91. Hero Party's Special Training! (4)
Luna's hellish training continued late into the night.
She accidentally slipped and fell from the thorns.
She nearly got hurt from losing concentration.
Because she kept making such mistakes, she couldn't complete the full hour.
Luna was able to sleep later than the other children.
"Ugh, uhhh... My concentration is dead..."
"Still, you passed day one."
"Whaat...? There's more training...?"
"Hell training is a total of five days. You still have four more days left, so go inside and rest comfortably today."
"Nooo..."
Wriggle- Wriggle-
Luna crawled like a caterpillar with a regretful response.
*If she does that, the house will get dirty with soil.*
Can't be helped.
I tucked Luna under my arm.
Luna, drooping like a caterpillar, made strange incomprehensible sounds.
"Thanksh youuu..."
"...You don't have to talk if it's hard."
"Nuhh..."
Luna's limp response.
After that, Luna didn't open her mouth.
During the walk to the living room, only faint breathing reached my ears.
Luna seemed to have fallen asleep from the harsh training.
"See, this is why I told you not to do hell training..."
Still.
The concentration Luna showed at the end was admirable.
Though her body trembled while standing on the thorns for an hour.
Luna stayed silent and firmly held her position.
*She's not a Hero for nothing.*
Her gaze was always forward.
Perhaps because I too was standing on the thorns in front of Luna.
There was no sign of giving up in Luna's eyes as she concentrated on the thorns.
Arriving at the living room while carrying the unconscious Luna.
Blankets were laid out there for the children to sleep.
"Ah, Mister...!"
Patter patter patter-
Hare hadn't fallen asleep yet, as she got up from the floor and ran toward me.
Hare spoke with an awkward smile.
"Is the training over now...? Why, why is Luna at your waist...?"
"..."
Hare stared intently at Luna.
I answered Hare playfully.
"Luna departed this world while doing hell training."
"Oh, oh no...!"
"Here, take her. Luna's corpse."
"Uhhh..."
These days even corpses talk.
I handed Luna over to Hare.
It was to ask Hare to do something I couldn't.
"Hare. I'd like you to change Luna's clothes."
"I, I should change Luna's clothes..."
"Yes, I can't do it so I'm asking you. Sorry for disturbing your sleep."
"...N-no! It's nothing for you to be sorry about, Mister...!!"
Swish swish-
Hare waved both hands back and forth.
Each time she did, the limp Luna made "uh, uhh..." sounds.
But Hare didn't particularly care.
"Come on, Luna... Let's change your clothes and come back here... I'll help you...!"
"Uhhh..."
Did she become a zombie?
Why does she sound like that?
It's like a dead battery robot making crackling sounds.
Anyway.
I left Luna with Hare and tried to return to my room.
But at that moment.
Hare called out to me as I was walking away.
"Um, um...! Mister...!"
"What is it, Hare?"
"Af-after I move Luna to the living room... I have something to talk about... Can I come to your room...?"
"Something to talk about?"
"Yes..."
What does she have to talk to me about?
Anxious emotions were rising in Hare's eyes as she said she had something to discuss.
However, since I didn't know the reason for those emotions.
I nodded toward Hare.
"...Lay Luna down without waking Estia. I'll be waiting."
"Y-yes...! And Estia doesn't wake up easily no matter what...! It's okay...!"
...Well.
That's true.
Once Estia falls asleep, she doesn't wake up easily.
Hearing Hare's words, I turned around and walked back toward my room.
*...What does Hare want to say?*
On the way back, I wondered why Hare had stopped me.
I was curious about that.
Heave- Heave-
Hare moved the exhausted Luna to the room.
It was to change her clothes, but since Luna was heavier than expected, sweat was flowing down Hare's cheeks.
"Lu, Luna. What did you eat to be this heavy...! I almost died from the effort...!"
"Uhh... I'm not a pig..."
"Be quiet...! Just stay still and take off your clothes...!"
Luna, heavier than other children due to more muscle.
Though she complained about the injustice in her sleep, it didn't work on Hare.
Hare silently stripped off Luna's training clothes and changed her into comfortable pajamas for sleeping.
It was an action she would never have done if it weren't for Mister's request.
"You should know you're lucky, Luna...! If Mister hadn't asked...! You'd just be naked...!"
"Uhhh..."
"I won't be happy even if you thank me...!"
Hare, interpreting Luna's zombie sounds.
Before moving Luna to the living room, Hare stared intently at Luna in her pajamas.
