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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Of all the countless emotions, Saten had awakened to “loneliness.”
She gently stroked my hand and said,
“Mister, is this what it feels like to feel secure? My chest doesn’t hurt anymore. It hurt when I was alone in the hut, but after you came here, the pain disappeared.”
Tracing each wrinkle of my hand as if savoring them, Saten stared into my eyes with curious intensity.
Her gaze seemed to want to see through me.
“…Don’t look at me like that, Saten. It’s uncomfortable.”
“I didn’t know you’d be uncomfortable, Mister. I won’t stare so blatantly next time.”
…Her words implied she wouldn’t get caught next time.
Did she intend to scrutinize me secretly from now on?
That was a bit creepy.
‘It feels like the first button has been misbuttoned. Of all things, loneliness… it would’ve been better if she’d awakened to joy first.’
Although Saten was one of the more intelligent members of the party, she lacked emotions.
Only logic existed for her, allowing her to coldly and accurately analyze any situation without emotional bias.
However, that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
The absence of emotions that were essential to humans could lead to flawed judgments, and what if the only emotion that functioned properly was “loneliness”?
‘It definitely wouldn’t be a positive influence.’
I looked down at Saten.
She sat on the chair, her expression blank as she stared at me, clutching my hand tightly.
Tilting her head slightly, she asked,
“Do you have something to say?”
“I have… a lot to say, but let’s talk later. The poison is spreading through your body, so we need to get out of here quickly. Take my hand. Let’s go.”
“Yes, Mister.”
Saten took my hand without resistance.
She had always been individualistic, but for some reason, she seemed to be relying on me now.
‘…It’s nice that she’s obedient, but I have a strange feeling about this.’
Taking Saten’s hand, I helped her up from the chair and headed out of the hut.
Hare and Estia sat exhausted on the ground, having run a considerable distance.
“Pant… Pant… Wh-What were you thinking leaving us behind, brother-!!”
“Mister tried to abandon me… I… I was almost abandoned…”
“…Something urgent came up with Saten, so I had no choice. I wasn’t trying to abandon you.”
Pant… Pant…
The exhausted duo gasped for breath.
They seemed unable to even answer me.
‘Still, I couldn’t stop just because they were tired.’
The poison was spreading through Saten’s body, and Luna was still trapped in her nightmare.
I walked towards the two children who sat there, drained of energy, and said, pointing to a door that had appeared in the air,
“Come on, get up. We need to hurry.”
“I-I’m too tired, Mister… I-I can’t walk anymore…”
“M-Me too… I’m tired too, brother…”
The two whined, acting spoiled.
I wanted to flick their foreheads for acting weak, but I decided to let it slide considering what they’d been through today.
“Hare, hold my hand. Estia, get on my back.”
Estia was small and light.
This method would be the best.
“Wow, your back is so broad! Hehe!”
“Me too, Mister’s back…”
Hare grumbled softly, showing a hint of displeasure.
Click-
But her dissatisfaction ended with biting her nails.
In the past, she definitely would have tried to push Estia away.
Hare, who had seemingly improved, puffed out her cheeks and took my hand.
“Alright, let’s go.”
All that remained was to rescue our last member, Luna.
Once we did, we would surely break free from this dream.
I walked towards the final door where Luna awaited.
My hands and back felt heavier than usual today.
‘…Is this what it feels like to raise children?’
If we were on one of those TV programs back in Korea, the entire Hero’s party would definitely be labeled as “problem children”.
As those ridiculous thoughts crossed my mind, I opened the dream door leading to Luna.
Creak-
‘…What is that?’
There, Luna was engaged in a fierce battle.
How many times had she repeated this battle?
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‘I can’t remember anymore.’
Ever since she surpassed 50 deaths, Luna stopped counting.
Because she realized it was pointless.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s 60 or 70 times…”
Because she died all the same.
She fought, lost, and died.
She wanted to collapse and lie down, but the being that called itself the Holy Sword forced her to stand every time she fell.
“You have no talent, Luna. I’m going to abandon you.”
“Those words again, Mister…?”
After losing to the red-haired girl, Mister always left with those words.
How talentless could she be for him to abandon her?
Tears endlessly streamed down Luna’s face as she lay on the ground.
“Sob… You said you’d protect me… Sob… You said you’d make me stronger…”
I hate you, Mister…
No matter how many times she was abandoned and defeated, the feeling of misery never faded.
How could she possibly defeat that girl?
Luna wracked her brain, but no solution came to mind.
