Stardew Valley of Gensokyo

But Reimu Hakurei is, after all, a manager-like figure.

As the saying goes, the common people can't fight with officials. Originally, he only planned to give the shrine maiden some medium-quality ingredients, but it seems he'll have to get out those hidden treasures now.

"Come with me, priestess."

Akina shook his head helplessly and walked towards his own cellar.

"Don't call me Shrine Maiden, just call me Reimu."

After all, if we're going to make Akina Zeya, this farmer, bleed a lot, it's better to get closer to him.

The cellar is located beneath a separate warehouse, which Akina Ze specially commissioned a carpenter to build, and also added some assistance provided by the system.

"Zzzy~"

The warehouse door made a scraping sound as Akina Ze opened it with his key. Pushing the door open, a blast of cold air rushed out. The interior was poorly lit, practically a dark environment.

After the door opened, Akina Sawa went in first, and Hakurei Reimu followed without the slightest hesitation.

"Click~"

The warehouse, which was originally pitch black, suddenly became brightly lit. The large, golden light bulb hanging under the warehouse beam was the provider of light for the warehouse. It was specially made by Kappa with the help of Akina Sawa. With this light bulb, the lighting was more than enough.

The darkness was instantly dispelled by the light, and Reimu Hakurei opened her eyes to observe her surroundings. Rows of wooden shelves were neatly arranged with prepared ingredients.

Organized into categories, it was completely different from the warehouses she had seen before, full of simple beauty.

"Is this the food you're going to give me?"

Reimu Hakurei picked up a bright green vegetable from the shelf next to her. Although it had been refrigerated, it did not look old at all, and there were still water droplets on the leaves.

The warehouse is specially designed and incorporates systematic preservation techniques, so the food ages much more slowly than in the outside world.

Otherwise, all those vegetables that Akina Sawaya planted would probably have rotted away.

"No, what's for you is still downstairs."

Akina Sawa shook his head and continued walking forward.

Aren't these high-quality ones all?

Reimu Hakurei put the vegetables back in her hand and continued walking forward with Sawa Akina.

Along the way, the shelves on both sides displayed a variety of high-quality plants, which caught Reimu Hakurei's eye. So many high-quality vegetables that were not seen in the outside world were neatly arranged in one place, which made Reimu Hakurei have an idea: to curry favor with them.

If Akina Ze is willing to spare even the smallest bit of benefit for me, then I'll never have to worry about going hungry again, nor will I have to count how many days until Lan arrives.

But what if he refuses me because of what just happened? Wouldn't I be at a huge loss? Reimu Hakurei felt a little anxious.

Although the warehouse was larger than it appeared from the outside, it wasn't that much bigger. Soon, Akina Ze stopped in front of a door.

"These are the ingredients I'm going to provide for you; I specially saved them."

“Yes, I understand,” Reimu Hakurei nodded.

Akina Sawa also pulled down the doorknob, leading to a staircase that went down.

"Come on," Akina Ze said, and then walked downstairs.

Following behind, they quickly completed the journey. As soon as they arrived at the bottom, Reimu Hakurei's eyes widened in surprise.

These vegetables even seemed to possess a trace of magic, which was truly astonishing. Reimu Hakurei couldn't help but move closer to examine them closely. She saw that each of these ingredients was lush and green, with some inexplicable patterns swirling around their surfaces. However, she could say with certainty that all of these ingredients were of top-notch quality.

Shocked by the abundance of high-quality, magical ingredients, Reimu Hakurei turned to look at the seemingly ordinary man beside her.

How did he manage to grow something that doesn't even have a trace of magic power in him?!

Chapter Seventy-Nine: Do What You Want

Are you really going to give me these magical ingredients?

Still unable to believe it, Reimu Hakurei asked again.

Ordinary ingredients would suffice; monsters are easily satisfied and don't need such high-quality ingredients.

"I already said I'd give it to you, so I won't go back on my word. Besides, I've already loaded these ingredients onto the cart for you, so there's absolutely no way I can take them back. You can just take them with you."

Leaning against the handcart, Akina Ze waved his hand impatiently and said.

