“Wait a moment.” The girl’s melodic voice wavered slightly as she stepped out of the carriage, the soft grass bent slightly under the rhythmic footsteps. Her figure sparkled as rays of sunlight caressed the golden robe embroidered with an enchanting Orchid emblem. Turquoise-colored garments hid under its cover. Their stunning color accentuated her sparkling eyes.

Her glistening body stopped two meters away from Kai, his mouth slightly agape. Strong thuds resounded from within his chest as his heart threatened to break out. His Adam's apple twitched slightly as he gulped silently.

The girl’s thin lips parted, a melodious voice reverberating in the air as her left hand flew to her chest in salute. “Allow me to present myself. I am Orphelia, daughter of Vlad and heiress to the Orchid Merchant Organisation,” she stated as her back slowly curved forward, a faint smile appearing on her face.

Kai’s pupils constricted under his hood as the girl’s aura became more apparent to him. Where have I sensed it before? Forget it, let’s copy her while I figure it out. He quickly assumed the same stance as Orphelia, doing his best to look courteous.

“My name is Kai, son of Ray. I’m just a nobody wandering the continent.” He said before pointing his arm at the Obborik. “This here is Onyx, my travel companion and friend.”

Onyx’s ears pointed straight up as he raised his head proudly. Orphelia’s smile grew brighter as a mesmerizing laugh echoed in the air. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kai, and Onyx.” she greeted the two, her luscious hair whipped in front of her as she lowered her head in a deep bow. “In my name as Orphelia, and in the name of my guards, I sincerely thank you for saving our lives.”

Kai’s heart skipped a beat, and his hidden face gradually reddened with embarrassment. Stammering, he parted his trembling lips and said, “T-there’s no need f-for such humble thanks, I just h-happened to be passing by, that’s all…” he said as his gaze drifted to the ground Besides, I nearly died myself…

Orphelia’s eyes continued to sparkle as she rose from her bow, her bright smile inundating Kai’s senses. “It was no coincidence!” she explained excitedly “It’s all thanks to our Goddess that we made it out safely from this ordeal, she has brought you to us.”

The guard’s captain shook his head as he gave Kai a pitiful look before closing his eyes. “We must make haste to Nivero to give our thanks!” Orphelia continued as Kai’s expression froze. Give thanks to the Goddess? Is she talking about the same one that reincarnated me here?

The two God-like figures appeared in his mind, looking at Orphelia with pitiful eyes, recalling the conversation he had with her Goddess. If only you knew the truth…

“Won’t you come with us?” Kai snapped from his daze upon receiving the invitation. Going to Nivero was my goal in the first place, and I don’t mind the company, however… his thoughts paused as he stared at the ground, tapping lightly on the hilt of his sword as he struggled to make a decision

If my identity as a vampire is discovered… his body shuddered at the thought.

Noticing his hesitation, she bit her lower lip and looked at the hooded figure.

A faint burning sensation began spreading over her forehead, her eyes twitching slightly before slowly fading away. Her pupils constricted slightly and she took a deep breath before her lips parted once again.

Her delicate clothes fluttered in the wind as she took a rapid step forward, her soft fingers intertwined as she tried to convince Kai “Since you’re on this road I assume you want to go to Limmin town or Nivero right? You can come with us and ease your travels, this way I can also repay your kindness.”

Kai’s body shivered slightly as the girl’s stature rapidly towered over him, approaching hastily, a wave of sweet-scented air hit him in the face and inundated his nostrils before she stopped.

Blinking innocently, her sapphire eyes fixated on him, a mischievous grin forming before instantly disappearing. I haven’t noticed this before but he’s so small, I can just pick him up and throw him in the temple, right?

Her sly smile didn’t escape Kai’s keen gaze but he slouched his shoulders before agreeing, a soft sigh escaping his lips. That familiar aura appeared again, it can’t be a coincidence; I will have to ask her about it later, and besides… I’m afraid she will take me by force if I refuse…

Kai collected his backpack from the forest, then joined Orphelia and Onyx towards the end of the wagon tail where they waited for him. The guards prepared for their departure, the deer-like creature that reigned the carriage and wagons had calmed down by then and they were ready to leave in a jiffy.

They walked past the wagon filled with corpses, the mountain of flesh emitting a stench of iron and death as drops of blood fell on the ground in a horrifying rhythm.

Kai’s stomach churned silently and he avoided the sight as he did his best to not think about it. Orphelia stopped in front of the wagon, a muffled murmur escaped her person as she joined her hands in prayer.

“Won’t you join us in the carriage?” she asked after finishing her prayers, rays of sunlight shone through her blonde locks of hair that swayed with the wind as her fiery eyes turned to Kai.

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His heart skipped a beat once again, and, avoiding her gaze, he felt his pulse rise rapidly. What’s with this girl, why does she make me feel like this? He fidgeted with his fingers before he nodded his head lightly.

“Umm, yes… thank you.”

Kai’s eyes widened as they walked past the wagons filled with precious materials such as animal pelts, antlers, fangs, and scales as well as some thick, yellowish green skin.

The other wagons had barrels of spices and alcohol, as well as mountains of medicinal herbs such as glowing bells, tied together tightly by a rope. These things must all cost a fortune, too bad I don't have the slightest idea about how money works in this world.

“What do you say? Good stuff, right?” Orphelia asked after she noticed Kai gawking at her merchandise. He jumped back slightly, surprised by the question. Crap! What should I say? It’s obvious by looking at my attire that I’m oblivious to these things…

His brain worked overtime as he struggled to come up with something to say but in the end, all he managed to blurt out was “Yeah… they look really… expensive?”

