The evening sun draped the countryside like warm silk—soft and comforting.
As the sun sank lower, the sky's afterglow blazed like blood, casting a fiery orange-yellow over the quiet fields. Against the green land, the colors contrasted sharply, evoking a sense of calm and happiness.
Sparse tendrils of smoke curled gently from village chimneys, blending peacefully with the drifting clouds above.
La la la! La la la!
I am a little expert in farming.
I don't wait for dawn to plant the land.
I plant and dig at the same time.
Today's weather is really good.
I can plant two plots of land in half a day.
La la la! La la la!
I am a little expert in farming.
I run all over the land in strong wind and heavy rain.
If I can't walk well, I slip and fall.
The mud all over my body makes people laugh.
Only I know how hungry and cold I am.
La la la! La la la!
I am a little expert in farming.
I run all over the village with hunger and cold.
I can't eat enough, I can't sleep well,
And I can't complain to anyone about my painful life.
One day, the light will come.
Zunzun and Megumin walked home, singing the song Zunzun had just adapted.
Halfway through the journey, a strange feeling settled over Zunzun.
If anyone else knew, they'd find it incredible—one had just met the other and was already taking her home; the other was bold enough to go with a stranger so soon.
One dared to take, and one dared to follow.
Luckily, Zunzun was not some weird uncle planning to lure the little girl with promises of cats. Otherwise, who knew what might happen to Megumin.
No, no, no—she looked smart. She wouldn't be fooled… right?
A little east of the village entrance, nestled near the forest, stood a somewhat larger farmhouse—Zunzun's home.
"Come in."
"Thank you."
They stepped inside.
The house was empty—Zunzun's parents were away from the village for now. Since Megumin was the new 'sister,' she'd be coming back a bit later each day. Zunzun also hoped she'd spend more time with friends that way.
For now, the cooking and housework fell to him.
No complaints—it wasn't hard, and Sister Soketto always tidied up on weekends. He just had to maintain the order and do simple cleaning.
He motioned Megumin to rest on the sofa in the living room.
As he headed to the kitchen, he said, "By the way, how about curry beef for dinner tonight?"
"Curry! Beef!"
Megumin's eyes shone bright red, and she exclaimed excitedly, "Can I? Curry is such an expensive spice, and isn't beef a legendary ingredient? Can I really eat that?"
Zunzun's mouth twitched.
Though curry and beef were pricier than usual, they weren't beyond reach, and definitely not legendary.
How hard had her life been?
A few bitter tears slipped from the corners of his eyes.
"…Megumin…You can eat as much as you want tonight."
"Really!?"
Her eyes sparkled with hope.
Zunzun remembered the first time he made dinner for Sister Soketto after her hard day's work—she'd worried if it was tasty enough.
But Megumin was different.
She judged food not by taste, but by whether it was edible.
Still, when she thought about how Megumin could even eat the tough corn cobs and stalks, Zunzun relaxed.
And no worries—Zunzun's cooking was top-notch!
In his previous life, during a time when he'd been laid off and had to stretch savings, he loved learning recipes from chefs online. He even mastered a barbecue marinade from a master and made decent money at night markets.
Plus, thanks to his plugin, everything he learned stayed firmly in his mind.
Curry beef takes time—the curry needs slow stewing for a mellow flavor. Soon, the rich aroma filled the entire house.
"Perfect."
It would be ready in about thirty minutes. Just in time for Sister Soketto to come home.
Zunzun, just turning around after stirring the pot—
"Wow!"
A pair of glowing scarlet eyes appeared behind him, startling him so much his whole body trembled and sweat broke out across his back.
Zunzun's greatest fear was ghosts.
But seeing it was just Megumin, he sighed in relief and then scolded:
"Megumin! Why did you scare me like that?"
"Huh? Sorry! The curry smells so good I couldn't help it."
The little loli wiped the drool from her mouth.
The aroma was strong, and Megumin was hungry—no wonder she looked like that.
"Don't get so excited."
Zunzun grumbled.
The Crimson Demon Clan's trait was that the more emotional they got, the redder their eyes became—signaling they'd entered a state of focus.
"But no, the curry's not ready yet. We can't eat until Sister Soketto gets home."
This time, Zunzun was firm. He gently pushed the restless little loli to sit in the living room.
Megumin kept glancing toward the kitchen, drooling as the curry's scent filled the air, as if just smelling it let her taste it.
Time passed slowly.
When the curry was ready, Sister Soketto arrived.
"I'm home!"
"Welcome back, Sister Soketto!"
Zunzun greeted her warmly with a hug.
Megumin's eyes caught the beautiful girl's figure—the elegant school uniform of the Crimson Demon Clan clung to her.
"Oh! A guest!"
Sister Soketto was surprised to see Megumin sitting politely on the sofa.
"Hello, I'm Megumin."
The little loli stood and bowed respectfully.
Sister Soketto's heart melted at Megumin's earnestness, and she quickly stepped forward to hug the thin girl tightly.
"Well… sorry, I'm squeezing you too much!"
"Ah, sorry!"
Only when Megumin gasped for air and begged for mercy did Sister Soketto let her go.
Megumin stared at Sister Soketto, clearly captivated by her beauty.
No wonder—his sister was destined to be the Crimson Demon Clan's top beauty, adored by both men and women.
Many little girls dreamed of being as beautiful as Sister Soketto when they grew up.
Dinner time came.
"Wow, it's delicious!"
Sister Soketto praised loudly after tasting the curry beef.
Megumin buried her face in her plate, stuffing food into her mouth quickly, mumbling what must have been compliments.
…Huh?
Was she really that enthusiastic?
But tasting it himself, Zunzun was a bit stunned.
It was delicious!
He looked at the humble curry beef before him, confused.
No special spices, ordinary curry and beef, a simple cooking method—but somehow, it tasted better than ever.
Why? Could it be the plugin boosting his skills?
Though there was no obvious "glow," his cooking had improved.
"Another bowl!"
"Uh…"
Megumin held out her empty plate, so spotless it reflected a person's face.
Zunzun blinked, then sighed.
"Alright, alright, I'm coming."
His cooking improvement had to be thanks to the plugin—there was no other explanation.
But it didn't matter.
Cooking was just a bonus for him.
He took Megumin's empty plate and headed back to the kitchen.
-End Chapter-
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