I am Just an Average Tamer

[<Falcon's Sight activated!>]

Suddenly, a sharp buzz rang through Kai's head.

Hi froze.

His pupils narrowed, then began to glow faintly with a soft, silvery hue.

The world around him seemed to shift.

The thick veil of leaves and branches no longer blurred his vision.

He could see everything—every detail. The veins of the leaves fluttering in the breeze, the flowing water of the waterfall meters away.

Then he shifted his gaze to the side.

A sly smirk tugged at his lips.

"Interesting!"

Whoosh—

Kai leapt from branch to branch, the wind whistling past his ears as he glided silently through the treetops.

The leaves rustled gently under his weight, but his steps were precise, deliberate.

Then he came to halt.

Crossing his arms, he leaned against the trunk.

Up ahead, his eyes locked onto a lone figure darting through the underbrush.

A girl.

Her cloak was in tatters, dragging like a torn banner behind her.

Her body covered in bruises.

Blood stained her clothes, and her steps were uneven—limping.

She stumbled once, but caught herself against a tree, then pushed on with sheer desperation carved across her face.

Kai didn't move closer. Instead, he crouched on a sturdy branch above, eyes narrowing as he observed the scene.

A few moments later.

Few more figures emerged from the woods.

They were fast, coordinated, and clearly tracking her.

No words were exchanged between them—just gestures, low signals.

Kai remained still, watching with unreadable eyes.

He made no move to interfere.

[<Not gonna help?>]

'Why would I?' Kai raised a brow.

[<Because, you are becoming softy, day by day.>]

'You just imagining things.'

[<Huh?>]

A sharp groan pulled him out of his conversation.

"Argh!"

The girl stumbled over a root, barely catching herself before she fell.

She clutched her side, her breaths short and laced with pain.

Every step looked like it might be her last, but she didn't stop.

She couldn't.

One of the pursuers picked up speed, drawing closer.

"Got you now, runt," he muttered.

She turned sharply around a tree—only to be cornered by another.

Her back hit the bark as they closed in, smirking.

And then—

Thwip! Thwip!

Thud! Thud!

Two of the men dropped with a thud, as two knives buried cleanly in their necks.

The last one froze.

A shadow dropped behind him.

He turned—

Too late.

Kai's dagger flashed once in the filtered light, and the man crumpled, silently like the others.

Thud!

Kai straightened, eyes flickering at the bodies.

"Tch. What a mess."

Kai flicked his dagger clean, slipping it back into its sheath.

His expression was unreadable as he looked at the girl, who was still leaning against the tree.

Her breaths shaky.

Her caramel hair tied in loose braids.

Asure-blue eyes locked onto his figure, filled with relief and fear, as she was still unsure why Kai saved her.

"You good?" he asked, his voice calm but distant.

The girl blinked at him, clearly caught off guard. "I… I think so."

"You don't look like it." He stepped closer, to meet her eye level.

"Who were they?"

She hesitated.

Then averting her gaze, she spoke. "Bandits. I was traveling with a merchant group. They attacked us."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Then how are you alone in the forest? And somehow, they chased only you?"

"I—I ran while the others fought back…" she said quickly, her eyes darting.

Kai didn't press further, but his silence made it clear he didn't fully buy it.

"What's your name?"

She hesitated again. "Lina."

Kai nodded slowly. "Alright, Lina. You're bleeding. You'll pass out soon if you don't get help."

"I can manage—"

He turned without waiting, already moving. "Follow me, or don't. Up to you."

She stared after him, confused for a second… before pushing herself up and limping behind him.

As they walked, Kai glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

She was clearly exhausted, wincing with each step, yet still trying to walk with some degree of pride.

Her clothes were a bit too fine under the worn cloak. Not exactly what a commoner wear.

[<Now. What you have to say in your defense?>]

Kai didn't bothered to respond.

[<Caught you red handed. Why not saying anything now?>]

A sly smirk tugged his lips.

They hadn't gone far when he suddenly stopped.

'Just watch!'

"Alright," he said, turning to face her. "You're injured, lost, and being hunted. That makes you a liability."

She frowned. "Excuse me?"

He raised a hand casually. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not throwing you to the wolves. I'm offering protection."

Her eyes narrowed. "In exchange for…?"

"A temporary employment fee," he said, voice light. "You hire me as your guard. I keep you alive. You pay later."

She stared at him for a moment. "You're serious?"

"I'm injured and tired, but you're asking for money?"

"No," he said, smirking faintly. "I'm offering my protection."

