The Hero Party’s Moms Are Obsessed With Me

An ambitious night.

A man with a mask depicting bizarre patterns on both eyes sits in a chair, reading a piece of paper.

After seemingly finishing reading, he brushes his hand through his hair, causing the paper to flutter and fall onto the feet of another man standing in the middle of the room.

“Excellent. Not only did we fail, but we also advertised here for them. Moreover, one of them was caught alive?”

“I, I apologize! I will do whatever it takes!”

“Enough. Don’t make a big fuss about it, just order a new one.”

“Yes, yes!”

As the man, covered in a robe from head to toe, trembled while leaving the room, the man with the mask let out a sigh and rose from the chair.

A large moon visible through the window.

Looking up at the moon, he flicked his right hand and the shadow of the man slowly transformed into a silhouette.

The man threw handcuffs at the newly appeared being.

“There. Open them.”

An order and one second.

Just as one second passed, with a click sound, the locked handcuffs opened.

“Hmm.”

The man with the mask cast a spell on the received handcuffs and put them to sleep.

“Again.”

The shadowy figure obeyed its master’s command, although with a puzzled expression on its face.

“Don’t undo the spell. Just open them.”

Upon the additional command, the shadowy figure stopped.

One second.

Ten seconds.

Snap!

Investing ten times the time it took earlier, the shadowy figure destroyed the handcuffs instead of undoing the spell.

Handing over the handcuffs that were split in half, the owner furrowed his forehead.

“The spell was destroyed too. Couldn’t you hear me when I told you not to break it? Again.”

The shadow pondered, looking at the new handcuffs in its hand.

The owner’s demand was simple.

Unshackle me.

But without undoing the magic.

These shackles are enchanted with Intermediate Level 3 magic [Tracking], Advanced Level 5 magic [Durability Reinforcement], and Transcendent Level 7 magic [Absolute Lock].

Unless the transcendent level 7 magic, known as the boundary of the transcendental being, is released, the shackles will not only send the owner’s location in real-time but also physically bind the target’s hands in an unbreakable grip.

The simplest way to unlock these shackles is to release the [Absolute Lock].

Alternatively, one can break the shackles with enough physical force to penetrate the [Durability Reinforcement].

However, all these actions require the act of [undoing the magic].

Shadow.

No matter how hard the 7-star demon, Gelberian, thought, he couldn’t think of a way to unshackle without undoing the magic.

“I apologize.”

“Sigh… It’s okay. Go inside.”

Gelberian returned to his master’s shadow once again.

The man left alone in the room, spun the shackles around his finger and gazed at the moon.

“Hmm… How on earth…”

***

“Diam! How did you do it?!”

“…”

“Diaaam~ Don’t be like that~ Tell meee~!”

“…”

A woman with a perfect orange bob haircut.

Rachel, a grade 7 magician affiliated with the Huyoung Knight Order, was actively questioning me.

Slap!

“Ouch! Kale! That hurt!”

I received a blow to the back of my head from my colleague, Kale.

“She doesn’t want to talk.”

“But! This is fantastic! If I learn the method, I can grow one step further!”

“Yeah yeah. Whether it’s magical growth or growth in one’s chest abyss, it doesn’t matter, so just go away for now. The kid looks tired.”

“No! It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! How can I give up! Give it to me, Kale!”

“I’m sorry, Diam. I’ll take this crazy woman with me.”

Kale, carrying Rachel on his shoulders like a baggage, nodded respectfully to me.

“Ah, help me!! They’re coming again!”

“Give up; you won’t see them again.”

“Aaaah!”

Rachel, with clenched fists, was striking Kale’s waist and back.

…

Is that… the kingdom’s finest knights?

As the two distant figures faded from view, Olivia stood by my side.

“I thought knights would be all stern and serious, but they seem like really nice people, don’t they?”

Nice… are they?

I forced a smile awkwardly, and Olivia, just as usual, patted my head.

“I’m sorry, darling.”

There are two main reasons why she’s apologizing to me. One is that I’ve been brought to Olivia’s house instead of the shelter.

“Lady, it’s time to start getting ready.”

“Alright, Ellie.”

Olivia, bending her head slightly and meeting my gaze, asked, “Are you sure you don’t need anything?”

I nodded silently, and Olivia looked at me with a determined expression.

“Okay…”

With her bent leg, she resumed petting my head.

“Even though you’re empty-handed now, let’s fill your hands gradually. Sound good?”

This woman seems to be quite the expert in misunderstandings, doesn’t she?

The reason Olivia apologized to me a little while ago was twofold. One was for bringing me to her home.

The other was for embarking on a journey with her.

Until now, Olivia had let the world know that she was a hero’s mother. She didn’t hide the fact that her mother was healthy and happy, even from the ears of the distant heroes. She had done so to convey to the world that her child was safe and that he could travel without worry. The best course of action from the kingdom’s perspective to ensure that the child’s spirit did not shatter, despite the various risks, and that he could travel without fear.

