The new year had arrived, and Zunzun was already eight years old.
This year had passed incredibly fast.
A whole year in just ten chapters — he'd only seen that speed in novels about cultivating immortals. If this were a normal farming story, the diary for just this year would stretch hundreds of chapters.
But the Crimson Demon Village was just a quiet countryside. There was really nothing worth commemorating. Every day was either farming or traveling to farm. Nothing new ever happened.
...Wait, isn't this still not practicing?
Suddenly, he realized he'd gotten so obsessed with farming that he forgot to practice ninja skills.
Obviously, he farmed to help his training. But if he forgot training because he farmed, wasn't that putting the cart before the horse?
He couldn't waste time like this anymore!
Still, it was winter — and New Year's was a good excuse to relax one last time before diving back into hard work.
On New Year's Day.
In past years, Zunzun would just stay home. Although the Crimson Demon Clan held festivals to celebrate, he always found them noisy and bothersome, so he never went out.
But this year, it was different. The little loli came to find him.
"There's something happening!" she said excitedly, three times.
Under the deliberate tongue-curling of his unscrupulous parents, the trapped sister's nagging, and the strange looks of encouragement and happiness, Zunzun had no choice but to go out with the little loli.
"Zunzun... you finally have a friend! Mom's so happy!"
"As a father, I'm delighted! Zunzun was always so lonely before, I almost thought he was a lonely bug in his past life."
"Sister, I'm very happy too!"
As they left the house, he heard these words.
Why the emotional tears? Did they think he couldn't find friends? He was just too lazy. Besides, the little loli wasn't a friend — she was a pet.
Zunzun pouted.
The two walked down the streets of the Crimson Demon Village. On both sides were small vendors set up by the clan, selling goods similar to those at the Liben Festival.
Although the Crimson Demon Village was tiny — only about 300 people — they spared no effort to liven things up.
He heard the village was planning to become a tourist attraction next year, and this was the early experimental stage.
The little girl was fascinated by everything she saw.
At one stall, she stopped and stared wide-eyed at the goods like she'd seen curry beef, making even the stall owner a little nervous.
"Well, well... Megumin, want to try this?"
"Yes! I really want to!"
"Then here, have one."
"Really? Thank you!"
She happily licked an apple candy from the stall owner, then proudly told Zunzun, "Every time I do this, the store owner gives me some food."
"Really..."
Zunzun pulled at the corner of his mouth. That was more like begging than receiving gifts. He worried she'd scare off customers and decided he'd have to drag her away with some food.
She was so skilled at this, it was clear she'd done it many times before.
He really wanted to ask if she still had any human dignity left.
But under the pressure of survival, dignity didn't fill stomachs.
They continued walking, and Zunzun thought the little loli would keep using that trick. But surprisingly, she didn't.
Not out of conscience, but because she understood that exhausting the pond to catch all the fish wasn't sustainable. The shops were her energy backup, and she had to ration herself. This confused Zunzun completely.
There were many famous spots in the Crimson Demon Village.
For example: the top of Dragon Mountain, the evil god's cemetery, the sealed goddess's resting place, and the underground hangar of some mysterious giant facility...
Except they were all forbidden areas.
The village had many dangerous places — not naturally so, but because the Crimson Demons themselves sought them out.
For example, the evil god's cemetery: they thought it was cool to seal an evil god in the village, so they actually broke the original seal, moved the evil god here, and resealed it.
Another example was Dragon Mountain, the observation deck that could see thousands of miles. It was a powerful magic tool that could even clearly observe the Demon King's Castle from the village. To develop tourism, the village limited the view to the Demon King's daughter's room, providing a continuous 24-hour real-time feed.
No wonder the Demon King's army hated the Crimson Demon Clan so much.
As the two walked, they arrived at a shrine.
Every New Year, villagers came here to worship. The shrine was similar to the ones in Tachimoto, with a torii large enough for two people to walk side by side. It stood about ten meters from the shrine itself. Originally an ordinary small shrine, its solemn atmosphere was completely ruined by the two words hanging on it: "Cat Ears."
And the shrine enshrined a cat-ear girl figurine!
According to Sister Soketto, long ago the ancestor of the Crimson Demon Clan saved a traveler attacked by a monster. The traveler gave this statue as a thank-you gift. The traveler said, "For me, this is more important than my own life."
No one knew where the traveler came from, but the ancestors believed worshipping the statue would bring blessings, so they did just that.
Of course, the shrine was built exactly as the traveler described.
Zunzun dared bet the traveler was one of those sent by the stupid goddess — probably a dead otaku who loved figurines!
He covered his cheeks in embarrassment. That was why he hated coming out sometimes.
There were many similar places in the village.
For example, the "mixed bathing hot spring" — but it wasn't mixed gender or even a hot spring, just a public bath.
Or the "Succubus Underwear Bar" — which had neither succubi nor underwear, just a plain tavern.
In short, if you expected anything, you'd be hurt.
The names seemed to come from the same person, though nobody knew who — perhaps lost in time or for other reasons.
Time passed quickly, and dusk fell. Winter days were very short.
Suddenly—
Boom! Boom!
Loud explosions echoed at the village entrance. Magic fireworks of many colors exploded across the sky. Well, not fireworks exactly, but magic released by the Crimson Demons. Compared to spending money on fireworks, casting magic was more fitting for the clan.
This was their annual New Year celebration.
Megumin looked up, eyes sparkling as she stared at the dazzling magic bursting overhead.
At that moment, Zunzun took a bag from his back, handed it to the little loli, and said,
"Here, a New Year's gift."
"Gift?"
The little girl looked surprised and a bit embarrassed.
"But I didn't prepare a gift..."
"No, no."
Zunzun waved her off. The little girl's family was really poor; there was no way she could prepare gifts.
Still—
"Take it."
"For what?"
"For you to eat."
Megumin handed over the remaining half of her apple candy.
"...Are you serious? Who gives a gift that's half-eaten candy? And it's a vendor's gift, right?"
"But this is all I have, and it's delicious."
She brought the candy to his mouth.
Zunzun looked at the stubborn little girl, then at the half-bitten candy—and then—
"Hmm!"
He took a bite, eyes lighting up.
"So sweet!"
"Right? Apple candy is delicious."
Then Megumin looked at the bag in her hands and asked,
"Um... can I open it now?"
"Whatever you want."
After getting permission, the little girl opened the bag.
This was the first time Zunzun had prepared a New Year's gift for anyone else. Before, he only trapped his sister and parents with gifts, unsure if the little girl would like it.
Inside were a pair of blue-and-white gloves.
"What? Not food?"
The little girl looked a little disappointed.
Good guy, and still picky.
Zunzun was a bit annoyed, but after thinking about it, she probably wanted food more than clothes or anything else.
"If you don't like it, give it back."
"No, I like it very much."
Megumin shook her head and slipped on the gloves.
"—So warm."
Her cold hands were wrapped in soft cotton, and a small, happy smile appeared on her slightly red face from the cold.
-End Chapter-
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