I Kidnapped the Hero Party – Chapter 38

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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The dungeon city of Henesys.

It was a city close to the ‘Desolate Ruins’, the land of demons, and had many ‘dungeons’ created by Demon Lords.

It was also called an innovative city that used dungeons commercially to generate revenue.

I too once had a time when I was active here as a member of a party.

‘Master Aina. Knight Irina. When I first saw them, I mistook them for family because their names were similar. In fact, only their names were alike.’

So much time had passed already.

Except for the fact that Aina’s time had stopped, this city was no different from before.

As I was lost in these past thoughts, the old lady sitting next to me said goodbye.

“Well then, take care, young man… It was pleasant talking during the ride…”

“Yes, go safely, ma’am.”

The old lady left, leaning on her cane.

The lady in the seat next to me was on the kinder side.

Although her life advice like ‘A stable job is the best’ was a bit annoying.

She was closer to being a good person.

Still.

‘If Saten had sat with that old lady…’

There would certainly have been a fight.

Saten didn’t tolerate annoying situations at all and didn’t consider the age of others, so I might have seen her assaulting the old lady if things went wrong.

I imagined the sight of Saten wildly slapping an elderly person’s cheek.

It was indeed a good choice for me to sit separately.

After saying goodbye to the old lady, I got off the train and looked around.

‘The kids… haven’t gotten off yet?’

If it took a little time, I could go to car A first and wait for them.

I slowly walked towards car A.

Just then, the door of car A opened and people started coming out.

Since the children had each chosen colorful colors, there was no need to search for them particularly hard.

‘There they are.’

Yellow, pink, black, white.

A group of suspicious people were wearing hoods in various colors.

I approached them as they were getting off the train.

Hare, probably because she was a thief, spotted me first again this time and started running towards me, shouting.

“Mi-Mister…! I missed you…!”

Pitter-patter-

Hare ran hard on her short legs.

It hadn’t even been an hour, but why was she running like she hadn’t seen me in 100 days?

Hare came up to me and hugged my waist tightly.

“I was so lonely while you were gone, Mister… But I endured and waited… Am I a good child…?”

“…Yes, you did well. Did you get along well with the others too?”

“Yes! I really got along well with them…! Hehe, Hare is a good child, right…! Right…?”

“…”

I silently patted Hare’s head.

Getting along well with friends was related to the party’s bond.

From my perspective, it was a very good situation.

More importantly…

“Luna, why are you standing still far away?”

“…Hmph, it’s nothing.”

Stare-

Luna was quietly watching me from afar, she seemed to be making a somewhat sulky expression.

Was it because I didn’t praise her for enduring the auditory hallucinations well?

She had an expression full of discontent.

“…If you have complaints, say them out loud, Luna.”

“…I don’t need it! I don’t need your praise, Mister!”

She was really upset.

She’d get over it on her own once we ate a delicious dinner anyway.

I decided not to respond.

The most important point in the current situation wasn’t Luna.

“Ho-Holy water… Give me holy water…”

Staggering like a zombie from far away, Estia was the most important in the current situation.

‘Her condition is not good at all.’

Estia, addicted to holy water, had endured for too long.

She was probably in a state just before falling off a cliff, and if time was delayed even a little, she might lose consciousness.

I approached her as she was about to collapse.

“Estia.”

“You kidnapper… Give me holy water… Give me holy water…”

“…I’ll give you holy water when we arrive at our lodging. So, endure a little more.”

“Ca-Can’t endure… You bad bastard…”

“…I’ll carry you to our lodging.”

I picked up Estia, who was in a daze, in a princess carry.

Estia’s body was hot like a fireball, and cold sweat was running down her face.

If holy water wasn’t administered right now, it seemed like she would have a seizure immediately.

We needed to move to our lodging before it was too late.

Holding Estia in my arms, I immediately approached the waiting Hero’s party.

“Children, follow me. Estia’s condition isn’t good.”

Lodging.

Towards the lodging where we would stay briefly before finding a house, I started moving, leading the Hero’s party.

