I am Just an Average Tamer

"Hmm, I don't know much about them, but there has been quite a ruckus about some shady organizations targeting ancient beasts."

"What ancient beasts?"

"Yeah. I know it's hard to believe they exist, but there have been some individuals who claim to have seen them."

"But you know, those are just rumors."

"Yeah. But we can't be sure, though. It's not the first time something like this has happened."

"So, you mean that ancient beasts exist, and this organization is after them?"

"I'm not sure whether they exist or not since we've only heard about them in legends, but it's true that these people are hunting for them."

"Hmm. By the way, what were they called again?"

"Oh? Forgot already?" Dante chuckled.

"They were..."

--

"Urgh!"

Kai grunted as the little lynx jumped onto his stomach, pulling him out of his thoughts while he was resting on the bed.

"Stop it, Vex! That hurts," Kai yelled, sitting up.

"Kwaa!"

Vex's eyes became teary.

But before she could cry—

"Hey, hey, hey. I didn't mean it that way..."

Kai quickly pulled her closer and began stroking her head.

"There, there. Stop crying now..."

Slowly, Vex began to calm down.

Sigh!

Kai then put her aside and lay down again, closing his eyes to sleep, but—

"Urgh!"

Vex started jumping on him again.

Sensing his cold gaze, she quickly leaped off the bed, landed on a nearby table, and began giggling.

"You little..."

Kai clenched his fists and jumped after her.

"You won't get away from me..."

"Kwaaa!"

And so, their cat-and-mouse game began...

--

Kai's eyes twitched as the morning rays washed over his face.

Yawn!

He sat up, groggily opening his eyes.

Stretching his arms, he stood up from his bed and walked toward the washroom.

After answering nature's call, washing up, and brushing his teeth, he stepped out of the washroom and gently nudged Vex.

"Wake up, little sleepyhead."

"Meeeow," she voiced lazily.

"Wake up now, or no breakfast for you."

Vex simply turned onto her side and continued sleeping.

Kai sighed and put on clean clothes.

Just as he grabbed the clothes he had worn yesterday and began walking toward the door—

"Meoww!"

Vex stretched and suddenly lunged onto Kai's head.

"Good morning, Vexy!"

But his greeting was met with soft snoring from the little lynx, who had already fallen asleep on his head.

Seeing this, Kai sighed and shook his head.

He descended the stairs and walked toward the counter.

There stood a middle-aged man with brown hair and eyes, talking to some new customers who seemed to be arguing about the price of their services.

"You suckers are just trying to drain us of our money! Don't you have any shame?" said an average-looking young man with black hair.

"Sir, what exactly are we sucking?"

"Our d***s, you asshole!" the other guy, who looked below average with brown hair, lashed out.

"Darling, let's not waste our time here," said the first man.

"Yes, babe~," the second chimed in.

Linking their arms together, they stormed out of the inn.

"...Kids these days," the middle-aged man sighed, shaking his head.

"Having a hard time, Garth?" Kai asked, amused.

"Nope, I'm having the best time of my life." Garth smiled as Kai stood near the counter, placing a simple cloth bag carrying Kai's dirty clothes on the counter.

"Liar." Kai leaned closer and passed the bag to him.

"Can you wash these for me?"

"Of course, young man." Garth took it from him and handed it to the maids behind him.

"What do you have for breakfast today?" Kai asked.

"The usual—sandwiches, scrambled eggs, and porridge."

Kai ordered a sandwich and a bowl of porridge for himself and a small portion of meat for Vex.

As the food was being prepared, Garth suddenly asked, "Hey kid, are you free today?"

"Um, kinda." Kai nodded.

"I have something for you."

"Huh?"

"Don't worry, I won't ask you to do something for free. You won't have to pay for breakfast or laundry."

"Really? What do I have to do?"

"Just deliver a package to an old friend."

"What kind—"

Before Kai could ask more, a maid arrived with a tray and placed it on the counter in front of him.

"Okay, I won't disturb you any longer." With that, Garth moved on to attend to new customers.

Kai picked up the plate and sat at an empty table.

--

Kai walked along the cobblestone streets with a crumpled piece of paper in his hand which he was using as a makeshift map.

[<Running errands now, are we?>]

"Well, it's just a delivery. And look at the rewards—I got free breakfast and laundry services too."

[<Don't you think that's too much for a mere delivery?>]

"Hah! You just overthink things."

[<Whatever!>]

Soon, Kai arrived in front of an old, two-story manor.

Its weathered walls bore cracks, some were filled with creeping ivys.

