The fire crackled softly in the clearing.
Shin tore into a half-burned rabbit skewer like a starving wolf. Karyō Ten scolded him between bites of her own food. Sei, calm as always, sat quietly beside them, eyes half-closed in thought.
"Slow down," Ten snapped. "You're not the only one who's hungry."
"Then eat faster!" Shin grinned, mouth full. "Food's not gonna wait for you!"
Laughter filled the clearing. Warm light flickered against the trees. For once, there was peace.
And then—
Grrrrgle.
A loud growl echoed from the brush nearby.
Everyone froze.
Shin spun around, grabbing his sword. "Who's there?!"
From behind a tree, a figure stepped out slowly—arms raised, no weapon drawn.
He was young. Barely their age. Worn clothes, dust on his skin. A bandaged sword on his back. And his expression... completely calm.
"…You gonna kill me for being hungry?" he asked flatly.
Ten narrowed her eyes. "Were you following us?"
"I smelled food," the boy said simply. "I didn't plan to come close."
Shin squinted. "Who even are you?"
"…Ren."
He didn't say more. Just stood there, stomach still growling, gaze steady. Not afraid. Not challenging. Just... there.
Sei tilted his head. "You're alone?"
Ren nodded once.
A pause.
Shin frowned, then tossed him a spare skewer. "Tch. Whatever. If you're gonna starve to death, might as well do it with meat in your mouth."
Ren caught it midair.
"…Thanks."
Later That Night…
They let him sit by the fire, though Ten never let her hand stray far from her dagger.
"Something's off about him," she whispered to Sei.
"He's not lying," Sei murmured. "But he's not telling everything either."
Ren ate quietly. Said nothing more. Just listened.
Shin grumbled. "Still weird. What kind of guy just shows up from the woods? At night?"
But before Ten could reply, her ears twitched.
"Shh. Did you hear that?"
Rustling. From the trees.
Too loud to be animals.
Too many footsteps.
Bandits.
They burst from the dark—half a dozen of them, blades gleaming, eyes wild.
"Get the girl!" one shouted. "And grab the kid with the fancy clothes!"
Shin jumped to his feet. "Over my dead body!"
The fight was chaos. Shin cut down two instantly. Ten held her ground beside Sei, quick with her dagger. But the bandits were ruthless, hungry—and more kept coming.
A blade flashed behind Shin.
He didn't see it.
But Ren did.
CLANG!
Ren stepped in, blocking the strike with his own blade—but the impact knocked him back, slicing a shallow gash across his side.
"Shin, behind you!" he shouted.
Shin turned, cutting down the attacker in one clean stroke.
Ren dropped to a knee, blood dripping down his side.
Shin ran to him. "You're hurt!"
Ren winced but stood. "Not bad… just caught me off guard."
Ten ran over, eyes wide. "Why'd you help him?!"
Ren looked at her, calm even through the pain.
"…Guess I didn't want to lose my dinner."
Aftermath
They drove the bandits off. Ren's wound was bandaged. As dawn began to break, the fire was lit again—this time with four sitting around it.
Shin nudged Ren. "You fight weird. Like you're hunting."
Ren shrugged. "I was taught by people who didn't fight fair."
Ten crossed her arms. "You're not strong. But you move smart. Real smart."
Sei gave a small smile. "You saved Shin's life."
"…It wasn't a big deal," Ren said.
"It was to us," Sei replied.
A long silence.
Then Shin grinned. "Fine. You're in. Just don't expect me to go easy on you if you slack off!"
Ren glanced at him. "…I wasn't planning to."
The fire crackled again, this time warmer, safer. Ren's wound was cleaned and wrapped tight by Ten, who—despite grumbling—had done it with quiet care.
They sat in silence, finishing the last scraps of rabbit.
Then Sei looked up. "You deserve to know where we're going."
Ren blinked. "You don't owe me anything."
"No," Sei said calmly, "but you saved Shin. You've earned some truth."
The firelight danced in his eyes as he spoke.
"My name is Ei Sei. I am the rightful king of Qin."
Ren stared, unblinking.
Ten added, "We're heading into the Sanyou mountains. There's a clan there—mountain people, fierce warriors. We're hoping they'll support Sei in taking back the capital."
Shin leaned forward. "But it's not just hiking and handshakes. There'll be assassins. Soldiers. Maybe worse."
Ren was silent for a long time.
"…A king," he said at last. "And you trust bandits to help you?"
Sei nodded. "Anyone who has strength and honor can be an ally. Even outcasts."
Ren's fingers brushed the hilt of the sword at his side. The one given to him by a bandit chief who died protecting his home.
"…Then maybe I was raised in the right place after all."