Al walked leisurely along the sidewalk, letting the cool afternoon breeze brush against his face.
He glanced left and right, admiring the faint orange sky stretching over the city.
His steps were slow—almost as if his mind wandered farther than his feet ever could. Thoughts lingered on how he should blend into his new family… or rather, the real family he had just found.
"Even if it's a bit chilly, this evening breeze feels nice. It's rare it doesn't rain these days," he murmured, closing his eyes for a moment. "Weather like this is perfect for being lazy. Hehe."
He smiled faintly.
"I guess going home late isn't that big of a deal. The dry season's coming soon anyway. Enjoying nature is way better than dealing with family drama."
And with that, he kept strolling down the pavement, unconcerned about being scolded or seen as 'late'—just as his friend had warned earlier.
There was a quiet solemnity in his steps. Even with the city's noise and polluted air pressing in around him, it didn't stop him from drifting into his own thoughts.
After living simply for over a decade out there… why is it that the moment I finally find my home—my real family—they turn out to be ridiculously rich?
Their high-and-mighty lifestyle is almost the complete opposite of someone as lazy, kind, and adorable as me… hehe.
But more than that…
After living what felt like hundreds of years, I never imagined I'd end up with parents and siblings. Life's plot twists are seriously something else.
He slowed slightly, fingers brushing his chin, a trace of irony flickering across his face.
But... It wasn't nearly as exciting as the way orphans in novels usually imagine it.
Maybe it was because Mother Angelia and the kids at the orphanage had already filled that empty space—had already shown me what "family" truly meant. So I never really expected much from my so-called real one.
A faint, bitter smile curved on his lips.
And after finally meeting them… the people who were supposed to be my blood family—it honestly feels like I would've been better off staying at the orphanage forever.
They're nothing like what I thought a family would be.
He let out a long breath.
Haah… Still, they're my blood, whether I like it or not. There's no point denying that. Everything's still new. It's only the beginning. Feeling uncomfortable is probably normal.
But really… they're not that bad.
Just… annoying.
His hand slowly clenched into a fist as he looked up at the fading sky, eyes steady.
And now… I have a mission to carry out in that house.
Too many mysteries waiting for me. Including that boy. For some reason, I couldn't see through him—from the inside or out. That alone irritates me.
His expression darkened slightly, yet his steps never stopped.
In the end, I've already steeled myself. I have to carry out this mission—for the sake of people like me. The ones this world rejects. The ones it curses.
There's no reason to back out now.
But when the time comes—when the chances run out—and nothing changes… or things only get worse—
Then becoming something far worse than them might just be the solution.
After all…
This is the story of a cursed man finding his way back to his own world.
A wide grin slowly spread across his face as his resolve finally solidified.
But his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a faint sound.
"Meoooww... Meow..."
A kitten's cry.
It came from somewhere nearby, faint but sharp enough to catch his attention.
Plenty of people heard it too—but no one bothered to look. To most of them, a stray animal was just a nuisance. Not worth the trouble.
But Al—someone who absolutely hated troublesome things—somehow felt like he had to step in.
He almost kept walking.
Almost.
Yet for some reason, it felt… irritating not to deal with it.
"Ugh… fine, fine. I don't even know anymore. Guess destiny's messing with me again," he muttered irritably.
His eyes flickered.
For a split second, a faint crimson glow flashed through them as he scanned the area.
"There!"
A weak trace of energy was coming from somewhere near the large roadside drain.
There! Its energy is fading... Yeah! It'll die if I don't help it soon, he thought.
The problem was the position. It was deep under the drain, cramped and filthy.
And he definitely couldn't use magic out in the open—especially not in a place this crowded. That would cause a scene.
So Al let out a resigned breath and moved.
He crouched down, lifted the heavy drain cover with pure physical strength, then squeezed himself halfway inside.
It wasn't easy—the kitten seemed terrified of humans and kept struggling—but after a bit of effort, he finally managed to grab it.
A tiny, trembling kitten.
Dirty. Soaked. Freezing.
A few people nearby watched what he was doing and shook their heads.
"What's the point of messing with a stray like that? Just asking for trouble," someone muttered.
"Maybe he's just a good kid… but way too naïve for this world," another replied with a small chuckle.
"Or maybe he's one of those youngsters with nothing better to do. Pretending to rescue animals."
