I returned home.
I arrived at my room and immediately collapsed onto the bed, losing consciousness.
The reason was excessive blood loss and mana exhaustion.
The blood that had flowed from my eye and the overuse of mana were the causes.
*...While I was unconscious, it seems the children nursed me.*
When I touched around my eye, all the blood was gone.
They hadn't managed to change my clothes, just roughly removed my outer garments.
I changed into indoor clothes and, staggering from the strange sensation, walked toward the mirror.
"More importantly, with my eye like this... I'll need some time to adjust."
Having lost one eye, my senses weren't intact.
I'd need to rest for a while to adapt.
Vigorous movement would also be forbidden.
With those thoughts, I checked the mirror.
"...Hideous."
On the left.
Where my black eye should have been, there was an empty hole.
It was a grotesque sight that would make even a crying child stop.
*My left eye. I suppose that's fortunate.*
Like being left-handed or right-handed, there's a "dominant eye" that you primarily use.
My dominant eye was my right, so losing the left eye could be considered relatively fortunate.
"Still, it's uncomfortable. But at least I saw in Minerva's answer sheet that my left eye would definitely be lost..."
If some other important body part had been lost, I would never have used it.
But my left eye was something I could sacrifice for the Demon King's destruction.
Muttering such small complaints.
I put on a black leather eyepatch over my left eye.
It was an ordinary eyepatch, not an artifact.
"...I should get a proper eyepatch. More importantly, I must wear the eyepatch in front of the children without fail."
The sight of a deep hole gouged in my eye would invoke disgust.
I must wear the eyepatch in front of the children without exception.
So, with the eyepatch on.
I opened the door to head to the kitchen to prepare the children's food as usual.
Creeeeak—
In front of the door was a child waiting for me.
"...Hare?"
"Ah, Mister...! Y-you're awake...? G-good morning...!"
Had she not slept properly?
Hare greeted me at the door with sleepy eyes.
Dark circles hung beneath her eyes.
*Did she lose sleep...?*
The moment that question arose, Hare grabbed my hand and spoke carefully.
As if supporting me.
"I-it's hard to walk, right...! M-Mister...! I-I'll take you to the kitchen...! Y-you're a patient, after all..."
"..."
Heave-ho— Heave-ho—
Was she treating me like a patient just because I was missing one eye?
...Honestly, I was a patient.
But to be treated like an elderly person who couldn't walk properly.
Hare's intentions weren't bad, but...
*I feel like I've become a burden to the Hero Party.*
Feeling my pride wounded, I released the hand Hare was holding.
Thud—
"Ah, ahhh..."
Hare let out a sigh.
I spoke in a tone suggesting I was fine.
"It's alright, Hare. I can walk on my own. Look, I can walk by myself."
"Y-yes..."
Dejected—
Hare hung her head like an abandoned puppy.
*...Was I too cold?*
While I was thinking that, she followed me, anxiously worried I might fall.
At that moment.
Thunk—
"Ah."
"M-Mister...!! A-are you okay...!?"
...Was the wall always here?
Since my left side was a blind spot, I'd momentarily missed the wall.
"H-how... c-can't even avoid a single wall... *sob*..."
Hare seemed to find my state pitiful, as tears flowed from her eyes.
"*Sob*... Mister... you were so strong... I-it's because we're weak, isn't it...? If we had been stronger, you'd still have that eye... *sob*..."
"...Don't blame yourself, Hare."
"B-but... i-if we hadn't been a burden... and had been helpful to you, Mister... th-things might have been different... I think..."
Helpful.
Hare was blaming herself for standing by idly in that situation.
Along with a shocking statement.
"I-if only I could give you my eye, Mister... I-I would gladly..."
"...Never think such things. Even if you offered, I wouldn't accept."
So.
You.
"Just eat your meals until you can pull your own weight. You're still young."
I won't accept that kind of help from you.
Help that drags others down to lift yourself up is miserable help.
The most ideal help is when both parties can be satisfied on equal footing.
Whether she understood my words, Hare responded with a spirited voice.
It was the first time I'd heard such a confident voice from Hare.
"O-okay, Mister...! I-I'll grow big...! S-so I can stand beside you, Mister...! I-I'll grow...!"
Yes.
Grow well while eating properly.
Surely you'll grow well like in that future.
I patted Hare's head.
*She'll get taller... her face won't look so childish... and her chest... didn't seem to grow much, I think.*
If I had to compare, should I say she resembled a fox?
Her body had a slim build suited for a thief.
The Hare I'd seen in the answer sheet had grown well.
At least in appearance.
*I don't know if she grew well on the inside...*
Well, if things continue like this, she should be able to pull her weight in the Hero Party.
I asked Hare, who was touching her reddened forehead.
"By the way, Hare. Do you know what the other children are doing now?"
"E-Estia... I locked her in her room... she suddenly demanded holy water and said she'd go on a hunger strike if I didn't give it to her... then after 10 minutes she was shouting for food because she was hungry... Luna and Saten... aren't coming out of their rooms..."
"...Not coming out of their rooms?"
"Yes... I'm the only one who came out to help you, Mister..."
For a moment, I wondered if Hare had locked up the other children.
But in a mansion short on hands, there was no way Hare would do such a thing.
I dismissed the suspicious thought.
*Saten has been strange since that day... and Luna must have been very stressed by what happened that day.*
I don't know what Saten is thinking.
And Luna killed a life form similar to a human for the first time.
It must have been quite a shock.
I wanted to go to Luna and Saten right away to check their condition, but...
[Quest. Quest. Quest. Jun-woo, come to the library quickly. Come to the library quickly.]
[1. Go to Minerva's Library.]
[2. Should I go to Minerva's Library?]
What kind of question is this?
Minerva's ambiguous questions kept appearing in the air.
