I am Just an Average Tamer

Kai's short black hair swayed as the soft breeze brushed against his face while he walked through the dim, narrow streets of Bramwell.

Elina flinched from time to time, clutching Kai's sleeve as he forcefully dragged her along.

Meanwhile, Ethan was glaring daggers at him from behind.

Though clearly displeased, he couldn't do anything besides mere glare.

'How the hell did I get caught up in this mess?'

Kai sighed dejectedly.

[<What does that mean? You're doing this on your own accord.>]

'It's not like that.'

[<Stop lying. I know you've finally found her replacement.>]

Kai narrowed his eyes and gave a death stare to the blue panel hovering in front of him.

'Shut the fuck up!'

Sensing the tension in the air, Elina yelped, shifting uncomfortably.

Kai quickly composed himself and gave her a sweet smile.

But instead of feeling relief, she hid her face beneath her oversized clothing.

Sigh!

'Why the hell am I feeling like that?'

Kai thought.

But before he could ponder further, he came to a halt in front of a two-story building.

It wasn't anything fancy—just a plain, brown, wooden structure.

The walls were slightly worn, and the windows had that old foggy glass.

A modest wooden sign hung above the entrance, swinging slightly with the wind, spelling—'Grathrail Inn.'

He opened the door and stepped inside.

A faint smell of burnt wood and stew lingered in the air.

Kai walked toward the counter.

Seeing him approach with a dirt-smudged little girl in his arms, Garth raised a brow but didn't ask any questions.

"Bring plates for three to my room. And… can you help us? Maybe clean her up a bit?"

"Of course, no problem!"

He turned to his maid and gave her a meaningful nod.

She stepped out from behind the counter, gently took Elina from Kai, and headed toward one of the washrooms.

Kai turned back to Garth—only to find him glaring, his eyes narrowed.

"What?" Kai asked.

"Oh, it's nothing," Garth said quickly, waving his hand dismissively, then gestured for Kai to wait.

Kai waited patiently, chatting with Garth for a bit.

Meanwhile, Ethan still kept glaring at him.

Soon, the maids arrived carrying a large tray with three plates of food.

Each plate had a generous serving of buttered flatbread, a mildly spiced vegetable stew, and a side of roasted root vegetables.

Nothing fancy, but warm, filling, and freshly made.

Kai took the tray and headed toward his room, gesturing for Ethan to follow.

Ethan hesitated for a moment but reluctantly trailed behind.

Kai opened the door to his room and stepped inside.

He placed the tray on the small wooden table and motioned for Ethan to sit on the bed.

Knock! Knock!

Just a moment later, he heard someone knocking at the door.

"Come in," he said.

The door creaked open as a maid stepped in and moved to the side, finally revealing the girl behind her.

A fragile little figure stood there, wrapped in a bathrobe a few sizes big for her.

Her blonde hair was tied into a neat bun, and the dirt that once covered her face was gone.

Her dull, lifeless blue eyes now held a faint trace of warmth.

Both Kai and Ethan were stunned by the glow-up.

Just a simple bath, and somehow the little girl began looking more cuter than before.

The maid gave a brief nod before stepping out and gently closing the door behind her.

Kai motioned for Elina to come closer and sit on the bed.

She hesitated, clutching the edge of her bathrobe.

But before she could take a step, Ethan shot up and rushed toward her.

"Wow, Elina, you're looking good!" he said, squeezing her hand with a sweet smile.

Elina blinked, clearly caught off guard. It was the first time she'd ever been complimented like that.

Her cheeks turned a soft pink, and after a shy pause, she gave a tiny nod—barely noticeable, but it was there.

Ethan then gently tugged her hand and guided her to the bed, helping her climb up.

Kai watched the exchange in silence.

Then he picked up two plates from the table and set them down in front of the kids.

They both stared at the food.

Elina's eyes sparkled, and imaginary drool began trailing from her mouth.

Meanwhile, Ethan narrowed his eyes at Kai suspiciously.

"Go ahead and eat. I already paid for it," Kai said casually.

"But is—"

Before Ethan could finish, Kai cut him off.

"You wanna eat, or should I just throw it away?"

Elina flinched at his words… and immediately dug in like she hadn't eaten in days.

She munched the vegetables with such focus, like the world around her didn't exist.

"Elina!" Ethan tried to stop her, concerned, but she completely ignored him.

He glanced at her, then at Kai, then at his own plate—nervously.

After a bit of hesitation, he finally gave in and started munching too.

