Stardew Valley of Gensokyo

Marisa silently picked up the hat from the table and fanned herself a few times, saying, "Haha, I came from Master Akina's place before, and he made me a lot of delicious radish cakes. I guess that's when I picked up this habit? But Master Akina's radish dishes are just too delicious!"

"Huh!? You went to Mr. Akina's place?"

Reimu Hakurei couldn't hold back any longer and missed a chance to get something for free.

"Hmm, it's been a long time since I've been there. I wanted to visit Master Akina, but I didn't expect him to treat me to radish dishes." Marisa scratched her head shyly.

"And do you know what amazing thing I saw at Master Akina's place?"

Reimu, somewhat curious, came over. Compared to the familiar stories about monsters, the fresh and interesting tales from outsiders were much more appealing.

"Tell me, what did you discover?" Reimu Hakurei asked curiously.

"A magical artifact that keeps the temperature constant! And a field of lush green radishes."

Marisa chuckled and revealed the answer to the riddle.

"You mean he made a magical item? I don't think Mr. Akina can use magic, right?" Reimu Hakurei said skeptically.

Unbeknownst to Akina Sawa, Reimu Hakurei had already conducted a full physical examination on him using the tools given to her by Yukari.

Aside from noticing that he was physically strong and possessed a martial arts-like aura, there were no other unusual findings.

"Magic is not something inconvenient. As long as it comes from the heart, anything can be made," Marisa said dismissively, because that's what she had always done.

Your belief is your magic!

Just as Marisa was still immersed in the world she had imagined, she was completely lost in it.

Reimu Hakurei had made preparations well in advance; she was carrying a large basket in her hand and a large cloth bag on her back.

"Marisa, let's go!"

"What are you doing?"

Marisa was somewhat puzzled by the current situation.

"Of course we're going to beg for alms! Oh, no, given the season, we should be begging for 'winter winds'!"

Reimu Hakurei couldn't wait to set off.

The radish field yielded a bountiful harvest in winter! Now we can really improve our winter meals.

Mr. Akina, I will treat you with the same respect I would show to a deity.

Thank you for the carrot!

"Ah!"

Even Akina Sawa, far away in his own fields, couldn't help but shiver.

He wrapped his cotton coat tighter around himself, somewhat puzzled.

There wasn't any wind just now? That's strange.

......

Chapter Fourteen: The Snowman

The tender radish sprouts sparsely emerged from the soil, which had been hoeed and was now somewhat loose. At a glance, between the two field ridges, the tender green dots covered the entire area, but the sprouts closer to the center were developing better.

Setting down the kettle, Akina Ze began adding fuel to the earthen stove that maintained the greenhouse temperature.

Pieces of firewood, chopped into small pieces, were piled up beside the earthen stove; this was the amount needed for the day.

After Akina Sawa had thrown in most of the firewood, he began to feel some soreness in his lower back. No matter what the action was, repeating the same action over and over again would inevitably cause discomfort, both physically and mentally.

So Akina Ze decided to take a break. He threw the last piece of wood into the earthen stove and casually wiped the sweat from his forehead with the scarf hanging around his neck. The temperature of the earthen stove was a bit high, so it was inevitable to sweat a little.

After gazing at the flames curling in the earthen stove for a while, Akina Ze inexplicably felt thirsty and decided to go get a drink.

As I got up and pushed open the greenhouse door, the first thing I saw was Nikua, who was curled up in a rocking chair with her knees drawn up to her chest, her light blue skirt swaying in the wind.

If I remember correctly, she was sitting here when I entered the greenhouse, and she hasn't moved an inch in all this time.

While pondering this, Akina Ze also picked up the water bottle on the table and gulped down large mouthfuls of water.

The cool water is refreshing and invigorating; besides being icy, it also has a slightly sweet aftertaste.

Under the influence of this water, Akina Ze felt as if his muddled mind had become clear, and the confusion brought on by his labor was completely cleared away.

Suddenly, Akina Ze also thought of something: Nikua's lazy appearance seemed to have lasted for many days, right?

When did it start?

His mind began to race, and fragments of memories kept replaying in his mind—scenes he had previously taken for granted.

It seems that Nikua has become less active since the first snow of winter. Her activity level here is in contrast to that of spring, summer and autumn.

Akina Ze also vaguely remembered the scene where Niqua and Cirno, the three fairy sisters, rolled around in the yard, getting all dirty and asking for hugs. Although he eventually hugged them, the price he paid was that his brand-new white shirt was ruined by the fact that it could never be washed clean again.

Past memories flashed by like a slideshow, and Akina Zeya's memory was drawn to one of them, or rather, several consecutive images.

That was the scene of Nikua squatting by the gate, which he would see every time he went out or came home.

But because it's so commonplace, it's always ignored.

Looking back now, it's full of problems.

Why does Nikua squat there every day? Is she waiting for me?

Or is she waiting for someone?

Akina Ze was also a bit confused. He had pulled Nikua out of the well. He didn't know her past, nor did he care about it. He only knew that she was a fairy, so they naturally treated each other like family.

Despite saying that, Akina Sawa still didn't want to delve into Niqua's past.

A pet should act like a pet; how can it cause its owner worry?

Lost in thought, looking at Niqua's light blue hair, Akina Ze placed his hand on Niqua's head as if by some strange impulse.

