Chapter 12: Magical Beast

"Wow! It's an Artifact! I've heard about it from my sister multiple times!" Although Raven had no clue about the rank of the artifact, he indeed realized how important this spear was.

Raven hurriedly took out the vial filled with transparent liquid and inspected it.

...

[Name: Elixir of Ice

Type: Affinity Potion

Rank: Sunset Rank Potion

Description: A Master Alchemist concocted this potion, and it can increase one's Ice Elemental Affinity to a 'Genius' Rank.

Tips: Consume the potion when the sun descends from the sky, increasing the potion's effect.]

...

"A-Affinity potion?" Raven couldn't believe his eyes at all.

[Yes. But consuming this now is not a good thing, lad. Thanks to its potent ice elements within the vial, it might further damage your soul. You should at least heal your soul up to 50% before consuming this potion.] Zera warned him.

'M-My sister and aunt said I've got no affinity in any element and always asked me to work harder to make up for this defect. But I now have a way to get an affinity.' A ray of hope appeared in his eyes.

"I-I understand." Even though Raven tried to act tough, tears started to roll down his eyes.

Suddenly, he recalled Zera's earlier words and asked.

"You said that you have a gift for my elder sister, right? What is it, Zera?"

[Oh, that gift is more like a book you saw in the Memory Library. You can't take it out but can memorize the content and write it in a new book.] Her words finally caught his attention.

[But you must never reveal that you are the one who wrote down the content and gave it to her as a present.]

"I can't? Why? If I can't give it to her by myself, how will my sister know it's my present?" His question made Zera almost facepalm in the Memory Library.

After a short silence, she finally thought of a convincing answer and spoke.

[That's what makes one look cooler, child. Even if you do good deeds, you shouldn't tell others.]

"Cooler?" Raven slowly nodded and finally agreed.

'If he is a little bit older, I might find it more difficult to convince him.' Zera muttered to herself and then added.

[First, you should focus on learning the 'Instant Memorize' skill. After that, we will think of how to give that surprise present to your big sister.]

At that moment, a pleasant voice came from the kitchen.

"Raven, it's time for dinner. Come quick."

"Okay!" Raven hurriedly left the bedroom and went to the kitchen. At that moment, Athena was in the middle of arranging the dishes on the dining table that was placed nearby.

"When will Aunt Shirley come back?" Just as Raven asked, a loud knocking came from the entrance door.

"I'm home, Athena. Please open the door."

"Oh! She came at the right time. Raven, go and open the door. Meanwhile, I'll arrange the remaining dishes." Athena said as she took three empty bowls, silver plates, and tumblers from the shelf and went to the dining table.

On the other hand, Raven hurriedly ran off to the living room, soon reached the wooden entrance door, and unlocked the door by pulling the handle down.

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Before she could walk in, Raven jumped into her and hugged her legs.

Shirley bent down her waist, put the large leather back in her hand on the floor, and picked him up with a bright smile.

"Did you guys eat dinner yet?" She asked as she pinched Raven's cheeks.

Meanwhile, Raven shook his head and soon asked while looking at the leather bag.

"What is in it, Aunt Shirley?"

Instead of responding, she looked at the kitchen and noticed Athena was in the middle of working.

"It's a Ball gown dress and some presents for Athena's birthday. Before she notices this bag, can you take it and keep it under your bed in secret?" She whispered in his ears and slowly put him on the floor.

"Okay!" Raven nodded, took the leather bag with both hands, and ran to his bedroom.

"Athena, I want to freshen up before eating dinner. Can you boil some hot water for me?" Shirley asked as she removed her boots and arranged them near the entrance.

"Give me 10 minutes, Aunt." Athena put the final bowl with crispy fried beef and started boiling the water using the fireplace hearth.

Once she boiled the water in a large vessel, she took it to the bathroom and gave it to Shirley.

While Shirley was freshening up, Athena had long arranged everything on the table and waited patiently.

Soon, Shirley joined them and started having dinner.

