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"Lord Leo, a person cannot... or at least should not..."
Ran's face was burning. She watched Leo trying to tie his new golden tail into a knot.
It would be one thing if it was his own tail. But that was her tail. Or rather, a magical construct made from her fur. Watching him play with it felt weirdly like phantom touch.
Nearby, Aya's eyes were spitting fire.
Damn it! What a scoop! "The Master of Stardew Valley is actually Yakumo Ran's illegitimate child?!"
If only I hadn't made peace with him so early! This headline would have trended for weeks!
"A person can, or at least should try," Leo countered, wiggling his hips.
"This is so interesting! It feels like a third hand growing out of my butt. I can move it! This isn't just a backpack anymore; it's practically a transformation!"
Leo reached into the tail. He rummaged around inside the fluff.
Squelch.
He pulled out a wet, slimy Bass that Chen had clubbed earlier.
"The inventory function still works perfectly!" Leo marveled.
Ran felt her world collapsing. She had made the wallet as a gift. She never imagined it would turn into... this. It felt like being NTR'd right in front of her face.
"However..." Leo frowned. "A grown man with a fox tail is a bit weird."
It was fine for private play, but in public? It felt like a fetish.
Leo unequipped the [Tail Wallet].
Poof.
The tail vanished. The backpack returned.
Ran breathed a sigh of relief. If he had kept it on, she would have seriously considered silencing all witnesses.
She turned her gaze to Aya.
Aya immediately zipped her lips.
I saw nothing. I heard nothing. I am a stone.
Messing with Oni got you a beating. Messing with the Yakumo family got you erased from existence. Aya knew the difference.
"Come on, let's eat," Ran said, taking the fish to the kitchen. "Today's catch was personally... slapped by Chen."
Leo went to the rice cooker.
Tonight's menu: Fish Soup over Rice.
Ran fried the fish bones and heads (teeth and gills removed) until golden, then added boiling water. The soup turned milky white instantly.
Leo tossed in a few Chanterelles and Morels from the Mushroom Cave.
He ladled the rich, savory soup over steaming white rice.
The farm had finally entered the era of "Human Food." The rice grown in Stardew Valley was fragrant and sweet—far better than the cheap, broken rice Leo used to buy.
While Ran (who had abandoned her master to mooch off Leo) fed Chen, Yukari was having a very bad time.
Gensokyo. The Lost Home.
Yukari's credibility was absolute. If she said the sky was green, youkai would ask "Which shade?"
However, the "Parsnip Soup Incident" had shaken that faith. Everyone doubted the legendary Stardew Valley. Was that stuff even edible?
But yesterday, the truth came out.
The Tengu were holding a Strawberry Banquet.
Photos of juicy, red, fist-sized strawberries flooded the Bunbunmaru Newspaper (Aya's subordinates were still working).
The youkai rioted.
You told us to drink grass soup while the Tengu eat strawberries?!
A mob surrounded the Yakumo residence.
"The Princess wants strawberries!" (Eirin) "The Fairies are starving!" (Yuuka) "My sister needs cake!" (Remilia)
Yukari was pinned down. Eirin blocked her teleportation. Yuuka blocked the door.
"No! There really aren't any left!" Yukari wailed. "Those strawberries in Megumu's hands were bought with Ran's dignity! I'm broke!"
"Even if you sold me, I'm not worth more than a basket of strawberries!"
Silence.
The mob looked at Yukari. They looked at each other. They seemed to be calculating the exchange rate.
"Wait!" Yukari panicked. "Say something! We're the 'Gensokyo Loving Family Alliance'! You aren't actually thinking of trafficking me, are you?!"
"Does anyone have a way to get to Stardew Valley?" Eirin asked calmly. "If selling the Sage gets us fruit, I'm open to negotiation."
"I do!"
Marisa raised her hand. Beside her stood a figure in a black cloak, hugging a Shinki Fumo doll.
"Let's go tomorrow," Marisa grinned. "We'll offer Yukari to Leo. Maybe he'll trade us a few crates."
They were joking (mostly).
But to vent their anger over the Parsnip Soup, they tied Yukari up with anti-youkai rope anyway.
"See you at dawn!"