Stardew Valley of Gensokyo

Unable to think of a topic, Akina Ze awkwardly started playing with his fingers. Strangely enough, the calluses on his hands from farming had disappeared without him noticing. Now his hands were fair and smooth, not at all like a farmer's hands, which Akina Ze found somewhat distasteful.

Just as Akina Sawa was showing off his finger tricks, Hakurei Reimu coughed and spoke.

"I heard everything Youmu said to you this morning."

"......Um?"

"Don't look at me like that," Reimu Hakurei explained. "The shrine's soundproofing isn't as good as you think, and what do you expect from wooden walls?"

"Then why have I never heard any noise coming from your room?" Akina Ze asked, puzzled.

Reimu Hakurei rolled her eyes at Zeya Akina. "Is it possible that I always walk very quietly? Unlike you, who stomps around like a log!"

"And explain what you just said!" Reimu Hakurei glared at Zeya Akina. "What sounds did you want to hear from my room?"

"No, no, I was just giving an example!" Akina Ze quickly laughed it off, saying that this topic was not suitable for further discussion.

"Oh, right," Reimu Hakurei said, a slight blush creeping across her face, "Since we're talking about noise, you should be quieter when you... when you... go to the toilet at night!"

This was a voice that sounded like it was about to be shouted.

Akina Sawa, who was being reminded, was also quite embarrassed. How was he supposed to know that the soundproofing at the Hakurei Shrine was so poor?

Wait a minute? If the soundproofing is this bad, then at night...!?

...Hit! Stop!

As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Akina Ze's face turned ashen. However, he couldn't very well ask Hakurei Reimu if she had heard him. After all, she was still a girl, and revealing the truth would only make things worse. For now, he could only keep it to himself and think that he would be more careful in the future.

"Let's get down to business." Seeing the conversation heading in an unfavorable direction, Reimu Hakurei quickly changed the subject, saying, "What do you think of what Youmu said?"

"Do you really want to break the barrier and rescue your yard, uh, and that fairy in your house?"

“That’s for sure.” Akina Ze nodded affirmatively. “If it’s really as Youmu said, that we can release my yard while saving the Great Fairy, then I have no reason to object.”

"But I don't know what the conditions are if Reimu needs you to break the barrier."

"I don't need you to give me the lowest price for food or anything like that," Reimu Hakurei said with a smile. "Besides, you're definitely going to give me the lowest price, just like you gave Youmu, right?"

"..."

"...?"

"Tell me! You offered the lowest price!" Reimu Hakurei was furious.

"Sorry... this will definitely be the lowest price from now on!"

Akina Sawa was also filled with shame, even though he had sold it to Reimu at a price slightly lower than the market price, but not at the lowest possible price.

Since Reimu Hakurei has such a large shrine, Akina Sawa naturally assumed that Reimu was a wealthy landowner.

It was only after they actually got to know each other that Akina Sawaya realized that Reimu was actually very poor, but that couldn't be blamed on Akina Sawaya.

After all, Reimu has such a large business, yet she's so poor now; her own problems are definitely not insignificant.

"Calm down, it's all my fault." Akina Ze also picked up a cup of tea, blew on the steam, and handed it to Reimu.

"Hmph!" Reimu Hakurei was still angry and turned her head away, but she still accepted the tea.

After waiting a while, Reimu Hakurei drank the tea and calmed down a bit.

"I've changed my mind!" Reimu Hakurei said. "I want you to send me 10 catties of newly planted grain every season! For three years!"

Worried that she might have said too much, Reimu Hakurei weakly added, "...One year is fine too?"

“It’s alright! Three years is three years. What’s a little bit of food to support the shrine?” Akina Ze also grabbed Reimu’s hand. “Even if you want to drink, I can get a barrel and send it to the shrine.”

"Forget about the alcohol!" Reimu Hakurei abruptly pulled her hand away from his grasp and turned her head. "You'd better remember this for three years!"

"Definitely! Definitely!" Akina Ze excitedly waved his fist.

Reimu has now agreed to lift the barrier. Now we're just waiting for news from Youmu. I'm so looking forward to my long-missed bed!

Even out of Akina Sawa's sight, Reimu Hakurei's face turned bright red, and she covered her face with her hands.

I...I'm a priestess! How...how dare you!

The handprint is clearly visible on the back of the hand.

Chapter Fifty-One begins

The days passed quickly.

Early in the morning, while Akina Sawaya and Hakurei Reimu were having tea, Konpaku Youmu and Saigyouji Yuyuko appeared at the end of the Imperial Road.

Upon seeing the two of them appear together, Akina Ze realized that today was the day the mansion would be rescued.

"Please take a seat."

Having served as the housekeeper of the Hakurei Shrine for several days, Akina Sawa has become familiar with how to entertain guests, although there aren't many guests yet.

Following suit, Yuyuko Saigyouji sat down and eagerly asked, "Akina-kun, how has your cohabitation with Reimu been lately?"

Click!

That's the sound of Reimu Hakurei crushing a teacup with her bare hands.

"Yuyuko! What nonsense are you talking about!" Reimu Hakurei stood up abruptly, her face as red as a kettle.

"Stop, stop being so rude!" Youmu Konpaku faithfully stood in front of Yuyuko, though her face was also flushed.

This kind of topic is still too early for young girls.

The scene suddenly became heated, and they even drew their swords against each other at the slightest disagreement.

Akina Sawa also stepped forward and said helplessly, "Miss Yuyuko, I'm really just staying here temporarily, don't overthink it."

"Please have some tea first." Akina Ze handed two cups of tea to Yuyuko and Youmu, then turned around and pressed Reimu's shoulder, forcibly calming the situation down.

However, after the commotion, the scene suddenly fell silent.

