Kyaru sat in the dim room, using the pale moonlight to stare at the stack of letters that had been returned to her. Her brow furrowed as she muttered under her breath, "How is it that I can't even get a letter through to Her Majesty? Does that really mean I have to wait for orders before I can go back and report?"
Actually defying orders just to file a report wasn't something she could bring herself to do — after all, she had absolutely no desire to experience Her Majesty's punishment firsthand.
"I'll burn the letters. I remember everything anyway — I can just give Her Majesty an oral report."
Orange flames reduced the letters to ash. Kyaru reached over, opened the window, and held the cinders out into the night air. They dissolved into the evening breeze in moments, vanishing without a trace.
She stood at the window in a daze, her heart a tangle of conflict and uncertainty about her role as a spy.
"Better get some sleep... I have to get up early tomorrow to feed those kids, and while I'm out, I can... I can also look into the competition news for them."
She closed the window, pulled back the covers, and lay down on the bed. Kyaru wrapped herself tightly in her blanket, tucking even her head inside — as if sealing herself away from the world could somehow seal out her unease.
――
Kokkoro held a paintbrush and carefully worked on the red banner spread before her, the chibi likenesses of the Gourmet Edifice crew taking shape stroke by stroke. She was crafting a cheering flag for the day of the cooking competition.
The food competition only allowed teams of two to enter, so it was a matter of course that the Gourmet Edifice would send their two best cooks: Jhin and Pecorine.
The rest of the group, unable to compete themselves, had to find other ways to show their support. Kokkoro's chosen method was painting the cheer banner — and the slogans written on it, suggested by Megumin, were very... very much in keeping with a certain someone's personality.
"The Almighty Chef Jhin descends upon Landosol!"
"The Pudding Maestro Pecorine makes her glorious entrance!"
"Divine skill shines upon the world in seven radiant colors!"
Reading those three lines, Kyaru could only shake her head. "I can't even imagine how pitiful those two are going to look. The other competitors are absolutely going to target them."
"Hmph, those are nothing but the lamentations of mere mortals. Just ignore them!" Megumin declared proudly, as if she were the one about to take the stage and show the world what she was made of.
"Do whatever you want. I'm heading out."
"Mm, safe travels. Will you be back for lunch?"
Kyaru paused mid-step without turning around. The tip of her fluffy gray tail flicked with unmistakable warning, pointed squarely at Megumin. "I'll be back — so don't you dare forget to make my share again!"
Megumin scratched her head and smiled awkwardly. "I'm the one cooking today, so there's no way I'll forget."
There had been a time before when Kyaru had gone out in the morning to feed the cats and mentioned she'd be back for lunch — only for Megumin to forget to tell whoever was cooking that day, which happened to be Pecorine, and Kyaru had come home to nothing. If Jhin hadn't rushed to whip up a bowl of noodles on the spot, she would have had to fill her stomach with snacks.
"Hmph. Good, then." Kyaru clicked out of the room in her brown heels, each step ringing out a crisp clatter.
"Phew." Megumin wiped away a nonexistent bead of cold sweat. If she weren't the one on cooking duty this afternoon, she might very well have forgotten again.
So, what to do next? Pecorine was in her room studying recipes for the competition. Jhin was refining his [Elemental Armament]. Kokkoro was painting the cheer banner. Kyaru had gone out to feed the cats.
Wait — looking at it like that, doesn't that make me the only one with nothing to do?
That simply wouldn't do. As a member of the guild, she had to contribute something — otherwise, how could she shamelessly show up to drink the cola once it was made?
With that thought, Megumin's round eyes swept across the hall in search of a target.
Kokkoro... I already helped her brainstorm slogans earlier, so there's no need to go back and help her again. That leaves Jhin!
Target locked, she sauntered over to him with her most winning smile. "Jhin, how about I give you a massage?"
"There's no such thing as a free lunch. Go ahead — what do you want this time?"
"Come on, what makes you think I want something..." Megumin gave his thigh a light pat, adopting the tone of a fussy middle-aged auntie. "I just thought you were working so hard — optimizing your magic and preparing for the cooking competition at the same time — and figured a massage might help you unwind."
Jhin raised an eyebrow. He had a pretty good idea what wind had blown her to his side. "You're here because of the cola, aren't you."
Caught out, Megumin dropped the act entirely. She leaned back with her arms crossed, kicked off her slippers, and propped her feet on his thigh with an air of supreme entitlement. "You got me. I'm absolutely here for the cola. Once you win first place, I should be able to drink it every day, right?"
Jhin glanced at the girl who seemed to think propping her feet on him — like using a twin-color popsicle as a bargaining chip — gave her some kind of negotiating leverage. He made a feint as though reaching for her feet — and Megumin yanked them back instantly, glaring at him with indignant fury, her expression saying loud and clear: I let you look, and now you think you can actually grab them?
Jhin smoothed out the wrinkles on his pants, then pressed a hand theatrically to his own shoulder. "Ahh~ My neck and legs have been a bit stiff and sore lately. No idea why..."
"I'll massage you, obviously! In exchange, you have to promise me — I get cola every single day."
"We'll talk once I've figured it out."
"Then it's a deal!" Megumin, promise secured, immediately threw herself into the task with full force, darting behind Jhin and putting every ounce of her strength into working out his shoulders.
"Yes, yes — right there, a little harder — mm~ that's the stuff."
Jhin's muscles were like kneading solid rock. Just working his shoulders left Megumin, frail mage that she was, completely spent — drenched in a fine sweat, drained of every last drop of energy. She collapsed beside him like a wilted flower, pink tongue lolling out, panting like a puppy.
"I... I can't go on. I feel like I've been massaging a boulder..."
"You really need to get more exercise. You're already done after just one set of shoulders."
Jhin rolled his shoulders, then gently laid her flat on the sofa. "My turn to give you a massage. Start with the shoulders?"
"Mm... please."
"Heh heh. Leave it to me."
Megumin's heart leapt with sudden alarm — but it was already too late to run. Two large hands, carrying overwhelming force, pinned her to the sofa. Then, with the lightest of squeezes at the shoulder, three sensations hit her all at once: a deep aching soreness, a tingling numbness, and sharp pain, all shooting straight to her brain.
"AAAAAH!!!"
Her shriek was loud enough to startle Pecorine all the way inside her bedroom.
"Jhin, I heard Megumin scream — what's going on?"
Megumin desperately wanted to call for help, but Jhin gave her absolutely no chance. His fingers pressed down with that devastating, soul-melting touch — and whatever plea for rescue had been forming in her throat transformed instead into a cry of pain.
"Nothing's wrong. I'm giving her a massage. Keep working on your recipes."
"Oh, that's all. Can you massage me too, later?"
"Sure."
The screaming gradually died down to a low murmur beneath Jhin's rhythmic kneading. Megumin had adapted to the torment — had even begun to find a twisted pleasure in it, letting out husky, languid little sighs.
Maybe I misjudged him. Massages really do start rough and get better, don't they?
That was what Megumin kept telling herself — right up until the moment Jhin's large, warm, calloused hands moved toward her legs.
____
👻🔥+40 ch: Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: Path of Elation in Warhammer 40K
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