"That was great, thanks, Sara!" Kayda said cheerfully as she pushed her chair back and stood up from the table in the inn's small restaurant. The early morning sunlight poured in through the open windows, casting a warm glow across the wooden floor. Her wings twitched in satisfaction as she stretched her arms high above her head.
Meanwhile, I sat at the table with a mouth full of food and a plate still half-loaded. I looked up with narrowed eyes. "No, wait, I'm still eating," I mumbled, quickly stuffing another bite into my mouth.
Kayda, already halfway to the door, didn't even glance back. "Nova, come on. I told you—we're going somewhere today, and we can't be late," she said, voice firm but not unkind.
I chewed quickly, swallowing with a sigh. "I take it back—you're a devil. You hear? A devil!" I shouted after her, reaching for the remaining food.
I swept nearly everything left on the table into my storage with practiced speed. Plates, utensils, the half-eaten toast—yoink. All of it vanished with a soft shimmer. Sprinting after her, I added over my shoulder, "Sara, I'll bring the plates back tonight!"
"Okay!" Sara called from behind the bar, raising one hand in a lazy wave as she watched me dash out of the inn like a fox on fire.
Outside, the streets were still waking up. Merchants were just starting to wheel their carts into place. I caught up to Kayda just as she stepped onto the main road, her expression smug as always.
"You're slow," she teased, glancing over her shoulder at me with a grin that screamed I planned this.
"Shut up. I'll get you back for this," I growled, holding one of the plates I didn't have an opportunity to finish in my hand like a weapon.
"Hey, I said this was a punishment for making me worried last night," Kayda said, her voice light but with a hint of seriousness underneath. The grin didn't leave her face, though.
"Punishment? That wasn't punishment—that was torture!" I exclaimed, my tail flicking behind me in agitation. "You made me sit there and watch while you ate both your food and mine, and I had to scarf down as much as I could in five freaking minutes!"
"That's more than enough time to eat enough food for you," she replied matter-of-factly, as if she were explaining how water worked.
I stepped in front of her and turned around sharply. "Kayda. What would you do if I sat you in a chair and put a juicy, fatty steak in front of you—one cooked just right, sizzling with flavor—and you weren't allowed to touch it? Just stare. Hungry. Smelling it. Watching me eat it."
Her smile faltered. Her eyes widened slightly. Her mouth opened a little, and she visibly swallowed.
I raised an eyebrow as realization hit her. Her wings drooped ever so slightly, and her tail stilled.
"Yeah," I said, crossing my arms. "That's what I thought."
"I guess… I went a little too far," Kayda admitted sheepishly, snapping out of her horror fantasy.
"At least you know now," I said, brushing past her. "But you said we had to be somewhere. So why have we been standing outside the guild for the last ten minutes?"
Kayda didn't answer right away. She just grinned again and looked up at the large wooden doors of the Adventurer's Guild, the sun gleaming off the brass handles.
"We're waiting for the guild to open," she said simply.
I blinked. "Why? Do we need to talk to the guild master about what happened last night?"
She shook her head. "No. I told Sara I'd give her a detailed report about your findings. But last night you were… let's say, vague. So I figured you wanted to talk about it in private."
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "I see… "You sometimes remind me of my mother, don't you think?"
Kayda raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, I do have additional information," I said with a grimace, "but it's complicated. Has me in a bind. It's not something I can just tell everyone."
"Hmm… something like mixed morals?"
"Exactly. They help people… but they're still a negative organization. Like, they do awful things for good-ish reasons. It's like—Robin Hood."
Kayda gave me a confused look. "Who's Robin Hood?"
I opened my mouth, then closed it. "Never mind. Cultural reference. They steal from the rich and help the poor, but they also engage in other questionable activities.
She nodded thoughtfully. "I get it. Well, we'll take a collection quest and head out into the forest first. Then you can explain it to me."
I narrowed my eyes. "Was that your plan all along?"
"Not quite," she said, brushing her hair behind one horn. "I primarily intended to observe the extent of your power."
"All my power? I believed you had already witnessed all of my abilities.
Kayda turned to look at me, her expression turning serious. "I haven't. Not really. We haven't trained or sparred since the day we met. I know your stats have improved, but that duel with Hugo didn't push you. I still don't know how strong you really are."
"Oh… So you want to assess me. See if I can handle what's coming."
"Yeah. That's it," she said with a smile.
Just then, the guild doors creaked open with a loud groan.
"They're finally open," Kayda said.
"Seems like it," I said. "Let's find a fun collection quest."
