episode_0016

Monster.

A mutation that appears when negative mana and a creature are mixed together.

In the beginning, there was no such thing as a monster.

However, when the great race war broke out in the past, a huge amount of mana collided. The originally pure mana became unstable as it was mixed with numerous thoughts created by the war.

Mana, which had become so unstable, changed many ecosystems, and creatures that were transformed by evil energy were called monsters.

Most monsters that have been affected negatively have developed violent personalities and have attacked all races indiscriminately.

In this way, the monster became a target that had to be subdued by all factions except the Demon Tribe.

‘Almost half of the novel was about Robin defeating monsters.’

It’s still quiet, but in the 500th year of the Imperial Calendar, that is, from the time the main character begins to appear in the novel, disaster-level monsters begin to gradually surface.

Man-eating werewolves, sky-predating wyverns, giant minotaurs, abyssal krakens, and more.

Various monsters have threatened the empire.

But I’m not worried because I know Robin and his crew will take care of it all.

All I had to do was quietly watch from behind to see if the main character was doing well.

“Sister. I found you.”

Lily points in one direction with her hand. Looking in that direction, she sees monsters with green skin.

A monster, but a creature with the intelligence to use weapons. It was a goblin.

Right now, Lily and I have entered the forest to hunt goblins as requested by Gorjan.

When I told Lily that I wanted to share my combat experience with her, she agreed without hesitation.

At first, Dania was against it, but with the consistent efforts of Lily and I, we were able to persuade her.

So, I was wandering through the forest with Lily when I came across a goblin.

“Can you do it, Lily?”

Looking at the group, there were four of them. They were all holding blunt weapons in their hands.

If I step forward, I can catch her in an instant, but for now, I’m just training to gain Lily’s practical experience.

Lily has to do it herself.

“I’ll give it a try.”

Lily said as she took out the dagger she had just purchased from the weapon shop before leaving.

Holding the dagger tightly in her hand, she quickly began to move through the grass, making no sound.

I followed Lily’s lead and moved cautiously, bending down.

This was just training. I had to make sure Lily didn’t get hurt.

I followed Lily, positioning myself so I could jump out at any moment, and was able to sneak up next to the goblin in no time.

As Lily closes her eyes and takes a breath, a grey glow envelops the dagger.

Lily opened her eyes again, lifted her feet off the ground, and ran forward-

“Keeek!”

Stabbed the back of a goblin’s head. The goblin died with a terrible scream.

Before the other goblins could even realize what was happening, Lily quickly moved and plunged her sword into another goblin’s neck.

“Ugh…ugh…”

“Keeeek!”

“Keeak!”

As the rest of the goblins began to realize what was happening, Lily turned to run away.

But the goblins were faster than expected. One of them grabbed Lily’s wrist.

“Ugh..!”

As the remaining one swung his blunt weapon at her, she panicked –

Phew-

The goblin burst before I could finish swinging my fist as I ran towards it.

The goblin’s lower body, having lost its body, fell limply to the ground.

“Keeek?”

A guy who still doesn’t understand what happened.

As soon as our eyes met, his body began to tremble.

“Keeek!!”

He threw the blunt weapon on the ground and ran away.

“Are you okay, Lily?”

He watched the fleeing goblin and then turned his gaze to Lily.

“Yes..Thank you, sis.”

Was it because she couldn’t solve it on her own? Lily made a regretful expression.

“You don’t have to be sorry. You did well enough.”

It’s literal.

Lily probably hasn’t experienced anything like this yet.

Still, she was able to sneak up on the goblin and stab him in the vital spot without hesitation, killing him.

It’s actually a surprising situation for me.

‘Is this…the talent of an assassin…?’

or not..

“Lily, have you ever killed someone?”

“Huh?!”

Lily was so flustered by my words that her tongue was twisted.

“No. Because you killed without hesitation.. It’s usually not easy to do that.”

“Heh.. hehe.. No?! This is my first time.”

I guess it was just talent.

Well, there’s no way such a cute and kind kid would have killed anyone.

I stroked Lily’s head, who was twisting her body as if she was uncomfortable somewhere.

