Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: The Retired Hero Can't Live Quietly
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A knock came from outside. My body froze solid.
It was like jerking off and getting caught by Mom—my rock-hard dick went completely limp in an instant.
Who the hell climbs all the way up here to call for us?
— Mom! The village chief's here!
"Uh, yeah, Mom's coming out!"
It was Lisa. Lisa, who was supposed to be manning the counter, had come up to the second floor and was knocking on the door.
"Ugh..."
Denis shoved me off and hastily wiped herself down there. My valiantly fallen soldier slipped out, all limp and spent.
Seeing it like that, I felt a twinge of regret.
"Dyke, get dressed quick."
"Yeah..."
Lisa had a good excuse. Something about handling a situation beyond her authority—a reasonable justification.
So I had nothing to say about it.
...Lisa's not the type to just cause trouble for no reason.
She's a mature kid. Mature enough to know why Denis and I might slip away.
But if she's interrupting anyway, it means she needs an adult's help.
Not just any adult, but one with authority over running the Cradle of Abundance Inn.
I scrambled into my clothes. Just had to wipe off my dick, so cleanup was quick.
Not so for Denis.
"Today's no joke, Dyke."
Semen kept leaking from Denis's pussy. No matter how much she wiped, it wouldn't stop.
No way she could head out right now.
Better if I went first. I had a decent stake in the Cradle of Abundance Inn anyway.
I figured I had the qualifications to talk with the village chief.
I was a hero, after all.
No time to grovel before the village chief.
"Sis, I'll handle it."
"The village chief's here. Handle what?"
"Ah, I'll just chase him off politely. That's my specialty."
"No."
The village chief in an NTR Tsukuru game world. No way that combo turns out normal.
And it didn't.
In this game, the only normal person was the one king ruling the kingdom. Everyone else tended to think with their balls.
Meaning sexual harassment and assault came standard-issue.
So I couldn't look favorably on the village chief. We'd clash whenever we met.
That was why Denis was freaking out and trying to stop me.
After some agonizing, I made up my mind.
"Fine, I'll just stall him then."
"You sure?"
"Honestly, I don't even wanna see you two together. But he's the village chief, so I'll suck it up."
Denis eyed me skeptically, half-lidded, like she couldn't trust my words. Then she sighed.
"Olivia and the others are around... He won't cause trouble, right? I'll trust you?"
"I've never caused trouble. What am I, a kid?"
"......"
What if I did cause trouble? What then?
Was the village chief gonna chew me out?
In a backwater village like this, the chief's word might as well be law... but overwhelming power makes that meaningless.
I said I'd hold back. But I wasn't really planning to.
I always bulldozed ahead. The one who always backed down was the village chief.
The hero who slew the Demon King. That alone gave me sky-high authority.
No village chief pulling strings could touch me.
"I'll head out first."
I left Denis in the room and opened the door. Lisa stood there blankly, waiting.
Meeting her eyes felt awkward for no reason.
"......"
But Lisa was old enough to know better.
I straightened my back and shoulders, acting as confident as possible. Two grown adults sneaking off in broad daylight wasn't a crime, right?
Still, the walk down together felt like an eternity.
"...I like you, Uncle."
"Huh?"
"Mom's smiling. Makes me happy too."
"Outta nowhere?"
"I'm fine with it! As long as it's not someone scary-looking like Olivia, little bro!"
Lisa gave me a thumbs-up with a goofy grin. Embarrassing to even look at.
"...Why bring it up like that...?"
"Dunno!"
Lisa squealed and bolted down the stairs.
The first-floor hall had the village chief and several village men. Familiar faces I'd seen around.
They stared at me with stiff, rigid expressions.
"Dyke!"
"Oh, Dyke...! It's Dyke. Right, our village has Dyke."
"The hero of the previous generation! The man who beat the Demon King!"
They rushed over like they'd found their savior, grabbing my hands. Their rough, farmer-callused palms weren't exactly pleasant.
I recoiled and shook them off.
"What's with the sudden fuss? You painting gold on my face or what?"
"Ahem...!"
Their gazes converged on one spot. They turned expectant eyes, like you tell him.
