What's This Strange Feeling...?

"...No. It's not."

Oria's smiley face shatters as she heard that. "H-Huh...?"

"You fool! What if that tree falls the opposite way and hit you!?" Faruk shouted furiously. "Bless the Goddess that the tree didn't fall to you, or else who knows what'll happen to you!"

The little girl steps back in shock, not expecting her master to yell at her. The terrifyingly loud voice coming out from the Observer shows how livid he is.

"I..."

Faruk does not allow time for her to reply.

"—Indeed, you're a fast learner, but you've yet to learn when and where should you use that art of yours! Should that tree fell on you, you'd be as good as dead. Have you forgotten, Oria? If you die. I'll DIE, too!"

"Eeep..." Oria stepped back once more. Her body couldn't stop trembling.

"...Sheesh. What a nightmare. *sigh* Well, forget about it. I'm just glad that you're..." when Faruk turned around to look at her again, he's surprised. The little girl is shedding tears. She feels like being torn apart by those harsh words Faruk gave.

"O-Oria..."

The white pouch on her other hand slips off her grip, meeting the earth's surface. Immediately, she falls to her knees, caring little to the grass and dirt that soils her dress.

"...I'm... I'm so sorry," she cried. "I'm really sorry..."

Again and again, she cried out that she's sorry. Tears can't stop falling like waterfall from her tiny eyes. "I'm so stupid... I can't stop making troubles for you... *hic*... I'm... I'm truly sorry, Faruk..."

Seeing her crushed down like that makes Faruk feel a strange sensation. There's something in his deep self that feel irritatingly hurt when seeing her like that. Hearing her cry ignites that pain in him. He's trying to discover what's that feeling is. He asks himself why does it hurt? He's one of the greatest beings in the world, resistant to most pain. Yet now... he feels something paining him.

"(...Sheesh, what's going on with me. Grr. I can't tell what's happening.)"

Soon, Faruk gives up, but only for now. He hovers near his crying protege, calling her out.

"Forgive me. I might've been a bit harsh on you, Oria."

"Mmhhmm!" Oria shook her head hardly. "I deserve it. I'm a bad girl! I've caused a lot of trouble for you and Dux already! For so long, I can't stop making mistakes and troubles for those around me...!" she cried.

For a moment, Faruk goes silent. Then, he picks up a word and say to her.

"...Indeed. You've made a lot of mistakes."

Oria's sobbing voice grows larger, but it halts midway when Faruk continues.

"...But that is because you are a human. It's in human's nature that you make mistakes. In fact, it's in every creature born with a common sense that they will make mistakes. Even myself. We make mistakes... so that we may improve oneself to be a better person."

"...Fa... Faruk..."

The Silver Dragon decides to be more open to her at this point. That massive heart of a dragon's is revealing its true colors to the little girl's tiny heart.

"I'm also at fault here. I... I admit I'm scared. Probably scared just as you are. The thought of you dying will also lead me to death... I don't want that to happen. That's probably the reason why I'm angry."

For Oria's mind, it's hard to picture that giant fearless dragon to feel scared. Those blazing eyes and heavy echoing voice of his is just somewhat impossible to show any sense of fear. But now, Faruk reveals to her about the part of him, a genuine feeling in him.

In the form of the Observer, for the first time, Faruk says in a... serene voice.

"That's why... I'm sorry for shouting at you like that. I simply ask thee not to act rashly in the future. Better ask first to me. After all, you are my protege, no?"

Oria wipes her tears, standing up to the eyeball. Her eyes are still teary, but she holds it in not to fall again. Suddenly, she takes a leap and catches the iron eyeball, chaining it to her embrace. Her cute tiny mouth so close to the Observer, speaks to Faruk in a quiet wavy voice as she held her voice not to cry.

"I'm sorry, too. I will do my best not to worry you from now on, Faruk."

Shortly, that sense of pain Faruk felt earlier slowly alleviates to the point of he feels comfort. He again questions himself of that strange feeling he felt. But what's important now to him is that he must make sure he does not destroy the bond between him and Oria.

"...Yeah. I apologize myself for being harsh."

...

..

.

After a few minutes of hugging the dragon in eyeball form, Oria lets go of him. She looks at the eye right at the center of the pupil. There, she smiles again.

"Heehee."

"What's so funny?" Faruk replied.

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just... kind of happy. Teehee."

"Huh... why do you sound cryptic now...? Reminds me of Dux in some way... well, never mind. Are you going to plant those seeds or not?"

Oria realizes that the white pouch is on the ground. She hurries to pick it up and pats away all dirt on it. Then, she realizes that her dress has gathered grass cuts and dirt.

"Uwaaah! The dress Miss Katze gave...! Aaah... Dux might be angry when he sees this..."

"Haha. Fear not, little child. It's hard to see that squid angry at someone," Faruk comforted her. "You shouldn't fear of getting dirty while in the open. Traveling long distances while surviving against the odds of this world will be no short of filth. Don't worry, though. I'll teach you how to clean it later."

"O-Oh... r-right. So, that leaves me to... plant the seeds!"

Oria brings the white pouch to where the stump of the dead tree was. Guided by Faruk, she plants the rozferul seed about two meters from the dead tree's original location using a small shovel.

"All done!"

"Good work, Oria. Now, you just need to give your mana to it."

"How?" she asked cutely.

"Oh, right... you don't know how to do it, do you?"

Oria nods.

"Right, so to do it, you just need to reach your hand to the place where you plant those seeds."

The child immediately proceeds to do what he says, "Then?"

"Touch the ground, if you please," Faruk stated.

"Like this?"

"Good. Now, use the [Transfer Mana] art."

"Huh...?" Oria got confused. "But... I didn't make any art with that name..."

"Make an art...? (What the hell did Dux teach you, Oria...?) Ahem, there's no need to 'make' that art. It's something that's available immediately upon trying it. The system the Goddess created freely gives that art to anyone who tries that art by saying the name."

"Huh..."

"Go ahead and try it."

Oria turns her attention to the ground where she planted those rozferul seeds. She follows what Faruk told her to do. With a tiny voice, she says, "Transfer Mana..."

A faint light emits from the palm of her hand. The light creeps through the crevice between her palm and the surface of the earth. Afterwards, a tiny plant appears from the ground. Oria steps back and witnesses its growth, which rises in a steadily quick rate.

"Whoa..."

<Transfer Mana art is learned!>

The voice of the system told her that she achieved the art she just did. Faruk was right. She did get the art the moment she tried it.

A minute has passed. The tiny plant now has grown about the height of Oria's stomach. Right there too, the plant stops growing up.

"This is as far as the seed will allow its growth, huh..." Faruk noted.

"What happened? It's not as big as a tree, Faruk..." Oria worried that she messed up.

"Of course not. The amount of mana you give is only three points. Well, that's how much you'll be able to give for your first try. Aaand it's all it needs for the rozferul plant to grow to its maximum height."

"Eh? It's not going to be a tree?"

"Nah. Rozferul is a plant that grows out flowers that can be used as herb for making medicine. For now, the flower hasn't bloomed yet. But if we come back a month later or so, it may bloom already."

"I... I see."

Out of nowhere...

<E-404 lv.*# acHiEvED!===!!>

The voice of the system is heard, but it is terribly glitchy. It is more than enough to horrify those who hear it.