Lunch.
I participated in Luna's training alongside her, showing her that she could handle the grueling regimen.
"Huff— Mister, I can't do this. I, I can't run anymore...!"
"What do you mean you can't? I'm running right beside you, aren't I? You can do it, Hero."
"Th-that's...! You can only say that because you're you, Mister...!!"
"Come on, faster! You're slowing down!"
Ignoring Luna's grumbling, the training continued.
Since I was running alongside her, she could push herself to her limits and keep up with the training.
If she had trained alone without me, she definitely wouldn't have achieved this level of progress in such a short time.
I scanned the Hero's body overall.
*The basic muscles are settling into place properly.*
Soon I could lower the intensity of basic training and move on to swordsmanship.
As expected of a Hero.
Her growth rate was absurd.
What took me half a year to achieve, she was accomplishing in just two months.
"Her personality aside, her physical talent is definitely outstanding..."
"What's wrong with my personality... And with that talent... c-can't I rest just a little—"
"One more lap!"
"Gyaaaah—!!"
Luna ran around the yard, screaming.
It ended, as always, with her passing out.
After another hard day of training, I laid her exhausted form on the bed.
This was our usual training routine.
*Though now there's one more routine added.*
Study time with Hare.
After training Luna and resting for about 10 minutes, I immediately moved on to teaching Hare.
"Hare, how do you read this character?"
"Yu. It's read as 'yu.'"
"Then what about when combined with this character?"
"Yu...goe becomes the word. It means to seduce and lure someone to kidnap them—"
"...You don't need to explain that far. Well done, Hare."
"Hehe..."
Hare learned quickly.
She was smart to begin with, and her linguistic sense was excellent.
She said her parents who abandoned her were intelligent and cultured...
It was probably genetic influence.
*...She'll pass the test easily.*
Had I been underestimating the talents of the Hero Party members too much?
*Should I raise the difficulty...*
The thought of raising the standards crossed my mind, but if the bar was too high, it might dampen the children's enthusiasm, so I firmly dismissed that idea.
After safely finishing Hare's lesson—
"I-I'll study more! You can go ahead, Mister...!"
Since Hare said she'd study more in the library, I headed to Luna's room carrying a box from the living room.
She should be awake by now.
Knock knock—
"I'm coming in."
—J-just a moment...! Yes, come in!
Creak—
When I entered, Luna was sitting in her desk chair.
Her expression looked like she was about to die.
Looking at the desk, it seemed she'd been writing a letter.
"Were you writing a letter?"
"Yes, it's time to send a letter to my parents. Oh, right! The reply! Did a reply come?!"
"..."
"Hello? Why aren't you answering, kidnapper mister?"
"...I forgot. I'm sorry."
This is why alcohol is a problem.
It impairs your memory.
At those words, Luna, who had been staring wide-eyed, shouted.
"No!! How could you forget that!! Aaaah!! I'm getting out of here...!!"
"You can't do that."
"L-look how firm he is..!! Geez, you're not even a cliff...!! Mister, you're totally a cliff!!"
"...In that case, you'd say 'iron wall.'"
"Aha."
"...And I'm sorry for forgetting. Instead, I'll give you a gift."
"Huh? A gift?"
The Hero quickly calmed down at the word "gift."
Was she simple-minded or just positive...?
It was a personality I couldn't understand at all.
"Here, a gift. It's inside the box."
"...It's not something weird, right? Hmm, let's see..."
The Hero glanced at me as she opened the box.
Inside was the large red ribbon I couldn't buy last time for lack of a wallet.
Her long hair seemed inconvenient during training, so I'd gotten her this gift.
*Jun-woo! You can't just give her the stick harshly all the time. You need to give gifts sometimes too!*
Though Minerva had given that advice, I was the one who chose a gift that suited her.
Luna looked at the ribbon with a satisfied expression.
"Well, not bad. You have good taste for a mister, I guess?"
"...Have you gotten too comfortable with me?"
"N-no. That's not it. It's a compliment! A compliment! You're so scary I can barely speak..."
"I'm joking."
At that voice, the Hero glared at me sharply.
She had been treating me more casually lately.
It was probably Hare's influence.
Since I was perceived as a good person to Hare, Luna seemed to have been influenced by that.
"So, do you like the gift?"
"Yes! My hair was uncomfortable during training, but this should help, right? Tie it for me so I can test it!"
"...You want me to tie it?"
"Yes! Can't you do it?"
...It's not that I can't.
I'm actually quite good at it.
*Jun. Tie my hair for me.*
A fragment of a past memory floated up like a cloud.
It had been a long time since I'd tied someone's hair from behind.
Though those memories were shattered, they remained inside me like fragments.
"Hellooo~ When are you going to tie it~?"
"...I'll tie it now."
Luna's voice brought me back to my senses.
I wrapped the ribbon's string around my wrist and gathered Luna's long hair in one place.
Then I held the long hair, passed the string underneath, and it was done.
Luna's long hair was neatly tied, leaving a large ribbon in the back.
It suited her... very well.
"How is it? I'm pretty, right?"
"...Not really."
"Liar! That's a blatant lie!"
So noisy.
After tying Luna's hair, I ignored her words and headed for the door.
Luna's squawking continued behind me, but I was too bothered to respond.
