Elkend whistled happily as he strolled up the streets of Artitus, weaving out and in-between the passerbys' as he didn't bump into anymore them.

Its been a week since he and his mother had officially immigrated into the Kingdom and things were going pretty well for them.

His mother had gotten a job at the Adventurer Guild as a receptionist, and she had enrolled him up to a local school as soon as she got her first monthly payment with eagerness that could rival that of a rabbit.

Elkend couldn't honestly recuperate her enthusiasm and eagerness at the prospect of him going to school.

He had suffered enough of the hell called school in his past life, and to go through all that shit again? Oh hell no! He'd rather eat dog shit before even complying with the idea of going to school!

Unfortunately though, for all his brovado and stubbornness at declining to go to school, getting proper education—no matter how shit it was—was still within the requirements of getting a good job.

So for now, he'd have to hold in his less than stellar opinion of the education system—he has no doubt in his mind this one would still be shit, as all education systems are all over the world—until he could graduate, get a proper working job and live peacefully in a secluded part of Artitus.

Deterred by his mind unhelpfully reminding him that school would be starting in a week, Elkend stopped his stroll sighed in exasperation while glancing at the sky for a second.

His appointed curfew would end in half an hour—if he guessed how much time had passed correctly—so he should really go home, lest he gets a burning scolding from his mother that would no doubt give him a headache.

Elkend shivered in fear. His mother could somehow get ten times more scarier when angry, and he had witnessed it by his very own eyes when she was verbally tearing through the villagers for shouting at him to shut up because of his whistling.

Elkend shivered again. God forbid that all of her scoldings are in that intensity.

Renewed by the prospect of a mothers' scolding—more of a demon's scolding, really—Elkend turned into the direction of his home hastened his steps to his home.

Right as he was passing by a small alleyway, Elkend heard the very clear sound of something in between of a groan and a whimper.

A very, very distinct scared human sound that was of a child of his age, to be clear.

Already dreading the scolding he'll get by his mother for being late, Elkend rounded up to the corner of the alleyway and took a cautious peak inside.

What had greeted him was a form of physical bullying between kids—really cliche, he might add, like, honestly? Three ten-year-olds ganging up on one kid? What was this? The medieval age—?

Hold on, isn't it the medieval age, actually?

Taking a look at the horses pulling wooden wagons and caravans behind him, Elkend contemplated how in actual Hell did he contradict himself, in his thoughts no less.

Groaning in annoyance, Elkend stepped up inside the alleyway with his hands inside his pockets—an action that garnered the attention of the bullies, including the bullied person, that now that he's closer, can see both the bullied and bullies are girls.

Oh boy.

Elkend looked up from the bullied girl that was whimpering on the ground to the group of girls that had, by now stopped kicking instead to leer at him.

His expression dropped flat as he looked at them bored, only a flicker of annoyance and anger present in his eyes. "I assume you won't actually go away if I ask you to?"

The response he got was in the form of a snarl. Not that he expected something more... polite.

Elkend sighed. "Look, I really don't want any trouble with you guys, just stop bullying people and hurl away to your mommy and daddy, yeah?"

Apparently, that was the wrong course of action, since as soon as he finished the bullies bluntly started running at him—and holy shit they were actually fast.

Hastily side-stepping away from the charging girl, Elkend stuck out a foot as the nameless bully tripped and hit her face on the ground—Elkend winced in faux-sympathy as he heard the the distinct sound of the crunch of bones. Yikes, her nose is definitely broken.

Looking up from the crying girl on the ground, Elkend raised an eyebrow at the two girls that were now hesitating. Seriously, that was all that he had to do?

Quickly taking advantage of their hesitance, Elkend stepped up to them and drawled out, "I think that's enough proof that I won't hesitate to break your noses like her, hm?"

Of course, that was just him bluffing by the skin of his teeth.

As much as his past life's death and his mothers relentless training had slightly desensitized him to violence, those bullies were still just kids—heck, they probably thought they were somehow cool for bullying someone—he wouldn't break their noses. Yet.

Indeed, that was just him bluffing, but damn if it wasn't a good bluff, since as soon as the words left his mouth, the two girls paled and hastily ran to their friend that had by now stopped groaning in pain to snap a glare at him—which, Elkend might proudly declare he had returned in full force.

Once the bullies were out of sight, Elkend heaved a sigh of relief as he relaxed. He glanced at the girl that by now had stopped crying and was attempting to stand up—albeit clutching her right side with poorly conceived pain.

Elkend stuck out his right hand in a greeting with a polite smile as soon as she had stood up at full height after he helped her up, resisting the urge to bow since this wasn't Japan. "Sup, I'm Elkend, what about you?"

She stared at him for a second or so before seemingly snapping out of her daze and hastily shaking his hand in a greeting.

"S-Sorry I w-was just thinking, that's all! Uh, m-my name's Esobell!" she stuttered out.

Elkend chuckled before jabbing a thumb at the general direction the bullies have left with a smile. "How about I escort you to your house? It wouldn't hurt not to, I think."

Elkend also pointedly ignored the existential dread that's called his mother as he distantly realized that he's past curfew.

Esobell smiled back shakily and replied. "Y-Yes, I think I like the sound of that."

Elkend nodded and gestured for them to start walking. And walk they did until they reached Esobell's house.

Fortunately enough, her house was not too far, and in the end, Elkend was only going to be fifteen minutes late, well, not that would make much of a difference, he bitterly mused.

[x]

Elkend shivered slightly as he came up to the door of their rented room. He could practically hear his mother's teeth grind in anger from all the way here.

Raising up his knuckles to knock on the door, Elkend hesitated before he finally steeled himself with a burst of determination and confidence and knocked on the door; albeit a little shaky.

If looks could kill, his mother would be charged for child torture. And as any other person with common sense would say as he came upon his mother's glare, all Elkend could do was blurt out two words.

"Well, fuck."

Veanda's glare hardened in response.

Oh no.