After finishing training the next day.
Lunchtime.
After eating breakfast.
I was taking some time to rest alone in my room.
"Finally, some peace and quiet."
Why are those kids so energetic from the morning?
Aren't they tired?
"Or is it because of the age difference...?"
Hah.
I sighed and checked the desk.
Two letters.
Letters that Luna and Saten needed to send to their parents.
"I need to send the letters... and I should probably go shopping too."
With the variable called Luna, our food supplies were being depleted.
Same with the balance in my wallet...
At this rate, I might have to take on requests to earn money.
"I should think about it..."
I put the letters in my pocket and opened the door.
Standing there were two noisy kids who had been waiting for me to come out.
In their hands were papers with writing on them.
-Hand over the holy water, you kidnapper!!
-We want holy water. Give it to us now!!
Luna and Estia.
When they saw me come out of the room, they started shouting like they were protesting.
"Hand over the holy water-!! We want holy water-!!"
"That's right, mister! Give us holy water! You need to give us holy water!"
Luna and Estia were protesting, demanding I give them holy water.
Estia, well, that made sense.
But I wasn't sure why Luna was mixed up in this.
Don't tell me...
*She didn't drink the holy water, did she...?*
To dispel the anxiety rising in my heart, I asked Luna.
"Luna, why do you want holy water?"
"Huh? Me?"
"Yes, you. Luna."
"U-um... it just looked fun...?"
...So she just wasn't thinking.
Looking at how the writing on the papers was different.
It seemed Luna just thought it looked fun and copied Estia.
Still, as long as she hadn't drunk the holy water, it was fine.
I turned my gaze to Estia.
"Hand it over! Give me the holy water right now!"
"Estia."
"Keep your promise, kidnapper! Keep your promise right now!"
Keep your promise! Keep your promise!
Estia's appearance made me wonder if she'd been in a civic organization rather than the Church.
To Estia, who was waving her paper in protest, I answered simply.
"Alright, I'll grant your wish, so stop protesting now."
"Good thinking, oppa! I won't have to move to violent protest!"
"...I see, how fortunate."
Negotiation complete.
I was a bit curious about what Estia's violent protest would look like.
But since Estia stopped protesting at the mention of giving her holy water.
I started walking toward where I needed to go.
Estia, puzzled by my action, asked.
"But oppa! You said you'd give me holy water, where are you going!? That's the front door!"
"Estia, I have things to do. I'll give you the holy water in the evening."
"Th-this is a scam! Don't scam me!"
If I gave Estia holy water now.
She'd probably waste the entire day.
That would be too much of a waste of time, so I promised Estia I'd give it to her in the evening and went outside.
And Estia...
"You scammer! Give me the holy water right now! Give me holy water-!!"
Kept wailing behind me.
That voice continued to reach me even after I went outside.
It felt like my ears would burst.
"Holy water! Give me holy water! Give me holy water!"
"You're loud, Estia. Be quiet when we're outside."
"I'll keep saying it until you give it to me! Holy water! Give it!"
How noisy.
"Just be quiet for a bit."
"You liar-"
Thwack-
I used magic to reduce Estia's voice.
Estia, wearing her hood, seemed to be saying something beside me, but I couldn't hear her voice.
It was better to be quiet outside, so it seemed best to leave her like this until she ran out of energy.
*To think I'd end up going outside with Estia... this wasn't today's plan...*
I didn't expect things to turn out this way.
The schedule wasn't ruined, but it would be delayed a bit.
*First, I need to go to... the post office, I suppose.*
Since I needed to send letters.
To the post office first.
Since it was dangerous to take Estia around outside.
I walked quickly toward the post office.
Of course, I had to help Estia, who had almost no stamina.
"Wait here for a moment. If you try to run away, I won't give you the holy water."
"...!!"
Nod nod-
Estia nodded, indicating she absolutely wouldn't run away.
Was this the power of holy water?
The current Estia looked like she wouldn't run away even if I told her to.
*This alley isn't quite right for bringing Estia in...*
A slum teeming with beggars.
In that place where people with haggard expressions sat.
I looked for the face of someone who seemed like they'd do anything for money.
In other words, I was looking for someone with the strongest survival instinct.
*That guy should do.*
The one begging most obsequiously.
I spoke to the guy who had his head on the ground with both hands raised.
"You there."
"Y-yes... i-if you could spare even a single coin... I-I would be grateful..."
"Take these letters to the post office. If you do that, I'll give you quite a bit of money."
"...I-I'll do it right away!!"
The beggar didn't take long.
Was he afraid I'd disappear?
He sent the letters in very quick time and came back with a new letter that had arrived under my other name.
*One is from Saten's family... and the other one is...*
I gave the beggar money, put the letters in my pocket, and immediately headed to Estia.
