Curiosity killed the cat.

Yes, curiosity. Every living being at least has this basic urge on their mind. Even if the object of their curiosity is the one that will endanger them, threaten them. To satisfy their knowledge thirst, they can’t help but fell for it.

And in this situation, it killed a fox.

At least metaphorically.

“…again.” I repeat this word for the tenth times. I wiped the dirt which was clinging persistently to my face.

Right now I was outside of the bustling town. Though, not too far from it since I can still hear the merchant shouting on top of their lung, but the place is desolate enough to serve my purpose. My eyes wander to the mess in front of me. It seems I had bitten more than I can chew.

Llna was panting hard from the fatigue, her thin arms stretched out in front of her, her palms were pointing at a nearby tree. And the tree was messed up till even I felt pity for it. Only a little though.

The tree bark had holes with various size drilled inside of it. The ground beneath the tree was filled with leaves dropped from the tree branches. While I was wondering how long this helpless tree could last, a thud sound brings my attention back to Llna.

She was sitting on the ground, her blue twin tails flowing beside her like a moving river.

“Give up already?” I walked to beside her and plopped down to the ground. I sat cross-legged while she was glaring at me quite intensely.

“Rest. Mana. Stupid.” She spoke between her unregulated breaths and somehow still managed to insert an insult.

I nodded my head indicating my understanding, it seems she needs to replenish her Mana. While I was waiting for her to catch her breath, various thought was clashing in my head.

I admit the reason I decided to help her was on impulse, and her special condition perked my curiosity too. My mind wanders back into the past, to when Cirdan informed me about my cursed Mana. Since then I have combed the whole library for information.

The cursed one, or Elise Curse, where one Mana is corrupted and deformed. Apparently, the curse infected when you touched the Elise artifact, the Mad Prophet who had attempted to destroy the world five hundred years ago. But I don't really remember touching something able to curse me. Or things that are scream ‘dangerous’.

My hand slipped into my pants pocket, I grabbed the necklace I received from the elder before. I already gave it to Cirdan to examine it, but he said it was just an ordinary necklace.

And for a curse of this caliber, the information about it sure is scarce, or more exactly, the information about Elise is shrouded in mystery. As if someone trying to cover up the history. How strange.

I wonder if I go to a different library, will I get a complete information?

From the little information I gained, Elise had a dark affinity, the same as this girl in front of me, which was staring at me with her eyebrows frowned. Oops, it seems I had stared at her far too long.

"Sorry." She suddenly apologized, which puzzled me for a second. Her blue eyes gazed at my burnt hand, and understanding came into me.

"No worries, really, I underestimated the Mana recoil, so this is what I get. And the burn is not that bad, it isn't even hurting now." I waved my slightly burned left arm in front of me. She stared at it for a while.

This second-degree burn was caused by my arrogance. I told her to cast magic on the tree while I prepared the barrier. Turn out, the normal barrier isn't enough. The recoil by the out of control Mana was greater than I expected. Of course, I didn't let any harm fell to Llna, but the tiny explosion burned a bit of my palm, and bits of dirt's splatted to my face.

"...Why didn't you use healing magic? With your skill and all that, I doubt that priest didn't teach you any healing spell." That priest? Ooh, she means Mira.

"Actually, I can't cast any healing spell." I shrugged my shoulder helplessly.

"Huh? Why?" Llna tilted her head to the side, her long tied hair followed her head.

"Who knows? I tried it many times, but the moment I cast the healing spell, nothing happens." I had my own theory about it, but since it's only a speculation, I didn't say it to her. I stood up from my sitting position and stretched my body. My eyes looked down to Llna.

"Well, how about we end it today? Its afternoon now, we can continue it tomorrow, let's find something to eat." I reached my hands toward her. She stared at my hand for a few seconds, before she placed her tiny palm on my hand. I pulled her up and she mumbled a soft "Thanks".

We walked to the town while chatting on the way, I asked her a few questions while we were looking at the food markets. My stomach has been protesting since some time ago, my metabolism seems has been quicker since I transformed into a beastman.

"Llna, what do you know about Elise?" My eyes scanning the delicious food sprawl in front of me, ranging from meat skewer, baked goods, candy, and other exotic looking things, there still a lot of things I haven't tried it yet.

"Le..Let go..." Her voice was so soft that it was drowned in this crowded market.

"Hmm? What did you say again?" I turned my head to Llna and found her face was red like a tomato.

"Your hand, let it go, I can walk by myself." She raised her voice this time, but her eyes didn't meet mine.

"If I didn't do this then, you will have lost in the crowd and we will be separated, no?" A tint of amusement seeped into my voice. I was holding her hand this whole time, but she only complained now. Did holding her hand shocked her this much?

"I... I'm not going to get lost in the crowd! I'm not a kid!" Her embarrassment was mixed with a bit of anger.

You are a kid though

"Well, if you hate it that much, fine then." I casually released my grip on her hand. She sighed with relief as if holding hand with me is something to abhor to.

We are weaving through the crowd, searching the perfect snack to satisfy our stomach, then I suddenly remember the question I want to ask before, I turned my head to Llna to ask her again, instead of the blue-haired girl I was talking just a moment ago, was gone, disappeared from my vision. I looked to left and right, still didn't find her in my sight.

