At Candessa's shop, the trio gathered in the sitting room, all squished on the large red couch.
On the coffee table in front of them were five empty potion bottles, all neatly lined up like defeated soldiers.
Yukio exhaled dramatically and leaned back.
"Whew. Thanks. I feel like myself again."
Kaede crossed her arms, smirking.
"Don't mention it. You looked like a zombie earlier."
Michibiki pointed at the pile of bottles with disbelief.
"I still can't believe you actually drank five advanced mental recovery potions. That would knock out half the adventurers in this city."
Candessa's brows lifted slightly.
"If I may ask… what exactly put you in such a state?"
Yukio rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"My ability. It's strong, crazy strong, but I still can't control it properly. It has… a few massive drawbacks."
Candessa leaned forward, interest sparkling in her eyes.
"Oh? And what is the name of this ability? Or perhaps you could demonstrate"
She didn't even finish.
Yukio immediately started rising from the couch, eager to show off,
But SNAP.
Michibiki grabbed his wrist and yanked him right back down, her eyes sharp enough to kill.
That glare said:
"If you use that ability indoors, I will bury you alive."
Yukio blinked.
"…Maybe next time."
He coughed lightly, desperately changing the subject.
"Anyway! Candessa, you're a trading firm, right?"
Candessa tilted her head gracefully.
"That's correct."
"Then… would you be interested in buying a product I made? It's still a prototype, but I think it's useful."
Michibiki paused mid-sip of tea.
"…Huh? Since when do you craft things?"
Yukio reached into the small bag on his hip and pulled out a tiny metal object, placing it gently on the table.
A small lighter.
Kaede leaned closer, confused.
"What… is that?"
Michibiki stared, surprised.
"Is that… a lighter?"
Candessa examined it curiously, picking it up with slender fingers.
"How does it work?"
Yukio smiled proudly.
"It's like flint and steel, but smaller, faster, safer, and portable. Anyone can use it without skill."
He took it back, pressed his thumb,
Flick, shhh.
A clean flame rose instantly from the top.
Kaede's eyes widened.
Candessa's lips parted slightly in astonishment.
"A flame… so easily?"
Candessa whispered.
Yukio grinned.
"Yup. Just like that."
Kaede leaned in, eyes sparkling.
"That's AMAZING! This could make camping so much easier!"
Candessa placed a thoughtful hand on her chin.
"Something like this… could become extremely valuable."
Yukio's grin widened even more.
"Thought so."
Candessa's expression shifted.
Slowly.
Surely.
And then,
SLAM!!
Her palms hit the table so hard the empty potion bottles jumped.
All three of them jolted in terror.
Candessa's eyes were practically shining, pupils replaced by gold coins.
"We can make a fortune with this!"
She leaned forward, gripping Yukio's hands tightly.
"If you're willing to form a partnership with me, I'll do anything."
Her face was inches from Yukio's. Way too close.
Kaede's survival instincts triggered instantly.
"WHOA, okay, tiger, back it up!"
She slid in between them, gently pushing Candessa back onto her seat.
Kaede plopped down next to Yukio like a guard dog ready to bite.
Kaede narrowed her crimson eyes at him.
"I never knew you could craft items, Yuki-boy. Care to explain?"
Michibiki crossed her arms, leaning in as well.
"Yes, explain. How did you make something this precise without me noticing even once?"
Yukio rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Well… my old man's friend was a craftsman. He taught me how to make small basic items I could sell after school."
The girls blinked, surprised.
Yukio continued.
"From there, I started making things during my free time, just small stuff for fun."
He turned toward Michibiki.
"And since you don't trust me with money."
"I have good reason,"
She muttered.
"I used part of the bounty money Kaede gave me to buy materials. I, uh… kinda sneaked out at night to get what I needed."
Kaede raised a brow.
"You were sneaking out? At night? By yourself?"
Michibiki's eye twitched.
"You. Went. Out. Alone. Without telling me?"
Yukio held up his hands defensively.
"T-There were no problems! I wasn't doing anything dangerous! I just worked on the first floor of the inn when everyone was asleep."
