—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
This is unpleasant. Why do I have to watch Mister being all lovey-dovey with someone else?
Thump-thump-
Luna’s heart pounded uncomfortably. She tried to avert her gaze.
“You eat so well. Why do you always make a fuss before eating?”
“…It’s my choice. Ask your questions later and give me more.”
Aina opened her mouth wide.
Lee Jun-woo obediently fed her a piece of vegetable. Luna covered her ears, unable to bear it any longer. The only thing she could hear was the loud thumping of her own heart.
‘Why do I have to watch this…!! This isn’t Mister, it’s just Mister’s past!’
Luna clutched her head and shouted,
“This is so annoying! Annoying! Annoying!”
“Luna, calm down. You’re being loud.”
“How can I be calm watching that-!! Saten, don’t you feel anything!? Looking at Mister being so affectionate!?”
“No, I don’t. As you know, I’m not very sensitive to emotions.”
Saten didn’t notice the difference between Lee Jun-woo’s past and present expressions. He seemed a bit gentler, that was all. She wasn’t bothered by his expression.
“Expressions are irrelevant. I’m more interested in how such a strong woman died.”
Aina, the originator of the ‘attributeless magic’ Mister had taught them. Why did such a strong person die? That’s what Saten wanted to know.
“…Mister said she was a genius, even more so than me. I’m curious about her abilities.”
“Huh? Saten, you’re a genius? I thought I was the genius, since I’m the Saintess?”
“…You should be quiet, Estia. By the way, how do we restore Mister’s soul?”
“Ah, about that! Follow me!”
Estia, relatively unaffected by the scene, started searching the house. Saten tilted her head.
“What are you doing?”
“The book said! There are soul fragments in his memories! If we find them, we can move to the next memory! And collect the other fragments!”
“…What do they look like?”
“That’s why I needed pictures! But that stupid Goddess didn’t include any! But she said they’re looooong!”
Like this!
Estia stretched out her arms to demonstrate the shape of the soul fragments. The explanation was strange, but they understood that the key was a long object.
“Let’s get out of here! It was nice seeing young Mister, but honestly, I don’t want to keep watching this.”
Nod, nod-
Hare, who had been lying on the floor, nodded vigorously. Her face was streaked with tears.
“Sob… I-I’ve seen enough of… Mister making… sob… that expression… l-let’s go… sob…”
“Stop crying and start looking, Hare.”
“W-We can’t… sob… restore Mister’s memories… I-I have to fill them… with me…”
Hare muttered and stood up, her eyes filled with determination. Luna and Saten shook their heads and left the room.
“She’s definitely not normal.”
“I agree. She’s usually fine, but she becomes strange whenever Mister is involved.”
Luna, with the ever-abnormal Saten by her side, carefully searched for the key. It didn’t take long to find it.
“I found it! It was in Mister’s room! Is this it? The thing Mister used during the fight!”
“Yes! She said it was a wooden stick! That must be it!”
Estia snatched the staff from Luna’s hand and swung it in the air.
“Here goes!”
The staff moved without any force, but a golden portal appeared where it had passed.
Estia pointed at the portal and shouted,
“Let’s go! To the next memory! Let’s find the fragments!”
“…She’s surprisingly reliable, Estia.”
“Of course! I’m the Saintess!”
Thump, thump-
Estia proudly thumped her chest.
Whether they trusted her or not was their choice, but she did have the power of the Saintess. The Hero’s party stepped through the portal. Before entering, Luna took one last look at the younger Lee Jun-woo.
‘…He gave me different food when I said I didn’t want to eat vegetables.’
But that Aina woman… he fed her himself.
What’s the difference between me and her?
‘Age?’
He said younger is better.
But I’m the winner.
‘First impression?’
She tried to use Mister as an experimental subject.
I’m the winner!
‘Appearance? Skill?’
I-I’ll be much prettier when I’m older! And I’m stronger because I’m the Hero!
I’m the winner!
