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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Special training.
Living together to foster teamwork.
Being together was stronger than being apart.
Lee Jun-woo’s plan was sound.
However…
‘Joint training? We have to do everything together? I don’t like this.’
Saten wasn’t pleased with the idea of joint training. She was a staunch individualist and preferred being alone.
“Mister, I don’t like joint training. I only did individual training in my family. I’ll train alone.”
“Rejected.”
“Huh?”
“No exceptions, Saten. You have to participate.”
“…”
Of course, there were no exceptions. Joint training only worked if everyone participated.
“Everyone participates in this training. And during this period, you’ll cooperate and become stronger together.”
“Mister! Question! Question!”
“Yes, Luna?”
“So what’s the training? Do we just hang out together? Is there anything else?”
Luna looked dissatisfied. She seemed to want something more active.
‘Ugh, that training addict…’
It was good that she was serious about training, but was her brain filled with nothing but training?
Lee Jun-woo was slightly concerned. But he already had a plan. He moved the blackboard aside and said,
“Luna.”
“Yes!”
“I’ll give you the training you want.”
“Yay!”
“But in this training…”
…if even one person falls behind…
Everyone will be punished.
It was harsh, but…
‘This isn’t the time to be sentimental.’
The Demon Lord’s arrival was a reality. He had to be strict and make the Hero’s party stronger.
Otherwise, someone would die.
“Finish your preparations and gather in the courtyard.”
Lee Jun-woo steeled his resolve.
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There were some unusual presences in the courtyard. The addict and the shut-in. It felt strange to see them outside.
‘Saten and Estia in the courtyard… how unusual.’
Their stamina had been abysmal on the mountain. Hopefully, they wouldn’t fall behind today.
“Now that everyone’s here, let’s begin the training.”
“Yay! Training! I’m excited!”
“E-Excited…!”
Luna and Hare cheered, raising their hands. In contrast, Saten and Estia hung their heads.
“I don’t want to train, Brother! Why are we training?!”
“I agree.”
“Be quiet. I won’t listen to your complaints.”
I ignored their protests and reached into my subspace, retrieving the necessary item for the training.
It was…
“What’s with the rope?”
“A-A rope, Mister…!”
“Eek! I-I don’t like ropes!”
Estia recoiled at the sight of the rope, a look of fear on her face. I approached the children with the rope.
“U-Um, Mister… what’s the rope for…?”
“You’ll see, Hare.”
“I-Is that so…?”
Yes. You’ll see.
I wrapped the rope around Hare’s waist, then around Saten’s.
“Mister, what is this?”
“Cooperation.”
“Forced cooperation?”
“…You could say that.”
Next, Luna and Estia.
I took out another rope and tied them together.
“W-What are you doing?! Mister! This is abuse!”
“Criminal! Brother is a criminal!”
“Be quiet.”
They were right, so I didn’t bother arguing.
Luna and Estia, Hare and Saten, were now partners. A balanced pairing.
I looked at their puzzled expressions and announced,
“Now, fight each other.”
“I’ll be the referee. I’ll stop any potentially dangerous attacks. The winner is the one who breaks the other team’s fighting spirit. And…”
“The losers will undergo hellish training with me today.”
“T-Training!”
Luna, seeing an opportunity, whispered,
“Estia! Maybe we should lose!”
“No, I don’t want to train.”
Unfortunately, I could hear them.
“…Even you, Luna, will find the loser’s training difficult. I won’t let you get away with losing on purpose.”
“Too bad!”
“…So do your best.”
A 2v2 battle between the Hero’s party. I didn’t know what the outcome would be, but…
‘Fighting while tied together should be interesting.’
They’ll learn something from this experience. I had learned by being beaten up by my master. Experiencing something firsthand was more effective than words.
“I’ll count to three, and then you’ll begin. Don’t go easy on each other.”
“Okay!”
“Understood.”
Three seconds later, the Hero’s party’s internal battle began.
‘I wonder…’
Who would cooperate better and win?
I sat back and observed, analyzing their every move.
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Luna was troubled.
“What do I do with her?”
“Me?”
“Estia, can you fight?”