"Worse, maybe he's filming some fake rescue content. After the video's done, the animal gets dumped again. Though… I guess not all of them are like that."
Murmurs spread around him. A few pedestrians threw in their comments before walking off as if nothing had happened.
Al didn't care.
He stayed focused on the struggling kitten in his arms.
Filthy water splashed onto his uniform, soaking several spots—his sleeves, his chest, even his face. Sewer grime smeared across his skin, and that unmistakable stench clung to him instantly.
Ugh… this is exactly why I hate this passive magical barrier. It can detect lethal threats and activate on its own—but this kind of thing? Apparently not considered 'harm.'
And—ugh—this smells awful. I'll clean myself up with magic later. Somewhere quiet.
A few minutes later, he sat down at the edge of the sidewalk.
Using his already-soiled uniform, he gently dried the kitten as best as he could.
His expression looked bored. Slightly indifferent.
Even as passersby shot him strange, disgusted looks.
"They're good people, really," he said softly.
It sounded like he was comforting the kitten—
But in truth, he was trying to soothe his own embarrassment.
Suddenly, a soft voice spoke behind him.
"You're a kind one, aren't you?"
Al turned.
A young woman was standing there, smiling warmly.
She looked about twenty-ish, with long brown hair tied in an elegant braid, wearing a stylish blazer. Her beauty was the classy, cover-model type—undeniably A-tier.
"It's rare these days to see someone willing to get that dirty just to help a small animal," she said, clearly impressed.
Al stayed silent, still drying the kitten—and subtly infusing it with a bit of healing energy.
A faint crimson flicker flashed across Al's eyes as he observed the woman before him—just long enough to catch something unusual.
Information about the woman before him appeared in his mind,
Name : Clara Eliga
Race : Human
Sex : Female
Age : 22 years (human)
Primary Energies (human) :
Entra : 624 (Novice)
Vita : 121 (Novice)
Arma : 7 (Novice)
Secondary Energies (human) : Elemental (Wind), xxx
Other Parameters: ——
A magic user with wind-element affinity. Fairly common. Entra-dominant, Novice level. Not bad, Al assessed inwardly.
Before he could take a closer look, the woman suddenly spoke up.
"Oii, why are you staring at me like that, Huh?." Her voice startled him out of his thoughts. "Oh right, my name's Clara. And you are?"
Al blinked, rubbing his forehead lightly.
"Ah, that. I just thought you looked familiar. I'm Al."
"Oh, really? I thought you were mesmerized by me or something," Clara teased with a playful grin.
"Uh, sis… I'm seventeen. I'm not really at the age to be discussing things like that," Al sighed.
Clara tilted her head, finally taking a good look at him—black hoodie, gray pants, and a white shirt in hand. Yeah, definitely still a high schooler.
"Oh shoot, haha! Sorry, sorry. Big sis was just kidding." She scratched her cheek awkwardly.
Al only sighed, ignoring the awkward exchange, before holding out the kitten in his arms.
"Anyway… consider this my forgiveness fee. Can you take it to a pet care center or animal rescue? I'm kind of in a hurry," he said casually.
Clara blinked, realizing he'd just turned her slip-up into a task—but it wasn't exactly unreasonable.
"Sure, I can. But… what's the rush?" she asked curiously.
"Hm… how should I explain this…" Al pondered for a second, then snapped his fingers. "Oh! I'm from a rich family. And my friend said rich kids get in trouble if they come home late."
Clara stepped back slightly, giving him a look from head to toe. His face was smudged, his clothes dirty, and he smelled faintly like a sewer.
Then she burst into laughter. "Hahaha! You're calling yourself a rich kid looking like that?"
Al frowned. "Do I look poor to you?"
Clara shook her head while taking the kitten from his hands.
"Haha, no, no. Sorry about that. Oh, and since I'm heading out anyway, why don't I drop you off? I can take the kitten to the pet center on the way. Where do you live?"
It was a reasonable offer—but Al politely declined. He'd rather find a quiet place to clean himself first. And though he knew Clara had magical energy, he had no intention of revealing that.
"Ah… no need, sis. I'm dirty anyway," he said politely, already getting up to leave.
But before he could make his escape—
Clara grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward her car.
"It's fine. Just come along."
She said it with a strange smile.
Al looked at her and frowned slightly. Somehow, he had a bad feeling about what was coming next.