She bit her lip, hesitated… then nodded.

"Fine. I hire you. Happy?"

Kai gave a small nod, turning back around.

[<You evil brat.>]

He smirked, internally

'Killing two birds with one stone. Not bad at all.'

After a few minutes of walking through the trees, Kai suddenly slowed.

"Wait here," he said, scanning the forest. "I'll be back in few minutes."

She blinked. "Wait—where are you going?"

He didn't answer. Just vanished into the thin air.

Then—

Kai reappeared some distance away, right where the bodies of the fallen bandits lay sprawled.

Their blood had soaked into the forest floor, and the scent of blood lingered in the air.

He crouched beside the first one, flipping him.

"Let's see if you idiots had anything worthwhile…"

He unbuckled their belts, searched though their pockets.

Coins clinked as he cut their pouches, filling his own.

Except them, he found a couple of half-decent daggers, small knives and a small flask.

Then he found a crude paper, probably a map and examined it briefly.

"Huh. Bandit camp? Maybe." then tucked into one tunic.

He worked quickly. By the time he finished looting the last one, he'd even wiped his hands on the dead man's cloak—couldn't have blood giving the wrong impression.

Then, as casually as he'd left, he returned through the trees and dropped beside the girl like nothing happened.

"Area's clear," he said. "Let's keep moving."

She blinked. "You were gone a while…"

"Nature calls," he shrugged.

She frowned but didn't said anything.

They again started moving.

The girl stayed a few steps behind Kai, cautious eyes flicking toward him every now and then.

She kept one hand near the edge of her cloak, as if ready to bolt if something felt off.

Kai noticed, of course, but didn't comment.

Instead, he kept his pace relaxed, as if unaware of her tension.

After several minutes of walking through the underbrush, she spoke, her voice hesitant. "I… I have a companion."

Kai raised an eyebrow and glanced back. "Companion?"

She nodded. "A beast. It was with me… but we got separated. It's hurt."

Kai stopped. "Where is it?"

She looked away, lips pressing into a thin line. "I don't know exactly. We were ambushed… it ran off. I told it to hide."

"Smart," Kai said, then turned to face her fully. "What kind of beast is it?"

She hesitated, eyes narrowing. "Why?"

"If I know what I'm looking for, I can help find it." He gestured to the trees above. "I've got eyes in the sky."

After a brief pause, she gave in. "It's a Verdant Hare. Green fur, about this big—" she gestured with her hands "but it's young."

Kai gave a small nod and raised his hand.

A magic circle glowed beside him.

Kaaa!

A sharp cry rang out, and within seconds, a blur of feathers shot from the magic circle.

The Windsight Falcon.

After circling them once, it landed gracefully on Kai's shoulder.

"Search the area," Kai instructed, "look for an injured Verdant Hare. Green fur. Be quick."

Kaaa!

The falcon let out a soft screech and shot off into the sky, wings slicing through the air.

Kai glanced back at the girl, who looked both surprised and impressed. "You're a tamer too?"

"Something like that," Kai said casually, then turned and kept walking as if it were no big deal.

She followed without a word this time.

A few minutes later, Kai felt a gentle pulse in his mind—an image forming, sent by the Skyfang Falcon.

It was brief but clear.

The Verdant Hare, curled beneath a thick bush, its side scraped and fur matted with blood.

Kai turned sharply. "Come on. I found it."

She looked at him, surprised. "Already?"

He didn't reply, just moved—slipping through trees with practiced ease.

She had to jog to keep up.

Soon, they reached a moss-covered slope, and Kai crouched down, pushing aside branches.

There it was—tucked between roots, barely breathing.

The girl rushed forward with a gasp, but Kai raised a hand. "Let me check it first."

She stopped, anxious but trusting him for now.

Kai knelt beside the beast, eyes scanning the wound. "It's bad. But not beyond saving."

Without hesitation, he pulled out a small cloth pouch from his storage bracelet.

From it, he took out a handful of dried herbs, a small vial, and a roll of bandages.

He crushed the herbs quickly, mixed them with the potion, and carefully dabbed the salve over the wounds. The hare flinched but didn't resist.

Then he wrapped the bandages with steady, efficient movements.

"Hold its head gently," he said to her, not looking up.

She did, whispering something softly to calm it.

After a few minutes, he tied the last knot. "That should do for now. Keep it warm and let it rest."

She looked at him, a bit stunned. "You really know what you're doing."

Kai shrugged as he packed up. "I've patched up worse."