I Refused To Be Reincarnated

Once Julius secured the flask, Adam counted how he woke up in Alina's house, the inspection at the guard's station, followed by their first encounter with Gaston.

Then, shame covered his features as he explained how he hoodwinked Theodore into helping them brew a potion and his subsequent plan to make Julius join the barony. Of course, he omitted anything related to the dream place.

As his words lingered, he realised such a long time had already passed and that he had changed. Not negatively, though. Even if he was still immature, he could raise his head and puff his chest, saying he was an honest man... Or ghost. He also got rid of his madness thanks to the departed friend who marked him the most, making his reactions less exaggerated.

With a smile reflecting his journey, achievements and losses, he grabbed Julius' and Nova's shoulders, concluding, "The boy told you the rest. Tell us about your goals because I don't care about your hopes or whatnot."

However, Alexander's eyes slipped to the side for a moment. A pensive frown formed on his forehead as he dismantled their stories into causes, effects, and choices. In half a minute, he drew several theories about the duo's existence and, more importantly, their characters. 'The boy is good enough,' he thought before glancing at Adam. 'His friend is too unstable, sharp, and cunning.

I need more time to study him, separate them, or give up entirely,' he added, regaining his composure.

Who could blame his judgment based on past events? For him, Adam was an old ghost who might have lost his memories or had hidden agendas. Never in his wildest dreams would he have believed Adam could grow so much in thirteen years.

Thus, knowing that trust and honesty were the basis for any relationship, he answered, "Don't take it personally, but I need more time to decide. I also need to confirm if Reynard is willing to follow first." Then, he stood up, gathered the dirty plates, and walked to the door, adding with a bright smile, "Worry not. Since you trusted me, I guarantee I won't tell your story to anyone."

The trio watched his departing back, unhappy not to receive answers, until Nova's melodious voice echoed in the classroom.

"Did you really sleep with cows and horses to save money?" She asked Julius, grimacing. Just imagining the smell made her scrunch her nose in disgust. Remembering their escape, she added, "Ah! You promised me a cat after you slapped Timmy away! It's been a month already, and I still don't know what it is!"

"Why didn't you ask Asha to give you one? And yes. I had to pay for the boat," answered Julius, a wry smile tugging at his lips. How was her cat more important than Alexander's strange interest?

"Because I forgot, too!" She answered, her hands resting against her hips. "Go get me one now, or I'll band with the girls against you," she added, squinting her eyes at Adam.

"..."

'With allies like you, we don't need enemies,' the ghost thought, an icy shiver running down his spine as he imagined Nova harassing them daily. "Julius," he started, fear dancing in his eyes. "Move to the city. We'll get her the cutest kitty and pray she likes it," he continued, sweat dripping from his forehead.

The more he imagined the naïve woman's actions, the faster his heart pounded. 'We'll die of shame if she goes against us!' He screamed inwardly, racing to the door to accomplish this critical mission.

Five hours later, Julius returned, walking under the setting sun and cradling a... "What's his name again?" He asked, raising his brow at the small feline's white fur and blue stripes. 'Weren't we supposed to buy a kitty?' he thought, shaking his head at his big brother's bizarre tastes.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Didn't he say it was a snowcat no one wanted because of the stripes?" Answered Adam, finding the kitty stylish enough to join their group.

"I don't think it's a cat, though..." Julius muttered, unconvinced by the merchant's words. After all, the life force emitted by the newborn creature amounted to an untrained human.

"Who cares? She'll name it Timmy or Tommy, anyway," Adam shrugged, unbothered by details. What mattered most was to please Nova so as not to suffer later. Find exclusive stories on empire

After a short walk to the girl's dormitory, Asha's door creaked open. Her eyes twitched upon seeing the two annoying guys. "Humph. I wonder how such mighty disciples found time to visit a lowly novice?" She asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Stop acting like a baby and train more. My words were harsh because you are wasting your potential," answered Adam before turning to Nova with a smile.

"Look! That's a snowcat, a low-tiered variety of magic beasts. You are lucky. It was the only female they had, and it was the strongest! We even purchased and engraved your name on a beautiful silk ribbon," he added, pointing at the cute kitty's neck.

Upon seeing the small meowing fur ball, Nova's heart melted. With soft eyes, her hands inched to caress the animal.

After playing with it for a bit and noticing its friendliness, she snatched it from Julius' arms and hugged it with a warm smile. "Thank you, Adam! I love your gift," she said, her enchanting voice echoing in the dormitory.

Faced with this display of affection, even Asha's anger subsided a bit. However, she had one last snarky remark to make before. "Be a man and confess if you are interested in her," she smirked.

Adam exhaled loudly, then shook his head in response. "We can't save you anymore. You are too far gone in your love dramas," he said before bidding Nova goodbye, happy she liked the little creature he chose for her. Next, he asked Julius to visit Shepard.

Speechless, Asha gazed at the departing ghost. That wasn't the reaction she expected from him. However, her eyes gradually widened as she pondered his words. "They heard us in the cafeteria!" She exclaimed, understanding why the protective ghost separated the group in two. Yet, determination only burned brighter in her green eyes. After all, his words were correct.

Compared to Julius and Arun, they had made little to no progress.

'I'll show you we aren't deadweights,' she thought, reaffirming her resolve and returning to gather mana.

Meanwhile, Nova played happily with her new friend, wondering what name would fit it. She first thought about Tommy but dismissed it since she was a female. After a long moment, she sighed in defeat. With Ossian as her ex-master, she would never be good at giving names. After all, the ghost king named his soul reapers one to fifty...