It seemed going to the library should be the priority.
Though I'd need to prepare the children's meals first.
*To check on the children's condition... I need to save even a little time...*
Entering the kitchen, I spoke to Hare.
"Hare."
"Y-yes...! M-Mister...!"
"Can you help me cook? It seems a bit much to do alone."
"Yes...!! G-good...! If I can be helpful to you, Mister, that's good...!"
Hehe—
With a happy smile, Hare helped with today's cooking.
A stew mixing various vegetables and meat with spices.
"I'll make the stew sauce, so Hare, you cut the vegetables."
"Y-yes...!"
The sauce for stew requires precise ratios.
If even one ingredient is slightly off, it becomes too salty, sour, or sweet.
The balance won't be right, so the sauce must be made with exact proportions.
That's why I assigned the relatively easy vegetable cutting to Hare, but...
"*Sob*... M-Mister... because of your eye... c-can't even use a knife properly... s-so you asked me to prepare vegetables... *sob*..."
Hare muttered tearfully while preparing vegetables.
It seemed she had some major misunderstanding.
*Even with one eye missing, I can still prepare vegetables, Hare.*
No, adjusting ratios is the hardest part, Hare.
I asked for help because I was short on time...
I tried to explain to Hare to clear up the misunderstanding, but...
"N-no... *sob*... I'm definitely not crying because of you, Mister... *sob*... th-the onions... are just spicy..."
"..."
I'd only lost my left eye; my body was fine.
Watching Hare deflect while cutting potatoes, saying it was because of the onions.
I decided to stop explaining.
"Hare, I'll be out for a bit. Take good care of the house."
"Y-yes...! Mister...! Just trust me...!"
Mister trusts me!
I'm worried about Mister without his eye, but...
If I wait well until Mister returns, I'll surely be praised...!
"Please come back safely, Mister..."
Slam—
The door closed.
Silence flowed through the house.
Though the house was always noisy, everyone seemed to have been shocked after going to the dungeon.
Of course, Hare had also received a big shock.
"I'm sad too, but... M-Mister is having a harder time..."
Mister is having a hard time...
So at least I need to help Mister...
Hare suppressed her sad emotions and decided to help Mister.
But with Mister gone, suppressing those emotions was still difficult.
"...If I could have been helpful to Mister... his eye would still be fine..."
I couldn't be helpful to Mister...
So.
I'll focus on my lessons, and focus again.
I'll get stronger so Mister won't get hurt.
I'll protect him.
"To do that, I need to listen well to Mister...!"
Determined—
Having reached a conclusion, Hare ran to the kitchen and ladled the stew Mister made into bowls.
To keep her promise with Mister.
*I don't have time, so eat first. I'd appreciate it if you could bring meals to the other children.*
In the past, I would have hidden everything in my room.
But now I'm different...!
I'll never do anything Mister dislikes...!
Saying so, Hare picked up the bowls and headed to the children's rooms.
The first room she headed to was...
Knock knock—
"Saten, I'm coming in...? It's food Mister made..."
No answer came.
But Hare opened Saten's door.
From inside came a strange smell she'd never encountered before.
"U-ugh...! Wh-what is this smell...?! It's worse than my old house..."
Worse than the smell of the slums.
What on earth is Saten doing here without answering...?
"Gasp...!"
Hare held her breath and entered the room.
At the far end of the room.
Saten sat at her desk doing something.
Hare, feeling the atmosphere was ominous, spoke to Saten in a frightened state.
"Wh-what are you doing... Saten... not answering... h-here's the food Mister made... I-I'll leave it here...?"
"..."
"Why won't you answer, really! F-fine...! I'll just bring it to you...!?"
I just need to bring it to the desk...!
Hare took one step at a time.
Approaching Saten sitting at the desk.
But at that moment.
Squelch—
"Uh, huh...? U-ehhh...?"
I stepped on something on the floor...
It made a bursting sound, and Hare felt a sticky sensation.
Gulp—
*It's nothing. It's nothing. It's nothing.*
Hypnotizing herself, Hare looked down to see what she'd stepped on.
On the floor.
Countless eyeballs were staring at Hare.
Hare began screaming in shock.
"Uh, uhh...? Ky-kyaaaah...!!"
Wh-what is this...!!
Crash—
Goosebumps rose all over her body, and she even dropped the food Mister made.
At that sound, Saten seemed to notice Hare had entered and turned her head to look at her.
Hare shouted loudly at Saten.
"Wh-what is this, Saten...!! E-eyes... eek...! Wh-what are all these...!!"
"They're failures."
"Wh-what do you mean...!"
"I tried to make Mister's eye. But they won't form properly. They all lack vitality and melt away after an hour. As expected, eyes made from my blood won't work?"
Splat— Splat—
Saying so, Saten stepped on the failures on the floor and approached Hare.
Watching this, Hare realized.
*S-Saten has gone crazy... she's definitely gone crazy...*
I need to tell Mister...
That Saten is doing strange experiments...!
Hare backed away, trying to leave Saten's room.
However.
Tap—
Saten's two hands landed on Hare's shoulders, blocking her exit.
"L-let go...! I-I'm leaving...!"
"Hare."
Stay still.
Saten stared intently at Hare with black eyes and murmured.
Though expressionless, Hare felt something eerie in her eyes.
She wasn't normal.
Saten spoke to Hare in an emotionless tone.
"Hare, shall we talk for a moment? About why Mister's eye became like that. Why I feel uncomfortable looking at Mister. Why I want to make Mister's eye and fix it."
I want to know.
Why I want so badly to make Mister's eye.
Guilt.
And regret.
Saten wasn't completely devoid of emotion.
The answer to the fingernail-sized emotion that moved her.
"What exactly is this feeling, Hare?"
Saten simply wanted to understand her own emotions.