Stardew Valley of Gensokyo

At that moment, Akina Sawa suddenly noticed that there seemed to be someone in the small, square house next to the gate, which resembled a sentry post.

Akina Ze also walked over and looked inside through the guard post's glass. He found that there was indeed a person inside, but he couldn't see the person's face clearly through the glass. However, he was certain that the person inside was sleeping.

Alright, now that someone's here, we can hand in the task. Akina Sawa is also planning to wake that person up.

knock knock

Akina Ze also gently tapped the glass a few times with his fingers, but the person inside did not react, so Akina Ze also slammed the glass down.

Snapped!

"I was wrong! Sakuya!"

The person inside the room suddenly woke up with a start, hit their head on the glass, and was muttering something.

Sakuya? Is that the maid?

"Ahem, hello, I'm here to deliver grapes."

Upon seeing that the person inside had woken up, Akina Ze explained his purpose.

"Phew~ So it wasn't Sakuya after all. You were the one who delivered the grapes. Come in with me."

"Um, may I ask how I should address you?"

A red-haired woman in a cheongsam walked out from the guard post. Akina Ze's eyes lit up. He didn't expect that the guards at the Scarlet Devil Mansion would be so beautiful.

Just call me Hong Meiling.

The red-haired woman readily stated her name, which matched the impression she gave off.

A woman named Hong Meiling opened the door and waved for Qiu Mingze to follow.

The gate was already open, and Akina Ze pushed the trolley and followed Hong Meiling inside.

The paths in the Scarlet Devil Mansion are all smooth and even, making the carts much quieter when walking on them. Along the way, there are manicured ornamental plants on both sides of the path, suggesting that the Scarlet Devil Mansion must be very wealthy.

Akina Ze followed Hong Meiling around like a country bumpkin visiting the Grand View Garden.

Although the sound of the handcart was quieter, it wasn't completely silent. Suddenly, some fairies dressed in maid outfits appeared on both sides of the road, looking at Akina Zeya with curiosity.

Akina Ze also looked at them curiously. He hadn't expected that fairies could be used as maids. If possible, he would like to take a few with him.

Just then, a fairy maid flew over and leaned against Hong Meiling, saying something to her.

After listening, Hong Meiling turned around and looked at Qiu Mingze with pity.

Akina Ze felt a chill run through his body; all he wanted to do was hand over the grapes and leave.

"Um, how far is the warehouse?"

"No need to go to the warehouse. Come with me first. The young lady wants to see you. Take this trailer with you too."

Something unexpected happened, and Akina Sawa was a little at a loss. "I'm just a local, why does the young lady of the Scarlet Devil Mansion want to see me?"

In the sky, the sun gradually sets behind the western mountains, and shadows begin to envelop the earth...

Chapter Forty-Three: The Forever Young Red Moon

In a dark lobby

"I never expected a human to come to my Scarlet Devil Mansion. I'd like to see who has the audacity to do this."

Young Hongyue sat on an oddly styled chair, gently swirling the wine glass in her hand, looking down at the hall below with an air of majesty.

The silver-haired maid stood quietly on either side of her.

Oh no! I haven't told the young lady about this yet because it's not grape harvest season. How come the grapes are ripe so early?

Because the young lady once said she wanted to drink red wine, but Izayoi Sakuya searched all over the human village and found no one selling red wine. She only found some seeds, so she gave the seeds to the best farmer in Gensokyo to grow grapes and then had Patchouli use magic to make the wine.

Sakuya Izayoi had intended to surprise the young lady, so she hadn't told her about it. But she hadn't expected that the best farmer in Gensokyo would be so capable, planting the grapes so quickly, which caught her completely off guard.

Now the farmer has come knocking on the door with grapes, and the young lady has found out. What should we do?

Wait! There's still a chance! This farmer only knows how to grow grapes but doesn't know what they're for. When the young lady sees him, after displaying his authority, I can quickly find a reason to send the farmer and the grapes away. That way, my plan to give the young lady red wine won't be exposed, and the surprise can still succeed!

In a short time, Izayoi Sakuya came up with a solution. This was actually due to her ability to extend her thinking time. This was the effect of her special ability "The World". By using it, Izayoi Sakuya was able to come up with a solution in a short time.

Click!

The doors to the inner sanctum of the Scarlet Devil Mansion slowly opened, and Hong Meiling, accompanied by the anxious Akina Ze, was about to enter.

who am I? where am I?

Akina Sawa was completely confused at the moment. The current situation had developed far beyond his expectations. Only the handlebars he was holding gave him a tiny bit of peace of mind.

"Young Miss, the person has been brought. I'll head back now."

Hong Meiling greeted the young lady and left, completely exposing Qiu Mingze who was hiding behind her.

Gollum~

Akina Ze nervously surveyed his surroundings. The spacious hall, decorated in a predominantly red tone, with only a few points of light visible, looked exactly like a vampire's lair!

For some reason, seeing all this red and those strange decorations, the word "vampire" popped into his head.

"human beings"

A hoarse voice suddenly rang out from the shadows. Akina Ze looked up and saw the silver-haired maid who had given him the task standing next to a cute little girl.

A lovely young lady with delicate features, wearing a light pink hat, a light pink gothic Lolita outfit with red decorations, and large bat wings on her back.

