Along with Alexia I made my way towards the well. "You do know that tavern is not that way, right?"
"I know." I answer coldly to her. Not because I am angry at her, but because I am annoyed. 'What is this dumb battery doing now?'
We arrive at the well, I lean into the dark well. The water level was still low. "What are you looking for?" Alexia tries to ask me again. I ignore and spread my mana field to the bottom of the well. 'There she is…. Is she sleeping?' I guessed as I sensed the steady heartbeat of a mouse.
'Hey! Wake up!' My mana field slightly shook the water below and Dora jolted up.
CHIRP! CHIRP!
'I am up here.'
Dora who was sleeping on the rock slab looks at me. 'Hiee! Is that kid gone yet?'
'Kid? Are you talking about Rushian? Yes, he is in the house.' I throw the bucket down for her to climb up.
Dora jumps into the bucket and starts to ramble. 'That is kid an Alter! Worst one! He is menace! That bas-'
'Mind your words.' I scold Dora while pulling the bucket. When the kids first woke up in the morning, they started pleading me to let them outside. But I was bit paranoid and ordered Dora to look after them, but I didn't know that they would bully her so bad. I brought the bucket up and gently picked Dora up. Her fur and whiskers were all wet and dirty with mud water.
"Hoo! Is that your familiar that you told us about?" A curious Alexia leaned in to take a look at Dora.
'Hiee! Altaris! Help me!'
'Calm down. She is the older one. Bride, remember?'
'Oh.' After Dora recognized Alexia, she stopped panicking.
"Don't touch her, she is dirty."
"It's a she?"
"Yes. Let's walk to the tavern." I moved ahead and Alexia followed behind, her face looked super curious which wanted to ask a thousand questions. I purposely avoided facing her head on. Meanwhile, Dora was busy cleaning her fur on my shoulder.
"Cute."
Startled by sudden complement, I turned to look at Alexia. "What?"
"The rat. It's cute."
My expression turns to normal and I continue walking. But Alexia smiled widely. "Hey, wait. I said that to the rat, not you."
"I heard it the first time."
"Any chance, that she would sit on my shoulder?"
"No. Dora doesn't like you."
"So, her name is Dora. You found her in the dungeon?"
"Yes."
'You do know that you fell right into her trap?' Dora whispered into my mind.
'Shut up.'
Oblivious to our conversation, Alexia continues asking question. "The fact you brought coins mean you become an explorer?"
"I did."
"Heeh. Good for you." Alexia hits my back. "Anyway, how was dungeon city? Did you sit in the train?"
"No. I didn't have time to go sightseeing. Also, the city is shit. Everyone there kept their distance and covered their faces as if they are a wanted criminal."
"Oh, it's the plague. The infected ones have to cover their face to stop it from spreading and I heard that it makes them ugly as an Orc."
As soon as Alexia mentioned the Orcs, the weird suicidal adventurer popped in my mind. 'Ugh. I hope that we don't meet again.'
"You are making that face again." Alexia points at me.
"What face?"
"Like you smelled 3 month old Alterum shit."
I shrug her off. It was my first time coming this side of the village, this area certainly looked better than others. The houses were bit more modest with their build and people actually cared to clean the path infront of their house. But besides that, everything looked the same.
"The traveling merchants often step their stall in this area which why the streets are so clean." I glance at Alexia who was explaining. "The people around here don't like us much. A year ago, brother Melsier got into a heated argument in the tavern because they refused to serve our table. They said, that beggars spoiled the food and the atmosphere. From then, we stopped coming here. Well, the food was expensive too."
I listen to her every word and give my answer. "Now forget about that. From onwards we are going to eat food from Tavern only."
Alexia immediately frowned, not because she remembers the humiliation she faced from the tavern but the money. "The food here is expensive. It takes almost 15 bronze coins to feed us one time. What about the church food-"
"Father Patrick is not coming back, okay? And what's the problem? I am bringing enough coins, here." I toss the pouch filled with coins at her. "Buy dinner too. Use the remaining money to buy some sweets."
"You are not coming?" Alexia asks in a small voice.
"No. I am here. Waiting. Now go."
Alexia tightly grips the pouch and goes inside the bit larger house which is the tavern. As soon as she goes inside, Dora begins to whisper. 'Are you not going with her?'
'I am watching her and I can't always come here with her. As the oldest she has to step up.'
'Oh, the great royal mage Altaris is a great parent too. The emperor must be rolling in his grave.'
I glare at Dora.
'Tell me the greatest parent in this kingdom, are you going tell the bride that her fate is sealed?'
'No.'
'Why? Doesn't she deserve to know? How the greatest royal mage Altaris failed to protect her and she became a bride to Demon Prince Baal.'
I stay silent. 'After her mana puberty ends, she would be dragged to that dimension and become Baal's plaything. Oh, what an honour! Hehe.'
'How long will the illusion last?'
'For a month. Or for a week? It depends on the girl's body. The moment her blood moon bleeds the illusion will fade and the mark of Ball will be seen by everyone.'
I focus my mana field on Alexia. The mark of Baal, the demonic markings on her crotch area. The mark releases an aura of demonic mana which makes everyone around her lust after Alexia's body. Normally, church personally hunts down such individual in the name of faith but I can't let Alexia die and I can't trust church to help me in this era. Therefore, I had Dora cast an illusion cover on the mark to conceal it for the time being. On the bright side, there are few ways of getting rid of the mark but it requires some strength which I don't possess.
"I need to get stronger." I mumble.
Dora heard my mumbling and decided to press me further. 'Also, what about the memory erasure spell? It didn't leave any side effect, right?'
'No.'
'Of course not! Afterall, it was casted by the great royal mage Altaris!'
Once again, I glare at Dora.
'Stop doing that. I am not going anywhere.'
I continue staring at her which makes her even more uncomfortable. 'Don't look at my soul!'
Confused, I raise my eyebrow. 'I am not?'
'Stop lying. I can feel you, directing your mana into your eyes.'
I frown visibly and spoke out loud. "I am not doing that!"
CHIRP! CHIRP! 'Look! You are doing it, right now.'
Irratied, I withdrew my mana field and redirected it all over my body. 'I am not-' I halt my words as I sense a small amount mana being directing to my eyes. 'What the-'
I immediately held the mana flow which caused sudden pain in my eyes, it forced me to rub eyes. After few seconds, I opened them and sunlight burned through them. "Ahh. It wasn't so bright!"I gently open eyes and see a brown mouse looking at me.
'What happened? Are you blind now?'
"Was your fur always brown?" I couldn't help but ask. "Wasn't it yellow?"
'What are you talking about? Have you ever seen a yellow shaded rat?'
I turn my gaze and began to notice everything. "Green grass, the blue sky and black wood fence! I can see colours! I can finally see colours!" I couldn't help but jump in happiness. Until now, I only seen everything under a dark yellow tint.
"Altaris." Alexia was back, her hands were full with large baskets filled food. Instead of helping her, I grab her long hair. "What are you doing?" She yells.
"Tell me Alexia, were your hair always white?"
Alexia slaps me in the cheek. "Were you blind until now?"