Midnight's Embrace

On the first night after leaving Baras Town, the group made camp in an open meadow.

The campfire crackled as Celia nervously stirred the stew in the iron pot.

She was handling dinner in Kade's place today, but her hands had been trembling slightly the whole time.

"Need any help?" Kade asked gently, offering her some spices.

"N-No..." Celia hurriedly took them and nearly spilled them all over the ground.

"Relax," Sera said lazily, leaning against a tree trunk. "We won't throw you out just because your cooking tastes awful. At most, we'll all get diarrhea."

"Sera!" Kade reproached him.

"Just kidding." Sera curled his lip, though a trace of warmth flashed through his eyes. "It smells pretty good."

"Ignore him. That guy's just too nice." Xia Lin leaned over, tore off a drumstick, and took a huge bite without ceremony. "But you know, as a member of our team, there's one duty you absolutely have to fulfill, right?"

"A duty?"

"Story time!" Xia Lin said mysteriously. "Whenever a new member joins, they have to hear about our glorious history.

"Though mostly, they have to listen to me brag."

He cleared his throat and began in an exaggerated bard's tone:

Xia Lin grinned, firelight dancing in his eyes. "Back when I was still in Changhe City, that was—well, forget it. That part was too miserable to mention. Anyway, later I successfully grew stronger and slaughtered enemies left and right in the defense of Changhe City—"

"While squatting off to the side until we nearly got wiped out," Sera cut in.

"That was called long-range fire support!" Xia Lin protested, then continued. "Later, we met a Harpy. Now that was a heart-stopping scene..."

"He risked his life to save me," Kade said honestly.

"Kade, don't interrupt," Xia Lin wailed. "Can't you