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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Good morning!
Bright sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the room in a warm glow. It was the start of another day for Luna, the Hero.
“Hmm… I should wash my face…”
She splashed water on her face and checked her reflection in the mirror. For a teenage girl, pimples were a matter of life and death. Fortunately, Luna’s skin was clear.
“Perfect! Good to go!”
She dashed out of the room, heading towards her destination. Usually, she would go to the kitchen to help Mister, but today, her destination was different.
Crash!!
“Mister! Good morning! How are you feeling today!!”
“…Open the door gently, Luna.”
A rough wake-up call for Mister.
Luna grinned, approaching his bedside. He was still tightly bound by the ropes. She stopped him from getting up, her voice firm.
“You can’t move yet, Mister! Your wounds haven’t healed!”
“I told you I’m fine. The wound on my chest will heal with time-.”
“No! According to our party’s doctor, Estia, you need to rest!”
Absolutely!
He mustn’t get up!
“The doctor’s orders are absolute!”
“…You just want me to rest, don’t you?”
“T-That’s… a secret! Just rest!”
The little chick’s forceful morning greeting. Luna, satisfied that he was awake, left the room. Lee Jun-woo, now alone, lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.
“Imprisonment… the books never mentioned this…”
Dimension Rope.
Anyone bound by this magical rope was reduced to the strength of a five-year-old girl and couldn’t untie themselves.
He hadn’t expected to be restrained by the Hero’s party with this particular magical tool.
“I can’t even get angry because I did the same thing in the past.”
He would remain still for now, but…
If his frustration grew from being restrained…
He would have to have a serious talk with the Hero’s party.
Lee Jun-woo closed his eyes.
Creak-
“Mister! Time to eat!”
This time, the door opened gently. Luna entered, carrying a plate of… something. Hare was hiding behind her.
“Did you two… make that… food… together?”
“Y-Yes… How is it…? What does it look like…?”
“Hmm…”
A brown, lumpy mass on the plate.
A smell of burnt… something.
It looked like food that had been mangled with a hammer. Only one answer came to mind.
“Mashed potatoes. A dish made from mashed potatoes.”
“No, it’s steak…”
“…How?”
“The meat turned out like this when we cooked it…? We did it just like you taught us… what do you think…?”
“…”
Were they expecting a critique?
Lee Jun-woo searched for a way to answer without hurting their feelings.
‘…There’s no way to sugarcoat this.’
Be strong.
He gave his honest opinion.
“Honestly, it doesn’t look appetizing.”
“…Really? We thought it tasted good when we ate it… not as good as yours, but…”
“Go give it to Kitty. She’ll probably enjoy it.”
“…”
Was Hare the chef?
Hare’s shoulders slumped. Even prisoners of war deserved edible food, but this… this was barely food.
“Since a nutritious meal seems out of the question, please untie these ropes. I’ll prepare a proper meal-.”
“No, you have to eat our food, Mister. No objections!”
“What?”
“Now, open your mouth! You have to enjoy the food we made!”
Open wide!
Luna scooped up a spoonful of the steak.
‘Why can you scoop steak with a spoon?’
He was curious, but the spoon was approaching his mouth, leaving no time for further contemplation.
“You have to eat the food filled with our love and affection! The love is from Hare… and the affection is from me!”
“…Wait, I think we can resolve this through conversation. Luna, what do you think?”
“Just eat one bite first! We have plenty of time to talk! Hee hee!”
“…”
No objections allowed, it seemed.
Lee Jun-woo opened his mouth and accepted the spoonful of… steak-like substance. The most important part, the taste…
“It’s… very…”
“Very? How is it, Mister?!”
“It’s very… unique.”
Not good.
Not bad.
“A flavor I’ve never experienced before.”
“D-Does that mean it’s special?!”
“No, it means you should give it to Kitty.”
“…I told you, you have no right to refuse. Now, finish it!”
Luna, the food torturer.
Her eyes were filled with determination. Lee Jun-woo was forced to eat the food she offered. But more agonizing than the taste was the… dread.
‘Why do people eat three meals a day?’
It was a sad realization.