“Really? That’s amazing. Our Lily must be a genius.”

“Heh..heh..”

“By the way, Lily. You were caught by the goblin earlier, right?”

I started giving feedback right away.

“Yes..”

Lily swallowed, seeming nervous at my words.

I smiled and said to Lily to ease her tension.

“I’m not trying to scold you. I just want to help you. Why do you think you were caught?”

“I…I’m late to respond?”

“Yeah. That might be true, but the fundamental problem is the lack of speed.”

Stealth and speed are essential for an assassin.

Although she had stealth, she was still a young girl and lacked speed.

“Should I go for a run..?”

“Phuhut.”

Unable to resist Lily’s cute words, I started patting her head roughly.

Running is good, but you’ll be able to do it a lot once you enter the academy.

“That’s one way to do it. A better way is to use magic.”

“Magic power?”

“Yeah. Instead, you use it on your feet instead of your sword.”

Enchantment. A magic that strengthens objects by infusing them with mana.

When used on weapons such as swords or spears, it transforms into a weapon that can even pierce through steel.

When given to a body part, it can produce power much stronger than usual.

“Want to give mana to your sword?”

Lily closes her eyes and wraps her dagger in mana as she hears me.

“Can you now transfer that magic to your feet?”

“Uh..um..”

At first he seemed confused, but soon he began to concentrate quietly again.

Then, the gray mana slowly moved towards Lily’s arm.

“Ah..!”

But as I approached the body, the mana scattered in all directions like glass breaking.

“Is it difficult? It might take some getting used to.”

Moving mana freely requires considerable concentration.

For a normal person, it would take several months of training.

‘But our Lily did it in a week!’

In the novel, she ponders what could be done to complement her speed,

I figured out a way to enchant my legs to give me a burst of speed for a split second.

After a week of practice, she was able to freely grant mana to her legs and move quickly.

Hehehe. As expected, Lily is a genius.

Initial failure is to be expected.

To encourage her, I tried to offer her some words of praise.

“If it’s Lily, maybe a week-”

“I’ll try again, sis.”

“Work… Huh?”

Lily closes her eyes again and grants mana to her sword.

Mana moved slowly and was able to reach the chest area.

“Oh Lily. You’re quick to catch on?”

“I’ll do it one more time.”

This time, mana comes down to the waist.

“One more time.”

From waist to knee.

“Just one more time.”

From knee to shin.

And finally.

Woohoo-

“Did it.”

Lily succeeded in giving mana to her feet.

She looked at me with great delight.

“You did it, sis!”

“..Huh?”

I know..?

How did you do it..?

I couldn’t believe it. It was as if it was telling me that this was reality. Under Lily’s feet, a gray mana was shining clearly.

What the heck? Did I read the novel wrong?

In the novel it clearly says it took a week?

But now it took less than an hour for Lily to successfully transfer mana.

The difference is unbelievable.

‘Does that make sense..?’

I was flustered in an impossible situation.

Lily grabbed my arm and called out.

“Sister!”

“Huh..huh?”

When I came to my senses, all I saw was Lily’s eyes, as if she was deeply longing for something.

“I did it.”

“That’s…that’s right!! Lily is really amazing..!”

“Just in words?”

“Uh..huh?”

Do you want any kind of compensation?

Lily was looking at me as if she was expecting something.

“Uh..Sister, should I give you a kiss?”

“A kiss would be nice, but…please grant me one wish.”

She asks for a wish just like last time.

“A wish?.. Hmm, maybe? Is there something you want?”

But Lily shakes her head as if it’s not there yet.

“I will collect them. Until I become an adult.”

Lily’s words gave off a creepy feeling.

‘Is this a wish that can only be granted when you become an adult?’

I thought long and hard about what Lily’s wish was.

Before the ice age, I thought of the students in South Korea who desperately wanted to become adults.

Students who put their ID cards on their foreheads and wait to enter bars or clubs as soon as the clock strikes 12 o’clock.

‘Could it be Lily too…?’

There are no clubs here, but there are similar entertainment establishments.

Could it be that Lily is interested in such a place?

No, it won’t work.

I would never send Lily to a place like that.

