.

Even though I hadn’t encountered him face to face since coming to the temple, he would be curious about me.

Since there are rumors about me being the Saint and all, the Temple needs to keep an eye on me.

“The Elderly High Priest was just worried about Lord Iberis and told me to thoroughly find out if there’s anything you need. He’s currently busy with a private meeting with the Hero, so he just entrusted it to me.”

That’s exactly what surveillance is.

I pressed my throbbing forehead.

Anyway, he didn’t seem to be the Elderly High Priest’s lackey.

While it was true that he was ordered to monitor me, he himself didn’t seem to realize that monitoring was monitoring.

“Then instead of waiting, you could have just come to the mansion, right?”

Why bother waiting until Adam came on his own feet.

Could it be that he still considers Adam to be under his control?

However, the High Priest’s reaction was unexpected.

“Well, the Elderly High Priest has never been to Grace County.”

I stared at him with wide eyes.

The High Priest also tilted his head with the same smiling expression.

According to the High Priest, he heard that Adam dislikes people entering his territory.

So neither the High Priest, nor even the mighty Elderly High Priest, had ever set foot in Grace County.

“Even the Elderly High Priest?”

“Yes! The Hero honestly draws clear lines. He hates it when others invade his territory. Of course, Lord Iberis would be an exception!”

“…”

Then why did Adam let me?

‘As if he treats only me specially…’

In the end, having returned to my room without any significant gains, I threw open the window wide out of frustration.

I had no intention of escaping through the window, but I didn’t like feeling suffocated.

When I opened the window, I could see Adam standing below 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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