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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Luna’s hellish training continued late into the night.
She kept slipping off the thorns, losing her concentration, and almost injuring herself.
Because of these repeated mistakes, she couldn’t complete the one-hour requirement and went to bed later than the others.
“Ugh… my concentration is gone…”
“You passed the first day.”
“Huh…? There’s more…?”
“Hellish training lasts for five days. You still have four days left, so go get some rest.”
“Ugh…”
Wiggle, wiggle~
Luna crawled away like a caterpillar, her voice filled with regret.
‘She’s getting dirt all over the house.’
I had no choice.
I picked her up.
Luna, limp like a rag doll, mumbled,
“Thank you…”
“…You don’t have to force yourself to talk.”
“Ugh…”
Luna didn’t say another word.
Only her faint breathing reached my ears as I carried her to the living room, where the futons were laid out for the children to sleep.
She seemed to have fallen asleep from exhaustion.
“That’s why I told you not to do the hellish training…”
Still…
Luna’s concentration at the end had been impressive.
She had trembled, standing on the thorns for an hour, but she hadn’t given up.
‘She’s the Hero for a reason.’
Her gaze had been fixed straight ahead. Perhaps because I was standing on the thorns opposite her, there had been no hint of surrender in her eyes.
“M-Mister…!”
Hare, who hadn’t gone to bed yet, got up and ran towards me.
“Is training over…? Why is Luna on your hip…?”
“…”
Hare stared at Luna.
I replied playfully,
“Luna died during hellish training.”
“Oh no…!”
“Here, take Luna’s corpse.”
“Ugh…”
Corpses talk these days?
I handed Luna to Hare.
There was something I couldn’t do, and I needed Hare’s help.
“Hare, I need you to change Luna’s clothes.”
“C-Change Luna’s clothes…?”
“Yes, I can’t do it, so I’m asking you. Sorry for interrupting your sleep.”
“I-It’s okay! It’s not your fault, Mister…!!”
Hare waved her hands dismissively.
Luna groaned as Hare moved her around, but Hare didn’t seem to mind.
“Come on, Luna… let’s change your clothes and come back… I’ll help you…!”
“Ugh…”
Had she turned into a zombie? Why did she sound like a malfunctioning robot?
Anyway…
I left Luna in Hare’s care and was about to return to my room when Hare called out to me.
“U-Um…! Mister…!”
“What is it, Hare?”
“I-I have something to tell you… after I put Luna in the living room… can I come to your room…?”
“Something to tell me?”
“Yes…”
What did she want to talk about?
Hare’s eyes were filled with unease.
Since I didn’t know the reason, I nodded.
“…Put Luna down gently so you don’t wake Estia. I’ll be waiting.”
“O-Okay…! Estia doesn’t wake up easily anyway…! It’s fine…!”
…That’s true. Estia was a heavy sleeper.
I turned and walked back to my room.
‘…I wonder what Hare wants to talk about.’
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Heave-ho, heave-ho-
Hare carried the limp Luna to her room to change her clothes.
Luna was heavier than she expected, and sweat dripped down Hare’s cheeks.
“Luna, what did you eat to become so heavy…! I almost died…!”
“Ugh… I’m not a pig…”
“Be quiet…! Just take off your clothes…!”
Luna, more muscular than the other children, was heavy.
She mumbled her protests in her sleep, but Hare ignored her.
She silently removed Luna’s training clothes and changed her into pajamas. She wouldn’t have done this if Mister hadn’t asked.
“You’re lucky, Luna…! If Mister hadn’t asked…! You would be naked…!”
“Ugh…”
“I’m not happy even if you thank me…!”
Hare, interpreting Luna’s zombie-like groans, stared at Luna in her pajamas.
Her red eyes were filled with complex emotions.
“Still friends… we’re still friends…”
We might not be comrades, but we’re friends. But after hearing Saten’s words, something bothered her.
She hadn’t been interested in Mister before, but Luna seemed to be paying him a lot of attention lately.
