The Hero’s Party Members Treat Me Well for Some Reason - Chapter 72



Imperial Expedition (6)

Belita of the Red Hand.

Unlike her ominous name and the peculiarity of her abilities, her power was simple.

She could manipulate that single red hand with ease.

The problem was that the strength of that hand was immense. To the extent that it could easily win a tug-of-war against dozens of adult men.

In the future, she wielded a very heavy greatsword with that hand. On top of that, she honed her skills with various weapons like swords, spears, and shields.

Because of this, she was also known as the Weapon Master Belita.

She was also called Belita of Great Strength. The fact that she had many nicknames in this game meant she was a strong and famous NPC.

‘I didn’t expect to run into her here.’

Now that I thought about it, I vaguely remembered her background. She had definitely been captured as a slave by some noble before joining the rebels. It seemed that this was where it had happened.

‘What should I do…’

Thanks to that, I fell into a moment of contemplation. Setting aside the fact that she was an important asset, her interference would make it difficult to rescue the kids.

Thus, I had no choice but to take somewhat extreme measures.

‘Let’s knock her out.’

If that red hand went on a rampage and touched the kids, it would be a disaster. Having made my decision, I quickly moved and struck her neck with the edge of my hand.

“Ugh…!”

A cough escaped Belita’s lips, and she lost consciousness. The nearby children flinched at the sight.

In the meantime, Adele looked at me with disdain…

“You have no mercy even against children.”

“What are you talking about? Should I just let her rampage?”

The first person to manifest their abilities is likely to cause trouble. They lack the capacity to control their own powers.

Anyway, the next part was a bit easier.

Since there were only kids, capturing them was only slightly more difficult than twisting a child’s wrist.

After about five minutes, I was able to rescue all the kids.

“Ugh…!”

“Ugh, ugh…!!!”

The resistance was so fierce that I had to bind their mouths and bodies, and there were a few who, terrified, occasionally wet themselves… But in any case, we made it through safely. Anyway.

“Ha… Finally, it’s all over.”

“…….. Is this really a rescue?”

“By the way, what should we do now?”

Having finished my tasks, I fell into a moment of contemplation.

Capturing the lord and releasing the children didn’t solve everything. Now, the tedious aftermath remained.

Though he was a tyrant, this territory had lost its lord, and the children had lost their place to sleep.

Originally, I had planned to send the children to an orphanage or back to their parents’ homes, but the plan had become somewhat tangled.

‘It would be a shame to leave it like this.’

After all, there was potential among them. Belita seemed to have a fondness for these children. Thus, it wouldn’t be easy to decide their fate on my own.

Moreover, she was destined to grow into a leader of the future rebels. It was true that the rotten empire needed to be excised, but that didn’t mean it should be completely dismantled.

That would only lead to the unsealing of the Demon King.

Thanks to this, I found myself in a dilemma. What should I do… a way to protect her while raising her properly…

‘Ah!’

In the midst of such thoughts, one idea popped into my head. Yes, she was there.

*

Having set my plan, I began to manage the situation as I had decided. First, I entrusted the lord’s head to the saint and the sorceress.

By now, they would have taken to the city square, holding the lord’s head and starting a lengthy speech about how he had been brainwashed.

The image of the saint holding the head was somewhat unbalanced, but… in any case, this would allow me to avoid the First Prince’s gaze for a while.

Next was the management of the territory. I handed that over to the butler, Evil.

“Me? You mean me?”

“That’s right. You’ve been by the lord’s side, so you must have seen to some extent how the territory’s finances work, right? He was living in luxury anyway, so you should do better than him.”

Adel stepped forward for this negotiation. It was clear that if I took the lead, things would get complicated.

“I… I’m not sure. I don’t know if I can do it well.”

“Why is that?”

“I was just a bystander while the children suffered. Can someone like me really accomplish something so significant…?”

It seemed that the guilt of having merely watched the children was weighing heavily on her. Though she might think it was unavoidable from the butler’s position, she could still feel like a failure as a person.

However, from my perspective, with that level of humanity in this world, she was practically a beacon of light.

“Then doesn’t that mean you should work even harder?”

“Excuse me?”

“If you feel guilt, then manage the city well. Make it a place where people can live comfortably, so they no longer sell their children.”

It was fortunate that Viklon had no family. Thanks to that, I could easily delegate tasks to the butler.

Of course, since the butler wasn’t a noble, he might step down from his position someday… but for now, he would take responsibility for the work.

Having handled the city’s finances, I quickly secured a house. It was a bit on the outskirts, but it had a yard and many rooms, like an inn. Above all, the price was cheap.

The reason for finding a house was, of course, to raise the children.

