Standing behind a tree shouldn't have been this difficult. Back home, Alex was average height, someone who could blend into a crowd without much effort. Now, he—or rather, she—was roughly the size of a decorative garden gnome. The bark of the Great Oak felt rough against her cheek, and every time the wind rustled the leaves, her new, oversized ears gave a frantic, involuntary twitch.
Okay, Alex. Breathe, she told herself. Her voice was so high-pitched it felt like it belonged in a choir, not a sixteen-year-old's head. The Goddess said a peaceful life. No glitches. No demons. Just... girls. Lots and lots of girls.
She peeked around the trunk. The armored women on horseback were closer now. They weren't just soldiers; they looked like knights out of a storybook, with polished silver breastplates and capes the color of a summer sunset. One of them, a woman with a magnificent braid of scarlet hair, pulled her horse to a halt.
"Did you hear that, Lyra?" the knight asked, her voice booming through the clearing.
"Hear what, Captain?" a younger woman replied, leaning over her saddle.
"A rustle. Sounded small. Maybe a forest sprite or a stray lamb."
Alex's heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird. Please don't look over here. Please don't look over here. In her panic, she tried to tap into that tiny spark of mana she'd felt earlier. Maybe I can turn invisible? Or teleport? Or at least grow a very convincing bush? She squeezed her eyes shut, concentrating all her willpower on the flickering candle-flame in her chest.
A faint, pathetic pop sounded.
Instead of a cloak of invisibility, a single, glowing pink bubble—no larger than a soap bubble—drifted out from her fingertip. It floated lazily into the air, caught a stray breeze, and bobbed directly toward the knights.
"Oh! Look at that," the Captain laughed, reaching out a gauntleted hand. The bubble popped against her metal finger with a tiny chime that sounded suspiciously like a giggle. "Mana residue. There's a little caster nearby."
Alex froze. The "low mana" part of the Goddess's deal was apparently very literal. She wasn't a powerhouse; she was a biological bubble-blower.
"Come out, little one!" the Captain called out, her tone softening. "We aren't bandits. The Royal Vanguard of Oakhaven doesn't bite—unless you're a rogue golem, and you don't smell like clay."
Alex looked down at her hands. They were trembling. The shyness wasn't just a personality trait; it felt like a physical weight, making her legs feel like jelly. But she couldn't hide behind a tree forever. Taking a shaky breath, she shuffled out from the shadows.
The knights gasped. It wasn't the gasp of people seeing a threat. It was the collective sound of four grown women seeing a kitten in a tiny hat.
"By the stars," Lyra whispered, jumping down from her horse. "It's a Bun-kin. I haven't seen one this small in years."
Alex looked up—way, way up. Lyra was tall, athletic, and had a smile that could probably light up a cave. She crouched down so she was at eye level with Alex, though she was still half a head taller even while kneeling.
"Hello there," Lyra said gently. "Are you lost? Where's your caravan?"
Alex opened her mouth, but the words got stuck in her throat. She managed a small, pathetic squeak and immediately felt her face turn a shade of red that rivaled the Captain's hair. She grabbed her long bunny ears and pulled them down over her face like a makeshift curtain.
"Oh, she's shy!" the Captain cooed, also dismounting. The terrifying knight was now clutching her cheeks. "She's absolutely precious. Look at those boots—wait, she isn't even wearing boots. She's barefoot!"
"We can't just leave her here," Lyra said, reaching out a hand, then hesitating. "Hey, little bun. My name is Lyra. That's Captain Val. We're heading to the village of Flora's Rest. It's got the best carrot cakes in the province. Want to come with us?"
Carrot cake? Alex's stomach gave a loud, traitorous growl.
The knights erupted into fresh peals of laughter—not mean laughter, but the kind that made the world feel a little less scary. Alex slowly let go of her ears, her big ruby eyes peeking out at Lyra's outstretched hand.
She didn't have a map. She didn't have a weapon. She had a mana pool the size of a thimble and a body that felt like it was made of marshmallows. But looking at Lyra's kind eyes, Alex realized that while she wasn't a hero anymore, she might just be okay.
She tentatively reached out and placed her tiny hand in Lyra's palm.
"I'm... A-Alexa," she whispered.
"Well, Alexa," Lyra said, effortlessly lifting her up and plopping her onto the front of her saddle. "Let's get you some shoes and some cake. Welcome to the world."