The Hero Runa's Awakening (9)
I wondered how to explain my relationship with Runa to her father.
Was I the Goddess's Apostle and the Hero? A kidnapper and his victim? Some random uncle and a young girl? There were many ways to describe it, but none seemed appropriate to say to Runa's father.
The least terrible option would probably be…
This one, I supposed. I placed both hands on Runa's shoulders as she nestled against my chest, then offered a gentle, benevolent smile. My tone was perfectly respectable.
“I am Runa’s teacher.”
“...Her teacher?”
“Yes. I teach her how to live as an adventurer. That’s also why she’s able to send money home.”
“Hmm, her teacher, you say… Runa, is what this man says true?”
“Uh, um? Ah, you mean if Uncle is my teacher?”
“That’s right. Answer him yourself.”
“Ehhh…”
You’d better explain this well, Runa.
I patted her shoulder lightly. In this situation, Runa herself knew better than anyone who would suffer if the truth came out.
In a voice only she could hear, I whispered into her ear.
“...Tell them I’m your teacher. It will be better for you that way.”
Runa flinched and looked back at me. She seemed slightly frightened. Then she began whispering back, her voice quiet. Perhaps because her family was watching, her attitude was surprisingly bold.
“It’s true that Uncle saved our family…! And I’m grateful…! But there’s no reason for me to call you my teacher…!”
If that was how she wanted to play it, I had no choice.
I would have to push harder.
“Then tell them the truth. That I’m a kidnapper.”
“Eh…?”
“And remember that I’m standing inside your house right now.”
It was fine if she called me a kidnapper. I could always kidnap her again. I knew where her house was. I knew where she lived. I knew what kind of people her family were.
In this situation, who would truly suffer if she told the truth?
“Choose carefully.”
“Ugh, ughhh…!”
Runa began to tremble.
“Th-this is blackmail…!”
“No. It’s pressure. The choice is still yours.”
“There’s only one real choice! You’re so sneaky…!!”
“Think whatever you like.”
“Ughhh…!!”
Runa ground her teeth in frustration. I pressed down more firmly on her shoulder, slowly increasing the pressure.
Our whispered conversation must have looked strange, because Runa’s father asked,
“...What exactly are the two of you talking about over there?”
“We were just having a simple discussion. Isn’t that right, Runa?”
You’d better choose wisely.
Runa might long for her family’s embrace, but staying here would put the world in danger—and her family in even greater danger. A comfortable life was not something permitted to a hero. She had to learn the sword and grow stronger. She must not witness her family’s deaths like in the future I had seen.
Even without me, the hero had to defeat the Demon King.
“U-Uncle is…”
It seemed Runa had finished weighing her options. She lowered her head in resignation.
“H-he’s my t-teacher! We were t-talking about something important… Uncle really is my teacher…!”
A wise choice, Runa. As expected, she was a good girl who understood when spoken to clearly.
At her acknowledgment of me as her teacher, her father’s tense demeanor softened considerably. That was a relief.
Her mother continued where her father had left off.
“I’m glad to hear he really is your teacher. But Runa, why didn’t you join the knight order? We were so shocked when we heard you weren’t with the Sylvester Knights.”
“Th-there were circumstances…”
“You should have at least told the order before going to train with your teacher. When they said you might have been kidnapped, I thought my heart would stop. Oh, that’s right. Thank you so much for saving us, Guardian— I mean, Runa’s teacher.”
Her mother bowed deeply toward me.
I felt a slight pang of conscience at receiving such gratitude from the mother of the girl I had kidnapped.
So that’s why the letter asking where she was had arrived…
The knight order must have investigated Runa’s sudden disappearance. Of course they would. Without that, there would have been no reason to send such a letter from home. The pursuit of an entire knight order was not something one could take lightly. A single knight might be manageable, but an organized group would be difficult even for me.
Now that Runa’s worries have been eased and her family should be safe…
It was time to return to the train station. While it must have been nice for Runa to see her family after so long, we couldn’t afford to waste any more time. There was no telling what kind of trouble those three might cause at the station. We had to leave quickly.
And… there was one very important reason we needed to get away from this place as soon as possible.
Someone saw people fighting outside. A report has been made and the knight order is on the way! What will Lee Junwoo choose?
1. Annihilate the knight order.
2. Escape to the train station immediately.
It would be best to leave before the knight order arrived. With no chance to use the Answer Sheet, there was only one choice I could make.
“Runa.”
“Yes?”
“Come along. It’s time to go.”
“But we’ve only been here for less than ten minutes?”
Before the knight order reached me, I would run.
Once they caught my tail, they would never let go. So I simply wouldn’t let them catch it at all.
And so, right in front of Runa’s parents, I decided to kidnap her once again.
A kidnapping she had not permitted.
***
“Please travel safely, Runa’s teacher!”
I had told them there was no need to see us off, but the entire family had come out anyway. Runa’s parents and her six younger brothers stood at the front gate to bid us farewell.
The corpses had all turned to dust and vanished, so there was no particular problem, but from my perspective it was incredibly awkward.
“Sister! Are you leaving already?!”
“Yeah… I wanted to play with you all a little longer, but that mean old uncle is dragging me away… You mustn’t grow up to be like him, okay?”
“...Runa. I can hear you.”
“Ah—!”
What do you mean, ‘ah’? It looked like I would have to give this constantly rebellious girl some intense training soon.
