# 173. The Hero Party Without Uncle (Complete)
The TV in the dark room suddenly turned off.
It didn't show light again, and I felt regretful that I couldn't watch those girls' desperate fight anymore.
"...Somehow, I felt uncomfortable. But I felt like I had to keep watching."
It was a cruel and long fight, but I couldn't take my eyes off it.
Should I say it felt like my instincts were urging me that I had to watch?
Anyway, I watched those girls' fight without missing a single moment.
It felt like that memory would never be forgotten.
"...Now the TV won't come on either, so what should I do now?"
Should I just sit still and kill time again?
While thinking thoughts that have no answers?
"Hmm..."
That's when I was quietly pondering.
The temperature in the dark space gradually rose, and fire began to catch on my body.
Without feeling any pain, I was burning in flames.
"What is this— More importantly, why doesn't it hurt?"
But why am I so calm?
As if burning in fire is a natural thing.
Was it because of the fire or the rising temperature?
Just then, my eyes became drowsy as if sleepy and began to close.
"I can't sleep... now... This is... bad..."
My eyes gradually closed, and drowsiness overwhelmed me as my body lay down on the floor.
What comes after death?
Thinking about the afterlife, as I couldn't overcome the drowsiness,
I heard the sobbing voice of a woman I'd heard before.
—Goodbye, Jun-woo... I'm sorry for bringing you to another world for no reason...
Is she apologizing to me?
I'm not sure what she did wrong to me, but.
Suddenly, I felt like I had to say something to her.
"...Thank you, Minerva."
I don't know why I'm saying this, but I could close my eyes feeling somehow proud.
And when I closed my eyes and opened them again.
—Tap tap. Tap, tap tap.
Along with the regular sound of the chalkboard, a male teacher's voice was heard.
"Attendance number 13... Lee Jun-woo? Stand up and tell us the answer on page 39."
"...The answer?"
For some reason, I couldn't answer the teacher's question.
It felt like I'd made a big mistake and no longer knew what the correct answer was.
The Hero Party, who told the Empire about the Demon King's demise, received a grand celebration.
They walked down a path made of people amid cheers, becoming the stars of the festival.
"Waaaah—!! Hero-nim—!!"
"You defeated the Demon King—!! Isn't that amazing, son—? You should become a hero like that too—!?"
The citizens cheered enthusiastically and shouted at the Hero Party's carriage.
They became protagonists from a fairy tale and created a story.
However.
"...It's all meaningless. I want to kill everyone. I don't need any of this."
Contrary to what the citizens thought, the Hero Party was sunk in gloom and emptiness.
Whether others shouted or congratulated them.
They had no interest at all.
"...I want to leave quickly."
"...I should have stayed out like Estia too."
At Hare's grumbling, Luna answered sharply.
"Estia didn't stay out, she couldn't come out."
"...Don't open your mouth. You who gave up on Uncle. You're no different from killing Uncle, traitor."
"..."
At Hare's words, Luna fell silent.
After that, the Hero Party didn't exchange words until they arrived at the banquet hall.
Thus, at the banquet hall they arrived at in silence, the Hero Party received medals from the Emperor.
"I'm glad you eliminated the Demon King. From now on, only the Goddess's blessings will descend upon the Empire. Hero Party. I'd like to grant you a wish. Is there anything you want?"
"...Please send money to my family. Enough money to live an ordinary life forever."
"...Nothing."
"...I don't have anything either."
At their wishes, the Emperor misunderstood on his own, saying "How modest," but the Hero Party didn't think that was particularly important.
"Ahem, then Hero Party. I've held a banquet for you today, so please enjoy it."
"Yes, thank you."
Saten said she was tired and went home first.
Luna and Hare wandered around the party venue aimlessly.
Then, a woman approached and spoke to Hare.
"Excuse me, that hair and red eyes... Thief-nim, do you happen to know who your parents are?"
"...Does that matter?"
"Pardon? Oh, no, you just look a lot like a young lady who disappeared from a ducal family decades ago—"
"...Are my parents important right now? When Uncle died—!!"
"Kyaaah—!!"
At that moment, Hare went wild in the banquet hall like crazy, wielding violence.
Her expression looked like she was both laughing and crying.
Eventually, the knights had to properly intervene, and though Hare hid and ran away.
