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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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After her intense battle with the Cerberus, Luna retreated to her tent for the night. There were three tents in total, and Luna was sharing one with Estia.
Lying down, Luna’s heart pounded, preventing her from falling asleep.
Thump-thump-
“I defeated a monster… My first real fight… and I won…”
Perhaps it was thanks to Mister’s training. She had been able to anticipate the monster’s movements and knew how to react.
As expected…
“I’m a genius! I must be a genius Hero!”
“Ugh… Be quiet, Luna… I’m trying to sleep…”
“Oops, sorry Estia. I got a little carried away.”
“Just be quiet…”
Snore
Estia, seemingly forgetting their recent near-death experience, was fast asleep.
How could she be so carefree?
Luna found Estia’s optimistic nature truly remarkable.
Looking at the sleeping Estia, Luna thought,
‘She reminds me of the cows back in my village.’
This Estia… a future Saintess?
Unbelievable!
All she did was cheer me on!
“Mister said she’s the Saintess… so it can’t be a lie…! Well, she’ll get better eventually!”
Luna turned over, squeezing her eyes shut, trying to fall asleep like Estia. But sleep wouldn’t come.
Thump-thump-
‘…Maybe it’s because of the fight. My heart feels like it’s going to explode.’
Her first battle had left her heart racing.
Excitement? Anticipation?
The memories of the fight replayed in her mind, keeping her awake.
‘…I’ll just go outside for a bit. I need to clear my head!’
Luna sat up and headed out of the tent.
“Ow! Who stepped on my hand?!”
“S-Sorry! My bad! Estia!”
Luna apologized and dashed out of the tent, her wooden sword in hand.
“This is the best way to clear my head!”
One, two, three!
Luna moved a good distance away from the tents, so her practice wouldn’t disturb anyone. She began to swing her sword, replaying the fight in her mind.
“I can dodge the doggy’s attacks more efficiently like this… and swinging the sword like this allows me to defend as well… Hmm, this is better…!”
Luna reviewed the battle, searching for the optimal fighting style. Her dedicated practice continued until morning. And someone was watching.
“Luna, how long are you planning to train…?”
Lee Jun-woo, always vigilant for the children’s safety, couldn’t sleep knowing the Cerberus could reappear without warning.
He stayed awake, watching over Luna until she finished her training.
Meanwhile, inside the tent Hare and Saten shared, a quiet conversation was taking place.
“Mister is amazing…! He knows so much about monsters…!”
“Of course. He said he used to be an adventurer.”
“Mister is so cool…!”
Their conversation revolved mainly around Mister. Since Lee Jun-woo wasn’t nearby, they continued to chat.
“But, Saten, I heard what Mister said earlier… He wants us to be independent…”
“You mean he wants to let us go?”
“Yes…! He wants us to leave… He said we need to develop our independence…!”
“Hmm… I see…”
He kidnapped the Hero’s party.
He’s training us.
But he wants us to be independent…
Putting the pieces together, Saten realized something.
“He plans to let us go the moment we become strong.”
The moment the four of us become a proper Hero’s party…
Mister will let us go.
Hare nodded at Saten’s sharp deduction.
“I think you’re right. Mister’s goal seems to be letting us go… B-But what do we do…? I want to stay with Mister…”
“We could just… not get stronger?”
“But then Mister won’t praise us…!”
“That’s true. I don’t really care about praise, though.”
Saten stroked Blackie’s fur with a blank expression. Despite her words, she seemed uneasy.
“Mister never changes his mind. If we get stronger, we have to leave. It feels inevitable.”
“…I see. So we’ll have to leave Mister and defeat the Demon Lord eventually?”
“Yes, he called us the Hero’s party. It’s highly likely.”
“…”
I don’t want to leave Mister.
If I get stronger, Mister will abandon me.
I don’t want that…
The thought of leaving Mister made Hare’s chest ache. Knowing she couldn’t change the inevitable made it even more painful.
Goodbyes were always sad.
‘…What should I do…?’
Hare couldn’t help but worry.
How could she avoid being sent away?
Lost in thought, she closed her eyes, trying to sleep. But sleep wouldn’t come.
-One! Two! Three!
“Sounds like a deer in the mountains. How noisy.”
“…Indeed.”
Luna’s training continued until morning. Her deer-like cries tormented them until they finally drifted off to sleep…
Morning arrived with the cheerful chirping of birds.
