After Komekko was born, Hyoizaburoo stopped spending all day making magic tools outside and focused on taking care of Yuiyui and their newborn second daughter at home. Megumin was freed from this duty and once again joined Zunzun and the others to farm and support the family.
Wait a minute.
Have their roles just reversed?
Still, this new division of labor worked out quite well. Megumin could farm and eat for free, easing the family's burden, while Yunyun's lunch boxes provided much-needed nutrition for Yuiyui and Komekko. Hyoizaburoo, now staying at home to eat for free, certainly couldn't use any sneaky tricks to cheat Yunyun's lunch box like Megumin did.
Hiss—something felt off.
"How's it going? Yunyun, you still haven't figured it out? It's been ages!" Megumin teased as she and Yunyun rested on the dilapidated altar steps. They were using a guessing game to decide who would get Yunyun's lunch box today.
Yunyun covered her head with both hands, eyes darting nervously. "Wait, wait a minute... Okay, the hotter the weather, the higher this thing climbs… The answer is… is…"
"Alright, I'm telling you the answer!" Megumin interrupted.
"Don't rush me! I'm about to figure it out!"
"3… 2… 1…"
"Wait, wait!"
"The answer is the sun."
Megumin didn't give her a chance and proudly declared the answer. "Yunyun, you're really dumb. You can't even guess such an easy one? Are you really from the Crimson Demon Clan, famous for high IQ and magic power?"
"It's the sun? Okay, it's the sun. I swear, I just needed more time!" Yunyun pouted.
"But in the end, I'm the winner. So, by our agreement, your lunch box is mine today."
"I… I admit defeat. Today's lunch box is yours."
Despite losing, Yunyun's face was full of happy smiles. Seeing that, Zunzun always felt a little sorry.
"By the way, my mom's been craving meat recently. Could you bring some meat dishes tomorrow? The more meat, the better!"
"Meat? Got it. I'll prepare it tomorrow." Yunyun carefully wrote down the request.
Their bento bets had gone from casual fun to Megumin deciding the next day's meal—and even Zunzun was clueless about how that happened.
Of course, Megumin didn't always win. Yunyun had her strengths too.
For example—
"Alright, time to rest. Yunyun, let's compete to see who can plant more fields!"
"Plant more fields? Okay! This time I'll definitely plant more than Megumin!"
The two started another contest.
As expected, Yunyun, with her greater stamina, won by planting more fields than Megumin and Zunzun combined… though Megumin was just being lazy and barely planted half of Zunzun's half.
Yunyun didn't realize she'd been fooled and happily cheered her victory.
Enough, stop tormenting Yunyun.
Zunzun covered his eyes in pain, not wanting to witness this heartbreaking scene.
"Fine, fine, I lost," Megumin admitted, pretending to be helpless. "So, what do you want? Should I get your farming tools on the way back? Or massage your shoulders and legs? Carry you home? No way! Yunyun, you're too big for me! Maybe you should carry me instead."
"I-I'm not big, and I don't need Megumin to carry me! Massage is good, but I… I…" Yunyun stammered shyly, lowering her head and nervously twisting her fingers.
Megumin pressed, "So, what do you want? Hurry up and say."
"If possible… come with me tomorrow to eat beef rice. The village restaurant just launched a new set meal, supposedly in preparation for next year's tourism. I'll treat you! Hey, Megumin, what are you doing?!"
"Goddess! You must be the goddess! Please accept my worship!"
"Wait… wait! Don't worship me!"
Yunyun was definitely growing up. She was shy and tongue-tied before, but now she knew how to tempt with food.
However, Yunyun didn't come the next day.
"I don't think that guy would break a promise, but it really seems like she's not coming."
The little loli sounded resentful.
That morning, Megumin sat on the altar steps, waiting expectantly, but Yunyun never showed up by noon.
That was strange.
Yunyun used to be the first to arrive every day—one time even before sunrise. When asked why, she said, "Books say it's polite to arrive early when meeting friends, so I came early."
Megumin sighed deeply. "She said we'd eat together today, but she hasn't come yet…"
It seemed even Megumin had grown to consider Yunyun a friend.
"You know, I haven't eaten since last night, waiting for beef rice. Now I'm dizzy with hunger. If she doesn't come, I won't get to eat the meat lunchbox, right? Zunzun, can I eat today's lunch box first?"
Take that back.
This guy just treats Yunyun like a lunch vending machine.
"You've eaten so many of Yunyun's lunch boxes, at least care about her."
"There's nothing to care about. She must have something to do, that's why she didn't come."
Megumin didn't think Yunyun was intentionally breaking their pact.
That was a good thing.
But seeing Megumin eat Yunyun's lunch box without hesitation, Zunzun felt a little annoyed. He glanced at her with a mischievous smile, which quickly faded into worry.
"Could something have happened? This is a forbidden area—monsters aren't uncommon."
"Huh?"
"Usually you won't meet monsters if you take the right path, but if something attracts monsters—like a lunch box smelling of meat…"
Zunzun watched Megumin closely.
She quietly set down the lunch box, picked up the hatchet lying next to the altar steps, and started walking back the way she came.
Zunzun looked at her thin back with amusement and shouted, "Megumin, you want to work? The fields are over here, you're going the wrong way! And don't you want to eat your lunch box?"
"No, my mother asked me for something, so I'm going home first."
The little girl didn't even turn her head.
Just as she was about to disappear from sight, Zunzun suddenly remembered something and called out, "Ah! I just remembered! Yunyun said something was happening at home today, so she'll come in the afternoon! Sorry, Megumin, I forgot!"
Megumin froze.
Zunzun covered his mouth, laughing—but his expression soon turned to horror.
"Wait! Wait! Megumin, I'm just kidding! I'm just kidding! Don't get angry!"
The little girl with red eyes rushed back with her hatchet.
-End Chapter-
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