Do Heroes Need Welfare Too? - Chapter 35

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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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Chapter 35

I ate the cookie the shopkeeper had given me while waiting for her.

Just then, I felt a prickling gaze on the back of my head.

I was fidgeting with my hair when I turned around, but there were only people busy with their own affairs.

‘Am I imagining things?’

Who would I even know in this village?

Mercenaries heading to the capital would occasionally stop by to rest, but since it was such a small village with no lodging facilities, they would leave quickly.

So the only person who would acknowledge me was the shopkeeper I occasionally ran into when coming down to buy groceries.

And she had gone into the warehouse to find ingredients, so there was no one to run into.

Just then, the shopkeeper came out of the warehouse and handed me an armful of food supplies.

“Ah, you really don’t need to give me this much.”

“But you’re the Hero who defeated the Demon King and brought peace to the world! You should at least eat this much. Right?”

Once again, she packed in plenty of things beyond what I had ordered. Just as I was feeling warmed by the villager’s kindness, a voice as small as an ant’s came from behind.

“Are you really the Hero’s maid?”

“Hm?”

Wondering if he was calling me, I turned around, and the man blatantly buried his face in his beer, avoiding me.

‘What a strange person.’

I secretly whispered to the shopkeeper.

“I’ve never seen him before. Is he an outsider?”

“Yeah. He’s been here since a few weeks ago. I didn’t see him for a few days, but he started coming again from yesterday.”

“Hmm…”

I narrowed my eyes and stared at the man.

However, even though he must have felt my gaze, he just kept sipping his beer.

It was behavior that didn’t match someone who had been staring holes through me just moments ago.

“Well, this is a shortcut to the capital, so adventurers do come by occasionally. It used to be a problem because of the Demon King’s Castle, but since the Hero killed the Demon King, adventurers are slowly starting to come out!”

The hand that heartily laughed and patted my back was fierce.

She seemed to think she was just giving me a light tap, but from the receiving end, it was no joke.

‘I think her hand is even fiercer than Violet’s…!’

They say that villages near the Demon King’s Castle all had tough personalities because monsters appeared quite frequently.

Was this fierce hand strength also one of those influences?

I rubbed my stinging back and wiped away the tears that had leaked out.

If I didn’t leave right away, I felt like I’d get hit by that hearty palm a couple more times.

I hurriedly got up from my seat and greeted her.

“Well then, thank you again today!”

“Sure.”

Just as I was about to take the basket and leave the shop.

It was instantaneous when that customer sitting at the table near the entrance grabbed my arm.

“Ah, that stings!”

“…?”

However, as soon as he touched my body, he was startled and pulled his hand away.

I was about to kick him but obediently put down my skirt hem.

“What’s the matter?”

“…Huh? Well, shall we have a little chat?”

The man, who had been fidgeting with his tingling hand as if he’d gotten static electricity, made an out-of-the-blue suggestion.

I refused flatly without a moment’s hesitation.

Anyone could see he was a strange person.

“The Hero told me not to follow strangers.”

“W-wait a minute!”

And the pile of drinking glasses stacked on the table.

It looked like he’d drunk at least ten glasses, and there was no way such a drunkard could be in his right mind.

Perhaps because he’d been severely affected by the static electricity, he couldn’t grab me again, and I leisurely escaped the tavern regardless of whether the man tried to catch me or not.

* * *

Iberis thought her luck had been terrible lately.

“Hey, miss. Let’s have a really deep conversation.”

She had been repeating this conversation for a week now.

The man who had identified himself as Aphene would talk to her whenever he had the chance, usually wanting conversation.

Somehow keeping a good meter’s distance away, that is.

The more this happened, the deeper Iberis’s distrust grew.

“Ma’am, is this person perhaps not mentally sound…?”

“No. He was definitely fine last week… Maybe he has feelings for you, miss?”

“Pardon?”