“Ah, I slept well! The mountain isn’t so bad!”
Estia stretched and yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
“Luna is… still asleep. Why is she so warm? Did she exercise? Anyway, if Luna is sleeping…”
This is my chance.
With no one watching…
Estia peeked outside the tent. No one in sight.
“This is it! My chance!”
My chance to escape!
Estia slipped on her shoes and ran.
Towards the Church, where she could get unlimited holy water.
However, reality hit hard.
“…What’s wrong with the ground? Why does it look so small?”
It wasn’t her imagination. The trees below looked tiny.
The higher you climb…
The harder it is to descend.
“I-I’ll just escape later~ Today’s not the day~”
This isn’t for me!
Estia, ever the quick thinker, turned back and returned to the tent. Someone was waiting for her.
“Estia.”
“Ahaha, g-good morning, Brother~! What are you doing up so early…?”
“Why were you looking down just now? Don’t tell me you were thinking of escaping?”
“What? No way! I-I love it here! It’s the best! Except for the lack of holy water, it’s a wonderful place! Ahaha…”
Lee Jun-woo, his eyes dark from lack of sleep, looked at Estia suspiciously.
Estia averted her gaze, forcing a smile.
“I really didn’t do anything! Saintess Estia would never do anything sneaky like that…!”
”…”
“I-I’m telling the truth!”
“…”
Lee Jun-woo turned and walked back to his tent without a word.
“I-I barely made it. But so what if I escape! Hmph!”
Once Lee Jun-woo was gone, Estia punched the air in frustration. Her shadow boxing was impressive.
Of course, she only lasted about 10 seconds before collapsing from exhaustion.
After their morning encounter, the other children woke up one by one and ate the breakfast Lee Jun-woo had prepared.
Luna, after slurping down the white broth, exclaimed,
“This is delicious, Mister! What’s it called!?”
“It’s a broth made by simmering pork bones for a long time.”
“Why is the name so long!”
“…It’s called gukbap.”
Gukbap.
A hearty breakfast, perfect for Luna after her morning training.
Hare, who had also finished her bowl, asked curiously,
“Mister.”
“Yes, Hare?”
“B-But why is she eating with us so casually? Didn’t she attack us?”
“Huh?”
“…We cleared up the misunderstanding. She’s more impressive than she looks. Just let it go.”
“One more bowl!”
Danuel, the crazy devotee, unable to resist the delicious smell, barged in for breakfast.
The other children thought she was a nuisance, but Lee Jun-woo, the provider of the food, had a different perspective.
‘…I can’t let such a valuable resource go to waste.’
He gave Danuel another bowl and asked,
“Danuel, have you ever considered teaching?”
“…You want me to teach someone?”
“I’ll provide food and a place to live near my house. In return, teach Estia about the Goddess Church and how to develop her divine power. I can’t use divine power, so I can’t teach her.”
“So… you want me to be a teacher?”
“Yes.”
“…Give me another bowl. I’ll think about it after I eat. It’s been so long since I had a decent meal…”
Gulp
Danuel, who had been surviving on wild plants and herbs in the mountains, considered the offer.
She wasn’t alone, she was a Ruby-ranked adventurer. With Lee Jun-woo’s help, she might be able to escape Grimoire’s threat.
She was a survival specialist, after all.
‘Aside from that slip-up at the end… his track record is impressive.’
After finishing her second bowl, Danuel replied with satisfaction,
“…I’ll visit you after I take care of some business. If you offer me another delicious meal then, I’ll teach the Saintess.”
“Good thinking, Danuel.”
Estia’s divine power lessons were settled. Lee Jun-woo’s priority was to address Estia’s addiction first.
After a hearty breakfast and packing up the tents, the Hero’s party was ready to head home.
Saten cautiously asked Lee Jun-woo,
“Mister.”
“Yes, Saten?”
“Are we walking down the mountain?”
“Of course we are.”
The hearty gukbap was meant to fuel their descent.
Still…
“Did you enjoy the picnic, Hare?”
“Yes…! I-I had fun…! I enjoyed being with you, Mister…!!”
The children seemed to have enjoyed themselves.
Lee Jun-woo was satisfied.
The picnic had brought back fond memories for him as well.
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This is the same ch as the previous one.
Pls fix this.
fixed