Dinner that night was a simple yet comforting affair. The aroma of home-cooked food filled the modest kitchen, and the small family gathered around the table. As they enjoyed the meal, Raven couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth and security. Despite the challenges they faced, this was home.

While eating, Athena suddenly thought of something and asked.

"So, how was your mission today, aunt? You didn't encounter any danger, right?"

Shirley took a bite of the fried beef and spoke solemnly.

"Nothing dangerous happened but we found traces of big feet, much larger than humans."

"Orcs?" Athena instantly caught on and turned grim.

"Yes. If an Orc appears in the outskirts of the woods, there is a high chance of an Orc settlement within a 10 km to 15 km radius. And this must be a newly formed settlement. Although there isn't an imminent danger to the Town, those monsters might pose a huge threat to the Town in the near future. Lord Alexander suspects that a monster wave might occur in a year or two. So, you better not join any search missions assigned by the Town Administration." Shirley's words were pretty serious.

"No wonder Lord Alexander is coming to our town frequently these days."

At that moment, Raven suddenly recalled Zera's earlier words and soon asked in confusion.

"Aunt, what is a Magical Beast? Is Orc also a Magical Beast?"

A surprised expression appeared on Shirley's face.

"Where did you hear about it?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Magical Beast? What is that? I've never heard of it." Athena also showed a confused look and asked.

On the other hand, Raven felt a sharp gaze from both and decided to make up a lie.

"I saw Teacher Elizabeth talking about it with Teacher Maxwell."

"Haa, what are they thinking saying about magical Beasts in front of small kids?" Shirley touched her head and continued.

"Well, I'll explain some basics about the monsters first. So, listen carefully. You must have heard a lot about Goblins, Kobolds, Orcs, Trolls, etc, right? We call these beings monsters. Like humans and other animals, they also reproduce and multiply in masses in a short period. A pregnant Goblin can give birth to more than 10 offspring every single time. That's why they multiply endlessly and always search for a better place with more food. For them, humans are more like livestock."

"But goblins are easy to eliminate, right? But why are you saying they are the predators, Aunt?" Athena asked with a frown.

"That's where you are wrong. Unlike us, Goblins always roam in groups. Although they are evil beings who thirst for blood, they aren't mindless creatures. They are intelligent enough to hold weapons and tactics in battles. Now, among those goblins' groups, there must always be a leader. We call those goblins mutated ones or Magical Beasts. Unlike the other goblins, they are not only physically as strong as Elite Knights and could even use mysterious skills. For example, there is a strange Goblin Creature that appeared 20 years ago that invaded a town called 'Azmar' and used a powerful bloodline Magic to annihilate thousands of people. If I'm not wrong, the Spade Family still preserved its corpse in the City's Museum after defeating it."

"Bloodline Magic?" This time, it was Raven who asked in an excited tone.

"Even I don't know much about this bloodline Magic. But what I know is that unique Goblin was far more powerful than any Elite Knight and needed two Radiant Knights and an Official Wizard to eliminate it. People call those beings' Magical Monsters' or 'Magical Beasts.' I heard there are different levels of Magical Beasts, but common people like us don't need to worry much about it." Shirley stopped talking as she saw Raven had already started yawning and decided to stop.

"If I explain in detail, our little master might end up sleeping before even finishing his dinner." She let out a chuckle and focused on the food.

"He still has homework to do, Aunt," Athena said as she looked at Raven with a side glance.

"Y-Yes." Upon mentioning homework, Raven instantly woke up from a sober state and started to eat faster.

After dinner, Athena helped Raven with his homework, patiently explaining concepts and answering his questions. As they worked, Raven's mind wandered to the mysterious book in the Memory Library.

Once the homework was done, Athena suggested they read some stories before bedtime. Raven reluctantly agreed, and they settled into a cozy corner of the living room with a few books from their small collection. Athena chose a storybook, and Raven slowly leaned on her lap and started listening to the story of a Knight's journey.

But he fell asleep in her lap before Athena could tell the whole story.