Growing in an orphanage was very strange. This was almost my fate back when Kiritsugu found me, but if he didn't take me in I would have surely died at the hands of that fake priest, all other orphans were turned into mana batteries at the basement of Fuyuki church.

But the time to worry about such things is long gone, I'm in a place infinitely far away now. The Oasis orphanage is the only one for miles in this city of Menagerie, Kuo Kuana, even if this is one of the most populous parts of the island. Well, that much was a given when the High Leader and Chieftain lives around here.

The orphanage was nice, if a little underfunded. The name was a bit on the nose with deserts all around, but I never been good at naming things either.

I guess I'm about seven years old, my hair color remains the same auburn red and my eyes the usual golden brown. Although the lack of white streaks on my hair and the edges of steel grey in my eyes indicates the rejuvenation of my body.

The tail is a completely new addition though.

The same shade of red as my hair, it's thickness is pretty even all along it, and no other features other than the length being a bit longer than my leg. I suspect it's a cat tail, but it might as well me a monkey one for all I know.

It no longer bothers me as when I first noticed myself on this world a few months ago, and I can now move it as any other limb. Appearing on a different world as a 6 or something years old kid with a tail was admittedly a surprise however.

Of course a random child wandering around asking: "Where is here?" Or "Can you show me the world map?" Is pretty suspicious and those freelancer fellows called huntsman brought me to the orphanage.

I try to ease the burden on the kind lamb (?) lady than runs the things here, by cooking and doing minor chores, but they don't allow me to do that much else. I sometimes tinker with whatever appliances I can get my hands on, but whenever I try to use my magic circuits I feel as if something would snap if I used them, so I have been refraining from doing so during my short time here, but I probably shouldn't ignore it for too much longer.

After all, although my 27 circuits are an above average number, but disuse caused their capacity to suffer, or so does Rin tell me.

I finish dressing in my donated clothes and wait for the other orphans. There is some kind of excursion today for a White Fang peace rally and chieftain Belladona will be there.

The fair lady with bushy white hair and an extra pair of ears rounds up the entirety of the orphans, a score of children, mostly more colorful and energetic than I.

The children are mostly younger so I can't relate well to them, and actually being a little over 22 in mind doesn't help.

We all walk through the busy streets on the town, in a neat line following the caretaker.

I wonder what can be done about the monsters that plague mankind while I walk in silence.

-SNWC-

We all arrive where the stage is step up, a large crowd already there. We are escorted to a small reserved area, with a few other children are standing. All waiting for the speech to start.

The suited man stalls for time to raise the velvet cord let us in the area while our caretaker stares at him defiantly.

Surely a bunch of badly dressed orphaned children mix with the VIP sons and daughters already present was against his personal preferences, but as he eventually relents and let us all in, that might be his personal opinion in contradiction to the orders he received.

The children scatter on the new area immediately while our caretaker yells to not leave this place until the end of the speech. I calmly walk towards the small circle less packed with children, which is by pure coincidence where the better dressed children retreated to.

Most of them stare at me as I make my approach, their glares probably what kept my fellow orphans away, but I neatly ignore it and place myself besides a raven haired girl that didn't make baleful eyes at me.

The amber eyes of the girl stare at me curiously and I gaze at her with a neutral stare. After a couple seconds, I raise my left hand and wave it at her in a quiet greeting.

She gives me a quiet nod, and goes back to staring at the stage.

I take her cue and do the same.

The typical politician stand is on the middle, and a microphone is atop of it.

The entire thing is empty still, while we wait for the chieftain to appear.

"Mo-mother? Where are you?"

A nasally voice sounds nearby.

Beyond the velvet limits of the kids area, a little to the outskirts of the grouping of people, a small chestnut haired boy, with swirly horns looks around fretfully with tears in his eyes.

I instantly stand up straighter.

Looking around to a place among the stanchions that is a black spot among the man in suits, I quickly identify it and jog to it, ducking under the rope to exit the area.

Even with my short legs a few strides are all it takes to reach him. Standing before him, I ask softly:

"Hey there, can I help you?"

He looks up startled, but I keep my face friendly and repeat the question slowly.

He hiccups a bit and awnsers.

"I can't find my mom. She was here a second ago but now she is gone!"

He speaks slowly at the starts, but speeds up as he begins panicking.

I touch him softly on the shoulder and begin trying to calm him down.

"Hey, no need to panic. I have really good eyes, so if you describe your mom to me I'm sure I can find her in no time!"

His black eyes look at mine full of tears, but he nods his head firmly and describes his mom to me.

"She… she is really pretty! Her hair is long and she have cool horns like mine! A-also, its brown and she is wearing a green shirt with frills!"

