Minerva's Library.
There, Lee Jun-woo's lamentations continued.
"Hey, Minerva. Put your hand on your chest and think about it. Is this normal?"
"What is—don't touch me. I'm reading a book."
"No, the kidnapped person is just asking to greet me, wanting to chat, thinking positively. Do you think this is right?"
"Shut up. I can't concentrate."
"She even asked me to tell her my name. Well, it doesn't matter since I'm going by Jun in this world anyway. But, to have such a weird preference of wanting to get close to your kidnapper—"
"Ah, seriously—!! I told you to stop—!!"
Minerva, who hated having her concentration broken more than anything in the world.
She angrily closed the book she was reading.
Then she shouted at Lee Jun-woo, who was tipsy from alcohol.
"So—! What do you want to say!"
"Check if things are going normally."
"...I didn't set any problems. So what does that mean?"
"It means things are going well."
"You already know that—!!"
In reality, Lee Jun-woo was managing the confinement well.
Don't make the confined person uncomfortable.
Provide meals on time and give them comfort.
And mix in appropriate commands to create a sense of intimidation.
Comfortable freedom and control.
He was following the basics perfectly.
"But something feels off."
"No, nothing's off at all. It's going well."
"No, it's abnormal. The Hero is lively and kind. But it's a bit puzzling."
"Puzzling?"
"How should I put it. She's restless but somewhat calm. And she takes care of others abnormally. Isn't family not 'others'? Anyway."
If someone is kidnapped, worrying about their own safety should come first.
But not the Hero.
She asked for a letter to write to her family. Even though the kidnapper might harm her.
And she demanded money be put in the letter.
At a timing when anyone else would be begging for their life to be spared.
Her priorities were completely different from ordinary people.
"That's why she's the Hero, maybe, but family is priority one and herself is priority two? That's the feeling I got."
"Hmm, isn't that just individual differences?"
"No. Even people whose first priority is family change in crisis situations."
Humans are self-centered animals.
When faced with an emergency, they can momentarily forget their family.
Just like me.
I'm the prime example—I forgot my family for four years after falling into this world.
"The Goddess who appoints the Hero is you, Minerva. Don't you know anything about the Hero?"
"I'm a bookworm so I don't know anything. But Jun-woo, you know well. You act strong on the outside, but inside you're more fragile than anyone. If I'm a worm, you're a hedgehog?"
"...Whatever. Just get to the point."
Lee Jun-woo seemed slightly annoyed.
Minerva closed her mouth, having felt firsthand how scary Lee Jun-woo could be when he exploded.
However, she decided to give him at least some simple advice.
Minerva asked in a light tone.
"I can't freely tell you someone else's information. Instead, I'll tell you something else. Jun-woo. You're worried about the Hero, right?"
"...No, I'm not."
"Whatever you say. If you want to let the Hero go quickly and don't want to confine her, why not shorten that period?"
"Explain so I can understand."
"...You're really dense. What do you think the Hero is good at?"
Lee Jun-woo thought for a moment.
The answer was obvious, so his contemplation wasn't long.
"Helping people and swordsmanship."
"Right, swordsmanship. You just need to teach her that. Until the Hero can protect herself alone. That's the reason for confinement, isn't it."
Teach the Hero the sword to shorten the confinement period.
Lee Jun-woo jumped up from his seat.
"Where are you going?"
"The weapon shop. I need to buy a sword."
"Okay, see you~"
Late evening.
Lee Jun-woo's figure quickly disappeared.
Minerva waved her hand until he vanished from sight.
Once he was gone and the library became quiet, a sense of loneliness washed over her.
"...Well then, shall I finish reading my book?"
The book's title was Lee Jun-woo's Hero Party Journal.
Reading that book with the future written in it,
Minerva began creating problems for him, as she always did.
After several days and nights passed,
Something curious happened to Luna, who was spending boring time locked in her room as usual.
"Luna. Come out."
"What? Suddenly come out?"
"It's a walk."
"Huh?"
A walk.
People need to get sunlight regularly.
The sun gives vitality to the body and secretes beneficial energy.
Under the name called 'mana.'
That's why sunlight is considered essential for growing children.
"First, I'll temporarily unlock the leg shackles."
"Those don't unlock though?"
"...Did you try? How do you know?"
"Ah, no. That's not it...! I just thought they wouldn't unlock...!"
The Hero waved her hands in denial.
Her blue eyes shook back and forth.
It was a lie.
Lee Jun-woo simply unlocked the shackles and put outdoor shackles on the Hero.
"...Excuse me."
"Why are you calling me."
