I am Just an Average Tamer

'Everyone knows about their homes, even I know where my home is. I live in...'

'...' His eyes widened in disbelief.

'Where the hell do I live?' racked his brain.

'Think, Kai, think,' he closed his eyes, rubbing his hands through his hair, trying to recall his memories.

'Azen? Aden? Afen? Nah, that's not it,' he shook his head as random names popped into his mind.

'It was something... Ash... Ashen... Ashenford!'

'It's Ashenford, haha!' he opened his eyes, sighing in relief that he wasn't some dumb kid who doesn't even know where they live.

He glanced at Lira, who was hugging her knees.

'Wait! Even witches have homes? I really am a frog in a well,' he thought, shaking his head in amusement as he stood up.

"Argh!" he grunted as a surge of pain hit him.

Hearing his grunt, Lira quickly shifted her attention to him.

"A-Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes still teary, though there was a small trace of concern.

"Yeah, yeah, it's nothing. Just one quick nap, and I'll be good as new. Haha!" he replied, walking toward the blanket.

Before he could bend over to lie down, he tripped on it and fell flat on his face.

"Jerk," Lira whispered with a small giggle, then looked away, hugging her knees again as her eyes turned teary again.

"Argh! Damn it!" Kai cursed, quickly rolling onto his side, his back facing Lira. He was embarrassed to trip down like that after acting all tough.

'I hope she didn't see that,' he thought, shutting his eyes tightly.

He drifted into sleep within seconds—not because of his fatigue or the beating—but simply because he was a lazy bum.

He woke up after half an hour, sat up yawning, and glanced around.

Yawn!

His gaze met Lira's, who was also looking at him, like a curious puppy. Lira quickly looked away when she realized Kai was watching her.

Kai stood up from his place, and Lira kept stealing quick glances at him.

Noticing her reaction, he walked over to her and asked, "Do you need something?"

Garr!

Before Lira could reply, her stomach growled loudly, making her cheeks flush red with embarrassment. She quickly buried her face between her knees.

"I-I'm just... hungry," she mumbled, her voice muffled, not daring to look at him.

"Ah, okay. I'll find you something," Kai said, turning to head outside.

He strolled through the alley; it was evening, and stalls were beginning to close for the day.

"I need to act fast," he muttered, jogging toward the market square.

"She actually said something to me directly. I can't leave a bad impression by letting her down. Not until I tame her completely."

He had a serious expression as he passed by numerous stalls, scanning his surroundings.

"Damn it. There aren't many people here," he muttered in frustration, disappointed at the lower number of shoppers in the market square.

"Did you hear? They announced the date for the festival!"

"What? Then why isn't the market square crowded?"

"Apparently, everyone's at the main hall. I had some errands, so I left early."

'Huh?' Kai perked up at the conversation nearby and decided to follow the speakers.

"Oh, so everyone's at the town square. Interesting," he murmured, a grin spreading across his face.

He stopped following the pair and headed toward the town square.

When he arrived, he was greeted by the sight of a huge crowd gathered outside the main hall, buzzing with excitement over the festival announcement.

"Hahaha!" Kai chuckled softly as he blended into the crowd.

People were murmuring, but he didn't pay any attention—he had just a single motive in mind: taking advantage of the situation and making as much money as possible.

Walking past the throng of people, he scanned them with a predator's eyes until he spotted his prey. He closed the distance, deliberately bumping into an elderly man.

"Oops! Sorry, sir," Kai apologized with a fake smile, his hands deftly snatching the man's pouch.

"Watch where you're going!" the old man snapped before walking away.

Kai quickly changed his position, making it harder to track him. He continued moving through the crowd, pickpocketing more people while ensuring to constantly change his location.

'Is this enough? No, I definitely need more. I am not sure if she will be staying with me or not, but I need to give her food and shelter, before I start my mission.'

He pondered while stalking through the crowd, searching for his new prey.

As he scanned the crowd, his gaze landed on a figure not too far away. Beside the figure stood two smaller ones.

They were none other than Jim and his minions.

As Kai was about to slip away, Jim glanced in his direction and smiled. The sight sent a chill down Kai's spine.

'Did he spot me?'

Kai quickly turned around, trying to lose himself in the crowd. His heart raced, pounding hard in his chest as he moved, attempting to stay hidden.

'I need to get away quickly.' His mind raced with all the possible outcomes of what might happen if he got caught.

'I can't afford to let him catch me. I need to stay on the Wicked Forest Witch's good side.' He mingled deeper into the crowd, weaving between people to blend in.

"Haa!" He sighed in relief when he realized Jim wasn't chasing him. I don't know why he didn't come after me, but it's better this way. I need to get out of here fast.

"There he is! He's the one who stole my pouch!"

Just as he was slipping away from the bustling main hall, a shout rang out from behind him. The words hit him like a thunderclap, freezing him in his tracks.

'But how?!' His eyes widened in disbelief; his heart was beating heavily in his chest. Beads sweats were forming on his forehead. His breaths became ragged.

As soon as he thought he had shaken off one problem—a bigger one loomed behind him.