Do Heroes Need Welfare Too? - Chapter 19

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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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Episode 19

Abracxas lifted one corner of his mouth and laughed with a sneer.

Among young humans, there were often those with inflated egos. The stupid humans who came in after hearing rumors that there were countless gold and silver treasures in the Demon King’s Castle were examples of this.

When he captured them and watched quietly, they would ramble on about what kind of human they were and how they were the children of someone great in the human world. The words that human was spouting now felt like similar boasting.

“Sometimes the Hero, no, Adam… I mean, the Hero used to say strange things.”

[Your Hero confesses the truth.]

“Even if you kill the Demon King… he’ll come back anyway.”

Iberis closed her eyes tightly and fell into thought. Come to think of it, he did say that. Even though she was the one who said it, she was surprised at herself for having forgotten it deep in her memory. Since the Hero wasn’t just one person but had continued through seven generations, naturally the Demon King would be reborn.

So it was a story she had brushed off as insignificant.

However, Abracxas, who had been listening quietly, asked again.

“The Hero said that?”

“Huh? What did I say?”

Her head had been splitting with pain since earlier.

Her gaze turned to the wine bottle rolling on the floor, but she didn’t think she had drunk that much…

‘No, did I even drink alcohol in the first place…?’

She couldn’t remember. Beside her, Abracxas kept pressing for an answer.

Her head was dizzy, and her stomach felt strangely queasy.

When she hurriedly covered her mouth, Abracxas approached with large steps.

However, there was someone who intervened between them.

At the suddenly familiar scent, Iberis raised her head to check who it was.

She could tell without looking, but she wanted to see the face she always watched.

“Hehe. It’s the Hero!”

“Eve.”

Adam appeared, somehow having found this place.

Iberis blinked, wondering if the person in front of her was an illusion or real.

Adam, who was catching his breath as if he had been running, full of vitality, was definitely the latter.

‘Anyway, Adam has no interest in me, so even if Abracxas threatens me, he wouldn’t be stressed. That stupid Quest! Even if I work hard to lower it, it’ll just come back up.’

She smiled foolishly without even being able to read Adam’s expression.

At first glance, she looked heavily drunk, but there was only one bottle rolling on the floor.

She couldn’t have gotten drunk from just that one…

Adam ground his teeth.

Stress – 70%

The first threshold has been exceeded.

“Hic.”

At that moment, a message appeared in front of her.

It wasn’t just any message.

When Adam’s stress exceeded 70%, the message’s color changed to an ominously red hue. Even her drunkenness seemed to fly away as Iberis started hiccupping.

She hurriedly covered her mouth, but it wouldn’t stop.

‘Why, why? Why did it change to that scary red color?’

Though she wasn’t in her right mind, Iberis staggered to her feet. When her legs gave out and she was about to fall backward, Adam quickly grabbed her arm.

As he pulled her toward himself, Iberis seemed to have already fallen into a deep sleep.

Adam carefully lifted her and placed her on the blanket.

Adam sighed and turned his gaze to the culprit of this incident.

“Abracxas…”

“Why are you looking at me? I’m innocent. I just showed her this place, recommended it just once, and what she consumed was that human’s own will, right?”

Abracxas shrugged his shoulders.

At such a leisurely action, Adam grabbed him by the throat.

However, Abracxas didn’t beg for his life in a servile manner.

He was tired of acting like a faithful servant. Abracxas grinned and spoke.

It was somewhat of a gamble.

“Try killing me. You can’t, can you? In case you go berserk someday… you’re afraid you might kill people with no one to stop you.”

“…”

“That’s why we made a ‘pact’ that I would kill you when that time comes.”

Adam glared at him with fierce eyes. However, as long as the pact existed, he ultimately couldn’t draw his sword.

Adam could kill him at any time.

But if he killed him, there would be no breakwater to stop him when his mind eventually collapsed.

As long as he didn’t cross the line, Adam couldn’t kill him. As if the groveling he had done until now was just momentary entertainment, Abracxas, who knew this fact well, grinned.