...But why is she here?
"Hare? Didn't you say you'd study more?"
"..."
"Oh, what! It's Hare! Hare, look at this! I got a gift! Jealous? Hehe!"
"..."
Hare was peeking at us from beside the door.
Her expression was somehow subtle.
Her gaze was fixed on the red ribbon.
Hare's cool expression glared at Luna for a moment, then she disappeared with a frown.
"What, Hare! Where are you going! Talk to me!"
"...I'm leaving too."
"Ah, I'm alone again?"
Clunk—
And so I left Luna behind and exited the room.
Hare had already disappeared outside.
*What was that expression...?*
I pondered, recalling Hare's last expression.
What was that expression?
It looked angry yet envious.
I thought that emotion might be jealousy.
During dinner, someone knocked on the door.
Knock knock—
Lee Jun-woo ran to the door as if he'd expected it.
There stood a servant in neat clothes.
The man with a fastidious mustache spoke to Lee Jun-woo.
"Ahem, are you the adventurer Jun?"
"That's right. What's this about?"
"I've come to deliver an invitation to a party being held at our family estate tomorrow evening. Please 'do' attend."
"...I'll attend. Understood."
Tap—
Lee Jun-woo took the invitation from his hand.
*If I just keep moving forward, I'll automatically meet the party members.*
If he attended this party, he'd probably meet the party member he was looking for.
Just as Minerva had advised.
Lee Jun-woo would simply carry out the predetermined events.
Putting the invitation in his pocket, Lee Jun-woo closed the front door.
"A party. I hate noisy places..."
"Mister? Who just came...?"
Hare came out of her room, having stopped eating.
There were still traces of food around her mouth, and Lee Jun-woo carefully wiped them away.
Hare's face turned red.
"I-I'm sorry for showing you such an embarrassing sight... And thank you..."
"Don't say you're sorry except when you're truly apologizing."
"...Yes, I understand. Mister."
No more saying sorry!
Hare nodded as if she'd received the message.
Then she began to bring up what she'd seen at lunch.
"But, Mister."
"Mm?"
"What were you talking about with Luna...? And what's that ribbon...?"
Gulp.
Hare swallowed nervously at her question.
She didn't know what this feeling was, but she felt she needed to know to feel at ease.
To Hare, who had been waiting anxiously, Lee Jun-woo answered.
"There wasn't much to talk about, I just gave her a small gift."
"A small gift...?"
"Yeah, Luna's hair is too long and it interfered with training. Do you want a ribbon too?"
"Ah, I see... Because Luna's hair is long... No, I'm fine. I don't need a ribbon."
Luna's hair reaches her waist, after all.
That makes sense.
Hare glanced at her own hair.
Pink hair that reached her shoulders.
*...I don't need a ribbon.*
And Luna needs a ribbon.
Only then could Hare understand the situation.
It wasn't that she'd been left out.
It was a situation where someone who needed something was given what they needed.
But why did her heart still feel uncomfortable?
Hare realized she was a bad child.
"Mister. I think I'm greedy..."
"Suddenly?"
"Yes, I keep wanting things... I lived without having anything, but now that I've gotten one thing, I want everything..."
Like the ribbon you tied for Luna too.
Lee Jun-woo, who didn't understand the true meaning, pondered his own answer.
"Hmm..."
Was this about knowledge?
Hare read books even during breaks, so that must be it.
Having jumped to conclusions, Lee Jun-woo offered Hare an answer—completely unaware it was the wrong one.
"Everyone is like that."
"Huh...?"
"When people get one thing, they wonder if there's more and try to turn to the next page. It's normal, Hare."
"I see... It's normal..."
Normal.
Everyone else besides me feels this way too.
Nod.
Hare firmly believed that seed of jealousy was normal.
Because it was what Mister said.
She had to believe it.
"I'm normal too, like other people..."
"That's right. It's normal. Your food will get cold, so go back in and finish eating."
"Yes, Mister!"
With her doubts resolved, Hare looked quite pleased.
And the abnormally growing seed of jealousy began to grow further, nourished by the fertilizer called certainty.
A day passed, and it was evening.
I shaved my beard for the first time in a while and dressed in a neat suit.
"I haven't worn this except when receiving medals."
The day has come to wear this again.
That person will probably attend the party today too.
It's a party for a family with deep connections.
As I put on the suit and made full preparations, I heard Luna and Hare's voices beside me.
"Wh-what? This is Mister...? Really? For real? No way!"
"Woow— Mister, you look really cool today! Should I say my heart is racing...? You look amazing...!"
...I don't see any difference from usual.
Was it because I slicked my hair back neatly and shaved?
It was an important occasion, so I'd tried to look as neat as possible, which seemed to produce this reaction.
"More importantly, Luna."
"Yes!"
"You stay inside."
"Aww."
Acting cute won't work.
In the end, I put Luna in her room and carefully checked the lock.
Everything was fine.
"That's done..."
Should I head to the party now?
I had a feeling tonight would be a very interesting party.
"I might be a bit late, but I'll be back."
"...Yes, come back early, Mister."
Leaving Hare to see me off, I climbed into the carriage waiting at the door.
The person I wanted would definitely be there.
*Will it be the Mage or the Saint...*
Who would become the third companion?
I was quite curious about that.