Estia was waiting motionlessly like a loyal dog guarding the house.
"I'm done, so let's go somewhere else. Follow me."
"..."
Why isn't she answering?
Oh, right.
I put a spell on her.
I snapped my fingers and released the voice blocking.
"Stupid oppa! Stu~pid! You can't hear me anyway, right!? Hehe, idiot! Just wait, you'll definitely pay later for ignoring this Saint Estia-"
"...I can hear you, Estia."
"Hieek...!! I-I'm sorry! I didn't say anything!"
Should I say it was fortunate?
At least she wasn't repeating "holy water" like a parrot like before.
Still.
The fact that she was badmouthing me was a bit of a problem.
"Estia."
"N-no...! That's not it...! I must have been possessed by a demon for a moment...! The devil said it...!"
"If you badmouth me in front of me again next time..."
I won't give you holy water ever again.
At those words, Estia nodded her head vigorously, saying she absolutely wouldn't do it.
*Really...*
She was always good at answering, at least.
After that.
I was walking through the streets with Estia.
"Oppa, what's this place?"
"It's a market where you buy ingredients or finished food."
"Really!? I've been to markets before! But this is my first time looking around! I was always doing missionary work!"
Estia looked around with interested eyes.
Since she'd always been confined to the Church, and when she went out it was only for events.
It seemed she found sightseeing outside quite fun.
"Oppa! What's that!?"
"It's a snack made by coating fruit with sugar."
"I love snacks! Buy me that! Buy it!"
Estia pointed at the fruit candy.
What was called tanghulu in the place I came from.
Even Estia, a holy water addict, seemed to go crazy for sweet things.
Estia shouted to the shop owner.
"Hey, bald mister! Give me this!"
"...Estia, the candy mister isn't bald."
"What are you talking about! His head is that empty! Oppa, don't lie!"
"..."
The candy mister's expression rotted in real time.
Though he was selling sweet food, his face looked like he'd eaten something bitter.
And so the candy mister handed over the sweet candy with a sour face.
"Hehe, your daughter is spirited. He, hehe..."
"Thanks! Bald mister! But I'm not his daughter!"
"...Right. Enjoy it."
Estia took the candy and ate it happily.
More than that, daughter.
Do we look like father and daughter from a distance?
Hmm...
I glanced at Estia eating her candy deliciously.
"Hehe, this is good! Not as good as holy water, but...! Not bad!"
Estia said that while looking around and sightseeing.
She seemed to find seeing new things fun, and her eyes were full of curiosity.
Should I say she was like a child who came up to Seoul from the countryside?
*Maybe I should take Estia out often for the experience.*
Estia, who didn't know much about the world because she'd been confined for so long.
Her obsession with one thing like holy water might improve if I showed her the world.
Maybe I could reduce her obsession from 100 to 50.
As I was thinking of such solutions alone.
Estia, with the candy in her mouth, grabbed my sleeve and asked.
Her eyes seemed a bit serious.
"Oppa."
"What is it?"
"When other people see us, do we look like a dad and daughter? Do dads and daughters act like this?"
"...That differs from family to family. What one family does, another family might not... Even if they look similar on the outside, they're different when you look inside."
Isn't that true when looking at us?
To other people's eyes, we look like a normal dad and daughter.
But if you look inside, we're a kidnapper and a saint.
In the end, what's important is...
"What's important is how those two people think of each other, rather than how they appear on the outside."
"Really? Then how do you think of me, oppa!?"
Estia looked at me with expectant golden eyes.
I didn't know what kind of answer she was expecting, but.
*It's better to be honest than to lie.*
A saint who requires a lot of attention.
A saint who feels similar to a younger sister.
A saint who's pitiful in some ways.
I answered honestly.
"I think of you as a saint."
"Mm, I see. A saint."
Was that not the answer she was expecting?
Estia looked dejected for a moment.
But only for a moment.
She perked up again and shouted.
"I think the same! Oppa is a kidnapper! I think of you as a bad kidnapper!"
"Alright. I'm fine with that, so think that way."
"Hmph, annoying!"
Estia turned her head as if sulking.
I didn't know what answer she was expecting...
But that wasn't what was important right now.
*Six people, is it...*
They're openly sending their gazes toward me.
Six pairs of eyes watching me from hiding in the surrounding buildings.
Those gazes were definitely not friendly.
If I went home like this, there was a very high chance the Hero Party's hiding location would be discovered.
So I had to make a choice.
[It's been a while! You've got a tail, Jun-woo! In that case... it would be better to shake them off, right? Choose!]
[1. Head to an alley with the tail following.]
[2. Head home with the tail following.]
The correct answer I could choose without looking at the answer key.
My choice was obviously.
*I'll deal with the tail in the alley.*
Number 1.