“Um, no?”
Estia shook her head.
Luna sighed.
“Then how are we supposed to fight?! We’re one person down!”
“But I can do something!”
“What?”
“I’m good at cheering!”
“…”
Luna was speechless.
How could she win with Estia as her partner?
She couldn’t find an answer.
“You’re the Saintess…! You must have gotten stronger!”
“Stronger? I don’t know! My divine power only works at the Church, hehe.”
“…I guess I have to do this alone!”
There’s no one I can rely on but myself! Luna’s resolve solidified. She would defeat them all by herself. But she had forgotten one crucial detail.
Tug-!
“T-The rope…!!”
She couldn’t move freely. She was tied to Estia. This meant she had to protect Estia as well.
Luna stopped and said to Estia,
“Should we just train?”
“I don’t want to train! Don’t give up!”
Estia refused to train. Luna tightened her grip on her wooden sword.
“Alright! Let’s do this!”
I’ll protect Estia as best as I can!
Let’s do this!
Luna, her resolve strengthened, faced a new challenge. Just like the two who had overcome their initial crisis, the other team was facing their own.
“Hare, what can you do?”
“I-I can stab with my dagger!”
“Can you stab Luna with your dagger?”
“N-No…! Luna is a training maniac, she’s strong…!”
“Then can you protect me?”
“No…! I’m good at running away…!”
Slap-!
Saten slapped her forehead in frustration.
“There’s nothing normal about them. At least she’s more useful than the Saintess.”
“O-Of course…! I’ll be much stronger later…!”
“Being more useful than the Saintess isn’t a compliment, Hare.”
Any random child would be stronger than the Saintess right now.
A Saintess who couldn’t use divine power was only half a Saintess.
Saten, remembering the woman’s divine power on the mountain, held Estia’s potential in high regard.
“But right now, she’s useless. Hare?”
“Y-Yes…?”
“We’ll maximize the length of the rope and act independently. I’ll deal with Luna. While I’m doing that, you attack Estia. Understood?”
“O-Okay…! But I want to try fighting Luna too…”
Hare glanced at Lee Jun-woo.
‘This is my chance to impress Mister…!’
She wanted to show him her best side.
‘This is troublesome.’
Saten, seeing Hare’s hesitation, said,
“Hare, you’ll be in charge of our front and rear. That’s your role. Assassination is a great way to make a good impression.”
“Y-You’re right…!”
“So get started. I don’t like training.”
We have to win.
No matter what.
I will win.
Saten looked at the other team with a cold glint in her eyes.
“Here I come!”
“She’s fast.”
Luna charged towards them with frightening speed.
Hare, as Saten instructed, moved as far away as the rope allowed.
Luna was momentarily confused.
“W-Who should I attack…!?”
If I attack Saten, Estia will be in danger.
If I attack Hare, Saten will attack from afar.
Luna realized something.
“E-Estia, you’re useless!! Completely useless!”
“That’s mean, Luna! What are you talking about!”
“I’m just stating facts!”
Luna and Estia were caught in a dilemma.
Because of Estia’s massive weakness… they were defeated, just as Saten had planned.
Lee Jun-woo observed, lost in thought.
‘Luna fought well alone. The biggest problem is Estia.’
The 2v2 balance was off.
He stood up and approached the children.
Luna, a slight smile on her face, complained,
“Mister! Estia is useless! This isn’t fair!”
“Wipe that smile off your face, Luna.”
“N-No, that’s not it!”
“A loss is a loss. You two will be doing hellish training with me today.”
And to strengthen their teamwork…
“This time, you’ll attack me together.”
Think of me as the Demon Lord.
The reward…
“The one who performs the best will receive another wish.”
“…!!”
“A-A wish! The wish is mine! Mister is dead!”
“L-Luna, you can’t say that…!”
Luna, eager for the wish.
Hare, waiting for her opportunity.
Saten, unusually serious.
Estia, realizing her hopelessness, moved away to cheer them on.
The four, who had just been fighting, now united against Lee Jun-woo.
‘…Do they really see me as the Demon Lord?’
They seemed to desperately want that wish.
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