Inside the city.
The Miyano sisters, returning from buying groceries, saw Yanagi practicing condensing magic power on the lawn in front of the inn.
The high school beauty with the thick, heavy bangs had her lips pressed tightly together. She tried to condense magic power at her fingertips, but in the end, she still failed.
But that was nothing. After all, for most natives of this world, condensing magic power was measured in years.
Shiho, carrying her vegetable basket, walked up to her and couldn't help complaining, "I thought you were going to stay locked up in the inn forever."
Compared to her sister and mother, Yanagi was not so easily embarrassed.
She stopped condensing her magic power and stuck out her tongue. "Shiho, are you jealous?"
Shiho's face flared red. "Don't be ridiculous!"
Yanagi shrugged. Her gaze traveled past Shiho and landed on Akemi's face behind her. The corner of her mouth curved into a mischievous arc. "Speaking of which, Akemi, you have a boyfriend, don't you? Does he perform as well as Makoto-kun?"
Akemi's face also reddened. She had never experienced Makoto's size herself, so how would she know something like that?
No, to be accurate, she had never experienced anyone's.
Akemi explained in a fluster, "I-I and Dai-kun haven't reached that stage yet..."
She wasn't lying. Although Akai Shuichi had used her connections to infiltrate the Black Organization, the two had not actually had a physical relationship.
Maybe that bastard had a conscience attack.
Perhaps he himself also knew that this relationship had been doomed from the start, so he didn't both deceive her feelings and take her body.
That was probably the last of his conscience.
As soon as Akemi finished speaking, her expression changed.
She quietly turned her head and used the corner of her eye to glance at her sister beside her.
Sure enough. Shiho narrowed her eyes. Those brown pupils reflected her sister's guilty reflection.
"Right, Sis, you still haven't told me about your boyfriend."
Akemi forced a smile. "W-what's so strange about it? I'm over twenty-five. Isn't it normal to have a boyfriend?"
She explained repeatedly, saying that he was just an ordinary person, that she was just having an ordinary relationship with him, and that there was nothing to say.
But as she said this, Akemi's voice grew more and more unsteady. Even she felt it didn't sound true.
Shiho didn't believe a single word.
At that time, her sister was still a low-level member of the Black Organization. She was living every day in fear. How could she have had the heart for a relationship?
And if the other party really was just an ordinary person, why would her sister be this nervous?
But after thinking it over, Shiho finally decided not to press.
She had finally been reunited with her sister. She didn't want to force her.
Shiho decided to ask another person who knew the truth.
Thinking of this, Shiho looked up, her gaze falling on the third-floor room of the inn.
After watching for a while, Shiho noticed that the inn was still shaking, and from time to time the rhythmic 'creak creak' sound came from it.
'Damn it! When was this animal going to be done?!'
At night, everyone finally sat at the dining table.
Dishes were brought out one by one.
Tsuki had made oysters, leeks, and kidneys. Everyone else was at a loss for words.
Kazuma quietly complained, "Eating this stuff, even if I had the energy, I'd have nowhere to use it..."
The succubi from the Succubus Den had also fled the city for safety. Otherwise, he would have booked 100 girls in his dreams tonight at least.
Yu sat next to Makoto and quietly reported what had happened during the day. "Senpai, Belzerg sent someone over, asking to extend the war by one week. I agreed."
The Gorilla Devil was gnawing on a bone. Hearing this, he looked up. "Are they preparing some kind of secret weapon?"
"A large number of troops from Melromarc are approaching this area."
Yu put a piece of meat in his mouth and said disdainfully, "They should be forming an alliance."
The Teddy Devil crouched and grinned. "That country is really thoughtful. Afraid that a small country like Belzerg isn't enough for us to kill, they specially send new ones over."
The atmosphere at the table was very relaxed. Everyone ate and drank. No one took the impending war seriously.
"Sis, I want fried cabbage."
Shiho suddenly said.
Akemi was serving food to Megumin, telling the child to eat more. Hearing Shiho's words, she turned her head to look at her sister, then at the table full of dishes.
"You don't like any of these dishes?"
Shiho threw her fork on the table. With a 'clatter', her lips pressed into a thin line, like a little girl pouting at her parents.
"I want fried cabbage!"
The cabbage in Shiho's mouth, compared to the real world version, had a crisper and more refreshing texture. Because they themselves were a type of monster, capable of flight and possessing escape magic.
In the original work, Kazuma had relied on catching these cabbages to earn his first pot of gold after transmigrating to another world.
Akemi paused, then couldn't help smiling and stroked her sister's head. "Okay, okay, I'll make it for you."
With that, Akemi got up and walked to the kitchen.
Everyone looked at her with surprise. Especially Kazuha, Mrs. Shizuka, and even Aqua, who had teamed up with the Miyano sisters shortly after transmigrating, all looked completely bewildered.
In their impression, Shiho had never spoken to her sister like that before.
Shiho, confirming that her sister wouldn't be back for a while, dropped her sulky expression, leaned close to Makoto, and said with a pleading look on her face:
"Um... could you tell me what kind of person my sister's boyfriend really is?"
Makoto heard this, reached into his pocket, and pressed a button on the remote control.
Darkness's body suddenly jerked. Then she turned her head to look at Makoto, a hint of displeasure in her eyes.
'Why did it stop?'
"Your sister's ex-boyfriend's name is Akai Shuichi. He's FBI." Makoto ignored Darkness's resentful gaze. "He used your sister's identity as a low-level member of the liquor factory to join the organization."
Shiho's expression changed.
Her IQ was among the highest in the organization. With just the beginning of Makoto's sentence, she could already roughly guess the rest of the story.
"During a mission, Akai Shuichi's real identity was exposed..."
Before Makoto could finish, Shiho had already spoken. "And then he ran away by himself? He didn't care about my sister at all?"
Makoto smiled and clapped his hands. "Congratulations. You can even answer before I finish."
Receiving Makoto's affirmative reply, Shiho's face grew even darker.
"Shiho, eat."
Akemi walked out of the kitchen carrying a plate of fried cabbage. She was smiling, gently placing the plate in front of her sister.
But when she saw Shiho's expression, her smile instantly froze.