Who Killed the Hero? Volume 2 Chapter 8 part 1

Chapter 8: The Queen’s Request
 

 
“Do you remember the adventurer named Leonard?”
 
It had been six years since then. This happened a few months after Zack returned to the royal capital.
 
Summoned by the queen, Zack was asked such a question.
 
The queen had started coming out of the underground shrine and was now alone with Zack in a room in the royal castle.
 
“I remember. He’s the one who fought against the demon Belzera in Garnahazza, right?”
 
“That’s right. He’s the one you helped when you listened to my wish.”
 
Zack knows that the queen is the prophet.
 
“Did something happen to Leonard?”
 
“I want you to bring him to this castle. I should probably go to meet him myself, but given my role as a priestess, I can’t leave this castle. Besides, if anyone other than you went to get him, he probably wouldn’t come here.”
 
The queen’s expression was apologetic.
 
“That’s fine, but where is Leonard?”
 
“I don’t know.”
 
The queen said decisively.
 
“Huh?”
 
“I had information gathered, but it seems he’s not in the kingdom. You’ve proven how difficult it is to find someone outside the country, haven’t you?”
 
“…Well…that’s true.”
 
Zack scratched his head and smiled wryly.
 
“But your friends should be able to find him.”
 
At the mention of friends, Zack thought of three faces. They were indeed reliable companions, but not the type to simply obey even the queen’s words.
 
“Well, but I think they’re busy too?”
 
Currently, all three of them hold important roles in the kingdom. They’re not in positions where they can move freely.
 
“It’s alright, if you say you’re going, they’ll follow you on their own.”
 
The queen assured him casually.
 
“Do we need to bring Lady Alexia?”
 
Zack asked about the princess, his fiancée.
 
“She’s not needed this time. I don’t think she’d be of much help.”
 
The queen nonchalantly said, “My daughter isn’t necessary.”
 
Although they have a good parent-child relationship, the queen seems to have become quicker at making decisions after her long, harsh experiences.
 

 
Zack was a bit troubled about what to do and thought he’d consult Solon first.
 
As he left the room, he happened to meet Maria who was walking by.
 
“Oh, Zack. Were you at the castle?”
 
Maria wore a bright smile.
 
Though she pretended it was a coincidence, she was already aware that Zack had met with the queen. Of course, her timely appearance was also intentional.
 
“Ah, Maria. I was just called by the queen.”
 
“Did the queen have some business with you?”
 
Maria tilted her head slightly. From the angle of her head tilt to her upward glance, everything was a perfectly calculated pose. If painters or sculptors saw this, they would make it their subject to immortalize this figure.
 
However, Zack had extremely high resistance to Maria, so it had little effect, and his attitude didn’t change much.
 
“She asked me to find someone. Do you remember? An adventurer named Leonard. He was challenging Belzera.”
 
“Ah, that person? I remember well.”
 
This was a lie. Maria had completely forgotten about Leonard, but she was desperately trying to recall the memory in her mind.
 
“So, if you’re looking for Lord Leonard, I think I could be of help…”
 
“But don’t you have work as a bishop, Maria?”
 
“Oh, that’s fine. Recently, the young people have been working hard, so I don’t have much work to do. It’s almost a bit lonely.”
 
Maria lowered her head and dropped her shoulders.
 
Of course, this was also a lie. The church’s work was under Maria’s control, and she had created a system so dependent on her that it couldn’t function without her.
 
“Is that so?”
 
Of course, Zack knew Maria’s true nature, so he didn’t take her words at face value, but he did feel, “If that’s the case, maybe I could ask for her help.”
 
“Well, I might ask you for something later, so I’ll be counting on you then.”
 
“Yes, please rely on me.”
 
With that, Zack left.
 
Maria watched until his figure disappeared from view, then immediately headed towards the church.
 
Her eyes had changed from before, now cold and calculating.
 
“Now, who should I assign this work to? This seems like a good opportunity to select useful people.”
 
Maria began listing in her head the people she could push her work onto.

READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM


 

 
“Hey, Zack.”
 
After parting with Maria, Zack met Leon near the castle exit.
 
“Oh, Leon. It’s rare to see you here.”
 
“Actually, I was waiting for you.”
 
Leon smiled.
 
“I heard you were called to the castle by the queen. I was worried she might have asked you to do something strange.”
 
Leon was a straightforward man and honestly conveyed his feelings. The complete opposite of Maria.
 
“That’s quite quick. As expected of a count, I suppose?”
 
“Well, information is more valuable than gold coins. Especially for those in high positions. I have various methods to obtain it quickly.”
 
The Müller County had been steadily growing in power since Leon became the head. This was largely due to Leon’s skills, which had grown through various experiences during the journey to defeat the Demon King.
 
According to Leon, “With people like Solon and Maria in the world, we can’t afford to be careless.”
 
“So what did the queen say? Of course, only tell me what you can, but if there’s anything I can help with, I will.”
 
Zack’s face brightened at Leon’s frank attitude.
 
“You really are a reliable guy. She asked me to find someone. Do you remember an adventurer named Leonard?”
 
