Luna's Wish (1)
The Hero Party returned home safely.
The path up had been high and difficult, but the way down was much easier than expected.
*I can see why they say mountain climbing is like life.*
It had been a meaningful and enjoyable time.
If I hadn't come to this world and had continued working at the company,
I might have become the closest confidant of the department head who loved mountain climbing.
"I think it would be fine to go to the mountains again later."
"The mountains again...? You're such a total boomer...!"
Luna muttered with distaste.
She had enjoyed training in the mountains so much, yet she wasn't being honest about it.
Hare looked puzzled at Luna's words and asked.
"But, Luna... what does 'boomer' mean...?"
"Oh, that! It's because his dentures go clack-clack!"
"B-but he doesn't have dentures...?"
"It means he looks that old!"
"Really...?"
Hare turned her gaze toward me and glanced at me.
A look as if checking whether I was old.
Hare turned her gaze back and shouted at Luna.
"N-no...! He's not old...! And even if he gets old, it's okay...!"
"Huh? Hare! Are you saying it's okay even if his hair turns white?"
"I-it's okay...! As long as he's alive, it's okay...!! As long as his heart is beating, it's okay...!!"
...No, wouldn't it be a problem if only my heart was beating?
I don't know why the kids' conversation topic is like this.
I wanted to give Luna a knuckle sandwich on the head, but I decided to hold back.
Instead, I thoroughly messed up her hair.
"Ah, aah! Stop it! You're ruining my hair!"
"Your hair was already ruined coming down the mountain. It's fine."
"Geez, I'm not fine! Stop it! Don't tell me you're getting revenge for me calling you a boomer!?"
"..."
As if.
Would I take revenge with such a petty heart?
No way.
I ignored Luna's words and continued giving her an intense head ruffling.
"S-stop! I was wrong! I won't tease you about being a boomer anymore!"
"It's just a compliment, Luna. Stay still."
"How is this a compliment! You're tormenting me!"
Luna shouted in protest.
Hare was quietly watching the scene.
The one thing I couldn't understand in this situation was...
"...I'm jealous."
The fact that Hare was envious of this scene of torment.
What exactly was she seeing to be jealous?
As someone tormenting Luna's hair, I couldn't understand it at all.
After returning home,
the children unpacked their bags and spent their own leisure time.
*They're playing well on their own.*
Luna was training.
Hare was with her jewels.
Cecilia was reading.
However, Estia...
"Oppa. Give me holy water. Grant my wish!"
As soon as we returned from the mountain, she was demanding holy water.
And very persistently at that.
"...Estia, wait a moment. Don't try to open the bathroom door."
"Give me holy water! Holy water! Give me holy water!"
Bang bang-!
Estia pounded on the bathroom door, protesting for holy water.
*I wish she'd consider the situation and place...*
...That's probably impossible.
If she could overcome withdrawal symptoms, she wouldn't be doing this here and now.
In the end, reducing these withdrawal symptoms that appear at any time and place should be the priority...
*First, I need to finish my business.*
Bang bang-!!
I blocked the door that kept trying to open with my body and did my best to finish my business.
Then, I opened the door and made eye contact with the addict saint Estia.
Her golden eyes looked at me in protest.
"Holy water! You said you'd give me holy water! You said you'd grant my wish! You granted Hare's wish too! Now it's my turn!"
"We decided on an order last time. Next is Luna. You were last, Estia."
"...!!"
Estia stepped back in surprise.
Had she forgotten the order?
Judging by those wide-open eyes, my guess seemed correct.
"Estia. No cutting in line."
"I-it's not cutting in line! Lu-Luna gave me her turn!"
"...Is that really true?"
"N-no! It's a lie!"
...Uselessly honest.
Estia seemed to want to drink holy water.
However, order is order and rules are rules.
*I can't let her drink holy water alone when she needs to take it in front of me.*
Unfortunately, right now,
I couldn't give Estia holy water.
I said to Estia regretfully.
"...After Luna's turn is over. I'll give you holy water then."
"I-I'm ruined... My life is over now..."
Thud-
Estia knelt on the floor in despair.
As if having to wait for holy water was a huge shock, she had vacant eyes.
It was an overly exaggerated performance.
"Even if you show your disappointment with your whole body like that, I won't grant it, Estia."
"Tch, this doesn't work."
Ugh, tsk-
Estia clicked her tongue and left, looking disappointed.
Just like when I first saw her, Estia's acting skills were first-rate.