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Befitting its name as a dungeon city, the lodgings in Henesys were generally in good condition.

There were various options and lodgings tailored to the number of people in adventurer parties.

Therefore, I rented a lodging with 5 rooms that could accommodate all 5 members of the Hero’s party, including myself.

We planned to stay here for the time being until we find a house, and immediately after arriving at the lodging…

“I’ll calm Estia down for a moment. Go into any room you want and rest as you like.”

“Ye-Yes…”

Carrying Estia, I entered a room alone with her.

She desperately needed holy water now.

I laid Estia on the bed and lightly tapped her cheeks.

“Estia, are you conscious?”

“…”

“Did she faint…?”

She was not moving at all.

She must have fainted because she couldn’t endure mentally anymore.

I quickly took out a bottle containing holy water from my spatial storage, there was no problem up to taking it out, but after taking it out the next part was the problem.

“…How should I administer the holy water?”

Basically, holy water was in liquid form.

It needed to be consumed orally, and I couldn’t tell her to drink it when she was unconscious.

If I forcefully poured the holy water into her mouth, there was a considerable risk of choking.

What would be the right choice…

Good timing, Minerva.

The disappointing thing was that there was no chance to see the answer sheet.

‘…If I had the answer sheet, I would have checked option 1.’

If it was okay to hold the holy water in my mouth, the safest option was 1.

It was the orthodox method.

‘But, option 2…’

Option 2 had the risk of my finger being bitten off by Estia’s teeth, so it was difficult to choose readily.

However, if I chose option 1 and got addicted to the holy water while holding it in my mouth?

‘Big brother, I’ll give you holy water as a reward~ Open your mouth!’

A future where I was controlled by Estia would unfold.

I had no choice.

I deeply dipped my index finger into the bottle containing holy water.

Then, I put my index finger, sufficiently wet with holy water, into Estia’s mouth.

It felt somewhat ambiguous.

“…Don’t bite, drink slowly, Estia.”

As if applying holy water inside Estia’s mouth, I stirred her mouth with my index finger.

Like painting on a canvas with a brush, I moved carefully, doing my best not to hurt Estia.

Perhaps my efforts paid off.

“Uh, uuuh…?”

Estia’s eyelids trembled and she made a dumb sound.

Good, I should continue like this.

I kept dipping my index finger in holy water, smearing the inside of Estia’s mouth with holy water.

Each time, as if the holy water was taking effect, Estia twitched.

“…This seems to be the most effective spot.”

I felt like I was getting the hang of it.

Estia’s tongue had the best reaction, it would be better to focus on applying holy water there.

“I hope you’ll come to your senses soon, Estia.”

“Uh, umm… uuuh…?”

I was afraid she might bite my finger.

As I was supplying holy water to Estia with my finger, a strange sensation began to be felt on my finger.

“…Estia?”

“Uh, hehe… Holy wateeer…”

Slurp-

Estia, who had finally come to her senses, was licking my finger in her mouth with her tongue.

She had regained consciousness, but hadn’t really regained consciousness.

Damn it.

“Big brotherrr… Are you giving me… holy water…? It feels good to lick…”

Lick-

Estia carefully licked the holy water on my finger with her tongue.

Fortunately, Estia’s body had cooled down and she was no longer sweating.

However, her mental state being broken emerged as a new problem.

Fix one thing, and another becomes a problem.

“…Originally, I was planning to give her holy water and leave.”

To think things would get so complicated.

This was troublesome.

Estia continued to lick my finger, disregarding my words.

The holy water that had been on my index finger was already gone, and it was now covered in Estia’s saliva.

“Estia, stop licking my finger now. The holy water is here.”

“Ehehe… Holy water… Slurp, good… Give me more…”

“…Now let go of my arm and drink the holy water in the bottle.”

“Ah, ahhh… Good…! Hehe…”

Lick- Lick-

She was not listening to me at all.

Holding my arm with both hands, as if she would never let go, Estia kept licking my finger.

I couldn’t leave this behavior unchecked.

Swish-

“Stop.”