The thought of enduring this two more times filled him with dread.
This was what happened on the first day of his captivity.
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It was monotonous. He had done nothing all day. Just lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, eating the meals they brought at scheduled times. It was a stark contrast to his usual active lifestyle.
“…Hare.”
“Y-Yes…! Mister…!”
“Don’t just stare at me. Say something.”
It was unnerving.
Hare, as if waiting for his permission, finally spoke.
“T-Then… I have a question. What will you do after the world is at peace…?”
“…”
What would he do?
He couldn’t answer that question honestly.
‘I don’t plan to live.’
He needed a plausible excuse.
“I plan to fish and pass the time until I die.”
“I-I see… Fishing… that’s not bad…”
Hare said it wasn’t bad, but her expression suggested otherwise.
“There’s something more fitting for you, Mister…”
“Something more fitting?”
“Yes…! There’s something more suitable for you…! You’re a symbol of peace…! You should become the Emperor of the Empire…!”
Become the Emperor of the Empire…!
And rule the people and eradicate evil…!
“You can make the citizens control each other so they don’t do bad things… and punish those who defy your will…! Punish the traitors…!”
“That’s a rather… dangerous idea.”
“But you saved the world…! You deserve that much…!”
Was she serious?
Hare stood up excitedly.
“The Hero’s party who defeated all the Demon Lords…! Someone should grant the wish of their master…! And that someone is the Emperor of the-.”
“No, the Emperor doesn’t grant wishes.”
He had forgotten to tell the Hero’s party.
“If you defeat all the Demon Lords, the Goddess Minerva will grant your wishes.”
“I-Is that so…? Then I’ll wish for Mister to become the Emperor-.”
“…Don’t use your wish for that. I don’t particularly want to be the Emperor.”
“Then… I’ll think of something else…”
Hare blinked, seemingly lost in thought.
Luna returned from her training, and he explained the wish-granting to her as well.
“Huh?! She’ll grant our wishes?!”
“Yes, didn’t you know?”
“You didn’t tell us! How would we know?!”
That was true. He nodded in agreement. Hare turned to Luna.
“L-Luna…! What will you wish for…?”
“Me? Money, of course! A lot of money to ease my family’s worries!”
Luna, the breadwinner. It was the only wish that made sense for her.
“A good choice, Luna. Money makes life easier.”
“Right? A Hero never makes a wrong choice! I’ll turn our village into a city with the money! And I’ll become the mayor!”
Luna, the village mayor…
She would probably do well at first.
But wouldn’t she eventually lose all the money and hand over the position to someone else?
He couldn’t help but worry.
‘Well, they’ll manage without me.’
Their skills wouldn’t rust, and they would be known as the strongest. Even if they lost all their money, they could make a living as adventurers. As he was pondering this, the two girls started whispering.
“I’m suddenly curious what Estia will wish for.”
“Me too… what kind of wish will Estia make…?”
“Let’s ask her!”
“Okay…!”
The two girls ran off to find Estia. With the noisy duo gone, the room was finally quiet.
“It feels twice as noisy when Luna’s around.”
Why was the Hero so talkative?
He had always imagined Heroes to be stern and quiet.
Was he mistaken?
As he was thinking about the Heroes of his original world, the two girls returned, carrying Estia.
“What…? I was in bed… where am I…?”
“Estia! If we defeat the Demon Lords, we can make a wish! What will you wish for?!”
“Me…? I… just want to sleep and lie down and rest forever…”
Thump-
Estia collapsed onto the floor, as if those were her final words. She seemed to have fallen asleep instantly.
“What?! She’s sleeping on the floor!”
“Estia only functions after 1 PM.”
“When does she sleep?”
“10 PM.”
Estia slept early and woke up late. She was the type who needed a lot of sleep.
As they were discussing Estia’s wish, a loud crash echoed from upstairs. There was only one person missing. He knew immediately who it was.
“Saten.”
He had heard she had fought with Luna and Hare.
Had she finally woken up?
Her arms were bound, but her legs were free.
He quickly made his way towards Saten’s room. Saten was in the worst condition of the Hero’s party.
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