But as of today, that best course of action has become the worst one.

I thought I was prepared, but it was not enough.

If the existence of [me] did not exist, Olivia would have been kidnapped by an unknown organization.

On the other hand, if the existence of [me] did not exist, would she have not encountered such danger?

Either way,

Olivia’s life was in danger.

Thus, the kingdom made a new decision.

To hide the hero’s mother from the world.

Instead of settling her in a place where she could easily escape if pursued, they sent her traveling to various places.

That was the safest way to protect her.

In the process, since she couldn’t travel alone, they assigned a knight from the Huyoung Order as her companion.

As two women traveling together would appear strange, a man was needed.

There were male knights in the Huyoung Order, so it wasn’t a big problem, but Olivia ended up selecting me personally.

[Wouldn’t it be okay to act as mother and son?] she said.

Thanks to that, the travel plans were made without my consent…

And the reason I came empty-handed was simple.

What do you need when the hero’s mother is already a party member?

I just need to protect her with my own body.

The next day,

Before setting off on our journey, we stopped by the shelter.

Even if it was forced conscription(?), they at least let me say goodbye.

The children already heard about me through the knights.

“Diarm, you’re going out to play with Olivia noona?”

“So jealous! I want to go too!”

The content is a little different, but… it doesn’t matter.

I chuckled and gently ruffled the kids’ heads one by one.

And then it was Amy’s turn.

Like usual, I tried to reach out to pat her head, but

“…you idiot!”

Amy pushed my hand away and turned her body to enter the building.

“She’s going through adolescence.”

No matter how clever and quick-witted I may be, she seems delighted when I say I’m going to play alone.

Sometimes, when he returns to the kingdom, he’ll probably like it if I bring him gifts each time.

With a smirk at my cute younger sister’s antics, Olivia stood by my side.

“Have you finished your greetings?”

I nodded, and she smiled as she gently stroked my head.

It’s a bit strange to be stroked all of a sudden when I was just doing the stroking.

But such strange feelings only lasted for a moment.

“Lady Samantha, Lord Damian, it’s time.”

Eli, who was dressed in casual attire rather than the usual heavy and solid knight’s armor, called us.

“Yes, shall we go, my dear?”

Olivia extended her hand to me.

I have to impersonate her son from now on.

Even if a single drop of blood isn’t shared.

I’m not sure if this is the right way to achieve my goal.

But I have to impersonate her son.

I held her delicate hand like fine silk.

I left behind the sanctuary I had grown attached to for a long time.

***

“Come back safely, big brother!”

“Bring back something delicious when you return!!”

“I want to go with you next time~!”

The voices of children beyond the wall.

He’s leaving.

Damian is leaving.

The knight siblings said Damian was going to visit Olivia for a little while.

But I know.

Damian won’t be coming back.

The attack from days gone by.

It was undoubtedly an attack targeting Olivia.

Because of that woman, bad people came to our house and tormented us.

And now, our older brother takes it away.

Why?

Why come to us, who are living well?

It’s clear that the relief center thrived thanks to the donations of that lady.

The children were no longer wearing rags, but new clothes, and they ate food made from fresh ingredients instead of ones on the verge of rotting.

They even have snacks twice a week, not just once a month.

There are more children who know how to read and buy books, even though they may be expensive.

Thanks to that lady, the children found smiles in their lives.

Thank you.

It’s true that we’re thankful.

But.

I don’t like it.

I liked it when we barely managed with the money our older brother brought.

I liked it when we had to save water and wash together with our older brother.

I liked it when I had no clothes to wear and inherited our older brother’s clothes.

As life became more prosperous.

As life became easier.

The distance between me and our dear older brother, who saved my life and brought light into my existence, grew wider.

I didn’t want to drift apart from our older brother.

I didn’t want Olivia, that lady, to have more influence in our space.

But our dear older brother didn’t refuse.

So I didn’t refuse either.

Since our dear older brother accepted it.

I accepted it too.

But…

I hate that lady.

I hated her from the beginning.

Damn hero.

If only that guy didn’t exist, our parents wouldn’t have died.

The village wouldn’t have been attacked by monsters.

This is what happened after the appearance of the hero.

The hero is detestable.

Olivia, who gave birth to such a hero, is detestable.

Even though I hate him because he’s a hero…

Because it’s a sacrifice for the future of humanity…

Yes… that’s how it was…

But now, I’m taking away Diarm Opa…

My only light… Diarm Opa…

Olivia is detestable.

Detestable to the point that I can’t stand it.

The sound of the carriage getting further away.

“It’s boring without Diarm Opa…”

“He said he’ll be here soon. Should we play hide and seek?”

“Din. Do you want to go to the playground?”

“Yeah. The one who arrives late is a fool~”

“Hey! Let’s go together!”

The voices of ignorant children.

While hearing that sound.

In my head.

In my chest.

In my heart.

Warm emotions began to bloom.