Do Heroes Need Welfare Too? - Chapter 37

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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 37

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“So you’re saying the Hero will leave the Demon King’s Castle?”

She told Aphene a truth mixed with a bit of lies.

‘Friend, or con artist.’

The latter was certain, but the problem was that Aphene knew about Adam’s obsessive behavior as if he was pressed for time.

Bringing someone who wasn’t yet trustworthy to Adam felt somehow unsettling.

Especially when Aphene smiled, she felt an instinctive chill.

Not knowing the reason, she quietly faced him.

What he wanted to know was the Hero’s future course of action.

In particular, he also asked why the Hero was staying at the Demon King’s Castle. Iberis said, ‘He became disillusioned with people and is staying at the Demon King’s Castle until his emotions settle down.’

‘Stress is also an emotion.’

It wasn’t exactly a lie.

At a glance, Aphene also seemed to be hiding something from her. Both were wearing smiling masks, trying to secretly peek at each other’s cards.

After hearing the whole story, he asked a question as if feeling deflated, and Iberis nodded.

“That would be right. Since there’s nothing particularly worth seeing there.”

“…”

Aphene had words that came up to his throat, but he maintained his smiling face.

“Then let me help!”

“Ah… That’s not necessary.”

As if answering his question kindly was just courtesy, Iberis had an unwelcoming expression.

Aphene said urgently.

“I’ll help you get better ingredients! I’ll be a conversation partner! I’ll give advice on worries too. And now you’re saying that’s not necessary?”

“Hmm…”

Iberis rolled her eyes as if lost in thought.

“It’s not necessary.”

If she was going to say the same thing anyway, why did she pause? Aphene was boiling inside but tried to maintain his composure.

The reason he was desperately clinging to Iberis was because she was his last lifeline.

‘If I help this child, I can get the Hero to leave, right?’

Aphene’s plan was this.

According to this little maid, once the Hero’s condition settled down, he would proudly enter the capital like other Heroes after killing the Demon King.

And like any human would, he would stay in the capital.

Then the Demon King’s Castle would naturally become empty.

However, unaware of Aphene’s grand ambitions, she cut off his expectations cleanly.

It wasn’t that he was clinging to the Demon King’s Castle with some particular purpose, but simply because he felt disillusioned with those humans in the capital.

Aphene knew her words were lies but played along.

Winning her over was the most urgent matter.

“It would be good to get used to it by showing yourself to as many people as possible. Ah, right. Maybe make some friends or something.”

“Friends?”

At this unexpected method, Iberis nodded as if it seemed fine. Though Aphene seemed to have thrown it out randomly, that answer made her frustrated heart feel completely relieved.

Now she finally figured out what he was lacking.

Friends.

He lacked people to share his heart with and understand him.

Until now, he had lived with companions so he didn’t know what he was missing, but in this playthrough, he went to kill the Demon King without a single companion, so he had no proper relationships.

‘So that’s why he’s obediently staying here just because I told him to stay in this Demon King’s Castle.’

Thinking of Adam’s lacking social skills, I was planning to directly make friends for him this time.

“That’s really a good idea.”

“Right? So let’s go outside a bit…”

“It would be better to completely change the Demon King’s Castle and invite people!”

“What, what?”

Aphene was shocked by Iberis’s lightning-like words.

While trying to get the Hero to leave the Demon King’s Castle, he was about to lose the Demon King’s Castle entirely.

Change it completely?

What would happen if they ended up going down to the underworld?

Aphene urgently tried to dissuade her.

“Why would you invite people to the Demon King’s Castle!”

“Adam hasn’t received any title, and he has no intention of going to receive one, so he has no personal residence or territory. Since the owner of the Demon King’s Castle is dead, it’s practically Adam’s, so it’s fine to invite people.”

But that owner is right here!

Aphene could only scream internally the words he couldn’t bring himself to say out loud.

But unaware of his inner thoughts, Iberis’s mind was spinning rapidly.

In a direction that was absolutely not good for Aphene.

“Thank you, Aphene. I didn’t expect much when you said you’d help, but it was quite useful advice!”

“Y-yeah…”

Even though he had gained her trust that he so desperately wanted, he wasn’t happy at all.

Because he felt like he had dug his own grave.

Aphene’s anxiety was accurate.

Iberis was contemplating how to renovate the Demon King’s Castle that he loved so dearly.

‘I think it would be best to tear it down after all…’

The reason was to make friends for Adam.

Throughout countless playthroughs, Adam’s companions had changed a lot.

There were major characters who didn’t change often, and there were characters who were different every time.

And among those major characters was Meriel.

The Meriel I saw at the temple before was kind like an angel, and her gentle voice completely captivated Iberis’s heart, but unfortunately, I put her on hold.

It was partly because of Adam who disliked the temple for some reason, but also because Meriel, who had been raised preciously as the next Elderly High Priest since childhood, would never come to the Demon King’s Castle.

After excluding Meriel, various figures including Mercenary Queen Iselda came to mind.

However, in the end, only one candidate remained.

‘When it comes to Adam’s friends, Iselda would be the best.’

Unlike other companions, Iselda had similar circumstances to Adam.

Iselda, better known as the Mercenary Queen than by her name, was literally at the top of all mercenaries.

Most noble knights avoided manual labor and rough work.

However, there were times when strength was needed more than knightly skills, and Iselda magnificently increased the number of mercenaries, following her father who had created the mercenary group.

The mercenaries’ work was to go to villages that needed them and receive compensation in exchange for fulfilling requests. What they did were tasks that absolutely had to be done to maintain a peaceful daily life.

However, the way people looked at such mercenaries was not kind.

“Aren’t they just stupid and that’s all they know how to do?”

Iselda worked tirelessly to change that perception.

However, few people listened earnestly to the stories of mercenaries that the Mercenary Queen defended.

But one of them was Adam.

“Then how about joining me to kill the Demon King and clear your name?”

It was a sweet proposal that Iselda couldn’t refuse.

If she, the Mercenary Queen, helped the Hero kill the Demon King and brought peace to the world, public opinion about mercenaries would change too.

However, with Adam having defeated the Demon King alone currently, public opinion about mercenaries hadn’t changed.

They wandered around without even a proper shelter.

Because of the perception that they did dangerous work and had rough appearances, many people didn’t want mercenaries staying in their villages.

So when there was no work, mercenaries had to wander the streets, going from village to village.

‘I’ll create a place where such mercenaries can comfortably rest.’

Then contact with Iselda would naturally increase too. With her bold personality and Adam’s shyness, they always became friends within a day thanks to Iselda’s proactive attitude.

Of course, it was a bit concerning that the comfortable shelter would be the residence where the Demon King had lived, the Demon King’s Castle.

However, without a Demon King, the name Demon King’s Castle couldn’t continue to stick around.

‘That land wasn’t originally there for the Demon King’s Castle to be built, and it should be fine to change it now, right?’

Sorry to the First Demon King who worked hard to build the Demon King’s Castle, but then he should have lived honestly without killing people.

‘A dead Demon King tells no tales.’

Iberis smiled a vile smile inwardly.

In an instant, Aphene felt chills run down his spine.

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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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