Do Heroes Need Welfare Too? - Chapter 96

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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 96

* * *

It was after stopping by Dainil Village that Iberis heard the rumors.

As soon as she entered, the villagers’ reactions were strange.

It was like the reaction they used to have when looking at her in the past.

In an atmosphere she could never get used to, Iberis clenched her fists tightly.

“Wait a moment, Iberis. Come here.”

“Violet…”

Fortunately, Violet’s expression when looking at Iberis was still as kind as ever.

Only then could Iberis finally let out the breath she had been holding.

Returning home, Iberis was able to hear the story from Violet.

“It’s all nonsense!”

“Of course I know that too. How much do we owe the Hero? From the monsters to the inn work… But that’s how the people in the capital are reacting.”

“…I see.”

“The villagers are worried about you too. The Hero is our hero, but you’re our child.”

Rough but warm hands stroked Iberis’s cheek.

However, she couldn’t be completely happy.

Such rumors were spreading in the capital? And to the extent that they reached even this small village?

“…I’ll be going back now.”

Does Adam know about this?

Iberis bit her lower lip as she returned to the Demon King’s Castle.

As soon as she returned, she poured out everything she had heard to Adam.

Adam would be surprised too. And he would be angry. Asking how such rumors could spread…

However, the reaction that came back was different from what she expected.

“Hmm… I expected they would do that since they don’t like me. I was hoping Eve wouldn’t hear about it.”

While saying this, he watched her reaction.

He was more concerned about the hurt Iberis would receive than the hurt he had received.

She stepped outside due to an inexplicable frustration.

With a single gesture, Potato, who had been in the Demon King’s Castle Garden, came running to her side.

“Wait, Eve. Listen to me.”

“I don’t want to! You’ll just say it’s okay, you can endure it, it’s nothing again. I can’t stand it anymore! Potato! Let’s go destroy the Imperial Palace.”

“Squeak!”

Potato lifted his chin as if it were a good idea and stood beside Iberis.

“Potato, wait. No, Eve, you wait too!”

He chased after Iberis, who ran out before he could even catch her.

Then Adam found Iberis standing in the garden like a statue waiting for her husband’s return.

“Eve.”

Adam called her name and approached her side.

Iberis was shedding tears with a face scrunched up in frustration.

When Adam looked at her, she roughly rubbed her face with the back of her hand and said,

“Honestly, it’s so unfair… Is this how you treat a hero? These humans who would have died if not for the Hero!”

“To be precise, if I weren’t here, another hero would have appeared. There will always be a hero.”

Even though it was his own matter, his resolute attitude made Iberis’s sobbing intensify.

His consistent attitude made her angrier than the current situation.

“No matter how angry I get, what makes me even angrier is that there’s nothing I can do.”

“Just having Eve by my side gives me strength.”

Now tears flowed like water being poured from a bucket.

Adam wiped her cheek with his sleeve. Her swollen face was strangely lovely.

Her sky-blue eyes, wet and sparkling, looked up at Adam.

“I’m really frustrated… If it weren’t for the Emperor, I would do something according to the rumors, whether threatening with monsters or whatever…”

“I’m really okay.”

Iberis would be angry if she knew, but honestly speaking, he felt good.

Was there anyone other than her who got angry on his behalf as if it were their own matter?

Her cheeks, puffed up after hearing his voice mixed with laughter, were also amusing.

As the corners of his mouth kept rising, Iberis’s eyes became sharp.

Adam hastily composed his voice and said,

“Of course my feelings aren’t okay. But I can endure this level of insult…”

Iberis glared at him sharply again.

“…though I can’t, there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Adam quickly changed his words to smooth things over and smiled gently.

“I just need Eve by my side.”

At the words whose meaning she couldn’t understand, Iberis opened her mouth.

Was it because she wanted to assign meaning to it that it sounded strange?

‘Those words are as if he…’

Iberis immediately redirected her train of thought that was trying to go in a strange direction.

“That’s right! I’ll stick close to you and get angry on behalf of Adam who can’t even get angry. That’ll make you feel a bit better, right?”