The girl chuckled softly at the answer, her eyes smiling with a hint of amusement. “I guess you could say that. We sold and traded ores from the dwarves, grains we purchased from the local farmers, and weapons from the smiths in the region.”

“This was quite a small trade but it’s not bad for my first time,” she said in a prideful voice with a smile that extended from one ear to the other.

This is a small trade?! Kai’s footsteps slowed down briefly as a sense of bewilderment rose his spine. You call this a small trade?

“Yeah…” Orphelia spoke once again as if reading Kai’s mind. “When my dad or aunt go out they usually have a caravan three times the size of this one, and of course even more guards, and even mages. They usually do trade in the capital though.”

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she stared at the sky with strong determination in her eyes “One day I will take over the company and show those Padure bastards who the best trading company is!” she exclaimed with a reddened face as her fist rose into the air.

“Padure… padure… ah!” Kai exclaimed involuntarily as he recalled where he had heard that name. Their name was on that ointment Julie gave me.

Orphelia’s eyebrows suddenly shot up and her fierce gaze snapped at him when she heard his muttering. “So you know of them?” her voice echoed in Kai’s ears and a sudden threatening aura emanated from her person.

Hmm? Is it me or does she look mad? A few drops of sweat fell down Kai’s forehead as he gulped lightly. He gave Onyx a side glance in an attempt to get him to help but his mouth widened as he saw his companion rush forward after giving him a pitiful look. Damn traitor!

Kai slouched his shoulders in defeat when he saw Onyx run with his tail tucked between his legs. Might as well answer truthfully… “Yeah, I saw their logo on a wooden ointment case some time ago.” He replied in a shaky voice under Orphelia’s fiery eyes.

To his surprise, her expression brightened upon receiving that response and she replied with a mocking laugh.

“Oh that thing, they sell it cheap and the production is even cheaper, it’s so bad that you might also get an infection if you use it.” She said with disdain before she continued “Nobody knows about that though, and don’t let anyone hear you say that.” she warned him quietly before hurrying to the carriage.

“But you just said it-” he said quietly from behind her, afraid of incurring her wrath.

When he reached the carriage his eyebrow shot up in surprise when he saw Onyx ‘chat’ with the huge deer-like creature. His pearly black eyes widened, and dust flew everywhere from the wind created by his rapidly wagging tail.

His snout moved in all directions as soft yelps resounded from him. A light chuckle got stuck in his throat as he watched the amusing scene. Is that how he shows his affection?

The gigantic white deer scoffed softly as it raised its head high without giving Onyx a second glance. Oh? Did he just get rejected? This feels like a scene from a drama my aunt used to watch, where a young man would fall in love with an older woman only to get rejected over and over again. A sliver of pity appeared in his eyes as he looked at the dejected Onyx.

“Yeek” Kai jumped slightly, startled by the sudden feeling of a hand on his shoulder. “Kai, are you alright? I’ve been calling you for a good minute, are you coming in?” Orphelia’s soft whisper-like voice echoed in his ears, sending a light shiver down his spine. “Y-yeah I am…”

As he entered the carriage, a thick wave of aromatic, floral air inundated his nostrils, and he stepped back slightly. God damn! He placed his sword on the ground and quickly took a look around the cabin, his eyes drifting towards a small spot on the seats that were covered in a red blanket. It looks like they have some merchandise in here too.

He sat down on the cushioned seats, breathing heavily as his lungs got accustomed to the heavy, perfumed air. These seats are really soft, not as soft as Onyx’s fur but at least this is more comfortable than riding on his skinny back… I will feed him plenty of meat when we arrive in Nivero.

Orphelia sat opposite Kai with one leg over the other and a faint smile on her face. Her hands intertwined on her lap, her big blue eyes looking out the window as a rhythmic clopping sound accompanied by the rattling of wood marked the departure of the carriage.

Kai straightened his back with a yawn as he stretched before he let his hand fall on the seats with a soft thud. Oh, what’s this? A small, warm, and fluffy object filled his palm, and a muffled sound resounded in the cabin as he caressed the object with his fingers. This feels almost as good as Onyx’s fur, it’s even softer than that…

A light chuckle escaped Orphelia’s lips as she took notice of Kai’s shenanigans, and she looked at him with a mischievous grin. She silently drifted her gaze to the spot Kai was playing with as the object under the blanket let out a soft moan.

“M-my Lady this isn’t… appropriate- Agh!” The blanket flew on the ground as a petite girl jumped up from her seat, and her freckled face was as red as a tomato.

Two small ears stuck out from her auburn hair and they twitched rapidly as her foggy eyes slowly turned a clear chocolate opal color. Cold sweat dropped down her face onto her rapidly heaving chest, a light pounding sound echoing from within her body.

Her pupils widened as she scanned the area, quickly spotting Kai who was silently sitting in the corner. His robe fluttered as he turned his head upon sensing the girl’s gaze. A shiver ran down his spine as an unnatural shade of pink spread covered his face.

The girl’s small nose twitched rapidly and her small innocent eyes quickly turned icy. The walls of the cabin got covered in a thin layer of ice and bits of snow started falling as the water droplets in the air froze as the temperature pummeled.

Kai’s crimson eyes made contact with the girl’s cold glare and he could almost see a small, imaginary spark appear between the two of them.