Along the way, the weather, and the sounds of the horses made me fall asleep at some point from how serene what I'm experiencing is.

 

 

 

Paul : "Eyn. Eynor". I can hear Father Paul's voice calling out for me to wake up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opening my eyes, I was greeted with his face upside down.

 

 

 

Me : "Mmm… Yeah?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He pats me in the head, like he doesn't mind me to stay down for another while.

 

 

 

Paul : "We're almost there, now. You sleepy yet?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In spite of this, I conjure a little mushy water to wipe my face and eyes to refresh themselves.

 

 

 

Me : "*yawns*… I'm awake now, yeah"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I see to our side, where Rudy is chatting with Mister Laws for however long from the point where we left from where he stays.

 

 

 

Rudeus : "So you're almost an A-ranked Adventurer?". He talked to him with a rather friendly tone to him, despite not addressing him as Mister or Sir, which is fine for our age as of now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mister Laws watching to his right which shows another forest still far from us, acting as a surveillance for anything that might be considered as suspicious.

 

 

 

Laws : "Yeah, but I'm not as achieving as your father, Paul, is. He's an S-rank, a Former leader of a certain party I won't say if he's not the one to say it"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rudy looks at him, being curious and having his eyes sparkling again, hearing another aspect of Fantasy settings : Adventurers.

 

 

 

Rudeus : "Uhuh? Maybe I'll ask what he was like in his party"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mister Laws scratched his long elves ears as he glances at us or Father Paul, to be more frank, and they twitch as his eyes switch to facing the forest again.

 

 

 

Laws : "Ahaha, I'm sure he'll be easily persuaded. More importantly, thank you for wanting to be friends with Sylphy, Rudy"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rudy looked to us and sees me being awake, and waves a hand and lifts his eyebrows, possibly for thanking me in regard to my advice for him.

 

 

 

Rudeus : "Ayy~, No Problem!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The speed at which we're going is slower than when before I slept, for both Father Paul and Mister Laws to survey the surrounding with clear and crisp image to their eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Clip, clop, clip, clop*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's a reason for why I encouraged him to instill an honest image of a child rather than a matured one, as that might only raise suspicion from people thinking that we're not really kids but demons who possessed some. And another is that I can feel something off with him, like his intention wasn't as pure as just making friends, with another thought behind his actions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So when I saw his eyes turns out to be that of a predator when I stopped him from greeting Mister Laws' child, I was reminded of a certain person on the internet that I used to be fond off, though like any other living being, there's always a dark side that one seldom talks about, and so I have some distrust to people who have another plan to what they're taking actions with. 'It doesn't help that the world is having some anomalies like floating islands or the middle-east's hellhole showing tectonic activities and some wormhole near Earth's orbit, making many people being stressed out that it's near the end… Which is already a fact from the moment God made Everything, honestly'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Chatter*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hear some people having conversation which comes a little far from our front, and there are a few dozens armed men and women, and a brown-skinned guy with some feathers on his head is approaching us while waving.

 

 

 

Paul : "… Wait a second, Is That… Greg?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apparently, Father Paul knows of this person who I don't see anywhere near the village, hinting that he might be an outsider who is an acquaintance.

 

 

 

Greg : "Well, if it isn't a Greyrat I see before me"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This acquaintance of Father Paul is coming out of a group of dozens of people having many kinds of equipment, different clothes and races differing one from another, is seen grouping or staying near the center of the place. There were some camps installed and campfires with people cooking and eating while putting on laughs over their topics of conversation.

 

 

 

There's also some of them staying watch to those who are inside their camps, like protecting their belongings from the other folks nearby.

 

 

 

And supposedly, some leashed big lizards as in fantasy settings, which might be named Drakes like lesser dragons without their wings, is staying near some empty ground with loads of meat on some bucket with the others sleeping or keeping watch of its kindred. Also, some horses a little far from these lizards are having their leashes tied to trees near the campsite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Clip, Clop*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The horses are put to a stop, as Father Paul drops first while guiding Matsukaze and still having me on top of it.

 

 

 

Paul : "Ugh, didn't think we'd meet again after that time"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greg : "Money's money, and I'd take a paycheck so long as it doesn't disturb my morals". He is similarly wearing a leather vest like Mister Laws, while looking like a Mohawk Hunter in his late 30s from America's now nonexistent Indian tribes since he is having an Arrow ready on his Bow which is bigger than our Elf acquaintance here, though still having Caucasian features like sharp nose and normal jawline.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mister Laws does the same with Father Paul, having Rudeus still on top of his horse.

 

 

 

Laws : "You know this man, Paul?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Father Paul lifts his shoulder while shaking his head.

 

 

 

Paul : "We just had some talk, real men's talk back in Roa's Adventurers' Guild when I post another certain request, so not really"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sir Greg puts his arm around Father Paul's shoulder while scratching his jawline that have a bit of bears in them, in response to hearing an opportunity before him.

