Kevin stared at the child in a daze. He was about to snicker at the child’s attempt in trying to be an adult, but common sense struck him. 

Get your head together, Kevin, this is another world. I shouldn’t really take this lightly. Maybe what the child said is right. He might be an adult.

The raised eyebrows were misunderstood by Streev. 

“Huh, now you feel the fear upon my worthy adult status,” said Streev. A bit of a stretch for someone to flexed regarding their adult status.

Streev grinned, showing the full front row of his teeth. For the first time, someone finally took him seriously regarding him being an adult.

Streev held the stick with both of his hands facing Kevin with his feet shoulder-width apart. He was readied to face the notorious human that soaked the continent in the flame of war. 

“Okay, I’m sorry for assuming you’re a kid,” said Kevin. His hands raised up in the air showing his palms.

Streev cocked his head as he didn’t quite understand why a human behaving like this. From the stories and rumors, humans were known to be barbaric and ill-nature, not a person who apologized.

“Are you sure you’re human?” Streev asked. His arms relaxed as it fell to his sides. The was a trace of uncertainty on his face.

“I am, and you still didn’t answer why the hamster…” 

“Hamastra!” Streev corrected Kevin.

“Sorry, my fault,” Kevin said, showing his two palms. “So why is the Hamastra here in Edelstein?” 

Streev looked down as the smile he had turned upside down. 

“Mother said the humans were about to invade our home, my whole family ran away,” said Streev.

Kevin, who listened, could not help but felt sadness over the fate of this boy and his family. The atrocity of his fellow earthling really made him felt ashamed of himself.

The little Hamastra adult found a boulder and took a seat. His legs swayed around slowly with his eyes still looking down.

Kevin stumbled upon a bump. He never dealt with such a situation. Even his way of giving condolence was as simple as a little pat.

He sat beside Streev while figuring out what to say.

“While we ran, we stumbled upon a group of fleeing alvas. They took us in and now we’re here,” said Streev.

“I see, but why are you living so far from the alvas?” Kevin asked.

“Those long ears don’t really like others, the one that helps us was a kind one,” said Streev.

“I see,” the only two words Kevin could mutter.

The silence between the two prevailed. Kevin was bad at this. He wasn’t much of a smooth talker. His little walk brought to a rather unexpected outcome. Consoling a boy… an adult Hamastra was more difficult when compared to enduring the hellish amount of arcane pain.

“You know, you’re not like the humans in the rumors,” said Streev. “In fact, I’ve never seen a human before.”

Streev glanced at Kevin, eyeing him up and down.

“You don’t look that different from us,” said Streev.

“Why? Are humans supposed to be different? You think we have a horn or something?” asked Kevin, curious by that little probe.

“Mother said that humans are devilish, with their nails like Tigrion, eyes like the Beholder, tongue like the venomous Tetromander,” said Streev.

“Well, that sounds disgustingly evil,” said Kevin. The description of humans was far from reality. It was the art of propaganda, a lie in a form of scary stories told to instilled unneeded hate, but in this case, it might be justified.

“Mother lied to me, like always,” said Streev. His solemn voice held his disappointment. 

“Like she always lied to me, lie that I can never be a knight,” said Streev.

Wow, this is getting more complicated. I think I made the wrong choice of taking a walk. I should have just swung a sword or something. Should I say something? Heck, I might as well try anything.

“Buddy,” said Kevin.

Okay, that’s a poor choice of word. Who the hell call someone else 'buddy' in this world.

Kevin tapped Streev by the shoulder. He thought about rubbing it in like people always do but doing it to a stranger that he just met was kind of weird.

“Trust me Streev, if your dream is to be a knight, pursue it and never back down. Don’t let others bring you down, you yourself decide your own future,” said Kevin.

Under that stoic expression, deep inside, he was rather impressed by himself. 

I never knew I can speak like that.

“You’re right,” said Streev. 

Kevin saw the light. He was about to be pleased by his accomplishment of encouraging another person. Yet reality had a few ways in breaking his anticipation.

“Mother didn’t lie to me, she was right, and I knew it all along, I just can’t accept it. I can’t be a knight, I can never be one because of who I am,” said Streev as the Hamastra’s heart sunk even deeper.

Wait, what? Why is he getting more depressed? Did I say something wrong? This isn’t how it’s supposed to go.

“No Streev, you just need to believe in yourself. You can do it, everything in life is possible if you put your mind to it,” Kevin said. Hoping to boost the confidence of this Hamastra.

“No Mr.Human, you don’t understand. Us Hamastra have a heavy penalty on us,” said Streev.

“Penalty?” Kevin confused.

“Our race itself put a huge penalty on us,” said Streev. 

“What?” Kevin couldn’t understand. 

How can a race be the detriment factor of its own self? Is it even logical?

“Hamastra are known to be a weak race, the law of the world dictates us to be inferior in three attributes. Strength, vitality, and intelligence,” said Streev.

Kevin, who heard it could only have his mouth turned into an ‘O’. 

Woah, that is harsh.