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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“May I ask what your relationship is with our daughter… and who you are…?”
“Hmm…”
How should I explain my relationship with Luna?
Goddess’s apostle and Hero?
Kidnapper and kidnapped child?
Mister and girl?
There were many ways to express it, but none were appropriate answers to explain to Luna’s father.
‘The most suitable one would be…’
Probably, this was the only relationship that would work.
Placing both hands on Luna’s shoulders as she was nestled in my arms, I spoke with a benevolent smile.
It was a very exemplary tone.
“I am Luna’s master.”
“…Master?”
“Yes, I am the master teaching Luna about the ‘adventurer’ life. The reason Luna can send money is because of her adventurer life.”
“Oh, master… Luna, is what this person saying true?”
“Uh, huh? A-Are you asking if Mister is my master?”
“Yes, you answer.”
“Uhh…”
It would be best to explain well, Luna.
Pat- Pat-
I lightly patted Luna’s shoulders.
In this situation, Luna herself knew well who would suffer if she told the truth.
In a small voice that only Luna could hear, I whispered in her ear.
“…Explain that I am your master. It will be more beneficial that way.”
Flinch-
Luna turned around in surprise, she looked a bit scared.
Then, she began to whisper quietly to me.
Perhaps because it was in front of her family, she was quite assertive.
“Mi-Mister did save our family…! I’m grateful…! But there’s no reason for me to explain you as my master…!”
…If that’s how you want to play it.
I have no choice then, I’ll have to be forceful.
“…Then tell them the truth. That I’m a kidnapper.”
“Eh…?”
“And remember that I’m in your house right now.”
It’s fine if you say I’m a kidnapper, I can just kidnap you again anyway.
I know your house, where you live, and what kind of people your family members are.
Do you think telling the truth in this situation would benefit you?
“Think carefully.”
“Ugh, uuugh…!”
Luna started trembling.
“A-Are you threatening me…!”
“No, I’m pressuring you. I’ll give you the choice.”
“There’s only one choice! Mister, you’re despicable…!!”
“Think as you like.”
“Ugggh…!!”
Luna gritted her teeth as if frustrated.
I put more weight on the hand on Luna’s shoulder, gradually pressuring her.
Our whispering must have seemed strange, as Luna’s father asked,
“…What are you two doing, ignoring me?”
“We just had a brief talk. Right, Luna?”
It would be best to choose wisely.
Luna might miss her family’s embrace, but staying here would be dangerous for the world, and her family would be in even more danger.
A comfortable life couldn’t be allowed for the Hero.
She needed to learn swordsmanship and grow stronger, so she wouldn’t see her family die like in that future that had occurred.
Even without me, the Hero had to defeat the Demon Lords.
“Mi-Mister is…”
Luna seemed to have finished weighing her options in her mind, as she soon hung her head as if giving up.
“Ma-Master is ri-right! I-I had something to talk about with Ma-Master… Mister is indeed my master…!”
A wise choice, Luna.
As expected, you’re a good child who understands when spoken to.
At those words acknowledging me as her master, Luna’s father’s demeanor softened considerably.
It could be said that this was very fortunate.
Beside him, Luna’s mother continued speaking in place of her father.
“I’m glad he’s really your master. More importantly, Luna, why didn’t you join the knighthood? We were shocked to hear that you weren’t in the Sylvester Knighthood.”
“Th-There were circumstances…”
“You should have at least told the knighthood before studying under your master. When the knighthood said you might have been kidnapped, I thought my heart would stop. Ah, right. Thank you for saving us, guard- I mean, Luna’s master.”
Bow-
Luna’s mother bowed her head to me.
My conscience pricked a little at receiving such a greeting as a kidnapper.
‘So that’s why the letter asking where she was arrived…’
…Did the knighthood investigate Luna’s sudden disappearance?
Certainly, there would be no reason for her family to send such a letter otherwise.
The knighthood’s pursuit was always something to be wary of, one person might be manageable, but an organization would be difficult even for me to handle.
‘Now that Luna’s worries have been eased, and her family is safe…’
It was time to return to the train station.
Luna might enjoy meeting her family after a long time, but we couldn’t delay.
We needed to hurry back, not knowing what kind of trouble those three at the station might cause.
And…
There was an important reason why we needed to leave quickly.
It would be better to leave before the knighthood arrived.
In a situation without the chance to see the answer sheet, the only answer I could choose was one.
“Luna.”
“Yes?”
“Follow me, it’s time to go.”
“Bu-But it hasn’t even been 10 minutes?”
Before the knighthood came for me, I would run away.
Once they caught your tail, they would never let go.
So we couldn’t ever let them catch our tail.
Thus, I decided to kidnap Luna again in front of her parents.
A kidnapping that only Luna hadn’t permitted.
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“Take care, Luna’s master!”
I told them there was no need to see us off.
Yet this large family insisted on coming out to bid us farewell.
Luna’s parents and her six younger brothers came to the main gate to see us off.
All the corpses had turned to dust and disappeared, so there wasn’t really any problem, but it was extremely burdensome from my perspective.
“Big sister! Are you leaving already?!”
“Yeah, I wanted to play with you all more… But that mean mister is dragging me away… You shouldn’t grow up to be like him, okay?”
“…Luna, I can hear everything.”
“Oops-!”
What do you mean, oops.
I’d have to give Luna some intense training for a while for her constantly rising attitude.
