I am Just an Average Tamer

[<Ding!>]

[<You have obtained a rare skill – Warding Veil!>]

[<Warding Veil: Creates a translucent, veil-like barrier capable of blocking low-level physical and elemental attacks for a short duration.>]

'A barrier skill? Not bad.'

[<Damn your luck, brat. Two draws, and both times you get rare skills?>]

'Hehehe!'

Kai closed his eyes, focusing inward. His mana stirred, flowing freely through his body like a gentle current.

Then, with a single thought, he pushed it outward. The energy spread to a two-meter radius before he compressed it tight.

A faint shimmer danced around him as a dome-shaped barrier took form.

He pulled his arm back and slammed a punch into it.

Humm!

The barrier rippled with the impact.

'Not bad,' he smirked.

[<Essence Coating activated!>]

His hands glowed with a soft, ethereal white light.

"Haaah," he exhaled deeply, settling into his stance once more.

Then—

His fist shot forward—

Boom!

Crack!

The barrier shattered like glass under the force of the blow.

Kai rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms, a satisfied grin tugging at his lips.

"Alright, let's call it a day," he muttered.

With a light leap, he landed on a tree branch and leaned back against the trunk.

His eyes slipped shut, and within moments, he drifted off to sleep.

****

As they walked along the forest trail and approached Bramwell Town, they spotted a few figures clad in travelers' cloaks, whispering and asking around discreetly.

One of them began to walk toward them.

Lina flinched, clutching Kai's sleeve. Her arm trembled slightly.

Her hare shifted uneasily behind her, sensing her nerves.

Kai sensed the shift in her demeanor.

The cloaked figure stopped in front of them.

He looked harmless—almost too polite—with a friendly smile plastered on his face.

"Excuse me," the man said, his gaze lingering on Lina a bit too long. "We're looking for someone. A girl, about your age. Brown hair. Accompanied by a beast. You see… we've been ordered to bring her back. Her family is worried sick."

Thankfully, Lina's face was hidden beneath her hooded cloak.

The man turned to Lina. "If you don't mind, can—"

But before he could finish—

Kai stepped forward, not aggressive, but firm. "She's my girlfriend," he said without hesitation. "You must be mistaken."

Lina blinked, caught off guard, but quickly caught on.

She wrapped her arm around his and leaned in slightly.

The man chuckled, eyes narrowing just a bit. "Ah… apologies. Must've been someone else."

He walked past them and disappeared into the crowd.

Kai didn't move until he was completely out of sight.

Only then did Lina slowly slip her arm away, her cheeks flushed red. "Thank you... but how did you know?"

Kai didn't look at her. "The way you reacted when he approached," he said quietly. Then he turned his eyes to her. "And… for the past month, you've been acting strange anytime someone passes by us like that."

His gaze sharpened.

"Just what are you hiding?"

Lina's face paled. "H-Hiding? No, I'm not hiding anything from you—"

"Then why were you acting like your life would end if those people recognized you?" Kai cut in sharply, not giving her the chance to finish.

"You must be mistaken. I was just being cautious around strangers, that's all—"

"I'm not buying it." His voice turned cold. "I can't afford unnecessary risks. If you don't tell me what's really going on, I won't let you stay near me. You're on your own."

He turned away.

Lina stood frozen for a moment, panic flashing in her eyes.

'What do I do now?' she pressed her lips into a thin line. 'I can't let him leave me… I still need him.'

"Wait!" she shouted, grabbing the hem of his shirt.

"Fine, I'll tell you."

She hesitated, then spoke quickly, her eyes darting around, voice unsteady.

"I… I have a twin sister. Her marriage was arranged with a wealthy merchant family. But she didn't want to go through with it—she ran away. My family panicked and hired mercenaries to track her down and bring her back."

Kai turned his head slightly, eyes narrowed. "Then why were you so tense. If they were looking for your sister, not you?"

She averted her gaze again, fingers fidgeting as she scrambled for a convincing answer."Well, you see… we're twins, so… I kinda look like her too."

A sly smirk tugged at Kai's lips.

"Is that so? Then they wouldn't really know which one you are, right? And if your family's rich, I'm guessing there's a generous reward for whoever brings their precious daughter back, huh?"

Lina flinched as realization hit her.

'I'm screwed.'

Her heartbeat quickened. She stepped forward, clasping her hands in front of him desperately.

"Please don't sell me off! I promise I'll behave—I won't annoy you, won't ask stupid questions, won't get in your way! If that's not enough, I'll do anything. I'll take care of your beasts, clean your armor and clothes, cook, handle chores during missions… anything! Just please, don't do this."

Her voice trembled as tears welled up in her eyes.

Kai stared at her silently for a moment longer—then suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! You said they were looking for your sister, not you, right? But even if the mercenaries can't tell you apart, your parents sure can. Don't you think?"

Lina blinked, stunned for a second.

Then clenched her fists and gritted her teeth.

'This bastard!'

"Well, on second thought... your offer is a bit tempting."

Kai stroked his chin, flashing a cheeky grin.

Lina's eyes widened. "Hey, it—"

"I could still hand you over to them, though," Kai cut her off, placing his hands on his hips with mock seriousness.

Lina shot him a glare, then turned away with an exaggerated huff, puffing her cheeks.

"Idiot," she muttered under her breath.

With that, the two continued down the road toward the inn where they were staying.

(A/N- Yo, if you are still here then thank you guys for reading this far.

As I stated earlier, I'll try picking pace in this volume, so please comment if you think things are going bit too rushed.

Anyways, thank you again for your support, bye...

see you guys tomorrow.

Enjoy.)