“Huh… Huh? Where’s the holy water…? Where did it go…”

I forcefully shook off her arms so that Estia could no longer lick my finger.

She stared at me blankly with a dazed expression.

I was not sure if we could communicate, but… I attempted to talk to Estia, placing a sliver of hope in her.

“Estia. The holy water is here, so drink it yourself. There’s no reason to lick my finger at all.”

“Ah, aah…! Holy waterrr… I want to have holy water… Give me holy water…!”

“Not my finger. Drink the holy water. Here, I’ll leave the holy water here. Enjoy it by yourself, I’ll take my leave now.”

“…”

Now that she had come to her senses, she should be able to drink it by herself.

It was painful to watch a person being pickled in drugs.

Therefore, I didn’t particularly want to see Estia drinking holy water now, as it wasn’t the adjustment phase.

I stood up and put my hand on the doorknob to leave the room.

At that moment, Estia’s gloomy voice reached my ears.

“…I-I don’t want to… I don’t want to be alone… Can’t you stay with me… Estia doesn’t want to be alone… Be-Being alone… is too scary and I don’t like it…”

Drip drip-

Shedding tears, Estia desperately cried out to me.

She looked as if she would die if left alone.

“St-Stay with me…! E-Estia… do-doesn’t want to be alone… Le-Let’s be happy… together… Bi-Big brother… Don’t go… St-Stay with me…”

“Estia…?”

“Al-Alone… I don’t want to survive alone… St-Stay with me…”

She begged, cried, and threw a tantrum.

Just like a little child.

Did drinking holy water make her childlike?

She probably wouldn’t remember this tomorrow anyway.

“Al-Always… alone… I-I hate it…”

Estia hugged her legs, crying teardrops as if she was lonely.

I approached Estia, tidied her disheveled white hair, and asked to confirm.

“Truly. Do you want me not to leave?”

“Ye-Yes… I-I don’t like that big brother doesn’t give me holy water… Bu-But I like that you gave me holy water today… So-So today… stay with me… E-Estia has always been alone…”

Stay with her at least when she’s taking holy water.

That was what she was saying.

It was probably related to her deficiencies.

I felt like I needed to properly see Estia’s past to understand why she was saying these things.

‘Does she become honest when drinking holy water? Or is she just saying this because she’s lonely…’

Looking at the current situation, it seemed closer to the former…

Estia tightly gripped my sleeve, sending a pitiful gaze.

She looked so desperate that I felt like she might die if I refused here.

It was a moment when my heart softened.

“Estia.”

“Ye-Yes… Big brother…”

“…I’ll stay with you, so drink the holy water. I’ll stay by your side until you come to your senses.”

“Ye-Yes! Th-Thank you…! He-Hehe… I’m happy… Estia is happy…!”

Gulp- Gulp-

Estia drank the holy water without hesitation.

After emptying one bottle completely, Estia came and sat next to me.

Then, as if the effects were kicking in, her body started to tremble.

“Ah, aah… Hic… It feels gooood… Bi-Big brother… Hug me… I’m ha-happy but… Sc-Scared… Hug me…”

Squeeze-

As Estia asked, I hugged her warmly.

Her body trembled as if it would break if touched lightly, and she seemed to be feeling intense pleasure.

Estia buried her face in my chest while in my embrace.

“I-I’m… happy… Hehe… I wi-wish it could be like this forever… My-My friends too… I wish they could all… be this happy…”

“…”

Estia, intoxicated by holy water, kept saying she was happy.

I couldn’t give any answer to such an Estia.

‘Is Estia really happy?’

Contrary to her words, she looked like she might break at any moment.

She seemed to feel anxiety amidst happiness.

I knew she couldn’t be normal after long-term consumption of holy water, but Estia’s mental state was extremely unstable.

What I could do for Estia now was,

“Go-Good… Holy water is good…”

“…”

So that she could wake up from this dream.

I just warmly embraced her, and to make the Hero’s party function properly.

I had to bring Estia back to normal.

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[bro is a certified drug dealer and kidnapped at this point]