Do Heroes Need Welfare Too? - Chapter 39

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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 39

The mercenaries were hesitant at first. After all, wasn’t she the daughter of the Mercenary King they had believed in and followed? However, when she received such mockery and contempt to her face, she nodded her head.

“If you have complaints, let’s settle this by the rules of our world. Fight me and win, and you’ll be the new Mercenary King.”

The mercenaries who had looked down on young Iselda rushed at her, but the result was Iselda’s overwhelming victory.

One day before arriving at the Demon King’s Castle, as they sat around a campfire sharing stories.

Iselda recalled this incident like this.

“It felt like every mercenary in the world came at me. Haha, isn’t that funny? Hero. They acted like they should treat me well since I’m the Mercenary King’s child~ but deep down they were looking down on me.”

Patting Adam’s back repeatedly, Iselda burst into giggles.

Though his expression grew dark, she pretended not to notice and continued speaking.

“Still, since I’m occupying that position, shouldn’t I improve the mercenaries’ treatment until I step down?”

“You fought 1 against 300? That’s amazing…”

Kyrillos, who had been quietly listening to the story, also expressed small admiration.

“Our god can also fight 1 against 17.”

…Naturally, I was terrible at fighting.

Though I once told Adam I fought 17 against 1, that was obviously a lie. Unless I was one of those seventeen people, I would inevitably get beaten miserably.

However, they seriously believed Adam’s words.

“When we meet him, Adam, you should immediately kneel and surrender.”

Adam told him to stop talking nonsense and shut Kyrillos up.

And the pointed-out Kyrillos told stories about how scary and rigid his grandfather was, and how he hated being in that household so much that he entered the Imperial Palace as an apprentice knight.

Having killed monsters and taken on villagers’ requests on their way here, they were in the perfect state of mind to open their hearts and talk.

The conversation continued until they finished all the beer they had received almost reluctantly from the people they helped.

The next day, they all died fighting in the Demon King’s Castle.

Anyway, Iselda was someone with a strong sense of responsibility. She wasn’t the type to ignore a politely sent letter, given her belief that she must lead mercenaries as the Mercenary Queen.

Having completed the letter in elegant cursive, I stood up to show it to Adam.

When I suddenly looked toward the window, the sunset was already setting.

I had spent all day pondering what story to write, burning through half the day.

I took the completed letter and set out to find Adam.

I also activated synchronization in preparation for any possible situation.

I took a small deep breath before entering.

Let me calmly organize my thoughts.

To the extent that even if it’s transmitted through messages, he won’t suspect me.

It would be better not to use it at all, but since Adam always smiled and hid his discomfort even when he disliked something, this was the only way to know his true feelings.

I hid my scheming intentions and entered his study.

When I showed Adam the letter to send to the Mercenary Queen, Adam nodded after reading it all.

“Hmm, good. She would understand well enough with this much.”

Adam muttered quietly.

His gaze lingered on the top where the name Iselda was written.

He was smiling faintly, like someone who had discovered a familiar person’s name.

Feeling strange, I asked him.

“Have you ever met the Mercenary Queen?”

Probably not.

In this cycle, she wasn’t his companion…

“Yes. We once had a connection.”

“What? When?”

I widened my eyes and asked back.

“It’s a past I can barely remember now.”

Adam smiled and returned the letter to me. A small candle flickered in the wind, making Adam’s smile waver.

It might have been my imagination, but Adam looked like he was about to cry.

That sight looked so sorrowful that I was momentarily speechless.

When I fell silent, only stillness remained in the room.

Adam also seemed lost in thought, appearing to have no mind to speak first.

Eventually, I pondered with a “hmm” and said.

“Then the probability of her accepting the proposal would be high?”

“Yes. She definitely would.”

But then why did he refuse at first? Ah, they might know each other but parted on bad terms.

It would indeed be troublesome to meet an awkward connection again.

‘Then would it be better to find a different former companion instead of Iselda?’

I groaned in worry at this obstacle encountered at the brink of success.

I felt a gaze quietly watching me.

“Are you pleased that she’s coming?”

Adam’s voice asking the question was still gentle.

No, it felt a little softer than usual.

I opened my mouth to answer his words.

But I realized belatedly.

Adam wasn’t asking me.

He thought all of this was the will of the god behind me.

Somehow I felt a little annoyed.

Both Adam’s god and I were the same person, yet Adam seemed to only look at her, not me.

To think I could feel the emotion of jealousy even though we’re the same person.

No, this was definitely loneliness, not jealousy.

I rationalized desperately and cooled my boiling emotions.

I nervously fiddled with the ring hanging around my neck and said.

“Well. Wouldn’t that depend on the Mercenary Queen’s reply? If she doesn’t come, there’s nothing to like or dislike.”

“She will like Eve’s proposal. For mercenaries who don’t stay in one place and wander around, opening the doors of the Demon King’s Castle and letting them in would be an appealing story.”

“Then why did you refuse at first?”

I almost mistakenly thought he disliked Iselda or the mercenaries.

His earlier reaction also showed he missed Iselda, but she wasn’t a face he wanted to meet.

“Apart from the individual mercenaries’ dispositions, it seemed like troublesome things would happen.”

“Troublesome things?”

“Hmm, like the Prince, His Majesty the Emperor is very interested in my every move. He might see gathering mercenaries as grounds for rebellion.”

“Rebellion just from associating with mercenaries?”

I was reluctant even to speak such a heavy word.

Rebellion?

Does he think Adam harbors wicked intentions toward the Emperor?

But the Adam I see was indifferent to everything.

He wouldn’t bother with rebellion.

If he wanted power that badly, he would have gone to the capital long ago and proudly received a title.

“That’s the kind of person he is. He even thinks that my not accepting the title he offers means I’m not satisfied with small titles.”

Wow, isn’t that paranoid delusion?

“Then why don’t you go to the capital, Hero? If you receive praise for defeating the Demon King, they’d give you at least a small piece of land! At minimum, they’d give you a baronet title.”

“If I went near people and the power within me went berserk by any chance, there could be casualties.”

…What is he talking about.

This was the first time I’d seen someone seriously babble about having a black flame dragon sealed in their left hand.

To think it would be Adam.

I wanted to rub my eyes to confirm if the person in front of me was really Adam, but the indifferent tone was definitely Adam’s.

And that unchanging expression. A face as calm as if reciting a breakfast menu.

I narrowed my eyes and looked at him.

This was to gauge whether Adam was lying to tease me or telling the truth.

Seeing my suspicious gaze, Adam chuckled.

“You didn’t actually believe that, did you?”

It was a joke after all!

I glared at him with all the irritation I could muster.

This Hero seemed to have found amusement in teasing a small maid!

Otherwise, there was no way he could spout such detestable lies with such a calm face.

Now another message like ‘Your Hero is telling lies’ would surely appear…

Your Hero is telling the truth.

“…”

What should I… do.

The message that appeared consecutively was declaring the truth.

Given the system’s characteristic of conveying everything without a hint of falsehood, this statement couldn’t be a lie either.

The only possible hypothesis was that I had failed to check the messages in time while conversing with Adam.

Probably.

‘Is he really hiding a black flame dragon in his left hand or something?’

I squeezed my eyes shut.

He could be raising a black flame dragon with that innocent face…

I decided to understand with a broad mind.

Just then, a message appeared that freed me from all these thoughts.

Your Hero is thinking of his ‘companion’ Iselda.

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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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