How To Leave The Hero Party- Chapter 28

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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“Well… if you really want to go in…”

“No, it’s fine. I don’t need to invade your privacy.”

I’ll go in later, when we’re closer. No point in forcing my way in and causing problems that could mess up my plans.

“……”

Veronica stared at me, her expression unreadable. The wind blew, and her silver hair fluttered against her black robes.

She had always looked cold in the game illustrations, but seeing her like this, she looked even more so.

“Oh, right? Then let’s go and get this over with.”

She turned abruptly and walked away. I watched her go, then tilted my head.

What was that about?

“Hey! Wait up!”

There was always a reason why people avoided certain tasks, but I hadn’t expected it to be this bad.

I looked at Veronica, standing at the entrance to the storeroom. She avoided my gaze.

“Why is this place in such a mess?”

“Well, the inquisitors just dump the non-heretical items they confiscate here…”

“Don’t tell me they just throw important and dangerous items in here too.”

“Of course not! Those are stored properly!”

“I see. Anyway, we just need to clean this up, right?”

“The items to be disposed of can be set aside, and the acolytes will take care of them. Alright, let’s do this.”

Veronica rolled up the sleeves of her black robes. Was she planning on helping? I grabbed the hood of her robe as she was about to enter.

“What?”

“The Cardinal can just rest. I can handle this by myself.”

“You’re going to clean this whole storeroom by yourself?”

“It’s nothing.”

In the game, this storeroom cleaning quest required at least three people, one of whom had to be a mage and another a warrior.

Because their skills were necessary.

But since I could use skills from all classes, I could do it alone.

“Should I bring you a lantern?”

“No. Light.”

I used a basic magic spell to create a sphere of light, illuminating the dark, cluttered storeroom. So much junk.

“Oh, there’s some decent equipment here.”

“Feel free to take anything you need.”

“Then I’ll take you up on that offer.”

Since these were items confiscated from cultists, it was unlikely there would be any low-grade items you could buy in a shop. I picked up a sword that was lying on a large cabinet and unsheathed it.

It had been untouched for a long time, so the blade was a bit dull, but it was a good sword.

“I’ll take some of the weapons.”

I needed weapons to register with Moonlight anyway, so this was perfect.

As I set the sword aside, Veronica came over, checked the label on it, and nodded.

“Yes, of course.”

“Where did you get this? It looks pretty good.”

“A long time ago, during the subjugation of the heretical Heart Dragon, the archbishop of that cult used this sword. We examined it, just in case, but it turned out to be just a regular sword, so we stored it here. See this crest?”

“Oh, I see.”

“I thought you would know just by looking at the crest.”

This wasn’t in the game, so I didn’t know. I gave a vague nod and picked up an axe.

“And this?”

“We got this when we captured the cannibalistic berserker, Rokat. There was a theory that his madness was caused by the axe.”

“But it wasn’t?”

“No. It was a demon that had possessed his body.”

There were many other items in this storeroom, each with its own story.

As Veronica explained, I examined the various items and took the weapons I needed.

“You could get better equipment if you took on other quests…”

“This is enough. Alright, let’s begin.”

After registering a staff, once used by a snake-worshipping cultist, with Moonlight, I held it up. The Moonlight transformed into a staff that emitted a soft, green glow. I immediately activated a skill.

“Wind.”

Perhaps because Moonlight itself was a powerful item, the magic was stronger than usual.

A gust of wind swept through the storeroom, gathering the dust and foul odors and blowing them outside. I checked the list Veronica had given me and started working.

“Are you sure you don’t need any help?”

“Of course. Go outside. If you want, you can buy me a cup of tea when I’m done.”

“Uh… okay. I’ll prepare the best tea.”

Although I had said I didn’t need any help, a few acolytes, presumably sent by Veronica, came to the storeroom. But I really didn’t need their help, so I sent them away. When I was mostly done, a nun came to inspect my work.

“Wow, this is amazing! I didn’t expect it to be so clean…”

“The items to be disposed of are over there, and the rest are arranged on the shelves according to this list. And I repaired the broken parts of the shelves.”

“You even repaired them?”

“Yes. And the corner of the storeroom is crumbling. If you give me the materials, I can fix it. I’m skilled in masonry and construction…”

“Oh my… you’ve worked so hard. We’ll take care of that. This is more than enough!”

So, it was a great success, right? Judging by the nun’s satisfied expression, it seemed so.

“Ah, and for your reward, you’ll receive three bottles of holy water.”

“I’ll gladly accept.”

“Cardinal Veronica asked to see you when you were finished.”

“Understood.”

After getting Veronica’s location, I closed the storeroom door. I immediately headed to the small garden behind the building.

Veronica was waiting for me with tea prepared.

“You’re done? Good work.”

“It was nothing. Got anything else for me? Like cleaning another storeroom?”

“Well… I don’t think there’s anything similar at the moment.”

While there were many quests adventurers avoided, the same didn’t seem to be true for the Church.