Now that I think about it, I suddenly recalled what the kids had said while escaping.

‘Come to think of it, they called me an educator…’

Of course, judging by the children’s reactions and the environment, ‘educator’ clearly doesn’t carry a positive connotation.

But what does that matter? If the kids want it, I should gladly provide it.

I intend to educate them thoroughly.

Bang!

With that, I ushered the children into the house.

As they were transferred from the dank, damp prison to a warm, soft room, I could see their anxiety.

Indeed, they fear the unfamiliar.

“Hello, children. As you said, I am your educator.”

“Ugh!”

“He, heek!”

“From today, you will undergo my rigorous education. I plan to completely transform your minds. So please, do your best to keep up.”

“Ugh, no, please spare me…”

“I won’t whine again, I promise…”

The terrified children gradually began to show tears.

Thus, the first day in the new house began.

*

Day One.

“I dislike filth. The person I will entrust you to dislikes it even more. So, if you don’t want to see anything unpleasant, keep yourselves clean at all times.”

Filth is a breeding ground for disease.

As soon as Luke brought the children in, he immediately shoved them into the bathtub. The kids trembled in fear, but soon began to enjoy the warm water after a long time.

I considered giving a ‘punishment’ by washing those who couldn’t clean themselves, but fortunately, the children helped each other, so that disaster was averted.

Once the kids finished showering, Luke immediately began tearing apart the clothes they had been wearing.

Rip! Szzzz!

“What are these ragged clothes? You’ve been living in such rags. Did you think it would be acceptable to walk around in this house dressed like that?”

The little ones trembled in fear.

Regardless, Luke dressed the children in new clothes.

They were plain, unremarkable commoner’s attire.

It’s not too expensive, nor is it flashy, but it will be hundreds of times better than the clothes from before.

“…Huh?”

“Why is this…?”

The children, now a bit more refreshed, tilted their heads in confusion.

“If you’re going to live in this house from now on, you’ll need to wash up and take care of yourselves every day. The person who will be looking after you likes cleanliness, you see.”

At his firm words, the children nodded in a daze.

Seeing this, Luke smiled contentedly and added one more thing.

“Let’s go. It’s about time for dinner.”

If they ate something too stimulating on the first day, it could lead to trouble in the middle of the night. That evening, he replaced their meal with a light oatmeal porridge and bread.

The second day.

“Those little rascals…!!”

As soon as he woke up, Luke couldn’t contain his anger at the sight before him.

The little ones were eating their breakfast off the floor!

Perhaps the remnants of their days as slaves lingered, as they had placed their bowls on the ground and were scooping rice with their hands.

Of course, from the children’s perspective, they were trying not to offend their new master (?), but that was the worst possible choice.

As soon as he spotted them, Luke kicked the bowl they were eating from!

Clang!

“Who told you to eat off the floor! What do you take me for, a beggar?!”

“Eek!”

“I’m sorry! I thought it would be okay… I won’t use bowls from now on!”

“You little brats…! Tsk, this won’t do. You need proper education!”

With that, Luke arranged the food on the table.

A variety of dishes were lined up neatly on the plates.

Compared to the meals of nobles, it was meager, but to the children, it was a feast.

“Now, look! This is how you eat! At the dining table!!”

The children stared at him blankly.

“Try eating off the floor again, and you’ll have a very unpleasant experience.”

At the mention of a bad experience, the children hurriedly nodded. Yet, somewhere in their hearts, an uneasy feeling lingered.

What is this?

It’s clearly scary and uncomfortable, yet strangely, their bodies felt so at ease. The educator’s antics didn’t end there.

“These brats! Why are you sleeping on the floor when you have a blanket!”

The child, who had been trying to take a nap on the ground, was chased up onto the bed.

“Don’t be shy; walk around with confidence. If you’re too intimidated, it won’t be enjoyable.”

He had also scolded the children for walking strangely.

“If you just stay still, won’t you get bored? You all should be around the same age, so at least play with each other.”

He would kick the children out into the yard in front of the house, telling them not to stay still.

The fear was still present, but they could naturally feel that he was trying to let them go.

A few had already relaxed due to his attitude and were chattering with friends, but the other children, including Velita, who were more guarded, were still suspicious of everything.

“That’s a lie. It must all be a trick.”

“Maybe he’s planning to devour the ones who open their hearts first?”

“I absolutely can’t trust him. He’ll definitely turn violent in no time…”

Though they said that, they did not actually refuse this comfort.

It had been a very long time since they had been this relaxed.

Deep down, they all hoped this peace was a genuine feeling without deceit.

