I Refused To Be Reincarnated

After a restless night, the sun shone its radiant rays on the city.

A boy holding a book, a floating ghost, and an uninvited guest passed through the college's gate after a warm breakfast.

"Yay! Let's explore where the poors live!" Shouted the excited intruder, raising her fist with gleaming eyes. Meanwhile, the kitten cradled against her chest purred to express its happiness.

"Why did we take Nova with us..." Julius muttered, facepalming after hearing her unfiltered words as he walked.

Adam smiled bitterly in response. Faced with her insistence in the cafeteria, he quickly realised how unwise refusing her demand would be. Thus, he accepted her company during their mission despite his reluctance.

"Ignore her," he said, gazing at the distant suburbs with nostalgia, memories of the humble house they had shared for seven years filling his mind.

On their way, the busy citizens halted their movements, casting looks of reverence after noticing the boy's school uniform. Young ladies blushed, hesitating under the urging gaze of their parents, even if they understood what they wanted.

Nervously fiddling with their clothes, they prepared to introduce themselves, hoping to make a good impression on the future mage. But before they could muster the courage, a strange gust of wind buffeted them, ruffling their hair and clothes.

Scared witless, they hid behind their parents, afraid to have offended the college student while Adam smirked.

"Finally, taking you with us is convenient," he whispered, looking at Nova's raised hand.

"Humph. They want to touch my little Julius? No way!"

Upon hearing her words, he massaged his forehead, sighing. 'Since when is he yours?' he thought, suspicions wrapping around his heart. 'Do I have to protect him from her too?'

However, he dismissed these bizarre ideas, remembering she considered him like a little brother. After all, Nova was seventy years old. He would doubt her sanity if she truly aimed at the boy.

Then, Julius opened a thick book, holding hit under Adam as they journeyed through the market. The intense odour of spices, olives, and aromatic herbs wafted in the air, assaulting their noses until they reached their destination.

With a raised brow, Adam stopped reading and observed the old houses. Opposite their village, they didn't look on the verge of collapse, and their inhabitants' eyes didn't reflect imminent threats. However, their bodies were the same. Sick and malnourished.

"Stay on guard," he said, covering the boy's back, ready to warn him in case of sudden danger.

However, before they could knock on the first door, Nova raced to a poorly dressed youth leaning against a dirt-covered wall. Black lines appeared on her forehead as she squinted. "Are you ok?"

Memories of the kids almost starving to death gripped her heart. After witnessing their harrowing decay during their escape, she hated starvation the most.

"I-I'm good, my lady," answered the thirteen-year-old boy, backing a few steps in fear after looking at her intricate robe and ethereal beauty.

"Take this before leaving," she said, retrieving a glinting silver coin from her pouch.

The boy's pupils constricted upon seeing so much money. With it, he could feed his mother and sister for a month or two if they rationed the food. Yet, they saw his hesitation and fidgeting fingers. His mother warned him many times to interact with wealthy individuals only if they offered him to work.

After all, surrounded by merchants and noble students, they were treated worse than cattle, and it wasn't uncommon for youths to suddenly disappear, never to be seen again.

As he prepared to resist the temptation and run back to his house, Julius walked towards him, adopting an arrogant expression.

"Humph. You should do. Take the coin and guide us in this place," he said, doing his best to sound like Arun when they first met.

Since he grew up in a similar yet much more dangerous suburb, he knew what disturbed the boy. He, too, would suspect a wealthy stranger giving him money for no apparent reason.

Seeing him waver, he continued. "Do it, or I'll find someone else!"

After a moment of deliberation, he gave up. Feeding his sister was his priority, and he didn't believe they could catch him if he fled.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"I-I'll guide you. What are you searching for?" He asked, planning to run if he felt threatened.

"I want to visit every kid my age. If you work well, I'll double the pay," Julius said, feeling bad for the kid.

Meanwhile, Nova moved her cat's paws with a gentle smile to show the scared boy they had no ill intentions.

The boy smiled bitterly in response before saying, "I only knew this neighborhood. I can help you, but you'll have to find someone else later."

Contrary to his expectations, Julius shrugged as he threw him a silver coin and gestured for him to start.

Excited by the glinting money but scared to lose it, he moved like the wind, staying fifteen meters from them, just in case. "Follow me. We can start with my sister."

Two minutes later, Julius entered the boy's house with a wry smile. If not for the missing rot, he could almost swear he returned to his home, considering how empty it was.

"Khalid? Why did you return so early?"

A feminine voice sounded before a gaunt woman raced to the hall. Upon seeing their appearance she abruptly halted and dropped to her knees.

"Please, forgive my son. He is the man of the house. If you punish him, we'll starve to death," She pleaded as a young girl peeked from behind the door.

"Mama..." Khalid said, his cheeks flushing red as he helped her up. "They hired me to guide them. I returned to give you the money and introduced Najat," he added, opening his tightly clenched fist to his mother's shock.

As her eyes widened, realising she misunderstood the situation,Julius heard something he would have never suspected, causing him to almost fall in bewilderment.

"Sir, can I be your guide, too? I know everyone in the city," she said, an eager smile broadening as Adam burst into laughter at her shenanigans.