"...Isn't the Hero abnormal too?"
"I heard she killed people in another city... So there are many people who hate her..."
"Maybe she was just strong, nothing more."
The rumors and gazes toward Hero Luna became even more blatant.
Unable to do anything about the situation, Luna eventually had to head home.
"In books, heroes who defeated the Demon King were incredibly great. But reality is reality..."
—Reality is always harsh. And, Hero. You didn't bear the weight compared to a hero.
"I didn't bear the weight...? When it's this heavy...?"
—Didn't you think of Uncle before the citizens? That's greed for a hero. You don't care about the citizens, you filled your own belly too much. You didn't gain true honor.
"Ha."
Luna scoffed at the Holy Sword's words.
"You're one to talk, running away scared of the Demon King? After deceiving the world?"
—I'm saying this because I've experienced it.
"How ridiculous. If you failed, you should keep your mouth shut! ...Wait, hold on. But why haven't you disappeared?"
We defeated the Demon King.
We eliminated everyone.
"Why are you still inside me?"
—That's because my sin still remains. And that sin is about to be resolved. Look at the door next to you, Hero.
"That's..."
The door I saw back then.
The door leading to the Goddess.
Luna slowly opened the door and entered the library again.
"Boo—"
"Meow—"
"...Why is BlackMeow here too? Didn't Saten... take her...?"
Saten would have a hard time without BlackMeow...
"I'll have to take her later."
Thinking that, Luna headed to the inner part of the library like before.
There, Minerva was sitting in a chair waiting, just like before.
Along with a familiar person beside her.
"Aina...!! Why, why is that unnie here...!?"
At Luna's question, Minerva brought her finger to her lips.
"We meet again, Hero. More importantly, quiet. She's not the Aina you know."
"Then...?"
"She lost her memory. Aina talked with me. If Jun-woo leaves, she said she'd become my Apostle."
Gathering scattered souls to record them, and reconstructing the recorded souls.
"If the Church of the Goddess was in the Demon King's hands like before, it would be impossible because the Goddess's power was weak, but... the current Church of the Goddess is producing proper prayers, so the unnies are starting to open their eyes little by little. We'll be different from before too."
"...Then, that person isn't Aina unnie?"
"She's not the Aina you knew. But she is Aina."
Luna looked at Aina with a pitying expression.
*'Why did that unnie make such a choice...?'*
She didn't know why Luna was making that expression, but kept looking, so she frowned.
"...Her personality seems the same."
"That's right. The essence of the soul hasn't changed."
"..."
The essence of the soul.
Luna fell silent about that for a moment and closed her mouth.
After about 5 minutes like that.
Suddenly the Holy Sword popped out from Luna's heart, and it opened its mouth toward Minerva.
Not garbled noise, but a clear man's voice.
—Goddess. I have paid my full debt. It wasn't a long time, but now I can be considered to have paid my debt.
"What's your basis?"
—The Demon King's elimination we failed at. This time we succeeded. So as you promised long ago...
Goddess.
Fulfill the wish.
—Our 'Hero Party' also eliminated the Demon King in the form of a Holy Sword. So we can be considered to have paid the full price of our sins.
The Holy Sword's words were valid.
The old promise.
And the group called the Hero Party.
Inside the Holy Sword were four Hero Party members.
From the Goddess's perspective, it was a reasonable statement.
"You're right, Holy Sword. No, Hero Party. You did help with the Demon King's elimination."
—Then release us immediately. The debt is completely finished.
Luna was quietly listening to their conversation.
The conversation where the Holy Sword demanded the Demon King's reward as the 'Hero Party.'
And the statement demanding release since the price of sin was completely finished.
As if she'd been waiting, Minerva smiled and answered the Holy Sword's words.
"I'll grant the wish, but I can't release you."
—Why?
"Because you're not repenting. It's not you but the world that judges how much the debt is. The hourglass of a sinner who doesn't even repent doesn't flow."
So.
"I can't release you, but I can use your wish. And I'll give that wish to the Hero in front of me."
—You, you fucking bitch—!!!
The Holy Sword began shouting loudly in anger.
—Don't fuck with me—!! You can't transfer someone's wish like that—?! A Goddess who observes the world—!! If you violate the flow of wishes—!! You'll be punished—!!