We can drink as much alcohol as we want.

I can’t just sit by and watch Lily fall into the path of pleasure.

“Lily.. It can’t be too weird..?”

“Huh?”

Lily looks at me curiously.

“What are you thinking… It’s not like that. I just have something to ask my sister.”

Ah. Well, then.

When I realized that Lily had no interest in such culture, I felt a deep sense of relief inside.

“If that’s the case, I’ll listen to it!”

I told Lily with a smile. She smiled cutely along with me.

But I didn’t know it at the time.

If only I knew what Lily was trying to do with all the wishes she collected.

I don’t think he would have just been smiling like this.

So let’s come back after finishing the goblin subjugation.

Dania greeted us with a smile.

“I’ve been waiting for you. Come in and eat.”

When I saw Dania welcoming me warmly, I felt a lump in my throat.

Before I became a nerd, I wasn’t unhappy, but I was living a lonely life.

My mother passed away early, and my father raised me as if he had abandoned me.

I managed to get into college somehow and get a decent job, but my lonely life didn’t change.

But now it’s different.

Although we weren’t blood related, I had Lily and Dania who treated me like family.

I had a warm home that accepted me, and I had the strength to protect it.

‘From now on, it’s a truly happy life.’

Until the protagonist sees the ending of the novel, I can stay here.

Lily will leave for the Academy, but Dania will stay here.

All she had to do was live well here, waiting for Lily to return with her someday.

I entered the house that welcomed me with a firm resolve.

* * *

Time passed so quickly.

“Half a year has already passed.”

I muttered as I sat on the monster’s corpse.

It’s already been half a year since I pledged to live a happy life.

The West has become a pretty livable city.

Drax is still a city of criminals, but most of them have fled the West and settled in other districts.

“What? You’re going west? Are you crazy?”

“Why? I heard the atmosphere there is good?”

“Don’t you know that there’s a monster there that will tear apart any criminals? The North is better. I’d never go there. ”

Because rumors like this spread all over Drax.

Well, that’s actually somewhat true. I’ve beaten up all the criminals here.

In this way, the West began to gradually turn into a lawless city with no crime.

Even during that time, I spent time with Lily, defeating the monsters that threatened Drax.

Before I knew it, the city was worshipping me as its guardian deity.

A lot has changed, but the biggest change is-

“I’m here, sis.”

Lily nonchalantly carried a monster much larger than herself.

Lily has grown tremendously over the past six months.

When I told Lily the information in the novel, she absorbed it all like a sponge.

Every time that happened, I accumulated one wish.

‘If we just collect a few more, wouldn’t it be a hundred?’

At some point, I gave up on the century. I told her to tell me in advance because I thought she wouldn’t be able to hear everything later.

She stubbornly refused.

“Not yet.”

I’m not sure what it is yet, but it didn’t really matter to me, so I just let it go without thinking much about it.

‘I guess you’ll figure it out.’

Thinking like that, I stared at Lily.

“??”

She tilts her head at me.

Lily continued to grow steadily stronger.

Since you go out hunting monsters almost every day, you must have gained a lot of experience.

After two years like this, she will probably be considered quite capable even at the Academy.

And Robin’s work will be solved that much more easily.

“What are you thinking, unnie?”

Lily came forward and looked at me.

“Just because time seems to pass quickly.”

“Hehe. That’s because you’re with me.”

It’s cute.

I patted Lily’s head as she smiled brightly.

So, after finishing the monster subjugation, let’s prepare to go home.

“Hera!!”

A soldier was seen running hurriedly from a distance.

One of the guards who kept the peace in the West was Charleson.

“What’s going on? Why are you running so fast?”

Charleson was drenched in sweat.

Looks like you’ve been looking for me for quite some time.

Lily and I looked at Charles curiously.

“Heh…heh…in the city…there’s that person..!!”

“Is that him?”

Charleson, who still hasn’t regained his breath, can’t speak properly.

“Hey..the hero is looking for you.”

“No, who is that?”

I was so frustrated that I started speaking informally.

Then he took a deep breath and said.

“Hero of the Empire. Athena is looking for you.”

……what?