Stardew Valley of Gensokyo

……

Chapter 41 The Attacker Behind the Scenes!

As Akina Sawa walked along the forest path, he felt it becoming increasingly narrow and cramped. The dense foliage blocked out the sunlight, and apart from a few slivers of light shining in from the distant exit, his surroundings were shrouded in darkness.

It was already noon, but apart from the sound of the handcart, there was no other sound that should have been heard in the forest. This was very unusual, as noon should be the time when diurnal animals are most active, but there was not a sound at all. The entire forest was extremely quiet and oppressive.

Akina Ze didn't want to stay in this environment for even a second longer. He pushed the cart with all his might, wanting to reach the shore of the Misty Lake as soon as possible and escape this oppressive forest. Fortunately, the exit was just ahead.

Bang! Crack!

The handcart was the first to leave the unsettling woods, followed closely by Akina Sawa, who also emerged to bask in the sunlight.

Having been in a dark place for a long time, the sudden exposure to bright light caused Akina Sawa to involuntarily close his eyes.

After a while, Akina Sawa also opened his eyes slightly. What came into view was a vast lake with misty waves. A gentle breeze blew on his face, carrying a slight coolness, and he felt refreshed and relaxed.

This is where he first established contact with Gensokyo; this is his place of origin.

Last time I left this place for the Human Village, I was in such a hurry that I didn't have time to take a good look at the scenery. Now that I have the time, I can finally enjoy it properly.

Akina Sawa also strolled along the shore of Lake Mist, pushing a trolley. A large cloud of mist floated on the lake, obscuring the view. He had originally wanted to see where the Scarlet Devil Mansion was located in Lake Mist, but his view was completely blocked by the mist. Although it was beautiful, he had urgent business to attend to and it was not the time to sit down and admire it.

With no other option, Akina Sawa could only walk around Lake Misty to see if he could find the location of the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

Although this method of searching is somewhat inefficient, it's the only way we can do it for now, since the maid only said it was by the Misty Lake and didn't give a specific address.

Snapped!

A puck struck Akina Sawaya squarely on the back as he was deep in thought, and he staggered, completely unprepared for the sneak attack.

But whether it was because the ice hockey puck wasn't very powerful or because Akina Sawaya's body was strong, he didn't feel much pain.

"who is it!"

Coming to his senses, Akina Sawa put down the cart and turned around abruptly. There was no one behind him, only the lake rippling gently.

But the ice puck on the ground was real; someone had indeed attacked him!

Cold sweat instantly broke out on his back. Akina Ze nervously observed the surroundings, unsure of where the danger was coming from. Making any rash moves would be unwise, so he decided to remain still for now.

Call ~

Apart from the sound of the wind blowing across the lake, Akina Sawa did not hear any other unusual noises, but it was uncertain whether the danger had passed, so it was not advisable to act rashly.

But dragging it out any longer wouldn't work; they had to break the deadlock. Akina turned around, gripped the handlebars, but focused all his attention on what was behind him.

call out!

Sure enough, the attack came again, but this time Akina was prepared. He rolled away and dodged the attack. The ice block hit the car. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Akina turned around and saw a blue hem of clothing disappear into the mist floating on the lake.

However, he already knew who launched the attack. Now that he knew the attacker's true identity, it would be easier to deal with. Akina Ze's lips curled up slightly.

Akina Sawa took a bunch of grapes out of his basket and walked a few steps toward the lakeside.

"Oh no! The grapes are about to fall to the ground!"

Akina Ze also pretended to be exhausted and staggered a few steps, then casually threw the grapes towards the spot where the blue hem of his clothes had disappeared.

Just as the grape was about to fall to the ground after making a beautiful parabola in the air, a figure suddenly rushed out of the mist and grabbed the grape.

"Whew~ That was close!"

Luckily, I was quick, otherwise the grapes would have fallen to the ground. Cirno breathed a sigh of relief as she held the grapes.

"Hey! Cirno, wasn't it you who threw that ice cube!?"

Before anyone knew it, Akina Sawa, who had just been exhausted, also walked up to Cirno and looked down at her.

Cirno felt the light in front of her dim down, and mechanically raised her head. Due to the angle of view, Akina Zeya's body looked like a giant in her eyes.

