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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Even on their way home, holy water addicts littered the streets. People walked past them, seemingly unfazed, heading towards their respective destinations. He spoke to Hare as they walked.
“To their eyes, drug addicts and holy water addicts probably look the same.”
“W-When I lived in a bad neighborhood, my grandmother told me not to associate with those kinds of people. She said not to even talk to people with glazed-over eyes and slurred speech…”
“Is that why you don’t get along with Estia?”
He had never seen them have a proper conversation. Over the past two years, Hare had become quite close with Luna and Saten, but…
She maintained a certain distance from Estia.
“Do you dislike Estia?”
“N-No…! I just… I just don’t… click with her…”
Hare pouted, vehemently denying his accusation.
“We don’t have anything in common… I don’t understand what she’s thinking… We can’t communicate… And it annoys me that she calls you ‘Mister’ and speaks informally…”
“Hmm.”
Estia’s impertinence had indeed reached new heights lately.
“But she doesn’t mean any harm, so please understand. She’s always been like that.”
“…Yes, Mister, I understand. I’m a kind person, so I’ll understand.”
Calling herself kind…
Hare had certainly learned how to be shameless since they first met. She bowed slightly, and he patted her head.
“Go put the groceries in the kitchen. I’ll stop by the training grounds for a bit.”
“Okay…! I’ll go ahead…! Please come quickly…!”
Was she happy about being praised? Hare ran towards the kitchen excitedly.
They had been living in this mansion in the capital for two years, but…
It was far too large for them.
“It’s very secure, and there are no prying eyes, but…”
It was always inconvenient to move around. He walked through the mansion, which Irina had rented for them, knowing their circumstances, and headed towards the training grounds where Luna would be.
She would definitely be training at this hour.
“One hundred eighteen! One hundred twenty!”
“Luna, are you swinging your sword?”
“One million twenty-one! One million twenty-two!”
“…”
It seemed the units had changed to millions. Was it his imagination?
“One million twenty-three!”
Luna glanced at him and stopped swinging her sword. She waved cheerfully.
“Oh, Mister! You’re here! I was so focused on my training that I didn’t notice!”
“…I thought I heard the numbers increasing.”
“I-It’s your imagination! Anyway! What brings you here?!”
“It’s almost lunchtime, so finish your training.”
“Okay! What’s for lunch today?!”
“Spicy stir-fried pork.”
“I-I’ll be right there! Don’t eat it all!”
Luna quickly resumed swinging her sword. Her speed had increased significantly, and there was a faint, sharp aura surrounding the blade, increasing its destructive power.
She moved with a practiced grace, as if facing a Demon Lord.
“One million twenty-three, four, five!”
Luna diligently swung her sword, determined to complete her training quota. Her swordsmanship had clearly improved. She had developed a style that suited her growing body.
‘She’s grown taller, and her muscles have developed nicely. The image of the little girl who only ate potatoes in the countryside is long gone.’
Bright blonde hair and clear blue eyes. Luna, now grown, could easily be mistaken for a high-ranking noble’s daughter.
He had helped her, but her rapid growth was mainly due to her talent. All he had done was nurture her mental fortitude.
‘She’ll be able to move forward on her own now, even without me.’
With that thought, he left the training grounds and headed towards the kitchen. Hare was already preparing the ingredients.
“Hare, thank you for always helping.”
“Y-Yes…! Thank you for appreciating it…!”
“Of course.”
Once he finished his preparations…
These days would soon come to an end. He looked at the screen that appeared before him, his conviction growing stronger.
There was no need to hesitate. He chose option 1 without a second thought.
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After relocating to the capital, they established house rules.
The first rule was no fighting. If they had to fight, they should resolve their conflicts with words. This rule was established after Luna and Saten’s fistfight.
The second rule was not to disturb Mister.
This rule was implemented because someone kept knocking on his door during his sleeping hours, and he had sensed other… suspicious attempts.
This was Hare’s suggestion.
And the third rule was to always eat together. They would share their meals and discuss their day, no matter what.
He had established this rule to encourage bonding between the girls, who were somewhat distant.
As for whether the rules were effective…
‘Not entirely ineffective, but not entirely effective either.’
That was the only honest answer.
“Mister, I brought everyone…”
Hare descended the stairs with Estia and Saten. Estia, who had just woken up, rubbed her eyes as she walked.
“Hmm… Mister, what’s for dinner…?”
