Side Story - The Melancholy of Spring and the Little Nymph # 9

Young Paranoy, with the nature-friendly senses unique to a Nymph, detected that I possessed magic power.

"Teach me... magic-. Then I, Paranoy, will become useful. You'll be able to sell me at the market, ahjussi. Right?"

Does he want to raise his own market value?

Rather than actually wanting to be sold at a market, it's likely the young Nymph's own little scheme to squeeze out some useful information from me.

So Paranoy was the type who knew how to use clever tricks even from a young age.

Of course, to me, who is well-acquainted with the older Paranoy's bullshit and scams, this was nothing more than child's play, but I decided to play along and pretend to be fooled.

"I see, Nymphs who can use magic do fetch a higher price. They even make excellent materials for wands. Well then, shall I teach you some simple magic?"

Actually, I don't know much about magic.

The level of magic I can teach is limited to the very basics.

"Like this, if you gather magic power in your palm, it becomes a sphere of light. You can light up the inside of a cave with this. And, if you keep rubbing it with your palm, you can start a fire."

I lit a campfire inside the cave.

How to create a flame.

I take pride in the fact that knowing just this can play a very reassuring role when living alone in nature.

Before becoming a slave, back in my days as a man of nature, I, Hassan, received quite a bit of help from flames and torches.

But Paranoy narrowed his eyes as if he wasn't satisfied.

"Any Nymph can do this kind of stuff! Not this, but something like a Fireball. Or Frost Blast, don't you have those? Powerful magic-!"

"Powerful magic, huh-."

Young Paranoy has quite the academic passion for magic. Certainly, knowing one or two offensive spells would be helpful for survival.

"Then, how about this."

I drew a pentagram on the ground and placed the pheasant bones Paranoy had left over on top of it.

"Why the bones? What are you doing?"

"Just watch. Now, if I drop some blood like this-."

And as I dropped my blood, the thing soon creaked its joints-eudeuk-eudeuk-and stood up just as it had when it was alive.

Seeing that, Paranoy shouted.

"Ahjussi, you were a black magician-. You were a necromancer. Mom told me that necromancy is something super dangerous-."

You know about necromancy? You're quite smart for a kid.

"It is dangerous. Every weapon, every magic is dangerous. But, if it's you, Paranoy, I'm sure you'll be able to handle it well without it being dangerous."

I firmly instructed Paranoy to practice well the things I had taught him today.

"If you just review the things I taught you today, you will surely become a more capable and useful Nymph than anyone else. Then, you can be sold at the market."

"...."

He didn't answer, but it seemed he liked necromancy, as he kept drawing pentagrams and hexagrams on the ground.

"Well then, let's sleep for today. Tomorrow, I'll teach you how to distinguish between drinkable and undrinkable water."

"I, Paranoy, am a Nymph-. I know that much-! You're just saying that to trick me and sell me to the humans-!"

"Think whatever you want. Anyway, I'm going to repair the fence a bit and then sleep."

After making a bunch of defensive walls with sharp wood at the cave entrance, I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes.

"Deureoreong-."

When I slightly opened my eyes while intentionally snoring to pretend I was asleep, Paranoy chuckled after checking if I was awake or sleeping.

"Stupid human. You think I, Paranoy, will be sold at a market? I'll use necromancy to give you a piece of my mind later-."

After muttering that, he began to draw a bunch of pentagrams on the ground.

Of course, as is common with drawings by a child who has just learned how to draw stars, they were crooked as could be.

"It's not working well-. Should I try drawing it straight by using a stick?"

Then, by using a straight wooden stick like a ruler, he became able to draw fairly decent figures.

"Good-."

Paranoy, who continued to draw stars on the cave floor until morning, finally succeeded in necromancy only when stars equivalent to a decent constellation appeared on the floor.

What he brought back to life was a small squirrel bone.

When the squirrel bone stood up inside the magic circle and climbed onto Paranoy's palm, the young Paranoy shouted as if he were very happy.

"Ooh-! Look at this-! It's mov-."

Then he covered his mouth while glancing at me. It seemed he wanted to keep it a secret from me. He probably thought of it as a trump card to use against me.

I decided to wake up, rubbing my eyes and pretending I had just woken up naturally.

"Ugh, what, what's going on."

At that, Paranoy hurriedly scrambled and messed up the magic circles drawn on the floor.

"It's nothing-! Mheuheu, mheuheuheut-!"

That sinister laugh has been consistent since he was a child.