She sat on a chair that was originally somewhat menacing, but because a cute young lady was sitting on it, it had a slightly eerie and adorable feel to it.

This young lady looks incredibly cute; that was Akina Zeya's first impression.

The oppressive tension from the surrounding environment dissipated upon seeing this lovely young lady, and Akina Sawa also relaxed.

"Miss, did you call me?"

Akina Sawa also gave her a standard greeting, but unfortunately he wasn't wearing a hat today, so he couldn't do the full greeting.

That's it, that hit the nail on the head. Izayoi Sakuya turned her head away, unable to bear to see the farmer's fate.

"What!? Say that again!?"

This time, the voice that came through was not hoarse, but rather a clear, childlike voice. The hoarse voice must have been deliberately made by her.

But what do you mean by asking me to repeat myself? Does this young lady enjoy being flattered?

Completely bewildered, Akina Sawa could only repeat himself: "My lovely lady, I am..."

Click!

Before Akina Ze could finish speaking, the little girl in the shadows crushed the empty cup she had been playing with.

"How dare you! How dare you call our dignified Miss Remilia 'cute'? Get out of here right now! Don't let us see you again!"

The silver-haired maid standing to the side spoke up.

Excellent! This is a good opportunity. Let's take this chance to bring the farmer back without exposing our plan!

"Wait, Sakuya"

Miss Remilia stood up from her chair.

"I recognize you, Akina Sawaya, someone from the outside world. What brings you here? If you can't satisfy me, do you know what will happen to you?"

With a sudden, menacing flap of wings, accompanied by a deep, authoritative voice, Akina Ze had nowhere to escape in the dark, empty hall.

Of course, this is how Miss Remilia imagines herself; the reality is...

The adorable little girl, with her tiny wings fluttering behind her, speaks in an exaggeratedly cute voice, and the head maid behind her is practically overflowing with loyalty.

Naturally, this kind of Miss Remilia couldn't scare Akina Zeya. Even though she was a vampire, he said he wasn't afraid at all because she was such a cute vampire.

Thinking back to when I first arrived, how terrified I was! What an idiot I was. A place where such a lovely lady lives couldn't possibly be that scary.

I'm here to deliver grapes.

"Oh?"

Remilia glanced at the head maid beside her. If she was unaware of the matter, then it must have been Sakuya, who often went out to buy supplies, who did it.

"Bring me your grapes. If they don't satisfy me, you can keep them for yourself."

"You don't need to worry about that, the grapes I grow are definitely the best."

I can't guarantee anything else, but Akina Ze is very confident in what he grows.

"Hmph! Bring it up and let me take a look first."

Remilia wasn't too impressed with this; she'd seen plenty of people who only talked the talk.

Akina Ze quickly ran to the car parked outside the house and took a bunch of grapes from the basket.

"Young Miss, please take a look."

Akina Sawa also placed the grapes on the plate that Sakuya handed over.

Sakuya went back and placed the plate of grapes next to the young lady.

The fact that it was now placed in Remilia's possession truly surprised her.

Although Remilia is a vampire, she still knows the basics. Grapes can't grow in February. She initially thought the person in front of her was just talking nonsense and planned to expose him and throw him out. However, she didn't expect him to be telling the truth.

Perhaps these grapes are just for show? The kind that taste terrible?

But seeing Akina Zeya's confident demeanor, Remilia was unsure of her judgment, so she decided to eat a grape to test her theory.

Remilia swallowed the round, dewy grape in one gulp.

Um! ?

Remilia's eyes widened; the taste coming from her mouth made her unable to believe it!

"Sakuya! You should try some too!"

The young lady also wanted to share it with Sakuya to try.

"Um"

Sakuya also picked a grape from the bunch and put it full in her mouth.

Um! ?

Sakuya Izayoi's eyes widened in surprise at the taste coming from her mouth.

These grapes are absolutely delicious!

Remilia and Izayoi Sakuya had eaten countless grapes, but the grapes they tasted were unlike anything they had ever seen before.

"Um? May I go now?"

Seeing the master and servant enjoying their meal so much that they forgot about the presence of a third person, Akina Ze also wanted to leave.

"cough cough"

Remilia swallowed the food in her mouth and said, "You gave me such delicious grapes, I want to reward you. Tell me, what do you want?"

"Young Miss, I'll give him the reward for the mission later."

Sakuya Izayoi spoke up, explaining that as the head maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, she also served as the butler, and had to be meticulous in managing the mansion.

“Sakuya, he completed this mission exceptionally well. We must reward him; it is the Scarlet Devil Mansion's honor.”

The young lady rejected Izayoi Sakuya's suggestion and insisted on rewarding Akina Sawaya again.

"No need, Miss Izayoi's payment is already more than enough."

Of course, Akina Ze refused. He had just received news that the mission was completed and he had received a reward he never expected: Senzu Bean seeds.

Now he wanted to hurry home and plant the magic beans, and he said this very sincerely.

"No! He must be rewarded!"

As expected, the young lady was very determined.

But actually, she didn't know what to award.

correct!

Remilia had a brilliant idea. In her opinion, these grapes were perfect for making wine. Wouldn't it be wonderful to call Patchouli over to make wine with magic and then send the wine back?

"No need for further explanation, Sakuya, go and fetch Patchouli."