I Kidnapped the Hero Party – Chapter 11

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Going back in time, two hours after Lee Jun-woo had kidnapped Hare.

The thugs were cleaning up the corpse of their boss whom Jun-woo had killed.

“Damn it, to think the boss would die so easily…”

“He was supposed to be a knight. He said he learned swordsmanship! Shit. What are we supposed to do with our lives now?”

“What else, the boss position is empty. We should take it.”

The five thugs discussed who would become the new master of the Trash Heap while wiping the blood stained on the floor.

Strangely, they all thought that they should become the ‘boss’.

Among them, the thug with the best fighting skills shouted.

“Ahem, then shall we decide fairly by fighting ability? How about it? Not bad, right?”

“I agree. To be the master of the Trash Heap, you need to be strong.”

“Th-Then, I agree too!”

With the agreement of 3 out of 5, a majority, the new master would be decided by fighting.

Those who were wiping the bloodstains with rags began to glare at each other.

They knew that if they rushed in carelessly, they would be beaten up by the group.

Just as they were all watching each other, waiting for someone to fight first.

A frivolous male voice began to be heard.

“What’s this. Are these guys fighting? More importantly, where’s the girl? Tsk, this is troublesome.”

A man with an appearance similar to a priest, wearing a white hood turned inside out.

The man with the frivolous voice squeezed between the thugs.

And he asked the thug who was best at fighting.

“Hey kid. Didn’t a girl come here?”

“Ki-Kid? You bastard. Do you want to die?”

The thug, angered for a moment, tried to swing his fist.

However, someone was holding his fist from behind.

Immediately, a solemn male voice was heard.

“…This is pointless. Su. There’s no need for conversation with these idiots.”

“Stay still for once, Hugo. I was trying to have some fun after a long time~”

“What? Did you call us idio-”

Crack-!

The thug who was hit by a fist flew and was buried in the wall.

The face of the thug who had been confident in fighting became unrecognizable.

Just from one punch.

“Tsk, Hugo. It’s not fun if you kill them like this, thin and long. Don’t you know what that means?”

“I don’t know. Thick and short is the most comfortable.”

“…”

Wh-What are these men?

The thugs couldn’t open their mouths carelessly in the overwhelming atmosphere.

In that frightening atmosphere, the frivolous man began to take out a book from his breast pocket.

A black book with an ominous aura leaking out.

One of the thugs knew the name of that book.

“Grimoire…”

“Oh, what? You know this? Alright, I’ve decided on you. Come here.”

The thug approached the frivolous man with his body shrunk as much as possible.

Beneath the hood, an ominous smile hung on the man’s lips.

“Yes, good. If you answer properly, you might live. You tell me. A girl came here, right?”

“Y-Yes! Just before! She came!”

“Hmm, is that so? But why does my Grimoire still say that the girl is here?”

“…Pardon?”

“Our Demon Lord’s ‘guidance’ can’t be wrong. I, as a believer, can’t doubt the Demon Lord… The answer is already decided. You’re lying, aren’t you?”

The ominous smile stretched to his cheeks, and a thin, long, black ‘rapier’ began to emerge from the frivolous man’s Grimoire.

He shouted as if amused, taking in the frightened group of thugs with his eyes.

“Well then, shall we find out who’s lying?”

The future had been changed by Lee Jun-woo.

Unaware of this, he began to torture the thugs, stabbing them with the long rapier.

Thin and long.

The pain was short, but the torture time was long.

Because they wouldn’t die easily.

“Th-The girl is no-not here..! She ran away to another place-!”

“There’s no way the Demon Lord would lie, you trash. Tell me right now.”

Where is the Hero’s party.

They who followed the Demon Lord were also looking for the Hero’s party.

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As time passed, the Hero’s training continued.

“Training is over, Hero. Good work.”

“Good work my-! Huff- What! Sa-Save me…”

…Perhaps I pushed her too far to the limit today.

It was training that increased in intensity every day.

Luna twitched her finger as if she couldn’t move her body.

“I’m, I’m dying… Dying at the young age of 14…”

“You absolutely won’t die from this much.”

“What do you know… I’m saying I’m dying…”

Luna muttered in a crawling voice.

Unable to bear seeing her lying in the yard any longer, I began to take action.

“Oh, oh oh. I’m flying in the sky…”

“Be quiet. I’ll take you to your room.”

Piggyback.

I decided to carry Luna on my back and take her to her room.

‘Today’s training was tough, so I’ll give her time to recover with a delicious dinner.’

Thinking this, just as I was about to climb the stairs.

Hare’s voice was heard from behind.

“Mister. What are you doing? Why are you carrying Lun- …that girl on your back?”

“The Hero is exhausted, so I have no choice but to take her back.”

Although I couldn’t see her expression.

I answered gently to Hare’s voice that I heard.

But Luna, who didn’t seem to like that sight, whispered in my ear.

“…But, Mister, why do you speak stiffly to me, and kindly to Hare?”

“That’s…”

Because you’re the Hero.