Anyway, since I'm up, I have to plan the day's tasks again. Because the time I can spend with this Paranoy is limited.

"Today, I'll teach you how to make traps. If you make a trap, you can catch the birds we ate yesterday yourself."

"You mean the pheasant!"

"Yeah. Now, you weave flexible wood like this to make a basket. If making a basket is hard, you can use a flat stone slab."

"...."

Seuk, seukseuk.

Paranoy followed my actions well without a word.

It could even be said that Paranoy's attitude toward learning had improved compared to the previous days.

He must have gained confidence after succeeding in necromancy.

"After catching and scattering feed or insects that birds like, you prop the basket up with a stick and connect it with a string. If you wait... a bird will come."

"It's not coming?"

"You have to wait a long time. Well then, let's set this up here, and since there's a stream nearby, I'll teach you how to catch fish too."

The way Paranoy catches fish is simple. If he just dips his finger in the water, the fish bite hard, thinking it's a small earthworm or something.

"Stupid fish, caught another one-! Look-! I caught a bunch of fish-! I, Paranoy, am useful-!"

"Yeah, that's impressive."

"Ahjussi-! Look at this-! A pheasant got caught in the hunting trap I, Paranoy, made-! Since I really put bugs in there, a bird got caught inside-!"

Pudeudeok, pudeudeudeok-.

━Kkwiiiiiiing, kkwiiiiiiing.

Paranoy was surprisingly strong in practice.

Before I knew it, he was at a level where he could easily catch a bird by himself. Of course, there were many clumsy points, but now he wouldn't have to starve alone.

"Well done."

I stroked Paranoy's head and praised him.

"Don't touch me-!"

Of course, young Paranoy hated me stroking his head. What an unfriendly fellow.

Like that, we spent each day eating together, rolling in the mud, and getting stung by bees and beehives falling from trees.

As we lived like that, time flew by in an instant.

"Ahjussi, so, what are you going to teach me tomorrow? Are you going to teach me how to catch pheasants again? Huh? What are we doing tomorrow?"

Paranoy, who was wary of me at first, now followed me well like an ahjussi from next door who gives out pocket money.

His face, full of anticipation as he asked what we'd do tomorrow, was cute enough to make me want to give him a playful noggin.

This must be the innocence that cannot be felt from the grown-up Paranoy.

In fact, he and I were originally quick to become close. It was natural for us to become close even if we met in such an unfamiliar environment.

However, a week had already passed.

The time in the past that had been given to me was almost up.

As the God of Space-Time, I instinctively felt that if I continued to stay in the past like this, the axis of the future and the world might become distorted.

Leaving young Paranoy alone in this cave was a regrettable thing.

But I couldn't be tied down here forever.

I looked at the setting sun and said to Paranoy.

"Tomorrow's lesson is about meetings and partings. Paranoy-ssi. As you live, you will surely meet someone. And the day will come when you have to part. I am leaving for tomorrow. Today is the last lesson."

"Wh-what does that mean? Leaving-!"

Paranoy asked as if he were startled. But that panic was brief as he grabbed and pulled on my pants.

"Take me, Paranoy, too-! I learned hard. I'm good at fishing, and yesterday I caught a pheasant by myself-."

"...."

"I'm a useful Nymph-! Take me too-! Sell me at the market-! I'm confident I'll work hard-! I won't complain about the side dishes, and I won't say I want a doll-. Take me too-!"

It seemed Paranoy hated the thought of having to be left alone again in the terrible and silent cave. Enough to say he wanted to follow a human hunter.

I desperately wanted to take the crying fellow with me.

But then, the Paranoy of the future that I know would disappear. Many things might change.

I had to push him away with a somewhat cold feeling. So I made up a reasonable excuse that only a cowardly adult would use.

"No. You're too small for me to take. As I thought, it was hard to increase your size to be useful in just a week. I just wasted my time."

"I'm... small?"

"Yeah. You're small. For you to follow me, hmm-. Let's see. Yeah-. You have to be at least this big."

Seureuk-.

I pulled out the dagger at my waist and drew a line on the cave wall.

I could see Paranoy's face fill with sorrow at the height, which was two heads taller than the tiny Nymph who had barely reached 1m.

"You have to be at least this big to be called a useful Nymph."

"Geuu...."

Paranoy measured his body against the line. Of course, he was nowhere near it.

"...."

His lips twitched as if he had something to say, but Paranoy soon covered himself with the leather blanket and lay down. He must have been sulking.

But it couldn't be helped.

It couldn't be helped.

Because if there's a meeting, there's naturally a parting.

