Megumi, for all her bluster, was a mage who couldn't fight her way out of a paper bag. Jhin had her pinned in three moves flat, and she gave up entirely — lying face-up on the ground, eyes blank and empty.
"Fine. Just kill me already."
Jhin shook his head, his smile so insufferably smug that Megumi's fingers itched to rearrange his face. "I'm no murderer. How could I ever bring myself to harm such a charming little mage?"
"As a peace offering — please, accept this deep-forest boar."
Megumi's nose twitched involuntarily. Her throat made a small, treacherous movement. She turned her head away with a carefully practiced air of indifference. "You think a little food is going to make me forgive you? Not a chance!"
"I, Megumi, would sooner throw myself off a cliff than accept a single bite from you!"
"Oh? Is that so?"
Jhin pulled the grilled meat back without a word, pretending not to notice the way Megumi's gaze had latched onto it like a fishhook. He set it back over the campfire to warm up and casually dusted it with a pinch of chili powder.
The sharp, fragrant scent of spice melded perfectly with the rich fat sizzling beneath. The meat crackled and hissed, droplets of golden oil dripping down into the flames, which seemed to flicker with the very aroma of the meat itself.
"...Smells so good."
No one is immune to the Law of Irresistible Smells. Not even Megumi.
She'd been living hand-to-mouth for longer than she cared to admit. Against Jhin's roasted-meat offensive, her resolve lasted less than thirty seconds before she crumbled completely — deciding magnanimously that a great person such as herself need not hold a grudge against lesser beings, and that Jhin was hereby forgiven.
"You haven't joined a guild yet, right? How about it — want to build one with us?"
Faced with the olive branch Jhin extended, Megumi glanced at Pecorine and Kokkoro, her thoughts churning uneasily.
This guy has a rotten personality, sure, but at least the other two girls seem decent enough. Joining them probably won't put me in any danger. As long as I don't let slip that Explosion Magic is the only spell I know, I should be able to get by in their guild just fine.
The reason Megumi had gone so long without joining any guild was precisely that — Explosion Magic was her one and only offensive spell, and she could only cast it once per day. After she used it, her magic would run dry and she'd be left a helpless wreck, just like before. Most guilds had turned her away flat.
Technically I'm sneaking into their guild under false pretenses, but honestly? That's just the price this scoundrel deserves to pay for holding my embarrassing moment hostage.
After weighing it from every angle, Megumi decided there was absolutely no reason not to accept Jhin's invitation. She nodded. "Fine. I agree to join your guild — but let me make one thing clear up front: the moment I notice anything suspicious, I'm walking. And you don't get to complain about it."
Just you wait. I'll eat you right into bankruptcy.
"Of course. We won't force anyone to stay." Jhin extended his hand and shook hers with perfect politeness.
Heh. Once you're in the palm of my hand, little one — there's no running.
Two people, each harboring their own schemes, smiled at each other like old friends reunited after years apart.
The cat-eared mage who had been accidentally knocked out by Pecorine groaned and sat up, rubbing her aching back with both hands.
"Oh, you're awake! Are you hungry? Here — eat something." Being the one responsible for the whole incident, Pecorine immediately set down her food and scooted over, fussing over the girl with warm concern. Without asking anyone's permission, she plucked a piece of grilled meat straight off the campfire and shoved it toward the cat-eared mage's mouth.
Sizzle~
The scalding-hot, oil-soaked meat made contact with the lips of the still-dazed cat-eared mage — and she shot straight up off the ground. "That's hot! What is wrong with you?! Don't go shoving something that scorching into someone's mouth!"
"Sorry, sorry!" Pecorine withdrew the meat with a contrite expression, blew on it twice, and offered it again. "It's definitely not hot this time. Give it another try."
"It's still burning hot!!"
After a brief bout of utter chaos, the beast-eared mage finally settled down, nibbling on a properly cooled piece of meat and introducing herself to the group. "My name is Kyaru. I'm a mage. I was on my way to Landosol when a pack of wolves ambushed me halfway there. Thank you all for stepping in."
"So your name's Kyaru! Mm, it really suits you." Doing her best to make up for her recklessness, Pecorine was going all out to win over Kyaru, who still looked a little put out. "Have more grilled meat — it's really good, I promise."
Kyaru flinched on pure reflex and immediately relocated herself to Jhin's side, eyeing Pecorine — whose hand had barely even begun to rise — with open wariness. "I'm fine. I'll help myself when I want some."
"You've completely lost her trust, Pecorine," Kokkoro remarked serenely, flipping the meat on the campfire and following Jhin's guidance to sprinkle on a careful blend of different spices.
"Ugh~ I know, I know. That's what I get for being so careless." Pecorine munched on her meat and reflected on her behavior.
"You're a mage too? Perfect timing, actually — our party already has one." Jhin gestured toward Megumi, who was sitting right beside him and single-mindedly demolishing her food. "Her name's Megumi. I'm Jhin. The other two are Pecorine and Kokkoro. We're all members of the same guild — even if it hasn't been formally established yet."
"Guild members, huh. That's nice." Kyaru spoke of her plans with a casual, offhand air. "I came to Landosol to join a guild myself — it is the place every newcomer heads to, after all." She was quietly testing whether Jhin would take the initiative to invite her. If he didn't, she'd have to ask to join herself.
"Well, no time like the present — Kyaru, how would you feel about joining our guild?"
"Hah?" Kyaru's first instinct was to play hard to get and refuse — but then she remembered she had a mission to see through, and hastily corrected herself. "W-well... considering you did just save my life, I suppose I could bring myself to join."
Meanwhile, Megumi — who had been diligently working her way through as much of Jhin's food as possible — abruptly realized something alarming: if Kyaru, an actual full-fledged mage, joined the guild, it was only a matter of time before the fact that she only knew one spell came to light.
No good. I need to figure out a way to stay in this guild before I eat this guy into ruin.
Megumi hurriedly crammed the remaining meat in her hand into her mouth, chewed a few times, swallowed, and flung her arm out to block Jhin just as he was about to shake Kyaru's hand.
"Hold on. Adding a new member is all well and good, but isn't this a little hasty?"
I'm trying to eat in peace, and you're ruining my plans? Kyaru looked at Megumi — whose hand was still glistening with grease — and let a glint of hostility creep into her gaze. "And what does our honored senior have in mind, exactly?"
"We're both mages. Why don't we settle it the mage way — and let our magic decide who gets into the guild?"
Another person in the guild meant more eyes on Kyaru and less room to gather information. She agreed without a moment's hesitation, fully intending to boot this last-minute gatecrasher out entirely. "You sure about this, senpai? It'd be pretty awkward if the newcomer here ends up kicking you out."
"Who gets kicked out remains to be seen. Don't count your chickens."
A charged tension crackled to life between the two of them. Jhin caught Pecorine and Kokkoro's eyes before they could intervene, and silenced them with a look.
This is a golden opportunity to figure out what these two suspicious mages are actually made of.
____
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