“It’s still lunchtime, Estia.”
“I told you to wake me up for dinner… I only need to eat one meal a day!!”
“And how’s that working out for you?”
While the other girls were growing…
She had barely grown an inch.
And not in the right places.
“Are you really going to stick to one meal a day, even though you can only see a bleak future for yourself?”
“B-But my drawings are improving! Why are you scolding me first thing in the morning, Mister! I studied the scriptures diligently too! Look!”
Estia channeled her divine power, her arms moving gracefully as if she was dancing. She created a symbol in the air, which then glowed brightly, filling the room with light.
“See! This is Healing Aura! It heals everyone around me! See? I am growing stronger-.”
“Move aside and clean this up.”
Shove-
Saten pushed Estia out of the way.
“Oof-!”
“Would you mind not blocking my path?”
“I-I almost fell! You black-haired girl!”
“You have Healing Aura, you wouldn’t get hurt.”
“T-That’s true…”
Estia, persuaded by logic, stepped aside. Saten walked towards the dining table, where the food was laid out. Compared to her skeletal frame in the past, she looked much healthier.
“She still lacks muscle, but… she’s improving.”
“…Excuse me, please don’t stare at me.”
Saten turned away, avoiding his gaze. She had become a little more prickly.
‘She’s still not good at expressing her emotions, but the range of emotions she feels has broadened.’
She still couldn’t control her anger, but…
Other emotions were now visible in her expressions. Just now, she had turned away coldly, but the blush on her cheeks betrayed her embarrassment.
He must have been staring too intently.
“Saten.”
“Yes?”
“I’m glad you’re growing at a normal rate, unlike Estia.”
“Are you making fun of me? I might have grown taller, but other parts-.”
“Other parts?”
“…Never mind, forget I said anything.”
Saten pulled her black cardigan tighter around her, her face flushing again. He decided to scold her.
“More importantly, Saten.”
“…Yes.”
“You should apologize to Estia for what you just did. It’s wrong to push people-.”
“I know. Stop talking. I don’t want to be scolded by you. I know I was wrong.”
Saten bit her lip and stood up, her eyes filled with self-loathing. She knew.
That she kept losing control of her emotions.
He understood how she felt, so he didn’t press the issue.
“I’m sorry, Estia. I lost control of my emotions again.”
“Hmph, always making excuses… Lose control in front of Luna again! See if I care!”
Estia took Saten’s outstretched hand and ran to the table. She accepted the apology but immediately did as she pleased.
Was it a good thing that she was so optimistic? Or was it just annoying that she was so free-spirited? He couldn’t decide.
“Sit down and eat, Estia.”
“Okay! But Mister! Is that teacher coming today?”
“Yes, she’ll keep coming until you reach a certain level.”
“Hmph, lessons are boring.”
Estia grumbled as she stuffed her mouth with stir-fried pork. She seemed to like today’s menu, focusing on her meal without another word.
Saten frowned.
“…How vulgar. She has no manners.”
“So what! What are manners anyway!”
“Observe and learn. You use a fork and knife like this-.”
“Why do I need a knife to eat stir-fried pork! A fork is enough!”
Estia took a large bite. Saten sighed.
“…This is why I hate religious fanatics.”
“Hmph, I hate stuck-up know-it-alls like you even more! Always acting like you know everything. When you’re actually wrong~”
They glared at each other, their argument escalating. Hare, worried that their meal would devolve into a fight, asked cautiously.
“M-Mister… should we stop them…?”
“It’s fine.”
“Excuse me…?”
“Children grow through fighting.”
At least they were talking while they fought. In the past, they would have just ignored each other, sulking in their rooms.
“They still care about each other, so it’ll be fine.”
“S-Saten has never cared about anyone… and Mister…”
Hare stopped eating, her voice firm.
“We’re not children anymore…”
“…I see.”
They were indeed no longer children. He agreed with Hare’s serious statement, but…
He immediately had to retract his agreement.
“W-What?! I told you I would be back quickly after training! Why is there only this much stir-fried pork left! What is this! I told you I don’t eat without meat!”
“Sigh…”
As expected, the Hero’s party were still just children, despite their physical growth.
“Luna.”
“Yes!”
“Sit down and eat. I’ll get you more if you’re still hungry.”
“Okay…”
At least they listened to him.
‘I hope they listen to my last words too.’
With that small wish, he shared another noisy meal with the Hero’s party.
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