Do Heroes Need Welfare Too? - Chapter 54

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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 54

When they were being chased by the Imperial Guards, rain fell to obstruct his vision, and when it seemed dangerous for him to get more wet due to his injuries, the rain quickly stopped.

Thanks to that, Judith was able to find them easily.

“How was Mia’s Forest created?”

“From what I know, I heard that the power of the first Saint is embedded in it. The Saint entered an uninhabited forest to control her power, and after being exposed to holy power for a long time, it became this state.”

“It’s similar to how animals exposed to the Demon King’s demonic energy are born as monsters.”

“Now that you mention it, it does seem that way.”

Iberis, who had been quietly listening to his words, nodded her head.

A question that suddenly occurred to her made her ask.

“Then how were we planning to get out? Looking at Prince’s reaction, it doesn’t seem like it was discussed beforehand…”

“The Sacred Relic that Eve has. Since it belongs to the first Saint, I thought it might help even a little. Prince Judith coming was… beyond my expectations though.”

“Does Prince have different intentions from the Emperor?”

Iberis omitted the honorific ‘Your Majesty’ after Emperor.

Adam noticed that subtle difference but didn’t say anything particular about it.

“Originally, sons don’t follow all of their father’s wishes. Especially when those things are bad.”

At his words, Iberis brought up the main topic of the story she was truly curious about.

The person who came through the rain.

The person who, despite knowing a loophole to escape Mia’s Forest, willingly entered the forest to save Adam.

“Then is Prince on Hero’s side?”

“…Yes. It seems so.”

Adam was not lying.

It wasn’t the expression he usually made when thinking of Judith either.

“I don’t trust sympathy because it easily detaches when the other person is no longer pitiful…”

Your Hero recalls the past.

“It’s amazing that a person hasn’t changed this much.”

Rather, he looked much more peaceful.

* * *

Thump thump thump.

The regular sound of the rattling carriage woke Adam from his sleep.

He slightly frowned and relaxed his guard upon seeing Iberis in front of him.

‘After ending the Hunting Competition, the Emperor’s distorted expression was quite a sight to see.’

Adam chuckled dryly as he recalled the Emperor’s face.

Adam’s gaze shifted to Iberis.

If she hadn’t come, would he have survived to see that face?

“…”

Iberis, who had been sleeping with her head leaning against the carriage wall, was bumping her head against the wall every time the carriage rattled.

Was this the sound he’d been hearing?

It probably didn’t hurt, but if she kept bumping like this, she might get a small bump.

Adam got up from his seat.

The spot where the arrow had been lodged felt stiff.

However, it wasn’t just because of the wound – when he looked down, there was a splint on his abdomen with bandages wrapped around it.

It definitely wasn’t there when he got in the carriage.

When the wound reopened from moving violently, they had only wrapped bandages around it.

Was the splint Iberis’s doing?

After briefly rubbing his abdomen, Adam moved over to her side.

When he positioned himself so her head would rest on his shoulder, Iberis’s eyelashes trembled finely and sky-blue eyes appeared.

She blinked a couple of times, then looked at Adam who had come beside her and slightly shook her head as if questioning.

It was a face that hadn’t fully awakened from sleep yet.

Adam calmly chose his words.

“There’s a lot of luggage, so it’s uncomfortable.”

“Yes…”

Perhaps still not having emerged from sleep, Iberis’s voice was mumbling.

“Sleep more.”

There was no response.

However, Adam knew that Iberis’s breathing was unstable.

She had woken up but was still pretending to sleep.

Was leaning on his shoulder uncomfortable?

But unable to overcome the approaching drowsiness, soon the sound of steady breathing could be heard.

Adam quietly listened to that sound.

“Mmm…”

After a while, Iberis was frowning.

Was it because of the sunlight?

As he raised his hand to shade her face from the light, he found the reason.

Adam reached out and swept her pink hair behind her ear.

Only then, with the troublemaker that had been tickling her cheek gone, did her frowning expression gently relax.

