# 36. Hero Luna's Awakening (9)
"May I ask... what is your relationship with our daughter... and who you are...?"
"Hmm..."
How should I explain my relationship with Luna?
The Goddess's Apostle and the Hero?
A kidnapper and the kidnapped child?
An old man and a young girl?
There were various ways to express it, but none were appropriate answers to give Luna's father.
*The most acceptable one would be...*
Perhaps only this relationship would work.
I placed both hands on the shoulders of Luna, who was nestled in my arms, and spoke with a benevolent smile. It was a very exemplary tone.
"I am Luna's teacher."
"...Teacher?"
"Yes, a teacher who teaches Luna about the 'adventurer' lifestyle. The reason Luna can send money is also because of her adventurer work."
"Oh my, a teacher... Luna, is what this person says true?"
"Uh, huh? Ah, asking if the old man is my teacher?"
"Yes, you answer."
"Ehhh..."
It would be good to explain this well, Luna.
Pat- Pat-
I lightly tapped Luna's shoulder.
In this situation, Luna herself would know well who would lose out if she told the truth.
In a small voice only Luna could hear, I whispered in her ear.
"...Explain that I'm your teacher. It will be more beneficial that way."
Flinch-
Luna turned around in surprise. She looked slightly frightened. Then she began to whisper quietly to me. Perhaps because she was in front of her family, she was quite spirited.
"Y-you may have saved my family, old man...! I'm grateful...! But there's no reason for me to explain that you're my teacher...!"
...If that's how you're going to be, I have no choice either. I'll have to go hard.
"...Then tell them the truth. That I'm a kidnapper."
"Eh...?"
"And remember that I'm at your house right now."
You can call me a kidnapper if you want. I'll just kidnap you again anyway. I know your house, where you live, and what kind of people your family members are.
In this situation, who would really lose out if you told the truth?
"Choose carefully."
"U-ugggh...!"
Luna began to tremble.
"I-is this blackmail...!"
"No, it's pressure. I'm giving you the choice."
"There's only one choice! You're despicable, old man...!!"
"Think whatever you want."
"Uggghhh...!!"
Luna ground her teeth in frustration.
I put weight on the hand resting on Luna's shoulder, gradually pressuring her. Finding our whispering strange, Luna's father asked.
"...What are you two doing, leaving me out?"
"Just a moment, we were having a simple conversation. Right, Luna?"
It would be good to choose well.
Luna must miss her family's embrace, but if she stayed here, the world would be in danger, and her family would be in even more danger. A life of comfort could not be permitted to the Hero. She needed to learn swordsmanship and build her strength, or else she'd see her family die like in the future that occurred. Even without me, the Hero had to defeat the Demon King.
"O-old man..."
Luna seemed to have finished weighing things in her mind, and soon hung her head in resignation.
"T-teacher is r-right! I-I had something to talk about with my t-teacher, so th-that's why... The old man is my teacher...!"
A wise choice, Luna. As expected, you're a good child who understands when spoken to.
At those words acknowledging me as her teacher, Luna's father's demeanor softened considerably. It was quite fortunate. Luna's mother continued speaking on behalf of her father.
"I'm glad you're really her teacher. More importantly, Luna, why didn't you join the knights? We were shocked to hear you weren't with the Sylvester Knights."
"Th-there were circumstances..."
"You should have at least told the knights before learning from your teacher. When the knights said you might have been kidnapped, I thought my heart would drop. Oh, right. Thank you for saving us, Guard- no, Luna's teacher."
Bow-
Luna's mother bowed her head toward me. I felt a slight pang of conscience about whether a kidnapper should receive such gratitude.
*So that's why the letter asking where she was arrived...*
...The knights investigated Luna's sudden disappearance. Certainly, there would be no other reason for the house to send Luna such a letter. One could never be careless about the knights' pursuit. One person would be fine, but if it was a group, even I would have trouble handling them.
*Now that Luna's worries have been somewhat relieved and her family is safe...*
It was time to return to the train station. While Luna would enjoy meeting her family after so long, I couldn't delay. I didn't know what kind of trouble those three at the station might cause, so I had to hurry. And... there was an important reason I needed to leave this place quickly.
[Sudden Quest! Someone saw the fighting outside. A report came in and the knights are coming! What is Lee Jun-woo's choice?]
[1. Annihilate the knights.]
[2. Quickly escape to the train station.]
Before the knights arrived here, it was better to leave. In a situation with no chance to check the answer key, there was only one answer I could choose.
"Luna."
"Yees?"
"Follow me, it's time to go."
"B-but it hasn't even been 10 minutes?"
Before the knights could reach me, I would run. Once they caught my tail, they would never let go. So I wouldn't let them catch even my tail. Thus, in front of Luna's parents, I decided to kidnap Luna again. A kidnapping only Luna didn't permit.
"Travel safely, Luna's teacher!"
I said there was no need to come out to see us off, but the whole extended family came out to the front gate to bid us farewell. Luna's parents and her six younger brothers came out to see us off. Since all the corpses had turned to dust and disappeared, there was no particular problem, but from my perspective, it was quite burdensome.
"Sis! Are you leaving now?!"
"Mmhm, I wanted to play with you guys more too... but that mean old man is dragging me away... You shouldn't grow up to be like that. Got it?"