"...How troublesome." I sighed, I just told her and she still lost in the end.

Searching her in this crowd will be a pain, and definitely will take a long time. I calmed my breaths and closed my eyes. The crowded market disappeared from my vision, replaced with utter darkness. The sound of people chatting and muttering slowly dimmed down. Then I can finally 'feel' it.

All things have Mana inhabited in it, whether it was a living being or nonliving one. And sometimes, the elementals attached to them, giving the Mana color and shape. I learned this sensing trick a few days ago. Clumps of Mana gathered around me, all of them have various color, various size, various shape, going past me and on. I expanded my sense more, and I finally found it. A hazy black colored Mana was surrounded by a group of small-sized Mana. A sharp but clear green colored Mana was standing slightly forward than the group.

I opened my eyes. My vision and hearing are back to normal. A slight migraine was haunting my head, an after effect of taking in too much information, but it’s worth it. I have found the girl I had been searching for, but it seems she has some company, and it’s definitely not friendly. I had befriended a trouble magnet, didn’t I?

I quicken my pace, my feet took me to a small alley, or more exactly a small space between two buildings. When I arrived at my destination, I was greeted by the scene of five girls, three of them had a nasty smile on their faces, the other one had a more serious, frowning face. They are encircling a little girl with her body drenched wet from head to toe.

It was Cevillia with her gang and Llna.

“Don’t you think this is a very childish behavior, Cevillia?” I spoke out loud, gaining their attention immediately. Cevillia turned her head toward me and glared in annoyance.

“…Why are you here?... Are you her friend?” She completely ignored my previous taunting words and asked me instead. But someone answered her question first before I managed to.

“He isn’t my friend.” Llna answered back with flat expression plastered on her face.

“She is my friend.” I could saw Llna twitched at my remark. I take a step forward, and they take a step back, except Cevillia.

“Your father won’t like seeing you bullying a defenseless person, you know?” I bring up her father since it’s the quickest way to end this.

Cevillia taut expression falters, she clicked her tongue and walk away without saying anything. Her friends scurried behind her in a hurry. I walked to Llna, now only two of us stood in this forgotten alley.

“…They will target you now.” Llna spoke with her head tilted down.

“I will be fine, Cevillia seems hell-bent on making you suffer, and do you know the reason?” I took out my handkerchief and give it to her, she silently received it and wipe her drenched face.

“You are too easygoing… never mind, I doubt they can hurt or do anything to you.” She sighed.

“Yes, you are right, good insight Llna.” I nodded sagely. She glared at my praise.

“… And for the reason, I think it’s because I hurt Mr. Cirdan, her father hand when my magic was out of control.” She stared at my slightly burn arm. Huh, so Cirdan suffered the same fate as me.

“Thank you.” Llna face was covered with my handkerchief, her expression was hidden beneath the cloth.

“For saving you or being your friend?” A rare smile formed on my face, seeing her like this somehow warmed my heart.

She peeked from the handkerchief which was still covering her face. Her blue eyes glared at me. Like a kitten trying its best to scare people with its tiny fang. Before she could answer me back. A new person entered this alley.

“Hiiro? What are you doing here?”

Both of us turned our head in synch. I immediately recognized the person standing in front of me. And that very person seems to be not alone.

“Sol? What are you looki.. Hiiro?” Mira popped up behind Sol, she stared at me bewildered, and then her gaze slowly moving to Llna, she gasped.

“Oh my, what happened? You are drenched wet!” Mira immediately moved to Llna side, she took off her cloak and put it at Llna body.

“Come, let's get you changed, or you will get cold later.” Mira pulled Llna, which was in a bewildered state by things happening in quick succession.

Then they are gone, as swiftly as wind.

“Uh, I think it would be better to follow them first. We can talk later.” Sol scratched his head, he had a wry smile on his face.

I nodded my head. Then off we follow, when we arrived at the house, Mira dragged Llna to her room and ordered us to prepare hot milk for Llna. After the hot drink was ready, we were waiting for them while sitting on the dining chair.

“What are you guys doing in the town?” I was making small talk while sipping my special chilled milk. Sol cup has chilled by my magic too. He seemed to love it.

“Well, the festival is getting near, so we are buying the necessities at the market and getting ready for it… but! The most important thing is…” He stopped talking at the critical point and spread his arms wide, adding the dramatic effect. A big grin formed on his face.

“Out with it already.” I sighed at his antic.

“He he he, I, Sol Nierheart, finally got my adventurer card!!” He pulled out a card from his pockets and pushed it at my face excitedly like a child, sometimes, I felt Llna was more mature than this guy.

I grabbed the card from his hand and gazed at it. The card was rectangle shaped and seem to be made from metal, or at least something similar to it. There are words inscribed on the card. Name, birthplace, guild rank and job class, behind the card, have the Adventure Guild symbol etched into it.

What interested me is the birthplace column. It wrote ‘Whirleis, Druantia’. Druantia is the name this kingdom I currently reside in, and if I’m not wrong, Whirleis is the capital name.

