A few days had passed and…

“Let me go, Help!” He shouted.

Behind an old dilapidated post office, Ezekiel had caught the boy. Ezekiel wore a smile on his face as he held the boy up to his face.

“Easy kid, I wanna discuss something. Also, kid, why are you so slippery? Each time I think I have you, you're gone.”

“That was you doing that!?” He shouted.

Ezekiel raised an eyebrow at that comment and the boy quieted down. While he didn't think anything bad would happen to him if he revealed his ability, his grandpa recommended against it.

“Listen, boy, your power is something that could be exploited to no end and even inconvenience some powerful people. I don't want a lick of what that power does leaking to anyone.”

And more importantly for him, this guy looked super shady. Who could imagine the things he'd have him do if he figured out what Kevin could do?

He tried to hold a neutral expression and turned away from Ezekiel.

“I have no idea what you're talking about, Sir.” He politely responded.

Ezekiel placed him on the floor. Was he free?

“How strange, you were calling for help yet the instant I mention magic you suddenly change your tone.”

He puckered his lips and tried to run away. Ezekiel quickly grabbed his shirt.

“Don't worry kid, I'm not anyone bad. Just take me to that Grandpa of yours.”

“Huh, why do you want to see my grandpa?” He asked as he turned to him.

“I can't just drag you along without saying anything to your grandpa now can I? You said you lived with him, right?”

“Drag me along? Where are you gonna take me?” He tried to free himself once more while Ezekiel looked on unimpressed.

“Easy kid, I'm just gonna train you. Besides I have to get your grandpa's permission first and old people are kinda stubborn when it comes to convincing. So I'm gonna need you to help me out.”

(“That's right, there's no way my grandpa would let me be dragged off somewhere by this weird guy and his weird hair.”)

He begrudgingly agreed and the pair soon went to Kevin's house.

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“Sure, why not?”

Kevin nearly wanted to faint after hearing that.

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Both his grandpa and the man named Ezekiel were at a table enjoying some tea.

“Oi, Periwinkle I didn't know you had a grandkid,” Ezekiel stated.

“Tch, he's outside fooling around so much, I forget about it too.” He bitterly commented.

(“G-grandpa, what is this!?”)

This was far from the reaction Kevin was expecting from his Grandpa. Apparently, they knew each other and were amicable.

He ran towards his grandpa and shook his arm.

“Grandpa, you can't be serious right?”

“I am. Listen, Kevin, you've been far too lazy lately and in the arms of the parish’s number one adventurer, I feel you'll be whipped back into shape.”

“Wha-”

“Hey Ezekiel, could you scram for a second? I need to talk to the boy.”

Ezekiel wasted no time getting up. “Just make sure the boy's fine with this. I wouldn't want him trying to run away.”

Ezekiel went outside, and the old man turned to his grandson.

“Grandpa, you're joking, right? Listen I didn't mean to stea-”

His grandfather placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I've been thinking, Kevin. Maybe there's a reason for you being gifted your magic. Oops sorry, that ability as you call it.”

Kevin loosened up and tilted his head.

“What do you mean, Grandpa?”

“Maybe it's a good thing that boy came by here. Otherwise, you'd probably be wasting that talent of yours. Think about it, isn't something like that meant to help people out rather than giving you an easy life.” He said before he rubbed his grandson's head.

“But didn't say I had to keep it hidden?”

He gave him a light tap on the head and the boy recoiled slightly.

“Need your ears checked out boy? I didn't say anything about yapping about it. Just help people out, that's all.” He said with a smile.

(“Hmm, help people? I guess if Grandpa says I can do it, then it's worth a shot.”)

He agreed to his grandpa's proposition and agreed to go with the weird. Besides, with his ability, he couldn't imagine it being that hard.

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“I GIVE UP EZEKIEL, NOW PLEASE STOP!!!!”

The boy faced a fate no child should endure as he ran through the forest. For most of his life hadn't so much as sniffed danger thanks to his ability showing where to avoid it. Unfortunately, he had willingly walked into a dangerous area this time.

He threw himself behind a tree and five knives embedded themselves into the opposite side of the tree.

“What are you saying, kid? You haven't even gotten a scratch yet. (This kid's spatial awareness is amazing. Or maybe it's his magic letting him dodge all this stuff.)”

Kevin heard the trees shuffle and took that as his cue to run.

(“As soon as we got out here, he began throwing those things. Is this how all adventurers train? Then I want no PPPAAAARRRTTTTT!!!!”) He lamented.

He stopped to avoid a knife aimed at his foot and quickly turned directions.

“Hehe, I can feel it. This kid's a real gem.”

Ezekiel watched in delight as the child continued to dodge his projectiles no matter where he went.

This experience convinced Kevin that the life of an adventurer wasn't for him. Yet he could never shake Ezekiel off him whenever he came to train him.

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(“Ugh, thinking about that makes me feel queasy.”) Kevin thought to himself as he walked with the group. (“I'm no adventurer. But…but for as annoying as that guy was, he wasn't a bad guy. I can't just let his killers walk away.”)

After this was over he told himself he'd quit adventuring but before that, he had to at least make sure that annoying guy could rest in peace.