Do Heroes Need Welfare Too? - Chapter 25

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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 25

In this round, since he didn’t even come to the temple to rescue his companion, there was insufficient time to build rapport with the Elderly High Priest, and the priest’s side would inevitably have complaints about the Hero who killed the Demon King burst forth.

‘No matter how much of a Hero he is, if he doesn’t show a friendly attitude toward the temple to the public, they might think of him as a third faction.’

That’s why the Elderly High Priest is subtly keeping Adam in check. Whether he’s someone who can be used for his own power, or whether he’ll troublesomely belong to the Emperor’s Faction.

That’s why he finds the Elderly High Priest bothersome.

As her eyes sparkled as if asking how her deduction was, Adam made a deflated sound.

“I sometimes wonder what goes on in that little head of yours.”

“Why me?”

Huh, is that not it?

Adam’s face was filled with bewilderment rather than surprise that she had figured this out.

‘Never mind then.’

Then I can continue touring the temple comfortably, which is even better!

When Iberis completely changed her expression, he flinched.

“But you still have no intention of obediently returning, do you?”

“No!”

Iberis answered vigorously. Adam pressed his hand to his forehead as if getting a headache, but she didn’t back down.

If it wasn’t the Elderly High Priest, there must be another reason.

‘And dawn is a good time for those with ulterior motives to sneak in.’

If Adam won’t tell her, she has no choice but to find out herself.

“I see… Let me hear the reason first. There’s nothing interesting in the temple that Eve would like.”

“I’m going to protect you, Hero!”

“Me?”

Adam blinked.

Then he asked again.

“Eve… me?”

“Yes!”

“How? No, why?”

He asked with a voice tinged with amusement.

Though his intention to tease was evident, Iberis didn’t care about such trivial things and recited her plan.

“I’m planning not to let you sleep, Hero.”

She casually uttered a statement that would be easily misunderstood if someone passing by had heard it.

“What do you mean?”

Adam was flustered by the unexpected words.

What was going on with her, who usually made a fuss if she couldn’t sleep on time?

“You’ll know when night comes.”

Iberis brought her index finger to her lips and winked while making a “shh” sound.

* * *

Knock knock knock.

‘Who is it?’

Adam approached the door while trying to figure out the identity of the unwelcome visitor who would come looking for him at this dawn hour.

His eyes turned toward the holy sword placed on the desk.

If there were any suspicious individuals…

“Hero! It’s me.”

“Ah.”

However, what made his tension deflate helplessly was Iberis’s small voice flowing through the door crack.

Her voice was trembling thinly, as if she had lowered it so it wouldn’t be heard in the next room.

‘There’s only me and Eve on this floor anyway.’

It was unnecessary consideration from the Elderly High Priest.

It was natural that she wouldn’t know this fact. When Adam opened the door, she familiarly rushed inside.

Adam stared intently at Iberis’s strange appearance and closed the door.

She had wrapped the blanket from the VIP bed around her entire body. What kind of prank was she trying to pull now?

The blanket, larger than her frame, dragged on the floor no matter how tightly she wrapped it around herself. He had no idea how she had walked here like that.

Adam pressed down the laughter that was about to burst out with the back of his hand and asked.

“What’s with that appearance?”

Instead of answering, Iberis spread out the blanket and took out what she had hidden inside. Various items tumbled out from within the blanket onto the floor.

“Actually, I brought these to pass time with you in the carriage, Hero, but I forgot because I fell asleep.”

Adam bent down and picked up the boxes that had fallen on the floor.

They were game tools that village children often played with.

Cards, bells, jacks… They were of various kinds, as if she was trying to match at least one of his preferences.

“So why did you bring these things?”

“You become defenseless when you fall asleep! So the idea is to stay up through dawn with fun games!”

Having said that, Iberis shook out the blanket she had brought and spread it on the floor.

Then she quickly sat on it and began setting up the games. Adam also sat down in front of her and said.

“You used to try to make me sleep before. Have you changed your mind now?”

“It’s because outside the blanket is dangerous.”

Outside the Demon King’s Castle was dangerous.

Thinking of Adam sleeping alone in the temple where he had no allies, how could she sleep?

Rather than sleeping defenseless, it was better to stay awake entirely.

She would keep Adam awake, whose vigilance might crumble from not sleeping properly due to nightmares.

Adam let out a deflated laugh.

“What on earth did you talk about with the Elderly High Priest to make you like this?”

Uncharacteristically, his voice rose at the end as if he was genuinely curious. However, Iberis shook her head while waving her index finger left and right.

“You don’t need to know, Hero.”

“Hmm, I understand.”

She didn’t like how he backed down so obediently.

He should be begging and pleading for her to tell him! Why was he withdrawing so quickly?

Iberis snorted and shuffled the cards with skilled hands.

“Have you ever played games before?”

“I’ve watched over someone’s shoulder a few times.”

That was also a story from his very early childhood.

After being chosen by God, he had lived without even a moment of leisure time.

“When five of the same fruit come out, you ring the bell.”

“I understand.”

After briefly explaining the rules, they divided the cards.

The game began,

And Iberis quickly realized her mistake.

‘This isn’t fair.’

There was a difference in physical ability from the start.

Adam, sitting in front of her shuffling through the pile of cards, was not an ordinary person.

He was the Hero who had dodged all the attacks of monsters and the Demon King and ultimately taken their lives.

She couldn’t beat him in reflexes. She had been hitting his innocent hand repeatedly.

“That hurts.”

Only after being hit by her enough to make his hand red did it end with Adam’s complete victory. Iberis didn’t accept the result and pulled out new cards.

“Let’s play a different game!”

“Alright.”

The next game was Old Maid. It was a game where players secretly drew each other’s cards, and whoever was left with the joker at the end lost.

Before long, each of them had only two cards left in their hands.

It was Adam’s turn, and the last joker was in her hand.

The odds were fifty-fifty.

Since it wasn’t a physical battle, Iberis was confident of her victory. Adam couldn’t beat her, who had mastered all kinds of games since childhood.

However, there was something she had overlooked. Adam reached out and placed his hand on Iberis’s cards.

“….”

Then Iberis’s eyes trembled slightly.

“….”

This time, the corner of Iberis’s mouth twitched.

Adam immediately removed his hand from the cards and drew the card he had originally intended to take.

“Ah!”

Letting out a sigh mixed with disappointment, Iberis threw down the joker card in her hand.

Iberis, who had been hanging her head low, suddenly declared this was ridiculous and overturned the game.

There was absolutely no way she could win.

“Why does only the Hero keep winning! You saying it’s your first time playing is all lies!”

“It is my first time playing, but I’ve seen the village children play before.”

And everything shows on your face, Iberis.

He didn’t add those last words.

“So this is how it’s done.”

Iberis pouted and unconsciously puffed out one cheek. Long fingers poking that cheek happened in an instant.

“?”

“Ah.”

When she looked at him with wide eyes, Adam became even more flustered.

“I’m sorry. You looked just like a squirrel.”

“A squirrel?”

What squirrel all of a sudden. If you bring me the joker right now, I’ll show you one.

Iberis pressed the joker card firmly against Adam’s arm as if telling him to take it, thinking to herself.

You’re just teasing me when you won’t even explain things properly!

“There must have been many squirrels where you lived, Hero?”

Adam seemed to contemplate for a moment, then continued speaking calmly.

“Yes. Where I lived had many fields, but there was also a small forest. Sometimes when I felt suffocated, I would visit the forest, and one day something fell from above and hit me.”

Adam said while organizing the cards.

Iberis listened intently, focusing on hearing about his past for the first time.

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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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