—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Lunchtime.
I was participating in Luna’s training together, showing her that she could handle the harsh training.
“Huff- Mister, this is too much for me. I can’t run anymore..!”
“What do you mean it’s too much? I’m running beside you continuously. It’s possible, Hero.”
“Th-That’s..! You can say that because you’re Mister…!!”
“Come on, faster! Your speed is slowing down!”
Ignoring the grumbling Luna, the training continued.
Because I was running beside her, she was able to follow the training to her limits.
Probably, if she had trained alone without me, she wouldn’t have achieved this much progress in such a short time.
I looked over the Hero’s body comprehensively.
‘The basic muscles are settling in properly.’
Soon, I could lower the intensity of basic training and move on to swordsmanship.
As expected of the Hero.
Her growth rate was incredible.
She was achieving in 2 months what I had achieved in half a year.
“Although her personality is like that, her physical talent is certainly outstanding…”
“What’s wrong with my personality.. With that talent.. Ca-Can’t we take a short bre-”
“One more lap!”
“Aaaargh-!!”
Luna ran around the yard, screaming.
The end result was, of course, fainting.
I laid her down on the bed, exhausted from another day of hard training.
It was the usual training routine.
‘Now there’s one more routine added.’
Study time with Hare.
After training Luna and resting for about 10 minutes.
I immediately started the lesson for Hare.
“Hare, how do you read this character?”
“It’s read as ‘Yu’.”
“Then if we combine it with this character?”
“It becomes the word ‘Yugui’. It means to seduce and lure someone to kidnap-”
“…The explanation is enough. Well done, Hare.”
“Hehe…”
Hare was quick to learn.
She was smart from the beginning, and her linguistic sense was also excellent.
She said her parents, who had abandoned her and disappeared, were intelligent and cultured…
I thought it might be the influence of genetics.
‘…She’ll pass the test easily.’
Was I underestimating the talent of the Hero’s party members too much?
‘Should I raise the difficulty..’
I had a fleeting thought of raising the standard a bit.
But if the standard was too high, it might cool the children’s passion, so I firmly cut off that thought.
After successfully finishing Hare’s lesson like that.
“I-I’ll study more! You can go ahead, Mister..!”
Since Hare said she would study more in the study, I headed to Luna’s room carrying a box in the living room.
She should be awake by now.
Knock knock-
“I’m coming in.”
-Ju-Just a moment…! Yes, come in!
Creak-
When I entered, Luna was sitting on the desk chair.
Her expression was gloomy.
Looking at the desk, it seemed she had been writing a letter.
“Were you writing a letter?”
“Yes, it’s time to send a letter to my parents. Oh, right! The reply! Hasn’t a reply come yet?!”
“…”
“Hello? Why aren’t you answering, kidnapper mister?”
“…I forgot. I’m sorry.”
This was why alcohol was a problem.
It deteriorated memory.
Hearing this, Luna, who had been staring with wide eyes, shouted.
“No!! How could you forget that!! Aaaah!! I’m going to leave here..!!”
“That’s not possible.”
“Lo-Look at how firm he is..!! Tch, you’re not even a cliff…!! Mister, you’re completely a cliff!!”
“…In that case, you say ‘iron wall’.”
“Ah, I see.”
“…And, I’m sorry for forgetting. Instead, I’ll give you a gift.”
“What? A gift?”
The Hero quickly calmed down at the word ‘gift’.
Was she simple-minded, or positive…
It was a personality I couldn’t understand at all.
“Here, this is the gift. It’s inside the box.”
“…It’s nothing strange, right? Hmm, let’s see…”
The Hero glanced at me as she opened the box.
The contents were a large red ribbon that I couldn’t buy last time because my wallet was gone.
I gave it as a gift because her long hair seemed uncomfortable during training.
‘Jun-woo! You can’t just give the whip, you need to give gifts sometimes too!’
Although there was Minerva’s advice.
It was me who chose the gift that suited her.
Luna looked at the ribbon with a satisfied expression.
“Well, it’s not bad. I’d say you have good taste, for a kidnapper?”
“…Have I become too comfortable?”
“Ah, no. That’s not it. Praise! It’s praise! I can’t even speak because I’m scared…”
“I’m joking.”
At those words, the Hero glared at me.
She had been treating me more comfortably lately.
I thought it might be Hare’s influence.
Since I was perceived as a good person by Hare, I thought Luna might have been influenced by that too.
“So, do you like the gift?”
“Yes! My hair was uncomfortable during training, but this should help, right? Let me try it, can you tie it for me!”
“…You want me to tie it?”
“Yes! Can’t you do it?”
…It’s not that I can’t.
Rather, I’m quite good at it.
‘Jun. Tie my hair for me.’
A fragment of a past memory floated up like a cloud.
It had been a long time since I tied someone’s hair from behind.
Although my memories of those times were broken, they remained in me like fragments.
“Hello~ When are you going to tie it~?”
“…I’ll tie it now.”
I barely managed to come to my senses at Luna’s voice.
I wrapped the ribbon around my wrist and gathered Luna’s long hair in one place.
Then I held the long hair and put the string down, that was all.
Luna’s long hair was neatly tied, and a large ribbon remained at the back.
It suited her… very well.
“How is it, don’t I look pretty?”
“…Not really.”
“Liar! That’s a blatant lie!”
So noisy.
After tying Luna’s hair, I ignored her words and headed out the door.
I could hear Luna’s squawking from behind, but I couldn’t be bothered to respond.
…But, why is she here?
“Hare? Didn’t you say you were going to study more?”
