Six hundred and sixty-six, I can't even get salty about it anymore.
This is Stardew Valley, a place for farmers to farm, not a retirement home for divine beings!
If it weren't for JojaMart serving as a cheaper alternative for me to choose from, you wouldn't dare raise my prices. So what if you are 'Bubbles' retired and re-employed?
Suke felt the Dark Soul within him about to awaken. Should he use inva... 'murder' (in that order) on her?!
However, the status of this Stardew Valley was even higher than Suke had imagined. Even Bubbles behaved like an ordinary person here. Or perhaps the status wasn't higher, but simply that certain rules were set quite rigidly?
[Special Item: Vermilion Sealed Letter from Mabel-chan]
[A vermilion sealed letter from Mabel, the owner of the General Store in Pelican Town. The style is very ancient; it might be an important quest item.]
["Ruin has come to our family..." — You had best pray that the opening line inside the letter isn't this.]
As Abigail's "Uncle," this existence acting as an avatar of Bubbles called Suke over for more than just a greeting to him, the Farmer, as a new neighbor.
She mysteriously placed a letter into Suke's hands, saying she was entrusted with it by someone.
However, when Suke tried to tear open the envelope, he found the vermilion seal didn't budge an inch, protected by an invisible force.
"This is why I hate Riddlers the most."
"Is there anything that can't be said clearly face-to-face? Why must they go through these twisty, winding complications?"
Throwing the envelope into the corner of his backpack, Suke, who had just returned from the Calico Desert after exchanging for the Galaxy Sword, muttered to himself.
If Me-chan were willing to give him the "Mystery of the Night Sky," he might have reluctantly accepted it.
However, when he proposed this request, he was directly swept out the shop door by a blushing Mabel using a broom.
Clearly, it wasn't his little head controlling his big head; he just wanted to see the attribute bonuses of this graduation-tier god equipment, okay!
Even if it was controlling him, it would be for a bunny head!
Rummaging through the chest, he took out the ten Red Cabbages he had promised to bring for Tachibana Sherri and put them in his backpack. Suke then passed through the second cross-dimensional gate located in the farmhouse cellar.
Walking out the door, it was still the familiar Witch Prison Island. Today was yet another beautiful day.
Birds are singing, flowers are blooming.
On days like these, kids like you... Wait, wrong channel.
"Is everyone here?"
Pushing open the entrance door to the first-floor hall, Suke shouted inside first.
If it were before, a young girl would have already come to welcome him by now. After all, having assisted Emma in improving everyone's lives on the Prison Island for so many days, Suke had become a reliable "adult" in the eyes of the girls.
But today it was very quiet. Not a single soul was visible in the first-floor hall.
"?"
"Where did everyone go?"
Suke found it a bit strange. He sent a message on the Farm's public channel to Sakuraba Emma, who was permanently stationed on the Prison Island:
[Conscience Farmer: Emma, where did you guys run off to?]
[Conscience Farmer: I brought you guys some stuff, come out and get it!]
He felt like a parent delivering things to a child at school, only missing the Wang Zai milk.
[Sakuraba Emma: Oh, oh, wait a moment!]
Emma replied instantly. It seemed no accident had occurred.
Not long after, the pink-and-white haired girl ran out from the entrance of the Tribunal. She waved at Suke, signaling him to come over.
The Tribunal?
Didn't that Owl Warden already crash and burn? What are they gathering in there for? It couldn't be that another murder case happened, right?
"I apologize, Mr. Suke. Something unexpected happened."
Seemingly noticing Suke's confusion, the girl with bone wings on her back had a somewhat complex expression.
"I originally didn't want to trouble you with this matter. After all, you have already done enough for everyone."
"But it seems there is no other way now... Hikami Meruru, she came back to life."
Hah?
Hikami Meruru really became a zombie?
Suke instantly lost all sleepiness. Led by Emma, he followed her into the Tribunal.
At this moment, thirteen girls each stood in their own judgment seats.
His Emma—that is, Witch Emma—occupied the position originally belonging to the Owl Chief Judge.
However, besides Hikami Meruru, Suke also saw Hosho Margaret, who had somehow been relieved of her Witch-transformed state and fished out of Cold Storage.
Upon seeing him, this mysterious purple-skinned woman in a kimono gave him a familiar wink as if they were old friends. At the same time, there was Hikami Meruru.
Wearing nun's vestments, she also bowed to him, exuding an inexplicable sense of respect.
"It seems this handsome little brother is the Mr. Suke everyone has been talking about~"
"I am Hosho Margaret. Very pleased to meet you, hehe~"
Hosho Margaret narrowed her eyes and smiled. Being addressed this way by her, Suke immediately felt quite a few years younger.
Addressing a member of the opposite sex who was a full ten years younger than herself like this—she was clearly a bad woman with a heart full of schemes.
"Mr... Mr. Suke, it is a great honor to meet you!"
On the other side, Hikami Meruru's reaction was even more exaggerated than Hosho Margaret's.
Aside from a bow of nearly ninety degrees, the way she looked at Suke always made him feel a bit uncomfortable. It was a gaze mixing admiration, envy, worship, and various other emotions.
But Suke was certain he had never met her in the past.
"Stop trying to garner sympathy here, you mastermind!"
"Although you saved Hosho, that doesn't mean the things you did to us can be written off!"
From the judgment seats, Shito Arisa couldn't help but speak out to accuse Hikami Meruru.
If they didn't know she was the black curtain, Hikami Meruru's appearance of always being on the verge of tears and pitying the fate of mankind might have worked. But since her identity had been revealed—
Shito Arisa only felt it was disgusting!
"I'm sorry, everyone. I am truly sorry..."
Tears slid down uncontrollably. The girl named Hikami Meruru seemed completely indifferent to her own hypocrisy.
"But... these were all necessary! To retrieve Lord Great Witch, anyone, including myself, can be sacrificed..."
"Ah, apologies, Mr. Suke! I wasn't speaking of you; naturally, you are not included in this list..."
They were clearly terrifying words, yet spoken in Hikami Meruru's tearful posture, they made people involuntarily feel a shred of sympathy for her.
"There's really no helping it~"
"I also didn't expect that the Miss Meruru I admired would actually be the mastermind or something... Sigh, fate truly toys with people~"
Hosho Margaret sighed.
"But according to the intelligence provided by the other Miss Emma, if everyone wants to completely get rid of the trouble of Witch-transformation, we cannot do without Miss Meruru's existence."
"So we can only ask everyone to be as tolerant of her as possible... It really is helpless."
"That is how it is. I know I have wronged everyone greatly, but please forgive me temporarily!"
Hikami Meruru wiped her tears. These tears of heartfelt apology were not faked.
"As long as Lord Great Witch can return to this world, it doesn't matter how everyone wants to dispose of me after that!"
"This is my only request. Thank you all very much!"
Regarding Hikami Meruru's words, the girls looked at each other one after another. It indeed seemed there was no better way to handle it.
On the scene, only Natsume An-An looked somewhat conflicted.
Among everyone present, she might be the only one who didn't want to get rid of the Witch Factor and end the life of living together with everyone on the Prison Island.
Especially when life was getting better and better.
However, Suke believed his Emma could handle these hidden minor conflicts.
"Then the time for the ritual to summon the Great Witch is set for tomorrow. Everyone, go back and rest well today."
Witch Emma made the decision on everyone's behalf. When everyone was hesitant and indecisive, what she needed to do was give a gentle push.
This night on the Prison Island was destined to make sleep difficult.
____
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