Kai leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

[<There's definitely something suspicious here. Boy, you open a charity or something?>]

Kai sighed.

[<First you dragged her here, then got the maids to clean her up… and now you're even feeding them? What's next, adoption papers?>]

"I don't know why I'm doing this," Kai groaned, rubbing his temples.

"I just… felt like I had to."

[<Aha, now you're expressing your true feelings~>]

'Shut the fuck up. I'm not a p*do.'

[<I didn't say that. But wow, you admitted it yourself. Hmmm… something's fishy here.>]

Kai clenched his jaw, a vein visibly throbbing on his forehead.

But before he could explode—

"Egh!" Elina flinched.

"You, okay?" Ethan asked quickly, his tone laced with worry.

Kai turned to look at her.

He took a deep breath and calmed himself down.

Kai pulled out the chair beside the table and finally began eating in silence.

After finishing his food, he leaned back slightly and turned toward the duo, watching them quietly.

'What should I do with her now?'

[<I have an idea. Why don't you just adopt her and become her sugar daddy?>]

Kai shot a sharp glare at the floating panel—just for a second—before sighing and looking away.

He stood up and walked toward them.

Elina, who had been chatting happily with Ethan just moments ago, flinched the moment she noticed Kai standing beside her.

Without saying a word, Kai picked up the empty plates from the bed and placed them back on the tray.

Then, turning to Elina, he spoke in a gentle tone.

"It would be better if you stay here for the time being."

Elina's eyes widened. She clutched the sides of her oversized bathrobe, clearly anxious.

"But—"

Before she could say anything more, Kai gave a mental command.

[<Beast Synchronization Activated!>]

[<Please choose the beast you want to sync with:

— Vex (Phantom Lynx)

— Luna (Dual-Heart Kitsune)

Note: Due to Luna being in her evolution phase, synchronization may be incomplete. Only a few skills will be available.>]

'Luna,' Kai selected mentally without hesitation.

[<Please choose the skills you wish to temporarily acquire:

— Illusionary Veil: Create multi-layered illusions to trap, distract, or deceive foes. The illusions can replicate sound, movement, and even warmth, fooling both senses and instinct.

— Icicle Barrage: (Temporarily Unavailable)

— Ice Spear: (Temporarily Unavailable)

— Foxfire: (Temporarily Unavailable)

— Fireball: (Temporarily Unavailable)>]

'Illusionary Veil,' Kai confirmed.

Kai's hazel-brown eyes suddenly shifted to a glowing shade of blue.

Elina froze, momentarily stunned by the sudden change.

Kai offered a soft smile. "You must be tired. Why don't you rest for a bit?"

Elina nodded slowly.

Kai gently helped her lie down.

As her eyes fluttered shut and she drifted into sleep, Kai pulled the blanket over her, tucking it in softly.

Ethan stood there, momentarily stunned by the quiet exchange.

Kai ignored his gaze.

He turned around, picked up the tray, and walked toward the door.

"Let's go," he said, opening it.

"But what about her?" Ethan asked, pointing at Elina's sleeping figure.

"She's sleeping. Let her rest."

"But—"

Before Ethan could finish, a magic circle lit up beside them and—

Fwoosh!

"Meow!"

Vex emerged from the glowing rune, purring loudly and stretching like he just woke up from a cozy nap.

"Whaa!"

Ethan yelped, jumping back.

"What's that?" he shouted, pointing at the small lynx with wide, astonished eyes.

"She's my contracted beast," Kai replied calmly. "Her name is Vex."

"Wow!" Ethan's eyes sparkled, his earlier suspicion instantly replaced by awe and excitement.

"You're a Beast Tamer?" Ethan asked, eyes still wide with amazement.

Kai gave a short nod, then glanced at the little lynx by his side.

"Vex, I'm heading out for work. Stay here and protect that little girl," he said, pointing toward Elina.

"Meow!"

Vex gave a firm nod, then padded over to Elina and curled up beside her like a loyal guardian.

"Let's go," Kai said, stepping out of the room.

Ethan quickly trailed behind him.

As Kai made the payment and stepped outside, Ethan caught up to him.

"What are you gonna do with Elina?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

Kai glanced back at him.

The excitement on Ethan's face faded the moment Elina's safety came to his mind.

'He really cares about her,' Kai thought, internally amused.

[<Yeah! Like a certain so— >]

'Shut up.'

"I'll talk to Mira myself."

"Really?" Ethan blinked, clearly taken aback.

Kai nodded.

Then halted suddenly.

"Tell me," He spoke, his expression turning serious.

"Who were those boys?"