"Let me tell you something—back in the day, I was the Scarlet Devil who ruled the land."
"But I got tired of all the fighting and bloodshed, so I retired here in seclusion. To keep a low profile, I even used secret arts to alter my appearance."
"Don't I look much friendlier like this?"
"When I go all out, you'll see just how majestic my true form is."
A childish voice echoed through the shop.
Remilia's petite figure was sprawled across a rocking chair, boasting about her past like some reclusive master.
She occasionally licked at the popsicle Patchouli had tossed her, looking utterly content.
The sheer comfort of not having to worry about Sakuya's soul-sucking or that bastard Rin's nonsense made her never want to leave.
If nothing else, the popsicles here were delicious!
After a few more licks, she swiped a handful of chips from Chen's bag.
I was too busy running for my life yesterday—almost forgot Sakuya bought a bunch of snacks too. Gotta enjoy those later.
Watching her laze around like this, Patchouli rolled her eyes and turned back to her magic research—only for the chain mark on her hand to flicker without warning.
Patchouli's eyes narrowed. She was about to warn Remilia, but the glow faded just as quickly.
Why does this thing keep glitching...? Scratching her cheek, Patchouli ultimately stayed silent.
Well, if something goes wrong, it's Remilia's problem. I'll just stay put.
Just as she flipped the page, an energetic voice called from outside—
"Yoohoo~ Patchy, we're back! We picked mushrooms! We can make soup for lunch!"
The moment she heard it, Remilia jolted like a startled cat, scrambling toward the back room without looking back.
But before she could take more than a few steps, a pair of hands lifted her into the air.
"Young mistress, where are you running off to?" The icy voice behind her made Remilia break out in a cold sweat.
Since when was Sakuya this terrifying?!
Stiffly turning her head, Remilia forced a strained smile at Sakuya's impassive face.
"J-Just stretching my legs... What a coincidence, you, showing up now."
"Oh? How fortunate indeed." The utter lack of inflection in Sakuya's voice made Remilia's fur stand on end. She frantically shot Patchouli a pleading look.
HELP ME!!!
But Patchouli ignored her silent cry, calmly taking the suitcase of clothes from Rin.
Finally, my own pajamas. Wearing this all day feels weird.
After a discreet glance at Marisa, she muttered, "Gonna change," and bolted for the back room.
Watching her betrayal, Remilia's face turned green.
'What happened to the bonds of the Scarlet Devil Mansion?! Gone, just like that?!'
"Let's go, young mistress. It's dangerous wandering around unfamiliar places. We'll play however you want back home."
WHO'S THE ONE BEING PLAYED WITH HERE?!
Remilia flailed wildly, but as the mark on her hand flashed again, she instantly deflated.
PATCHOULI! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!!!
As Sakuya began hauling her toward the door, Remilia panicked and blurted out—
"Wait!"
"We're guests! Isn't it rude to leave so soon?"
"Since we're settling in Gensokyo, we should get to know the locals, right?"
"Look, everyone's here already—let's stay a bit longer!"
"Since we're already here..."
That last phrase, as if bound by some universal law, made Sakuya pause.
After a questioning glance at Rin—who nodded—she sighed and set Remilia down.
"Fine. But no wandering off."
"YES!!!" Remilia perked up instantly, shooting Rin a look of pure gratitude.
So the bastard does have a human side!
"Sorry for the intrusion. I'll handle lunch."
"No need, you're guests. I've got it."
Rin waved her off, steering Marisa back to the counter before brewing tea for everyone.
At the same time, the Sage's voice echoed in his mind—
『 A product has been added today ─ The Scarlet Daughter's Wine, now in storage. Available for retrieval at any time. 』(T/N: Original name of the wine is Premium Red Daughter Wine / Nu'er Hong)
『 This product is classified as special. Selling 100 units will unlock new alcoholic beverages 』
『 Other products have been restocked 』
『 Daily Task Updated ─ The new product's aroma is extremely potent and may attract certain entities. Protect the storage. 』
『 Reward ─ Highly-Secured Cellar Expansion 』
New booze?
Rin's eyes lit up. Looks like we're in for a treat today.
As for defense—
Leaving it to Marisa would be like locking Sun Wukong in the alchemy room.
Patchouli was reliable, but if something happened, she might just quietly die on the spot.
And he couldn't watch it 24/7...
The only one left is that old hag Yukari?!
After a moment's hesitation, he tentatively called out—
"Yukari!!"
"What is it, Mr. Rin? Miss me already?"
A gap opened beside him instantly, and Yukari popped out with a grin.
"Do me a favor. If you do it well. I'll let you taste something good."
"Oh? Do tell."
Yukari leaned in, intrigued. Even Remilia and Sakuya subtly pricked up their ears.
"The shop just got a batch of exceptionally fragrant wine, but it's being targeted."
"If you can guard it today without losing a single jar, you can drink as much as you want later."
"And there's even better stuff coming."
"You serious?"
"Dead serious."
Yukari's expression turned solemn.
The beautifully packaged wines on the shelves were already satisfying enough—but something that needed special guarding?
Hard not to wonder how it tastes. And even better stuff afterward...
"Consider it done. Not a single jar will go missing on my watch!"
"They're all in storage. Just keep an eye on it."
"I'll grab one too—we can all try it at lunch."
"Deal~"
As Rin led Yukari to the storage room...
The moment the door opened, an overwhelmingly rich, mellow aroma of wine surged out like a tidal wave
=====
Chapter 36 is very short so here's another one (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
As always, have a great day!