Snap!

Cirno dropped the grapes in her hand and fainted from fright.

"Cirno-chan!"

A green figure rushed out and caught the unconscious Cirno in her arms; it was the Great Fairy.

This is really troublesome. Akina Ze helplessly scratched the back of his head as he watched the farce unfold before him. He had originally intended to teach Cirno a lesson.

But before he could even make a move, Cirno fainted. Now, Daiyousei was holding Cirno and crying, making Akina Sawa look like a villain who was bullying a child. If someone else saw this scene, he would definitely be treated as a villain!

"Pfft!"

A laugh came from the woods behind them.

who is it?

Akina Sawa also turned his head to see who was there, but due to the cover of the trees, he did not find anyone.

But the person who spoke came out herself; she had white hair and red eyes—it was Fujiwara no Mokou.

"Captain Mokou, let me explain!"

Worried that Fujiwara no Mokou might misunderstand, Akina Sawa also came over and quickly explained.

"No need for explanation, I know the whole story."

Before Akina Sawa could explain further, Fujiwara no Mokou spoke first.

"That's good, that's good"

With his heart finally at ease, Akina Sawa also didn't want to leave a bad impression on Fujiwara no Mokou, who had always helped him.

But speaking of which, "Captain Mokou, what are you doing here?"

"The old gatekeeper told me to warn you that there are demons causing trouble on this road, and you should be careful. But it seems you've already seen through the demons."

Fujiwara no Mokou glanced at Cirno, who was lying unconscious in the arms of the Great Fairy, and continued, "I originally planned to do it myself, but I didn't expect you to defeat the fairy yourself."

"Ha ha"

Akina Sawa wasn't very comfortable with compliments from others.

"By the way, Miss Mokou, it's already noon. You probably didn't bring any food, right? Would you like to have lunch here? I brought a lot of food."

The eerie atmosphere made Akina Sawa feel uneasy. Since it was lunchtime, he took the opportunity to invite Fujiwara no Mokou to have lunch with him.

However, the environment by the misty lake is indeed suitable for picnics. The lake surface is rippling, and a few pleasant breezes occasionally blow. In addition, the fragrance of spring grass makes people's appetites soar.

Fujiwara no Mokou, with her white hair and red eyes, stood there for a few seconds, then shook her head. "I came here to protect you, but it seems you don't need my help. I'll be leaving now."

No wonder I felt like someone was behind me all day; it turns out it was Captain Fujiwara protecting me in secret.

But now that Fujiwara no Mokou is leaving, Akina Sawa feels a little reluctant, watching Fujiwara no Mokou go further and further away.

In a moment of desperation, Akina Sawa also took out a bento box from his backpack. He had carefully prepared it for lunch today, because he couldn't let Miss Mokou go home hungry! That was his only thought at the moment.

"Miss Mokou! Please take this bento with you! It's delicious, and I have plenty more!"

On the shore of Lake Mist, Akina Sawa also ran towards Fujiwara no Mokou with a bento box in hand.

Before Mokou could react, Akina Sawa forcefully shoved the bento into her hands.

And so, Akina Sawa ran off at an even faster pace than when he arrived.

"tsk"

Fujiwara no Mokou, holding her bento box, watched Akina Sawa's departing figure, shook her head, and turned to leave.

……

Gollum~

Because the bento box was given to Fujiwara no Mokou, Akina Sawa, who is now starving, is fishing on the picturesque shore of Lake Misty.

"Can't you just freeze fish anywhere?"

Cirno, who had already woken up, sat next to Akina Zeya and poked her little head out to ask.

Looking at Cirno's little head peeking around, examining his fishing gear, Akina Ze resisted the urge to touch it and continued fishing.

Thus, Akina Ze endured the dual torment of desire and physical suffering while fishing without moving.

Don't let your desires defeat you; you must concentrate when fishing!

Chapter 42 The Guards of the Scarlet Devil Mansion

The fish in the Misty Lake are all silly, and before long, Akina Sawa caught enough fish.

With the idea that there shouldn't be too many fish, just enough to meet the needs, Akina Sawa poured the excess fish from the bucket back into the lake.

