Chapter 41

Unlike the still and quiet temple, this was a wild event!

‘Come to think of it, Kyrillos was a nobleman.’

If luck was on my side, I might run into one of Adam’s former companions. At the very least, I could watch Adam hunt.

Honestly, I’d already explored the Demon King’s castle about 500 times, and it had gotten boring.

The most exciting thing that happened recently was discovering a strange underground storage room a few days ago.

When I asked Abraxas, who had lived in the Demon King’s castle for a long time, he told me it was off-limits.

“Oh, that place? Uh… it’s just… booze. Yeah! You’re under strict orders from the hero not to drink, so absolutely don’t go in there. And there’s nothing but alcohol there, so don’t even think about it!”

After throwing a grand drinking party with Abraxas the other day, Adam’s stress levels skyrocketed, and I swore off alcohol entirely.

‘I’ll never forget the way his stress levels shot up in an instant…’

Recalling that moment sent chills down my spine, and I couldn’t help but shudder.

The memory of that gauge turning bright red haunted me, making my heart drop.

Even after his stress levels went down, the colors on the gauge never fully reverted to normal.

Still, Adam seemed calm, so I decided to think of it as merely delaying our return home a little.

Anyway, the chance to leave the monotonous Demon King’s castle and head to a place full of interesting events was irresistible.

I couldn’t stand the idea of exciting things happening without me.

And Adam wielding a sword while hunting animals? No way I could miss that.

Even though I wouldn’t be participating in the hunt, I could stay near the barracks and at least watch Adam before he left.

While I couldn’t witness him personally slay the Demon King, imagining Adam swinging his sword made any disappointment disappear.

Of course, since Adam disliked new people, he wasn’t likely to bring on another attendant. So technically, this was for his convenience, too!

When I looked at Adam with a triumphant expression, he smirked, as if he’d expected it.

“Fine. Who could possibly stop Eve?”

In the end, the hero waved the white flag once again.

Hearing that he had already informed the attendants, as if anticipating this, made me feel oddly tricked—but I let it slide.

* * *

With the hero’s defeat of the Demon King, peace descended upon the world.

The moment the Demon King perished, the ominous miasma that had shrouded the skies above the forest vanished, and his minions scattered in all directions.

Even the demonic beasts retreated, remaining within their territories and living apart from humans in clearly divided zones.

The hero who brought about this peaceful era.

Yet, the way people treated such a hero was entirely unexpected.

“Is that man the hero of this generation?”

“They say he’s a commoner, right? The last hero was the child of a duke… What a pity about his status.”

“If we marry him off to a collateral branch, he could be useful. After all, he is the hero.”

“But the Demon King is already dead. Isn’t he useless now?”

“Count Cort is right. Still, he’s like a trophy….”

‘What’s this? A marketplace auction?’

Was it because Adam had holed up in the Demon King’s castle and refused to emerge?

Or was it, as their whispered conversations suggested, simply because Adam came from commoner roots?

Whatever the reason, to openly judge a person to their face, loud enough for them to hear, was beyond rude.

Still, Adam, the one being insulted, remained indifferent, his expression blank.

The way he seemed used to such treatment, as if he’d endured it countless times, tugged at my heart for no reason.

I decided to let go of all the grudges I’d held against him.

“Warrior!”

“Yes.”

Adam turned his head to meet my gaze.

His eyes, which had held a cynical glint while looking at the nobles, softened when he looked at me.

Feeling a strange sense of satisfaction, I spoke.

“Why don’t we leave here and check out the barracks?”

“Sure.”

I gestured toward the barracks that unmistakably belonged to the hero. A flag adorned with the temple’s emblem—a pair of white wings—was planted in front of it.

Staying outside only exposed him to the nobles, who assessed and whispered about him as if slapping price tags on him.

Outside, he was treated like a commodity to be divided at their convenience. Inside, he was labeled a coward running away.

But sparing oneself from hearing such remarks was better for one’s mental health.