But was it a bit too cruel to part again with me, whom he had grown attached to, for a young Nymph who was already grieving the parting with his mother who might never return?

So I decided to draw pictures for Paranoy.

I was drawing pictures on the cave wall so that Paranoy could easily review and understand my teachings.

So to speak, it's a textbook drawn like a fairy tale so that young Nymphs can survive the world. So that even if I'm not here, he can somehow survive by looking at these pictures.

With friendly pictures that even a young Nymph who doesn't know letters can easily understand.

And once the pictures are all drawn, I should take care of a few ferocious Monsters inhabiting the area.

Since I had already scouted out which monsters might threaten young Nymphs while wandering around these past few days. I will deal with the monsters once Paranoy falls asleep-.

It was when I had made up my mind like that.

Seureureuk-.

Before I knew it, I realized that I had fallen asleep. It seemed fatigue had accumulated after living for a week without distinction between day and night.

"I was going to fuck up the Monsters. It's late."

MnZBMElkRjFKc3ZCR0RiWklQRlA5WlZINzRaZThhUzZ1cnMyS01IbEgxWlI4YWZZblFRMzgvTjE4TFFrNS9XNQ

So as I hurriedly packed my things and tried to head outside the cave. I saw that the bed where Paranoy should have been sleeping was empty.

Late dawn.

Young Paranoy had disappeared.

I didn't know where he went or what he was trying to do, but my only thought was that I had to stop him before a great danger befell him.

Although I had trained Paranoy to survive in this forest alone, that was strictly a story for when the sun was up.

The night and dawn when the moon rose must have been an extremely Nymph-hating environment for a young Nymph.

━Geueaaaak-!

Just then, a terrible scream reached my ears. I kicked off the ground and traversed the forest as if flying.

At the place I headed to, I saw a young Nymph engaged in a desperate struggle with a strange feline monster under the moonlight.

━You brat-! So you're the young Nymph wandering the forest lately-! Why do you covet the Emerald Forget-Me-Not guarded by this body, the Sphinx-! To even use ominous necromancy-!

"Because I'm a useful Nymph-! Because I have to prove that I'm useful-!"

It was a Sphinx. Its size was a bit different from the one I had seen before; this one seemed like a younger individual. But even a young Sphinx was too much for young Paranoy to handle.

However, the two were engaged in a fierce battle.

━Kkwiiiiing, kkwiiiiing-!

━Geureuaaaaueu-!

It was thanks to the corpses of birds, bears, and wolves that Paranoy had brought back to life with necromancy, which were double-teaming the Sphinx.

Of course, the Sphinx didn't go down easily either.

━Necromancy consumes a lot of magic power-! No matter how hard you try to revive them, it's over once I take them all down-! Forepaw strike-!

Chwaaaaa-.

Ppagak-. Ususususu-.

When it struck the skeletal beasts with its forepaw, the skeletons collapsed like a crumbling sandcastle.

But Paranoy's skeletal beasts were surprisingly persistent.

━What-!? They keep resurrecting-!? Necromancy should consume a lot of magic power!

As the Sphinx said, necromancy consumes a lot of magic power. However, Paranoy was originally a Nymph who possessed exceptionally large magic power even among Nymphs.

To the point where he was hired as an apprentice follower of Pluto simply because his magic capacity was high.

"Hurry, hurry up and fall-!"

━Geuaat-! To think that I, the master of the southern forest, the Sphinx, would fall to this useless Nymph-! Geuaaaat-!

"Hurry...."

However, it was Paranoy's side that collapsed on the ground. No matter how much magic power he possessed, necromancy was a high-level magic that was difficult to handle with a child's strength.

"Ugh...."

━Heuhahahat-! I, I won-! Nymph brat, I'll swallow you in one gulp-!

Just as the Sphinx was about to strike its forepaw down toward the sprawled-out Paranoy. I quickly sprang out and kicked its body with all my might.

"Get lost, you punk."

━Ke-eng-!

With that, the Sphinx flew far away. It soon regained its senses and, upon seeing me, began to tremble violently.

━S-strong divinity-. Which god are you...? Was the young Nymph your companion Nymph? I'm sorry, I didn't know anything....

It seemed the Sphinx had detected that I was a god with its beastly intuition. But there was no telling what would happen if I revealed my identity.

I decided to tell a reasonable lie.

"I am the God of Nymphs. The god who protects Nymphs. I do not tolerate beasts that torment Nymphs."

