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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“…She ran away in this weather?”
Rain began to pour heavily outside the window which was wide open.
Looking at the evidence, it seemed Luna had made the foolish choice to run away.
‘Did she escape because of the shock from the dungeon tour…?’
Hmm, I didn’t realize losing my eye and eliminating the Demon Lord would be that traumatizing.
When did Luna leave?
I placed my hand on Luna’s bed.
It was warm.
“There’s still a faint warmth. She hasn’t been gone for long.”
Judging by the remaining warmth, she couldn’t have gone far.
Luna must still be wandering around nearby.
I had to move now.
Just as I was about to leave, Hare’s voice came from the doorway, as if she had sensed something strange about the room.
“M-Mister…? What’s wrong…?”
Her tone suggested she knew nothing about the situation, it seemed Hare wasn’t involved in this.
I asked Hare, who was tilting her head in confusion,
“Hare, it seems Luna has left. Do you have any idea where she might have gone?”
“L-Luna… r-ran away…?! She’s so ungrateful…! You’ve done so much for her…! You even lost your e-eye because of us…!”
Smirk- Smirk-
Hare was furious that Luna had run away.
She continued to mutter, as if unable to let it go,
“Sh-She’s a bad girl…! Luna is a bad girl…!”
But every second was precious, so I cut her off and asked again,
“Anyway, did you see Luna leaving?”
“N-No… I didn’t…”
“Then, do you remember hearing anything from Luna’s room?”
“B-Before you came back, I-I was cleaning your room… and I-I did hear her mumbling to herself…”
…Cleaning my room, huh.
But Hare’s face turned as red as a tomato when she mentioned cleaning my room.
It seemed like she was doing something other than cleaning…
But that wasn’t important right now.
Her mumbling.
What Luna had mumbled to herself was the key.
“Do you remember what she said? It could be a good clue.”
“A-A good clue…! Helping Mister…! U-Um… Oh! I-I remember…! Luna mumbled ‘burden’…! She said she was a burden! She knew it all along!”
“…Burden. I see. Thank you for telling me, Hare.”
“He, hehe…”
Hare smiled happily, pleased that she was able to help.
I patted her head as a reward and left the room to find Luna.
She must be getting soaked in the pouring rain outside, so I had to find her quickly.
She might catch a cold.
Children were vulnerable to colds.
“Hmm, burden…”
When I grasped the meaning and intention behind those words…
“Running away” wasn’t the right way to describe Luna’s actions.
In this case, it was more like she had “left.”
I sighed as I stepped outside to find her.
“I don’t know why she called herself a burden, but she’s still foolish even after becoming the Hero, Luna.”
It’s not your fault that I lost my eye.
I’ll hear the reason why you ran away directly from you.
As the Hero, you still have so much to learn from me.
“Until you eliminate all the Demon Lords. Until you gain that strength. You can’t leave this place.”
As I headed towards Luna, who was probably soaked to the bone somewhere…
I quickened my pace, my steps heavy from the rain.
Meanwhile, Luna was taking shelter from the rain, having a conversation with the Holy Sword.
“…Shut up, I didn’t come out here to get stronger! Don’t talk to me!”
Whoosh-
Luna huddled under a building, seeking shelter from the pouring rain.
Splash- Splash-
She watched the puddles forming on the ground, intending to wait until the rain stopped.
“Ugh, it’s cold… If I just sit here in the rain, Mister will find me…”
“N-No! I-I don’t want to die!”
“Salvation my ass! Shut up before I sell you to a blacksmith!!”
Don’t spout such nonsense!
The Holy Swords in fairy tales were supposed to be holy and sacred!
Why was this one acting so strange?!
Luna couldn’t understand the Holy Sword’s actions.
It kept rewinding time and persuading her to run away, as if it was missing a screw.
So Luna cautiously asked the Holy Sword,
“…If I leave Mister’s side like this… are you sure he won’t suffer…?”
“…Okay, that’s all that matters. The Demon Lords appear because I’m the Hero! Like you said, if I disappear, Mister won’t suffer anymore!”
…But could you please stop talking, Holy Sword?
Every time the Holy Sword spoke, she heard screams.
Sometimes it was a man’s scream, sometimes a woman’s.
And its tone seemed to change every time…
Well, it was better than just sitting here doing nothing.
‘I guess I’ll ask another question.’
“You said your name was Timeless, right? I’m curious, why can’t you speak when Mister is around?”
“Apostle of the Goddess? Estia called Mister that. But I don’t know what it means!”
“Don’t insult Mister! He might be a bad person… but he has good qualities too!”
The Holy Sword paused, as if dumbfounded.
Then, it sighed and continued,
“So…! Why can’t you speak?!”
“Hmm… I come from a humble farming family, so I’d be executed if I opened my mouth!”
“Hmm, that’s difficult! Can’t we just be friends?!”
Sinned?
Is it like being in prison?
Just in case the Holy Sword was a bad guy…!
Luna asked the Holy Sword, Timeless, with a hint of suspicion,
“What kind of sin did you commit?!”
But…
Thud-
“What, what?! Holy Sword, answer me! You said you’d tell me where to run away!”
The Holy Sword’s voice suddenly cut off.
Luna, who had been comforted by the presence of a voice, even if it was a terrifying one…
Now felt a sense of dread as she was truly alone.
“I-It’s raining…! A-And it’s so dark…!”
I’m scared…!
You said you’d guide me…!
You bad sword…!
