(Kazu Xiao’s POV)

Some time had passed since we had left for the extermination request at the grove of beasts. Unfortunately for us the carriage toward the location didn’t enter the forest for risk of being swarmed with Mana beasts. Which left the final stretch of the journey to be by foot.

Regardless we still took our time reaching the location that now surrounded us on either side. The dense thicket of trees could be considered a trap for the unwary, but it was impossible for any creature to ever sneak up on me.

However, the forest still let light through in various sections and the thick mana essence within the air was a clear sign that this place was not just an average forest.

The place itself didn't bother me or Reiner, although Lilith seemed to be holding her breath nervously as if a bit scared that she refused to let go of the fabric of my shirt to the point I had completely ignored her.

The walk itself took us under an hour to reach the location, mostly because of Reiner had been here many times before. “Tch. The smell of this place drains me out. We’re almost at the spot, it’ll be easier to show you what we came to exterminate. The mana beast are just the trash that come out of it… you'll see what I mean," he sneered as our steps took us deeper into the grove of beasts.

“That’s right… you can sense Mana essence too, it’s been increasing with each step, I think that is why Lilith is feeling a bit uneasy. but that means she can sense it to,” I remarked with my idle thoughts rolling around. “The only question is why you’re both lacking any real knowledge about why you can sense it considering your barely aware of your own Magical energy,” I added causing Reiner to click his tongue in annoyance.

“Heh, that gibberish. Look whatever those Kanmori’s taught you, I really don’t give a damn-“ he began but I simply never let him finish, it was a fact he needed to come to terms with.

“You really should. if you don’t, I can guarantee you will never even come close to what I’m capable of, you might possess an insignificant amount of magical energy but honestly, it’s like watching an idiot play with matches,” I said with my flat expression as Reiner clicked his tongue again and sparking his short temper.

"Oi, shut your mouth. I already told you that crap doesn’t mean anything to me. There’s not a single thing in this world my black flames can’t devour” he sneered with a dark grin as my gaze merely shifted away from this usual act.

"… Ah, you said something like that before, I take it those flames are the only thing you have at your disposal, but you also seen it before when we met. your black flames had no effect on me simply because my control over Magical energy is leagues above yours, all I did was shift the Magical Energy of my surroundings to completely nullify your flames, that would be the case for anyone who possesses more Magical Energy than you," I remarked which earned me a scoff from Reiner and an even more displeased look, but I was far from done. “You hold yourself in such a high regard, yet you barely have any idea about your own magical energy,” I mused my final words to Reiner who clenched his fist, but he couldn’t deny the fact that what I said was the truth.

Reiner only found himself growling under his breath leaving a silence to hang in the air for a moment. "… You really piss me off," Reiner remarked and he didn’t miss Lilith who had a smug smirk on her face to mock Reiner in some way.

However, I wasn’t mocking Reiner but making him aware that he wasn’t as superior as he thought he was. He had a lot of potential, and he chose to waste it with his attitude.

“… Do I? Listen both of you, we’re going to be together for awhile as your aware and that was the choice you made. So why not use this chance to become stronger, it’s quite clear compared to Mythral, the people of Aterius are weak. I can give you both the means to grow and reach your potential,” I said flatly which caused both of them to give different reactions to my words.

Reiner did flinch at the sudden offer, but his glare never left his face. Meanwhile Lilith was smiling happily with a glare of red present on her cheeks. “Lilith would really like that! Lilith would like to be stronger! That way no one will try to take away Lilith's precious Kazu from her again,”

I didn’t bother commenting on her blabbing, but I could tell she wanted it, even Reiner did behind his amusing attitude.

Reiner himself didn't say anything just glared forward at the path that continued onward. Eventually we were met with a clearing that was filled with the rot of many bodies of various wildlife and victims of this place, and to no surprise, Mana Beasts of various ranks and sizes had gathered here in mass.

Mana beasts were like anything that absorbs mana essence from the surrounding world, however the difference was unlike mortals these creatures sought Mana out to evolve, and when they form hordes was simply because they were gathering and protecting the source of Mana that was strengthening them, these anomalies come in two forms which was either an ancient mana beast or a magical overload that manifest in the grove.

“… hmm, I take it this is the more common situation, that mana beast looks much different than the others,” I remarked immediately noticing the difference in a specific Mana Beast that had grown larger than its kind around it.

The mana beast stood upright with a rather disgusting green skin and a hulking figure that gave off the impression it had reached a higher rank.

“Tch, goblins. An A-rankers easy prey if you ask me, this is going to be easy,” Reiner sneered at the horde of mana beasts, and he wasn’t wrong these creatures would be easy enough for anyone with a decent amount of power. Even the evolved goblin that stood at the head of the pack could be considered weak.

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However, I had other thoughts as I stepped forward, “It’s not a bad thing, because I won’t be doing it,” I remarked causing both of them to grow curious in their unique personalities.

“Oi, the hell does that mean?” Reiner asked with a glare while I just simply gazed upon the rather disgusting creatures ahead of us.

“It won’t matter much when only the three of us are together, but when we reach dungeon raids and such, to avoid any conflict you two will be taking the role as, let’s say my loyal bodyguards of sorts,” I remarked flatly and as clear as I could to the both of them.

The statement made them both give different reactions.

Reiner simply scoffed and crossed his arms. “Huh!? You’re basically saying we’re doing all the work for you?”

Lilith on the other hand had her own reaction that left a small blush on her cheeks. “Lilith will happily do that… can Lilith begin, Kazu?” She asked with an almost pleading gaze, it was unusual, but I dismissed it under her odd behaviour.

