The corn harvest was surprisingly abundant — nearly 500 kilograms from just 100 square meters!
Please, that's already a lot.
Based on his twenty years of farming experience, Zunzun knew that in China, average corn yield is about 6 tons per hectare. In the small island country of Liben, where the soil is poor and acidic, it's only a bit more than half of that. Only in the U.S., with its extremely fertile land, can it reach 11 tons per hectare. The difference is striking.
But in Konosuba, the land yields an astonishing 25 tons per hectare!
Hey, this is too much!
Is there really no bug in the planting system!?
No wonder it's worthy of being called another world!
With such a bountiful harvest, Megumin received a full 50 kilograms of corn.
Please, that's already a lot.
Remember, from reclaiming the land to clearing debris, planting, and tending the crops, Zunzun did it all alone. Megumin only helped during the last two and a half months before harvest. So, her one-tenth share was quite generous.
The little loli was ecstatic—and a bit overwhelmed by how much grain she had.
"Is it really okay to give me so much?"
"If you think it's too much, you can give some back."
"No! This is the fruit of my labor!" Megumin flopped herself onto the big bag of corn.
Speaking of her obsession with food, it was unusually strong. When Zunzun said the corn stalks should be burned, she actually hoped to take them home as food.
If it weren't for Sister Soketto's fierce opposition—warning that eating the stalks would hinder her magnificent pectoral muscle growth—she probably wouldn't have given up. Even so, when she saw the discarded stalks piled on the ground, her expression clearly showed pity.
That night, the little girl struggled to drag the 50-kilogram bag home.
Zunzun and Sister Soketto offered help, but she was unusually determined, insisting she could do it herself—and then waddled off crookedly.
Fifty kilograms is heavy for a mere six-year-old.
...Wait, is it really that heavy?
Zunzun picked up one of the corn bags at the door. It wasn't as heavy as he'd imagined.
Thinking back to when he farmed and harvested mostly alone, with strength far beyond kids his age, he realized: Oh, I'm no longer an ordinary child.
"Hurry, put it down, Zunzun!" Sister Soketto covered her cheeks and exclaimed, seeing him toss the bag up and down like a toy.
Surprisingly, her expression was just like the famous painting The Scream. Megumin should be well-fed now that she has all this food.
Just as Zunzun was thinking this—
The next day—
"I said, why are you still here? Didn't I give you plenty of food?"
"Sister Soketto said I could have breakfast here, so I came."
"That was just a polite way of speaking."
Zunzun looked at the little loli, calm and composed as usual at the dining table, and couldn't help but smile.
She really didn't see herself as an outsider.
Come to think of it, Megumin seemed to have lived here every day since Zunzun brought her home.
Working in the fields by day, sleeping with them at night—they were like siblings. There was even a warm feeling of three sisters when the three of them were together…
What three sisters? I'm a boy!
"Okay, okay, you must be happy Megumin is here. Aren't you close friends now?" Sister Soketto came out of the kitchen with breakfast.
Lately, the house had an abundance of ingredients—mostly corn. Sister Soketto was trying out new recipes and asked Zunzun to teach her how to cook. Zunzun did his best, but honestly, even he didn't know why his cooking was delicious.
Watching the little loli pick up her bowl and eat greedily without any formalities, Zunzun shook his head.
Forget it, it's just one more person's ration.
Honestly, Zunzun was happy to have Megumin around, mostly because Sister Soketto was happy.
Suddenly, a question popped into his mind.
"By the way, have you stored your corn properly at home?"
"Stored?"
"You know, it's only late August, and the weather is still hot. Without proper storage, food rots in a few days and becomes inedible."
If it were winter, no worries—bury it in snow and it lasts all season.
But summer heat means food ferments and rots quickly. That's nature's law.
"What? How could that happen!?" The little loli panicked.
She worked so hard for two and a half months to get this food. What if it rotted before she could eat it? Who could bear that?
"What do I do? What do I do?"
"Don't worry. I expected this. Luckily, there's still time before potato planting in September. We need to take proper storage measures before then."
Sister Soketto had warned Zunzun yesterday.
At first, he hadn't thought much about it. In his previous life, storage wasn't his concern—it was handled by grandparents and servants. This life was no different; he only focused on farming and harvesting.
But Megumin had no relatives, no parents to rely on.
Zunzun's plan was simple and rough.
The most time- and labor-saving traditional method is to build a large ice cellar. The only problem is that it's expensive and labor-intensive—ice is hard to come by in the countryside.
But don't forget—this is the Crimson Demon Clan!
The Crimson Demon Clan is full of great magicians. Making ice cubes? Easy.
When they reached a remote mountain foothill in the Crimson Demon Village, there was a lonely house.
No, "house" was too generous. It was barely a shack—just a few wooden boards stuck in the ground, barely sheltering against wind and rain.
Megumin pointed at it. "That's my home."
"Oh… oh..." Zunzun responded.
"That's weird. Whenever someone comes to my house, they say things like, 'Megumin, is this your stable?' or 'Your warehouse is old; it's time to renovate.' But when I say, 'This is my home,' their expressions get weird... almost exactly like yours."
"So you want me to say the same?"
"No! Although it's true, this is my home, and I get mad when people say that."
"…You're really awkward." Zunzun glanced at the little loli.
Suddenly, a wicked grin spread across his face.
"But I still want to say—the house is not good."
"Hmm." The little loli pouted but wasn't angry. After all, Zunzun was telling the truth.
"Don't waste time. Let's get to work."
"Okay."
The so-called cellar didn't need to be fancy.
A good cellar keeps ice from melting and maintains low temperatures to preserve food. In the Crimson Demon Clan, where magicians abound, ice cubes were the least valuable resource.
So Zunzun dug a pit two meters deep and five meters wide—like a small swimming pool—behind Megumin's dilapidated "house."
Then, he found a reliable adult magician from the clan to freeze ice cubes.
Just like that, a simple ice cellar was born.
-End Chapter-
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