Ever since Akina Sawa said he would give her some of the high-quality ingredients stored in the cellar, Reimu Hakurei has been asking, "Really, really, really?"

Even after he had loaded all the ingredients onto the cart, he was still asking questions. Akina Ze was getting a little impatient. He said, "If I told you to give them to you, stop chattering away." Even though these ingredients weren't much to him given his current resources, he still felt a little heartache.

“Okay, I understand, but I have one more question.” Reimu Hakurei patted the vegetables on the cart and looked at Akina Sawa, asking, “Why are you giving me these high-quality ingredients? For me, even the low-quality ones are fine.”

Upon hearing this, Akina Zeya's pupils contracted slightly, then he smiled and shook his finger.

"Of course, there are various reasons for this, including your reasons and my own reasons."

"My reason?" Reimu Hakurei asked, puzzled.

"You saved me once, didn't you?"

“But hasn’t it already been paid off?” Even though Akina Sawa said that, Reimu Hakurei still couldn’t understand his thinking.

“If you think you’ve paid it all off, that’s your business. I think it’s enough that you haven’t. Besides, my life is very valuable, you know~” Akina Ze said, looking up at the sky.

“You…” Reimu Hakurei shook her head helplessly; as expected, she still couldn’t understand.

"For me now, being alive is the most important thing. Once life is gone, material possessions become worthless, and besides..."

Akina Sawa also turned to look at Reimu Hakurei, his deep black pupils reflecting her figure. "If you're going to hold a banquet, you have to make it the best it can be. That's my motto. And high-quality ingredients are indispensable. I like lively atmospheres, and I also like gatherings where people can have fun and interact. Reimu, you're going to hold this banquet, so why can't I help you?"

Snapped!

A gohei flew out from Reimu Hakurei's hand and hit Sawaya Akina directly, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground.

“Really?” Akina Ze also got up from the ground, scratched the back of his head and shook his head. “Why don’t you believe me? I’ve already said that I just wanted to attend a perfect banquet. Helping you out was a given. I don’t need to thank you or repay you.”

"Idiot! I think I know what you're trying to say, but whatever your reasons for doing this, the fact is you helped me. Even though you say you don't want it, that's your business if you feel you don't need it, and it's my business if I give it to you. That's none of your concern."

"So, accept this," Reimu Hakurei tossed over a small wooden plaque with writing on it. "As long as you're still within the Hakurei Great Barrier, if you encounter danger, call my name to this plaque, and I will definitely come to help you. Of course, only once."

"Okay, I get it."

Akina Ze also looked down at the small wooden plaque in his hand, the plaque still retaining the warmth of the girl's body.

That's all, I'm leaving now.

As if afraid that Akina Sawa might also change her mind, Hakurei Reimu quickly flew into the air, turned around gracefully, and flew towards the shrine.

But... the trolley filled with ingredients is still sitting there.

"Wait! The handcart! The handcart!"

Seeing that Reimu Hakurei had forgotten to take her shopping cart, Akina Sawa quickly shouted loudly to Reimu, who was still not far away.

Clearly, Akina Zeya's loud voice had an effect; Hakurei Reimu, who was flying, stopped, seemingly realizing that something was missing.

With a graceful turn of her head, Reimu Hakurei flew back from the air and landed in front of the shopping cart, but she seemed a little awkward no matter how you looked at her.

"Ahem, that's it. I'm leaving!"

With one hand, Reimu Hakurei grabbed the handle of the cart and lifted it up, thus lifting the cart full of ingredients off the ground.

What incredible strength!

Akina Sawa's eyes widened in surprise. The seemingly delicate Hakurei Shrine Maiden could lift a handcart full of goods with one hand. It was terrifying!

She noticed the shocked look in Akina Zeya's eyes.

"Don't let my lack of arm muscles fool you, I'm actually quite strong, hahaha! Excuse me, I'm outta here!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Reimu Hakurei took off with the handcart and flew towards the shrine at a speed no less than before.

But this scene—the shrine maiden lifting a handcart full of goods with her slender arms—was deeply imprinted in Akina Zeya's mind.