Sometimes, retreating like a so-called loser wasn’t the worst option.

Adam slowly made his way toward the barracks.

Taking the opportunity, I hid behind him, using him as a shield, and shot a sharp glare at the nobles who had been whispering.

“I’m fine.”

“What? Oh, I just had something in my eye.”

“Understood.”

Adam, who easily believed my poor excuse, lifted the tent flap of the barracks and stepped aside, gesturing for me to go in first.

I entered the barracks, curious about its interior.

Surely, the imperial family had prepared this? Surprisingly, it was more luxurious than I had imagined. Various trinkets made of fabric and cotton were scattered about the space.

With the weather turning chilly, a small brazier had been placed inside.

Next to it were a white cloak, a blanket, and a thin carpet.

A brazier burned on the carpet, and the warmth filled the barracks, likely arranged with visitors’ comfort in mind.

Adam, too, seemed to find the warmth pleasant as he approached the brazier.

Then, without hesitation, he poured water from a kettle onto the fire.

The flames hissed and extinguished, leaving not even a spark behind.

As the warmth vanished in an instant, I looked at him with narrowed eyes, like a cat annoyed at its nap being interrupted.

“It could start a fire,” he said plainly.

“…?”

Even with deliberate negligence, it’d be hard for the tent to catch fire.

Still, I glanced around the tent, wondering if his concern had merit.

The luxurious items scattered everywhere did seem excessive at a second glance.

‘Now that I really look at it, it’s not that it’s fancy—it’s just cluttered.’

Moreover, the materials on the ground seemed dangerously flammable.

Clearly, the servants who set this up had done a slapdash job!

After hearing the nobles earlier talk about Adam’s commoner status, I couldn’t help but see this as another example of discrimination.

Realizing that a stray spark could indeed cause trouble, I busied myself rearranging and removing items.

“How’s that?” I asked, wiping the sweat from my brow after tidying up.

The remaining warmth in the tent made it a bit stifling.

“It’d be better to light the fire later if it gets colder,” Adam said.

“Sounds good.”

After all, it wasn’t particularly cold yet.

The robe Adam had draped over me before we departed was warm enough.

Though it seemed mismeasured—it barely avoided dragging on the floor—it was cozy.

I tied the robe’s string tightly and adjusted my attire.

Adam would soon have to head out for the hunt, so I reached into the robe’s pocket under the pretense of straightening it.

“Warrior, um….”

I found myself hesitating, which was unlike me.

The tent was empty except for the two of us, so there was no need to be self-conscious, yet my mouth felt dry.

It was nothing important, so why was I hesitating?

Calling Adam but saying nothing, I caught his puzzled look.

“Is something bothering you?” he asked.

“No, it’s not that….”

The way Adam spoke so kindly made it even harder to say what I intended.

I clamped my mouth shut as if I’d eaten glue and just smiled instead.

“It’s nothing! I just wanted to say it’s a shame I can’t watch you hunt.”

Adam chuckled lightly at that.

In the end, I couldn’t say what I meant to.

Adam left the tent, and I was about to follow him when I stepped outside and felt multiple intense gazes.

These were far more pointed than before.

Turning quickly, I spotted young noble ladies fanning themselves as they stared.

Unlike the nobles I’d seen earlier—who looked like they had a child or two—the young ladies appeared to be around Adam’s age.

They openly gawked in this direction.

‘Oh ho.’

A smile crept onto my face at the sight.

‘Future brides for the hero!’

I watched them with a mixture of amusement and curiosity.

 

 

₍ᐢ . ̫.ᐢ₎♡₍ᐢ. ̫ .⑅ᐢ₎

☕ Hi, friends! Your support means the world to me. If you’d like, you can buy me a coffee here: Click the link on the image!

Thank you for keeping me inspired! 🌸

* ੈ✩‧₊˚* ੈ✩‧₊˚* ੈ✩‧₊˚