“…”

As if it wasn’t the reaction he had expected, Adam just smiled without answering.

After talking with Adam, even the tears that had been flowing endlessly stopped.

She was quite surprised that tears had streamed down as soon as she turned her back on Adam.

She also hadn’t expected that Adam would worry about her and wipe them away himself.

Recalling his face that had been so close, it felt like heat was rushing to her face.

“I hope this doesn’t just get passed over this time.”

“Understood. I wasn’t planning to let it slide quietly anyway.”

“I’m used to it so I’m fine, but Eve is also being cursed along with me.”

“That’s…”

She was being cursed as an accomplice who had fallen for the evil hero’s tricks.

Still, it wasn’t to the extent that it could compare to Adam.

“So I should tell them not to think it’ll pass by peacefully.”

Adam looked at her with a gentle smile.

“Just because I expected it doesn’t mean I was going to let it slide quietly.”

It was a gentle voice as if soothing her. At Adam’s words, Iberis slowly calmed her emotions.

In the end, Iberis returned to her room and came to plan for the future with Adam across the round table.

“The biggest problem is that Adam has nothing!”

“…It’s not exactly nothing…”

Iberis ignored his timid rebuttal and continued speaking.

“Honestly, what do you think is the reason why all the arrows of criticism are pointed at Adam instead of the Emperor or Security Force who failed to prevent this situation? It’s because they are nobles but Adam isn’t. He’s a very easy target.”

Once her head cleared, she was able to look at the current situation objectively.

“But receiving a title I didn’t get from His Majesty at this point would be dangerous in terms of public opinion. They think both the monster attacks and the children’s disappearances all happened because of my incompetence.”

“Monster subjugation aside, the children’s disappearances seem like something the Imperial Palace should handle.”

“As Eve said, people prefer to attack those who walk the same ground as them rather than the high Imperial Palace.”

She nodded and agreed with Adam’s words. Then she pondered while making a thoughtful sound.

“First, the people’s sentiment is the problem…”

Iberis stood up from her seat and said,

“First, we need to solve the incident that happened in the capital!”

* * *

“P-please spare me…”

“Don’t resent this, think of it as a noble sacrifice.”

“Aaahhh!”

A scream filled with terror echoed.

Kyrillos, who had been showing flyers to people, suddenly raised his head with a flash of alertness.

‘Didn’t I just hear a scream?’

Kyrillos closed his eyes, focusing on his hearing.

As if it had been his imagination, no more screams followed.

Nevertheless, Kyrillos had a bad feeling and moved toward where he had heard the scream.

Before long, Kyrillos spotted a man approaching from the opposite direction.

He was about to pass by him casually when a flat voice stopped his steps.

“If you go this way, there’s only forest, so it wouldn’t be a proper path for a nobleman.”

“Ah, I’m supposed to meet someone here.”

Kyrillos leaned against the wall, smiled, and nodded to the man.

When he stepped aside as if telling him to go first, the man smiled and said “Excuse me then” before taking his steps forward.

It was when the man in the black robe brushed past him.

At that moment, Kyrillos’s eyes narrowed.

Though he looked ordinary, the hem of his black robe was stained and blotchy.

Watching him disappear, Kyrillos frowned.

‘Didn’t I catch a whiff of blood just now?’

Feeling something was off, Kyrillos ran toward the path the man had come from.

“S-save me…”

Then he heard a faint groan.

It was such a faint breath that an ordinary person would have missed it, but Kyrillos caught it keenly.

Kyrillos crouched down to check on the person.

However, after that last groan, the person had passed away, their heart no longer beating.

Looking at the clothes, it was a commoner’s attire.

And these wounds…

‘It’s as if they were attacked not by a person, but by some large animal. Yes, by something like a monster…’

It was displayed as if meant to be seen.

At that moment, Kyrillos felt killing intent from behind and shot up from his position.

With a short incantation, he quickly created a defensive barrier.

A dagger was embedded in the barrier that had formed where he had just been standing.

Kyrillos drew his sword and aimed it at his opponent.

“As expected, your instincts aren’t bad.”

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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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