“I can’t win… She knows every move I make… H-How can I win…?”
A world designed for her to fail.
But because the Holy Sword wouldn’t allow her to fall, Luna was forced to repeat this world endlessly.
At best, the only improvement was the duration of the battle.
The amount of time she could endure increased, but nothing else.
“Mister… Sob… Wh-Why do I have to keep repeating this… I-I miss you, Mister…”
I want to see the Mister I used to know…
But…
As if telling her not to even think about it, a sword radiating holy light emerged from her heart.
“Those words again…? Sob… H-How long are you going to make me fight…? Y-You bad sword…”
“Wh-What are you talking about…?”
“… Please… Just stop rewinding time… Y-You bad thing…”
The Holy Sword ignored Luna’s pleas and pointed its tip at her.
‘Ah… I’m going to die again…’
The pain was temporary, but the fact that she couldn’t escape this repeating loop was utterly despairing.
But she had no choice but to accept this fate.
The Holy Sword’s voice echoed, accompanied by a scream.
And so, Luna had faced death over 100 times.
Carrying the weight of being a hero, a weight that wouldn’t allow her to give up.
“Sob… Mister…”
You’re so mean…
You were nice to me sometimes…
Why are you forcing me to keep fighting…?
“If you’re going to rewind time… Then rewind it back to that day…”
Luna reminisced about those cherished days when she trained with Mister in the yard, a longing for that simple routine.
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“…Look at that.”
As I stepped through the door…
Luna was engaged in a one-sided battle.
She couldn’t even attempt to attack, only defend against the relentless onslaught.
She managed to avoid vital spots, but the accumulated damage left her battered and bruised.
Watching her struggle, Hare shouted,
“Two Misters…? Th-That one is an illusion… And… Oh! M-Mister…! The girl fighting Luna…! Sh-She looks like…! Th-The woman you kissed…! ”
“That’s an illusion too. Don’t get worked up, Hare.”
Grrrr- Grrrr-
Hare glared at the younger version of Aina with wary eyes, it seemed she instinctively knew she couldn’t win against her.
‘Luna won’t be able to defeat that illusion either.’
The illusion of Aina was using the same swordsmanship I used.
Naturally, Luna stood no chance.
But still, Luna…
“Her swordsmanship has improved significantly.”
“Hmm, is that so? I’ve always observed your training sessions, Mister. It looks the same to me.”
“It’s subtly different, Saten.”
It was as if she had transitioned from apprentice to expert.
If there had been awkward, clunky movements before, Luna’s current movements were smooth and fluid.
Despite that, the fact that she could only defend and faced a hopeless situation remained unchanged.
Luna desperately parried the illusion’s attacks.
At this rate, she would expose a vital spot and collapse.
‘…It’s inevitable that she’ll lose… but she definitely has talent.’
I told the other children to wait here and quietly approached Luna, who was fighting with all her might.
“Y-You damn bitch…!! G-Get away from me…!!”
“You have no talent. Mister will abandon you. My talent is greater, so he’ll abandon you for me.”
“St-Stop saying that…! I’ve heard it enough to make my ears bleed…!”
Luna didn’t even notice me approaching, she was fully focused on resisting the illusion’s attacks.
But as she was pushed back further into a corner, a gap appeared, exposing a vital spot.
‘This is it.’
Whoosh-
The illusion’s sword darted towards Luna’s solar plexus, aiming for the opening.
And at that moment…
Thwack-
“That’s enough sparring for today.”
“…? M-Mister…?”
I caught the wooden sword aimed at Luna with my hand.
Luna stared at me, her eyes wide with surprise.
“This has never happened before…? Wh-What…? Why are you doing this to me all of a sudden, you bad Mister…?”
“What nonsense are you talking about, Luna? Explain yourself clearly.”
Blank-
Luna stared blankly at me, her hand still gripping the wooden sword.
She remained like that for a while.
Then, as if a thought struck her, she started yelling at me with a frown.
“You’re so mean, Mister! You’re digging your own grave! You old geezer!”
“…Luna?”
“You idiot! You’re a bad person, Mister! So bad! If we’re going back anyway, I’m going to curse you to my heart’s content! You bad Mister!”
“…”
Smirk- Smirk-
For some reason…
That arrogant illusion standing over there must have done something to Luna.
I was being cursed for something I didn’t even do.
It was a bit unfair.
“You idiot! You sea anemone! Go shave your beard! You bad Mister!”
“…Luna. Take a good look behind that red-haired girl.”
“Why should I listen to you! Because I have no talent?! Is it okay to abandon someone just because they lack talent?!”
