Do Heroes Need Welfare Too? - Chapter 34

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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 34

“…”

I couldn’t tell why, but it felt unsettling.

“Then how do you know about the Demon King that the previous Hero killed?”

“Well, the damage caused by the previous Demon King was enormous, and there’s only a few decades’ difference between that time and the current Demon King. There are still survivors from back then who suffered under that Demon King’s reign, so we could hear their accounts. The Temple also handles the aftermath for the Demon King’s victims.”

“What does the Imperial Palace do?”

“When they dare treat our Hero like that, what can we expect from the Royal Court?”

The High Priest let out a deep sigh and began complaining. However, he seemed to realize belatedly that this wasn’t something he should say to me, the Hero’s maid, and hurriedly tried to cover it up, but the damage was already done.

* * *

When I entered the room to gather my belongings, there was an intruder who had arrived before me.

He was sitting proudly in the only chair as if it were his own, so I thought I had entered the wrong room and went out and came back in.

“Hmm?”

The intruder smiled and gestured with his hand. When I tried to leave, he waved the luggage I had packed the night before as if holding it hostage.

In the end, I got caught up in his scheme as he intended. I needed to find out about the information the High Priest had mentioned, but now another troublesome matter had arisen.

The intruder—no, the Prince—asked with a bright smile.

“You know who I am, right?”

“Yes. Aren’t you the Prince of the Empire?”

Something I learned 30 minutes ago still counts as knowing. I played dumb and answered obediently.

“You seemed like you didn’t know originally.”

However, the Prince wasn’t as easy-going as his face suggested.

“…”

Are people usually this perceptive? Like Adam, whenever the Prince hit the nail on the head, my body would flinch involuntarily.

I quickly changed the subject before the Prince could dig deeper.

“Why did Your Highness the Prince come to the Temple alone…?”

“Then should I have come trailing a line of attendants?”

The Prince spoke in an irritated voice. Thanks to that, I thought I had made a mistake and carefully reconsidered my previous words, but there was nothing wrong with them.

“Isn’t that usually the case?”

Even setting aside bringing guard knights, coming without a single attendant to serve him was unusual.

“What good would it do for Father to find out early that the Hero came to the Temple?”

“Ah, yes.”

I didn’t understand what he was talking about, but I roughly agreed. I hoped he would quickly get to the point and let me go.

“Don’t you think this might be the main point?”

“…?”

“What it means for a man and woman to be alone in a cramped room.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Your expression looks impure.”

“Haha, that can’t be.”

For a moment, my expression almost crumbled as if I were dealing with Abracxas, but I quickly recovered.

“I don’t think that’s your purpose.”

“Why not?”

“If you intended to provoke the Hero on purpose, you would have called me in before this. You wouldn’t be secretly waiting for me like this.”

“…”

The Prince had no response.

But that alone was sufficient answer for me. The Prince’s golden eyes watched me intently.

“Didn’t the Hero say anything?”

“About what?”

I immediately asked back. I was the one who was curious. What was the relationship between the Hero and the Elderly High Priest that he was hiding from me?

Prince Judith scrutinized my appearance closely.

“You just look like a pretty village girl… How did you manage to seduce that stubborn guy?”

“…”

Ah, so that’s what this is about. A love rival… jealousy? Since I’m nothing special, he must be looking at me with displeasure.

‘How handsome are you supposed to be!’

As if I wouldn’t back down, I glared at him too.

‘Hmm, he’s quite handsome.’

Even if placed next to Adam, the most handsome person I’d seen, he wouldn’t fall short. Despite the dark circles under his eyes from apparent fatigue and his raised eyebrows suggesting constant dissatisfaction, his handsome features couldn’t be hidden.

‘Hmm…’

Looking at him like this, he strangely resembled Adam. Of course, comparing Adam who always smiled with Judith who was frowning even now would be rude to him. With Judith constantly furrowing his brow like that, he’d be wrinkled in 10 years. But for now, even that expression looked handsome enough that his appearance was striking.

