79. Hero Party! Let's Go on a Picnic (8)
After finishing her intense battle with Cerberus, Luna entered the tent to sleep.
There were three tents in total, and Luna decided to pair up with Estia.
Luna lay down in the tent to sleep.
Thump- Thump-
She couldn't fall asleep due to her wildly beating heart.
"I beat a magical beast... It was my first time fighting... and I won..."
Maybe it's because I trained with Mister.
I could see the magical beast's movements at a glance and knew how to move.
As expected, I'm...
"A genius! I must be a genius Hero!"
"Ugh... So noisy, Luna... Let's just sleep..."
"Ah, sorry Estia. I guess I got too excited."
"As long as you know..."
Snore-
Estia was lying down peacefully, sleeping as if she'd forgotten she'd just been chased by a magical beast.
How could she be so carefree and relaxed?
Luna thought Estia's optimistic personality was truly peculiar.
Luna looked at Estia, who had fallen asleep in an instant.
"She's exactly like the cow we raised in the village."
That Estia is the future Saint?
I can't believe it at all!
She just cheered while I was fighting!
"Since it was Mister who said Estia would be a Saint... it's not a lie, but...! Well, she'll probably do well later!"
Luna thought this and turned her back.
She squeezed her eyes shut tightly to fall asleep like Estia.
However, she couldn't easily drift off to dreamland.
Thump- Thump-
*...Is it because I fought? My heart feels broken.*
Her heart was pounding too much from her first battle with a magical beast.
Excitement?
Anticipation?
Those emotions and memories of the fight kept surfacing, and Luna couldn't easily fall asleep.
*...Let me rest outside for a bit. I need to cool my head!*
Rustle-
Luna got up and headed outside the tent.
"Aaaah... Who is it... Who stepped on my hand...!"
"S-sorry! My mistake! Estia!"
Scurry-
After apologizing, Luna rushed out as if fleeing.
She was holding a wooden sword in her hand.
"This is definitely the best way to cool my head!"
One- Two- Three-!
Luna moved far from the tent so her shouts wouldn't be heard.
She began swinging her sword, calmly cooling her head.
While recalling the battle from earlier.
"If I dodge the doggy's attacks like this, it's more efficient... If I swing the sword like this, I can defend at the same time... Mm-hmm, this way is definitely better...!"
Luna reviewed the battle and thought of the optimal methods.
Her training, which was nothing short of obsessive, continued until morning arrived.
And there was someone watching this training scene...
"Luna, just how long are you planning to train...?"
Since Cerberus could appear again without warning.
Lee Jun-woo had to stay alert at all times for the children's safety.
In the end, he too couldn't sleep until Luna finished her training.
Meanwhile.
In the tent where Hare and Saten were together, a cozy conversation was taking place.
"Mister is amazing...! He had so much information about magical beasts...!"
"Of course. Mister said he used to be an adventurer in the past."
"As expected, Mister is amazing...!"
The conversation was mostly filled with talk about Mister.
Since they couldn't particularly sense Lee Jun-woo's presence nearby, the two continued their conversation.
"But, Saten. I heard what Mister said earlier...? It seemed like Mister wants us to be independent..."
"Are you saying that Mister wants to send us away?"
"Right...! It seemed like Mister wants us to leave... He said we need to develop independence...! He said something like that...!"
"Hmm... I see..."
He kidnapped the Hero Party.
And he's training us.
But he wants us to develop independence...
Combining the information, Saten could figure it out.
"Mister plans to send us away the moment we become strong."
The moment the four of us become the Hero Party.
Mister will send us away.
At Saten's sharp deduction, Hare also nodded.
"That sounds right. It seems like Mister's goal is to send us away... Th-then what do we do...? I want to stay with Mister forever..."
"What if we just don't get stronger?"
"Then I won't get praised by Mister...!"
"That's true too. I don't particularly care about praise though."
Saten expressionlessly stroked BlackMeow's fur.
Though she said she didn't care, her movements seemed somewhat anxious.
"Mister never changes his goals. If we get stronger, we have to leave Mister's side. That seems to be decided."
"...I see. Then we'll have to leave Mister later and defeat the Demon King?"
"Yes, since Mister called us the Hero Party. That's very likely."
"..."
I don't want to be separated from Mister.
If I get stronger, Mister will abandon me.
I really hate that...
Thinking about the future where she'd have to part with Mister, Hare's heart ached.
However, knowing it was beyond what she could resolve made it even more painful.
Predetermined farewells were always sad.
*...What should I do...*
Hare had no choice but to worry.
About how to make Mister not drive her away.
Hare closed her eyes with these worries and tried to sleep.
But she couldn't fall asleep easily.
-One-!! Two-!! Three-!!
"There must be a roe deer on the mountain. It's noisy."
"...Right."
Luna's training sounds continuing until morning.
That roe deer-like voice tormented the two until they fell into a deep sleep...
