"...Of all times, she had to run away in this weather."
The weather was turning into a downpour.
A wide-open window.
Putting the traces together, it seemed Luna had made the foolish choice to run away.
*Did she escape because of the shock from the dungeon field trip...?*
Hmm, I didn't realize that losing my eye and annihilating the Demon King would be such a shock to her.
When did Luna leave this place?
I placed my hand on Luna's bed.
It was warm.
"The warmth is faintly remaining. She hasn't been gone long."
Given that warmth remained, she couldn't have fled far.
Surely, Luna was still wandering around this area.
I needed to move immediately.
Just as I was about to leave, perhaps sensing the strange atmosphere in the room, Hare's voice came from the doorway.
"U-um... Mister...? What's going on...?"
A tone that seemed to know nothing.
Hare appeared to be uninvolved in this incident.
I questioned Hare, who was tilting her head in confusion about the situation.
"Hare, it seems Luna has left this place. Do you have any idea why?"
"L-Luna escaped...?! H-how ungrateful...! After how well Mister treated her...! You even lost your eye because of us...!"
Hiss- Hiss-
Hare was angry about Luna's escape.
As if her anger wouldn't subside no matter what, Hare kept muttering.
"B-bad girl...! Luna is a bad girl...!"
However, since every second counted, I cut off her words and asked again.
"That aside, did you see Luna leave?"
"N-no... I didn't see her..."
"Then, do you remember hearing any sounds from Luna's room?"
"Before Mister came, I was cleaning Mister's room... I-I did hear her talking to herself..."
...She was cleaning my room.
For someone claiming to have cleaned my room, Hare's face was as red as a tomato.
She definitely seemed to have done something other than cleaning...
But that wasn't important right now.
Talking to herself.
What Luna said to herself was most important.
"Do you remember what Luna said? If you remember that, it could be a good clue."
"A-a good clue...! H-helping Mister...! U-um... well... Ah! I-I remember...! Luna muttered 'burden'...! She said she was a burden! She knew it well!"
"...Burden. I see, thank you for telling me, Hare."
"Heh, hehe..."
Pleased to have been helpful, Hare smiled happily.
After patting her once to praise her.
I left the room to find Luna.
By now she'd be outside getting drenched by the falling rain, so I needed to find Luna as quickly as possible.
She might catch a cold.
Children were vulnerable to colds.
"Hmm, but more than that... burden..."
When I grasped the meaning and intent of those words.
The expression "running away" didn't suit Luna's actions.
In this case, it was probably closer to "leaving" rather than "running away."
As I headed outside to find her, I muttered with a sigh.
"I don't know why she called herself a burden. But you're still foolish even after becoming a Hero, Luna."
My lost eye isn't your fault.
I'll hear the reason you ran away directly when I meet you.
As a Hero, you still have mountains of things to learn from me.
"Until you kill all the Demon Kings. Until you gain that ability. You must not leave this place."
Heading toward her, who was probably soaked somewhere in the rain.
I hurriedly moved my heavy, rain-soaked steps.
Meanwhile, Luna was avoiding the rain while conversing with the Holy Sword.
—That's right, leaving is also a good choice, Hero. That place is a good training environment, but if you fall into an extreme situation alone, you can become even stronger.
"...Shut up, I didn't come out to get stronger! Don't talk to me!"
Swoooosh—
To avoid the rain falling from the sky, Luna was crouched under the shade of a building.
Splash- Splash-
Watching the puddles pooling on the ground, she planned to pass time until the rain stopped.
"Ugh, it's cold... If I stay still with the rain coming down like this, Mister will find me..."
—If you want, I'll turn back time whenever you meet Mister.
"I-I don't want that! I-I don't want to die!"
—It's not dying, Hero. There's a nice word called 'salvation.' It's about changing the world and pioneering destiny.
"Salvation my ass! Be quiet before I sell you to a hardware store!!"
She's saying nonsense!
