The morning sunlight spilled into the room of the Gilded Griffon Inn like liquid gold, turning the simple wooden walls into something warm and alive. Dust motes drifted lazily in the shafts of light, and the chorus of sparrows outside created a melody that pulled Yukio slowly from the depths of sleep.
At first, there was nothing. He stared at the ceiling beams: the kind of rustic, hand-hewn woodwork that he had previously seen only in fantasy video games. Then the memories of the previous day returned-the hunt, the goblins, the single shared bed. A grin tugged at his lips.
He stretched. Or tried to. Something heavy pinned him down.
Yukio blinked as he tilted his head. His heart skipped a beat.
Michibiki was asleep on his chest.
Her silver-white hair cascaded over him like a silken curtain, shimmering faintly in the sunlight. She breathed evenly, her cheek pressed against the fabric of his tunic, the faint warmth of her body bleeding into him. Her slender hand clutched his shirt tightly, as if even in dreams she refused to let go.
Yukio froze, his face heating. No way…
His mind was screaming a dozen different things at once: Don't move. Move. Wake her. Don't wake her. This is dangerous. This is the best thing ever.
She shifted slightly, sighing in her sleep, and the blanket pulled taut over both of them. Her soft weight pressed even closer against his chest. Yukio's ears began to redden. And she called me the perv? Look at this!
He let out a nervous chuckle, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"Guess you're not so untouchable after all, angel,
He whispered.
Her eyelashes fluttered.
"Oh, no…"
Yukio mouthed.
Her eyes opened. First calm, still half-dreaming; then confusion; then horror.
In an instant, she sat up too quickly. Tripping over the blanket, she tumbled over the side of the bed and landed with a muted thud.
"What-what do you think you're doing?!"
Michibiki shrieked, wrapping the blanket round herself like a fortress. Her face was redder than molten lava.
"You-how-why were you—?!"
"Me?!"
Yukio sat up, pointing.
"You're the one who climbed on top of me!"
"L-lies!"
She sputtered, too flustered to think straight.
"You… you dragged me there somehow!
"Oh yeah?"
Yukio smirked.
"In your sleep? Admit it. You are the clingy type."
Her jaw dropped. She spun away, summoning her mage robes from her pocket inventory with a dramatic fwip.
"I don't want to hear another word. Not one!"
Yukio stretched his arms over his head and grinned.
"Heh. And you called me the perv."
---
By the time they sat at a small table in the Gilded Griffon's dining hall, Michibiki had forced her composure back into place-though the faint pink on her cheeks betrayed her. The inn bustled with morning noise: adventurers clanking around in half-worn armor, the smell of fresh bread and sizzling sausage wafting from the kitchen, a bard tuning a lute by the corner hearth.
Michibiki ate her bread daintily, her gaze fixed anywhere but him. Yukio leaned back in his chair, enjoying every second of her embarrassed silence.
"So,
He said casually, spearing a sausage with his fork,
"What's the plan today? Another babysitting slime quest?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"Another low-rank quest. We aren't rushing into anything dangerous until you actually understand this world."
"Or,
Yukio countered, waving his fork like a conductor
"We can raise the stakes. Go all-in. High risk, high reward. My Wheel of Providence is itching for another spin"
She slammed her cup down.
"You and that absurd Wheel. Unpredictable. You'll die."
"That's the point."
His grin broadened.
"Where's the fun in safe bets?"
"You're insane."
But the corner of her mouth betrayed the tiniest smile.
---
By the time they got there, the guild was already a whirlwind: mismatched armor-clad adventurers shouting over one another at the request board, clerks scurrying like ants with precarious stacks of papers in their arms, and a trio of rugged mercenaries comparing scars at the bar while two mages argued over spell components.
Emera, as always, appeared impervious to the bedlam. She found Yukio and Michibiki in a flash and waved them over with her ever-composed smile.
"Good morning, you two,
She greeted warmly. From under the desk, she produced a thick stack of parchment.
"Here are today's available quests.
Yukio went through them hastily.
"Goblins. More goblins. Still goblins. Wait, let me guess… goblins?"
Michibiki had leaned in, her eyes sharpened.
"All of them?"
Emera's smile faltered. She adjusted her glasses, lowering her voice.
"After your report yesterday, the guild dispatched scouts. They found a goblin stronghold at the edge of the Evergreen Forest. Not a camp—an organized fortress. Our estimates place the population at… at least a hundred."
The words spread like wildfire in the hall. Adventurers fell silent, listening. The air grew tense.
Yukio's pulse quickened.
"A hundred, huh? Perfect. Sign us up."
Before Emera could respond, Michibiki seized Yukio's ear and twisted it viciously.
"Absolutely not!"
"Gah—ow, ow!"
Yukio yelped, flailing.
"I need that ear!"
"You'll get yourself killed, idiot!"
The other adventurers around them laughed, whispering about the weird pair. Yukio grinned, despite the pain, clenching his teeth.
"C'mon, Michibiki. Imagine it-take down the goblin fortress, walk back into town as heroes. Free drinks, free food, maybe a statue in our honor."
Her blush returned.
"I don't care if they carve your face into the mountain. I'm not letting you throw your life away!"
But when Yukio leaned closer, eyes gleaming with reckless confidence, she faltered.
"…You'll regret this,"
She muttered.
He held out his pinky.
"If I mess up even once, I owe you a favor. Anything."
Her gaze lingered on his pinky, on his grin. With a soft sigh, she slowly hooked hers around his.
"Idiot."
"You know,
He shot back.
---
The Evergreen Forest loomed ahead by noon, a sprawling sea of pines. The air was sharp and cool, with the scent of sap and moss. Light filtered through the canopy in shifting patches.
Michibiki strode forward, her arms crossed.
"I still can't believe I agreed to this."
"You didn't,
"We'll get out of the city, clear out for a while," Yukio said cheerily, following close behind.
"You just couldn't stop me. That's what we call a loss of the hand."
She glared over her shoulder.
"One of these days, that mouth will get you killed."
"Not today."
He winked.
"Today I've got you."
Her cheeks pinked again before she spun forward quickly.
"…Idiot."
He laughed softly, jogging to match her stride.
"Tell you what. If I need your help even once in this fight, I'll owe you another favor. Anything you want. Promise."
Michibiki slowed, skeptical.
"Anything?"
"Anything."
He extended his pinky once more, eyes shining.
Her lips twitched despite herself. She hooked her pinky in his, grip lingering a second too long.
"…You're going to regret that."
"Worth it."
They walked a while in silence, the forest quiet but for the crunch of their boots against leaves. Then Michibiki stopped abruptly, raising a hand.
"Shh,
She whispered.
Through the trees lay a clearing.
At its center: a fortress.
The crude wall of logs towered twice Yukio's height, bound by sinew and reinforced with jagged bones. Skulls leered from the gates, strung like trophies. Smoke coiled upward, carrying with it the stench of roasting meat and blood.
At the gate, two goblins were on guard; towering brutes with boulder shoulders, jagged stone axes gripped in clawed hands.
Yukio let out a low whistle.
"That's… a lot of skulls."
Michibiki wore a solemn expression, her customary serenity sharpened to steel.
"This isn't a camp. It's a base."
He tightened his grip on his sword, and his eyes gleamed.
"Good. Then the stakes just went up."
She glanced at him—half annoyed, half worried, half something she would not admit.
"…You really are reckless."
He smirked, the gambler's fire in his eyes.
"Reckless? Nah. Just all-in."