Morning began with the refreshing sound of birds.
"Ah, I slept well! Mountains aren't so bad after all!"
Estia stretched and got up.
With a refreshed expression, Estia rubbed her eyes.
"Luna is... still sleeping. But why is she so warm? Did she exercise? Anyway, if Luna's sleeping..."
Is now the only chance?
In a situation with no surveillance.
Estia quietly opened the tent and checked outside.
No human forms were visible.
"It's my chance! Now's my chance!"
A chance to escape!
Estia put on her shoes and ran outside.
She was trying to run toward the Church where she could extract unlimited Holy Water.
However, the wall of reality was very high.
"...What's that down there? Why does it look so small?"
It's not my imagination.
Why do those trees below look so small?
As much as she'd climbed up.
Going down would be just as difficult.
"L-let's just escape later~ Today's not the day~"
This isn't my path!
Estia's situational judgment was impeccable.
She immediately turned around and returned to the tent.
There was someone already waiting there.
"Estia."
"Ahaha, O-Oppa, good morning~! Wh-what brings you out this early in the morning...?"
"Just now, why did you check below? You weren't thinking of escaping, were you?"
"Hey, what do you take me for! I, I like it here! It's the best! Except for not giving me Holy Water, it's a great place! Ahaha..."
Lee Jun-woo, whose eyes were sunken from lack of sleep.
He looked at Estia with suspicious eyes.
Estia slightly avoided his gaze and showed an awkward smile.
"I really didn't do anything! I, Saint Estia, don't do thief-like things...!"
"..."
"I-it's true!"
"..."
Lee Jun-woo returned to his tent without saying anything.
"I, I barely survived. But so what! What are you going to do if I escape! Geez!"
Once Lee Jun-woo disappeared, Estia started throwing punches at the air, acting out.
Her shadow boxing in the air was quite a sight.
Of course, Estia collapsed from exhaustion after throwing punches for about 10 seconds.
After Lee Jun-woo and Estia's morning encounter.
The children who woke up sequentially ate the breakfast Lee Jun-woo had prepared.
Luna, who gulped down the white broth, shouted in delight.
"This is delicious, Mister! What's it called!?"
"It's broth made from simmering pork bones for a long time."
"Why is the dish name so long!"
"...It's called gukbap."
Gukbap.
A hearty breakfast meal, and the optimal food for Luna who had trained since morning.
Following Luna, Hare scraped her bowl clean and asked curiously.
"Mister."
"What is it, Hare?"
"B-but why is this person eating here so naturally next to us? Isn't she the person who attacked us?"
"Huh?"
"...The misunderstanding has been cleared up, and she's more impressive than she looks. Just accept it and move on."
"One more bowl!"
The fanatical believer Danuel smelled the aroma and couldn't resist, barging into the breakfast scene.
The other children thought, 'What a nuisance!'
But Lee Jun-woo's position as the food provider was different.
*...I can't let such an important resource rot on this mountain.*
Lee Jun-woo gave Danuel another bowl and asked.
"Danuel, don't you feel like teaching someone?"
"...Are you telling me to teach someone else right now?"
"I'll provide meals. I'll also designate a place near the house where you can live. In exchange, properly teach the Saint how to develop Divine Power and about the Goddess Church. I can't teach Estia because I can't use Divine Power."
"So you're telling me to be a teacher, is that it?"
"That's right."
"...Give me one more bowl. I'll think about it after eating. It's been so long since I had a proper meal..."
Gulp-
Danuel, who had survived by picking grass and herbs on the mountain.
She thought to herself that if she was with Lee Jun-woo, a Ruby-rank adventurer, not alone, she might be able to escape the threat of the Grimoire.
She was an adventurer known as a specialist in survival, after all.
*Except for that last slip... her achievements so far have been impressive.*
After finishing another bowl, Danuel answered with satisfaction.
"...After I resolve my business first. I'll come find you later. If you treat me to a delicious meal then too, I'll teach the Saint."
"That's a good idea, Danuel."
Estia's Divine Power lessons were decided with Danuel.
Before that, Lee Jun-woo prioritized resolving the addiction symptoms as much as possible.
After having a hearty breakfast and packing up the tents, the Hero Party group.
Now all that remained for them was to return home.
Saten carefully asked Lee Jun-woo, who had finished preparing to descend.
"By the way, Mister."
"What is it, Saten."
"Are we walking down by any chance?"
"Of course we're walking down."
The reason for giving them hearty gukbap for breakfast.
It also included the reason that they had to descend the mountain.
Still...
"Did you enjoy the picnic, Hare?"
"Yes...! I, I enjoyed it...! I was happy to be with you, Mister...!!"
Since the children seemed to have enjoyed themselves in their own way.
Lee Jun-woo could descend with a satisfied look.
The picnic gave him a feeling similar to nostalgia he hadn't felt in a long time.