The wooden plaque in my hand, which I thought I would never use, suddenly felt heavy.

After all, it is said that the Hakurei Shrine Maiden is the strongest being in the barrier, but he has never seen her in person. However, from this scene, he can already get a glimpse of how strong the shrine maiden is. Muscle shrine maidens are the most terrifying.

The shrine maiden and her cart quickly became a small black dot in the sky, disappearing into the horizon...

"Hey, Akina-nii, is it really worth helping her like this? She doesn't even have any money!" Nikua's voice came from beside her.

Akina Ze also turned to look at Nikua, smiling as he reached out to pat her little head.

"This isn't a question of whether it's worth it or not. Don't you think the shrine maiden is pitiful?"

"Huh? What's so pitiful about the Hakurei Shrine Maiden? Isn't she the strongest being in Gensokyo?"

Nikua looked up, puzzled, and asked.

Akina Sawa also shook her head. "She is indeed the strongest in Gensokyo, but... never mind, that's just my wishful thinking."

"Let's focus on what to eat for lunch," Akina Ze changed the subject, saying, "Nikua, what do you want to eat for lunch?"

"I want to eat grilled fish rice balls!"

A fool popped out from behind.

As the saying goes, fools recover quickly. One moment they were frozen in shock, and the next they were completely healed.

"Cirno, you have no right to speak here. I'm asking Niqua."

"Why? I was here first..." Cirno said dejectedly, her head down.

What does this have to do with who came first... Never mind, Akina Sawa shook his head and looked towards the distant Human Village. Humans can't understand the thoughts of fairies.

Sometimes even people can't understand each other's thoughts, let alone fairies.

Chapter 80 Marisa's Potion Experiment

"This time we'll definitely succeed! DA☆ZE!"

In front of the Kirisame Magic Shop, Marisa begins her 1919th potion experiment.

The result of summarizing all the previous failures is the small bottle containing the purple mystery potion that Marisa is now holding in her hand.

Having used up all the mushrooms gathered from the Magic Forest and failed 1919 times, this time success is finally on the horizon!

Standing in an open space, Marisa stared intently at the small bottle in her hand.

"Success or failure depends on this!"

Without hesitation, Marisa pulled out the stopper from the small bottle and poured all the potion inside onto the miniature octagonal furnace that had been prepared.

As soon as the medicine was poured on, the mini Bagua furnace emitted a dazzling light and began to vibrate, as if an extraordinary and violent reaction was taking place inside.

"That's exactly the reaction I wanted!"

Marisa gripped the vibrating miniature octagonal furnace tightly with both hands, raised it to her eyes, aimed it at the sky, took a deep breath, and roared.

"Appear! [The Explosive Meteonic Shower!]"

Before she finished speaking, the light contained within the miniature Bagua furnace suddenly surged, and the intensity of the vibration also increased several times over, but it was still firmly held in Marisa's hand.

You can see the nascent form of a star about to burst out of the Eight Trigrams Furnace and descend into this world. Marisa's lips gradually curled up.

Is this really going to be a success?!

"Crack!"

Um! ?

A disturbing sound suddenly rang out in the air, and what was even more disturbing was that the sound was coming from the mini Bagua furnace.

"Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap!..."

Before Marisa could react, a series of rhythmic clicking sounds came from the miniature Bagua furnace.

Suddenly, sparks flew from the surface of the miniature Bagua furnace, followed by a plume of black smoke that directly stung Marisa's face.

"Cough cough~"

The black smoke came so suddenly that Marisa couldn't help but cough, but she still held tightly to the miniature cauldron. Compared to her health, the success of the potion was what she cared about most.

However, the miniature Bagua furnace stopped vibrating, and the star that was about to be born disappeared without a trace, floating into the sky like the black smoke and vanishing without a trace.

"Haha, failed again. It's alright, it's just the 1919th failure. Next time I'll definitely succeed, I definitely will..."

Marisa's self-comforting voice gradually faded away as she spoke.

In the empty space, faint sobs could be heard. Time slowly passed, and the sun in the sky silently watched all of this...