“Ah, Leonard? Of course I remember. The ‘Miracle of Garnahazza’ is officially credited to us, but in reality, it was largely due to Leonard and his group’s efforts. If they hadn’t defeated Belzera then, there would have been many more human casualties. They could be called the unsung heroes.”
 
Leon, now a count, appreciated Leonard and his group, unlike before.
 
“The queen wants me to find Leonard and bring him here. Probably to give him a reward, but it seems he’s not in the kingdom. She wants me to look for him since I don’t have much else to do.”
 
“Hmm, it might be a bit late, but it’s not bad to properly recognize someone’s efforts. Alright, I’ll help you search.”
 
“You’ll come directly, Leon? Is that okay? Aren’t you busy with your work as a count?”
 
Zack was surprised. He thought Leon’s help would be more indirect.
 
“Well, it’s necessary to confirm whether the territory can be managed properly in my absence, and whether there’s no hindrance to the kingdom’s politics while I have the leisure. And also…”
 
“And also?”
 
“I want to travel with you again after so long.”
 
At those words, Zack and Leon laughed together like they used to as students.
 


 
“So, I understand Zack, but why are you two here?”
 
Solon, the master of the mansion, wore a visibly displeased expression.
 
He sat with his legs crossed wide, resting his chin on his hand. It hardly seemed like an attitude towards guests.
 
“Oh, Leon said he’d help with this matter, so I asked him. As for Maria… why are you at Solon’s mansion?”
 
After that, Zack and Leon had headed to Solon’s mansion together, but for some reason, Maria was already there when they arrived.
 
“Why? I told you I’d cooperate, didn’t I?”
 
Maria smiled broadly.
 
Huh, did she say that? Zack thought he had only said, “I might ask for your help if something comes up.” Besides, how did Maria know to come to Solon’s house in advance when he hadn’t told her?
 
Various questions crossed Zack’s mind, but it was undeniably reassuring to have their cooperation.
 
“…Well, it seems everyone wants to help me. But I really wanted to get your advice first, Solon. I need your help. This is something only you can handle.”
 
At Zack’s words, Solon’s disgruntled face softened.

 
“Oh? Only I can handle it? Well, that’s to be expected. A sword saint who only has strength, or a saint who’s only good at political maneuvering wouldn’t be of much use. For consultations, it’s natural to rely first on me, the great sage.”
 
The atmosphere in the room suddenly became heavy at those words.
 
Leon and Maria glared at Solon with hostile looks.
 
However, Solon didn’t seem to care at all about the pressure from the sword saint and the saint.
 
“So, about Leonard’s whereabouts? Hmm, naturally, since he’s an adventurer, it would be appropriate to gather information at taverns. Also, it would be good to contact the clients who had connections with Leonard. From what we know, there’s the knight from Arkand, the merchant from Novaria, and the village chief from Gastan.”
 
“Those guys didn’t speak very well of Leonard, did they?”
 
Leon pointed out.
 
“Hmph, you might think so if you only take their words at face value, but if you consider the circumstances, you’ll see other aspects. You lot might not understand that.”
 
“My, it’s surprising to hear Solon say such things. Especially since you have so few friends.”
 
“True friends hardly exist. Most of what people call friendships are just relationships where they use each other, beautified and disguised as friendship. Such things can’t be a measure of human nature. That’s why it’s natural to have few friends.”
 
Solon glanced meaningfully at Zack.
 
Receiving that gaze, Zack smiled wryly.
 
“I might be using Solon too, but…”
 
“It’s fine. I’m your true friend, after all. We’ve transcended that level. My relationship with you is different from your relationship with these two. I purely want to be useful to you. I don’t seek anything in return. It’s the same for you, right?”
 
Solon argued passionately.
 
“…Yeah, I certainly don’t intend to seek anything in return for our relationship.”
 
Zack affirmed Solon’s words, somewhat hesitantly.
 
“Don’t you think it’s odd to discuss friendship so logically? Besides, thinking that you alone are special is what makes you so painfully awkward.”
 
Leon had an exasperated expression on his face.
 
“That’s exactly the kind of thing that makes people find you creepy. By the way, how are things going with that girl from the sweets shop?”
 
Maria looked down at him with cold eyes.
 
“Shut up! That has nothing to do with this!”
 
Solon denied it, his face turning bright red.
 


 


! Image


TLNOTE : Volume 1 of this official novel has been licensed for English publication. Please buy it when it’s released!

Because of that volume 1 fan translation in this site will be removed in the near future

otherwise check the internet archive

While waiting for next chapter , I implore you dear readers to read other masterpiece novels that also written by the same author :


The poll is open again, please vote!!!

Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!

BUY THE SOURCE MATERIAL TO SUPPORT THE AUTHOR !!!

Kindly click on the green button above and contribute to filling the green bar if you’re interested in having another LN from the request page translated. Also, every donation is being used to purchase the source material and to fund more English translations.



Please consider joining my Ko-Fi membership. By becoming a member, you’ll also gain access to 2-10 additional chapters of all of the novels from this site translated into English. Last but not least your support will also assist me in upholding the translation quality and speed. For more information, please follow the link.


Donation for faster release is always welcome

Additionally, I am now accepting translation requests.

Spread the translation

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *