eggs and eggs!!

Three figures walked down the sun–warmed road of the Mixua Kingdom, their boots crunching against the dirt as they made their way toward the Adventurers’ Guild. Their mission was done, their purses full.
Jin strode ahead with an almost childlike cheer, arms swinging, his voice carrying in the air.“We’ve got money now! I can finally go full–time as an adventurer. Things are only going to get better from here—ha!”
Behind him, Satori and Koicchi walked in quieter steps, letting Jin’s enthusiasm fill the silence.
Then, a voice broke through.“—Hey, Satori–san...”
It was a girl’s voice, soft and hesitant.
The three stopped at once, turning toward the sound. Jin blinked in surprise, curiosity sparking in his eyes.
A small group of children stood at the roadside: a round–faced boy with dark skin, a wiry boy with spiky hair, and a blonde girl whose crimson eyes glowed like embers. Their posture was timid under the strangers’ gaze—but when their eyes settled on Satori, their expressions softened. It was as though they had always known her.
“H–hi...” The blonde girl peeked from behind the spiky–haired boy’s shoulder, raising a hand nervously. “It’s been a while.”
Jin arched an eyebrow, scanning the group.“Huh. Never thought you’d have friends in another world.”
Satori’s head snapped toward him, her eyes narrowing.“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“Hey, I didn’t even insult you!” Jin threw his arms up, indignant. “Why are you biting my head off already?!”
Ignoring him completely, Satori broke into a run, her face lighting up with a rare, warm smile.“Lily! Luta! Hakt! Hey, guys!”
The children’s faces brightened at once.
The blonde girl—Lily—hesitated as her crimson eyes flicked toward Jin. Her voice dropped with unease.“That’s... your brother, right? Will he... let us stay in touch with you?”
Satori waved both hands, reassuring.“Don’t worry. Relax. He knows our... ‘illegal activities’ weren’t really that bad.”
That caught Jin off guard. His eyes widened.“Wait—don’t tell me these are the kids from that little wood–smuggling gang?!”
Koicchi perked up with interest, glancing between them.“Smuggling...?”
Satori glanced at her, then nodded reluctantly.
The spiky–haired boy—Luta—spoke with a calmness that carried more weight than his years.“I think... it’s better if we don’t trouble her anymore. She still has her family. We don’t. Dragging her into this would only hurt her.”
Lily’s shoulders slumped. She nodded, though reluctantly.
But the chubby boy, Hakt, clenched his fists.“Hey! How can you even say that, Luta?!”
“Because it’s true!” Luta snapped back, though his voice trembled. “Would you rather let your selfish feelings drag someone else down? That’s why I—”
“Guys, stop—” Satori stepped between them quickly.
For once, Jin stayed quiet, watching the exchange. After a long moment, a faint smile touched his lips.“Do whatever you want, kids.”
The three froze, staring at him as though they couldn’t believe what they had just heard.
Jin shrugged lightly.“I don’t have the right to decide who you can or can’t be friends with.”
Satori didn’t look surprised. Relief warmed her smile.
The children, still stunned, exchanged quick glances. Their hearts seemed to lift. Even Koicchi found herself glancing at Jin, admiration flickering in her eyes.
“See?” Satori said brightly, turning back to them. “Now you can relax, right?”
The kids still looked uncertain, but before they could protest, Satori leaned in and whispered something into their ears. Whatever she said made them burst into laughter, their earlier tension melting away.
Behind them, Jin’s eye twitched.“I’ve got a bad feeling she just said something at my expense...”
Satori only grinned wider.“So, where are you guys headed?”
Lily clasped her hands together, smiling kindly.“We’re out to buy provisions for the shrine.”
“Oh, right,” Luta added, cheerful now. “Guess we didn’t tell you? After we got caught that day... we were lucky. Some monks found us, bailed us out, and took us in.”
Satori’s chest eased with relief.“Really? I’m so glad for you. When I didn’t see you for days, I was starting to worry.”
Their laughter rose together, light and genuine.
Finally, Satori waved as she started after them.“Bye bye! I’ll hang out with them for a bit, okay?”
Jin called out, but before he could even finish his words, the four companions ahead had already turned their backs and left, chatting happily among themselves.
He sighed.“I was just going to ask them to buy some bananas… Forget it. Let’s go, Koicchi.”
Silence answered him. Jin frowned, glancing around in confusion.“Koicchi? …”
The girl was gone.
Before panic could set in, a voice came from behind.“What’s wrong, big bro?”
Jin nearly jumped out of his skin. Koicchi stood there, perfectly calm, holding a giant cup of peach tea as if nothing had happened.
“Seriously?” Jin groaned, his voice sharp with complaint. “The second I take my eyes off you, you’re already eating something.”
Koicchi pouted, hugging her drink.“Well, I need food to recharge my mana, you know!”
The two of them carried on, heading toward the Adventurers’ Guild together. As they walked, Jin grew thoughtful.“By the way…” He glanced at her. “If you read spells so slowly, then how do you explain that explosion back in the bear cave?”
Koicchi lowered her head shyly.“That was… a mana burst. It only happens when I lose control of my emotions. My magic leaks out on its own, meets the air, and—boom.”She gestured awkwardly. “Like a gas leak.”
Jin winced, forcing a nervous laugh.“Great. Now I’m scared one day you’ll blow us all up for no reason.”
