Do Heroes Need Welfare Too? - Chapter 80

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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 80

When a person is too shocked, they might lose their voice.

I welcomed the stuffy wind hitting my face without making a single sound.

And I couldn’t utter a single word until Iselda set me down on the ground.

As soon as my legs touched the ground, they gave out and I collapsed with a thud.

The cool air from the ground traveled up through my knees.

From above, I heard Iselda’s bright voice, oblivious to everything.

“It’s cool coming out after being trapped in the fire for so long, isn’t it?”

“…”

Could being cool lead to death?

No matter how I thought about it, it was amazing that she and Adam had been close comrades.

Though that wasn’t the case now.

My stomach was still churning as if I’d ridden a ride that drops vertically from above.

No, considering there wasn’t even a safety belt, it was impressive that I didn’t faint during the fall.

At least I didn’t show an unsightly state like Ben who had completely passed out beside me, so it was fortunate amid misfortune.

I couldn’t tell my lifesaver the truth, so I shared my honest feelings in a roundabout way.

“It’s something I never want to experience again…”

When I muttered quietly, Iselda chuckled.

Iselda went to fetch Aphene as well. I headed to the stream and washed my face that was covered in ash.

My throat felt scratchy, probably from inhaling so much smoke.

After rinsing my mouth with water, I approached where Ben was.

“Ah…”

Only then did I turn my head to look at the inn burning in flames.

It was the inn that Violet and Ben had cultivated and cherished.

The inn that Violet’s late husband had passed down through generations was turning to ash.

Unless the fire stopped right now, if it burned any more, it would collapse completely.

‘If only it would rain…’

I looked up at the sky, but there wasn’t a single dark cloud in the dark night sky.

Meanwhile, the flames were only growing fiercer as if they would burn everything down.

Thanks to Iselda, there were no casualties, so the remaining debris could be easily cleaned up, but Violet’s decades of effort would go to waste.

She would have to start over from nothing with terrible pain.

‘Rain, please fall. I’ll do a rain ritual or whatever later if you just make it rain…!’

I made a wish with desperation.

You should grant wishes on Founding Festival day.

You said you’d fulfill the wishes of those around me!

When my wish was gradually turning into an accusation against someone, I slowly lowered my hand.

Suddenly my nose felt hot and a nosebleed started flowing.

I quickly grabbed my nose.

‘The rain I want won’t come…’

At that moment, something cold brushed past my cheek and fell.

“…!”

Tap, tap tap.

“Rain!”

The rain that had been falling lightly soon began pouring heavily throughout the village.

In my joy, I smiled brightly, forgetting the situation.

The blood that had been flowing as if it were the price for rain was washed away by the rainwater.

Then, as I tried to stand up abruptly, I lost my balance and staggered before collapsing.

I was breathing hard and my head hurt as if I had run around the entire village alone.

‘Is this a delayed aftereffect from inhaling smoke?’

In the end, I lay down quietly beside Ben.

I truly didn’t have the strength to move even one more finger.

The murmuring sounds of the villagers rang in my ears, but they probably wouldn’t see me lying in the secluded forest.

I’ll just rest a little and then go out.

Since it was raining, the fire would be extinguished soon and the situation would be easily resolved.

Rustle-

“…!”

Then, at the small sound of someone approaching, my eyes snapped open.

Perhaps from being startled, my body felt stiff as if I had muscle pain, so I couldn’t sit up and only rolled my eyes to look at the person.

“Hello?”

“…”

What emerged from the thicket was a man leaning on a crutch.

He had faded platinum hair and one eye wrapped in bandages…

‘The nobleman… Was his name Lindel?’

For some reason, he was a nobleman who had come to the village one day.

He was definitely a nobleman, but he lived alone in a small hut on a hill without a single attendant.

He was said to be living without coming down to the lower village…

Though he didn’t openly go around saying he was a nobleman, it was difficult to hide the noble bearing, attitude, and gestures he had developed throughout his life.

Nevertheless, because he was a nobleman, the villagers were cautious when mentioning him, preparing for any possible situation.

Even I had only heard stories about him through others and had never actually seen his face.

Unlike people whose faces were tanned or scarred from outdoor work, his skin was snow-white.

His skin was like white jade, as if he had never done any menial work, so I couldn’t help but know he was the rumored Lindel.

However, I couldn’t understand why such a nobleman had come here.