"Fun? There won't be anything that fits your definition of fun," she said, trailing behind me as we walked inside.
The air in the guild was thick with morning dust and ambition. Adventurers of all shapes and sizes were crowded around the quest board. I pushed through the group, scanning quickly.
"Hey, Kayda! Look—there's one at the top," I said, pointing excitedly. "Clearing the Mountain Crystal deposit mine. Twelve gold coins per kilo!"
"That's an A-rank party quest, girl. Don't be crazy," said a man next to us, his voice deep and gruff.
I glanced at him once and turned back to Kayda. "I'm going to take it."
"That's fine," she said coolly. "Let me put it in my name." She reached out, gently pulling the quest flyer from the board.
The man took a step forward, eyes wide. "Ladies, are you crazy!? You'll die if you go there! That mine's in troll territory!"
"Trolls?" I said, rolling my shoulder with interest. "Perfect. I've been meaning to test out my new chakrams."
I began walking past him, already done with the conversation. But the man wasn't.
"Are you even listening!? "Damn brat," he said as he grabbed my shoulder.
The room froze.
In a blink, my katana was out—its blade cold and sharp, pressed lightly but deliberately against his throat.
My voice dropped to a low growl. "Take the fucking hint. I don't give a shit what you say—so fuck off."
I didn't wait for him to respond. I kicked him square in the stomach, launching him into the quest board with a loud crack. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
"Nova, that wasn't necessary, you know," Kayda said, stepping beside me as she handed in the quest.
"I'm hungry," I replied, not bothering to elaborate as I turned and walked outside.
Kayda blinked, then sighed with a smirk. "I guess you are."
"Kay, remember to pay for damages!" Sara yelled from behind the reception desk, waving a broom in mock anger.
"I know! I'll get it from her later. At least she's rich now," Kayda shouted back, waving.
"I need food," I muttered, eyes scanning the streets for any open stalls.
"You're not going to find anything right now. They won't open for another two hours," Kayda said casually.
I looked at her slowly. "Devil."
"Hehe, sorry! Let's go to the mine and test out your new weapons instead," she said nervously, wings twitching.
I didn't reply. I just turned and started walking toward the nearest city gate.
(1 Hour Later)
The forest near the mountain range was lush and thick with scent. Birds chirped from the canopy, and insects buzzed through the underbrush. A light wind whispered through the trees.
"Hehe… food, glorious food~" I hummed, skipping slightly as I chomped into a raw wolf leg.
"Nova, can't you at least cook the meat before eating it?" Kayda asked, a horrified expression on her face.
I turned to her, face smeared with fresh blood, eyes gleaming. "Huh? It's not so bad, you know. Here—try some." I grabbed the other hind leg of the wolf and ripped it clean off, offering it to her with a proud grin.
Kayda took a half step back, her nose wrinkling. "No thanks. I like my meat cooked."
"Then use your scorch magic, lizard," I said with a sigh.
"Oh, that's right," she muttered, embarrassed. With a quick flick of her wrist, she wrapped the meat in fire and roasted it in seconds.
"See? Easy as pie," I said.
Kayda took a small bite and chewed slowly. "Yeah… but why aren't you doing the same?"
I shrugged. "I'm a monster. Raw meat doesn't bother me. Besides… I don't trust my fire magic."
Kayda blinked. "You don't trust your magic?"
I nodded. "Yeah. I'll still use it—but I think there's something about it I haven't fully figured out yet. Especially after what happened yesterday with the pillar. When I destroyed it… something changed. My curses… they faded. A little."
Kayda's eyes widened. She stepped forward and pulled down the scarf around my neck, inspecting the area quickly.
"It's not my neck. Look here," I said, rolling up my sleeve. "They used to stop just before my wrist. Now they've retracted halfway up my forearm."
Kayda leaned in, tracing the markings with her fingers. "That's weird… and I don't know whether it's a good thing or a bad one."
"I have some theories," I said, standing and brushing myself off. "But don't worry—I'm 100% sure this won't kill me."
Kayda frowned. "Are you sure?"
I turned to her with a smirk. "Would I lie to you?"
She squinted. "...Yes."
I laughed. "Fair. But I'm not lying this time."
Kayda exhaled slowly and shook her head. "Okay. Then let's get moving."
I looked down at the blood-soaked ground. "I didn't even eat the entire wolf, so lunch is handled."
Kayda stared at the remains with a neutral expression. "Don't you think you ate a little too fast?"
"Nah," I said, licking my fingers. "That's just my version of fast food."