“Her expression is different when she trains alone… and when she trains with Mister… Today too…”
Even during difficult training…
Her gaze was always on Mister.
Saten’s words had planted a seed of doubt.
And today…
Seeing Luna’s behavior confirmed her suspicions.
“…Your feelings have changed, Luna. You’re different from before.”
Hare didn’t want to share Mister with anyone. Perhaps that’s why she stared at the sleeping Luna, completely vulnerable.
If Hare wanted to, she could act on her impulses.
But…
“…But I can’t… because Mister said so…”
Hare didn’t act.
She had learned during her period of self-reflection. And she, herself, acknowledged Luna’s value.
Hare carried Luna to the living room.
“…Heavy. You’re a pig, Luna.”
“Ugh…”
“Let’s work hard to get stronger, Luna… the Demon Lord is coming soon… this time, we’ll do it…”
Unlike last time…
We won’t let Mister get hurt.
We’ll do it.
“…For Mister.”
“Ugh…”
Hare talked to the groaning Luna.
She was bothered by Luna encroaching on her territory, but she decided to stay silent for now. They had the same goal.
“We’ll do our best…! We’ll defeat the Demon Lord…! And protect Mister…!!”
Carrying the heavy Luna, Hare renewed her resolve.
She placed Luna on the futon and went to see Mister. And what she wanted to say…
“M-Mister.”
“Yes, Hare?”
“I-I’ll get stronger…! Thank you, Mister…!”
“…What’s going on?”
“Hehe…”
She just… wanted an excuse to see him. Lately, Mister had been busy, and she hadn’t had much time alone with him.
Hare just wanted to recharge her emotional batteries.
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The atmosphere in the Secilia family’s office was so tense that even a cough could cost you your head.
“Damn it…”
Slam!
Lord Lennon slammed his fist on the desk and burned the letter. A letter from Henesys, the dungeon city.
A letter written in Saten’s handwriting, claiming she had been sold to a brothel.
Lennon shouted at the knight before him, his voice trembling,
“You there…”
“Y-Yes…!!”
“Do you… understand… what I just read…? How I’m feeling…?”
“H-How could I possibly understand your feelings, Lord Lennon…”
“…”
Lord Lennon, usually rational, was seething with rage.
The contents of Saten’s letter were outrageous, designed to provoke him.
“…The kidnapper’s claim about selling Saten to a brothel… was a lie.”
“What…!? B-But the people we sent to the brothels…”
“It was all for nothing. Our refusal to provide escort for the Emperor… it was all… a mockery.”
“H-How…”
Saten claimed the kidnapper’s words were a lie.
Judging by the location of the letter, she was in the dungeon city, not the capital. But Lennon, his eyes dark with exhaustion, couldn’t make a hasty decision.
“…We can’t send troops this time. If this is another trick… we’ll miss the Emperor’s escort again. That means our knighthood rank will be downgraded.”
“But if we don’t find Lady Saten, the future of our knighthood-“
“Silence. Don’t call her ‘Lady.’”
“M-My apologies…!!”
Thud-!
The knight knelt, his head bowed, praying for his life.
A thought struck him.
“…Lord Lennon.”
“Speak. If it’s nonsense, I’ll kill you.”
“…I have an idea.”
An idea?
Lennon, skeptical, said,
“Tell me.”
“…If we can’t go to Henesys, why don’t we hire someone? To find the witch, Saten.”
“Hire who?”
“…Grimoire. I don’t trust them, but their skills are undeniable. They’ll definitely find her.”
“Hmm…”
Grimoire.
Even Lord Lennon acknowledged their skills. But he didn’t trust them, and being associated with them could be dangerous if the Emperor found out. That’s why he had been hesitant.
But now…
Time was running out.
Lennon, taking the risk, said,
“…Hire them. Grimoire. Tell them to find Saten in Henesys.”
“What about the kidnapper?”
“Of course…”
Kill him.
“Don’t kill him quickly. Make him suffer. He dared to mock our family.”
The knight, a black book hidden in his pocket, bowed his head.
“…Understood, Lord Lennon.”
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