episode_0010

Monsters, creatures distorted by tainted mana.

They become tougher and faster than their original forms, with their temperament turning extremely vicious.

What they were facing now was a gigantic monster.

Adorned with large horns on its head, resembling a wild boar but different.

It possessed a size that would dwarf two adult men, and its cruelly protruding pair of fangs were more than enough to halt our steps.

Breathing heavily with crimson eyes glaring, the monster exuded an intimidating presence.

Covered in wounds, blood trickled down from various places on its body.

Yet, the monster stood still, gazing at Elin and her siblings.

Was it regaining strength?

Had it come up here to escape a storm? Or had it been attacked by another monster?

Monsters rarely entered our village, so why now? Why at this moment?

She felt despair creeping in. Her legs trembled weakly, and her breath quickened.

Even though wounded, the massive monster could easily kill Elin and her siblings.

Moreover, Elin was currently carrying an unknown elderly man, making the situation dire.

“…I have to save Alen and Adel.”

“Alen, listen carefully. You’ll run with my three and then with Adel, right? Got it?”

“…But what about you, sister? You can’t run right now because you’re carrying the old man! …I’d rather, I’d rather distract that monster!”

“Alen…! You have to listen to me now! Although the monster doesn’t look well at the moment, it will soon come after us.”

“Our way to survive is for me to divert the monster’s attention while you all go back home,” said Elin.

However, her brother Alen couldn’t comprehend her words.

Why not just flee together? Why say such dreadful things? Why?

He looked at his sister’s leg.

Indeed, Elin had endured solely on her mental strength to find them.

Her legs were covered in mud, shoes torn and barely functional.

Her slender legs were scratched by branches, bruised and bleeding from hitting rocks.

In reality, she had run without regard for her own body in search of herself and Adel.

What she had hidden before was now becoming visible.

“No… Sister, please… I beg you… Let’s go together… Please…”

“Sis… I’m sorry, we were wrong… Let’s go home together…”

“It’s okay. Have I forgotten who I am? I’m not dead. I’m Clover Ga’s eldest daughter! So, let’s go.”

Suddenly, the monster in the form of a wild boar began to roar as if its ears were being torn apart.

“We don’t have time! Quickly!”

Wild boars don’t have good eyesight. However, that creature had already recognized them.

It had only been quietly recovering from its injuries.

Now healed, the monster charged towards them like an earthquake, shaking the ground violently.

A critical situation. To avoid seeing what was about to happen, she briefly closed her eyes.

“I’m sorry, my children… And I apologize. Mother, Father.”

“This is as far as I go. There are heaps of things I haven’t done yet…”

At that moment, a presence was felt behind Elin, who was carrying the unidentified elderly man.

Swoosh

The elderly man she had been carrying on her back was suddenly standing in front of her.

“Grandfather…? When did you…?”

“Mumble… This old man owes a debt to these young ones. Show them something good in that sense.”

Something unusual was unfolding from his hand reaching out towards the monster.

Just awakened to mana, she felt a vast amount of magic gathering in his hand.

A peculiarly dressed old man in a pointed hat muttered softly.

“Thunder Spear.”

The immense magic took on the form of a small spear, soon transforming into a massive lance.

The electrically charged giant lance began shooting towards the monster.

Swift and powerful, the lance of magic struck the monster, burning it black as the creature perished without even a scream.

His attack was akin to a natural disaster.

The charred remains of the monster turned to ash, seeping into the damp earth.

“It’s been a while, so my control isn’t quite there. Tsk tsk.”

They were dumbfounded by the unbelievable scene.

The magic Ellyn witnessed for the first time was truly a miraculous power.

Regaining her composure, Ellyn asked the mysterious old man,

“Who are you, grandfather?”

“Me? Just a wandering old man exploring the world.”

He introduced himself with a friendly smile.

‘A wandering old man… That can’t be right. Someone with that kind of power can’t be ordinary.’

She thought to herself.