So the Nierheart siblings came from the capital huh

While I was pondering about this new information, Sol shout wakes me up from thought.

“Ha! Elsoul must be gritting his teeth right now, since I passed the test quicker than him!” His grin turned even wider than before.

“Well, you get your card, congrats, then what are you going to do now?” I give him back the card, which he promptly took it back with care and slipped back into his pocket.

“Adventure of course!! With this, I can officially accept the guild quest and earn money with it. I can wander the world, became stronger, and know by people as the strongest adventurer!” He was standing with his hands raised high, his eyes were shining brightly like a child.

“I see.” I nodded my head.

“And you will come with me!” He pointed his finger at me.

“Huh?” I was confused by his word, never would I thought that I will get an invitation to travel the world from him.

“Well, looking at you, I doubt you had any plan for the future, so why don’t we travel together?” Sol asked me with a toothy smile on his face.

He is right, I don’t really have a concrete plan for the future. My current plan consists of getting stronger until I was able to defend myself from the monster, but…

“Why me? I’m just a kid you saved half a month ago.” I tilted my head and my tail swished to the left and right.

“Just a kid huh, well then, you are a kid that able to kill a C rank monster alone, that speak the volume of your power, and also..” He raised an eyebrow and scoffed at me, somehow the news of my morning fight already traveled to him. He walked to my side and patted my head.

“We may be only know each other for two weeks, but you are my friend, I can trust my back to you, not just anybody, but you. You are a bit paranoid, cold looking on the outside, but I know that you are kind, a person who would protect his friend when they are in danger.” He beamed a nonchalant bright smile while talking these cheesy words to me. Even if I didn’t agree with some of his words, I still felt a bit embarrassed, affected by his words.

I didn’t know how to react in this situation so I just keep silent, letting him pat my head as he pleased. Sol may don’t have the most remarkable face, but he sure has a remarkable charisma. Someday, in the future, surely many people will gather around him.

Probably.

“Ah! Since you joined the guild quest, you must have an adventurer card already, show me!” He stopped petting me and quickly urged me to show my adventurer card, which I indeed have it.

I pulled the card I had in my pocket, the card gleamed in the light. The moment my card entered his vision, he widened his emerald eyes and mouth hanging open, he was in the state of shock.

“Tha, That bright green color, that’s a C rank card! How in the world…. I know you managed to defeat a C rank monster but the promotion shouldn’t be this damn quick….” He raised his voice and slowly became mutter in the end.

“I already at C rank when I got this card you know?” I smiled playfully at him while waved my card in his face.

“Shit, I only managed to jump to E rank…” He stared at his own dark green colored card.

“Well, better than the lowest, G rank isn’t?” I consoled him, but seem to only fuel his bitterness.

“Uggghhh…., hearing you said that only made me angry somehow. Just you wait, I definitely will surpass you!” He clenched his fist and trembled with determination.

Mira room door suddenly opened, we turned our head to see the two female walking out from the room. Llna have changed her clothes, but the very person seems to be hiding behind Mira skirt. Mira pushed Llna gently out to the open, where her blushing face and clothes are bare for us to see.

She was wearing a blue colored crochet with her belly button revealed open, a long patterned skirt with a slit on both side, baring her leg out. She wears bracelets and anklets on her limbs, all of her accessories had strips of colorful cloth attached to it. An antler-like horn was attached at her head, with a black shawl draped over it. Overall, it has a very traditional feeling clothes.

“Ta-da! The festival maiden garment! She looks adorable right?” Mira puffed her chest up, proud of her work.

“Wow, you look really nice in it!” Sol complimented Llna and nodded in agreement with her sister words.

“But why the festival clothes?” I asked her, fueled by my curiosity.

“Well, I found it went I rummage the old clothes I had, and since I have a perfect model here… he he, but never mind about that, what do you think about the clothes Hiiro?” She smiled innocently and expertly nudged the conversation to else.

I stared at the transformed girl in front me, usually, she has a daunting and sharp aura around her, but right now she is reduced to fidgeting, bashful girl by the clothes she didn’t accustom wearing.

“You look cute Llna.” I complimented her.

She seems startled by my remark. Her eyes gazed at the ground intensely, then suddenly she turned her body and ran toward the room. But she stopped by Mira before she touched the wooden door.

“Ugh, let me go priest, I want to change back to my clothes!” Llna struggled in Mira grip futilely.

“Wait! You can’t change before Hiiro changes his clothes!” Mira spoke to Llna while maintaining her grip on Llna shoulder.

Suddenly I have a very strong urge to leave this place.

“Uh, I think I don’t need to change my clothes.” I was glancing at her with suspicion in my eyes.

“I found another child festival garment, I think it will suit you very well!!” The excitement was evident on her face, she was hugging Llna tightly now. Llna stopped struggling, she has given up and acceptance could be seen on her face.

Ugh, it seems I couldn’t escape this one…, fine, it's not like it will getting worse than this.

“…Sis, I don’t remember I ever had a festival garment before…” Sol asked her sister, confused.

“Hmm? What are you saying? Of course, it was mine!” Mira clapped her hand together and beamed a smile at me.

...

Damn it.