━I, I have committed a mortal sin.... But, I also have to eat to live, and I have to protect this precious Emerald Forget-Me-Not.... Just spare my life-! I'll do anything-!

The Sphinx lay flat and wailed. Feeling a bit sorry for it, I stroked my chin as if contemplating and said.

"That's true. I'll forgive you. Instead, you must protect the young Nymphs in this forest from now on."

━The Nymphs?

"Yeah. Something like an altar to protect Nymphs will be built on this land. Someday, you will become the gatekeeper there. As the representative of the God of Nymphs, fulfill your role from now on."

━Ooh-! Suddenly, magic power is overflowing into me-! My intelligence, my intelligence is rising even more...! I've become a spiritual creature bestowed with the magic of a god...!

The Sphinx was making weird noises. Leaving it behind, I took the Emerald Forget-Me-Not in my hand and picked up Paranoy.

I have to take him back to the cave.

With that feeling, I carried the half-conscious Paranoy on my back toward the cave.

"Mom-. Mom.... Where are you.... I'll be good-. Come back, Mom...."

Paranoy seemed to be dreaming of his mother. When he opens his eyes, I will no longer exist in this time period.

So, to save even a little bit of time, I slowly opened my mouth toward Paranoy.

"Paranoy-ssi, it's okay to be cowardly. It's okay to lie. It's okay to use others-."

"...I hate being alone-. It's dark and scary...."

"Just stay alive. If you just stay alive, someday you'll have many friends. You'll be able to meet your mother. You will someday become the most famous Nymph in the world."

"Really...?"

"Yeah. I promise. I swear on the River Styx. And, remember the Son of Pluto who will come someday. Wait for that man. Eat well. Sleep well...."

"Liar-. I, Paranoy, don't believe in promises. Give me proof. Proof...."

When I set Paranoy down in the cave we arrived at, he whined with difficulty as if he instinctively realized that the time we could spend together was running out.

"Proof-."

Looking around, I decided to make proof out of the fish bones, animal skins, fur, and cotton scattered on the floor.

It was a doll that resembled Paranoy.

Since I was confident in my handiwork, a decent stuffed doll was made in just a few minutes. I placed it in Paranoy's arms and said.

"When you someday grow as tall as that line, and become a smart and wonderful Nymph who knows all the letters. We will be able to meet again, Paranoy."

"Liar-."

"Until then, this doll will protect you. Since I've infused it with plenty of my magic power, you'll be able to defeat most Monsters with just this doll."

"Liar.... You're not coming back. Just like Mom, everyone is leaving me. It's because I, because I'm useless-! Because I-! I can even do necromancy-. I catch birds by myself, and I'm good at catching fish...."

Young Paranoy's voice grew increasingly faint.

To be precise, my body was becoming faint.

It seemed I was returning to my original timeline.

I decided to take action for the grieving Paranoy.

What I held in my hand was the Emerald Forget-Me-Not.

Its flower language is 'Warm Oblivion'.

Hoping that sad memories would disappear and only useful information would remain, I plucked the petals and scattered them as powder.

Like that, young Paranoy's voice eventually became inaudible-.

When I opened my eyes, what I saw were various broken pieces of furniture and the interior of the cave, which had become a terrible mess.

"Ugh, a bump has appeared on this body, Doris's forehead-! Igno-ya, are you okay?"

"I'm okay...."

It seems I've returned to the time when we were caught in something like a large explosion.

I looked around. There, Paranoy, holding a very worn-out doll, was looking at it with eyes that were somehow nostalgic and sad.

I spoke toward him.

"Paranoy-ya-."

"This Paranoy, in the meantime, has grown tall, learned magic, and become able to know letters...! I have become a useful Nymph...!"

"Is that so?"

"There were plenty of lonely times, but-. Even if I don't remember well, there was a warm memory somewhere-. I've endured it somehow...!"

"Well done. You did well. Truly-."

Seuk, seueueuk-.

I stroked his head just as I had praised young Paranoy. Unlike young Paranoy, the grown Paranoy does not reject my hand or anything.

He said.

"This Paranoy has gained plenty of friends-. And I am truly becoming the most famous Nymph in this world...!"

Kkuuuk.

Paranoy just tightly gripped the old doll.

It was a doll already covered in handprints, and Paranoy was no longer naive enough to play with dolls.

But he looked quite good like that.

Then, Paranoy dropped tears drop by drop from his large orange eyes.

"Hassan-nim, it's a promise from 16 years ago that I can't even remember now-. But today, just for this moment, may I rejoice in our reunion after 5,800 days...?"