“Bomb?” she tilted her head.
By the time they reached the guild, Jin was slumped on a floating bench, bored out of his mind.“How long is she going to be gone?” he grumbled.
“Why don’t we take a quest in the meantime?” Koicchi suggested.
Jin perked up immediately. “Good idea!”
Together they walked to the quest board. Jin squinted, scanning the papers, and finally plucked one at random.
Quest: Rank C. Retrieve the eggs of a Kenchi bird. Reward: 20 cld.
Jin read it aloud with a groan.“Kenchi bird? What’s that supposed to be?”
Koicchi leaned in. “They’re big birds, wide wings, fat bodies, red crests. Basically… oversized chickens.”
Jin blinked, imagining giant flying chickens. His expression soured.“Boring.” He crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it aside.
Koicchi looked around uneasily. “But… that’s the only quest we can actually handle right now.”
Jin froze, then immediately bent to pick up the paper again, grinning as if he’d always liked the idea.“Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Not long after, Jin found himself staring up at a towering cliff face. He held the quest sheet in one hand and looked from it to the nest high above.
“Why… why in the world does a giant chicken build its nest on a mountain wall like that?! I thought we just had to pick up eggs, not climb like monkeys!”
Koicchi pinched the bridge of her nose. “Are you serious right now? Haven’t you ever eaten one of these eggs? They’re massive and packed with nutrition. Of course the bird hides them up high to keep them safe!”
Jin groaned, already regretting everything.“I vote we retreat… But if that hulking chef who gave us the quest finds out, we’re dead. So… who’s climbing?”
“You,” Koicchi said flatly, jabbing a finger at him. “What kind of man lets a woman do it?”
Jin immediately clutched his arm, collapsing to the ground and writhing like a dying fish.“Aaah! My shoulder’s dislocated! I can’t possibly climb!”
“Pathetic!” Koicchi snapped. “You threw away your dignity in one second flat!”
After some heated arguing, Jin laid out his “brilliant” plan.“Okay, listen. You climb, I’ll stay down here. I’m an archer, right? If something attacks from above or below, I can cover both. But if the useless mage stays on the ground, then we’re both dead. Makes sense?”
Koicchi hesitated. It did sound somewhat logical… though her instincts screamed otherwise. In the end, she sighed.“Fine. You’re just like your brother—both of you can talk circles until people give in.”
Reluctantly, she began to climb. The rock was slippery, her hands struggling for grip. She cursed under her breath.“Why is it so slick today?!”
From below, Jin lounged casually.“Remember to use your breathing to channel Hamon!”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” she shouted back.
Halfway up, a massive crow swooped in, pecking at her hat. Koicchi shrieked, flailing desperately.“Help me! Jin!”
He cupped a hand to his ear. “What?!”
“I said HELP ME!”
“What? Waste an arrow on a little bird? No way!”
Koicchi nearly exploded.“Your arrows are more important than my life?!”
From below: “What was that?”
Her fury boiled over. She roared so loudly that both the crow and Jin startled, the bird retreating in a panic. Trembling but determined, Koicchi pressed on until finally she reached the nest.
It was huge, stuffed with straw, holding three enormous eggs. She placed two under her arms and tucked the last inside her hat. She was just starting to feel proud when a shadow fell over her.
The mother Kenchi had returned.
Its massive white body, four meters tall, wings wide, and a red crest blazing like fire, landed on the nest. Its screech was enough to shake the cliffside.
From below, Jin’s blood ran cold.“What the hell is that?! That’s not a chicken—it’s a monster eagle!”
He drew his bow, but the nest was too high; his arrows would never reach. All he could do was watch helplessly, heart pounding. The bird pecked furiously at the nest, feathers flying. Jin’s mind spiraled.
“She’s gone… She’s really gone… This world is too cruel…” He fell to his knees, trembling, tears brimming. “No… I can’t accept this… I won’t accept this!”
“Won’t accept what, exactly?”
The voice was familiar.
Jin looked up in disbelief. There stood Koicchi, very much alive—albeit drenched in yolk and bits of eggshell sticking to her clothes.
His jaw dropped. “No… impossible… You’re a ghost?!”
She smiled gently. “Quite possible. See?” She pointed behind her, to a dirt trail winding up the cliff. A trail neither of them had noticed earlier.
“Turns out there’s a path. If I’d known, I could’ve just walked up, grabbed the eggs, and come right back down.”
Jin froze, face burning red as he realized the truth. All his drama, all his despair—it had been for nothing.
Koicchi tilted her head. “And what’s with you crying like a child?” Her eyes narrowed in amusement as the realization clicked. She burst into laughter.
“Don’t laugh at my pain!” Jin protested, though his own face cracked into a sheepish grin.
“I’m laughing at myself too,” she admitted, still giggling. “We’ve both been idiots today.”
Jin buried his face in his hands, chuckling despite himself. Soon the two of them were laughing uncontrollably together, their ridiculous ordeal ending in shared hilarity.
The quest was complete.
“By the way,” Jin wrinkled his nose, “you smell terrible. Go take a bath.”
Koicchi proudly lifted her hat, revealing the third egg still tucked inside.“Are you kidding? Tonight’s dinner is going to be amazing.”
They laughed again, side by side—just as Satori returned, tilting her head in confusion.“…What in the world happened while I was gone?”