*That aside, when is Luna planning to train with me?*
Should I ask?
I headed to Luna's room.
When I saw her earlier, she was in her room holding a sword with her eyes closed...
What is she doing now?
Thinking that, I opened Luna's door and asked.
"Luna, when are you planning to use your wish?"
"Kn-knock! You surprised me by opening it suddenly!"
"...I forgot, sorry."
"Th-this is a total invasion of privacy!"
"It's invasion, not 'invation.'"
"Same difference!"
Luna glared at me with dissatisfied eyes.
It seemed she was still sulking about me messing up her hair.
Anyway.
I asked Luna about my business.
"When are you planning to use your wish, Luna?"
"Wish? What wish?"
"I'm talking about the wish you earned from cleaning."
"Oh, right! I forgot about it!"
No different from Estia.
Luna seemed to have forgotten about the wish while training.
*Well, she won't use it today, maybe tomorrow?*
We trained at dawn and came down the mountain.
She won't ask to train today.
As I was thinking that, Luna, who had been pondering, opened her mouth and answered.
"Then, let's do it tomorrow!"
"Good choice, Luna. Today was tiring, so-"
"Tomorrow at midnight! And the ending time is also 12! My wish is to train all day long!"
"...You mean from 0:00 to 24:00, right now? Even after doing dawn training in the mountains like that?"
"Yes!"
Luna shouted confidently.
There wasn't a trace of falsehood in those eyes.
Luna seemed genuinely planning to train for 24 hours.
*Is she crazy...? Does this make sense...?*
A schedule that normally couldn't be digested.
However, I was overlooking one fact.
The fact that the girl holding a wooden sword in front of me was a hero.
That's how much raising a hero is...
"I have a lot more stamina now, so I can train! Train with me!"
Very difficult.
I had been overlooking that.
*I can't tell her to change her wish and look uncool...*
I am tired...
But I have no choice.
I reluctantly nodded.
"...Come out to the yard when it's midnight. I'll train you properly from then."
"Yes! I'm excited! Hehe, just watch! I'll show you how much my skills have improved! I'll show you enough to surprise you!"
I'm excited!
Luna shouted with a smile while pointing her sword at me.
Not a sign of fatigue at all.
Where does that stamina come from...
"Haah-"
Raising children really is difficult.
La la la-
Luna hummed, waiting for training time to come.
Holding the wooden sword she always carried in her hand.
With anticipation in her heart, she looked at the clock.
"Not much time left! Training after so long... and alone all day...!!"
Hehe-
Just thinking about it is exciting!
Luna had always been waiting for training with her uncle.
Recently, since Hare had started training, her own time had decreased, and she wasn't satisfied with that.
So Luna thought now was her chance.
"Explosive growth...! I'm going to get super strong with this opportunity...!!"
Let's go-!
Luna shouted enthusiastically regardless of the early hour.
Thump thump-
Someone protested from upstairs that it was noisy, but Luna had no time to care about that.
Tick-
"Midnight! Time to go to the yard!"
Whoosh-
Finally, the long-awaited training time had arrived.
Luna ran toward the yard like a Golden Retriever at mealtime.
The yard, which should have been dark in the evening, was lit up with magical lighting.
And in the center stood the person Luna had been waiting and waiting for.
"Uncle! It's midnight! Time to start training!"
"...Right, let's start training. Luna."
Lee Jun-woo looked at Luna with sleepy eyes.
He couldn't help but be shocked seeing Luna looking so energetic.
*Did she sleep...? If she has that much stamina without sleeping...*
Later, when her swordsmanship is complete,
just how strong will Luna become?
Jun-woo held such expectations and shouted to Luna.
"...First, before we start training. We need to warm up your body, right?"
"Yes, that's right! We need to warm up!"
"Then let's start by running 20 laps around the yard. Run!"
"Yes sir!"
Luna ran around the yard without complaint.
In the past, she would have said she didn't want to run around the yard.
However, Luna was actually satisfied with the current situation.
*Running around the yard with uncle! It's been so long!*
As the number of children increased, there was less time alone together.
But now.
Luna, training with her uncle after so long...
"Hehe...! Uncle! It's not bad training together after so long, right...?!"
"...It's just tiring."
"Even if you pretend to dislike it, I know! I know you like it!"
She was happy that the time she missed had returned.
And suddenly, she had such a thought.
It would be nice if she could always be this happy.
It would be nice if time didn't pass.
Of course, that was a thought closer to a wish.
At least for now.