episode_0018

“Thank you for your help, Athena.”

Robin said, struggling to get back up.

His appearance was covered in wounds and in no way pleasing, but his eyes still shone brightly.

“No thank you. I just came because I was bored.”

She says, pulling the sword out of the corpse of a giant monster.

The most powerful human in the empire, both dazzlingly beautiful and terrifyingly strong. Athena.

Her eyes were bright and sunny, but they had a somewhat weary look to them.

“No. Thanks to you, we were all able to complete the mission safely. I will definitely repay you.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Athena smiled at Robin’s words and slowly approached him.

And then he puts his white finger in front of Robin’s eyes.

“Eyes. I like your eyes. Will you give them to me?”

At her words, Robin is greatly embarrassed and takes a step back.

“..Huh?”

“Hehehe.. I’m joking. Why are you surprised?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Ugh. Okay. Just keep fighting for the world. That’s all I need in return.”

She left with only those words and leisurely disappeared.

Anyway, what I truly wanted is no longer in this world.

– The Indomitable Hero! Episode 142 (Middle)

* * *

“What…what did you say?”

“Hey. Didn’t you hear?”

Athena pointed at me and spoke again.

“Be my slave. You.”

‘Are you crazy?’

The fact that he came to me out of the blue and said this means that I should become his slave.

At first I should have doubted my ears.

Why. Why on earth.

Are you telling me to become your slave?

Has the owner of this body ever been greatly indebted to Athena?

Otherwise, I couldn’t understand this situation at all.

“..Are you in your right mind?”

After failing to figure out Athena’s intentions, I decided to ask her directly.

Even though she heard my aggressive words, she spoke as if nothing had happened.

“Have I never been more sane than I am now?

“You suddenly show up and tell me to become a slave to someone. You wouldn’t do that unless you’re crazy, right?”

“Ah. That must be embarrassing for you. Sorry.”

She seemed to have realized something and started talking again, apologizing.

“I’ll say it politely. I fell in love with you at first sight. Be my slave.”

Where on earth is the politeness?

Do you usually become a slave to the person you have a crush on?

No. What could possibly make her fall for me in the first place?

I saw her face for the first time today. I’m sure it’s the same for her.

As her words further confuse me, she speaks again.

“You know that?”

“….?”

“Did I say the same thing three times?”

“Ugh!”

It’s this feeling again.

This creepy sensation that seems to be screaming at my body to run away.

I stepped back, putting some distance between me and her, as the fear surged back.

“I wish you would answer now.”

‘Let’s close it.’

It seemed difficult to understand her actions now.

No matter what, there’s only one thing I have to worry about.

“Speak sense. I don’t intend to be your slave.”

Not getting involved with her.

I steeled my resolve and looked at her clearly.

Then Athena looked at me with a smile.

“Think again. If you become my slave, you will live a much better life than now.”

“A better life?”

“Yeah. Instead of living in a poor neighborhood like this, I’ll make sure you live in a nice house.”

As if it wasn’t the end, she continued, raising her finger.

“You can take as many jewels as you want, and you can do whatever you want. As long as you are in my mansion, you will be able to live a life that everyone envies.”

“There’s just one thing in return. You just have to obey what I say. How’s that?”

Athena, who speaks in a way that a rich nobleman would speak.

At first glance, it doesn’t sound bad.

She definitely wouldn’t be joking.

As someone who is called the hero of the empire, the wealth she possesses must be beyond imagination.

Surely, I could live more luxuriously than anyone else without ever getting my hands wet for the rest of my life.

If it were me before I had the ice rink, I might have accepted the offer without even thinking about it.

A peerless beauty like Athena is taking such good care of me.

Isn’t that probably everyone’s dream?

But right now, I have no intention of doing that.

This is the world of the novel The Indomitable Hero.

She is clearly the dark side of that world.

The moment I followed her, the story of the novel would change in an uncontrollable way, and that was definitely not what I wanted.

And above all.

‘I can’t leave Dania and Lily behind.’

I promised.

I will protect Dania.

I will protect Lily’s smile.

I steel myself and tell her.

“I don’t know why you want me so badly, but… thank you for suggesting it.”

Her eyes widen at my words and she speaks happily. She probably thought I would agree.

“Good idea! Then start with the engraving-”

“But I’m sorry. I won’t leave this place.”

After listening to what I said, she stared blankly at me for a moment.

The smile slowly fades from her face.

“Why?”

“Because there is someone precious to me here.”

This is the first relationship that feels like family to me. I have no intention of letting this relationship go.

“….uh huh”

One of her eyebrows went up as if she was displeased with something.

Then the surrounding air began to change. As if reflecting her mood, the atmosphere gradually became colder.

I waited quietly for Athena’s answer.