Luna, who was like a child lost on an errand after losing the map…
“Ugh… I don’t care! I’m just going to go straight!”
She stood up abruptly.
But Luna should have realized why the Holy Sword’s voice had disappeared.
An eerie presence enveloped her from behind.
“Where are you going, Luna?”
“H-Hieeek…!!”
A familiar voice came from behind her.
Hearing Mister’s voice, Luna was startled and lost her balance.
And behind her… was the puddle she had been watching…
Splash-!
Seeing that, Lee Jun-woo chuckled and said,
“…So you run away and the first thing you do is slapstick comedy?”
“U-Uwaah… My clothes… They’re all wet… Why did you suddenly appear behind me, Mister?!”
“You’re being quite bold for someone who ran away, Luna.”
Ah, right.
She ran away, didn’t she?
She was so happy to see Mister…
Luna regained her composure, which she had momentarily lost.
“…Ahem. What are you talking about? I’m going to run away again. I don’t want to stay with you anymore. I can’t live with a kidnapper!”
“Why?”
“I-I just don’t want to! You’re annoying! I hate you, Mister!”
“That’s not your true feelings, so you don’t need to explain yourself, Luna.”
More importantly…
Lee Jun-woo grabbed Luna’s hand, which was lying limp on the ground.
He pulled her up and whispered in her ear,
“I told you I’d kidnap you again, even if you ran away.”
“Wh-What…!”
“I’m never letting you go. Not until you get stronger. Don’t even think about running away from me.”
“Th-That’s so selfish! You think you’re the most important person in the world!”
“If you’re dissatisfied, then defeat me with your skills.”
Lee Jun-woo’s words were undeniable.
That was why Luna was even more frustrated because she couldn’t retort.
“Y-You…!!”
“Answer me properly, Luna.”
“Ugh…! I’m going to run away…! I won’t live with you!”
“I told you, that’s not your decision to make.”
Grab-
Without another word, Lee Jun-woo hoisted Luna over his shoulder.
Luna struggled and yelled, but she couldn’t break free from his overwhelming strength.
“N-No…! I won’t go back…! I don’t want to stay with you…!!”
“Be quiet. You’re making more noise than the rain, Luna.”
“U-Uwaah!!”
‘You’re so noisy.’
Carrying Luna over his shoulder…
Lee Jun-woo and Luna walked back the way they came, without an umbrella.
And for Luna, who saw herself as a burden…
Lee Jun-woo opened his mouth.
“Luna.”
“…What.”
“I can easily carry you like this, even with one eye missing.”
“…So?”
“Losing one eye doesn’t affect me much. So don’t blame yourself. It’s just that the opponent was too strong because she was a Demon Lord.”
“It’s not okay at all! Eyes are important to people!”
‘It’s my fault she appeared…’
‘How can you say it’s okay, Mister…!’
‘The Holy Sword told me it was all my fault…’
“It’s definitely not okay! Eyes are very important!”
“They’re not important to me. I’m just glad you came back alive. So…”
‘Don’t blame yourself.’
‘You’re not a burden.’
‘Even if I get hurt, you just need to focus on eating and training.’
‘I don’t mind at all.’
“So don’t blame yourself. I’m okay.”
‘You’re not…
Not okay at all, Mister…
Luna’s heart sank as those words echoed in her mind, like the falling rain.
“…”
“I was prepared for this the moment I brought you here. So don’t think about blaming yourself. If I, the one who was directly affected, say it’s okay, then it’s okay. Do you understand?”
“…”
Luna didn’t answer.
No, she couldn’t answer.
If she spoke now, he would know.
‘I-I don’t want him to know I’m crying… It’s all my fault… That the Demon Lord appeared… That Mister was hurt and injured… It’s all my fault…’
But Mister says it’s okay…?
Why? I’m not even his family? Just because I’m the Hero…?
Mister was hurt because I’m the Hero…?
‘I can’t understand how Mister feels…’
Luna, her tears masked by the rain…
Silently fought back her tears, her body trembling slightly against Lee Jun-woo’s shoulder.
But even without Luna speaking, Lee Jun-woo could tell.
‘She’s still as foolish as ever, even after going through such an ordeal. Doesn’t she know her body trembles when she holds back tears?’
It was just like Luna to think she could hide it.
‘If she ran away because of guilt… I guess I can let it slide this time.’
I’ll let it slide this once.
But if she ran away again, she’d be back in confinement.
With those thoughts in mind, Lee Jun-woo headed home, braving the wind and rain.
And so, Luna’s runaway attempt ended with her being captured and brought back.
And…
‘…Why is Mister so nice to me? Because I’m the Hero? Or because I’m Luna?’
Which one is it, Mister…?
The incident ended with a question lingering in the young girl’s heart.
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Morning.
As I woke up and a new day began…
I had to get out of bed and prepare the children’s breakfast, as usual.
But…
“Cough! Cough!”
I couldn’t get up.
After losing so much blood from my eye and needing rest, I had been exposed to the cold wind and rain.
It was only natural.
I had come down with a terrible cold.
Helplessly lying in bed, I muttered to myself,
“The children’s meals… their education… what should I do…?”
I was unable to move.
The Hero’s party, for today and perhaps for a while…
Would have to prepare their own meals and fend for themselves.
And that…
‘We’re screwed…’
Was a big problem.
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…No, one of those girls is the saintess, isn’t she? Can’t she at least cure a cold?
Bold of you to expect the half drug addict saint to cure someone.