Do Heroes Need Welfare Too? - Chapter 47

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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 47

Although an arrow had pierced through his abdomen, instead of falling from his horse, he ended up rolling off with only minor injuries.

But could he win against someone with a bow? He would be struck down by a barrage of arrows before he could even get close.

To make matters worse, rain began to fall.

While he could hide his body in the pouring rain during his standoff with the knight, unfortunately his body was wounded.

If he continued to be soaked by the rain like this, the bleeding wouldn’t stop and he would collapse soon.

‘Damn it…’

To think they would bring the Emperor’s dogs when there were eyes watching.

Those insane bastards who would bloody their hands without much resistance even in killing their own children if it was the Emperor’s command.

They were given the nominal title of Imperial Guard, but in reality they were just assassins.

He hadn’t expected them to bring such people to a place with many people.

It was clearly Adam’s mistake.

However, Adam could remain calm because he had anticipated this situation.

Without panicking, he quickly fell from his horse to avoid the sniper’s sight and hid his body in the bushes.

‘I had been expecting this ever since I saw the Emperor’s face.’

What other reason would there be for the lazy Emperor to personally come all the way here?

He must want to see his death.

‘As if anyone would do as you wish.’

If he were going to die to such riffraff, he wouldn’t have become a Hero.

And he wouldn’t have been able to kill the Demon King either.

He had experienced and overcome crises dozens, hundreds of times.

‘How is it that in every moment you wish for my death so much.’

However, Adam had absolutely no intention of dying obediently.

Even if he were to die, he would throw his body off a cliff so they couldn’t even find his corpse.

He would make sure they suffered from the anxiety of not knowing when he might appear to strangle them, even in their sleep.

Adam moved positions while keeping his body low.

The arrow must have flown from quite far away, as it hadn’t completely pierced through Adam’s body.

Adam frowned as he forcibly broke the arrowhead and pulled out the arrow.

He tore a piece of cloth from his sleeve and roughly bound the wound.

Suddenly, sensing a presence nearby, Adam lowered his stance and drew his sword.

Rustle-

Though the movement was swift due to the agile body, it couldn’t hide any sound.

Did they look down on him so much, or was this a sacrificial pawn?

Either way, it didn’t matter.

Adam suppressed a laugh that was about to burst out and put strength into the arm holding his sword.

“Hero!”

“…Eve?”

Adam quickly pulled back the sword he had raised to eliminate the assassin rushing toward him and caught her with his free arm.

“Why is Eve here?”

She should definitely be safely in his barracks.

Wondering if something had happened outside, he carefully examined Iberis.

“You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”

“I’m not, but… what about Adam?”

“…I’m the same.”

Reciting an obvious lie, Adam inwardly scoffed.

To keep his wound from being seen, he cupped Iberis’s cheeks with his hands and guided her head to face toward him.

“Well, the Emperor stopped by the barracks… something felt strange so I came. Are you alright?”

“How on earth did you get all the way here… You didn’t encounter any other nobles, did you?”

Adam narrowed his eyebrows, recalling the nobleman who had lured him to this place.

What would have happened if that nobleman who seemed to harbor ill feelings toward him had discovered Iberis?

‘Should I have killed him after all?’

If he killed him and threw the corpse into Mia’s Forest, no one would dare to go inside to find the body.

That’s why it used to be used for hiding corpses in the old days. Though that decreased after a few survivors emerged.

“I didn’t encounter anyone…”

“That’s fortunate. But the situation isn’t good right now. Someone is chasing-“

Adam closed his mouth and looked behind them.

“Eve, come here!”

He lifted Iberis in his arms and ran.

Then he hid behind a large tree some distance away.

From the grass near where they had been, someone emerged with the neighing sound of a horse.

“I definitely sensed a presence…”

The voice was close enough to be heard.

As Iberis’s breathing became rough from fear, Adam covered her mouth.

This was someone who would react sensitively even to breathing sounds.

Of all people, he had encountered the most troublesome human among the Emperor’s Imperial Guards.

The one with a large scar on his face was the most loyal among the Emperor’s dogs. If the Emperor ordered him to die, he was the type who would smile and thrust a sword into his own belly without hesitation.

“Where did my prey go?”

He had to suppress even his breathing.

Adam pulled Iberis deeper into his embrace.

The knight on horseback holding a crossbow continued to loiter around.

Fortunately, he seemed not to have spotted them and headed in the opposite direction.

Only then did Iberis, who had escaped from his embrace and was catching her breath, seem at a loss for words as she pointed toward where the knight had been, then held her head.

“…Do you know. Do you know who that is?”

“It’s someone I’ve seen before.”

“Is he a nobleman? Why are nobles so desperate to not leave the Hero alone? Those people who don’t even properly know about the Hero…”

Perhaps at a loss for words in this situation of being chased by the knight, Iberis’s speech became intermittent.

Whether she was frustrated or angry, he couldn’t tell.

“He is a nobleman… but he’s an Imperial Guard.”

“Why is the Emperor attacking Adam?”

“…Who knows.”

Adam trailed off.

“Well, what’s the point of understanding the feelings of someone who repays kindness with enmity after you went to the trouble of killing the Demon King for them?”

Iberis, who had been harshly criticizing the Emperor without actually cursing, seemed to understand roughly and looked around.

Then she lifted her damp hand to check it.

The texture was distinctly different from water.

Iberis’s face turned pale white after confirming the identity of the moisture.

“He-Hero. Don’t tell me this is blood?”

Then she moved away from him and examined him.

He was about to say he was fine, but Iberis’s actions were faster.

“I’ve roughly stopped the bleeding, but, ugh, I’m fine. Eve!”

Iberis removed his vest and lifted up his shirt.

There were traces of being pierced by an arrow.

Seeing the undeniable wound, Iberis looked at Adam with a shocked expression.

“You ran like that with such an injury?”

“If I had stayed there, it would have been a dog’s death.”

Even now, he had to either escape before catching the knight’s eye, or kill him.

If Iberis weren’t here, he could approach with the resolve to sacrifice an arm or so to that crossbow shooter with long range, then kill him…

For now, calming Iberis was the priority.

She was probably panicking like this because she had never seen such a wound before.

Adam hurriedly began to speak.

The words came out without thinking in my head.

If I’m late, surely Iberis will….

“And this level of wound isn’t very deep either. After treatment, it’ll heal in a few days.”

“….”

“So you don’t need to cry. Eve.”

* * *

At Adam’s words, I shed tears in drops.

I didn’t even realize tears were flowing, mixed with the rainwater falling down my face.

When I took in the sight of Adam looking at me with concern, an inexplicable sorrow and resentment welled up inside me.

Your Hero is under attack!

The message that urgently appeared as soon as we entered the forest entrance.

I don’t know what state of mind I was in when I ran all the way here after seeing those words.

I kept searching for Adam, drawn by the message that appeared so desperately, as if pleading to save the Hero.

I couldn’t help but resent Adam, who didn’t understand that feeling.

“…First, I need to stop the bleeding.”

After wiping my eyes with the back of my hand that wasn’t stained with blood, I took out my handkerchief once my tears had somewhat stopped.

The white handkerchief turned bright red in less than a few seconds.

When my expression contorted, Adam said playfully.

“It’s too precious to use in a place like this.”

“Is now the time for such jokes?”

If he intended to provoke my anger, I wanted to tell him it was a great success.

But under the principle that I shouldn’t get angry at a patient, I gritted my teeth and used the handkerchief to stop Adam’s bleeding.

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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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