The Holy Sword from fairy tales was supposed to be an incredibly sacred being!
Why is this one acting like this?
Luna couldn't understand at all the actions of the seemingly screw-loose Holy Sword that kept telling her to turn back time and run away.
So Luna carefully questioned the Holy Sword.
"...If I leave Mister's side like this... he won't suffer anymore, right...?"
—That man who experienced death once and even lost an eyeball. That man's suffering will decrease. I guarantee it. You won't be the burden you're thinking of.
"...Right, that's all that matters. Demon Kings appear because I'm the Hero! Like you said, if I disappear, Mister won't be hurt anymore!"
—A good choice, Hero.
...But I wish you, Holy Sword, would stop talking.
The screaming sounds that come whenever the Holy Sword speaks.
Sometimes it's a man's scream, sometimes a woman's.
It even seems like the tone changes each time...
Since it's boring just crouching here, should I ask another question?
"Your name is Timeless, right? But I'm curious, why can't you say anything when you're with Mister?"
—Good question, Hero. The reason my voice can't be heard when that man is nearby is simple. You know what an Apostle of the Goddess is, right?
"Apostle of the Goddess? Estia did call Mister that. I don't really know!"
—Apostle of the Goddess. To explain it simply, 'Dog of the Goddess.' 'Trash' that throws burdens on the Hero Party and doesn't help carry the weight.
"Don't insult Mister! He's a bad person but... h-he has good sides too!"
—...
The Holy Sword paused its response as if dumbfounded.
Then, letting out a slight sigh, it continued speaking.
—Haa... Anyway, when I stand before that Apostle of the Goddess, I can't speak to you.
"That's what I'm asking! Why can't you speak!"
—Calm down and listen. You're the 'King' of this Empire. No, if we're being precise, could you speak confidently in front of the 'Queen'?
"Um... I'm from a commoner family that only farmed, so I'd be purged if I opened my mouth!"
—It's exactly like that. The Holy Sword created by the Goddess. And the Apostle of the Goddess. This relationship is formed vertically with such a difference that I can't even look up.
"Um, that's hard! Can't you just be friends together!?"
—...We committed sins. Unforgivable original sins. That's why we took this form.
You committed sins?
Is it like being in prison?
Just in case the Holy Sword might be a bad guy...!
Luna questioned Holy Sword Timeless with a bit of suspicion.
"What sin did you commit!"
—That's...
However.
Thud—
"Wh-what! Holy Sword, answer me! You said you'd tell me where to run!"
Suddenly the Holy Sword's words cut off, and the voice directed at Luna stopped.
Though it had been a terrible voice, Luna hadn't felt lonely since she wasn't alone.
Now that she was truly alone, this street felt frightening to her.
"I-it's raining...! It's too dark...!"
I'm scared...!
You said you'd show me the way...!
You bad thing...!
Luna, who had lost her way after losing the map while running an errand.
"Ugh... Whatever! I'll just go forward!"
She jumped up from where she'd been crouching.
However, Luna should have noticed why the Holy Sword's voice had cut off.
A chilling presence constricted Luna from behind.
"Where are you trying to go, Luna?"
"Hi, hieek...!!"
A familiar voice from behind.
The moment she heard Mister's voice, Luna was startled and lost her balance.
And behind her was the puddle she'd been watching until just moments ago...
Splash—!
Seeing this, Jun-woo held back laughter and said.
"...After going through the trouble of running away, you're doing physical comedy?"
"U-uaah... My clothes... they're all wet... What do I do if you suddenly appear from behind, Mister!"
"For someone who ran away, you're quite bold, Luna."
Ah, right.
I was running away, wasn't I?
I was so happy to see Mister...
Luna regained the emotions she'd dropped.
"...A-ahem. So what. I'm going to run away. I don't want to be with Mister anymore. I can't live with a kidnapper!"
"The reason?"
"J-just because! You're totally unlucky! I hate you, Mister!"
