Chapter 50: Marisa the Mushroom Gatherer.
...
After days of hard work, Kihara finally scraped together enough funds and materials to begin restoring Pelican Town.
However, instead of rushing to repair every building at once, he made a smarter choice.
He selected the Community Center, which required relatively fewer materials and gold, and repeatedly built and dismantled it, purely to help Akane Shinjo grind her Carpenter skill.
By the time their stockpile of wood and stone was nearly exhausted, Akane's Carpenter level had finally maxed out.
She could now construct advanced facilities like signal base stations.
Unfortunately…
The required materials made Kihara want to cry.
Iron ingots, batteries, bat wings, solar essence.
Three of those required mining in caves.
As for batteries, aside from a rare chance of being sold by the traveling merchant, they could only be obtained by unlocking lightning rods at Gathering Level 6 and collecting energy during thunderstorms.
Meanwhile, Kihara's Gathering level was… only Level 3.
Without a seed shop, he couldn't level up quickly through farming and harvesting crops. Instead, he was stuck grinding slowly by chopping trees and breaking stones.
As for the traveling merchant?
He hadn't even seen a shadow of it.
Maybe it simply wasn't time yet.
The wild horseradish he had planted earlier had long since been sold off as startup capital.
In the game, clearing weeds with a scythe sometimes yielded seasonal seeds.
But so far?
Nothing.
Either that mechanic didn't exist here…
Or his luck was just absolutely terrible.
Everywhere he turned, there were limitations.
That was Kihara's current reality.
And working with that lazy old woman Yukari Yakumo? No way Pelican Town's development is going smoothly like this!
He had already urged her multiple times to send him to the next world so he could bring back another heroine.
But Yukari kept dragging things out, claiming she was still "selecting a suitable world."
So Kihara had no choice but to wait patiently.
And make the most of what he could do right now.
"Hey, Kihara… you don't look very happy."
In front of his girlfriends, Kihara didn't bother hiding anything. He briefly explained his current predicament.
Akane immediately reached out, grabbed his right hand and pressed it against her soft, full chest.
His fingers sank in as if into clouds.
"Does that make you feel better?"
"Cough—if… my left hand could receive the same treatment, I think I'd instantly become a cheerful, sunshine boy."
"Honestly… what am I supposed to do with you?"
Rikka Takarada sighed, though her blue eyes were filled with affection as she stepped closer.
"Is this enough?"
"Yes. Yes, it is."
Kihara nodded rapidly, then pulled both of his warm, caring girlfriends into his arms, peppering their cheeks with kisses.
"I'm officially the happiest man in all of Gensokyo!"
After completing the Community Center, the three of them went inside to take a look.
…Nothing.
No special features.
No mysterious little spirits like the Junimos from the game.
Left with no other options, Kihara decided to take Akane to the Forest of Magic instead.
A few days ago, Akane had surprised him with something incredible.
She had repaired his original ride: the Auto Vajin.
Unfortunately, it had lost its transformation ability.
Now, it was just a high-tech motorcycle.
Even transforming into Kamen Rider Faiz couldn't restore its original function.
Still, having a vehicle again was a huge improvement—at least they didn't have to waste time traveling on foot.
The Forest of Magic, like the Misty Lake, was located near the Human Village.
Kihara sped along winding forest paths and muddy trails with Akane riding behind him. After crossing a wide river, they finally arrived.
The forest…
Was breathtaking.
Towering ancient trees pierced the sky.
Glowing vines wrapped around their trunks, casting soft blue-green light like fallen stars caught in the branches.
The leaves weren't ordinary green—
They shimmered in dreamy shades of violet, gold, and silver, like a galaxy woven into the canopy.
A gentle breeze stirred the leaves—
As if the night sky itself was breathing above them.
The air was filled with a faint floral fragrance, mixed with the freshness of soil and dew.
The ground was covered in soft green moss, making each step feel like walking on clouds.
The humidity was high, giving the entire forest a damp, mystical atmosphere.
Occasionally, massive mushrooms appeared among the scenery.
Their wide caps glowed faintly with scattered luminescent spots.
Like natural lanterns.
Hand in hand, Kihara and Akane wandered through the forest, both seeing such beauty for the first time.
Everything felt new.
Everything felt alive.
"It's a shame Rikka didn't come."
"Can't be helped. She helped you grind Carpenter skill nonstop—she's so exhausted she can barely lift her arms. We can always bring her here later. Rest is more important."
"By the way… where does that Marisa you're looking for live?"
"…No idea."
"…You don't know, and you still brought me all the way here?"
Akane poked his head, clearly suspicious of his intentions.
Though…
Looking around—
This place really was perfect.
Maybe… doing something "fun" out here wouldn't be so bad either.
Just as she was about to act.
A familiar figure flew overhead on a broom.
"Marisa!!" Kihara shouted immediately.
"Huh? Oh—Kihara! What are you doing here with your girlfriend?"
Kirisame Marisa braked midair, turned around, and descended in front of them.
She carried a bamboo basket filled with all kinds of mushrooms.
"I came to find you. Don't you run the 'Kirisame Magic Shop'? I wanted to buy some things—figured I'd support your business."
"Oh?"
Marisa raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.
She hadn't expected Kihara to come looking for magical items.
After all, that "rider belt" of his could already do things far beyond her own magic.
Then she remembered…
How she had repeatedly tried sneaking into his place to steal things.
Only to get caught every single time.
And then forced into being his body pillow overnight…
Leaving her weak, dizzy, and completely flustered.
…Yeah. I'm definitely ripping him off this time.
"My house is just nearby. Come on, I'll take you there!"
After about half an hour of walking, they arrived at a cozy little Western-style house.
A crooked wooden sign reading "Kirisame Magic Shop" hung beneath the second-floor balcony.
Standing at the door with her arms crossed, Marisa asked:
"So—what do you want to buy?"
"…You're not going to invite us in?"
"…Uh…"
She scratched her head awkwardly.
"It's a bit messy inside… kinda embarrassing for guests to see. Just tell me what you need—I'll check if I've got it."
There were two reasons she didn't let them in.
First—
The place was an absolute disaster.
Second—
Most of the clutter was… stolen magical books and artifacts.
Some she didn't even remember where she got them from.
Definitely not something she could show others.
"…Alright. Then tell me—how many magic mushrooms do you have?"
"…What do you need those for?"
"Fishing."
"…Huh?"
Mushrooms.
For fishing.
What kind of bizarre logic was that?
Marisa couldn't understand it at all.
But since Kihara was paying, she just shrugged.
"Wait here. I'll go get them."
And with that—
She turned and disappeared into the house.
.....
Thank you for reading