Runa gave her brothers a farewell, her expression full of pity. Did she really hate being apart from her family that much? Or did she simply hate being with me? Probably both, I thought, as I took her hand and turned away.
It was time to say goodbye.
“Then we’ll be going. Those men may come again, so I recommend you move. Well then…”
“Ahem… W-wait just a moment…! Please, come here for a second…!!”
“...?”
Runa’s father? Why was he suddenly calling me?
Curious about what he might say, I approached. He glanced at Runa, then began speaking to me.
“First of all, I’m sorry our daughter is so oblivious and stubborn. It must be difficult for you as her teacher.”
“Not at all. She’s actually quite a good child.”
“...Thank you for thinking so. And once again, we are deeply grateful that you saved our family…!”
And then, what I wanted to say is—!
Thud.
What… what is he doing…?
Runa’s father did something completely unexpected. He dropped to his knees before me and began speaking with profound gratitude.
“Our daughter may have many shortcomings…!! But please, take good care of her…!! I beg you…!! Guardian deity of the village…!!”
“Father knelt! Let’s do it too!”
“Whoa—!!”
Thud.
The six brothers beside him also dropped to their knees and began pleading with me desperately.
What the hell is this situation…?
Her entire family, kneeling before me and entrusting Runa to my care. It was incredibly burdensome. Runa’s family clearly carried a gene for making people uncomfortable.
And when Runa heard their voices, she seemed to have roughly figured out who I was.
“Uncle is… the guardian deity…? The black-haired guardian deity…? The one who single-handedly wiped out a horde of demonic beasts… is Uncle?! N-no way…! There’s no way the guardian deity of our village is a kidnapper! It’s a lie!”
“...”
Runa’s family kneeling before me. Runa clutching my hand while denying reality.
How was I supposed to sort out this mess?
…Sort it out? There’s nothing to sort out.
I should just run.
I hated burdensome situations. I hated being the center of attention even more.
I took the babbling Runa’s hand and walked toward the train station, leaving her family behind.
“Thank you…!! Guardian deity…!!”
“Runa! You must listen well to the guardian deity…!!”
“...”
I pretended not to hear their desperate voices calling from behind. The title of village guardian deity was just as burdensome now as it had been in the past. It was so uncomfortable that I wanted to cover my ears.
***
Step. Step.
Runa kept stealing glances at me as we walked toward the train station, looking at the uncle she was seeing in a new light like a girl who had fallen in love for the first time. Since we were holding hands, passersby might have thought we were father and daughter.
To think Uncle was the guardian deity of our village…
It was unbelievable! But judging by his skill, it seemed plausible! That red-haired man had made such a terrifying face at me… He looked incredibly strong.
Since he was that strong, I guess that’s why Uncle died back then…
A sharp pain stabbed her chest.
The uncle who had told her to run, with a hole punched through his heart. The uncle who had gently stroked her head with his warm hand at the very end. Runa could not forget that heartbreaking scene.
Back then, Uncle had looked so cool…
“...But the current Uncle is completely cowardly and sneaky!”
“If you’re going to insult me, do it in your head, Runa.”
“No! I refuse to negotiate with a blackmailing uncle!”
To think he had blackmailed her in front of her family…! She was grateful he had saved them, but…!
Runa could not like every part of Uncle. There were good points, but the bad ones stood out more. Anyway, a natural question arose in her mind.
But last time he died. So how did he win this time?
It was strange. Wasn’t losing supposed to be the natural outcome?
To resolve her question, Runa looked up at him and asked,
“Uncle! You lost last time, so how did you win this time?!”
“Because I knew my opponent well, and he didn’t know me.”
“Huh?”
“It means I remember the situation in which I died.”
It would be more accurate to say I had read the record rather than remembered it. But when Runa heard his voice, she froze for a moment.
So this isn’t an ability only I can have?
Mom, Dad, my brothers, Hare, Saten, Estia. None of them remembered anything… So why did Uncle remember?
Is Uncle special?
Was Uncle a special existence to her?
Was that why, even though it had been so painful, even though she never wanted to see those horrible memories again, she was sharing her wounds with him?
“Uncle, you’re full of mysteries. You’re a complete question mark!”
“What does that mean?”
“I thought I was the only one who remembered! But you remember too! And when I’m with you, I don’t even hear the Holy Sword’s voice! And it turns out you’re the guardian deity of our village! Just what—!”
What exactly are you?!
…My identity.
Runa’s question about my identity. Why the Holy Sword’s voice could not be heard when she was by my side. That question had not yet been resolved. But Lee Junwoo answered her as if it were obvious.
“My identity is simply that I am your teacher.”
“...That’s not what I was asking! I absolutely, positively do not acknowledge you as my teacher! No, I can’t!”
Even so…
“Thank you for understanding the painful memories I went through… Thank you for saving my family…”
“...”
Runa, who had been fuming just moments ago, suddenly became too embarrassed by her own words of gratitude to lift her head. Why wasn’t Uncle saying anything? Was he… moved…?
When no answer came no matter how long she waited, Runa carefully raised her head.
A glance.
Uncle was walking far ahead in silence, alone.
“H-hey! I said thank you and you just leave?! W-wait…! Uncle, don’t go so far ahead…!! I can hear your voice, you know…!! Aaaagh—!!”
The honest-but-not-quite Runa hurriedly chased after him.
The fact that he alone remembered what no one else could. The fact that he alone understood the pain she carried alone.
Without realizing it, Runa felt a sense of relief. Sharing a wound that only she had known was more than enough to create a sense of kinship.