Spring arrived with a warm breeze, marking the beginning of a new year.
Without even a proper goodbye, Zunzun's parents once again left to "enlighten the world and guide the future direction of humanity"… ahem, scam people.
Zunzun became a left-behind child once again.
But he wasn't upset—because this year, he had big plans.
The first step: buying proper farming tools.
Digging fields with a shovel was just weird. At the very least, he needed a hoe. As for bigger tools like plowshares or rakes, forget it. He had no cows, no isekai slave– cough cough —no hired hands to pull them, and with his tiny six-year-old body, a hoe was already pushing it.
Fortunately, even though the Crimson Demon Village was in the countryside, its shops were well-stocked. Tools, seeds, and even strange magical trinkets were all readily available. Farm tools? No problem.
Fertilizer, however, could wait.
Land loses nutrients after repeated use—soil becomes weak, crops grow slower, and yields drop. Normally, you'd pick fertilizer based on what you're growing. But since this was Zunzun's first time planting anything, the soil was still relatively fertile.
The real question was: what to plant?
The fruits and vegetables of "Konosuba" were… strange. Every one of them was alive.
There were watermelons that grew in rivers, rice that sprouted from fields, flying cabbages, and hopping fragrant melons. A total mess.
Clearly, this game world's farming system was bugged. Damn you, goddess!
These so-called rare crops tasted great, gave you experience points when eaten, and sold for high prices. Perfect for profit.
Only one problem—
Zunzun couldn't beat them.
Each rare ingredient was absurdly strong. Even experienced adventurers struggled to subdue them. For the current Zunzun? Impossible.
So he needed a more manageable crop.
Rice? Not ideal—the soil wasn't suited for it, and the work involved wasn't worth the yield. He couldn't feed himself, let alone help his family.
That left only one option.
Corn.
Tolerant of poor soil and drought, high-yielding, and easy to grow. Most importantly, it only took 100–120 days from sowing to harvest!
Was there a faster-growing, more reliable crop?
Nope! Corn was king.
Zunzun dashed to the seed store and bought germinated corn seeds, ready for planting. No need to sort for quality—they were prepped and good to go.
With his trusty little hoe, he tilled his chosen field, dug small pits at intervals, buried two seeds per hole, covered them, and watered the soil.
Then he waited.
Sure enough, within a week, green shoots pierced the earth. Corn had sprouted.
Zunzun was thrilled. Every day he visited the field with a big smile.
So immersed was he in his agricultural world, he completely forgot—
Sister Soketto was about to start school.
Twelve years old. Time to become a pink freshman.
"Zunzun, how do I look?"
"You look great!"
She wore the Crimson Demon school uniform and twirled before him.
Say what you want about the Crimson Demons being chuunibyou weirdos—they had taste.
The pink school skirt was cinched with a tiny leather belt, showing off a slender waist. The small red-and-pink tie and dark brown shoes radiated youthful charm.
A black magician's cloak buttoned at the collar completed the outfit with an air of mystery.
Wait a sec… wasn't this suspiciously similar to the uniforms in "The Boy Who Lived"?
Now that he thought about it, didn't that Doctor—the one who created the Crimson Demons—come from modern Earth?
So this is… plagiarism?!
Is anything original here?!
...Zunzun still hadn't forgiven the guy for the heart-shaped succubus crest tattooed on his lower abdomen.
"Zunzun?"
"N-No, it's nothing. Sister Soketto, you look... very beautiful."
That wasn't just a compliment.
Soketto was young, but her figure had already matured in ways that made Zunzun envious. The black short jacket emphasized her impressive curves, paired with a soft pink skirt and glossy black shoes.
Jet-black hair curled naturally at her shoulders. Her clear red eyes sparkled, long lashes fluttered, and her pale skin glowed with a soft blush.
She really was the future beauty queen of the Crimson Demon Clan.
"Really? I'm so glad," Soketto said, hugging him tightly. "Don't be jealous, Zunzun. You'll be just as beautiful as me one day—no, even more beautiful!"
"Hehe… hehe…"
You're wrong, sister.
Boys shouldn't be called beautiful—they should be handsome. One day, I'll train and build glorious chest muscles that'll put yours to shame!
Zunzun gave a subtle smile and made a silent vow.
"But Sister Soketto," he said, "I feel like something's missing…"
"What is it?"
"Hmm…"
He looked her up and down, his gaze landing on her long, flawless legs.
That's it.
"Black stockings!"
Her legs were already perfect, but add some sheer black tights and… boom, her charm stat would skyrocket.
Soketto, amused, agreed.
Then she left for school.
Oddly enough, Zunzun didn't feel lonely—only free. Now he could spend his entire day in the fields without restriction. Every day was fulfilling.
His only regret was not finishing the corn before Soketto left.
Blame the Japanese Isekai Doctor. If he had been from somewhere else, school would have started in September instead of April.
Still, he could show her the harvest during summer vacation.
The days flew by. Corn cobs grew fat, silk dried and fell away. They would be ready to eat soon. The joy of that moment was indescribable.
"The sun is shining in the sky, the flowers are smiling at me, the birds are chirping good morning~ Why am I carrying a little hoe? Off to the fields I go, never late~ I love learning and labor, I'll bring glory to my family later~!"
But one day—
Zunzun arrived at his beloved cornfield and saw something that made his heart sink.
The northeast corner was bare.
Even the stalks had been pulled up, roots and all.
Was it a monster?
No—there were no beast tracks. And a monster wouldn't just destroy one corner. It would've wrecked the whole thing.
Who did this?!
Damn it, you dare kill my horse—no, you dare steal my corn?! You're courting death!
-End Chapter-
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