Do Heroes Need Welfare Too? - Chapter 53

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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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Chapter 53

“Ha! That so-called Hero is making all the nobles wait. Isn’t this grounds for disqualification?”

Count Cort glared at the Hero while drinking wine brought by an attendant.

His teeth ground together at the thought of watching a commoner Hero act all high and mighty.

If not for that bastard, it would have been a perfect opportunity for his son to make an impression on the Emperor…!

No, his son could have even taken the position of Hero in the first place!

The Count’s son, who had brought back a flower deer, now looked ready to give up after seeing the size of the bear Adam had brought.

The Count clicked his tongue while drinking wine repeatedly.

“The match hasn’t even been decided yet, but calling it a disqualification seems premature when the bear hide he brought looks so fine…”

“A bear is just a bear. His Majesty the Emperor probably has dozens of such hides in his room!”

“But Count Cort… What on earth is wrong with your face?”

“What’s wrong with my face? It’s just a little itchy, nothing more.”

“C-Count. Do you perhaps have some chronic illness?”

A nobleman asked while subtly moving away from Count Cort’s side.

Others seemed to notice as well and gradually distanced themselves. Count Cort, too focused on his anger toward the Hero to notice their behavior, scratched his face vigorously.

“Ugh, why is it so itchy!”

First his hands, then his neck, and now his face was swelling up red.

Feeling like ants were crawling all over his body, Count Cort writhed while scratching himself all over.

With the person who would have loudly argued about Adam’s legitimacy now quiet, the other nobles also read the room and quietly joined the atmosphere.

An attendant raised his voice to make the final announcement to conclude the hunting competition.

“If no one has brought back larger game than this, the winner of this hunting competition shall be the Hero!”

Faced with the Hero’s imposing presence having brought a bear twice the size of a grown adult, everyone just cleared their throats and couldn’t voice any particular complaints.

“The winner of this hunting competition is the Hero!”

The attendant properly called Adam’s name in the formal setting.

Then even those who hadn’t understood the situation grasped what was happening when they saw Adam climbing onto the dais.

“His skills seem better than the rumors suggested.”

“Indeed. They said he was injured in an accident from slipping in the rain, yet he brought back game of such size…”

As the nobles now whispered praise for Adam instead, Iberis shrugged his shoulders.

Finally seeing Adam’s true capabilities, he felt proud as if he had done it himself.

He had long forgotten from his mind the time he had been furious when Adam first said he wouldn’t return but would participate in the hunt.

Iberis looked at the Emperor.

From the moment Adam climbed onto the dais, cracks had subtly begun to appear in the Emperor’s smile.

That sight was more satisfying than expected.

“Well… Congratulations, Hero.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor looked down at Adam as if glaring at him.

His lips trembled as if he was holding back anger.

However, having no intention of revealing all his inner thoughts in front of the nobles, he quickly covered it with a smile.

But it was a smile that somehow felt chilling.

“I’m glad the Hero returned safely. I thought you had twisted your ankle and fallen in that sudden downpour.”

“Of course there was a small accident that delayed my return, but I’m happy to be able to present such a wonderful gift to His Majesty the Emperor.”

“In return, I’ll be sure to give the Hero a good gift next time.”

The Emperor’s face was menacing as he patted Adam’s shoulder while spouting words he didn’t mean.

With those words, the Emperor turned away.

Count Cort was not beside him.

He had tried to approach, but the Emperor had sharply told him not to come near after seeing the state of his face.

“I-I’m not afflicted with a fatal disease, Your Majesty!”

“Do not dare approach His Majesty. If it’s a contagious disease, how would you atone for that sin?”

An Imperial Guard stopped the Count from approaching the Emperor.

The sudden hives on his face.

His face, which was even complaining of itching, looked utterly hideous. It was the effect of a rare poisonous herb.

‘It’s unfortunate that it won’t threaten his life.’

While talking to the attendant who was serving wine to nobles who hadn’t participated in the hunting competition, he conveyed that Count Cort wanted some wine.

And while the attendant was looking elsewhere, he slipped the poisonous herb into the wine glass.

Iberis inwardly smirked at this small revenge.

Then Iberis’s eyes narrowed.

Hadn’t that Imperial Guard just glared at Adam?

Remembering being chased by that Imperial Guard’s colleague a few hours ago, he reacted sensitively.

After the Emperor left, a noblewoman approached Adam as he stood up and offered him a handkerchief.

“Still, His Majesty the Emperor was going to send us back first and then send a search party! The Imperial Household Knights, no less.”

At her words, Iberis swallowed a hollow laugh.

To think he would phrase it like that when he meant to send all the witnesses away and then find and kill Adam.

He felt something boiling inside.

The reason he didn’t point out the Emperor’s despicable attitude was because there was no evidence and Adam had remained quiet.

Though Adam was foolishly kind, he believed he wouldn’t just leave alone someone who had tried to harm him.

Now was premature.

Seeing there was an injured person, one of the nobles generously lent him his large and luxurious carriage.

It was someone who had been glancing at Adam since he first appeared.

After talking with Adam, he looked quite elated.

‘As expected, he’s very popular.’

The young noblewoman who appeared to be his daughter beamed when Adam accepted the kindness.

She was blushing, apparently so pleased to have conversed with him.

“Eve. Come here.”

“Oh, yes!”

Adam suddenly called for her.

The gaze from behind felt prickly.

The noble young lady who had lent the carriage was probably glaring.

Iberis, who was about to just leave, bowed his head slightly to her in greeting before climbing into the carriage.

The Hero, who had such excellent manners, extended his hand again today.

He wanted to ask if he was doing this knowing that the young lady had just been glaring at him.

However, worried about Adam’s condition, Iberis obediently approached the carriage.

From the moment he stood before the nobles, Adam had acted as if he wasn’t injured.

As if such wounds posed no hindrance to him whatsoever.

No matter how much painkilling herbs he had taken, it must still hurt.

His actions were so natural for it to be acting that for a moment it felt like Adam’s injuries were all delusions.

However, the bloodstains remaining on Adam’s abdomen brought him back to reality.

“I’m fine.”

He didn’t want to burden Adam with even the slightest additional weight.

Though he was acting normally, knowing his body was strained made it difficult to accept even small kindnesses.

“Ah!”

“I’m the one who’s fine.”

In an instant, he lifted Iberis up and placed him inside the carriage.

When the flustered Iberis looked at Adam, he closed the door and entered as if nothing had happened.

Iberis looked out the window, hoping Adam couldn’t hear his pounding heartbeat as he tried to calm himself.

Through the window, he could see the Prince and Emperor conversing.

They were so small and blurry, but he was probably being questioned about his sudden disappearance.

Iberis briefly finished worrying about Judith and drew the curtains to cover the window.

Thud.

“Hero?”

“…I’m sorry, Eve.”

He had indeed been pretending to be fine.

Iberis was startled by the large body collapsing onto him, but quickly caught Adam and helped him sit down.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“No. It’s not as overwhelming as it was when we were in the rain.”

Adam muttered as he rested his head against the back of the chair.

Iberis nodded as if in agreement.

Adam had lost consciousness, and the rain kept falling.

While walking with Adam, she had also been on the verge of collapse.

If Judith hadn’t come, it would have been dangerous.

“It’s fortunate the rain stopped quickly…”

“Even if it hadn’t rained, it would have been dangerous. If visibility had been clear, the Mercenary Captain’s crossbow would have been a threat.”

Listening to Adam’s muttering with his eyes tightly closed, Iberis fell silent.

‘Then wasn’t the timing of the rain starting and stopping too advantageous for us?’

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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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