Do Heroes Need Welfare Too? - Chapter 73

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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 73

First, it was none other than Adam who had been persistently following me around, but now that I approached him, he blatantly avoided me.

As if I was the one following Adam around because I liked him.

I was swept up in a strange feeling.

“Is there anything you need?”

“No.”

“Then is there something that’s bothering you?”

“No.”

“Then why do you keep following behind me like a baby bird following its mother?”

At the direct question, Adam seemed to lose his words and opened and closed his mouth.

“I’m just going where I want to go.”

“Yes…”

I nodded my head reluctantly.

It didn’t seem right somehow…

Just as my gaze was becoming sharp, Adam walked briskly as if to prove his words, then passed by me and went ahead.

‘He really does look strange though…’

I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.

Unable to get a grasp on it, I scratched my cheek.

‘Well, if he needs something, he’ll say it directly, won’t he.’

Even though Adam tended to keep his words bottled up inside, lately he had been telling me his true feelings without hiding them.

I looked at the spot where Adam had passed by, then ran after him.

No matter what, I can’t stand being curious.

Adam, who had passed by me and gone ahead, was standing there blankly not far away.

“Hero. No, Adam. So what are you doing here?”

Was he asking me to play tag or something?

His clothes were sticking out so much that I couldn’t just ignore it.

Haven’t I seen this situation somewhere before?

“Should I pretend not to see this time too?”

“Would you do that?”

“No.”

I said firmly, then plopped down next to Adam. It was an action that blocked his escape route as if telling him not to think about running away. Behind him was me, and in front was a large wall.

Now don’t think about running away and speak honestly!

“Do you really have nothing to say to me?”

“…”

I glared at Adam with wide eyes.

Stop keeping it bottled up inside and tell me your true feelings.

It’s not just a day or two, and if you act so obviously that even Abracxas notices, what are you going to do?

Of course, it wasn’t something that would be a problem.

However, Adam acting differently from usual and looking strange was a big problem for me.

‘I’ve relieved a lot of stress so there’s nothing particularly strange about that. But Adam is acting weird. This makes me feel even more uneasy.’

“…I’m thinking.”

Adam, slowly avoiding my gaze, said in a small voice.

“Sometimes it’s important to speak as you feel without thinking. If you like something, say you like it; if you dislike something, say you dislike it.”

“…!”

Adam turned his head toward me with a whoosh sound.

“Like… you said.”

Oh my.

Adam, who opened his eyes wide in surprise, got up from his seat and disappeared at a speed I couldn’t possibly catch.

Left alone, I stood there dumbfounded with my mouth open.

“No, why are you running away again?”

But there was no answer coming back.

I returned to the Demon King’s Castle with an expression filled with bewilderment and confusion.

It didn’t seem like Adam had come in. With just a little running start, he had climbed over the huge wall that blocked the outskirts of the Demon King’s Castle and went outside.

‘Did I say something wrong?’

When I mulled over the words I had said earlier, it became even more incomprehensible.

Our Adam was definitely in the palm of my hand when playing the game…

What followed was more bewildering than when I had fallen into the game world after seeing the ending without knowing anything.

Back then, I could at least somewhat understand why Adam acted that way.

Huffing and puffing as I entered the Demon King’s Castle, I happened to spot Abracxas standing there blankly.

I casually threw the handkerchief I was carrying in his direction.

Abracxas caught the object flying closely toward him and frowned as he checked what was in his hand.

Abracxas realized what the object was and opened his eyes wide.

“What? Why are you giving this to me…”

“Isn’t Abracxas like a ghost bound to the Demon King’s Castle? Anyway, something like that. Since you can’t go out, I thought you probably couldn’t see the festival you like either. It’s nothing special though.”

“Ah… Well, yeah. Thanks…”

Abracxas accepted my gift with awkward hands.

It was a reluctant reaction, but I was pleased.

Given his behavioral patterns, that meant he was extremely happy about it.

Perhaps because he only lived within the Demon King’s Castle, his actions were predictable.

Unlike Adam, who escaped from the palm of my hand in the blink of an eye and whose inner thoughts I couldn’t fathom at all, Abracxas was still in the palm of my hand.

Abracxas just fiddled with the handkerchief and watched my reactions as if he had never thought about such things.

“Human, you are…”

The handkerchief wasn’t luxurious, but the fabric wasn’t cheap either.

Everyone watching the Founding Festival had one without exception.

I suddenly thought of Abracxas, who had to stay only in the Demon King’s Castle and watch the Founding Festival from afar, so I bought it along with Adam’s gift.

Abracxas moved his lips, then spoke in a voice I had never heard before.

“You shouldn’t live so kindly. If you do, you’ll be used and then abandoned.”

It was a word of concern I never would have imagined coming from his mouth.

“When did I ever pretend to be kind? This is just a bribe. Let’s get along well, at least until the Hero leaves the Demon King’s Castle!”

I expected him to say thank you, but it was unexpectedly different content.

I gladly accepted his words.

However, Abracxas didn’t seem to like my reaction.

He even stiffened his eyebrows into a straight line and muttered in a low voice.

“Still, there will be someone who takes advantage of that kindness. Definitely.”

It was a self-deprecating voice as if it had already happened.

I didn’t understand why he felt such guilt, but I realized that Adam and the demons who served as the Demon King’s limbs weren’t in a completely comfortable relationship.

Was he speaking while assuming a situation where he might betray at any time?

“Hmm, it’s okay! The Hero will protect me.”

“He has only one body, and what he needs to protect is the entire Empire as a Hero.”

“…”

It was a valid point.

However, there had rarely been a time when Abracxas was so unwilling to bend his argument.

Especially when it wasn’t about anything else…

He was worrying about me.

“Abracxas, are you worried about me?”

“Wha… What? Who would worry about someone like you!”

At my question asked with round eyes, Abracxas shouted in shock.

At his obvious reaction, I couldn’t help but smile and said.

“Hehe, if the Hero is busy, then Abracxas can help me.”

“What… Why would I!”

Abracxas amusingly flared up for a moment, then quickly calmed down as if he didn’t really want to be angry.

When I unconsciously smiled, Abracxas lowered his red eyes.

Abracxas never met my eyes in the end.

The red pupils of Abracxas, who always maintained his dignity, were wavering.

Abracxas just fidgeted with the handkerchief bearing the Empire’s emblem that he was actually seeing for the first time.

* * *

“…is it?”

As I was going to find Adam, I discovered him and secretly hid behind a wall.

The reason I hid wasn’t anything special.

It just felt like I had come to a secluded place to secretly peek at Adam, so my feet moved on their own.

‘No. Would it have been better to pretend to meet by coincidence? Of all times, Abracxas had to show kindness now…’

The one who told me about this location was none other than Abracxas.

Suddenly out of nowhere, with a face worn down by fatigue, he said “You don’t know where the Hero is or what he’s doing, do you? Want to know?” so I thought it was just his usual provocative greeting.

However, he immediately told me the location with an expression that seemed to have aged in just a few seconds.

I had come here half-believing, half-doubting, but I really did end up finding Adam.

‘The place he ran away to is just the Demon King’s Castle?’

More than that…

I peeked my head out again to confirm the scene I had witnessed earlier.

As if I hadn’t seen wrong, he was still the same.

‘Why is Adam talking while looking at empty air? Don’t tell me that’s the method he used to talk with me?’

So that’s why Adam kept asking me if I could hear his voice.

It seemed like a different system from mine.

Since entering the game, new message windows kept appearing for me.

Your Hero is asking about your well-being.

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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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