Do You Want to Escape...? Shall I Help You...? (2)

“An explanation is in order, Hare.”

I never expected this. To think something like this was happening right under my own roof.

I recalled what had led up to this moment. I had been on my way to Minerva’s Library.

What the hell is this?

She was the one who had summoned me, yet now she was telling me to turn back. Still, Minerva’s tone was too urgent to be a joke. If it really were a prank, she would have slipped into casual speech. When the matter was truly important, Minerva always used formal language.

…So this is serious.

I spun on my heel and selected the first option. The future it revealed showed the exact moment Hare helped Estia escape. But the look on Hare’s face as she stared up at the girl from below was anything but ordinary. In her hand she held a switch that would send electric current racing through the fence.

This is dangerous.

At this rate, the entire hero party could collapse.

Hare’s finger was already moving toward the switch. In that instant—

Exactly as I saw in the future.

Tap—

Back in the present, I held the very switch Hare had been about to press.

I hadn’t bothered checking the second future, but if I had chosen option two without knowing anything… Estia would have died for certain. The hero party’s attempt to defeat the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Demon King would have ended in failure.

A future that could never be allowed to happen.

And Hare had been about to bring it about.

“U-Uncle, th-that’s not—”

She wore an expression of crushing regret. I had to scold her. But first—

I need to stop Estia’s escape.

Even without the current, a fall from that height could kill her.

I locked eyes with Estia, who was perched atop the fence like a monkey.

“D-don’t come! Leave me alone! You kidnapping Oppa! Aren’t you scared of the Goddess—”

“Shut up, Estia.”

“No! Don’t grab me! Eeeek—!!”

She was as loud as a howler monkey. I hoisted the struggling girl over my shoulder and turned toward Hare.

“…Hare.”

“Y-yes… U-Uncle.”

Hare had shrunk into herself, trembling. Her hands were clasped politely in front of her, and tears pattered onto the floor.

I spoke to her with icy detachment.

“While I was gone, you tried to do something rather entertaining.”

“N-no… I didn’t… I wasn’t doing it for ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fun…”

“Don’t make excuses, Hare. First…”

I set Estia down. I needed to speak with Hare alone. The moment the words left my mouth, Hare’s entire body began to shake violently.

It was a pitiful sight, yet I felt no sympathy.

A wrong is a wrong. Success or failure doesn’t matter. The intention itself was rotten.

I had wanted things to proceed peacefully, but at this rate the hero party would never function properly. There was no choice. Hare would have to receive a severe punishment.

“L-let go…! I have to get back to the church—!!”

“That’s enough. Go to sleep for a while, Estia.”

“Eek—”

Thud.

My ears were ringing. After knocking Estia unconscious, I headed straight for Runa’s room. The door was unlocked and the magic ward that sealed it had been dispelled.

…Saten.

There was no way Saten had helped out of pity. It was obvious Hare—the clear mastermind—had manipulated her somehow. I would ask Saten for the details later.

For a more thorough explanation, I could simply ask the girl trailing behind me.

“Hic… U-Uncle… I-I’m sorry… Hic…”

Hare was wiping away tears, barely keeping up. She was crying so hard I worried she might dehydrate.

I carried Estia into Runa’s room. The girl who had been sitting in a chair jumped up, eyes wide.

“Uncle! Estia… what happened? Why is she like this?”

“I knocked her out.”

“Eh? Well, from a kidnapper’s point of view, an escape attempt would be infuriating… I can understand.”

Runa was trying to see the situation from the perspective of her own kidnapper. Even though she was the victim, it was a remarkably heroic attitude.

That aside—

“Runa. Why didn’t you try to escape?”

“M-me?”

“Yes, you. You had the chance. Why didn’t you run?”

This was unexpected. Runa had endured brutal training; she should have been exhausted. She could have fled with Estia if she wanted.

Why didn’t she?

As the one who had kidnapped her, I was genuinely curious.

“W-well, you see…”

Runa scratched her head, then answered with a faint blush.

“M-money… If I escaped, the support for my family would stop. You know our addresses too, so I don’t know what you might do…”

“Do I look like the kind of man who would harm your family?”

“N-no~ That’s not what I meant! A-anyway, it’s definitely not because I like it here! It’s just the money! Money! You understand, right? Don’t misunderstand!”

She fired the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠words like bullets. Strangely, I found her reason satisfying.