Many emotions were tangled in Hare's red eyes as she looked at her.
"We're still friends... We're still friends..."
I don't know about comrades, but we're definitely friends.
But after hearing what Saten said, it's a bit annoying.
Originally she wasn't that interested in Mister.
But lately she seems too interested.
"Your expression is different when training alone... and when training with Mister... Today too..."
Even though it's hard training.
Her gaze was always on Mister.
I became suspicious after Saten's words.
And today.
After seeing Luna's behavior, I was certain.
"...My feelings have changed, Luna. It's different from the beginning."
Hare didn't want to share Mister with anyone.
Perhaps that's why.
She quietly stared at Luna, now defenseless and asleep.
If Hare put her mind to it, she could act on it.
However.
"...But that wouldn't be right... Because Mister said so..."
Hare didn't act on it.
She had realized things during her period of self-restraint, and Hare herself.
Was feeling Luna's value as well.
Hare hoisted Luna up and headed to the living room for the group sleep.
"...Heavy. You're a pig, Luna."
"Uhh..."
"Get strong as much as you're heavy, Luna... The Demon King is coming soon... This time we're doing it... "
Like last time.
So that Mister doesn't get hurt while we just stand by.
We're doing it.
"...For Mister's sake."
"Uhh..."
Hare conversed with Luna making zombie sounds.
Though Hare felt annoyed that Luna was invading her territory.
She decided not to say anything for now.
The two had the same goal.
"Let's do our best...! Defeat the Demon King...! And protect Mister...!!"
While moving the heavy Luna.
Hare resolved her determination to work hard.
And after laying Luna down in the living room.
Hare went to find Mister.
And what she wanted to say was...
"M-Mister."
"What is it, Hare."
"I, I'll get stronger...! Thank you, Mister...!"
"...Suddenly?"
"Hehe..."
Just.
She had wanted to see Mister under the excuse of having something to say.
Since Mister had been busy lately, there was little time to face him alone.
Hare just wanted to recharge her heart's battery.
The office of the Cecilia family.
An atmosphere hung there where even coughing might get one's throat cut.
"Damn it..."
BANG-!!
Head of Family Lennon slammed down on the desk.
He burned the letter in anger.
A letter that arrived from Dungeon City Henencia.
The letter contained Saten's handwriting saying she had been sold to a brothel.
Lennon shouted at the knight before him with a trembling voice.
"You there..."
"Y-yes...!!"
"Right now... Can you understand what letter I just read... How I feel...?"
"How, how could I fathom the Head of Family's feelings..."
"..."
Currently.
Lennon, who had always been rational, was seething.
The contents of the letter that arrived for Saten crossed the line.
It seemed almost written to make him lose his reason.
"...The kidnapper's words about selling Saten to a brothel. That was a lie."
"What...!? Then, then the personnel we deployed to the brothels..."
"All wasted effort. Our refusal of the Emperor's escort too. All of it. They just screwed us over."
"But, but..."
Saten said the kidnapper's words were lies.
Judging by the letter's location, she's clearly in the Dungeon City, not the capital.
However, Lennon with dark circles under his eyes couldn't make a hasty decision.
"...We can't send troops this time. If they deceive us again this time. We'll be absent from the Emperor's escort. In other words, our knight order's rank will drop."
"But if we can't find Miss Saten, our knight order's future—"
"Shut up. Don't use the title 'Miss.'"
"I, I'm sorry...!!"
Thud-
The knight fell to his knees in anger.
As he pressed his head to the ground praying not to die.
A good idea came to his mind.
"...Head of Family."
"Speak. If it's useless, I'll kill you."
"...I have a good idea."
A good idea?
Lennon spoke with skepticism.
"Let's hear it."
"...If we can't go to Henencia. What if we commission it? To find the black mage Saten."
"To whom."
"...To those guys who aren't trustworthy but have good skills. Probably, if it's them, they'll definitely find her."
Grimoire.
Head of Family Lennon acknowledged their skills too.
However, they couldn't be trusted, and it would be dangerous if the Emperor found out about any connection with them.
So he hadn't moved rashly.
But now.
Time was running short, so Lennon took the risk and said.
"...Commission them. Those Grimoire bastards. Tell them to find Saten in Henencia."
"How should we deal with the kidnapper?"
"Obviously."
Kill them.
Not a clean death, but a painful, miserable death.
They're the ones who tormented our family.
At Lennon's words shouted with sincerity.
The knight with a black book hidden in his chest bowed his head and said.
"...Understood, Head of Family."