 

 

 

Greg : "Ooh? Can I participate in it too?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Father Paul guides the horse as he smirks at me with a wicked look on his face, like knowing he already won at some unsuspecting prey.

 

 

 

Paul : "If you know of Advanced magic spells, sure~"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sir Greg drops his act of being friendly, and pulls his hand away from him and distancing a bit on the front while escorting us to where the other people are gathered.

 

 

 

Greg : "… I'll, Pass… By the way, we did our recon and saw some Strays near an empty wide ground. Roya!!". He shouts out to a certain member that raises his hand, still having himself occupied along the others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roya : "Yes, Sir?!". A man who looks like he's still in his early 20s though more grumpy looking with a big horizontal scar from his left cheek reaching his nose is peaking his head out of the group, still not having his whole body being visible to our sight lines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greg : "Prepare the Group for a Meeting!!". When Sir Greg mentions this, some heads are turning to us, and they're the not too nice looking kinds of people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roya : "Yes, Sir!!". His head is now left into the crowds again, going somewhere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Approaching the campsite, Father Paul is going somewhere a bit far off, where the other animals are staying near.

 

 

 

Paul : "I see you've taken measures. Seen any action?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sir Greg turns to the other sides of the forest, looking into the distance with the wide open brown eyes of his.

 

 

 

Greg : "We're on standby and nothing serious happened, Yet"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arriving near the other horses, Father Paul ties up Matsukaze's leash to a tree before approaching me with his hands reaching out to me.

 

 

 

Paul : "*Sighs*. Alright, fill me in on the way"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greg : "I'd be glad to". He turns his head to us, or me to be directly, and puts on a neighborly smile before turning to face Father Paul again. "So, are these your kids?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Father Paul drops me with Rudeus following at our side, and I walk up to him with polite manners on the ready.

 

 

 

Me : "It is nice to meet you, Sir Greg. My name is Eynor Greyrat". I hold my hand out to him, asking for us to have a good first impression.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sir Greg furrows his face a bit before crouching down to face me head on, with his eyes fully opened, like he's trying to intimidate a little cup of the wolves with his pressuring aura.

 

 

 

Greg : "Ah, yes… It is my pleasure to hold hands with the Greyrats in a span of a week, little Eynor". He pats me on the head with his hands that are rough and cold, and puts on a little weight to it, pushing my head down. "Aren't you, say, Afraid of me?". He looks at me with a poker face, testing me of what I'll be reacting with.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Father Paul looks at me with concern, and glances at Sir Greg for why he's acting like this.

 

 

 

Paul : "Uh, Gre-"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Whirs*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sound of Earthen magic is coming from both my side and Rudeus'

 

 

 

Me : "Why should I?". I hold his hand, trying to see what his reaction is from my blunt response.

 

My tactics for this kind of fight or flight kind of talk depends on where the conversation is leading, who's talking, and where your standing is to what you're talking about.

 

 

 

Greg : "Huh… Looks like we've got ourselves some Braver of the Youngings". And in this case, Sir Greg seems astonished by our hidden capabilities, as he lifts his hand away and look at Father Paul with a satisfied look. "Sorry for that, it's just that I want to know whether they'll be alright in case they're facing some danger since they're little kids". He turns to me again, now warming up to my existence with a nod while smiling half-way. "But, I suppose there's no need for teaching them that, and again, sorry for that"

 

 

 

Father Paul walks to me while patting me with his warm hands and protective aura from Sir Greg's.

 

 

 

Paul : "… *Sighs*. Apologize Accepted, now lead us the way"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mister Laws is walking on the back and Rudeus closes in on us as Rudy is checking up on me, walking side by side.

 

 

 

Rudeus : "Hey, You OK there?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I nod to him as I shove him to ease off his worries of from us.

 

 

 

Me : "It's no big deal"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He shakes his head as he looks like he can't wait to see what other kind of thing I have kept as a secret from him.

 

 

 

Rudeus : "Being a former soldier sure has its perks, huh?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I shrug my shoulders off, as I can't say that it's wrong.

 

 

 

Me : "Eyyup. Now then, let's go and see what's in store for us in this place"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then, I felt an aroused aura from behind me, in which Rudy stops for a moment before walking by my side again.

 

 

 

Rudeus : "… I wonder if there's some of them wearing battle-lingeri-"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me : "Oh Goodness, will you just shut your trap about your pickings?". I jog a little to catch up with Father Paul and Greg, while Mister Laws is a little behind us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He shows his tongue out while mocking me, not wanting to put his other side away anytime soon.

 

 

 

Rudeus : "N~nope, and I intend to keep it that way!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Catching up with Father Paul and Sir Greg, the Hunter asks us to be inside a place alongside Roya, the Thief / Scout of his Party full of the other Adventurers, as we chat inside their tent about all kinds of things.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thankfully, they're all warming up to us after Sir Greg laughing and caressing us two at times, in which the atmosphere around the camp then starts to feel like it's right at home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

. . .