"That's not your true feelings, so never mind the reason, Luna."
More than that.
Jun-woo took the hand of Luna, who had fallen on the ground.
And lifting Luna up as is, he whispered in her ear.
"Even if you run away, I would have kidnapped you again."
"Wh-what...!"
"I have absolutely no intention of letting you go. Until you become strong. Don't think about running away from my side."
"Y-you're totally selfish! You totally think you're the only one in the world!"
"If you have complaints, beat me with your skills."
There was nothing wrong with Jun-woo's words.
That's why Luna was even angrier that she couldn't retort.
"Y-you...!!"
"Answer like a human being with words, Luna."
"F-fine...! I'll run away...! I won't live with Mister!"
"I told you that's not for you to decide."
Heave—
Without a word, Jun-woo hoisted Luna onto his shoulder.
Luna resisted, shouting that she didn't want to, but couldn't escape due to the overwhelming difference in strength.
"N-no...! I won't go in...! I don't want to be together...!!"
"Quiet. You're noisier than the rain, Luna."
"U-uaaah!!"
So noisy.
With Luna hoisted on his shoulder.
Jun-woo and Luna headed back the way they came without even an umbrella.
And Jun-woo opened his mouth slightly for Luna, who had thought of herself as a burden.
"Luna."
"...What."
"Even with one eye gone, I can easily carry you like this."
"...So what."
"I'm not particularly affected even with one eye gone. So don't blame yourself. The opponent was just too strong because it was a Demon King."
"It's not okay at all! Eyes are so important to people!"
I'm the one who summoned that Demon King...
How can you say it's okay, Mister...!
The Holy Sword told me it's all my fault...
"It's absolutely not okay! Eyes are very important!"
"They're not important to me. It's enough that you all came back alive. So..."
Don't blame yourself.
You're not a burden.
Even if I get hurt, you just need to eat your meals and train quietly.
I don't care at all.
"So don't blame yourself. I'm fine."
Not at all...
You're not fine at all, Mister...
At those words, Luna's heart became soaked like the falling rain.
"..."
"From the moment I brought you here, I expected this. Don't think things like self-blame. If I, the person involved, say I'm fine, then I'm fine. Understand?"
"..."
Luna didn't answer.
No, she couldn't answer.
If she spoke now, she'd be caught.
*I-I don't want to be caught crying... It's all my fault... The Demon King appeared... and Mister died and got hurt, it's all my fault...*
But Mister says he's okay...?
Why? We're not even family? Just because I'm the Hero...?
Mister got hurt because I'm the Hero...?
*I can't understand Mister's heart at all...*
Luna hid her tears in the rain.
Without a word, she held back tears on Jun-woo's shoulder, pressing down hard.
But even if Luna didn't speak, Jun-woo could tell.
*Even after going through something big, she's still a fool. Doesn't she know that your body trembles when you hold back crying?*
It's so like Luna to think she won't be caught.
*If the reason she ran away was guilt... I can let it slide just this once.*
I'll let it slide this once.
But if she runs away again next time, confinement starts again.
With such thoughts, Jun-woo headed home with the rain and wind.
Thus Luna's running away ended with being caught and brought back.
And.
*...Why does Mister treat me so well? Because I'm the Hero? Or because I'm a person named Luna?*
Which of the two is why he treats me well...?
It ended by creating doubt in the girl's heart.
Morning.
The moment my eyes opened and a new day began.
I should have gotten up to prepare the children's meals as usual.
However.
However...
"Cough! Cough!"
I couldn't get up.
It was natural after bleeding heavily from my eye and then being hit by cold rain and wind when I should have been resting.
I had caught a terrible cold.
I muttered to myself in the helplessness of having to lie in bed.
"The children's meals... their education... what do I do...?"
A situation where I couldn't move.
The Hero Party, for today or for the time being.
Would have to make their own food and spend their time.
That was...
*We're fucked...*
It could be considered a very big problem.