Sherry. Café, the next morning.

‘A. Safe. Just. Arrived. Outside. For you, Boss!’ Sherry reported. Made sure to clap her feet together, gave a smile and a salute.

‘Can you stop with all that?’ Latla said, finally annoyed enough.

‘Stop what, Boss?’ she feigned innocence. Sherry liked doing things on a whim; this was one of them. It was fun to act whimsical from time to time; it was also fun to test the limits of Latla’s patience, finding things that made her tick.

Latla rolled her eyes. Fed up. Though not so fed up that she would lunge at her.

‘Why did you order a safe, Boss?’ she asked, shifting the direction of the conversation. ‘We already have a safe back there. Real secure too; I’ve tried.’

‘The one in the back is for keeping items. The one I have ordered is for training.’

‘Training? To break the safe, Boss?’

‘Yes.’ Latla nodded.

How curious! Now, why would Latla want to break a safe? Was there something she wanted to steal? Sherry wanted to know!

Thus, she asked, ‘Why would you—’

‘Latla, Latla!’ Cirrus burst into the café, running toward Latla, excited, unintentionally cutting Sherry short. ‘I’ve gathered Members for the guild!’

‘You did?’ Latla asked, surprised.

‘I did! I’ll introduce you to them!’

Cirrus ran outside. Latla followed him. And Sherry trailed her.

Outside, Sherry was greeted by the safe that had just arrived. Two meters tall, made with thick steel, very solid. The object—and Latla standing beside it—was blocking her view. Thus, Sherry stepped to the side and could finally see the Members.

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There were many Members there. Or—to be more exact—many of Cirrus’s friends. All children his age.

Sherry laughed.

Poor Latla! She must have had expectations upon hearing that Cirrus had brought Members. Now, she was faced with a group of children, betrayed by Cirrus’s enthusiasm!

Well, Sherry thought, smiling, I could feel some heat. That’s enough laughing for now. She made sure to take a step away from Latla. Don’t want her to burn me to cinders.

Latla was holding back her irritation as she exchanged stares with the children.

‘They all want to join!’ Cirrus said. That’s fuel to the fire, Sherry noted. ‘I’ve shared how you had beat the unlisted monster, and everyone wants to join the guild and learn from you! Now we have enough Members for the guild examination, right?’

Sherry took one more step away from Latla.

Latla was gripping her hand into a hard fist.

‘… Scram,’ Latla said, voice low.

‘Mm?’ Cirrus didn’t catch that. None of the children did.

‘Scram.’

Bam!

Latla released a quick punch. Toward the poor steel safe. A punch strong enough that it blew the safe away. Strong enough that her fist was indented into the metal. No, worse, parts of the metal were torn apart!

Sherry’s eyes widened. She literally broke the safe?! Wait…

If there was no safe, if she hadn’t stepped away, would that fist have flown toward her instead?! Also—she looked at her fist, perfectly unharmed—what were her bones made up of?!

… I’d never want to get hit by that. Rest in peace, safe. Rest in peace…

One of the kids muttered, ‘That’s…’

Horrifying. Dreadful. Traumatizing.

‘… That’s cool!’

Well, Sherry thought, didn’t expect that response.

Nor did Latla. Far from scaring the children away, she had instead gained admiration.

‘You really did beat the unlisted monster!’ said another.

‘With a fist like that, she definitely did!’

‘Teach us how to do that! Teach us!’

‘Pleaseeeeeeee.’

Latla, understanding that she had failed and couldn’t think of other ways to get rid of them, muttered under her breath, ‘Curses…’

She had to deal with them now.

Sherry, not wanting to be dragged into this, retreated stealthily into the café.