“It’s exactly like that Reiner, but I’ll help if it’s needed. Think of it like paying me back for what I suggested earlier about helping you grow stronger. Whenever you two are ready… Have at it,” I remarked and idly took a seat on a stump that had a full view of the horde.

Reiner clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Heh. fine… you just watch then,” Reiner sneered before he burst toward the horde with his black flames quickly manifesting along his body.

Although Lilith didn’t have his speed she refused to be outdone as she leapt at the goblins with a fierce slash of wind that easily tore through a few of the creatures.

I devised this would be the way to go about things for now, this way I could easily figure out their every weakness and adjust that to make up where I needed due to me hiding my true capabilities from others. Of course, they would get stronger in the process but as I expected right from the start they weren’t going about their attacks in the most efficient way.

I couldn't help but to let out a small sigh as I watched Reiner who seemed to take on every goblin by himself leaving Lilith to simply keep the ones he missed at bay.

Lilith was interesting to observe, she was able to alter physical Elements with Magical Energy, although was limited by rather weak spells. However, she didn't hesitate to use them beyond their limit. Above all she was still a mystery with an Aura that I had once felt before.

Her control of Magical Energy was considerably higher than Reiner’s, but she lacked the core to support the energy. That being said she didn’t seem to rely on the Magical Energy around her like she was dependent on an unlimited source of it as spells ripped through the creatures.

Reiner himself was just as fierce as he was during our little spar, he tore through the horde up close with little effort and a dark grin of satisfaction was plastered on his face.

However, if they had incorporated teamwork into their slaughter, this battle would have concluded much faster but both of them seemed to be doing it all for themselves.

It took them nearly two hours to finish up with the entire horde, which left a battlefield of torn apart mana beast and Lillith’s magic that lingered along the ground. Reiner stood over the evolved Mana beast with growls of anger and his body still flickering with his black flames.

“It wasn’t terrible, but we have some things to work off of now, good job,” I remarked from my seat where a few scattered mana beast corpses laid around me. “We’ll have the time to work on those things as we take on more requests and when we’re in the room, for now we’ll collect all of the items we can sell on these mana beasts,” I said as I already retrieved a shard, or rather the core of a mana beast from one of the corpses around me. A gem of stored mana used in many things like potions, and enchanted items.

Reiner growled at my comment as he finally dismissed his flames clearly knowing where the large portion of our profit would come from. Lilith however was still revelling in my earlier praise and happily hovered around me with a smile.

Regardless, I stood up with a flick of my pants. “Don’t worry Reiner, I’ll be helping you this time,” I remarked in some amusement at Reiner who thought I wouldn’t be pulling my weight and gave a small scoff at my words.

"Tch, whatever, let’s get this over with,” he said rather lower than usual, as I began with Lilith eagerly followed behind me.

It took another hour to gather the cores from the deceased mana beasts, once removed from their body’s the creatures practically disintegrated into the dirt. Most of the beast cores were about the size of my thumb, while the evolved core fit firmly in my palm.

By the time we had finished collecting them all, the sun had begun to diminish behind the trees and casted a shadow over us. "We're done here, let's head back and make it home before it gets too dark,” I said placing the pouch of beast cores on my waist.

Reiner didn't seem to have any sort of retort for me as he simply grumbled, but Lilith who stopped helping at some point, now had her attention fixed on something else entirely and poked at it on the ground in front of her.

“We’re leaving Lilith, let’s go,” I repeated flatly which left her to turn her attention with two unusual things in her grasp.

I simply looked at her with a flat gaze as she showed me one of the black birds she had found on the battlefield. "… they’re dead Lilith, put them down and let’s go,” I remarked wondering why she was keeping it for whatever reason.

"Huh? No! Lilith found them in the middle of the battlefield! They are not dead, look!” She insisted and forced me to have a closer look as she shoved the black birds into my face.

I just let out a small sigh and turned my gaze over it. Just as she said the black bird's wings fluttered for a moment and their legs weakly twitched. Both were still alive, and its eyes that had rolled back into its head shifted to gaze at me. A small yet weak beak moved, as if it wanted something from me. “What are you expecting from me, Lilith? They are just birds," I said but she huffed in an annoyance she’d give Reiner.

“Lilith knows Kazu can heal them,” she said which caused my gaze to shift away from her.

It was true, Magical Energy could easily reverse the state of someone's body but to use it on birds was a bit ridiculous. And yet the look on her face wanted me to do it. The odd expression when she looked at me like I was her world.

It made me question who she was. Still my hand raised itself over the two black birds that she held, and a slight wave of Magical Energy surged into them. I wondered why I was even doing this but before I concluded that answer a small jolt surged from within the pair of birds that twitched.

The process had taken maybe a second, but it had given the birds a new lease on life as they stared momentarily before flapping their wings. Lilith watched happily with a smile before the birds began to flutter off.

A small sigh left my throat before speaking up. “Are we done messing around Lilith, let's get going back to the guild before it gets dark," I repeated for the final time causing her to light up and skip ahead of me with a smile.

"Yay! Let's go!! Kazu really is amazing,” she beamed while Reiner only gave a small scoff at her happiness.

“Heh, healing birds? What a waste of time…” he remarked as he waited up for us to catch up to him.

“… huh? You could heal things to if you actually used your Magical Energy right,” I said reminding him of his lack of knowledge in the subject and caused him to growl a little bit louder than he meant to.

Regardless with idle chatter and a few arguments from Reiner and Lilith we made it back to the carriage that waited for us outside of the groves entrance and headed back to Sura with a completed guild request, the first of many.