“It’s already time. Everyone, get ready. Don’t forget to clean yourselves before bed.”

“Yes, yes!”

That day, the children fell asleep under the warm blankets with anxious hearts.

Thus, on the third day.

“These brats! Do you think you can keep living like this, just wasting food!!”

After breakfast, when Luke shouted, the children felt that the moment had finally come.

“If you grow up like this, you will become an adult who knows nothing. It’s a disease that eats away at the Empire’s taxes, just as Vyclon said.”

“If you grow up like this, you’ll either be a criminal in the back alleys or a beggar. You won’t be able to be anything else.”

Luke’s speech was similar to what Vyclon had once done, but the words that followed were even more shocking.

“So, starting today, I will resume your education.”

“Hi, hiik!”

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

It felt like the peace had ended faster than expected.

The children begged with fear in their eyes.

As Belita was about to make a desperate resistance with her red hand… he opened his mouth again.

“So, decide what you want to do.”

“…?”

“Whether you want to learn a subject, build your body, or acquire a skill, learn anything. If it’s something you can do, I will support you. However, you cannot continue to just play and eat like you do now. If you don’t know what to do, at least study.”

In that moment, the children’s faces went blank.

From noble mtl dot com

They couldn’t believe they had heard correctly.

If Luke’s words were true, they had been given an opportunity to learn.

In this era, ‘learning’ is precious.

As information is power, the upper class is solely focused on hiding it.

Because of this, children without connections or money have never had the chance to learn anything in their lives.

Growing up like that, they could only sustain a life without progress.

Perhaps their fathers and mothers had been the same.

Their grandfathers too, and their grandfathers’ grandfathers.

Thus, the poor were born poor.

They remained poor until death, and even after death, they were poor.

Yet, he would give them the opportunity to break this chain of poverty.

Of course, no child had thought this far, but at the very least, they knew that learning was precious and desperately sought after.

Therefore, one by one, the children spoke of what they wanted.

“I wish I had a lot of money. Then I think I could buy what I want.”

“I want to learn a skill. I want to know why the chains that bound my hands were so strong.”

“I want to study…”

“I want to make delicious food!”

The children still feared Luke just the same.

However, they could not afford to waste such a golden opportunity.

Belita silently watched the scene.

Though it was unlikely to happen.

If, by some chance, he genuinely wanted to support them, not out of deceit…

“You have quite a red head.”

As she was lost in thought for a moment, he stood in front of Belita.

—

“The hand I extended last time was red. I could see that it was quite strong.”

I kneel on one leg to match her eye level.

“Go ahead and tell me, what do you want to do?”

Her crimson eyes reveal nothing of her thoughts.

They seem to glimmer with greed, or perhaps she is formulating some deep plan.

Honestly, my suspicions remain the same, but her desires were already in motion.

“…I want to become stronger.”

Her voice, shriveled and small, carries emotion.

“I want to be stronger than anyone else, so that I can never lose what I have again, and take revenge on those who stole from me…”

A moment of silence follows.

Our eyes meet. The man before me, Luke, must be quite intimidating, yet Belita does not shy away.

In fact, the more she looks, the more resolute her gaze becomes.

After a while.

Luke lets out a small laugh. Then he straightens up and adds one more thing.

“As much as you want.”

*

On the night of the third day.

“Let’s see… I’ve sown the seeds, and it seems I’ve given them enough fertilizer.”

Now, it seems I just need to wait for them to grow and then harvest.

Alone in the yard while everyone else sleeps, I mutter to myself.

Though I’ve delayed a few days due to an unexpected figure, this is a reasonable expenditure of time.

After all, I’ve gathered so many future talents like this.

Thanks to that, chasing after the puppet master has become a bit tighter, but I can suppress the Demon King’s seal even more.

In fact, the rebels stir up a lot of emotions among the people.

If it were up to me, I would want to do the harvesting myself, but… unfortunately, that’s something I cannot do.

I should have been consistently watering them, but I had no time for that.

‘But there’s someone who can take my place.’

Someone who desperately needs allies and can harvest in my stead, using it correctly.

[Using Summoning Technique!]

I used the summoning technique to bring forth a bug.

—

Let me know if you need any further assistance!

A bug the size of my fist with three pairs of wings.

Slingshot wasp.

It was named for its speed, like that of a slingshot. Originally, it was used for attack, but considering its characteristics, it could also be used for communication.

I wrote a letter, tied it to its abdomen, and sent it flying into the sky.

The destination it headed towards was the imperial palace.

In an age where horses were the means of communication, a creature like it could reach the palace in half a day.

She would be surprised to see the letter.

Thinking of the Third Princess, Deila, I couldn’t help but smirk.