"Yeah, I'll be punished. I don't care. The punishment is being locked in solitary for about 20 years? But the recording can be done by my Apostle. If it were just Meowng alone it would be impossible. But now I have a new Apostle."
—Fuck, fuck—!!!
Minerva's leisurely smile.
And Aina's laughter beside her.
Seeing that, Luna thought deeply.
*'Who... made this plan...? Uncle...? The Goddess...? Or maybe Aina unnie...?'*
No, that's not important anymore.
What I need to think about now is...
How to use the wish.
I just need to think about that.
"Goddess-nim..."
"Yes, Hero. Hurry and speak since there's no time. The chains are coming."
"Ah, yes... Yes...!!"
As Minerva said, chains emerging from the black space behind Luna were approaching.
Luna had to make a choice quickly.
"The, the wish... What, what should I wish for...? To make Uncle happy and... me— no, to make us happy too..."
What wish should I make...?
If I make a mistake, it's over.
If I make the wrong wish, I can never see Uncle again.
Luna's hands trembled more than when catching the Demon King, and she began to feel nervous.
"Wish quickly—! If I'm bound by chains, I can't do it either—!"
"Ah, ah, well... Yes!"
Luna's head wasn't working properly.
She didn't know what to do in this situation.
She didn't know what was right, what the correct answer was.
At that moment, she remembered the advice in her pocket.
*'Surely, surely there will be advice. The advice Uncle left... will be somewhere.'*
Luna squeezed her eyes shut, thinking 'please' inside, and opened the advice book.
"Uncle..."
First page, first paragraph.
There was an answer for Luna there.
*'Even if you're tired of carrying it. You're a hero. You must do it. Instead, I'll always be watching over you. So let's work hard together.'*
Watching over.
Together.
"Together..."
This foolish Luna.
I couldn't even think of something this simple.
It's probably not the answer Uncle intended, but feeling this wish was right, Luna shouted loudly.
"Together with the Hero Party—!! Send us to where Uncle is—!! Just like we were always together—!!"
With that cry, Minerva was dragged away by countless chains and answered with a tear-soaked smile.
"I'll grant your wish. So make Jun-woo happy. Even if Jun-woo doesn't remember me and forgets... I'm satisfied if Jun-woo is happy. Because he was my... Apostle."
With those words, Minerva was dragged by chains and disappeared beyond the black space.
Aina, who remained in the library with lost memories, said to Luna.
"I don't know why I'm saying this, but... please take care of Jun-woo. Make sure to make him happy."
Thus, with Aina's words engraved in her soul as the last.
Luna's vision changed in an instant.
—He's not dead, right? This is really Uncle, right?
Someone whispers.
The voice is young, but I can't see.
—It's Uncle. I'm sure.
Two people?
My hands won't move.
I wish someone would save me.
—If it doesn't seem like Uncle! I'll sprinkle holy water once!
Holy water.
I have an ominous feeling.
Is this a criminal organization trying to drug me?
—More than that, Saten. Is your neck okay now?
—Yes, I was on the verge of death though. Still, after a month passed, the scar disappeared. The medicine in this world seems pretty good.
—That's a relief.
On the verge of death.
Scar on the neck.
My instincts are telling me this is dangerous.
—But isn't Uncle awake now? He's breathing properly?
—...I'll check once.
Sniff sniff—
A good fragrance comes, and at the same time, someone is smelling me.
For some reason, that action soon changed to an embrace.
—It's, it's Uncle's smell... Is, is it really Uncle...? Un, Uncle... I missed you...
"What are you saying... I'm only 16."
Swoosh—
When I spoke, this criminal organization removed the blindfold I was wearing.
For a moment, it was so bright I couldn't see properly, but I was surrounded by four women.
For some reason, they were faces I remembered seeing on TV.
Surely...
"Always, watching... And, I'm sorry... I guess."
When I unconsciously uttered those words, tears flowed from the blue eyes of the blonde woman in front of me.
And she brought her face close to mine and said spiritedly.
"Uncle, Uncle kidnapped us before. So..."
Take responsibility.
"Don't run away this time."
For some reason, I felt like I had to answer that chick-like girl's words like this.
"Okay."
That answer felt like the correct one to me right now.