Because of money…

More accurately, because of her family. The fact that she hadn’t fled despite having the chance was genuinely praiseworthy. Therefore, while Hare would receive punishment, Runa would receive a reward—right in front of the regretful girl.

“Runa, you did well.”

“…Huh? Why is Uncle praising me…? Is the world ending today?”

I suppose I hadn’t praised her enough before. But now was the right time.

I patted her head.

“You did very well. Even with the chance to escape, you stayed. In recognition of that, I’ll reduce the training intensity starting tomorrow.”

“Ehh?! R-really?! You’re not lying, right?!”

“Of course. Tomorrow we begin sword training. And for your family…”

I would send an additional 500,000 perry.

Runa’s blue eyes sparkled like sapphires. She looked utterly delighted.

“R-really?! Wow—!! What day is it today? Uncle’s changed! Waa—!”

If she had a tail, it would have been wagging furiously. She reminded me of an excited golden retriever.

Hare, by contrast, wore an expression of pure despair.

Joy and sorrow, side by side.

Hare’s actions had been gravely wrong. To correct them, she needed a strong shock.

Attempting to kill someone can never be forgiven.

Especially when the target was Estia, a future comrade.

I stopped patting Runa’s head and turned to leave.

“Explain everything to Estia when she wakes up, Runa.”

“Y-yes! Thank you, Uncle! Or… is that the right thing to say? Anyway, thank you!”

Runa bowed deeply. Then she hesitated.

“Um, before you go… could you come here for a second?”

She beckoned me closer. I leaned in, and she whispered carefully into my ear.

“Please… don’t scold Hare too harshly. She just felt sorry for Estia… Hare is kind, you know…”

“She is kind.”

The girl was kind. But it was a twisted kindness. Since Runa didn’t know Hare had tried to kill Estia, I simply answered, “I understand,” and left the room.

Bang.

The door shut. Silence fell between Hare and me.

I descended the stairs without a word. Hare followed. The moment we reached her room—

She grabbed my ankle.

“U-Uncle… I was wrong… I didn’t mean to… I just wasn’t feeling good—”

“So you tried to kill your friend because you weren’t feeling good?”

“N-no… That child was going to report us… I was trying to protect you, Uncle…!”

“Who is protecting whom? You, protecting me? How amusing, Hare. That is quite presumptuous.”

It was presumptuous. Hare had helped Estia escape, then, while trying to clean up her mess, had genuinely attempted to murder the other girl. Helping a friend escape was good in itself, but the intention behind it was utterly rotten.

She had never acted out of pity.

I looked down at Hare as she lay on the floor clutching my ankle.

“Hic… I’m sorry… I did wrong… Please don’t throw me away… Hic… please…”

The kind girl I had believed in had tried to do something vile behind my back. I decided I had seen enough.

“Stand up, Hare.”

“I’m sorry… Hare is a bad child… Hare is a bad child… I’m sorry…”

“Sigh. Never mind the rest. I’ll ask you only one thing. I won’t ask anything else, and I’ll keep it from the other children. Answer me this.”

Why did you try to help Estia escape?

Hare lifted her head. With raw honesty, she answered.

“…If one person disappears… the attention will come to me…”

“What do you mean?”

“If there are four… the attention goes to the others… but if only I remain… the attention will come only to me… Hic…”

Selfishness. Jealousy. Greed.

It seemed Hare had tried to remove the others with those emotions. The attempt to kill Estia had likely been an impulsive act on top of that.

Still, trying to kill a friend can never be justified.

I pulled Hare to her feet—not to forgive her, but to deliver her punishment.

“Hare. I assume you know what you did wrong.”

“Y-yes, I did wr—”

“Simply saying ‘wrong’ is not enough. You must receive a direct punishment for this action.”

“U-Uncle? Why are you pushing me…?”

I pushed her back, forcing her into the room, then closed the door as if I would never open it again. From inside came her mournful voice.

“U-Uncle…? What is this…?”

“Take some time to reflect in there. I’ll bring meals on schedule.”

“Y-yes…? U-Uncle…? Don’t go… Please don’t leave me… I did wrong… I’m sorry…! Please don’t abandon me…! Uncle, please! Uncle…!!”

I locked the door, ignoring the desperate pounding. Hare needed this kind of intense shock therapy.

She’ll be able to let go of her feelings toward me. And she won’t try to betray her comrades again.

As if agreeing, Minerva sent another message.

There was no need to hesitate.

“The imprisonment will be fourteen days.”

Hare needed time to think. A great deal of it.