Do Heroes Need Welfare Too? - Chapter 151

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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 18

 

I stared blankly at the spot where the dreamcatcher had been.

 

The one who left this was Ben…

 

No, was it Ben?

 

It seemed like Aphene was the one who originally brought this.

 

The scattered puzzle pieces were coming together one by one.

 

Then someone burst out from the darkness.

 

“You…!”

 

I was startled by the force gripping my shoulder and used divine power.

 

The suspicious figure fell back far from me, collapsing as if in pain.

 

I muttered quietly after recognizing the identity of the suspicious figure.

 

“…Abracxas?”

 

“Gah… That’s quite a flashy greeting.”

 

I hastily withdrew my divine power and helped him up.

 

Abracxas, who had been hit by divine power without proper defense, swayed unsteadily.

 

“I’m sorry, I thought you were someone else!”

 

I hurriedly supported him.

 

However, Abracxas pushed my hand away while breaking out in cold sweat.

 

‘Ah, right!’

 

I raised both hands as if innocent and stepped away from him. How could I approach Abracxas when I had just been thinking about the relic?

 

It was to the extent that I should quietly accept it even if Abracxas cursed at me.

 

Abracxas was still touching his shoulder as if the sensation of divine power remained. I could only break out in cold sweat beside him, unable to do anything.

 

Then I let out a silent scream when I checked around Abracxas’s neck area.

 

He had a large bruise.

 

“Don’t tell me you got hurt because of me?”

 

Since divine power and demonic energy have bad compatibility, that could be possible.

 

I reached out to check the wound.

 

But Abracxas shouted as if suppressing something.

 

“Why are you here? Get out right now.”

 

“Shouldn’t you ask about someone’s well-being first when they return alive after you thought they were dead?”

 

I grumbled at Abracxas who was forcibly trying to lift me up and kick me out. Even though the relic’s rejection of him must be painful, he succeeded in lifting me up.

 

“That monster secretly delivered news, so I roughly knew. But the Demon King’s Castle isn’t safe now. Leave quickly…! I can’t tell you the details.”

 

Abracxas said while tapping his throat with his finger.

 

I watched him quietly and suddenly remembered.

 

‘A vow?’

 

He can’t tell me because of a vow.

 

Abracxas’s behavior seemed to be saying exactly that.

 

The person who made a vow with Abracxas would be Adam.

 

I don’t think Adam would have made a harsh vow with him. If Abracxas had been an eyesore, he could have just killed him.

 

But someone else making a vow with Abracxas?

 

That was also strange.

 

Even if he had been reduced to a power measuring device because of Adam, he was still one of the three great demons.

 

He was one of the formidable strong ones who couldn’t be underestimated.

 

There would be few people who could make a vow with someone like him.

 

‘The dreamcatcher too, there’s definitely something…’

 

I thought carefully and then opened my mouth after seeing Abracxas’s expression.

 

“Alright. I’m satisfied seeing that Abracxas is safe.”

 

“…”

 

“See you again next time, Abracxas.”

 

Having finished what I came to do, I bid farewell to Abracxas.

 

“That’s why I’m telling you not to come…”

 

Abracxas muttered quietly behind me.

 

I bowed my head once and left the Demon King’s Castle without any lingering attachment.

 

After visiting the Demon King’s Castle once, I think I understood.

 

The place I truly wanted to return to for three years wasn’t the Demon King’s Castle.

 

The Demon King’s Castle without Adam didn’t evoke any particular feelings in me.

 

However, the atmosphere of the Demon King’s Castle was strange to say it was lonely without Adam.

 

I rubbed my fingers that still had ash on them.

 

‘It really is strange.’

 

Abracxas’s face when I last saw him looked like someone being chased by something.

 

Both Adam and Abracxas are hiding something important from me.

 

They didn’t talk to each other, but they’re hiding similar things.

 

Something I would be most worried about.

 

‘Probably something… related to Adam.’

 

To a surprising degree, I become insensitive to anything that’s not about Adam. All my senses are on edge toward Adam.

 

Even if the Emperor died, rather than the successful rebellion everyone was laughing and celebrating about, I was worried about whether Adam was alright first.

 

Because rebellion isn’t something that ends easily. I was worried Adam might have been hurt too. That’s why I wanted to see Adam even more. I wanted to confirm with my own eyes that he was safe, even from a distance.