Watching the fish being released, it flicked its tail, creating ripples, and disappeared into the lake. This fish probably won't be caught again next time, right?

Using remnants of branches and wood that had likely washed ashore from the lake, Akina Sawa also made a simple little grill. Several pieces of wood were put together to form a wooden structure that looked like it would fall over if blown by the wind, but it was actually very sturdy.

I stumbled upon this while searching for information online before, and I never expected it to come in handy now.

While cleaning the fish he had caught, Akina Sawa also stopped Cirno from testing the sturdiness of the grill by hitting it with ice.

Although Cirno expressed her dissatisfaction, after Akina Sawa also said that she and Daiyousei would also have a portion of the grilled fish, Cirno obediently sat down next to Daiyousei and waited for her portion of grilled fish to be served.

Although fairies don't need to eat, they still like to eat delicious food.

"Rest in peace for my sake."

Akina Ze also wielded a kitchen knife and smashed it down hard, knocking the fish, which was placed on the stone, unconscious.

The system's backpack has a small capacity, but it's more than enough to hold some kitchen utensils. So, to prevent not being able to eat during the long journey, Akina Sawa also brought some tableware and seasonings.

The fish stopped moving violently and twitched occasionally. Just as Akina Ze was about to gut the fish, he suddenly remembered that there were two little fairies sitting behind him.

They have the appearance of children. Isn't it a bit wrong to kill in front of them?

Akina Ze, holding a kitchen knife, turned around and found that the two of them had fallen asleep sometime earlier.

Cirno and the Great Fairy leaned against each other and fell asleep on the large rock. Their two quiet and adorable faces were close together, bathed in the warm sunlight...

Perhaps they had always lived like this? Akina Ze didn't want to disrupt this scene, so he took the fish to a more distant place to process it.

"Time to eat fish!"

Cirno and Daiyousei, who were sleeping soundly, were also woken up by Akina Sawa. Cirno, in particular, had drool dripping from the corner of her mouth. Perhaps she had smelled the aroma of grilled fish in her dream and was drooling with envy.

Cirno rubbed her eyes and took the branch with the grilled fish stuck on it, which Akina Ze also handed over.

Cirno, who was still sleepy, instantly perked up when she smelled the aroma of grilled fish.

Holding the grilled fish, Cirno turned around and found that the Great Fairy was already happily eating it. Moreover, she noticed that the fish the Great Fairy was holding seemed to be bigger than her own. Cirno, who had been happy, suddenly became a little annoyed.

"Hey! Why is my fish so small?"

Cirno stared at Akina Sawa with dissatisfaction, also wanting an explanation from him.

"Yours should have been a big fish too, but..."

Akina Ze also touched his back with a pained expression. "The big fish that belonged to you when we were fishing got away while my back was hurting, so you can only eat small fish now."

"what!"

Cirno believed him, and Akina Sawa turned his head away, not wanting her to see him smirking.

With no other option, Cirno could only sullenly watch the large fish in the hands of Daiyousei and Akina Sawaya while eating her own small fish. Although Daiyousei tried to exchange his fish with Cirno's, Cirno turned her head and refused with a snort.

As for Cirno's later nagging about catching that big fish in the lake and grilling it again by Akina Sawa, let's leave that aside for now.

After being guided by the Great Fairy, Akina Sawa found the right path and arrived at the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

"I never expected to find such architecture in Gensokyo."

A large Western-style mansion spans the middle of the road, indicating that this is the end of the road.

Akina Ze pushed the cart forward, but a red brick wall blocked his way. The only entrance was a large iron gate.

Gollum~

Akina Ze also looked up at the large iron gate in front of him, which radiated a cold metallic luster. He hadn't thought much of it from a distance, but now that he was up close, he realized how big the iron gate really was.

Through the gaps in the iron gate, Akina Ze could see that inside was a large, red, Gothic-style mansion. If it weren't for the fact that it was broad daylight and he had a mission, he would have definitely avoided this strange building at all times.

Moreover, it's broad daylight now, and the mansion is eerily quiet. I don't see anyone around, so how am I supposed to complete this task?

To be honest, Akina Ze really wanted the seed with its strange effects as a reward for this mission.