He smiled proudly.
"Took a while… but someone helped me out."
All three girls leaned forward in sync.
"Someone?"
They echoed.
Yukio blinked.
"Yeah."
He scratched his cheek, completely oblivious to the suspicious tension building around him.
"She's"
Yukio blinked under their combined stares.
"…She'll, uh… she'd rather stay anonymous."
In his mind, the familiar voice chimed in.
"Good save, Yuki. They wouldn't believe you anyway if you said I helped."
Yukio internally groaned.
Oh trust me, they wouldn't…
Kaede and Michibiki leaned in closer, eyes narrowed like interrogators.
Before either could speak, Candessa cleared her throat loudly far too loudly.
"Ahem. We understand, right girls?"
Kaede and Michibiki exchanged a look… then nodded reluctantly.
"For now,"
Kaede muttered.
"We shall revisit this topic,"
Michibiki added darkly.
Yukio pretended not to hear that death sentence.
Candessa smoothed her hair and gave Yukio a professional smile.
"Well then. Shall we discuss business? What are your terms? Don't worry I'll be fair."
Yukio grinned, eyes shimmering with mischief.
"As the creator, I'll provide the design papers and full instructions. All I ask is that trusted people handle production, and you handle distribution."
Candessa nodded thoughtfully.
"That seems reasonable."
"And,"
Yukio continued,
"I'll take 60% of the profit."
Candessa choked.
"Sixty?!"
"Alright then,"
Yukio shot back instantly,
"seventy."
"What?!"
"Okay, okay, fine, have it your way. Seventy five percent. But I'm not going any lower."
Candessa's soul visibly left her body.
Her head tilted back. Her eyes glazed. Her hand clutched her chest like she was reenacting a tragic play.
Kaede shot to her feet and caught her before she collapsed.
"Yukio! Candessa's heart can't take this!"
Michibiki pinched the bridge of her nose.
"You are the only person I know who negotiates upward when someone is shocked."
Yukio crossed his arms proudly.
"That's called being a businessman."
Candessa, still limp in Kaede's arms, raised a trembling finger.
"…I, uh… was thinking… maybe… thirty percent…"
Yukio gasped dramatically.
"Thirty? That's robbery!"
Candessa sputtered.
"You just asked for seventy five!!"
"That's because fifty felt unfair!"
Yukio protested.
"That math doesn't even make sense!"
Michibiki said sharply.
She shook her head, half laughing, half exasperated.
"This guy is gonna give her an aneurysm."
Candessa finally stood up straight again, though she swayed dangerously.
"L-Let's… negotiate properly. Please."
Yukio shrugged.
"Alright. Fifty fifty?"
Candessa paused.
"…That is… surprisingly reasonable."
Yukio smirked.
"It's also my final offer."
Candessa let out a relieved sigh and held out her hand.
"Then it's a deal."
They shook hands firmly.
Kaede grinned.
Michibiki nodded approvingly.
And in Yukio's mind, the girl's voice sighed.
"You're such a menace… I love it."
Yukio ignored that last part entirely.
Candessa finally managed to steady her breathing.
"I'll… prepare a contract,"
She had exclaimed, still clutching her chest.
"Come later at dusk to sign everything."
Yukio gave her a thumbs-up as he stood.
"OK, got it. I'll be back. Alright guys, let's go."
Michibiki rose from the couch, his expression sharpening.
"I think it's time for some training."
Kaede blinked, tilting her head.
"Training? For what?"
---
Evergreen Forest
The trio returned to the familiar clearing near the riverbank. Sunlight shimmered off the water, and a cool breeze rustled the leaves.
Michibiki charged.
Yukio dodged.
Again and again.
His faintly glowing blue eyes traced the flow of mana in the air, letting him avoid her strikes by hair-thin margins.
"Haa!"
Michibiki charged ahead with another attack.
And suddenly, Yukio's eyes noticed a glowing thread of fate.
He reached for it without thinking.
Bad idea.
Michibiki stepped forward,
and her foot slipped on a loose pebble.
"Wha?!"
