Yunyun x Reader (God's Blessing For This Poor Lonely Girl!)

Chapter 10: Further On Up The Road

"It's funny you should say that's your goal. I know someone really well who told me something very similar right before we both graduated from our village's academy."

Unable to let that comment pass him by so easily given he knew Megumin was acquainted with the one he sought to face again, YN chose his words carefully as he tried to get more information.

"A friend of yours said that?"

Lightly probing, he was rewarded for his caution.

"Rival. —Or really, 'self-proclaimed rival.'"

There was no mistaking it.

She definitely means Yunyun here.

"Sounds like someone you'd rather want as a friend than a 'rival.'"

Looking away from the fire and slightly shrugging, Megumin elaborated more to YN's hope.

"She has her useful moments. When our village was under attack by Demon King forces, she used up the points she'd be saving on her Adventurer Card for Advanced magic on Intermediate magic at her own expense..."

Having half an idea how long it took to save up such points, YN was surprised that Yunyun had done something like that.

But by the way Megumin was recounting the event, YN could easily tell she was withholding certain details. Just with her expression as it was, clearly she felt some sort of shortcoming from it, but neglected to say anything more on it.

Not about to pry on her emotions regarding it, YN still steered the conversation in a way he wanted regardless.

"So then, is there a reason the two of you can't take on Quests together? You both sound familiar enough with each other that there shouldn't be any major problems."

"Things simply haven't become desperate enough for the two of us yet."

Saying that with a bit of her old bravado again, Megumin definitely tried to make it sound like they were indeed rivals despite what could easily be assumed otherwise.

"I see... Well, she sounds like she'd be popular enough to get plenty of opportunities in other Parties."

"She does most of her Quest-taking and Adventuring on her own actually. She's an odd one so making friends isn't a good skill of hers. She's far too awkward to just simply ask and join a Party, so she instead follows other formed Parties that set out and then tails them. If they find themselves in trouble? She swoops in and saves them, only to then run away and leave. It's gotten her a bad reputation as someone who views others as weak and they need saving."

Caught off guard by that, YN had his eyes wide open under his armored helmet.

That... sounds a lot like what happened to me at the Arcanletia Guild Hall...

Surprised him and Yunyun could end up experiencing something so similar, YN could only try and mask his emotion by clearing his throat to regain his composure.

"She's only managed to make her situation worse. She'd like to be approachable but she's only done the opposite. Her only hope is to embrace being dark and mysterious."

From what YN knew about the crimson-eyed girl, that seemed like a far-shot from how she was, and thus hard to imagine.

"I guess it's the motive the matters at the end of the day, doesn't it? She sounds like a good person, wanting to protect the weak."

YN himself could remember her saying that was her goal too back when he had run into her at that forsaken town covered in soot.

She seemed to strongly imply it was my first interaction with her that prompted her to think that way... When I had died...