The crown emitted a blinding light that blanketed the entire square, so brilliant it cut through the storm and halted the rain itself. The kid flinched, squeezing his eyes shut as the radiant warmth enveloped him.
"W-what is this light!?" The kid cried out.
The old man shielded his face with one hand while slowly approaching.
"K-Kid! Calm down, it won't harm you," he said in a reassuring tone.
As if in response to his words, the light faded. The sky cleared. The pouring rain stopped mid-fall, droplets suspended in the air before vanishing like mist. The boy cautiously opened his eyes. The oversized crown that had once perched clumsily atop his head had now shrunken perfectly to fit him.
"Ah, it's gone! The light is gone! And the rain too?" The kid muttered in awe.
After he said this, everyone slowly opens their eyes and was baffled by what happened.
"H-hey, what the hell happened!? What the hell was that light?!" shouted Mihikolo, the small man.
"I don't know boss! It was so bright that even with my eyes closed it still felt like I was staring straight at the sun!" Fylo, the big man, replied.
They turned toward the kid, the golden crown resting on his head like it belonged there.
"It seems the Quiss has chosen an individual." said the old man.
All of their eyes wide, mouths agape in absolute shock.
"The kid was... C-c-chosen?!" Mihikolo stammered..
Eilda, the woman smirks slightly at the sight.
"Huh? Chosen? I was chosen? Chosen to what?" The kid asked, confused.
Mihikolo's face twitch as he starts thinking to himself. "How could the Quiss choose this kid instead of me?! The great Mihikolo!? A kid is more worthy than me?!"
Suddenly, he nervously approaches the kid.
"H-Hey Kid!" the small man called out.
"H-How bout you joi-"
The old man steps in between without a sound. His cold gaze froze Mihikolo mid-step.
"I suggest you stay where you are, Mister 'Small'... You and your friends are still unpardoned thieves for stealing the Crown."
Mihikolo felt an invisible weight press down on him. it was an intense intimidation that could hold you down.
The kid, still unaware of what's happening shows visible annoyance. "Hey, You still haven't answered me! I was chosen? By what? By who? To what?"
The old man turns his head and faces the kid, changing his gaze to a more friendly one and approaches the kid, stopping in front of him.
"I'll give you the answer you want, kid... You are worthy and now have been chosen by the crown, you are now a user of a Quiss." explained the old man.
"A... Quiss?" The kid tilted his head. "What the hell is a Quiss?"
The old man and the woman were surprised by his response.
"He doesn't know what a Quiss is?" the old man thought. "This... is quite a predicament. I'll need to report this to the Head."
The old man closes his umbrella, turned and began walking down the left path, the direction they hadn't taken before. He spoke without looking back.
"Kid, follow me to my home and I'll answer all your questions there, you wouldn't wanna stay here, where it's still wet." He looks back at the trio. "You three come along too." says the old man.
"Stranger danger, old man! My grandpa warned me about people like you!"Lequiss stuck out his tongue, mocking him.
The old man stopped.
"Mmm? Perhaps I wasn't clear," he said, voice tightening. "I wasn't asking. I was telling."
"But I still don't wanna, hehe." The kid replies tauntingly.
The old man turns around and faces the kid.
Mihikolo filled with dread. "K-Kid stop taunting him! I don't know who that old man is but he's too powerful!"
"What if... I still don't wa-"
In a blink, the old man vanished. His umbrella dropped and splashed into the puddle left behind. Before the kid could react, the old man appeared right in front of him, one hand hovering near the boy's face.
The kid flinched and tried to leap back, but the other hand grabbed down on his shoulder, stopping him.
The old man's grip tightened.
"Come. With. Me."
"Ow! Old man, you're hella strong!" the kid shouted.
He grabbed the old man's wrist with both hands, trying to peel it off, but it wouldn't budge. He punched with his right fist but was caught before it even neared the old man's face. He reached for his sword but the old man pushed the hilt, sheathing it back.
The grip on his shoulder tightened even more.
"Ow Ow Ow! Okay, Okay I'll go! I'll go!" The kid yelped unwillingly in pain.
The old man releases his hand in the kid's shoulder and backs away.
"Ow Ow, Yeesh old man! You're crazy strong for someone so old!" says the kid while massaging his shoulder.
"Ahahaha, I get that alot." The old man chuckled. "Now come follow me to my home ...And you three better follow along too." The old man looks at them while saying this.
The small man gulps and looks at the other two and nods, the other two nods back.
The old man sees this and turns around, heading to the left path again, he picks up his umbrella along the way. The kid and the trio followed behind.
As they walked in silence through the damp stone street, the boy couldn't stop glancing at the old man.
"Huh? Old man, you look like an average old man but aren't one, you're so strong! Your hand didn't even budge when I tried to remove it!" The kid remarked.
Mihikolo growled quietly to himself. "You're not any average kid either, having a Quiss and not being scared of this old man!"
"You praise me too much," the old man said with a soft smile. "I'm just an ordinary elder of the Mixus Family."
Eilda flinched when she heard the name.
She whispered under her breath, a chill running down her spine. "The Mixus Family...?!"