“How disgusting.”

“Urk.”

The hand gripping his collar tightened. As he said, Adam still couldn’t kill him.

“Yet you dare use your ability on her?”

“I just helped because she seemed to have a lot of worries.”

Abracxas lifted one corner of his mouth and spoke with a sneer.

The Hero had no intention of killing him anyway. If he was going to kill him, he would have drawn his holy sword before having a conversation.

‘Bingo.’

As if his prediction was correct, the strength left Adam’s arm.

“Still, it would be good to think carefully and act like you did just now. The moment you lay a hand on people, I’ll have to kill you without thinking about the future.”

“Is that because you’re the Hero? Even if you’re a Hero that no one wanted, you’re still supposedly a Hero?”

“…”

Adam didn’t answer. He didn’t want to fall for his provocation by lying.

However, he did give him a slight punishment.

“Argh!”

Adam kicked Abracxas in the knee. It happened so suddenly that Abracxas grabbed his knee and rolled on the floor.

“If you’re going to extract information, ask someone who actually knows properly.”

Looking down at him, Adam muttered.

“She doesn’t know anything.”

Because he was deliberately blocking information from her.

If she knew some important information, he thought Abracxas would try to use his ability to extract that information.

Since he didn’t get any substantial information this time, he would probably lose interest.

However, Abracxas snorted at his words.

“Ah. Is that really so?”

“…”

“She seemed to know much more about you than you think?”

Abracxas said with a grin.

Adam narrowed his eyebrows, but he picked up the wine bottle rolling on the floor, poured it into his mouth bottle and all, and spoke brazenly.

“Honestly, you thought it was strange too, didn’t you?”

“…”

Adam didn’t answer.

He himself had unresolved doubts about Iberis.

“Hero, thank you!”

“You’re our benefactor.”

“Our Dainil Village will never forget the debt we owe to the Hero!”

Was there a child in Dainil Village?

Among countless opportunities, it was someone he had never seen even once.

But how did someone he had never seen know about him being in the Demon King’s Castle, and why would she volunteer to stay?

He recalled Iberis’s unnatural appearance from her first appearance.

She had frozen upon seeing his face.

Rather than an attitude toward a stranger, it was as if she really didn’t expect him to be there.

‘Since she’s from a nearby village, maybe she heard from someone.’

He couldn’t be certain yet, but as Abracxas said, there were many suspicious aspects.

It was surprising that he had only just realized this now, having deliberately avoided thinking about it and ignoring it all this time.

“Shut up.”

However, there was no need to listen to the words of a mere demon. If he wasn’t careful, he could fall victim to his abilities and be turned into a puppet.

“There’s no reason to listen to a demon’s words over her words.”

“Ah. That’s certainly true~”

Abracxas also nodded his head as if such an attitude was natural, even while being grabbed by the collar.

“But think about it, Hero. Humans are more vicious. Isn’t that right? How many assassins have come here? Those who never even showed their noses when the Demon King was around, except for you.”

“So?”

“Just, well~ let’s get along since we’re both abandoned.”

Adam let out a hollow laugh.

Cooperation.

However, Abracxas couldn’t see Adam’s expression and continued to run his mouth.

“Let me ask you one thing while I have the chance. Why do you keep being wary of me? I may have groveled pathetically, but I don’t remember doing anything to you.”

“…”

“Ah, I’ve never laid a hand on that human either~ If anything, I was the one treated roughly. So what are you afraid of?”

Afraid.

Adam let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“Is it strange for a Hero to be wary of the Demon King’s subordinate who has various abilities?”

At those words, Abracxas’s eyes narrowed.

“Do you know exactly what my ability is?”

“Who knows.”

Adam ignored his question with a calm expression.

‘What?’

Looking at the Hero’s attitude, he seemed to be acting as if he knew something, but that couldn’t be possible.

Abracxas raised the corners of his mouth in a smile.

“Among all the Heroes I’ve seen, you’re the strangest.”

“Unfortunately, I think so too.”

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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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