‘Do handsome people really share the same DNA…’

To think I’d be reminded of Adam even from that face. It must be because Adam was the only person I’d seen recently, so I had no other comparison.

“So I asked how you seduced him.”

“I’m sorry, but I never seduced anyone.”

“Ah, so you just stayed still and got seduced? Are you really that skilled?”

‘Please listen to what I’m saying.’

Judith seemed to have fallen into his own world. It was hard to believe this was the same person who had caused a commotion earlier.

But this time he gestured toward me and made a suggestion in a gentle voice.

“Listen, little one. How about I give you something nice, and you report to me about the Hero once a month? Who he meets, what he’s planning, or maybe…”

“I refuse.”

Without needing to hear more, I gave a quick refusal. Then one of Judith’s eyebrows rose. He looked like he was debating whether to get angry or not.

“How dare you interrupt me.”

So that was it? He didn’t care about being refused, but having his words cut off was what mattered.

“No matter how I think about it, I can’t betray the Hero.”

Rather than a Prince who didn’t even have a name in the game, shouldn’t I choose the protagonist? Being next to the protagonist was much better than the flickering candlelight-like power the Prince offered.

My mind wouldn’t change.

Judith, who had been irritably glaring at my eyes filled with firm resolve, muttered quietly.

“It probably wouldn’t be betrayal.”

“Pardon?”

After telling me to investigate someone’s every move and report it, now he’s saying it’s not betrayal.

People in the world have agreed to call that betrayal. It’s a social contract…

“No, I’m trying to help… Ah, forget it. What would you know?”

Judith put his hand in his pocket and rummaged around. What came out of his hand was a small flute. He grabbed my arm and forcibly handed me the flute.

Judith didn’t even look at me, fixing his gaze only on the flute placed in my hand while muttering to himself.

“Here, this is a flute that calls the bird I’ve cherished and raised. It’s really a precious child, but… I really don’t want to give it away, but…”

He was the one forcing it on me while being full of regret. I wanted to tell him to take it back if he didn’t need it, but he was the Prince of the Empire. I had already been quite rude, so I decided to avoid adding more to that.

“Contact me with that if anything happens.”

“I don’t think I’ll have occasion to use it.”

“Then should I create one for you?”

Judith lowered his voice and quietly threatened.

“No! I will treasure the flute personally bestowed by Your Highness more than my own life!”

Damn dirty power.

I immediately caved and tucked my tail.

Then Judith wore a satisfied smile. Having one flute wouldn’t hurt anyway. I just wouldn’t use it.

“You should be proud to have Martigaus the Third!”

“…Yes.”

Though hearing the name made me feel even more reluctant.

* * *

After leaving the Temple, I returned to ordinary daily life. Going back to the Demon King’s Castle to monitor Abracxas, eating Ben’s cooking…

‘And trying to secretly peek at the book Adam got from the Elderly High Priest, but failing.’

How does he always know and appear here and there!

‘Should I just turn on synchronization, call him to a secluded place, and secretly look at the book?’

I decided to keep this as a last resort.

For now, lowering Adam’s stress that had rapidly increased since the Sacred Relic incident was the priority.

Adam’s stress levels kept rising at the Temple. Especially when he had private conversations with the Elderly High Priest in secluded places, he always came out looking exhausted.

I asked what they talked about, but all I got back was that it was nothing.

‘If it’s nothing, then why did your stress go up?’

His ability to lie with such a calm face was professional-level.

“Hello!”

“Oh my, the Hero’s little maid has come! What shall I give you today?”

I entered the shop and immediately spoke to the shopkeeper.

The village to the northwest of the Demon King’s Castle was farther than Dainil Village, but unlike Dainil Village which required passing through the forest, this one had a proper road, so we usually stopped by here when we needed supplies.

Since people from the Capital also came here, we could hear various rumors as well.

I took out the memo Ben had written for me from my pocket and read it.

“One block of cheese, six loaves of bread, and potatoes and-.”

“I’ll prepare it quickly for you!”

The shopkeeper who had taken down the order immediately went inside to gather the ingredients.

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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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