Soft, smooth, warm.

"Hey! Why are you touching my head?" Nikua pouted in dissatisfaction.

"It's nothing, I just wanted to touch it."

Following a clockwise direction, Akina Zeya gently kneaded and stroked this little head, thinking how it felt so good to touch.

Although she complained, Nikua didn't actually make any further moves. Instead, she showed an expression on her face like a kitten or puppy being petted.

"Well......"

After a long while, a comfortable groan was heard.

Akina Ze realized that things seemed to be going off track, and he subconsciously withdrew his arm.

"Ok?"

Nikua felt the gentle hand above her head disappear, but the scent of fresh grass lingered.

"Don't go," Nikua said, opening her sleepy eyes.

"I'm not leaving. The ground isn't loosened yet; I won't leave."

"Okay, you can't leave, play with me."

"Um... that won't do. You haven't helped me water the fields lately, so there won't be a reward if you're lazy," Akina Ze replied subconsciously.

"You're bullying me... The great demon bullied me, and now you're bullying me too!"

"How did I bully you?" Qiu Mingze also said that he would not take the blame. How could a hardworking and kind-hearted person like me bully others?

Besides that, Akina Sawa also noticed a point of contention. "And what about the story about the Great Fairy bullying you?"

“The great fairy said she wanted to continue playing hide-and-seek with me, but she hasn’t come since then,” Nikua said angrily.

"Is that so?" Akina asked curiously. "By the way, when did you and she agree to play hide-and-seek? Is it possible that she just forgot?"

"I remember it was before it snowed, right? It snowed heavily that day, and I even built a snowman. Did you think it was cute when you saw it?" Nikua smiled as she recalled the scene of building the snowman.

Are you sure that's a snowman?

Akina Ze also vaguely remembered that when he returned home that night, he saw an indescribable thing standing in the dark yard, which scared him so much that his sanity almost dropped to zero.

Just thinking about that thing sent a chill down Akina Ze's spine, and he couldn't help but shudder, banishing the image from his mind.

Shaking his head, Akina Sawa turned back to Nikua and continued, "It's been so long, she must have forgotten."

"Really?" Startled by this, Nikua jumped off the rocking chair, waving her fist and saying, "Damn it! We made plans to play together tomorrow, and I secretly forgot!"

"When the great fairy comes again, I'm going to throw snowballs all over her face!" Nikua pretended to throw a snowball, which made Akina Ze laugh out loud.

“Nikua, let’s go find the Great Fairy and ask her if she’s forgotten her promise to you,” Akina Ze said, rubbing the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes.

“But I don’t know where she lives…” Nikua shook her head.

Huh? I don't think I know where the Great Fairy is either? Akina Sawa rubbed his chin, looking somewhat troubled.

Things got bogged down in a quagmire before they even began.

Where do naturally born fairies live? In trees? In the grass? Or do they not need to sleep and therefore do not need a place to live?

This thing is a bit of a brain teaser.

Suddenly, he remembered a sentence that Master Huiyin had indirectly told him in the temple school.

Spring fairies do not appear in the bitterly cold winter.

Is it possible...

Is the Great Fairy a fairy that doesn't belong to winter?

so...

My heart felt like it had suddenly fallen into an ice cave, with the biting cold wind relentlessly attacking along the cracks.

Akina Sawa didn't ask Keine-sensei what would happen if there were fairies who didn't belong to this season; to be precise, he didn't dare to ask.

If he were to receive a harsh answer, he felt it would be better not to ask at all.

But... what about Nikua...?

Nikua was still deep in thought, but her happiness was evident to the naked eye.

Akina Ze also felt that there were some things he couldn't say.

But that's not necessarily true. Things are still undecided. Maybe the great fairy really just forgot, or maybe it's sleeping somewhere like a bear, and we'll see it again after winter.

One guess after another flooded his mind, only to be rejected one by one.

In the end... since that's the case...

“Niqua, let’s go find Cirno. She definitely knows where the Great Fairy is.”

Akina Ze also looked into Nikua's eyes and said seriously.

Chapter Fifteen Flowers

A thin layer of snow covered the ground, and two long sets of footprints, one large and one small, stretched into the distance, towards the direction of the Misty Lake.

“It seems that Master Akina and the others went to Lake Misty for some time now,” Marisa said, standing up from her squatting position studying the footprints.

"Really? What a pity."

Reimu Hakurei, who had forcibly brought Marisa from the Hakurei Shrine to Sawaya Akina's house, said expressionlessly.

Disappointing that I can't get the free carrots anymore.

Just as Alice understands Marisa and Reimu.

Although Reimu didn't show it on the surface, Marisa knew that she was somewhat disappointed.

Although she was brought here against her will, Marisa felt she should do something.

She looked at the clean yard, then at the baskets full of fresh carrots piled in the corner.

Marisa's eyes darted around, and soon an idea popped into her head.

Clearing her throat, Marisa pointed to the basket in the corner and said, "Since Master Akina isn't here right now, and we don't know when he'll be back, let's write an IOU and just pack some up and go."

I'm sorry, Master Akina! You'll definitely forgive me!

Following the direction Marisa pointed, Reimu Hakurei also saw the carrots piled up in the corner.