The wooden shutters hung slightly askew.

In the open garden before the manor, patches of wildflowers grew alongside neatly trimmed bushes.

Children's laughter filled the air as they ran around, chasing each other with carefree joy.

A few sat beneath a large oak tree, playing with simple wooden toys. Others darted through a stone pathway.

A wooden signpost hung from the outer wall, swaying gently with the breeze.

The worn-out letters carved—'Bramwell Orphanage.'

Kai walked to the old wooden door and knocked.

Knock! Knock!

After a few seconds, the door creaked open, revealing a middle-aged woman with green hair neatly tied into a bun. Her emerald-green eyes scanned him with gentle curiosity.

"Yes?" She tilted her head slightly.

"Garth sent me here to deliver this," Kai said, pulling out a small pouch from his storage bracelet and handing it to her.

"Oh! Why don't you come in, young man?" she said with a warm smile.

"No, no, no need for that, my wor—"

Before Kai could finish his protest, the woman grabbed his arm with surprising strength and dragged him inside.

He barely had time to react before he found himself seated in guest room.

The wooden furniture was mostly worn out, and the scent of fresh herbs lingered in the air.

Soon, she returned with a tray carrying a cup of steaming tea and a plate of freshly baked cookies.

"Here, have some. It's rare for us to get visitors," she said kindly.

Kai hesitated but eventually picked up a cookie. Just as he took a small bite, a group of children peeked into the room, their eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Whoa! A visitor!"

"Big brother, do you know magic?" one of them asked, climbing onto the couch beside him.

"Can you show us a cool trick?" another chimed in, tugging at his sleeve.

Before Kai could respond, a small girl with pigtails reached out and poked his cheek. "Why are you so quiet? Are you shy?"

Kai's eye twitched, but he quickly composed himself.

"Hmph. You all sure are lively." He placed his cup down and crossed his arms.

The children giggled. "Come play with us!"

Kai sighed inwardly.

'This was supposed to be a simple delivery… How did it come to this? Good thing I sent Vex to my Soul Space...'

Just as Kai was fending off the children, the middle-aged woman suddenly let out a heavy sigh and sat down across from him.

Her expression, which had been warm moments ago, now filled with worry.

Immediately noticing the shift in the air, Kai asked. "Something wrong?"

The woman hesitated for a moment before her eyes welled up with tears. She clutched her hands together.

"It's… it's one of the boys," she finally said, her voice shaking.

"A group of the older children went to the market earlier today to buy supplies. But… but one of them—Ethan—he didn't come back with them."

Kai straightened. "Did they see where he went?"

She shook her head, wiping her eyes. "No. They said he was with them the whole time, but when they arrived back, he was just… gone."

"And you didn't find anything suspicious?"

"No… but with all the things happening in the city these days—people going missing, strange groups lurking around—I'm terrified." Her hands trembled as she reached out toward him.

"Please, young man, you came from Garth… I know you're a traveler. You must have some experience. I beg you, please help me find him!"

Kai exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of his head.

This was way more than he'd signed up for.

'First a free meal, then getting dragged inside, and now… this?'

But looking at the desperate woman in front of him, he knew he couldn't just walk away.

"Alright," he finally said, standing up. "Tell me everything you know about where they went and what time they returned."

The woman clasped her hands together in gratitude. "Thank you, thank you! I'll tell you everything."

As soon as the woman finished explaining everything, Kai shot up from his seat.

"I'll find him," he said firmly before rushing out the door.

The moment he stepped outside.

Whoosh!

His figure blurred, vanishing from the orphanage's entrance.

The wind howled past as he sprinted through the cobblestone streets.

It took only a few minutes before he reached the alley the woman had described.

He took some twists and turns and.

There, in the dim light filtering between the buildings, Kai spotted a small figure sprawled on the ground.

'Ethan?'

The boy had clutched something tightly against his chest, his body curled up protectively.

Surrounding him was a group of older boys, their expressions twisted with cruel amusement as they kicked and taunted him.

Thud!

One of them drove a foot into Ethan's side, making him gasp in pain.

"Tch, you think you can just run off with that, brat?" one of them sneered.

Ethan whimpered but held onto the item even tighter. His arms trembled, but he refused to let go.

'What a drag!'

Kai's sighed.

'So that's how it is, huh?'

Crackling energy flickered around him as he took a step forward.

"Hey," Kai's cold and sharp voice rang out. "What do you think you're doing?"

The older boys froze, slowly turning toward him.

A dangerous smirk tugged at Kai's lips.

"How about you guys play with me instead?"