“Was there a fire?”

“… As you can see.”

Thanks to that, my tone became sharp.

In contrast, his voice was calm.

It was unsettling to hear such a peaceful voice asking questions when flames that hadn’t yet been extinguished were visible not far away.

“I see.”

The nobleman nodded obediently.

When he stepped forward, I tried to sit up awkwardly.

“It would be better for you to keep lying down.”

“Ugh.”

However, he pressed my forehead with his finger to make me lie back down and slowly moved his steps.

I rubbed my forehead where he had pressed and replied sharply.

“Then why did you come here, nobleman?”

“Well. I could hear sounds like ‘Demon King this, Demon King that’ all the way to where I was, like the squealing of a pig being slaughtered.”

“…”

Unlike his soft and peaceful voice, his words were caustic.

The nobleman then took out a handkerchief from his pocket.

However, upon confirming that the handkerchief was wet from the sudden rain, he slightly furrowed his brow.

Then he placed it on my face as if dropping it.

I guessed it was for wiping away the remaining blood and held the handkerchief while looking at him.

“Are you not related to the fire?”

Lindel’s only remaining eye, resembling green shade, turned toward where the inn with subsiding flames was located.

“Probably. Unless that person came to kill me, I’m not interested.”

“Then are you interested in taking us, who can’t control our bodies and are lying here, to where people are?”

“No.”

Lindel, who flatly refused, looked up to check the sky.

“Rain that suddenly fell when there was nothing… You’re lucky.”

With those words, Lindel turned and left.

‘Lucky, he said…’

I too lifted my head to look up at the sky, just as Lindel had done.

The rain that had been pouring down like a torrential downpour was gradually subsiding.

It had only extinguished the fire at the inn before disappearing.

As if nothing had happened at all.

I felt strangely exhausted and collapsed onto the spot.

I muttered while fidgeting with the Sacred Relic hanging around my neck.

The metal ring that should have been cold was strangely hot.

I’m sure it was like this last time too…

“What is Adam doing right now…”

I could know Adam’s thoughts right now if I wanted to.

However, when I recalled Adam’s face as he coldly ended our conversation, the desire to synchronize disappeared, and all my strength drained away completely.

Adam hadn’t come to help me even when I was in danger.

He had truly withdrawn all interest from me.

‘No, that’s not right. Then I should give him a good punch to feel satisfied.’

I had been lying powerlessly on the ground, but I mustered every ounce of strength I had and shot up.

My head was throbbing from inhaling the smoke, but wiping myself with cold water made it somewhat bearable.

Once the fire cleanup was completely finished.

Let’s return to the Demon King’s Castle.

And I’ll try to have a conversation with Adam. If that fails, I’ll demand compensation for all the mental anguish I’ve suffered by lying on the ground and throwing a tantrum.

Until Adam tells me to just hit him once and leave.

The fire had stopped, but it had been noisy out front since earlier. Now that the rain had stopped, people’s voices could be heard even more clearly.

I slowly moved my steps toward where the sounds were coming from.

Just then, the Sacred Relic trembled slightly.

‘Is it telling me to go this way?’

As if it had a will of its own, the Sacred Relic pulled me to the left.

It was the opposite direction from where people were gathered.

Could there be something there?

I was soon able to spot a person covered in black smoke. At first, I thought it was just a hallucination that appeared because I kept thinking about him.

But it wasn’t a hallucination or anything like that.

I discovered the unstable Adam, just like that dawn before, and ran toward him.

“Adam!”

However, the moment my hand touched his body, a fierce resistance occurred.

Normally, the heat mirages would lose their momentum and scatter the moment I touched them.

But this time, as if they had won the defensive battle, they didn’t disappear easily and wavered around Adam.

‘In this case, I need to get Adam to come to his senses first…’

The situation overlapped with that night before. Adam who wouldn’t respond no matter how much I called, and me watching him.

The difference was that Adam kept muttering something.

“Why only me… Why am I the only one alive…”

What could this be about?

I quietly faced Adam.

Even if Adam wouldn’t look at me, as always, I alone would watch over him.

“Eve died in the end too…”

His pupils were hazy.

His eyes, which were always rational, had lost focus and were wandering.

Yet his expression was peaceful.

As if this was meant to happen.

It was a face of resignation.

“Once again, I couldn’t protect anyone.”

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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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