For 30 + advance chapter: patreon.com/Snowing_Melody
Even the liveliest barbecue must end.
Since Leo ran out of food (and patience), the guests dispersed. Eirin carried a sleeping Kaguya home. The Little Kappas marched back to their office to use the "Infinite Energy" lights for overtime furniture crafting.
The farm grew quiet.
Since the farmhouse was demolished, Leo and Chen had to sleep in a makeshift shed. For Leo, who feared ghosts, sleeping outdoors was a challenge. He kept the bonfire roaring until 2:00 AM before collapsing into a fitful sleep.
High in a tree on the perimeter.
Aya looked at the plate resting on her lap.
Grilled fish. Jam. Mushrooms.
How precious is a warm meal to a starving exile in a strange land?
If this were ancient times, the person being fed would ask: "Eunuch, who do you want me to kill?"
"Forget it," Aya sighed, wiping jam from her lip. "Since you remembered Lord Aya, I'll reluctantly forgive you."
She jumped down, washed the plate in the river, and sneaked back to the shed. She placed the clean plate on the table.
Then she stood by Leo's bed.
I will forever... forever... watch you.
Don't misunderstand. The Great Reporter Aya hadn't fallen for this human. Her standards were high (at minimum, her partner needed to know how to hatch an egg).
She just wanted to wait until he opened his eyes and scare him to death.
6:00 AM.
Leo opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was a disheveled woman with messy black hair standing inches from his face, staring down at him with dark circles under her eyes.
CRASH.
His brain blue-screened.
Brain: SYSTEM ALERT! CLASS 5 APPARITION DETECTED! Limbs: Error 404: Strength Not Found. Adrenaline: PANIC PROTOCOL INITIATED!
Leo didn't scream. He didn't fight. He was Type 3: The Ostrich.
According to Jianghu Rules, ghosts cannot penetrate the Holy Shield of the Quilt!
fwump.
He pulled the covers over his head and curled into a ball.
"..."
Aya stared at the trembling lump under the blanket. She suspected he and Flandre Scarlet would have a lot in common.
She tied her hair back and patted the quilt.
"Alright, come out. I won't scare you anymore. Let's talk."
After a long minute, a pair of eyes peeked out. They scanned the room, locked onto Aya, and immediately retreated.
"Move away," a muffled voice said. "I need to change my pants."
Aya rolled her eyes and walked out.
She squatted by the Strawberry Patch, staring longingly at the bright red fruit. She wanted to pick one, but her ghostly status prevented her.
"What were you doing so early?" Leo walked out, fully dressed, looking grumpy. "Standing by my bed? What if I slept naked? I'd be the one losing out!"
He casually plucked a strawberry and tossed it to her.
Aya caught it.
"Try it. These are seeds Yukari gave me. She said she 'sourced' them from Youkai Mountain."
Aya didn't wash it. She took a bite.
Crunch.
The strawberry was massive—half the size of a fist. The flesh was pink, sweet, and bursting with juice.
"It's delicious," Aya admitted. "Much better than the ones Lord Megumu grows."
"Also," she added, licking juice from her fingers. "What Yukari did wasn't 'sourcing.' In Gensokyo, we call that 'Armed Robbery.' Lord Megumu cried for three days."
"What do you want to talk about?" Leo started harvesting. "Let me be clear: Yukari locked you up. I had nothing to do with it."
"That doesn't matter," Aya waved her hand dismissively. "If you get caught, you take the punishment. I'm used to it. Being grounded here is basically a vacation compared to Eirin's laxative trials."
"I'm saying... why don't we make peace?"
Aya smiled, kicking her legs.
"I can even invite you to join our Mutual Aid Trouble-Making Alliance. We look out for each other."
"Peace is fine," Leo said, placing gold-star strawberries into a basket. "Just stop staring at me from dark corners. As for the Alliance... pass. I'm a Lawful Good farmer."
System Alert:
Farming Level Up! (Level 2)
Harvesting Proficiency Increased.
Leo walked over to the Shipping Bin area.
Yesterday, the Kappas had built a small Offering Table. It stood on a platform under a rain shelter.
On it were three statues.
Kanako Yasaka (Growth Speed)
Suwako Moriya (Fertility)
Sanae Kochiya (Luck?)
Sanae had carved her own statue last night. She was too embarrassed to carve her actual likeness, so it looked like Steve from Minecraft—blocky and abstract.
Leo lit a stick of high-quality incense (courtesy of Nitori).
"Oh God of Growth Hormones and God of High-Grade Fertilizer! Bless my farm! Let the crops grow fast and yield high!"
He turned to the blocky Steve statue.
"Oh Almighty God of Miracles! Bless my luck! Give me a Prismatic Shard! Let me win the lottery! No off-banner pulls!"
He bowed twice, devoutly.
Aya watched from the side, chewing her strawberry.
This guy... is he crazy or genius?