“…Sigh.”
It would be better to deal with this illusion first, an illusion based on Aina’s childhood.
It was colorless due to its lack of emotion, but it was an exact replica of the Aina I had seen in pictures.
Disliking the feeling of being trapped in the past, I channeled my mana into the wooden sword I held.
“…!!”
“Dissipate quickly, Aina.”
I couldn’t bear to watch it any longer.
Even if it’s just an illusion, disappear from my sight quickly.
As I took control of the illusion’s body with my mana, the illusion, constructed from Lust’s mana, quickly dispersed into the air.
Watching it vanish, Luna spoke in a bewildered tone,
“Huh…? Wh-What…? Why did you suddenly do that, Mister…?”
“Stop talking nonsense and look over there, Luna.”
“Yes?”
Luna turned her head to see another me standing behind me.
“Wh-What…! Two, two of you…?!”
“No, there’s only one of me. That one is an illusion.”
“Th-Then what…?”
“That illusion must have said some things to you. Mostly negative things.”
Negative things.
Upon hearing those words, Luna started pouring out her bottled-up emotions, like a dam breaking.
“He said I had no talent… no skills… He did say those things… And…! Every time I lost, he abandoned me…!! H-He kept insulting me, saying I had no talent… Ugh… I’m getting angry just thinking about it…! And…! Th-The Holy Sword kept rewinding time…! Th-That’s what happened, Mister… Sob…”
Luna finished speaking and burst into tears.
‘The Holy Sword forced her to keep sparring, and she was hurt by my illusion.’
The illusion was fine since it wasn’t actually me, but what worried me the most was Luna’s mental state.
If she had to endure that experience repeatedly, her spirit must be shattered.
I asked Luna, who was crying with a heartbroken expression,
“…Luna, are you okay?”
“N-No… I-I’m not okay… Sob, you were so mean, Mister… Y-You kept telling me I had no talent… Sob… That illusion also insulted me… Sob… I couldn’t even win the spar… I-Is it because I have no talent…? Sob…”
No talent.
The words I instilled in her to keep her from becoming arrogant must have weighed heavily on her.
Luna hung her head, her spirits crushed.
“You kept… telling me I had no talent… Sob… You’re so mean, Mister…”
“…I’m sorry, Luna. I didn’t realize you were hurting so much.”
I patted Luna’s shoulder, trying to comfort her.
But Luna’s tears didn’t stop, her hurt feelings lingering.
“Y-You have no idea… Sob… How much I suffered… Sob… It hurts so much when you’re stabbed in the heart by a sword…!”
“…I’ll let the insults from earlier slide, Luna. Stop crying now.”
“Why did you come so late…? Sob… I waited for you…”
Luna’s tears showed no signs of stopping, like a summer monsoon.
She sobbed uncontrollably, her tears falling like heavy rain.
‘I didn’t want to do this, but…’
I had no choice but to pull Luna towards me, perhaps this would stop her tears.
I embraced Luna, who always radiated warmth, and held her close.
But contrary to my expectations, Luna cried even harder.
“W-Waaah…!! M-Mister…! I-I tried so hard… Sob… I-I really tried…”
“I could tell. Your swordsmanship has improved a lot.”
“I-I really… Sob… I-I really tried… But… Sob… You kept saying I had no talent… that you’d abandon me… Sob… you said those things to me…”
Luna clung to my clothes, expressing her hurt feelings like a crying baby.
It was as if she was releasing everything she had bottled up while repeating those trials.
She sobbed, her body shaking with each cry.
‘…I’m sorry, Luna.’
For Luna, who had endured those painful trials…
The destined time awaited.
I simply held her, waiting for her to calm down.
‘You still have things to do, Luna. Just calm down and run towards your future.’
A door appeared in the air where my illusion had stood.
Looking at that door…
I checked the problem Minerva had presented.
…Destiny.
It was a convenient word for those who imposed it, but for those who had to choose the answer, it was a cruel burden.
I already knew the content, but I checked the choices nonetheless.
…It pained me.
But if this was Luna’s destiny, there was no way to defy it.
“Sob… Sniff… Mister…”
“…”
Holding Luna, who was still crying, in my arms…
Gently stroking her golden hair…
Feeling the piercing gazes of the other children…
‘…The right answer is always uncomfortable.’
Number 1.
The choice to make Luna kill the Demon Lord.
I clicked on it.
That was the destiny of the Hero.
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[Lmao his interactions with luna are always the best]
poor luna