The instigator, Yuyuko, remained completely unperturbed by the atmosphere, even glancing at the table in front of her.

"Hey, Akina-kun~" Yuyuko suddenly looked at Akina Sawaya and said, "Shouldn't we have some snacks to go with our tea?"

"That's not true!" Reimu Hakurei retorted angrily, "How come I've never seen it even once?"

"Don't worry, I'll be right there."

Akina Ze did not object; even if this saying didn't exist before, it would be accepted from now on.

Fortunately, there was still some breakfast left for Suika, so it was perfect to serve it to Yuyuko as dessert, since Suika was free to do as she pleased.

After Yuyuko had a taste of the white radish soup, the meeting finally started to move in a more formal direction.

"So you need me to leave a hole in the barrier before breaking the seal?" Reimu Hakurei asked, puzzled.

“Yes.” Youmu Konpaku nodded and said, “Before we came, Lady Yuyuko already told me that all I needed to do was leave a space for my Lady Yuyuko to use her abilities before you broke the seal, Reimu.”

"Reimu, are you sure you can do it?" Akina Sawa asked with some concern.

In his imagination, the barrier should be like a bubble wrap, collapsing immediately if a gap appears.

“Of course I can!” Reimu Hakurei said firmly, “While some unprofessionals might not be able to do it, I have absolutely no problem with it.”

In a mushroom house somewhere, Marisa Kirisame, who was simmering mushroom soup to make fishing bait, suddenly sneezed.

"Very good, let's not delay, let's set off now."

Seeing that Reimu Hakurei indicated that there was no problem, Youmu Konpaku stood up and said decisively.

"Huh? Youmu-chan, are we leaving now? I want to rest a bit more~"

Saigyouji Yuyuko, however, remained slumped over the table, unwilling to get up.

However, Yuyuko's reluctance didn't last long. After Akina Sawa promised to treat her to a big meal after the matter was settled, she immediately got up and got up, even more eager than Youmu.

"Huh? Where's my breakfast?"

Shortly after the four left, Suika Ibuki rubbed her sleepy eyes and went into the kitchen. She lifted the pot lid and saw that everything was gone. She repeated the action of lifting the lid in disbelief, but still found nothing.

The free-spirited, alcoholic lolita has also found freedom in her breakfast.

On the way, Saigyouji Yuyuko smacked her lips, having not even tasted the little snack she had just received.

Pass through the torii gate, walk down the imperial road, and finish the animal path.

Soon, the group of four arrived at the edge of the Human Village, where the Akina residence was located.

However, the scene before us was blank, which was normal, since the entire Akina mansion was currently in another small world.

At the original location, there was not much snow left on the ground, and the open space made it impossible to tell that this was the site of the Akina residence's large yard.

Akina Sawa also squatted down and pinched a handful of soil, staring blankly at the open space in front of him. If it weren't for the tree stumps left from the felling nearby, he probably wouldn't have recognized it either.

The air exhaled from the lungs turns into white mist as it falls into the air.

Strangely, no white mist appeared in front of Saigyouji Yuyuko.

The sun gradually rose.

Akina Zeya, Hakurei Reimu, Konpaku Youmu, and Saigyouji Yuyuko stood in the open space, waiting for the perfect moment to arrive.

The concentration of spiritual energy actually rises and falls like the tides.

Reimu Hakurei is currently waiting for the spiritual energy concentration to reach the right level.

For a moment, everyone except Reimu seemed to have some free time.

Saigyouji Yuyuko still had her signature squinting smile on her face, like a young lady who was detached from the world.

In fact, Akina Sawa was also puzzled. Although they had already reached the point of liberating the mansion, he still didn't know why Yuyuko wanted to help him.

Although he had given Yuyuko or Hakugyokurou a lot of convenience, from Akina Zeya's own perspective, it shouldn't be worth it for Saigyouji Yuyuko to help him out of the way.

Although Youmu Konpaku had given a reason for purchasing at the lowest price, Akina Sawa didn't really believe it, because it was just a business tactic.

So, Yuyuko, what are you thinking?

Akina Sawa was also watching her.

She has slightly wavy pink short hair, a slender figure, and a sweet smile.

Yuyuko, what are you thinking about?

On the other side, Saigyouji Yuyuko seemed to have noticed Akina Sawaya's gaze as well, turned her head, and smiled slightly.

Whoosh~

The wind is rising.

The remaining withered branches and fallen leaves, not yet covered by snow, flew up from the ground.

The pure white snowflakes swirled and mingled with the withered yellow leaves.

The time has come.

Under everyone's gaze, Reimu Hakurei stepped forward and stood at the very front, holding an exorcism wand in her hand.

A surge of spiritual energy began to rise.

The swirling ribbons were precisely in the direction of the rotating spiritual energy.

Just like when it was sealed, breaking the seal also requires a huge amount of spiritual power.

Of course, a hole needs to be left for Yuyuko before the seal is broken.

Reimu Hakurei spun the exorcism wand in her hand, and a spinning circle with sparks flashing at its edges appeared out of thin air in front of her.

The cave connects to the Akina residence.

"It's that idiot Akina!"

Meanwhile, Nikua and the Great Fairy were playing around in the courtyard when they immediately noticed the hole that had appeared out of nowhere.

You don't even need to look to know that this sentence was shouted by Nikua.

Nikua waved her arms excitedly, and the great fairy beside her looked happy too.

"Is it spring already? Have you come to let us out?" Nikua asked expectantly.

The great fairy standing beside her remained silent, but her expression revealed that she also wanted to leave.

Fairies are inherently free, and restricting their freedom is tantamount to killing them.

Although the Akina residence is large, it is tiny compared to the entire Gensokyo.