“…”
But despite Luna’s thoughts, the young Mister’s gaze was fixed on Aina. It made Luna’s chest ache.
“…Is it because… of the time we spent together?”
I’m doing this for Mister’s happiness, but…
Other feelings were starting to surface.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Emerging from the memory portal, the Hero’s party found themselves in complete darkness.
“Where are we! Light! I need light! Goddess! Give me light!”
“…I can see just fine. Where’s Mister?”
“Be quiet, all of you.”
Snap-!
Saten snapped her fingers, and the darkness receded, revealing their surroundings.
“Hmm, a cave.”
Saten looked around.
“Damp and humid. Not my kind of place.”
“…It’s dark, so it suits you perfectly, Saten.”
“Let’s find Mister. This place is creepy.”
“…Hmph.”
Hare, ignored by Saten, sulked.
The cave was vast, and Mister was nowhere in sight. The Hero’s party split up to search, Hare, of course, choosing to look for Mister.
“Mister… where are you…”
Unlike the others, who needed to stay with Saten for light, Hare had excellent night vision. She could move around the cave freely.
“Mister… Mister…”
Tap, tap-
Hare walked through the cave, calling out to Mister. She passed by groups of monsters, but they didn’t seem to notice her.
“…Gross. These ants… where are you, Mister…”
Giant ants crawled near her, but she passed through them, undisturbed. Then, she heard faint voices.
“That’s Mister’s voice…!”
Hare ran towards the voices without hesitation. Even though they were faint, she recognized Mister’s tone, intonation, and even his breathing.
She reached the end of the cave and shouted,
“M-Mister! Where are you! It’s Hare!”
*Look around*
Hare shouted from the edge of a cliff, but only Mister’s faint voice echoed back. She couldn’t see him.
“He’s… definitely nearby… but why can’t I see him…?”
Could it be?
Hare looked down. At the bottom of the cliff, hanging precariously, was Mister. And in his arms was Aina.
Hare gritted her teeth.
“Grrr…”
I want to push that Aina woman off the cliff!
I want to be in Mister’s arms!
Hare’s hands trembled as she screamed internally,
‘L-Let go of him…!! Let go of Mister and fall by yourself…!!’
Hare glared at them, burning with jealousy.
“Where are the others? There are so many Giant Ants, it’ll be difficult to fight them alone.”
“…That’s why I told you to fight, not run, Jun.”
“No, we’ll definitely lose if we fight.”
“How do you know? How can you be so sure? Do you have more experience as an adventurer than me?”
“…I just know. Let’s wait and regroup.”
“Annoying!”
Aina, nestled in Lee Jun-woo’s arms as they dangled from the cliff, whispered something to him. Hare’s rage intensified.
“Y-You should have listened to Mister…! H-How dare you…! Disobey Mister…!”
Hare, projecting her feelings onto the past Mister, was about to bite through the rope in a fit of jealousy when…
“Hare! Is Mister there!? What are you doing with your teeth!? You can’t cut that with your teeth!”
“W-Why…!! Why won’t it cut…!!”
The rope wouldn’t budge. The others arrived and looked down. Luna and Saten’s expressions turned cold.
“Mister? W-What is he doing…! And who is that in his arms!!”
“…That red-haired woman. They’re still together.”
“Time to draw the Holy Sword!”
But the Holy Sword didn’t respond. Luna hung her head and watched the scene below. It was a world only for the two of them.
“…You smell like sweat. Move.”
“Do you want to fall?”
“I told you to use honorifics. I can just use magic before I fall, you know?”
“So you’re going to attract the Giant Ants with your magic? As expected of Master.”
“D-Don’t talk back! Do you want to die!?”
They bickered, their eyes locked, smiles playing on their lips. Luna and Hare’s hearts sank.
“As expected…”
Mister’s happiness is important, but…
My happiness…
For the Hero’s happiness…
‘It’s better if Mister doesn’t regain his memories!’
Even though Mister looks happy…
I know how it ends…
Luna made up her mind.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