She stumbled straight into Yukio, crashing into him and knocking both of them to the ground.
They froze for half a second.
Then
"Ugh, get off me!"
Michibiki scrambled up immediately, face pink.
"You get off me!"
Yukio complained back, trying to sit up.
Kaede was under a nearby tree, laughing so hard she almost fell over.
"You two are a riot,"
she said through her laughs.
"Hey, Yuki what is your ability anyway? 'Cause I can tell you're definitely a unique ability user."
Yukio dusted off his clothes then glanced at Michibiki.
She hesitated… then nodded.
"It's alright. You can tell her."
He let out a breath and stood up straight.
"It's called the Wheel of Providence… and The Threads of Fate."
Kaede's eyes brightened with curiosity.
"To not overload your brain with the boring stuff."
Yukio continued, turning a twig between his fingers.
"I can manipulate things or people around me. Change probabilities in my favor, alter outcomes, stuff like that."
Kaede's eyes widened.
"Wait… like when I was forging your armor? That weird boost I felt that was YOU?!"
Yukio smirked.
"Yup. Sorry not sorry."
Kaede slapped her forehead.
"Here I was thinking you had basic buff skills or something. Or that giant spinning wheel thing you summoned before."
Yukio grinned.
"Oh, I can do a lot more than just buff. But…"
He picked up a thicker stick from the ground.
With a resounding snap,
CRACK
He broke it clean in half.
He held up the broken pieces.
"That's me after using the Threads."
Kaede snorted.
Michibiki sighed knowingly.
And Yukio laughed.
"Kinda sucks."
Michibiki and Kaede stood on opposite sides of the clearing, both acting like strict instructors.
"Again,"
Michibiki, raising a hand.
"Channel mana from the stomach, not the throat. You're leaking half of it."
"I am channeling it from my stomach!"
Yukio protested, his hands aglow with unstable energy.
"It just… doesn't want to listen!"
Kaede snorted.
"That's because your stomach is filled with breakfast, idiot. Focus!"
Yukio growled, took a deep breath, and tried again.
fwip, pop
A small spark had appeared in his palm.
then went off like a badly made firecracker, covering his face in smoke.
Kaede fell to her knees laughing.
"Hahaha! Oh gods, you look like a burned marshmallow!"
Even Michibiki covered her mouth to hold back a smile.
But Yukio stared at his smoking hand with wide eyes.
"I-I did it! I made SOMETHING!"
He started spinning in place, cheering like a toddler who'd learned how to walk.
"Yes! Yes! YES!"
Kaede paused mid laughter.
Her eyes softened.
Her cheeks warmed.
She smiled faintly, and her lips whispered:
"…You big idiot."
Michibiki noticed that.
She glanced at Kaede and then at Yukio…
and a small knowing smile curved her lips.
"She's falling for him this quickly…?"
She said with a quiet sigh which no one heard.
---
Evening
The sun dipped behind the trees, painting the world gold. Fireflies fluttered along the path. The air was cool, and the trio walked side by side.
Kaede was describing one of Yukio's numerous spell failures.
"And then he shot himself backward! I swear he flipped back like a pancake!"
Yukio groaned.
"Why do you remember ONLY the embarrassing ones?!"
Michibiki smirked.
"Because there are so many."
Their laughter echoed through the quiet forest as they neared Primordia's outer path.
But,
The laughter ceased.
The three of them felt it all of a sudden.
A strange pull in the air.
A faint trembling under their feet.
They turned.
In the middle of the forest, beyond the trees, something rose unnatural.
A massive plant-like creature towered over the landscape, its vine covered body pulsing. Trees, animals, even the ground around it were being pulled inward as if sucked dry.
Whatever touched the branches and shrubs withered instantly.
At the top of the monstrous flower
An eye opened.
A huge, shining purple eye.
It twitched once.
Then turned slowly…
Facing toward Primordia.
Toward them.
Yukio shivered.
"…Uh… guys?"
Kaede raised her hammer.
Michibiki's hand shone with mana.
The giant eye widened,
Almost as if he noticed them.
As if hungering.