Luna said goodbye to her siblings with a pitiful expression, was she that reluctant to leave her family, or was she just unhappy to be with me?
Thinking it might be both, I took Luna’s hand and turned around.
It was time for farewell.
“Well then, we’ll be going now. Those creatures might come again, so I recommend you move. Now, if you’ll excuse us…”
“Ahem… Ju-Just a moment…! Come here for a second…!!”
“…?”
Luna’s father?
Why was he suddenly calling me?
I approached him, curious about what he wanted to say.
He glanced at Luna nervously, then began to speak to me.
“First of all, I apologize that our daughter is inconsiderate and stubborn. It must be difficult for you as her master.”
“…Not at all, she’s a good child at that level.”
“…Thank you for thinking that way, and thank you again for saving our family…! and what I really want to say is!!”
Thud-
‘Wh-What is he doing…?’
Luna’s father showed an unexpected action.
He knelt before me and began to speak words of gratitude.
“Although our daughter has many shortcomings…!! Please take good care of her…!! I beg of you…!! Guardian deity of our village…!!”
“Dad kneeled! Let’s follow him!”
“Yaay-!!”
Thud-
The 6 younger brothers of Luna beside him also knelt down and began to plead with me earnestly.
‘What is this situation…?’
Luna’s family was kneeling before me and entrusting Luna to me.
It was incredibly burdensome.
Luna’s family clearly had genes for flustering people, and hearing their voices, Luna seemed to have roughly guessed my identity.
“Mister is… the guardian deity…? The black-haired guardian deity…? The guardian deity who single-handedly wiped out a horde of monsters… is Mister…?! N-No way…! Our village’s guardian deity can’t be a kidnapper! It’s a lie!”
“…”
Luna’s family was kneeling before me and Luna was holding my hand and denying reality.
How should I sort out this situation?
‘…What’s there to sort out?’
I should just run away.
I absolutely hated burdensome situations, and I hated receiving attention even more.
I took the chattering Luna’s hand and walked towards the train station, leaving Luna’s family behind.
-Thank you…!! Guardian deity…!!
-Luna! You must listen well to the guardian deity…!!
“…”
I desperately pretended not to hear their voices coming from afar.
The nickname of village guardian deity, now as before, was so burdensome to hear that I wanted to cover my ears.
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Step- Step-
Glance-
As they headed to the train station, Luna kept glancing at Mister, as if seeing him anew, like a girl with her first crush.
Since they were walking hand in hand, to others they might have looked like a father and daughter.
‘To think Mister was our village’s guardian deity…’
Impossible!
But looking at his skills, he did seem like a guardian deity!
That red-haired man.
He made such a chilling expression towards me…
He looked incredibly strong.
‘He must have been so strong that Mister died back then…’
Throb-
Mister telling her to run away, with a hole in his heart as he patted her head gently with his warm hand at the end.
Luna couldn’t forget that painful scene in her head.
Back then, Mister looked so cool…
“…But now Mister is completely cowardly and despicable!”
“Keep your insults in your head, Luna.”
“No! There’s no negotiating with a threatening Mister!”
To think you’d threaten me in front of my family…!
I’m grateful you saved us, but…!
Luna couldn’t like everything about Mister.
There were good points, but the bad points stood out more.
Anyway, a question naturally arose in Luna’s mind.
‘But, he died the first time. Why did he win this time?’
It was strange, no?
Wasn’t losing supposed to be natural?
To solve this question, Luna looked up at Mister and said,
“Mister! How did you win this time when you lost before?!”
“Because I know the opponent well, and he doesn’t know me.”
“What?”
“It means I remember the situation where I died.”
It would be more accurate to say he read the record rather than remembered, but hearing Mister’s words, Luna was momentarily stunned.
‘Is this not an ability only I can remember?’
Mom, Dad, siblings, Hare, Saten, Estia.
Other people didn’t remember at all… so why did Mister remember?
‘Is Mister special?’
Was Mister a special existence to me?
So that painful horrible memory she never wanted to see again, was she sharing that wound with Mister?
“Mister is full of questions. You’re a complete question mark!”
“What do you mean?”
“I thought I was the only one who remembered! But you remember! And when I’m near you! I can’t even hear the holy sword’s voice! And it turns out you’re our village’s guardian deity! Just what-!”
What on earth is your identity, Mister?!
‘…My identity, huh.’
Luna’s asked about my identity.
Why the holy sword’s voice couldn’t be heard near me.
That question was still unsolved, but Jun-woo answered Luna’s question as if it was obvious.
“My identity is simply your master.”
“…That’s not what I’m asking! I absolutely do not, cannot accept you as my master!”
Bu-But…
“Thank you for understanding the memory that was painful for me… Thank you for saving my family…”
“…”
Luna, who had been angrily shouting, suddenly couldn’t raise her face out of embarrassment at her unexpected words of gratitude.
Why wasn’t Mister saying anything?
Is-Is he moved…?
Luna cautiously raised her head when no reply came no matter how long she waited.
Glance-
Mister was silently walking far ahead alone without saying anything.
“Tch! I say thank you and this happens! Ju-Just a moment…! Mi-Mister, don’t go too far…!! I-I’ll hear the voice again…!! Uwaaah-!!”
The dishonest Luna scurried after Mister.
The fact that Mister alone remembered what others couldn’t remember.
Luna was unknowingly feeling relieved by this.
Sharing a wound that only she knew was enough to create a sense of kinship.
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[lmao her family is funny af]
Happy ending to a sad few chapters