As the moon rose high in the sky, the lively noise of the Human Village showed no signs of fading.
Lights flickered brightly against the night, the comforting smell of street food drifting through the air, turning the village into a dazzling nighttime gem.
The sound of children laughing and the mouthwatering aroma from the food stalls mixed together, tugging at the softest, most comforting corners of the heart.
But none of that mattered to Marisa.
She lay sprawled on the floor like a goldfish about to drown, her expression completely dazed.
Ever since officially starting work, she hadn't had a single moment to rest!
Why the hell were there so many customers at a general store?!
And as if that weren't enough, she had to constantly fend off the "not old but young girl" who kept trying to loot the store whenever Rin stepped out.
It had been a brutal mental and physical battle of wits and reflexes.
After finally surviving until the last customer left, Marisa's body felt like it had been hollowed out. She didn't even want to lift a finger.
Why… why did I come here to suffer like this?
She deeply regretted her decision. In fact, she was already considering running away.
But just as she was about to break down completely at the thought of enduring this for seven whole days, a strawberry suddenly dropped into her mouth from across the room.
"Go wash your hands. Dinner's almost ready."
Rin's voice cut through the haze in her mind, instantly pulling her back to life.
"We're eating too?"
"It's just an extra pair of chopsticks. Or are you in a hurry to leave?"
"N-No, no! What's for dinner?"
Marisa instantly bounced up from the floor, her exhaustion seemingly forgotten. She wasn't about to pass up a free meal!
"Braised pork bone soup, one meat dish, one vegetable dish. Want rice?"
"Of course!"
As Rin led her toward the back room, his expression suddenly stiffened.
Sensing something amiss, he quickened his pace toward the dining area.
And that's when he saw her.
Golden hair swayed gently, framing a dreamlike figure.
She was wearing an elegant yet oddly mismatched combination of a Western dress and a Taoist robe. Somehow, the clashing styles blended perfectly on her, accentuating her graceful curves.
A shimmering rift sliced through half of her delicate frame, resembling a crescent moon. But rather than feeling eerie, the combination of elegance and eeriness formed a perfect balance, creating a picturesque scene of surreal beauty.
But that dreamlike atmosphere was completely shattered by her current actions—
She was hunched over the rice cooker, frantically scooping out rice.
Her bowl was already stuffed with the meatiest pork bones and chicken wings.
Catching sight of Rin's sudden arrival, the dreamy, misty purple eyes widened slightly in surprise.
But almost immediately, a charming, refined smile graced her face.
"Our first formal meeting. I even brought a gift~"
As she spoke, her slender hand lifted, and a beautifully wrapped bottle of sake slid out from the rift and landed gently on the table.
Rin narrowed his eyes at the bottle. Its packaging looked very familiar.
A moment later, the system's notification rang out in his mind—
『 The system has detected a target and now the entity has been added to the list. 』
『 Main quest established: "Capture" Yakumo Yukari 』
『 Reward: Hand Of Absolute Restraint 』
Rin inhaled sharply.
That reward sounded terrifying.
Steadying himself, Rin pointed decisively at Yukari.
"Marisa! Use Tackle—go!!"
"Oraaaaa!!!"
Marisa shot out from behind Rin without hesitation, charging toward Yukari like a missile.
…And then Marisa was gone.
Rin's expression didn't change as he watched her figure vanish into the rift. A warm smile spread across his face.
"Stay for dinner?"
"Since the shopkeeper himself is inviting me, how could I refuse?"
Yukari's smile deepened as she floated gracefully out from the rift and sat down on the cushion across from Rin.
Clap!
With a snap of her fingers, Marisa was suddenly spit back out from the rift, landing face-first onto the cushion beside her.
Marisa's dazed eyes slowly drifted toward Rin, filled with silent accusation.
Rin conveniently pretended not to notice.
"Please, help yourselves. It's nothing fancy—just a simple meal."
"Oh my~ This is hardly 'nothing fancy.' If it weren't for you, I might've starved to death this past month."
Yukari smiled sweetly as she complimented him—but her hands never stopped shoveling food into her mouth.
Her rather… feral eating style was starting to rival Marisa's.
"Your family's not cooking for you?"
"We just moved to a new house. My shikigami has been busy with renovations and childcare, so no one's been cooking for me."
"I had no choice but to come out and scavenge for food like a pitiful stray."
Yukari sighed pitifully. But her chopsticks were working at lightning speed.
Rin's expression shifted slightly. He could already picture Ran, her shikigami, pulling her hair out from sheer stress.
"But I must say, the snacks at your store are far better than anything else in the village."
"My shikigami and child love them. Thanks to your snacks, Ran finally started paying attention to me again. And this was much appreciated~"
As she spoke, Yukari smiled sweetly and placed a pork bone into Rin's bowl.
"That was mine!"
Marisa's face darkened as she glared at Yukari. She had literally just picked up that bone!
Why is everyone here ganging up on me?!
"Alright, alright. Eat up. There's more where that came from."
Rin rolled his eyes and tossed a few more pork bones into her bowl, calming her down.
Yukari watched Rin with interest, as though an idea had just struck her.
"Rin… would you happen to offer childcare services?"
"I'm not running a daycare."
"I could give you a wife in return~"
"Deal."
Rin agreed without hesitation, earning him a sharp glance from Marisa.
"Then I'll leave my kid in your care. My shikigami has been pretty overwhelmed lately."
Yukari's eyes gleamed mischievously.
'If the kid stays here, I'll have to come visit as the guardian. That's totally reasonable, right?
And since kids have sensitive stomachs, it's only natural for the guardian to sample the snacks for safety, right?
As for Ran…I'm doing her a favor by easing her workload. Three birds with one stone!
Yukari smiled contentedly to herself as she visualized her perfectly laid-out plan.'
Rin's gaze sharpened.
This hag was definitely up to something.
But… Since the bait was already dangling in front of him—Why not take the chance to hook the whole thing?