"Um, a leash makes me feel less than human. It's too much like livestock. This isn't what we agreed on."
"...Bear with it today. I'll change it next time."
*Clink—*
Luna was dragged by Lee Jun-woo on a leash.
Seeing that the part touching her skin was made of leather, he seemed to have put some thought into it.
And so, Luna left that single room for the first time.
*It's quite spacious?*
The house had two floors.
One room next door.
From its appearance, a storage room.
Luna realized she had been confined on the second floor.
And when she went down the stairs, she saw a kitchen and study on the first floor.
*Next time I should ask to borrow a book. Time passes so slowly. What book should I ask to borrow?*
A feeling like a drop of honey falling into her boring daily life.
Passing through the clean kitchen, the moment she headed toward the door leading outside,
Luna's eyes caught sight of something strange.
"What's that over there?"
"The living room."
"...That's not what I'm asking."
The study and kitchen are clean.
So clean there isn't even a speck of dust.
But why is only that living room as dirty as a garbage dump?
Empty liquor bottles rolling on the floor. Bedding scattered about, torn newspaper bundles, carelessly handled food.
"Why do you live like that?"
"...What?"
"No, I don't mean it that way... I'm asking why the living room is like that when other places are clean."
Why would the living room where he mainly resides be like that?
Luna, who always handled cleaning at home, couldn't understand Lee Jun-woo's psychological state.
People keep the spaces they mainly use in a clean state.
They don't leave the space where they eat and sleep in such a dirty condition.
"If you're sick or something, I could help—"
"Stop talking nonsense. Just follow me."
"Ow! That hurts!"
Lee Jun-woo pulled the chain and headed for the door.
Luna's gaze, feeling slight pain, was fixed only on the living room.
Capturing that incongruous living room.
I brought the Hero out to the yard.
There was a spacious yard in front of the house, and since it was a residence located on the outskirts of the capital, no one passed by.
Especially since the fence was quite high, even if someone passed by, they wouldn't be seen.
It could be considered an optimal location for confinement.
"I feel like I've become a dog..."
"That's your imagination."
"Imagination...right...? Haha..."
The Hero let out an empty laugh.
However, perhaps because it was fresh air after a long time, she took a refreshing deep breath.
Her long blonde hair swayed in the wind with her breathing.
*Is this the light the Hero possesses?*
An appearance that draws people's attention.
Though not yet fully grown, it was clear she would become a beauty in the future.
A prominent nose and lively eyes.
An atmosphere surrounded her that ordinary people couldn't treat carelessly.
*Of course, I'm not an ordinary person.*
I was about to treat her carelessly from now on.
I threw something at her as she was blankly photosynthesizing and said.
"Hero. Catch. It's a gift."
"What? A gift...? Huh, uwaaa...!"
The Hero caught the flying wooden sword while making strange sounds.
"Your reaction speed isn't bad."
"What are you suddenly doing! You scared me!"
"I'll have to test whether it's dynamic vision or instinct..."
"Huh?"
The Hero looked bewildered, holding the wooden sword with both hands.
*What am I supposed to do with this?*
That was her expression.
I held another wooden sword in my hand and shouted.
"Do you remember what I said when I confined you?"
"That you wouldn't do anything..."
"Half right, half wrong. I won't do anything. There was a slight error in those words."
"Are, are you saying you'll change your words?! You perverted kidnapper...!! You're going to mess me up, aren't you?! You're showing your true colors...?!"
"...That's not what I mean."
What perverted kidnapper.
Sigh...
To think the future Hero's thoughts are like that.
I couldn't help but sigh.
"I won't do anything, but I want to give you a choice."
"Eh...? A choice...? Your plan to mess me up isn't..."
"There's no such thing. Don't misunderstand on your own."
Luna let out a sigh of relief at that voice.
Just what kind of image of me does she have to act like that?
It's one of two things.
Either I'm strange, or the Hero's brain is strange.
I thrust the wooden sword into the ground.
*Thud—!*
"Then, I'll consider the explanation finished. Choose, Hero."
"...I'm not the Hero."
"Will you stay still while time passes as you're confined?"
Or else.
"Will you train in swordsmanship, build your skills, defeat me, and escape from here?"
Choose, Hero.
My voice echoed through the yard.
The Hero seemed to ponder for a moment at that voice.
"Would it be faster to sit still and wait for rescue... or faster to beat that person... This would probably be faster... Staying still isn't my personality anyway..."
The Hero, who had been muttering to herself.
She stepped forward without hesitation.
And held her sword in a clumsy stance.
"I, I'll fight!"
Her blue eyes held seriousness, as if she intended to fight me.