I Kidnapped the Hero Party – Chapter 68

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Underwear.

An essential garment for covering a man’s lower body.

Why was it here?

I considered all possibilities.

‘Did it get blown here by the wind? Did it walk here on its own? Did it accidentally enter the wrong room?’

That was impossible.

No matter how I thought about it, that couldn’t have happened.

I tried to deny reality, but the situation pointed to only one conclusion.

‘Hare stole my underwear. This is an undeniable fact.’

I didn’t know what she intended to use it for…

And I didn’t want to imagine it.

But the evidence was right in front of me, and I couldn’t avoid drawing conclusions, even if I didn’t want to.

The unmade bed and the underwear hidden underneath.

This situation clearly suggested that Hare had slept with my underwear last night.

“Sigh…”

I gulped.

“Even for puberty… this is a bit much… To think she would steal underwear…”

I had a splitting headache.

How was I supposed to react to this?

I tried to think rationally, but it only made my head hurt more.

I looked around, just in case Hare had stolen anything else.

“Only the underwear on the bed. Nothing on the desk… nothing in the closet either. Did Hare only steal one pair of underwear?”

Why would she steal my underwear when there were so many valuable items in the house?

Dependence on me?

Or was it just teenage curiosity?

‘…I don’t know. I can’t understand unless I talk to her directly.’

I wasn’t a mind reader, I couldn’t know what the children were thinking.

But I could understand where Hare’s actions stemmed from.

It was definitely an act of ‘dependence.’

Since she couldn’t be with me late at night, she used my underwear, which carried my scent, to lessen that dependence.

And perhaps she was acting secretly because I told her not to show her feelings for me.

Of course, it was just speculation, close to delusion.

“If my assumption is correct… did I push Hare to the point of becoming an underwear thief?”

Hare was always watching me, her actions mirroring my own.

I was like a mirror to Hare.

My actions influenced Hare, dictating her behavior.

In the end, I had no right to punish her.

I placed the underwear, which I had intended to confiscate, back on the bed.

“…I don’t know for sure, but if my assumption is correct, I can’t scold you.”

It would be better to leave the underwear where it was and erase any traces of my intrusion into her room.

If she stole something more valuable in the future, I would punish her then.

But this time, I would let it slide since I was also partly to blame.

And later…

‘The ideal solution would be to cure her dependence, but that’s a long way off. It would be better to confiscate the underwear and give her my shirt instead.’

Underwear was too blatant.

A man’s underwear would definitely have a negative impact on Hare’s development.

So, I decided to postpone confiscating the underwear and left the room, hoping for a better opportunity.

Thankfully, I didn’t sense any of the children in the hallway.

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Unaware that her room had been searched…

Hare was diligently cleaning the windows in the dining room.

“W-Work hard cleaning…! I-I’ll definitely get Mister’s reward…! F-Fighting…!”

Squeak- Squeak-

Hare used her agile body to clean the high windows with no difficulty.

And beside Hare, there was another girl filled with even more passion.

“Reward~! I’m definitely getting the reward~! I’m getting the holy water~!!”

“H-Hieeek… You scared me…”

Estia was cleaning the windows with such intensity that it startled Hare.

She was determined to earn the holy water reward.

Her fervor was enough to make Hare feel threatened.

“…She’s working harder than me. Th-This is bad…!”

I…!

I’ll do my best…!

I’ll be the only one praised by Mister…!

In the past, she would have pushed Estia off the ladder.

But now, knowing that wasn’t right, Hare decided to compete fairly.

“Th-The reward is mine…! I-I can clean faster…”

“Wh-What?! He’s giving everyone a reward, you idiot-!”

“No…! It can’t be fair for everyone…!!”

That kind of world doesn’t exist…!

Even if the treatment is equal, the perceived value changes…!

There’s always a top and a bottom…!

‘I’ll never… be at the bottom again…’

Hare gritted her teeth, determined not to lose.

Her life had always been a series of competitions.

She focused on even the smallest tasks, always thinking about Mister.

Even if she couldn’t be at the top in society… she would be at the top in his heart.

‘I’ll always be with Mister…!’

I hate being alone…!

I have to work hard… so Mister will acknowledge me…!

Hare’s thoughts were simple.

But deep down, they were twisted.

‘I hate being alone… I-If I have Mister’s scent… I-I won’t be as lonely… right…? I’m sorry, Mister…’

The night was long and dark…

But with Mister’s scent, her heart felt at ease.

Hare, who had stolen his underwear from the laundry, had acted out of those twisted feelings.

Because she now knew what it felt like to not be alone.

