# 67. The Hero Party Needs Training (5)
A deep clean.
If I used magic to return dust to nothingness, it would be simple work.
However, I can't look after the Hero Party forever.
So this time, I decided to teach the children how to clean.
"Everyone, go to the storage and bring brooms, dustpans, and dusters. We'll divide up the tasks and clean together."
"Yeeees~"
Thud thud thud—
The children headed to the storage with light footsteps.
"...How bothersome. Magic would be sufficient. This is inefficient."
Except for Saten, who disliked inefficient cleaning.
Still, Saten couldn't refuse orders, so she slowly headed to the storage.
Though the Hero Party occasionally acted strangely, they generally listened to me well.
After giving my orders, I stood still waiting for the Hero Party, and they appeared carrying armfuls of cleaning supplies.
"Ugh, uwaah!! H-heavy! Help me!!"
"Hang in there, Luna. You'll make a good porter."
"D-don't make fun of me! I'm the Hero!!"
So she's finally accepted that she's the Hero?
As expected of a trained body.
Her strength was close to superhuman.
"I-I'm the Hero! I won't fall even if it's heavy! How about that, Mister! Aren't I amazing! Hurry up and praise me!"
"...Yes, Luna, your physical abilities are praiseworthy."
"Of course! I'm a hundred times! A thousand times better than you, Mister, who won't teach me swordsmanship!"
Is she holding a grudge from yesterday's training?
Luna trembled as she diligently carried the cleaning supplies.
But as they say, when the head is foolish, the body suffers.
Rattle rattle rattle—
"Eh...? A-a cart...?"
"M-Mister...! I brought it first...!"
Hare had found a cart in the storage and brought it loaded with cleaning supplies.
For some reason, Estia was also inside...
It was too strange a sight to ask about, so I didn't bother mentioning it.
Hare approached me as if asking to be praised, looking up at me.
"Look around carefully...! And think of the best method...! I did what you said, Mister...! So I found the cart in the storage...! D-did I do well, Mister...?"
"..."
She did well.
She found tools in the storage and quickly transported the cleaning supplies.
Though her purpose seemed to be getting praise from me...
Still, doing well is doing well, so I couldn't not praise her.
I patted Hare's head as she requested praise.
"Yes, you used what you learned well. Very good, Hare."
"Heh, hehe... Th-thank you, Mister..."
Hare seemed embarrassed, savoring the praise.
I couldn't tell for certain if she'd set aside the feelings I'd mentioned before, but since she wasn't showing it obviously, I decided to leave it alone for now.
Then Luna appeared next to the praised Hare, her face flushed, and spoke.
"Haah... Mister...! I-I also brought lots of cleaning supplies...!!"
Clatter—
Luna set down the numerous cleaning supplies she'd been carrying.
She looked at me with an expectant expression.
"I-I did well too! N-not that I want praise or anything! I'm just saying!"
"...You don't want praise?"
"No! That's not it! I-I'm just saying!"
Not honest, yet too honest.
Luna's intentions were completely transparent.
Still, she worked hard, so I stopped teasing and patted Luna's head.
"Yes, you did well too, Luna. The method was barbaric, but the results weren't bad."
"W-well, this much is basic for me!"
"..."
Luna acted smug as if it were natural.
At her confident appearance, Hare stared intently at Luna for a moment, but it didn't lead to any particular action.
Hare had learned much by now, so she probably wasn't thinking anything bad.
*I suppose it's time to clean, but first...*
Before starting the cleaning, I first took Estia out of the cart where she was dozing.
"Uh, uhhh..."
I stood up Estia, who seemed not fully awake from her medicine.
Then I looked at the Hero Party and said:
"Well then, now that we have cleaning supplies, let's begin the deep cleaning of the mansion. Luna will use the broom, Hare will clean windows, Saten will use the dustpan, and Estia, you... go around helping the children as needed."
Cleaning supplies suited to each child's situation.
Through this, they could develop their strengths and compensate for their weaknesses.
The deep cleaning was also a training method I'd learned from Aina.
*'Jun.'*
*'Yes, Master.'*
*'Training for your mindset. Clean the house.'*
*'...Alone? This huge house?'*
*'I feed you, let you sleep, teach you magic. You should earn your keep, right?'*
*'...I make the food, I barely sleep because you get drunk and interfere, and I'm forced to learn magic?'*
*'If your master says do it, do it!! Don't talk back!'*
From my experience cleaning directly...
In conclusion, it wasn't bad.
She kept talking to me constantly so I wouldn't get bored with cleaning.
I didn't like it at the time, but looking back, it remained vivid in my memory and transformed into something called a fond memory.
I think it's a necessary process for the Hero Party, who have a difficult journey ahead.
"Now then, everyone move to your positions and start cleaning. Work in pairs of two, and if you diligently do your assigned tasks, I'll give you a special 'reward.' Understood?"