But there was no point in complaining about a lack of quests.

So, I decided to use my connections.

Might as well use what I had.

“Can’t I just take on requests from you directly?”

“Well… I am a high-ranking priest of the Church. If it’s a reward I can provide myself…”

“If you have any difficult tasks, don’t hesitate to call me. I’ll drop everything and come running.”

“…Oh, really? If it’s a task that requires your assistance, the reward would have to be…”

“Don’t mistake my pure goodwill and kindness. Do you think I’m helping you for a reward?”

It was the number of quests completed that mattered. The count.

Honestly, I didn’t care about holy artifacts, potions, or holy water.

“…What… what do you mean… sigh… Never mind. Just drink your tea.”

As she poured the red tea, I took a sip. As expected of a cardinal, the tea and cookies were excellent.

“So? Where are you going now?”

“Back to the palace.”

My base of operations was currently the palace. I had to continue teaching Lucille, completing quests from the Adventurer’s Guild, and working on my achievements.

I checked my remaining achievements as I answered. Veronica stared at me intently.

“Have you ever thought about settling down?”

“Nope.”

“Why? You must have saved up a lot of money.”

“My pockets are full of dust.”

“Where did you spend all the money you earned?”

Where did I spend it? On achievements, of course.

Achievements like saving a village from famine, or healing an old, sick woman.

Rescuing enslaved demi-humans.

And leveling up life skills like cooking, metallurgy, woodworking, leatherworking, and jewelcrafting required a lot of money.

So, I spent it all on that.

“And the quests I take on aren’t very lucrative.”

“Haaah… sometimes, I think you’re more of a priest than I am. In that case, why don’t you just join the Church?”

“No, thanks. Anyway, the tea was good, and so were the cookies. I should get going.”

“…You’re not going to see the Hero’s Party… Claire, Leventia, and Evangeline… before you go?”

“Them? Why?”

There was no need to see them, and no reason to. I answered casually and raised my hand.

“See you later. If anything comes up, contact me at the palace.”

“…Anything?”

“Anything.”

As long as it counted as a Church quest, I would gladly come.

I held out my hand to Veronica. She hesitated for a moment, then took it.

“See you later.”

“…Yeah. Take care.”

Veronica squeezed my hand and gave a faint smile. As she slowly released my hand, I chuckled.

“Well then, farewell!”

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As he left, as quickly as the wind, Veronica sighed heavily.

He was truly a man without greed.

It had been the same when the Hero’s Party defeated the Demon King.

After meeting him for the first time in Silver Village and receiving his help, she had investigated him.

The Sage.

Completely different from the self-proclaimed wise men who had only ever been all talk.

His affiliation, his identity, his origins.

All of it was a mystery, which made him all the more suspicious.

But his actions were those of a true sage, a truly good person.

The more she investigated him, the more interested Veronica became in Hyun-woo.

And that interest, over time, didn’t fade. Instead, it grew, taking root deep within her.

Like a wildfire in a field,

It grew larger and larger.

“You’ve worked hard today.”

A priestess greeted Veronica politely as she was returning to her room. Veronica looked at her, then scratched her cheek and asked,

“Sister Rorvenia.”

“Yes?”

“You’re married and have a child, correct?”

“Huh? Ah, yes.”

The Church allowed its priests to marry and have children. Of course, not many of the more devout clergy chose to marry, but even the Pope himself had a wife.

As she thought about it, Veronica smiled faintly at Sister Rorvenia.

“Isn’t it difficult? Balancing your duties at the Church with your family life…”

“My husband is very domestic and kind, and he’s a great support, so it’s not too much of a burden.”

“…I see. Domestic… Alright, you may go.”

Veronica watched her go, then sighed heavily.

Domestic, supportive, kind.

Muttering the words she had just heard, she arrived at her room.

Veronica released the seal made of holy power and opened the door.

Only after entering the room, a room no one else could enter, could she finally relax.

“Oh, light.”

A light bloomed in her hand and touched the ceiling, illuminating the room.

From the walls to the desk, the bed, and various other places,

Were all sorts of materials and pictures of the Sage.

Things she had gathered since her interest in him had been piqued.

Materials collected by monitoring his every move.

The room, filled with countless materials and pictures of Hyun-woo, the object of her reverence and fascination, was a room she could never show him.

Even someone as kind-hearted as him might be put off by this.

So, she had to hide it.

No one could ever know.

Her personal treasures, which healed her just by looking at them whenever she was struggling.

“Aah…”

But these pictures,

And these dolls, made in his likeness,

Were nothing compared to the real Hyun-woo, who had been laughing and talking beside her just moments ago.

Veronica sank onto the bed. And she slowly placed the teacup Hyun-woo had been drinking from on the table beside her bed.

Another treasure added to her collection.

She tapped it with a long finger and smiled, then hugged a large pillow with Hyun-woo’s picture on it and muttered,

“I will… protect you…”

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