That night, Megumin stayed over at Zunzun's house.
The three of them lay together on one bed.
Sister Soketto hugged the two "little lolis" on either side, smiling happily — but that was all. No pajama parties, no girls' tea time, probably because he was a boy.
The next day, after breakfast, Zunzun packed a lunch box for Sister Soketto and sent her off to school, then left home with Megumin.
They headed toward the forbidden area.
In truth, farming — or rather, the most feared aspect of any job — was the endless waiting, the bouts of boredom, and the constant cycle of eating and doing nothing.
Fortunately, Megumin wasn't a college student. She had a deep hunger obsession and, judging from the questions she asked Sister Soketto last night, she definitely wasn't lazy.
Actually, the worry was unnecessary.
Megumin worked harder than Zunzun, giving it her all.
The lure of a full meal was clearly powerful motivation.
That morning, the two worked together reclaiming a third plot of land. In the afternoon, they cleared debris, dug holes, and planted seeds.
For lunch, they sat on a dilapidated altar, hiding in its corner shade.
"Here, leftover curry from yesterday," Zunzun said.
"Thank you," Megumin took the lunch box eagerly and began eating.
Food after work was the most delicious, and the curry was even more fragrant and tasty the second day.
Zunzun seemed to finally understand what their relationship really was.
The afternoon sun sprinkled warmth on the cornfield. A breeze stirred, rustling soft sounds like waves in a green ocean.
But in such beautiful scenery, Zunzun couldn't enjoy it — a little depressed instead.
Other people's farming styles, though called farming, were really about gradual growth — little by little gaining strength until they become mighty trees shaking the world.
But Zunzun's farming was just… farming. The difference was huge.
"Zunzun, aren't you going to eat?" Megumin's ruby eyes gleamed as she stared at his lunch box.
"…Here, take it."
Zunzun laughed dumbly.
Little greedy cat.
If this went on, the little loli would be a foodie before long.
Soon she finished his lunch, patted her slightly swollen belly, and smiled contentedly.
"Zunzun's cooking is really delicious."
"That's thanks to the expensive spices and legendary beef," Zunzun said half-joking.
"No, it's the cook who makes the dish delicious. I've never eaten beef and curry before, but no matter the ingredients, the flavor isn't always good. My mother once told me that when she brought back some terrible wild grass."
"…Why would you want to eat wild grass?"
Zunzun wanted to complain about her recipe.
Even the Crimson Demons — obsessed as they were with their chuunibyou syndrome — didn't eat grass, because it wasn't cool. But Megumin, desperate to survive, was different.
"By the way, what should we plant on this new land?"
Megumin was curious.
She didn't know farming, and it was July — long past sowing time — so there didn't seem to be crops suitable for planting.
"Potatoes."
"Potatoes? Now?"
Megumin looked up at the blazing sun.
"Not now," Zunzun smirked. "After preparing the land, fertilizer needs time to work. Plus, the corn harvest is coming soon — where would we find the manpower to plant new crops? You don't think the corn will just fall off the stalks by itself when ripe, do you?"
Wait…
That does seem possible.
With rare ingredients like flying cabbages and vibrating fragrant melons, corn falling by itself wouldn't be too weird.
But this time, Zunzun guaranteed he planted only ordinary corn.
Also, the choice to plant potatoes wasn't random.
The planting season was September, with harvest in late November — perfect timing. Plus, potatoes yield a lot, store well, and stave off hunger. An ideal winter food.
Definitely not because he worried Megumin might starve in winter.
Absolutely not.
After finishing the field work that afternoon, Zunzun took Megumin home.
The days flew by.
Two and a half months passed in a blink.
Normally, corn harvest falls in late September or early October, but maybe thanks to fertile soil, good weather, or the "Konosuba" planting system's quirks, the corn was ready early.
Looking at hundreds of square meters of golden corn fields, Zunzun felt proud.
He understood the joy of a good harvest.
Megumin felt the same.
But Zunzun wasn't rushing to harvest — the next challenge was looming.
That's farming: crops just grow, but harvesters have many worries.
No one knew how long it would take to harvest the corn, but luckily Megumin was there to help speed things up.
Before that —
"Zunzun? Where are you taking me? When can I take off this blindfold?"
"We're almost there, just a bit further."
When the corn was ripe, Zunzun brought Sister Soketto to the forbidden area — blindfolding her to make a surprise.
Holding her hands on each side, Zunzun and Megumin reassured Sister Soketto as she walked, blindfolded.
"Okay, stop here. Sister Soketto, slowly open your eyes."
She peeled off the blindfold and blinked, adjusting to the sunlight.
Before her stretched a vast field of golden corn.
"What is this?"
"I planted it!"
So proud.
Zunzun placed his hands on his hips and showed off his achievement with a grin like a child craving praise.
"Amazing!"
Sister Soketto covered her mouth, impressed.
Zunzun was only seven, and had cultivated such a large cornfield mostly on his own, with Megumin's help.
Meanwhile, many Crimson Demon kids his age were still playing naked with other children.
"Hmm."
"Is something wrong, Sister Soketto?"
Seeing her thoughtful look, Zunzun sensed trouble.
Then she suddenly asked, "Zunzun, are you planning to become the strongest farmer of the Crimson Demon Tribe?"
"Huh? No, I don't have such plans."
"Then you farm… Oh, I get it!"
"What?"
"You're secretly farming in a forbidden place. It must be for world conquest!"
Zunzun realized his sister had a wild imagination.
And little loli, don't get too excited hearing 'world conquest.'
I don't have that idea!
But under Sister Soketto's expectant gaze, Zunzun's cute face twisted into a mask of pain.
Finally, he covered his face and muttered in a muffled voice:
"Yes, it's to conquer the world."
-End Chapter-
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