An old man stepped forward. Circular bald patch, front and top completely gone.
The village chief's trademark.
"Dyke."
"Yes."
I used polite speech consistently. Not a stickler for etiquette, but I tried to keep the basics.
Plus, Lisa and Olivia 2.0 were watching.
"...We need your strength."
"Tell me more."
I'm not gonna jump just 'cause you say you need strength. Put personal grudges aside and give me a reason to help.
"M-My granddaughter..."
The village chief's arm trembled as he began.
To sum up what he said—
His granddaughter was missing.
"The village chief's granddaughter?"
The chief's son and daughter-in-law were ridiculously fertile. I heard they just had their third recently.
They say bald guys are packing heat...
They popped out kids way easier than a nobody like me could dream.
A true factory, baby-making machine—no title more fitting.
Filling spots the second they open.
The chief's daughter-in-law's womb never rested, contributing nonstop to village growth. A stark contrast to Denis's, which had been idle since Lisa.
"First? Second? Third's too young to walk... so the first, right?"
The chief forced out the words.
"Yes. The first, Jenny—she's gone. Thought she was playing with friends, but lunch came and went, no sign. Asked the other kids... they said they haven't seen her at all."
Jenny, the wild tomboy girl.
I'd figured she'd get into trouble eventually. None of the kids dreaming of becoming adventurers made it through childhood unscathed.
Kids who put "adventurer" as their dream job were pros at stressing out parents—and not in a good way.
Good thing Lisa never said she wanted to be an adventurer.
Working at the inn, you meet adventurers and mercenaries all the time. Hear their tales.
Easy to get hooked on the fantasy travel stories.
But Lisa was different. Sneakily sharp kid.
Anyway, the chief's son and daughter-in-law's daughter—the chief's eldest granddaughter—was missing.
One hundred percent, she'd snuck out of the village.
The chief clung to me, face like the world had ended.
"P-Please help! You're the only one I trust. The strongest in the village... a hero!"
Five years. That's how long I'd been settled here. Short if short, long if long.
Things hadn't always been peaceful.
Monsters invaded now and then. Overbreeding packs venturing into human lands for food.
Not that they were anything special—just goblin swarms.
Elementary-school smarts and size made them seem pathetic at a glance, but don't underestimate. Goblins' lusts were real.
Imagine a starving kid swinging a knife with everything they've got.
To a remote village, goblins were a major threat. Especially since it happened occasionally.
"......"
I don't like the village chief. Hard to after he'd groped and harassed Denis.
Same for the other village men.
These damn adults wouldn't leave a lone widow alone. NTR Tsukuru game world and all.
Innkeepers doubled as hookers to make ends meet—that was the setup.
They groped constantly. Butt-squeezing was routine.
Even with wives at home.
After I started staying at the inn, they backed off.
But past sins didn't vanish. Who knows how bad it was before I showed up.
Impossible to fathom.
It kept popping into my head, making me sick. Tried not to imagine, but my subconscious conjured scenes anyway.
I hated the village chief.
"Got it."
But I wasn't gonna let grudges make me bully him. A kid's life was at stake—adults couldn't act petty.
"What's going on, Chief?"
Denis came down after tidying up. She asked the fidgeting chief.
I summarized briefly.
Jenny, the aspiring adventurer, finally went missing. Better find her before trouble hits.
Denis beamed and patted my butt.
"Acting tough, but you're still a hero, Dyke. Can't ignore people in need."
"Been ages since I handed in the Holy Sword. Hero, my ass."
"...Is the Holy Sword what matters? Helping people makes you a hero. Strength's for protecting the weak, not bullying them."
Denis glanced sharply at the chief and men.
They were too distraught over Jenny to notice, but I read the emotion in her eyes loud and clear.
Denis was always the weak one. Innkeeper was no power position.
From the moment she lost her husband and was left alone, she'd suffered from the bottom rung.
She could've egged me on to throw my weight around. But no.
She cheered me on for doing good.
I didn't want to become like those people. That's what Denis was saying.
I didn't want to be someone she despised either.
"I'll be quick."
I headed out with the chief and village men.
Wouldn't take long.