117. The Hero Party's Regret (4)
Before the sun rose.
The moment dawn ended and morning arrived.
The yellow-haired chick stood at the entrance.
"I, I'll curse you! There's no hope for a Hero Party that kicks out the Hero!!"
Luna shouted in tears, terrified.
She was so frustrated that she couldn't do anything while being expelled.
In front of such Luna, a heavy bag dropped with a thud.
"Lu, Luna... Take care... I packed lots of food inside... Eat it sparingly..."
"Hare! This doesn't make sense! Qu, quickly! Persuade him! Persuade him that he absolutely can't abandon me!"
"..."
Shake shake—
Hare shook her head as if she couldn't do that.
"I... might be abandoned like you if I rebel... I, I'm sorry...!"
"Th, that's..."
"Ta, take care Luna...! Goodbye...!"
Hare waved her hand goodbye to Luna.
Saten and Estia at the window also waved together.
Seeing that, Luna poured out the tears she'd been holding back.
"Sniff... I, I worked so hard... Sniff... I, I hate you, Mister...!!"
To make things right.
How hard did I work.
For two weeks, Luna moved twice as much as she normally did.
Her muscles ached and cried out, her brain screamed for sleep, but she never broke her resolve to be forgiven.
Luna knelt on the ground and wailed.
"Bu, but... Sniff... The result is expulsion... Do, does this even make sense... Sniff... Won't Mister show his face even at the last moment...?"
Where is Mister...?
Still.
I want to be forgiven at the end, but does he not want to see me that much?
Luna turned her head and checked around the house, but there wasn't even a trace of Mister.
"I, I must be that hateful to him... Sniff... I, I'm sorry, Mister... I was wrong... So please, please give me one more chance... Sniff..."
"What chance are you asking for?"
Creak—
The moment she gave up everything and pleaded.
The front door behind Luna opened and Mister's voice was heard.
Luna kneeling on the ground crying.
Lee Jun-woo, holding lots of items in his hands, asked in confusion at this situation.
"...Why are you doing that on the ground again?"
"Mi, Mister said... you were kicking me out... You told me to leave the house... and to come out to the entrance at dawn tomorrow... To kick me out of the house... Sniff... Sniff..."
"..."
The feeling of a headache he'd briefly forgotten rushing back.
*...She misunderstood those words like this?*
Lee Jun-woo steadied his swaying body and faced the crying Luna.
"Luna, you're having a ridiculous misunderstanding right now."
"Wha...? Sniff, what...?"
"The meaning of saying it's fine to leave the house is that there's nothing more to teach you at home."
"Eh, eh...? Th, then I'm..."
"I didn't expect this to happen while I went to buy new bedding... You're coming outside with me, Luna."
I'm not kicking you out.
Lee Jun-woo declared firmly and put the heavy bag on his back.
Luna was dazed and didn't move at those words.
"You're not kicking me out...?"
"I never said I was kicking you out."
"Eh...?"
Playing both sides by herself.
Luna had become the tragic heroine who was betrayed.
Currently, she...
"Should I die...? If I die, will time turn back? Holy Sword, you can do it, right?"
Fortunately, she wasn't actually expelled in the end.
But her face turned red from the rushing shame.
She felt like biting her tongue and dying.
Of course, Luna didn't actually bite it.
Because thinking about it, going somewhere together with Mister wasn't so bad.
It's better to leave the house.
I didn't expect her to misunderstand the meaning of those words.
Having arrived at the Adventurer's Guild, we looked around.
Luna, who was looking around, expressed her question in a murmur.
"Where did the people who were lying down last time go?"
Hare, who came along with Luna, answered bluntly.
"...They must have finished treatment. Mister and Estia went around diligently."
"Aha!"
As she said.
With Estia's power, the treatment of those harmed by the Demon King was complete.
Those whose souls were severely damaged and required a lot of Divine Power had the side effect of occasionally laughing without knowing it.
Since it wasn't a physical side effect, it could be considered cleanly treated.
*No, but aren't there too many people suffering from side effects to say that...?*
Well, setting that aside.
The Adventurer's Guild returned to normal.
I approached the requests attached to the wall.
*Which one would be good...*
Luna and Hare.
A request for the two people who would be responsible for the party's vanguard.
Since I can't always be by their side.
An environment good for teaching information would be better.
I removed the most ideal request from that wall.
"This would be best."
It's a simple subjugation mission, so no grand preparations are needed.
Just depart as is and it's done.
Before going to the receptionist, I called the two people's names.
"Luna, Hare. Now we'll depart... but you've gone quite far."
The two people looking at attachments on the wall.
I approached the two whispering people and asked.
"We're departing now, so follow me."
"Ah, yes! Mister!"
"Y, yes...!"
The two quickly followed behind me.
Before turning back, I turned around to check what the two had been looking at.
It was an attachment familiar to my eyes.
"Cecilia and the Church... A siege network?"
As expected, is it because of that treatment?
We might have to move bases again.
Saten and Estia's bounties had risen five times higher than before, and it was written that they'd pay ten times the request fee if you found and killed the perpetrator.
And the atmosphere of the Cecilia family was brutal, unlike before.
[Find Cecilia Saten. It's fine to kill her. If you bring the corpse before my eyes, I'll give you whatever money you want.]
"...The Head of Family doesn't seem to be in his right mind."