She thought for a moment, then a smile appeared on her face again.

But I could feel it.

That smile. It’s definitely not a good situation for me.

“Hera. There is one thing you are mistaken about.”

Athena reaches out her hand to me.

“I didn’t come here to make a suggestion.”

“You..!”

“I came to get you.”

Golden mana began to fly towards me from her hands.

When I saw the mana pouring towards me, my body instinctively moved to the side.

Then, next to me, a magic in the shape of a noose was tightening as if it was grabbing the air.

If I hadn’t avoided it, it would have been my body, not the air, that was caught.

“What the heck!”

I looked sharply at Athena, and she was looking at me with a bitter smile.

“Don’t you think a disobedient slave needs education?”

“So who do you keep calling slaves?”

I shouted at her, but what I got in return was not an answer, but magic in the same form as before.

I dodged by kicking the ground and falling backwards.

But this time, as if she wasn’t going to let it be, Athena appeared in front of me in an instant and strangled me.

“Ugh!”

“First, I need to teach you how to look at things. You shouldn’t look at your master with that kind of expression, right?”

As she raised her hand, my body followed suit. Soon, when my feet could no longer touch the ground, I began to feel short of breath.

“Keuk…!Keuk!”

“Our Hera.. Should I have kind eyes?”

As my oxygen level decreased, my body began to heat up.

The fear directed at her was slowly turning into anger at this absurd situation.

‘I don’t know anymore.’

I lifted one foot and kicked Athena.

“…..!”

Then her body flies backwards.

I was able to free myself from her grasp and get my feet back on the ground.

“Cough..! Haak..Ugh..”

As the oxygen that had been lacking in my body returned, I began to come to my senses.

‘You can’t let your guard down yet.’

If it were a normal person, she would have kicked with such force that it would have exploded right away, but she was the strongest human in this world.

To this extent, it wouldn’t have even caused a minor injury.

As if answering my thoughts, I heard her speak.

“By the way… Did I say that you have a unique ability?”

As if nothing had happened, she tapped the area where she had been kicked with her hand and dusted it off.

I took up my stance so I could be ready for her attack at any moment.

“Sorry Hera. I guess I’ll have to be a little rough with you.”

Athena stretched her feet to the ground with those words, and soon her body disappeared from my sight.

However, my ability is not simply the ability to increase strength, but the ability to dramatically increase overall physical ability.

Intuition was also included there.

‘It’s on the right..!’

I turned my head to the right and saw a fist flying towards me.

It wasn’t just a fist, it was a fist filled with high-density mana. I reacted immediately and raised my guard.

Kwung! The shock hit me. But it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Without stopping, I immediately kicked her in the side.

But my feet were blocked by something unknown. When I looked there, I saw several small magic circles overlapping each other, protecting her body.

“You need to focus on me, Hera.”

When I hurriedly turned my gaze at Athena’s words, there she was, stretching out both her hands towards me.

“Bind.”

I tried to get away, but her hand that held me back prevented me from pulling away.

Papapak – Like rain. Swords fell from the sky and surrounded my body.

Soon the swords resonated with each other, and I felt something pressing down heavily on me.

“Ah..ugh”

I knelt on the ground, feeling as if I was being crushed.

I tried to break free, but the more I tried, the stronger the force holding me back became.

“You’re so pretty when you’re so quiet.”

Athena gently strokes my chin with her fingers.

“Profit..!”

For some reason, I felt like my pride was being hurt, so this time I put all my strength into my legs.

Okay then.

Jejejeok-

There was a sound like something breaking. Athena opened her eyes wide, looking quite surprised.

“A barrier that even the Giant Drake couldn’t move…”

I was focusing my strength on my feet, leaving Athena mumbling.

As time goes by, the pressure on me gradually subsides.

I had a feeling that if I kept going like this, I might be able to get out.

‘Just a little more..!’

however.

“Please sleep for a little while, Hera.”

She put her hand on my head.

Then a sound like the ringing of a large bell rang in my head.

Just then, my vision went dark.

* * *

It’s gone.

Hera, who had been by his side just a moment ago.

With one gesture of the hero’s hand, he disappeared with her.

“Oh..Sister!! Hera sister..!”

When he looked at his older sister, he saw that she was also very confused, as if she didn’t know what was going on.

I’m anxious.

The feeling of unease I felt ever since I heard that the hero of the empire was looking for Sister Hera.

For some reason, Lily’s body began to tremble as if she was about to lose the person she loved.

‘Sister…where did you go..?’

Lily tried to calm her trembling body.

“It’s okay…it’s okay…my sister said so…”

I want to see myself as an adult.

I will protect myself and my sister.

You won’t leave me.

As the ominous feeling spread through her body, something dark and slimy inside Lily’s heart grew.