At the expression that had changed 180 degrees from before, Adam unconsciously let out a small laugh.

The rattling sound of the carriage and Iberis’s steady breathing could be heard clearly.

[Your only god worries about you.]

[Your only god is looking for you.]

[Your only god is watching you.]

Adam, who had been observing Iberis’s peacefully sleeping face, fell into thought in a daze.

For a moment, Iberis and the god seemed to overlap.

No, to say they overlapped – he didn’t even know the god’s face.

The carved figure of the god in the temple didn’t carve a face for the god.

Incompleteness was completion.

Unable to contain his curiosity, he had once asked about it.

[Your only god says they are a peerless beauty.]

It seemed like a lie somehow.

As if knowing Adam’s inner thoughts, his god had raged and poured out various excuses about their appearance and how he would be surprised if he saw them.

‘I really have irreverent thoughts…’

What if the god could read his inner thoughts right now?

Would they send down divine punishment?

He had wished for that dozens of times instead.

The moment he thrust the holy sword into the Demon King’s heart, along with that very familiar sensation, the god disappeared.

But that didn’t mean he returned to that day from long ago either.

Adam was alive and breathing.

The disgustingly cold rain had drummed against his face, awakening his sense of reality.

“…”

Adam habitually clenched and unclenched his fist.

The rough calluses briefly pressed into his fingernails then fell away.

He couldn’t feel pain, but the sensation of still being alive remained.

He had survived, but even he couldn’t be certain when he might die.

Living a reality where he couldn’t see even one step ahead was frightening.

However, strangely enough, he didn’t want to return to that day again.

To the past before he even became a Hero…

Adam unknowingly drifted into sleep as his eyelids grew heavy.

* * *

He had a very, very old dream.

He had become a Hero and met like-minded companions.

The Mercenary Queen who said she would achieve merit and return for the persecuted mercenaries, Kyrillos who said he admired the Hero. And even Meriel who said she would help with healing.

They were ideal companions.

With our power, nothing could stand in their way.

…That’s what I thought.

Killing the Demon King wasn’t difficult.

I didn’t know the reason well, but somehow I had the feeling it would be like that.

The feeling of gripping the holy sword, the scene of looking up at the Demon King sitting on the throne, and this situation of confronting the Demon King…

“Leave this place to us!”

Because it was somehow familiar.

He could instinctively know what would happen next.

The Mercenary Queen naturally handled the demonic beasts that came flooding in like a tide, Kyrillos took on the Three Great Demon Clans.

And even Meriel, who showed divine power at appropriate times whenever those two grew tired.

Killing the Demon King was strangely easy.

And he even succeeded in driving the holy sword into the Demon King’s heart.

Before dying, the Demon King smiled and whispered something to him, and Adam rushed to his companions who had become a mess before he could think deeply about it.

Those who had been sitting slumped over the corpses of demonic beasts looked at Adam, smiled brightly, and waved their hands.

Adam immediately reached out and helped them to their feet.

Kyrillos spoke with a voice trembling with elation.

“We’ve finally defeated the evil of the world.”

“It’s all thanks to you all.”

Adam answered with a chuckle.

It was true.

Without them, Adam would have died before even seeing the Demon King’s face…

‘…Was there such a time?’

A hazy memory like a dream burrowed into his mind.

However, he quickly snapped out of his reverie due to Iselda putting her arm strongly around his shoulders from beside him.

“Ha! To hear such words from the Hero, I’m so honored I don’t know what to do with myself?”

“Do you think I don’t notice you secretly leaning on me? I don’t even have the strength to hold a sword, so get off.”

“Kugh, just let me lean on you once!”

Without exception, none of them had any uninjured parts.

If the final battle had lasted just a little longer, it would have been the Hero’s side that collapsed first.

“Let’s go back. To our home. I’ll specially take you guys along too.”

At Kyrillos’s playful voice, Adam grinned and clasped the outstretched hand.

And just as they were about to exit the terribly familiar forest.

“By His Majesty’s command. Kill them all.”

It was a blackout.

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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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