Chapter 4

After her parents, who were herbalists, died while collecting herbs, Eveline was entrusted to Violet, who was her mother’s friend.

Thanks to learning about herbs over her parents’ shoulders, she played an important role in the village, where there was only one doctor.

‘But even if I’m an herbalist, it’s not necessary if the villagers don’t get hurt.’

Except for a few elderly individuals, there were no hunters in this village, only simple people who farmed or raised sheep and cattle.

Since there were hardly any injuries, Eveline’s job was more like that of a versatile errand runner than a herbalist.

“Eve!”

It felt like I was being scolded. I plugged my ears and repeated the same words mechanically.

“My quota for today’s tasks is over.”

“No, come eat. Mother is calling you.”

“Yes!”

The man who closely resembled Aunt Violet was named Ben. However, despite it being late in the evening, he seemed disheveled as if he had just woken up.

‘Could it be that he just woke up now?’

I had never seen him working or unemployed. He seemed to be good at cooking, but he never had a proper opportunity to showcase his skills.

After eating, I helped Aunt Violet with her sewing and once again pondered on the quest.

Take care of the welfare of the hero.

And relieving the hero’s stress is essentially making them happy, right?

Well, the hero’s mission is to “kill the demon king and bring peace to the world.”

The hero’s personal happiness was not a concern. Once entrusted and awakened at a young age, their personal judgment was not guaranteed. They simply followed the path laid out by the previous heroes.

Just like Adam.

‘But now that the demon king is dead, how can we make them happy?’

As I fretted over this, Aunt Violet, sensing my distress, asked with concern.

“Eve, if you have a problem, just speak your mind. You never know, sometimes talking to people might lead to a solution.”

“Well….”

I hesitated for a moment before speaking up.

“What do you think makes people happy?”

It was an abstract question, and I couldn’t think of anything else to say.

You have to experience happiness to know it.

I might have been happy during the hero awakening…

Aunt Violet looked slightly surprised but then quickly smiled warmly.

“Just feed them delicious food!”

“Food?”

“Yeah, food. It may seem too obvious and basic, and everyone might not realize it, but sometimes just watching someone enjoy a delicious meal can make even me happy.”

“…That’s simple.”

There was no need to overthink it.

I was secretly surprised.

Taking care of welfare didn’t have to be grand; it simply meant enabling people to live ordinary, happy lives.

My previously cloudy mind felt refreshed.

* * *

The forest leading to the Demon King’s castle had become dangerous since the Demon King appeared, causing people to avoid the area.

Even after the Demon King’s demise, not many people ventured there, perhaps due to the presence of monsters, creating a desolate atmosphere.

I pushed myself forward, urging my sluggish steps to shake off the morning drowsiness and continued to move forward.

I had barely slept due to Ben’s constant complaining and struggling with cooking from yesterday evening until dawn. Moreover, having woken up before dawn, I couldn’t stop yawning.

However, the thought of actually meeting the hero soon cleared my mind.

How was Adam living?

I thought he would immediately leave the castle after I disappeared. Going to the capital, receiving accolades at the palace, being embraced as a hero—wouldn’t that life be splendid?

It would be better than living alone in the deserted castle with no one around.

But the hero remained steadfast.

It was just a whimsical suggestion to stay at the castle.

As I approached the castle’s towering peak, I let out a small gasp when I stood before the main gate.

“Ah…”

Unconsciously, I let out a small sigh. Even in the early morning, there was someone outside.

In the dim light of dawn, his silver hair was noticeable, as were his golden eyes. Although it wasn’t a striking color combination, it was as beautiful as a painting meticulously crafted by an artist.

Despite wearing ordinary clothes, the man, with a few buttons of his shirt undone, exuded an imposing presence.

Though I hadn’t seen him in person before, I instantly recognized him.

There could be no one else but the hero in the castle right now.

‘He’s still staying at the Demon King’s castle.’

I had expected it, but seeing the hero there was truly surprising.

‘Why did I have to possess someone after the ending?’

In an instant, all the knowledge I had accumulated through countless playthroughs turned into scraps of paper. Well, shouldn’t there be some benefit to using future knowledge when possessing someone?

‘Still, the quests seem relatively easy, so that’s fortunate.’

So all I need to do is relieve the hero’s stress. It’s much easier than the quest to save the world from destruction.

There was only one target: the hero.

And I was fully prepared.

“The best way to make people happy is probably by being a diligent worker, right?”

Through conversations with the villagers, I came to realize something.

As I went back and forth, fulfilling their requests, I experienced it firsthand. I became convinced that just having one diligent worker around could alleviate half of everyone’s worries.

“And…”

I murmured as I massaged my sore arm, looking at the bag.

When I asked people what could make someone happy, Isaac, who tended the cows, gave me freshly milked milk, while Yuri, who ran the general store, handed me a teddy bear. Adam wasn’t even an eight-year-old child who played with dolls, but he couldn’t ignore Yuri’s sincerity and brought one along.

The hero might not like dolls, but maybe it could help with sleep if he cuddled it.

The villagers, who knew nothing about the hero welfare project, seemed to find it amusing that I was asking for their advice, so they gave me various items.

In the end, I found myself carrying a huge load and heading towards the Demon King’s castle.

I tightened my grip on the bag I was holding in my hand.

As I pondered, I felt someone’s gaze on me.

“Hmm?”

Turning my head nonchalantly in the direction of the gaze, even in the dim dawn light, I spotted a pair of large red eyes glaring at me.

Somewhere along the way, a beast-like demon approached me, baring its fangs.

“Yikes!”

Unintentionally, I lost strength in my legs and fell backward. Looking up from below, the intimidation from the demon seemed even greater.

‘Surely the hero killed them all… Ah, in this run, I intentionally spared them.’

For some reason, it was said to be one of the methods to unlock the hidden route.

Even after entering the hidden route and killing the demons, I felt uneasy about killing the demons who showed no reaction even after killing the Demon King, so I spared them along with Abraxas.

Adam even managed to subdue the demons individually.

‘But could it be a demon that wasn’t subjugated?’

Is this how I’m going to die, with a brief brush of the blade?

Lost in fear, I heard a voice I had forgotten about echoing softly in the garden.

“If you harm humans, I will kill you.”

At that, the demon made a strange noise and fled into the bushes.

Standing in front of the large rock in front of the Demon King’s castle, he looked at me with a slow movement.

The hero seemed to have known that I had come here long ago.

He erased the casual expression he had been wearing until now and smiled.

It was a smile like drawing lines with a brush on a painting. It was beautiful, but it seemed artificial for a human.

“Are you lost? Since there are live demons here, it’s dangerous. If you tell me the name of the village, I’ll take you there.”

Ah. My mind snapped back to reality as if I had been under his spell.

With a chuckle, I approached the hero, smoothing my voice.

And just like the hero, I smiled brightly.

“Hello, Sir Hero! I’ve come to apply as a maid at the Demon King’s castle!”