Estia, seeing Hare’s increasing speed, backed down.

“Hmm…! A-Alright! You can have it! I’ll just clean enough to get my holy water~”

This isn’t losing!

I’m just… taking a step back!

Refusing to compromise her pride, Estia slowed down.

She allowed herself to indulge in the anticipation of the reward she would soon receive.

“Holy water makes me feel so good these days~ It’s warm and fuzzy~ All the holy water is mine! Hehe!”

Estia cleaned the windows, her mind filled with anticipation.

The two had different goals, but…

They diligently cleaned the windows, occasionally glancing at each other to check their progress.

“I’m out of water.”

“I’ll go this time. You can go next time…”

“Okay, good idea! You’re so nice! Should I share some holy water with you when I get my reward!?”

“Mister told us not to drink it. I’m fine…”

“You don’t know what you’re missing out on! You don’t know how to enjoy life!”

They chatted, keeping each other company to alleviate the boredom.

Unknowingly, they were becoming more comfortable with each other.

Just as Lee Jun-woo had intended, the two were in a very hopeful situation.

Unlike Luna and Saten, who were on the verge of despair.

“I’m going to get praised by Mister…!”

“Hehe, all the holy water is mine~!”

Of course, the two, with their clear objectives, weren’t interested in despair.

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There were no problems with Estia’s room.

Literally, no problems at all.

“It’s strange that the room of the most problematic child has no problems.”

It was so flawless that it was suspicious.

I spent the most time searching Estia’s room, but…

There was nothing out of the ordinary.

“Of course, it would be a different story if holy water was involved…”

Conversely, it could mean that Estia was normal, as long as holy water wasn’t involved.

She seemed to have a naturally optimistic personality.

Perhaps she was as cheerful as she appeared to be in the past…

If it hadn’t been for those experiments conducted by the Church.

“There’s nothing to see here…”

Next was Saten’s room.

I opened Saten’s door, the room I had the least expectations for.

Creak-

“Does she always keep the curtains closed? Why is it so dark in here at this hour…?”

It was already dim with only one eye.

It was too dark.

I walked towards the wall to turn on the lights.

But a window popped up in my mind, blocking my path.

Since Minerva sent this warning when I tried to turn on the lights…

It would be wise to check the answer for number 2.

I immediately checked the answer sheet.

It didn’t take long since the problem was simple.

“She set up defensive magic in case someone else entered…”

That meant…

There was something she didn’t want to be discovered.

A secret she wanted to hide from me.

I slowly started searching Saten’s room.

“Magic books on the desk… and on the bed…”

“Meow… Meow…”

A cat sleeping soundly.

Blackie was fast asleep, oblivious to my presence.

Well, it was better for me that way.

As I searched the room, trying my best not to wake Blackie…

My eyes landed on the bookshelf.

Something felt off about it.

“It’s not magic. But it feels similar to magic.”

It wasn’t created with magic…

But there was something similar to it hidden somewhere in the bookshelf.

Probably a ‘catalyst’ that triggered magic.

A material containing magical power must be hidden somewhere.

I focused my attention and followed the flow of the catalyst.

“Volume 1 of Null Attribute Magic… no, The Love Story of the Knight and the Princess…? This isn’t it either…”

Ah, this is it.

The flow of the catalyst led to this notebook.

I pulled out a notebook from the bookshelf.

The catalyst…

That is, Saten’s blood, filled with magical power, was emanating from it.

“How much blood did you use for magic, Saten?”

With that question in mind, I opened the notebook.

Contrary to my expectations, it wasn’t filled with magic formulas, but a diary written in blood.

And as I carefully read its contents…

My thoughts came to a halt.

I had no choice.

The experimental observation diary written inside was shocking.

“She investigated my actions… observed me… conducted experiments when I wasn’t around…”

Repeating those meaningless experiments…

Saten had been trying to recreate my lost eye.

She even repeatedly cut her own wrist for it.

I was more shocked by Saten’s experimental diary, created to make my eye than by the fact that Hare had stolen my underwear.

This went beyond the realm of affection.

It was an act of madness.

“I was wrong.”

I knew the Hero’s party wasn’t normal, but…

They were even less normal than I thought.

I didn’t know why Saten did this.

But unlike Hare’s case…

“I need to ask her about this.”

I needed to have a serious conversation with Saten.

The Hero’s party needed to stay within the bounds of human decency.

[T/N: Lmaooooo these yanderes are getting crazy we’ve got an underwear thief, a wrist cutting girl, a drug addict and a tsundere ahahaha]

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