"A-a reward! Holy Water! It must be Holy Water!"
"Eh, if the reward is Holy Water, I don't need it..."
"...If you want Holy Water, Estia, I'll give it as a reward. However, I won't give everyone Holy Water—if each of you wants something different, I'll give you that."
Of course, before that...
"I should put away some of these cleaning supplies."
Perhaps because they were overeager.
The cleaning supplies the children enthusiastically brought were too many for five people to use.
The children diligently performed their assigned tasks.
"I have to sweep up all the trash! I've done this a lot at home, so I'll be the best at it!"
Luna energetically swept the floor with her broom.
Her determination to sweep up every speck of dust was visible.
However, Saten, who was in charge of the dustpan—the broom's partner—had no motivation.
"Saten! Come here and collect the trash!"
"Not interested."
"A dustpan is supposed to collect trash! Come here right now!"
"I've never done it, and I don't want to. That's work for commoners, not my job."
"Y-you classist!! That's total discrimination!"
Saten's emotionless actions were all driven by curiosity.
If she wasn't interested, she wouldn't act and felt no need to.
Perhaps that's why, even though Luna diligently gathered the trash, Saten didn't move a single step.
Luna shouted righteously at Saten's behavior.
"Come here right now! We have to clean!"
"I don't want to. Why should I?"
"B-because...! It's work Mister assigned us!"
Flinch—
Saten perked up at the word "Mister" and asked Luna:
"Hmm, if Mister assigned it, must we do anything?"
"Not exactly, but... still, if it's something we can do... shouldn't we do it...?"
"Then, Luna. If Mister told you to die, would you die?"
"Eh...?"
"It's something you can do. Taking your own life is possible, isn't it? That's not impossible, is it? Whether you use a rope or a sword. It would be possible."
"Eh...?"
Isn't that impossible...?
Two people with completely different standards.
The difference in opinion due to their different upbringings showed no signs of narrowing easily.
Saten confirmed Luna's reaction and indifferently turned her gaze to her book.
"Luna, just as you can't take your own life, there are things impossible for me too. You understand, right?"
"...So holding a dustpan is impossible for you?"
"Yes, that's right. I can't do it."
High-ranking nobles must not do commoners' work.
They must always hold their heads high and maintain dignity.
If you don't want to receive 'punishment,' you must never lose your dignity.
"I want to get Mister's 'reward,' but I'll have to give up this time."
"If you don't do it, my reward disappears too! Saten! Let's clean quickly!"
"..."
Saten silently shifted her gaze to her book.
Luna had no choice but to feel frustrated.
"I want to get the reward...! N-not that I really want what Mister gives...! But I want the reward...!!"
How...
How do I persuade Saten...!?
Luna and Saten, who had to clean together as a pair.
Luna, stuck with the wrong partner, felt like her head would split.
"...Luna and Saten don't seem to be making progress yet."
After checking briefly.
Luna was cleaning diligently, but Saten seemed to have no motivation.
Probably Saten's thoughts about social status were interfering with the cleaning.
"Persuasion is also part of the process. If she's the Hero of the Hero Party, she should know how to persuade party members."
If it really doesn't work, then I'll have to step in.
But for now, it's the observation stage.
With that thought, I entered Luna's room.
It was to check the condition of the children's rooms.
Creak—
"At least she's keeping it clean."
There was dust, but there's no such thing as a house without dust.
Luna's room didn't seem to have any problematic areas.
"On the desk are letters to send to her family... and drawings...?"
What kind of drawings did she make?
Drawings that piqued my curiosity.
Luna's artistic talent seemed abysmal, but no matter how poorly drawn, since people's characteristics were depicted, I could recognize them at a glance.
"Drawing me—I don't think I'm this ugly."
More than that.
On the drawing of my face, there were marks as if struck by a wooden sword.
Why would those marks be there?
Remembering Luna's loud training sounds from last night...
I put the drawing of my face into my pocket.
"Drawing my face and hitting it—you've got some nerve, Luna."
This is confiscated.
Since Luna's room had no problems except for the drawing of my face...
I carefully left the room without making a sound.
Hare's room.
Creak—
"The inside is cleaner than I thought."
Does she have a habit of living cleanly after all?
The first time I saw Hare's house, it was just like a garbage dump, so I was momentarily worried...
Fortunately, Hare seemed to be making an effort to live cleanly.
As I explored the interior, I checked if there was anything wrong with Hare's room.
If I didn't look carefully, there didn't seem to be anything particularly strange.
But suddenly, something caught my eye completely.
It was placed on the bed.
It was something that shouldn't be here.
"...Why is this here? One was missing... but why is this...?"
I had planned to keep my entry into the children's rooms a secret.
I wasn't going to reveal the fact that I'd entered at all.
However, the moment I saw my belonging on the bed...
"Why on earth did you steal my underwear, Hare?"
I had no choice but to wonder whether I should ask the person in question about this.