“…”
“Oh, what! It’s Hare! Hare, look at this! I got a gift? Are you jealous? Hehe!”
“…”
Hare peeked at us from beside the door.
Her expression was somewhat subtle.
Her gaze was fixed on the red ribbon.
Hare, with a chilly expression, glared at Luna for a moment, then disappeared with a frown.
“What’s wrong, Hare! Where are you going! Talk to me!”
“…I’ll be going too.”
“Ah, am I alone again?”
Clank-
And so, leaving Luna behind, I left the room.
Hare had already disappeared outside.
‘What was that expression about..?’
I pondered deeply, recalling Hare’s expression I had seen at the end.
What was that expression?
It was a gaze that seemed angry and envious.
I thought the identity of that emotion might be jealousy.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
In the middle of dinner.
Someone started knocking on the door, as if they had come to the house.
Knock knock-
Jun-woo ran to the door as if he had expected it.
There was a neatly dressed servant.
The man with a prim mustache said to Jun-woo.
“Ahem, are you Adventurer Jun?”
“I am. What’s the matter?”
“I’ve come to deliver an invitation to a party held by our family tomorrow evening. Please ‘make sure’ to attend.”
“…I’ll attend. Understood.”
Tap-
Jun-woo took the invitation from his hand.
‘If I just keep going forward, I’ll automatically meet the party members.’
Probably, if I attend this party, I’ll be able to meet the party member I’m looking for.
As Minerva had advised.
Jun-woo was just carrying out the predetermined events.
Putting the invitation in his pocket, Jun-woo closed the front door.
“A party. I hate noisy places…”
“Mister? Did someone just come..?”
Hare came out of her room in the middle of eating.
There were still traces of food at the corners of her mouth, and Jun-woo carefully wiped them off.
Hare’s face turned red.
“I-I’m sorry for showing you such an embarrassing sight… And thank you…”
“From now on, don’t say sorry except when you’re really sorry.”
“…Yes, I understand. Mister.”
No more saying sorry!
Hare nodded as if she had received the message.
And then she started talking about the scene she had seen at lunch.
“By the way. Mister.”
“Yes?”
“What were you talking about with Luna..? And what was that ribbon..?”
Gulp.
Hare swallowed dryly, tense from her question.
Somehow, she didn’t know her own feelings, but she felt she needed to know to be at ease.
Jun-woo answered Hare, who had been waiting anxiously.
“We didn’t talk much, I just gave her a small gift.”
“A small gift..?”
“Yes, Luna’s hair was too long and interfered with training. Do you want a ribbon too?”
“Ah, I see.. Because Luna’s hair is long.. No, I’m fine without a ribbon.”
Luna’s hair reached her waist after all.
That could be the case.
Hare quickly checked her own hair.
She had pink hair that reached her shoulders.
‘…I don’t need a ribbon.’
And Luna needed a ribbon.
Only then could Hare understand the situation.
It wasn’t that she was being left out.
It was a situation where the necessary thing was given to the person who needed it.
But why did her heart still feel uncomfortable?
Hare realized that she was a bad child.
“Mister. I think I’m greedy…”
“Suddenly?”
“Yes, it’s like I keep wanting something…? I’ve lived without having anything, but now that I’ve gotten one thing, I want to have everything…”
Even the ribbon he tied for Luna.
Jun-woo, not understanding the exact meaning.
He pondered his own answer.
“Hmm…”
Was it about knowledge?
Since Hare read books even during break time, it must be about that.
Jun-woo, making assumptions, gave Hare an answer.
Without even dreaming that it was the wrong answer.
“People are all like that.”
“What…?”
“When you get one thing, you wonder if there’s something more and try to turn to the next page. It’s normal, Hare.”
“I see… It’s normal…”
Normal.
So everyone else besides her was like this too.
Nod.
Hare firmly believed that this seed of jealousy was normal.
Because it was Mister’s words.
She had to believe it.
“I’m normal like other people too..”
“Yes. It’s normal. The food will get cold, so go back in and finish eating.”
“Yes, Mister!”
Hare seemed to be in a much better mood now that her question was resolved.
And the abnormally growing seed of jealousy began to grow more and more with the nourishment of certainty.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A day passed and it was evening.
I shaved my beard for the first time in a while and dressed in neat formal attire.
“I haven’t worn these clothes except when receiving medals.”
I never thought I’d wear this again.
Probably, ‘that guy’ will participate in the party today too.
Since it was a party of a family with deep connections.
As I was making full preparations wearing the formal attire, I heard Luna and Hare’s voices from the side.
“Wh-What is this. Is this really Mister..? Really? Truly? No way!”
“Wow- Mister looks so cool today! Should I say my heart is pounding..? You look so amazing..!”
…To my eyes, there was nothing different from usual.
Was it because I styled my hair neatly and shaved my beard?
It seemed like this reaction was coming out because I tried to look as neat as possible for an important occasion.
“More importantly, Luna.”
“Yes!”
“You stay inside.”
“Boo-hoo.”
Acting cute wouldn’t work.
In the end, I put Luna in her room and carefully checked the locks.
There was no problem.
“That’s done…”
Now, shall we go to where the party is being held?
I had a feeling that tonight would be a very interesting party.
“I might be a bit late, but I’ll be back.”
“…Yes, come back early Mister.”
Leaving Hare who was seeing me off, I got on the carriage waiting in front of the door.
There would certainly be the person I wanted there.
‘Will it be the Mage or the Saintess…’
Who would become the third companion?
I was quite curious about that.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Betting on mage