Do Heroes Need Welfare Too? - Chapter 44

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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 44

That’s when it happened.

“His Imperial Majesty the Emperor approaches!”

With the attendant’s resounding announcement, someone appeared wearing a splendid cloak and clothes unsuited for a hunting competition.

His leisurely walking pace expressed his position.

The Emperor looked around like a leopard taking a relaxed stroll.

The nobles forming a sea of people respectfully paid their respects as they looked up at the Emperor.

‘Is Adam the same?’

When I turned to look at Adam’s face, it was filled with weariness.

It disappeared instantly so I couldn’t be certain, but I saw it clearly.

Then, the Emperor turned his head and his gaze fixed on Adam.

His wrinkled eyes smiled as his amber pupils disappeared slyly behind the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

“This time the Hero has participated as well.”

The nobles’ gazes now pierced toward Adam, whom the Emperor had mentioned.

Among them were some who had been judging Adam’s worth according to their own tastes as soon as he appeared.

They were surely calculating in their heads now that the Emperor had directly called out the Hero.

Though they hid their expressions behind fans covering their mouths, they couldn’t hide their eyes glittering with desire.

People’s attention was focused.

Not missing that moment, one of the nobles beside the Emperor stroked his long beard and spoke loudly.

“Hero. I heard you haven’t even returned to the capital and have no proper connections, so where are you staying? If you’re lodging in an unworthy place, His Merciful Majesty might bestow his grace upon you.”

“Currently, I am staying at the Demon King’s Castle.”

“The Demon King’s Castle!”

One of the nobles beside the Emperor asked back in an exaggeratedly loud voice.

It was Count Cort.

As if clearly showing he held ill feelings toward Adam, one corner of his mouth was twisted.

Rather than asking back, it was to loudly imprint this clearly in the minds of everyone present.

Thanks to this, the people at the hunting grounds forgot they were before the Emperor and began murmuring.

All of this seemed like a play.

However, the nobles didn’t seem to think so as they watched this farce with interested expressions.

Eventually, Adam let out a small sigh that only I beside him could hear.

Even so, his expression feigned tranquility.

Even I thought Adam must find this troublesome.

In Adam’s voice muttering “So this was your scheme after all,” I could find no emotion other than annoyance.

No disappointment in the Emperor, no bewilderment at suddenly facing such a situation.

He seemed like someone so exhausted that all emotions had disappeared.

Adam simply opened his mouth with a monotonous expression.

“I am purifying the demonic energy remaining in the Demon King’s Castle. If you speak with the temple about this matter, you will know that my words are true.”

“Well. There are rumors that you handle monsters… Aren’t you trying to have a bad influence on the Empire?”

“Well. If that were the case, wouldn’t my maid over there have died first?”

“Eh.”

This time attention focused on me. However, perhaps realizing it was a joke, small laughter flowed out.

The atmosphere that had been sharply tense as if something might explode at any moment became much more relaxed.

Then Adam raised his voice to draw attention back to himself.

“If I truly had wicked intentions, I wouldn’t have killed the Demon King either. Also, if the Demon King hadn’t died, the monsters would have rampaged and harmed people. Are there any people who were harmed or injured by monsters?”

A Hero not killing the Demon King.

It wasn’t content of a level that a Hero should dare speak of.

The surroundings stirred.

However, no one could point fingers at Adam.

Everything Adam said was correct.

If Adam truly had evil intentions, he wouldn’t have killed the Demon King but should have stuck close beside him.

Only after he explained the obvious in a roundabout way did they finally understand.

The Emperor’s eyes darkened.

To others, he appeared quietly lost in thought, but the Emperor’s eyes looking down at Adam were filled with anger.

The Emperor slowly opened his mouth.

“What would you have done if the Demon King hadn’t died?”

“Then such peace would never have come to the Empire.”

It was a question that implied much within. It was something that could never happen and should never happen.

However, the Emperor spoke of that topic as if it were natural.

But Adam wasn’t one to just take it.

It was the Demon King he had killed with his own hands.

He immediately countered his words.

The surrounding nobles also ignored Adam and evaluated him according to their own tastes, but they couldn’t ignore the achievement of killing the Demon King.

The appearance of the Demon King was an undeniable fact.

The monsters that had been quiet all headed toward the forest of the Demon King’s Castle at once, showing aggressive tendencies and going down to villages to attack humans.

But what could be the reason there are no attacks by monsters now?

It was natural since the Demon King was dead.

Knowing this, Adam looked more confident than anyone.

“The Demon King is dead.”

Your Hero speaks lies.

‘Huh…?’

Adam continued speaking.

“I have successfully carried out the divine oracle that the great God bestowed upon me, and if that were not the case, evil would rise again. Time will tell.”

…Which words was the message about lies referring to?

The Emperor looked down at Adam with displeasure, then clicked his tongue and turned away.

The noble who had been fawning beside the Emperor also hurriedly chased after him.

Boooo-

Just then, the horn announcing the start of the hunting competition sounded.

Adam immediately came and took me to his barracks, saying:

“Eve. You absolutely must not leave the barracks until the hunting competition ends and I return. It’s dangerous.”

“You said it was okay this morning!”

“…My expectations were wrong. Anyway, you can’t. You can listen well, right?”

I could feel a faint trembling in the hands gripping my shoulders.

Feeling that vibration, I had no choice but to close my mouth and nod.

“If I had my way, I’d want to send Eve back right now… but that would be more dangerous.”

Adam’s gaze went toward the direction where the Emperor had disappeared, then returned.

As if anxious that he might come back.

“Where the barracks are located, there will be young ladies not going hunting or nobles resting, so with many eyes watching, it should be safe.”

“I understand.”

“So, absolutely! You must not come out.”

“Yes…”

Adam emphasized two, three times that I should stay inside only, then left the barracks.

It seemed he was going out to hunt following the others.

I had finally come out but ended up staying only in the barracks without getting to see the outside even once.

However, since Adam was very wary of the Emperor, I just pouted but obediently plopped down in the chair.

Recalling that the Emperor had schemed something to put Adam in a difficult position, I fell into thought.

‘Did the Emperor originally dislike the Hero?’

Objectively speaking, there was no reason for the Emperor, who had turned a blind eye to whether the Demon King killed people or not, to refuse a Hero who killed the Demon King without receiving any compensation.

But the reason I suspected him like this was separate.

‘Come to think of it, the Emperor’s attitude was lukewarm in the game too.’

It was before the Demon King began his full-scale activities.

However, the air around the Demon King’s Castle was gloomily murky, as if to firmly imprint the Demon King’s existence.

The threatening black demonic energy that covered the forest sky announced the Demon King’s appearance, and the presence of a Hero was needed.

Unlike previous Demon Kings, this Demon King’s emergence was early. The need for a new Hero arose before even half a century had passed.

People hoped that the already vanished 6th Hero Lawrence would return like a legend, but such a thing did not happen.

Instead, Adam appeared.

However, unlike the past when Demon Kings appeared in 100-year cycles, when the Demon King emerged at an early time, it wasn’t only the people who fell into confusion.

The Celestial Temple and the Royal Court also had no choice but to be flustered.

There was no proper system in place, and those who had lived in peaceful times were thrown into chaos.

This damn Empire had nothing properly organized.

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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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