The hypothesis that he was mentally disturbed and just repeating the same words seemed more credible.

She had no intention of talking to a drunkard or a madman. And Adam had firmly warned her not to follow strangers.

‘I’m not even a child anymore.’

His overprotectiveness had intensified since returning from the temple.

Whenever she let her guard down, he would tirelessly ask if she heard any voices, which was a bonus.

‘Is divine revelation really that important…?’

While she was lost in thought for a moment, Aphene, who had closed the distance a bit this time, shouted loudly.

“So you’re the Hero’s pet… animal, that sort of thing. Right?”

“I’m a person though.”

“So a pet human.”

“Ah, yes.”

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t communicate with a drunkard. He looked about the same age as Adam, but he was already an alcoholic.

Iberis rolled her eyes to check for an escape route over the man’s shoulder.

However, the man, Aphene, was just as desperate as she was.

A year ago, Aphene, who had lost his stored power and hidden his body, opened his eyes again.

Up to this point, it was routine work, so Aphene didn’t think much of it.

But one problem occurred.

His home had been stolen. By that damn Hero!

Previous Heroes would leave the castle immediately after killing the Demon King. They wouldn’t even take antiques and valuables as spoils of war, saying they were tainted by demons, so he had plenty of antiques and treasures collected over hundreds of years. How lovingly he had treated those antiques, personally polishing them every night.

But now all of that had been taken away and he had become homeless.

It wasn’t even that he was staying in the castle temporarily to collect spoils of war. He had even swallowed his pride and asked the humans,

‘But the Hero is inside. What if he destroyed everything? Such a barbarian! I’ve been waiting all this time, but I really need to go back to the castle and regain my power.’

And because all his power had been drained, two weeks ago he was chased by wild dogs, and last week he lost a fight to a drunk.

Losing to a Hero was at least honorable, but losing to a drunken human put a big scratch on his pride.

‘I must return to the Demon King’s Castle!’

With an even more solid goal, he tried to go to the Demon King’s Castle, but the Hero, having nothing else to do, was holed up in the castle and wouldn’t come out.

But if he just barged in without power, he would be killed instantly by the Hero.

Hmm, that wouldn’t be cool. Unless it was a death cool enough to be recorded in history books.

So he thought of somehow entering peacefully and gaining power.

‘But he didn’t go down to that underground, did he?’

Rattle rattle rattle. At the doubt that suddenly arose, Aphene shook his leg. It would be really bad if he actually went in there. My core is there.

With that, he could come back no matter how many times he died.

However, if the core was destroyed, he would never be able to gain power again.

His life would end with that existence, becoming equal to insignificant humans.

‘If I could just touch the core, I’d recover my power.’

Only then could he kill that damn bastard.

Aphene muttered while drinking alcohol continuously.

Perhaps thinking it was just the common ramblings of a drunkard, people weren’t paying him any attention.

But then.

The god loved him and lowered a rope of salvation!

The shopkeeper of the store that sells Aphene’s favorite alcohol welcomed someone.

It was a smile he had never shown even to Aphene, who had risen to the position of a regular customer.

It was the moment when Aphene, who had been sipping beer while thinking about seeing just how much money this person had brought, raised his head.

“It’s the Hero’s maid!”

A maid?

Aphene’s eyes widened at the unfamiliar word attached to the Hero.

He had thought the Hero either didn’t trust people or had no friends since he came alone to defeat the Demon King without bringing a single companion, but he actually had a maid with him?

‘My castle is quite large, after all.’

Aphene cleared his throat with a proud feeling. If the Hero, who never kept anyone by his side, had hired a maid, that said something.

‘Hmm, she looks like she has potential value.’

She even seemed wishy-washy, like she’d fall over completely with just a little coaxing.

So the Hero, who had acted like such a solid person, was human after all.

He had made the stupid mistake of creating a hostage.

…That’s what he thought.

However, an unexpected obstacle arose for 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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