Feeling helpless not being able to protect even her family.

If another monster like that appeared, would she be able to protect her loved ones?

‘No, it’s probably impossible. I want to become stronger. I want the power to protect those dear to me.’

She vowed.

To become stronger not to succumb but to protect.

She ran towards the departing old man.

“Grandfather..! Grandfather! Please teach me that magic too! I want to become stronger! Please!”

“Hmm, giving such power to anyone could be very dangerous. Why do you want to become stronger?”

“To protect… To protect my loved ones, to not succumb to fear! I need strong power!”

“Tsk tsk… A good mindset. Good. You owe something to your siblings, so I will teach you. Only the basics, though. You’ll have to figure out the rest yourself.”

“Thank you! Guys, let’s go back home now!”

“Yeah!”

And so, she learned magic under the tutelage of an unnamed wizard for several years.

After mastering all his basic spells, the wizard prepared a small gift for her.

It was his old staff and a recommendation letter to the academy he carried with him.

“What is this, Master?”

“Tsk tsk… It’s a recommendation to enroll in the academy.”

“Oh.. The academy? We may not be rich, but we don’t have enough money to attend the academy… And I’m not sure if I can get in either…”

“Don’t worry about money; I’ll take care of everything. You just need to show up. And have confidence.”

However, she was afraid. If she couldn’t enter the academy, it would feel like denying the efforts she had made over the years to protect her loved ones.

The wizard gently stroked her head and said in a warm voice,

“You’re a child with boundless potential. If you don’t believe in yourself, who else will? So have confidence.”

“At the academy, you will bloom like a flower,” the wizard, or rather her mentor, instilled confidence in her.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t told you my name yet, Ellyn. My name is Orhen, Orhen Zikmund.”

‘Orhen… Zikmund… Where have I heard that name before?’

“Go on, Ellyn. The world is vast. You can go anywhere and become anything. Experience new things. This is your final assignment from me.”

Thus, with the help of her parents and mentor, she entered the academy.

She made a few mistakes in the entrance exam and ended up in Class D due to nerves, but she didn’t mind.

Excited about making friends in the academy filled with peers, her life at the academy, though, was not smooth sailing as she had hoped.

At first, it was okay.

But as time passed, the atmosphere became strange.

Students who envied her for her mismatched skills and attractive appearance, along with her angelic personality, spread strange rumors about her.

They started subtly, skillfully, and persistently tormenting her by gossiping about her pink hair, insulting her parents, and more.

Others began to harass her slyly, insidiously, and relentlessly.

Yet she endured it all.

She wanted to repay her parents and teachers.

Knowing they would be saddened if they found out she was being ostracized in the newly enrolled academy.

For a year, she held it all in.

Then one day, she met him.

As usual after school, she was surrounded by several people in an alley, endlessly enduring verbal abuse.

He appeared.

Bern Flame, a man carrying various titles like the troublemaker of a famous family, the problem child of the school, a delinquent, and the fiancé of the academy’s most popular girl, Elysia Isis.

A man with an imposing height, a rugged expression that made his already cold demeanor even colder, and black hair and dark eyes rarely seen on the mainland or at the academy, was approaching her.

“What are you doing? I told you not to touch the students.”

The students beside her trembled at his sight.

“T-this commoner stole my wallet. I…was just giving him a lesson.”

“Is that so?”

He turned away.

It was expected. Even her commoner friends, knowing they were being harassed by nobles, began to ignore her.

In this academy, there were supposedly no classes like commoners and nobles; everyone was equal.

But that was a lie.

Once they graduated from the academy and returned to the mainland, things changed.

It was natural. She understood her friends’ actions.

They were commoners, not meant to live their whole lives in the academy.

Perhaps Bern was the same. Especially since nobles needed to maintain good relationships with other nobles.

However, this man was different.

Returning here with black hair, he grabbed the wrist of the man who had been bothering him and said, “Havel, you never used to carry your wallet around, complaining it was bothersome. Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”