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"Done. I moved all the boxes from my house over here. Don't disappoint me, little brother. This cave of yours seems special."
Brushing the dirt off her apron, Marisa looked contentedly at the wooden cultivation boxes lined up inside the cave.
The moment they were placed, something magical happened. The boxes, originally inanimate wood and soil, began to pulse rhythmically—expanding and contracting like lungs. To Marisa, this "breathing" was a sign that heavenly treasures were about to be born.
"There are 10 boxes in total. I won't charge you for the labor, kid. When the mushrooms ripen, we'll cook a feast. I'm telling you, I'm an expert at cooking mushrooms."
After leaving the cave, Marisa toured the farm at Leo's invitation. When Leo mentioned that the mushrooms would ripen daily due to the cave's properties, Marisa's eyes went wide. She immediately excused herself to go prep ingredients, promising to bring Reimu along for the harvest.
Yakumo Ran also took Chen home. Leo had invited them, but Ran insisted on informing Lady Yukari first. Last time, she only brought back one bowl of fish soup, and Yukari had nagged her for twenty-four hours straight. Ran didn't want to risk a mental breakdown.
After everyone left, Leo took out his phone.
The 16,000 gold Yukari gave him wasn't doing any good sitting in his pocket. Money didn't multiply by itself.
Commission: Acquisition of Supplies Details: I require Sugar, Vinegar, and Sealed Glass Jars for pickling garlic. High quality preferred. Fee: Sugar 50g/jin, Vinegar 100g/jin, Jars 50g each.
Leo's phone could technically craft "Preserves Jars." In the game, you throw vegetables in, and they turn into pickles or jam.
But the cost was extortionate.
Crafting Cost: 50 Wood, 40 Stone, 8 Coal.
With his current axe, chopping a tree yielded about 20 wood. That meant destroying 2.5 trees plus hunting for coal just to make one jar. It was unsustainable.
Buying pre-made glass jars from Gensokyo was much cheaper.
Having exhausted his stamina early today, Leo skipped fishing and went straight to bed. Tomorrow was Sunday. A special day.
Day 7.
At 6:00 AM, Leo turned on the TV.
"Welcome to the Gensokyo Weather Channel! Now presenting tomorrow's forecast."
"It will rain all day tomorrow! Please remember your umbrellas!"
Sanae smiled brightly, then held up a small, white cloth doll.
"Also, the Moriya Shrine is now selling handmade 'Sunny Dolls' blessed by the gods! Although they won't actually change the weather, they make adorable decorations. Only 50 Gold each! Contact Sanae to purchase~!"
"A Sunny Doll, huh... 50 isn't bad," Leo mused. It was the first time he'd seen an ad on the channel.
The forecast ended, but the TV didn't cut to static. Instead, the scene shifted.
The background was a compact, well-organized kitchen. A girl with pink hair and small, feathered wings was busy wiping the counter. She wore an apron printed with "Night Sparrow Diner."
"Mystia! The red light is on! Are we live?"
A voice rang out from off-screen. It sounded strange—naturally amplified, with perfect echo and auto-tune built in.
The pink-haired girl, Mystia Lorelei, jumped. She leaned close to the camera lens, her face filling the entire screen.
"Too close! Mystia, back up! Your face is the only thing they can see!"
Mystia blushed furiously. She scrambled back two steps and coughed, trying to regain her composure.
"Ahem. Hello! This is the Night Sparrow Diner. I am the proprietress, Mystia. And this is my assistant, Kyouko!"
The camera panned to reveal a girl with dark green hair and dog ears, Kyouko Kasodani, waving enthusiastically.
"As requested by Lord Dragon God, every Sunday at this time, I will teach everyone a new recipe! Now, let's start the lesson!"
Mystia lifted a basket of ingredients onto the counter.
"Today's dish is: Stir-Fried Vegetable Medley Rice Bowl! The main ingredients are Radish, Mushrooms, and Cabbage."
"Lightly fry the vegetables with a little oil, add salt, and serve over steaming white rice. It's low-oil, low-fat, and healthy!"
"At the Night Sparrow Diner, this dish is 335 Gold. It's very popular with youkai on a diet!"
"It's also a favorite at the Myouren Temple!" Kyouko chimed in with her reverberating voice. "Plus, you get unlimited rice refills!"
The show wrapped up.
"That's all for today! Also... the Night Sparrow Diner is desperately buying bulk ingredients! Rice, vegetables, anything! Please help us!"
Mystia leaned into the camera, hands clasped in a plea. "If we don't get supplies soon, we're going to go bankrupt!"
The screen cut to static.
Leo checked his phone. New profiles unlocked.
Name: Mystia Lorelei Race: Night Sparrow (Youkai) Ability: Singing (Induces Night blindness / Confusion) Residence: Beast Path, Youkai Mountain Occupation: Diner Owner / Singer Unlock Condition: Learn 5 Recipes.
Name: Kyouko Kasodani Race: Yamabiko (Mountain Echo Youkai) Ability: Reflecting Sound Residence: Myouren Temple Occupation: Monk / Sweeper / Waitress Unlock Condition: Explore the Mountain Lake and Mines.
"Rice... it should be ready tomorrow," Leo muttered.
Among the seeds Yukari provided were Rice Shoots. In the real world, processing rice was a pain, but here, he hoped the game logic applied. If not, he'd have to ask Ran to take the raw grain back to Gensokyo for husking.
"Finally," Leo rubbed his stomach. "I'll be able to eat a hot bowl of rice. I've been filling up on water and fruit for days. I'm starving."