He gesticulates wildly while describing her, doing his best to make easy for me to find her.

A smile comes to my face on its own. I press him a little harder on his shoulder.

"Got it. Leave it to me!"

I say in a confident voice.

He looks emboldened by my confidence, and smiles at me: his hopes renewed.

I look around for a vantage point, a lamppost nearby, but also see the raven haired girl from earlier.

Clearly having escaped the kid area and looking startled as I fix my eyes on hers, her cat ears standing straight up.

I nod at her before turning around and climbing the post quickly and looking at the gathering.

I scour the people on the outskirts first, a worried mother with ram horns shouldn't be to hard to find with a vantage point like this even with this many people around.

A good 200 meters away I see a likely candidate. Talking to what appears to be an officer, gesticulating in a familiar way. Her curved horns framed by a long braided hair checks the description.

I slide down the pole, and touch the ground softly.

I smile confidently at him and beckon him over.

"Give me your hand, I think I found her."

His eyes appear to shine as he hurries to my side, his hand clasping around my sightly larger one.

A familiar light feeling blossoms within me.

Yeah. No matter where this path leads me, helping others can't be wrong.

I power walk towards where I last saw the officer and the woman.

I hear an extra pair of footsteps behind me, but I pay no mind to them.

As we turn the corner, she becomes visible a just ahead. The boy gasps loudly, let's go of my hand and runs straight ahead.

"MOOOOM!"

He bellows, while I keep pace a little behind him.

She quickly turns around, eyes wide and face stricken with tears. I hear she gasp as her eyes cloud over and she begin running towards us.

"IRTYU!"

She kneels quickly and embrace him strongly while sobbing. His small arms doing his best to encircle her frame while he hiccups loudly.

I look at the scene while a good few meters back, having stoped running as soon as the woman began running.

Relaxing after a job well done I relax in place.

Hah. I should go back to the kids area before they worry about me.

"Hmp-!?"

A quiet noice grabs my attention sharply.

I swerve around in the direction of the sound. Seeing a silhouette ducking into a alleyway.

There is no doubt. In the split second I see it, I identify the raven haired girl being carried by it before they both disappear behind the alley.

My vision blurs as I give chase, my small legs working overtime to move at this speed.

I concentrate all I can on my hearing while navigating the maze of alleys. Turning sharply towards the hurried footsteps.

I see them just going towards a corner, while standing over a closed passageway, going in the same direction.

I jump on the trash can on the corner, leaping over the closed steel gate. By small body rolling painfully on the hard asphalt.

"-Guh!"

I stand up quickly and sprint straight forward.

My legs burning I hear the mysterious person closing to the exit of this narrow passage, having completed the way around it.

With the strength remaining in me, I propel my self forward.

"Oomph!?"

"Mnn!?"

I collide with the figure, ill prepared to deal with the impact of my admittedly small frame, they topple by my side, the girl letting a panicked noise upon the being releasing the hand covering ner mouth and her collision on the ground.

I stand up again, looking upon the would be kidnapper.

It's a woman with a beat up jeans and black shirt. Her short blond hair is messy, and I see no other notable characteristic feature about her, besides her green eyes – glaring at me.

I breathe deeply and square up my shoulders. No matter what kind of experience I have, this body is too much weak to do anything.

I turn my gaze towards the girl quickly.

"Get out of here!"

My scream echoes and snap both of them out of their reverie.

The green eyes of the woman, starring at me venomously sharpen. She smoothly rises and dashes towards me, while the girl gasps.

Damn,

This is the worst possible situation!

As the distance between the two of us shortens, her steel bracelets turning into twin daggers, I wonder how I'm getting out of this mess.

I wait the last possible second before diving sideways, the screen of metal against the wall resounding loudly against my ears.

Oy, murder lady!

Who just jumps straight up to the throat of a six year old child!?

Even with my indignation plain to see, my internal question will remain unanswered for the time being.

The woman snarls at me, her knuckles white from holding the sharp knives. Her gaze firmly on my form, much more cautious in approaching me.

Things have been calm lately, but getting in this kind of situation before I could figure out what is happening with my magic circuits is just typical.

An E-rank luck is supposed to be 10 times the human average, so why does this things happen all the time!?

The glint on her knives edge is all the warning I need to duck again, while I think what I should do to make my dream less of a trouble magnet.

AN: Aaaaaand that is it for this chapter. Saw the post by the talented artist Alex-kellar about his newest contest and figured I might as well put my rusted writing muscles to use. Still studying hard here, med school and all, but I should be able to post a second -and bigger- chapter this week. Wish me luck on my coming exams every one! See you guys soon.