The Traveler: Martial Druid

Chapter 12

"Woosh*

Grey blur was running all around him again going whichever way it wanted.

*Thud*

It crashed against the invisible barrier again and fell to the ground. Looking at it struggling like that Katsuo felt heartbroken. It had been a month since his sensei had given him Grey Blur to take care of and there still weren't any improvements. Because it was such a wild animal Aranel Sensei had put a leash spell on it. 

It could only move around in a fifty-meter radius around Katsuo. 

The first mission sensei had given him was to learn her name. Katsuo thought it would be an easy mission since he and Grey Blur had a history and he didn't think it would be a problem, but as long as she had any energy Grey Blur would run all around him and try to escape her leash. She wouldn't even speak a word to him.

He knew that she could understand him thanks to his skill [Polyglot] but she was refusing to even speak to him. She didn't even eat anything Katsuo had given her, instead, she would hunt when Katsuo was training with Aranel Sensei. That's why Katsuo would take walks when it was dinner time. So that she can eat her fill.

*Thud*

Grey Blur crashed against the barrier again but this time she didn't get up. Katsuo thought that she had given up. Then he noticed that she was not moving at all. Scared something might have happened to her Katsuo rushed towards her.

He noticed a trail of red liquid running down her forehead and her breathing was also shallow.

"Sensei!"

Katsuo forwent all his training and ran to Granny Scarlet. Aranel Sensei went to have a chat with her so she must be there.

"Hm? What happened son?"

"Sensei, please heal her and dispel the leash you put on her. I- I don't need a companion beast. She shouldn't be tied to me"

Aranel Sensei looked at the puppy in Katsuo's arms and then sighed.

"Are you sure about that? You should know this is an opportunity that only comes once in your lifetime"

Katsuo shook his head.

"I don't care. Some animals are not meant to be tamed and she is one of them. I think she will be happier running freely in the jungle than she could ever be with me"

Grey Blur in Katsuo's arms flinched for a second.

Aranel saw the determination in his eyes and sighed.

"I guess some things are not meant to be. This is your decision, I hope you don't regret it in the future"

Then she dispelled her druidcraft.

*Woosh*

"...What?"

The moment Aranel Sensei had lifted the magic she had put on Grey Blur it disappeared from Katsuo's hands like a gust of wind.

"Just a reminder. This was your decision, my dear son~"

Aranel just shrugged seeing the dumbfound expression on his.

"Did you also cast a healing spell on her at the same time?"

Katsuo asked dumbfounded, still trying to grasp what just happened.

"*Sigh* My dear, please face the reality. She wasn't injured in the first place. She was just faking it, banking on your goodwill. If you keep being like this, you will get played around by so many vixens in the future"

Katsuo became as red as a tomato due to his shame.

She had tricked him. Here he was thinking about how to help her but Grey Blur had taken his goodwill and trampled all over it.

"I am sorry sensei... I just couldn't bear to see it struggle so hard to escape. That's why when I saw the blood dripping from her forehead my heart was crushed but... I don't regret my decision"

Aranel Sensei gave Katsuo a big hug to comfort him.

"It's okay dearie, there will be many more people like this in the future. Those who would take your kind heart and trample all over it for their benefit. Let this be a lesson for you. Not everything might be what it seems. So be careful about who to trust. But never make this stop you from holding out your hand to the unfortunate. As an Um'rael it is your duty to help those weaker than yourself with a broad heart. Even if they might be wicked people trying to deceive. Just make sure to give them a lesson when that happens in the future"

"Yes, Sensei!"

"Okay, training is cancelled for today. Go back and ponder over today's events"

Aranel Sensei let Katsuo go and gave him a tap on the side of his shoulder.

"Understood."

Katsuo left with drooping shoulders.

"He is... kind..."

After he left Granny Scarlet spoke to Aranel.

"Yes, he is. But I don't know if this is a good thing or not. The kinder he is, the more he will get hurt by those around him in the future."

"His...heart is... strong... he survived... alone... for half a... year..."

"For his sake, I hope that it is true."

Aranel then continued her conversation with Scarlet.

***

At the same time in another part of the forest, a two-tailed grey puppy was zooming through the jungle.

'Ahahaha, I have escaped. I have finally escaped the clutches of that evil witch!'

She could finally run through the forest as she wished. She didn't need to be confined anymore. She didn't need to see that witch's face as she gazed at her.

That witch was actually a foreign being to her. There were no creatures like her from the memories she inherited from her bloodline. That was why she was afraid of her. 

Grey blur slowed down.

But she could also not see the face of her playmate anymore. She didn't like that. Most of the creatures in this forest found her annoying and kicked her away but her playmate never got angry at her. It was fun to tease him.

She didn't like how she deceived him either.

Maybe she should go back and apologize?

No!

Then it would get caught by the witch again.

Grey Blur didn't like that.

Was getting caught a bad thing? If she got caught again she could always be together with her playmate.

It wasn't a bad thing but she despised the thought.

She didn't want to be under anyone. Her very being was rejecting the idea that there could be someone above her aside from the divine father.

But the playmate seemed sad when she ran away.

That evil witch must have caught him as well.

She had given him a mission too. That must be why her playmate was caught by the witch. 

The witch must have wanted to extract information from her hence why she caught her playmate.

Oh no!

Grey Blur came to a halt.

Now that she escaped what if she did something to her playmate?

Every day she could see her beating him, left and right. She must be doing that to rend her heart.

What if the witch killed him in anger?

Grey blur shook its furry little head.

She didn't want that.

Maybe she can help him?

But how?

Wait.

Didn't the witch want to learn her name? That was why playmate kept asking her what her name was.

Then what if she told her name to him?

No! What if the witch casts some sort of curse using her name? From the memories she inherited from her bloodline, there were such bizarre abilities in the world. So if she told him her name she might fall in danger.

But what about the playmate?

Grey blur pranced around for a long time before gritting her teeth and started running again.

***

Katsuo was sitting at his camp and meditating on today's events. He felt betrayed but he thought he shouldn't blame Grey Blur either. After all, they were holding her against her will. So it was in her right to do everything in her power to escape. But did she really need to play with his feelings like that? 

No, she didn't.

Still, Katsuo was also to blame. He should have released her way before it came to this. He knew that she didn't wanna be captivated so why did he force it?

Maybe because he found Grey Blur special to himself.

She was a child of the jungle just like Katsuo and she was the one that coloured his days when he was busy trying to survive.

He had hoped that maybe Grey Blur would also feel the same and eventually open her heart to him. But he was wrong. He shouldn't have forced her. Just like Aranel Sensei had said some things in this world were just not meant to be.

*Tap*

Katsuo opened his eyes to see the two-tailed puppy looking at him with her clear azure-blue eyes. Did she come here to mock him for his idiocy?

"Hewwo" 

While he was thinking self-deprecating thought Katsuo heard the clear voice of a 3-year-old girl.

"...Hello?"

Katsuo waved his hand awkwardly. He knew that Grey Blur was young but he didn't know she would sound this young.

"Awia!"

"Awia?"

Grey blur shook her head like a teacher that was disappointed in her student.

"No! A-WI-A!"

"Aria?"

"Yes! Awia"

"What's that?"

"My name"

*Woosh*

Then she zoomed away like always. But Katsuo couldn't stop himself from smiling. He had finally learnt her name.