 

‘Could it be that the curse has disappeared?’

 

However, Adam showed no traces of the curse, perhaps because we had been apart for three years.

 

He might be suppressing it, but on the surface he seems fine.

 

He would sometimes say things that were off-point, but it didn’t seem to be because of the curse.

 

However, his seemingly problem-free appearance made me even more anxious.

 

He’s hiding something from me, so there’s no way he could be fine.

 

If I could probe Abracxas, something might come out. But if he’s blocked by a vow, I won’t be able to get information from him.

 

I looked at the Demon King’s Castle that had grown smaller.

 

Abracxas’s behavior added a bit more to my suspicions.

 

When I brought up the topic with Adam, he seemed like he hadn’t visited the Demon King’s Castle since I left.

 

But then who was it that made a vow with Abracxas and injured him?

 

Whatever happened, Abracxas seemed to be urgently trying to get me out.

 

Also, after being able to use divine power freely, I could feel the demonic energy in the Demon King’s Castle more sensitively.

 

The demonic energy in the Demon King’s Castle seemed thicker than before.

 

It might be because I can handle divine power more delicately, or because I became able to sense the presence of demonic energy belatedly. Or it could be because Adam, the Hero, left.

 

But why do I still feel uneasy?

 

And that dreamcatcher is also bothering me.

 

Also, Aphene too.

 

‘Aphene definitely had some ulterior motive.’

 

* * *

 

The next place my steps headed to was Dainil Village. As soon as I arrived at the village, I headed to Elderly Former Hunter’s house.

 

He was an old man who seemed to know the Demon King well, who knew well about the Demon King from Lawrence’s era.

 

“Ah…”

 

Coming down to Dainil Village, I let out a small exclamation at the familiar village.

 

I had missed this village.

 

Dainil Village was a very small village with few people, so searching for a person was very easy.

 

The old man who had been a hunter was eccentric and would drive people away.

 

So he had settled in a place somewhat removed from the village.

 

However, my steps didn’t come easily.

 

Was it because of the last face I saw?

 

The fact that Elderly Former Hunter tried to kill me doesn’t change.

 

But that’s exactly why I need to find him even more.

 

I took a small deep breath and then took a step.

 

I easily found Elderly Former Hunter’s house and discovered that people were gathered in front of it.

 

‘What’s going on? Did something happen to Elderly Former Hunter?’

 

Even though I had steeled my heart, trauma doesn’t disappear easily.

 

I could still hear Elderly Former Hunter’s voice screaming in anguish echoing in my ears.

 

However, I had hoped he was in good health.

 

I had hoped he would grumble as always and awkwardly welcome me.

 

But what I faced was not a living person.

 

People were placing white flowers in front of him one by one.

 

I grabbed someone at the outermost edge and asked.

 

“Excuse me… Wh-what happened here?”

 

“He suddenly passed away a few days ago… Wait, you… Could you be Iberis? I heard rumors that you were alive!”

 

One of them seemed to recognize me, their eyes widening as they spoke.

 

But I didn’t have time for intimate conversation with them.

 

“That’s not the issue right now—Elderly Former Hunter passed away?”

 

Of course, Elderly Former Hunter was the most aged person in the village.

 

He was old enough that even the previous Demon King had personally visited him, so I thought he might have passed away.

 

However, seeing how people were crying sorrowfully, it didn’t seem like he had peacefully closed his eyes.

 

I pushed through the space where people had gathered and approached.

 

The person lying covered with cloth, surrounded by white flowers, had a familiar face.

 

But his eyes were wide open as if he had received a great shock.

 

Looking at Elderly Former Hunter who had died unable to close his eyes, as if he couldn’t forget until death, I squeezed my eyes shut.

 

‘What on earth made Elderly Former Hunter like this?’

 

Usually uninterested in the villagers and appearing bored, there had been only one time when he reacted strongly.

 

And that same person had died without being able to close his eyes.

 

‘It was when he tried to set fire to the inn—to me, that is. After that, he also called me a minion of the Demon King.’

 

It was a small village with hardly any outsiders, so he wouldn’t suddenly mistake a villager for the Demon King.

 

If there was an outsider who came in at that time…

 

‘Aphene?’

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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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