Do Heroes Need Welfare Too? - Chapter 8

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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 8

I kept my mouth shut and pretended not to know.

“No, that’s not it… Never mind.”

Adam bit his hand to draw blood and let it drop onto the contract. The parchment glowed faintly, then the blood seeped into the paper.

Biting his hand to draw blood—what a barbaric method.

Though the bloodstain on the paper disappeared, blood was still dripping from his hand.

“So if you want to survive here, figure it out yourself. I have no intention of doing you any favors.”

“That’s fine! I’m the one planning to do you favors anyway.”

Favors, my foot. I’m the one who’ll have to take care of your welfare.

I wrote my name neatly with the fountain pen. But this didn’t seem to work, as there was no reaction.

Eventually, I pricked my finger with the fountain pen’s tip, squeezed out a drop of blood, and let it fall onto the contract. My blood also disappeared quickly, and a strange pattern appeared at the bottom.

“Oh.”

Come to think of it, oaths are important in this world. Once an oath takes effect, it requires the consent of all parties to dissolve it. But even if I wouldn’t agree to dissolve it, Adam didn’t seem like he wouldn’t.

‘Oops.’

I was admiring the pattern that appeared on the contract when I hurriedly pulled bandages from my bag and wrapped them around Adam’s hand. Since I didn’t bring scissors, I just wrapped the whole thing around.

Adam quietly looked at the bandages piled on his hand. Then he started to unwrap them.

“Hey! Don’t touch it!”

When I shouted, he was startled and raised the hand that was unwrapping the bandages.

“It’s hard to use my right hand like this…”

“You’re left-handed anyway.”

I mercilessly cut off his excuse that came out like a mumble.

I’ve been watching you use a sword for years—do you think I wouldn’t know?

This place considered being born left-handed a family disgrace.

When young, they tried their utmost to correct it. This was because demons mainly used their left hand when using magic.

‘It’s superstition, but many people believe it.’

So usually Adam would hold his sword with his right hand when people were watching.

He was skilled with that too, but everyone has their comfortable hand.

Since we’ll be living together in the same place anyway, there’s no need to hide it.

“Then please take care of me, Hero!”

“…Alright.”

When I reached out my hand with a bright smile, Adam, who had been hesitating, finally took my hand.

Now I’ll take care of your welfare, so don’t worry!

Stress – 52%

* * *

The next day, when I stopped by Dainil Village and explained everything, Violet’s jaw dropped and Ben was flustered.

“My goodness, the Hero really hired you as a maid?! What incredible luck.”

“…”

Seeing Violet’s face change color immediately, I broke out in a cold sweat inwardly.

So Violet, please put down that rope now.

‘If I had failed this time too, I would have been tied up…’

I laughed awkwardly and naturally averted my gaze from the rope.

Violet was making a fuss with joy, but Ben’s eyes trembled like the lifeline of an old man facing death.

I poked his waist with my finger and called out.

“Brother. Ben?”

“Uh-huh…”

Ben, who had been acting like his soul had left his body for a moment, grabbed my shoulder and went into a small room.

Then he asked seriously.

“Eve. Really, truly, I’m asking out of pure curiosity—that food… you didn’t make it intending to give it to the Hero, did you?”

“That’s right though.”

“What!”

Ben’s green eyes trembled aimlessly. He rambled incoherently, saying things like ‘Then the Hero is dead, isn’t he? Did he at least get a stomachache… Would that be blasphemy?’

“You didn’t… feed it to him, did you?”

“Well~”

What on earth did I make? Did I create some kind of poison strong enough to take down monsters?

I played a little trick on Ben, who had watched from the side but didn’t stop me.

Leaving Ben behind me, calling out to me in a daze, I approached Violet.

“You’re going off to do what you want before that good-for-nothing. Well, if you get hurt anywhere, make sure to come back.”

“Yes!”

When I answered energetically, Violet hugged me warmly.

She wiped her stinging eyes and muttered softly.

“When did you grow up so much…”

I had just acted on my own to go home. Her warmth warming my body felt so real that my eyes stung for no reason.

We had spent time together that was long if you called it long, short if you called it short. It’s not like I won’t see her again, but someday when the Quest ends, we’ll part forever.

“But I can still see you again! I’ll come visit whenever I have time.”

I deliberately smiled brightly and comforted her. Then Violet also smiled back at me.

* * *

“So to introduce myself again, I’m Iberis! Hero, please call me Eve.”

“Alright. Eve.”

I had told him my name at first, but this was the first time we were formally greeting each other.

After a brief greeting, I stared intently at Adam.

“Hero, you are…”

“I don’t think I’ll be here long enough to warrant revealing my name, so just keep calling me by that title.”

Adam drew a sharp line.

‘Hmph.’

Even so, the Hero was in the palm of my hand. When was it that he told me his name first?

Oh, yes. I’ll keep it secret until I die that you’re a person with a two-syllable name starting with ‘A’ and ending with ‘dam’, sure thing. Hmph hmph.

I grumbled inwardly and pouted. After how I raised you.

“Understood. Hero. Then may I look around inside the castle?”

Actually, I had wanted to explore since I first arrived.

Even though I had seen the Demon King’s Castle to death, that was only through illustrations and maps, not in person.

You can easily see famous paintings on the internet, so why go to a museum to see them?

When I clasped my hands together and looked at him with sparkling eyes, Adam finally nodded.

“But don’t touch anything carelessly. I’ve removed most of the magical items, but there’s always a chance.”

“Yes! I’ll look around quietly!”

Before Adam, who looked reluctant, could change his mind, I went straight inside.

‘Wow, it’s bigger than what I saw on the map…’

Experiencing it directly, I could really feel the size of the Demon King’s Castle.

‘It’s so spacious, but there’s really no one here…’

What thoughts did the Hero, the sole human—no, the sole being—in this vast Demon King’s Castle have while staying here?

‘Hmm, maybe he was happy that I wasn’t there to boss him around. Since he didn’t leave the Demon King’s Castle, he must have liked it.’

Otherwise, there’s no way he would have stayed and lived in the place where he killed his eternal nemesis, the Demon King.

He must have liked my Demon King’s Castle development plan. Or else, he wouldn’t stay in such a gloomy red and black castle without waiting for anyone.

‘I’ll respect your taste, Hero.’

The thick black blackout curtains that completely covered the hall windows to prevent even a speck of light from entering could be a matter of taste. The statues shaped like monsters everywhere could also… be acceptable.

Even having a demon with red eyes in the Demon King’s Castle could be…

“Kyaah!”

There had definitely been nothing there, but suddenly a man appeared out of nowhere, looking at me.

“What’s this tiny thing?”

“Eve?”

Adam, who came running after hearing my scream, caught my shoulder as I was about to stumble and fall.

I completely lost my strength.

If he hadn’t caught me, I would have fallen flat on my bottom.

“…Horns?”

He wasn’t human. The man who had bent his knees slightly to meet my gaze had blood-red eyes. Vertically slit pupils—one of the common traits that demons possessed.

“I am a Great Noble of the Demon King’s Castle and one of the Three Great Demon Clans who served the Demon King… Kugh!”

“He’s just an employee like Eve… so please leave him alone.”

“Ah, yes.”

The Hero quickly punched his solar plexus to shut his blabbering mouth, but I knew his true identity.

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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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