I was sorry to Luna, but a Hero was a being who carried a burden.

They must save people, defeat the Demon Lord, and save the world.

If I were to show kindness to such a Hero…

‘I might hold her back.’

I might even become the one hindering the Hero’s growth.

The Hero was a being who overcame limits through hardships.

She needed the whip more than the carrot.

“Hmm..? Why aren’t you kind to me..?”

The Hero’s question was asked once again.

I brushed it off vaguely.

“Because Hare is good.”

“Tch, am I not good…?”

“It’s a different kind of goodness.”

Saying that, I opened the Hero’s room door and placed her on the bed.

She must have been quite exhausted, as she fell asleep immediately upon being laid on the bed.

Her face looked quite stupid.

“…She’s sleeping without washing up.”

The bed got dirty, so I’ll have to do laundry tomorrow.

Leaving the Hero who had fallen asleep behind, I decided to leave the room.

I saw Hare peeking through the door.

What was she doing?

“What are you doing, Hare?”

“…Mister.”

Hare, hiding behind the door was watching me.

She mumbled and then asked.

“Am I… a good child?”

“…?”

“Even though I stole your wallet, am I a good child…?”

Hare asked with an anxious look in her eyes.

Was she still holding onto that incident?

As I left the room, I stroked Hare’s head.

Hare flinched for a moment but quickly adapted to the touch.

“Hare.”

“Yes.”

“I’ve already forgiven you. You should forget about it too. Just don’t do it again from now on.”

It was a struggle to survive, so I had forgiven her long ago.

And,

‘I’ll take all of that child’s sins. Please, forgive the child…’

Hare’s grandmother, whom I met that day, had said so too.

I had no reason to hate Hare.

“So, forget it. That’s all you need to do.”

“…I can’t do that. It’s my fault. I need to atone.”

“Atone.. If you say so, then instead. How about making a promise with me?”

“A promise…?”

A promise.

A promise to ease Hare’s sense of guilt.

I held out my pinky finger and said.

“Never lie to me again from now on. If you make that promise, I think my heart will be at ease.”

“…I’ll promise. I’ll never lie to Mister from now on. I promise!”

Now there were no obstacles like forgiveness or sin between Hare and me.

Hare hooked her pinky finger with a determined expression.

Her expression looked much lighter, and she smiled brightly.

‘Thief. Yuriana Hare.’

Seeing her bright, childlike smile, I decided to consider how to educate her.

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Late evening.

After preparing dinner for them, I headed to the entrance to go out.

At that moment, I heard Hare’s voice.

“…Mister, where are you going?”

“I have an appointment, so I’m going out for a bit.”

“…When will you be back?”

“I’ll be back soon. Rest comfortably.”

I stroked Hare’s head, who had an anxious expression, and headed outside.

My destination was Minerva’s library.

Now that I had kidnapped Hare.

I needed to have a conversation with Minerva.

‘What I’m doing is the right thing, isn’t it…?’

As I entered the library, as if she had been waiting.

Minerva welcomed me at the entrance.

“Welcome, Jun-woo! Did you kidnap successfully this time too?”

“…Were you watching?”

“Of course, I’m always watching Jun-woo!”

I didn’t like that.

When I sent a scornful gaze to Minerva, she waved her hands as if flustered.

“Ah, no. That’s not what I meant. It’s just a figure of speech. I’m not always watching!”

“…”

“Really! I’m a goddess! Don’t you believe me?!”

“…”

She is a goddess… I guess.

Minerva was shouting loudly.

I passed by her and headed to the inner part of the library.

“No! Really! Wait, just a mooment! I was just watching!”

“Okay. I got it, so stop chattering.”

“Ch-Chattering?! How dare you speak to a goddess like that-”

“Anyway.”

Thud.

I sat on the sofa and looked at Minerva.

I had something I needed to confirm with her.

“Minerva. I kidnapped the thief. Her name is Yuriana Hare. She’s the second member of the Hero’s party after the Hero.”

“I know. I told you to kidnap her, after all. I know veery well!”

“…Minerva, is it right to keep kidnapping the Hero’s party members like this?”

“Right…”

Minerva seemed to be contemplating about what was ‘right’.

Because ‘righteousness’ was a very important aspect for a goddess.

That contemplation lasted quite long.

“Hmm, if it’s right, then it is right. Even if it’s not right for that person, it’s right for this world.”

“…Is that so? So you’re saying it’s right for now..?”

“For now, yes.”

Minerva firmly said it was right.

Right for the world.

‘If that’s the case’

It might be good to move up the timing a bit.

I asked Minerva.

“Minerva.”

“Yes.”

“The next Hero’s party member. Where are they?”

I had to quickly gather the Hero’s party members in one place.

To make them into one perfect team.

Because that was the only way I could live too.

‘What’s left are the Mage and the Saintess.’

The goddess Minerva would tell me the location of those who were somewhere out there.

I just needed to receive their locations and kidnap them.

It was a very simple and easy task.

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