"...Luna, I can hear everything."
"Oops-!"
Oops, indeed. For Luna, who kept climbing all over me, I'd have to gift her some intense training for a while. Luna said goodbye to her siblings with a pitiful expression. Did she really hate being separated from her family that much, or did she hate being with me? I thought it might be both, and I turned around while holding Luna's hand. Now it was time to part.
"Well then, we'll be going. Those guys might come again, so I recommend moving. Then, we'll be off..."
"Ahem... W-wait a moment...! Wait, come here...!!"
"...?"
Luna's father? Why was he suddenly calling me? I approached, curious about what he would say. He glanced at Luna, then began speaking to me.
"First, I apologize that our daughter is tactless and quite stubborn. It must be difficult for you as her teacher."
"...Not at all, she's a good child at that level."
"...Thank you for thinking so. And thank you again for saving our family...!"
And what I want to say is!! Thud-
*Wh-what is he doing...?*
Luna's father showed an unexpected action. He knelt before me and began to speak words of gratitude.
"Our daughter has many shortcomings...!! But please, take good care of our daughter...!! I beg you like this...!! Guardian of the village...!!"
"Dad knelt down! Let's follow him!"
"Waaah-!"
Thud-
The six siblings beside him also knelt together and began earnestly pleading with me.
*What kind of situation is this...?*
Luna's family kneeling before me, asking me to take care of Luna. It was incredibly burdensome. Luna's family definitely had genes for making me flustered. And Luna, hearing their voices, seemed to have roughly figured out my identity.
"The old man is... the Guardian...? The black-haired Guardian...? Th-the Guardian who eliminated a horde of magical beasts all at once is the old man...?! N-no way...! The Guardian of our village can't be a kidnapper! It's a lie!"
"..."
Luna's family kneeling before me. Luna holding my hand, denying reality. How should I sort out this situation?
*...Sort out what.*
I should just run away. I absolutely hated burdensome situations. I hated receiving attention even more. I grabbed the chattering Luna's hand and walked toward the train station, leaving Luna's family behind.
-Thank you...!! Guardian...!!
-Luna! You must listen well to the Guardian...!!
"..."
I pretended not to hear their desperate voices from afar. The nickname "Guardian of the village," now as before, was so burdensome to hear that I wanted to cover my ears.
Trudge- Trudge-
Glance-
As Luna headed toward the train station, she kept stealing glances at the old man, who now appeared in a new light, like a girl with her first crush. Since they were walking hand in hand, to others they might have looked like father and daughter.
*The old man was the Guardian of our village...*
Unbelievable! But looking at his skills, he does seem to be the Guardian! That red-haired man who made such a chilling expression at me... looked incredibly strong.
*Because he's that strong, that's why the old man died...*
Throb-
The old man who told me to run and had a hole pierced through his heart. The old man who stroked my head with warm hands at the end. Luna couldn't forget that heartbreaking scene. Back then, the old man looked cool...
"...But the current old man is completely cowardly and despicable!"
"Keep your insults about me in your head, Luna."
"I don't want to! There's no negotiating with a blackmailing old man!"
Threatening me in front of my family...! I'm grateful he saved us, but...! Luna couldn't like everything about the old man. He had good points, but the bad points stood out. Anyway, a question naturally arose in Luna's mind.
*But he died the first time. Why did he win this time?*
Strange, right? Wasn't it natural for him to lose? To solve this question, Luna looked up at the old man and said.
"Old man! You lost last time, so how did you win this time?!"
"Because I know the opponent well, and he doesn't know me."
"Huh?"
"I'm saying I remember the situation where I died."
More accurately, I read the record rather than remembered it, but... Hearing the old man's voice, Luna was momentarily stunned.
*This ability to remember isn't just mine?*
Mom, Dad, my siblings, Hare, Saten, Estia—other people didn't remember at all... So why does the old man remember?
*Is the old man special?*
Is the old man a special existence to me? Is that why I shared that painful memory I never wanted to see again with the old man?
"The old man is full of mysteries. A complete question mark!"
"What does that mean?"
"I thought I was the only one who remembered! But you remember too! And when I'm just near you! I don't even hear that Holy Sword's voice! And it turns out you're the Guardian of our village! Just what!"
What is your identity, old man?!
*...My identity.*
Luna's question asking about my identity. Why the Holy Sword's voice couldn't be heard near me—that question remained unsolved, but Lee Jun-woo answered Luna's question as if it were obvious.
"My identity is simply your teacher."
"...That's not what I'm asking! I will ab~solutely never acknowledge you as my teacher! No, I can't!"
B-but...
"Thank you for knowing about my painful memories... Thank you for saving my family..."
"..."
Luna, who had been so angry, couldn't lift her face, embarrassed by the sudden expression of gratitude. Why isn't the old man saying anything? I-is he moved...? When no answer came no matter how long she waited, Luna cautiously raised her head.
Peek-
The old man was walking alone in the distance without a word.
"Gee-geez! Even when I thank him! W-wait...! O-old man, don't go far...!! I-I said I can hear your voice...!! Aaaah-!!"
The dishonest Luna scurried after the old man. That the old man alone remembered what others didn't—Luna was feeling relief without realizing it. The fact that they shared a wound only she knew was enough to create a sense of kinship.