Get rid of her from my sight so I won't even care.
Is that what it means?
Since I couldn't know for sure, I closed my mouth and headed to the guild's desk.
"..."
Silence hung between the children heading to the desk and me.
A relationship with no emotions flowing.
Indeed, if we continue like this, what will happen to the Hero Party?
*...As expected, it won't be good.*
The timing was delayed because of me, and I chose the wrong moment.
But shouldn't the tangled emotions between each other be resolved for the sake of the future?
I headed to the desk with Luna and Hare, holding the mission location, and thought to myself.
"It's not allowed."
A sharp voice firmly refusing.
The guild receptionist rejected my words flatly.
Her will was so firm it couldn't even be scratched.
"Why not?"
"People without an adventurer rank cannot participate in missions. Even if you're a Ruby-rank adventurer. Missions are absolutely not allowed."
"...The reason?"
"It's the Guild Master's instruction. Assign adventurer ranks to the children brought by the Ruby-rank guest. That was the Guild Master's instruction."
"..."
We'll waste time unnecessarily.
I had no choice but to follow the receptionist's instructions.
Anyway, it would be easier when guaranteeing the Hero Party's identity later, so the current situation wasn't bad.
For that reason.
"Luna, Hare. You two will take the test."
"Okay! I'll get 100 points on the test!"
"M, me too...! I'll get a higher score than Luna...!"
The rank measurement test.
The two headed to the testing ground following the receptionist.
I tried to walk quietly behind them, but.
Hare approached me as if she wouldn't allow that and said.
"Mi, Mister...! I have something to say before the test...! It, it's really important...!"
"Something important?"
"Y, yes...! What I saw at the market was...!"
Hare gestured for me to bring my ear closer.
*A whisper?*
Though there wasn't much time, since she said it was important, I brought my ear to Hare.
Hare let out a small breath and brought her mouth to my ear.
"You see, actually at the market I..."
"Hey there, kid! The test is starting. Come quickly."
"Ah..."
At that moment, the receptionist's voice was heard.
Hare hesitated regretfully and muttered.
"It, it's really important though..."
"First, finish the test and come back."
"O, okay...! I, I'll be quick...! Please wait...!"
Hare immediately ran toward the center of the arena where the receptionist was.
I sat in a nearby chair to watch their test.
The content of the test seemed unchanged from the old days to now.
"...A duel? Who's the opponent?"
"No matter how much your disciples are the Hero Party, this duel opponent won't be easy, Jun."
At that moment, a voice from behind.
This time I remembered that voice.
"Irina. Were you still in Henencia?"
"...Don't tell me, did your memory return?"
Irina approaching with neat steps in knight's uniform.
She had a surprised face rather than a cold expression.
She seemed to have noticed that my atmosphere had changed from before.
I patted the seat next to me with my palm and said.
"Let's sit and talk. I have something to say too."
"...Alright, okay."
Irina hesitated for a moment, but placed her bottom on the chair next to me.
She lowered her head and looked somewhat anxious.
Judging by her reaction, she seemed to be thinking the same thing as the Hero Party.
I called Irina's name in my usual tone.
"Irina."
"I, I'm sorry. Jun. Actually—"
"No, you don't need to apologize. I won't ask why you hid things about Aina. You're thinking the same thing as the other kids."
"..."
Irina at that time.
When we shared a meal.
Cleverly deceived about information regarding Aina.
Perhaps she thought faster than the other children.
*Aina is a memory that torments me. It's better to erase it for the future.*
I understand.
I do understand.
That's why I didn't want to have any more conversations about this topic with others.
"Let's treat that as if it never happened. I don't care about it."
"N, no. My thoughts are more than that—"
"Stop, let's just watch the test. Is the opponent a newcomer from your knight order?"
"..."
Nod—
Irina nodded instead of speaking.
Changing the subject of conversation was quite effective.
"...Thanks to you and the Saint, people returned to their daily lives. However, some of the knight order remained here to pay more attention to public order. Those two showed promise among them, so they stayed with me for experience."
"Then, that Guild Master's request too?"
"That's purely that old man's hobby. He said he wants to see the Empire's future."
"...As expected, worrying about the nation's future is a common trait of old people."
Some old people always connect even good personal matters to the nation's happiness.
The opposite also exists, and I know such thoughts stem purely from concern.
But I couldn't help feeling bad about it.
"I don't know who decided it's the Empire's future."
"...I'm the Sylvester Knight Commander. A knight loyal to the Empire. Jun, watch your words about the Empire—"
"Oh, it's starting."
I cut off Irina's words and shouted.
The first test was Hare versus a newcomer from the Sylvester Knights.
And the opponent was a man at a physical disadvantage.
"Your disciple's opponent isn't good. That guy is the strongest and has the highest stamina among the newcomers who joined our knight order, a truly remarkable guy—"
"Be quiet, Irina. I need to concentrate."
"..."
How far has Hare's martial prowess grown?
Setting aside her mental state, we've spent over a year together.
She's become quite accustomed to dealing with people, and she's skilled at using weapons.
What kind of performance will such a Hare show against an official knight order member?
*Compared to a knight. How much talent does Hare have?*
That was what I was most curious about in this test.
"Then, you two! Start the duel without making any life-threatening attacks!"
And so.
With the receptionist's signal, Hare's test began.