Do Heroes Need Welfare Too? - Chapter 41

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 41

A wild event unlike the quiet and serene temple!

‘Come to think of it, Kyrillos was a nobleman.’

If things went well, I might even see people who used to be Adam’s companions, or at the very least, I could watch Adam hunt.

Honestly, I’d toured the inside of the Demon King’s Castle about 500 times, and it was boring.

At most, I had discovered a strange underground storehouse a few days ago.

When I asked Abracxas, who had lived in the Demon King’s Castle for a long time, it turned out to be a place I shouldn’t enter.

“Uh, uh, uh, ah there? That, alcohol. There’s alcohol! You’re under a drinking ban from the Hero, so you absolutely can’t go there. No, there’s nothing but alcohol, so don’t even take interest!”

After Abracxas and I had thrown a huge drinking party last time, the Hero’s stress level had skyrocketed dramatically, so I decided not to touch alcohol at all.

‘I witnessed the stress that had barely gone down shoot up all at once…’

Recalling that moment, goosebumps rose and I shuddered.

When the image of the numbers turning red came to mind, my blood ran cold.

Since then, even when I lowered the stress, the color never returned to its original state.

Still, Adam seemed peaceful, so I decided to think of it as just delaying the time to go home.

Anyway, to escape from the same old Demon King’s Castle and go to a place where interesting events were happening.

I couldn’t stand having fun things happen without me.

And Adam holding a sword and hunting animals? I absolutely couldn’t miss that.

Unless I participated in the hunt, I had to stay near the barracks, but couldn’t I at least watch Adam just before he departed?

I was disappointed that I couldn’t watch him directly kill the Demon King, but thinking of Adam wielding a sword made that regret disappear.

Of course, since Adam disliked new people, he wouldn’t bring other servants, so this was also for Adam’s convenience!

When I looked at Adam triumphantly, he chuckled as if he had expected this.

“Yes. Who could stop Eve?”

In the end, the Hero surrendered again this time too.

Though I felt somewhat deceived when I heard that he had already told the servants as if he knew this would happen.

* * *

Peace came to the world when the Hero killed the Demon King.

When the Demon King died, the massive malevolent demonic energy that had covered the forest’s sky disappeared, and his subordinates scattered in all directions.

The demonic beasts also didn’t come out beyond their territory and lived in areas separate from humans.

The Hero who created a peaceful era.

However, the attitude toward such a Hero was unexpected.

“Is that person this generation’s Hero?”

“A commoner, they said? The previous Hero was definitely from a ducal family… His status is disappointing.”

“If we marry him to a branch family member, he might be useful. He’s still a Hero, after all.”

“Even so, now that the Demon King is dead, isn’t he useless?”

“Count Cort’s words are correct. Still, he’s like a trophy…”

‘This isn’t some marketplace goods…’

Was it because the Hero had holed up in the Demon King’s Castle and didn’t come out?

Or was it because Adam was of commoner origin, as they were whispering?

Even so, to evaluate a person right in front of him so everyone could hear.

Wasn’t this going too far?

However, Adam, who was being insulted right before his eyes, had an indifferent expression.

The situation seemed like he had experienced it enough times to get used to it, which made me feel concerned.

I generously decided to clear all past grudges I had held against him.

“Hero!”

“Yes.”

Adam turned his head and met my eyes.

It wasn’t the cynical look he had when viewing the nobles.

I felt a strange sense of elation and said,

“Instead of just staying here, shall we look around the barracks?”

“Yes.”

I pointed to what clearly seemed to be the Hero’s barracks. A flag with a pair of white wings, the symbol of the temple, was planted there.

Just staying outside, the nobles would evaluate and whisper about Adam as if putting a price tag on him.

Outside, he was goods to be divided as they pleased; inside, he was a loser running away.

However, it was better for mental health not to hear such words.

Being a loser escaping from the display wasn’t so bad either.

Adam slowly headed toward the barracks.

Taking that opportunity, I used Adam as a shield to hide and shot them a sharp glare.

“I’m fine.”

“With what? I just strained my eyes because dust got in them.”

“I understand.”

Adam, who readily believed my poor excuse, lifted up the tent flap.

He stepped aside as if telling me to enter first.

I went inside the barracks.

This must be a barracks prepared by the Royal Court, right? The inside of the barracks was more luxurious than expected. Various miscellaneous items made of cloth and cotton were placed inside the barracks.

Perhaps because the weather had gotten chilly, there was even a small brazier inside.

Next to it were a white cloak and blanket, and a thin carpet was laid out.

A brazier was burning on the carpet, and perhaps out of consideration for those who would enter, the inside of the barracks was filled with warm heat.

Adam also seemed to think the inside was warm, as he approached the brazier.

Then he simply poured the water from the kettle on the table.

Emitting smoke, the brazier’s fire disappeared without leaving a single ember.

As the warmth disappeared instantly, I looked at him with cat-like eyes.

“Because a fire might start.”

“…?”

Even if he tried to cause an accident on purpose, it would be difficult for the barracks to catch fire.

At Adam’s concern, I also looked around.

Several luxurious items were scattered about.

‘Looking again, it doesn’t really look splendid. With so many things around, it’s rather… messy.’

There were even materials perfect for catching fire placed on the floor.

The servants who did the work must have done it carelessly!

Seeing how the nobles had gossiped about Adam’s origins, saying this and that about commoners, this also looked like class discrimination to me.

As he said, if sparks flew, the fire would easily spread, so I moved around here and there, carrying things away.

“Is this good now?”

I had worked hard and broken into a sweat.

The inside of the barracks, which still retained warm heat, became stuffy.

“It would be better to light a fire later if it gets cold.”

“Mm, good.”

It wasn’t particularly cold anyway.

The robe Adam had put on me before departure was warm.

Either the size was measured wrong, or it was just the right length not to drag on the ground.

I tied the robe’s strings tightly and adjusted my appearance.

And since Adam would have to go out hunting soon.

I pretended to adjust my robe while putting my hand into the pocket inside.

“Hero, you know…”

I became hesitant, unlike myself.

Since there were only the two of us inside the barracks anyway, I could act confidently without being conscious of others’ gazes.

Somehow, I felt like my mouth was going dry.

No, it’s definitely nothing special…

Why am I hesitating like this? When I called Adam but said nothing more, he tilted his head.

“Is something uncomfortable?”

“No. It’s not that…”

Since Adam was asking so sweetly like this, I felt even more unable to tell him.

I kept my mouth tightly shut as if it were glued, then just smiled.

“It’s nothing! I was just going to say I was disappointed that I couldn’t watch you hunt, Hero.”

Adam chuckled softly.

In the end, I couldn’t tell him.

Adam went outside the barracks, and I was about to follow him out.

As soon as I came out, I felt several gazes that were even more passionate than before.

The stares were so blatantly obvious that it made me shiver, so I quickly turned around to see young ladies fluttering their fans.

They looked different from the nobles I had seen earlier. A moment ago, they were older nobles who seemed to have a child or two, but these young ladies appeared to be around Adam’s age.

The young ladies were openly staring in this direction.

‘Oh ho.’

Seeing that sight, a smirk leaked out.

‘Hero’s future bride candidates!’

I watched them with an interested expression.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————