"Dinner's ready!"
At the sound of the call from the back, Remilia and Marisa, who had been picking through the "evidence," froze.
Pretending as if nothing had happened, they quickly returned the toys to their original places, whistling nonchalantly as they strolled toward the dining area.
As Rin brought out a large pot of mushroom soup, its refreshing aroma wafted through the air, making Remilia's eyes light up.
This bastard's cooking is actually pretty decent! Glancing at the table, she saw several skewers of deep-fried snacks already laid out. Just as she reached for one, her hand was smacked away.
"Don't grab things with your hands. Go wash up first."
"Tsk" Remilia smacked her lips in mild annoyance. She was about to follow Marisa to find the washroom, but when she turned her head, she saw that Marisa had already taken off quite eagerly.
Watching Marisa's retreating figure with a complicated expression, a sense of unease crept into Remilia's heart.
She wouldn't drag me down, would she? No, I can't put all my hopes on one person—I need a backup plan!
As she mulled over her options while heading to wash her hands, Yukari and the others returned to the living room, bringing along a certain tengu reporter.
"You brought her here?" Rin asked in surprise.
"This gal's practically a tengu. She's got a keen nose for criminals and suspects—having her on lookout duty makes things safer."
"Hmph, I'm a professional!"
Aya responded with righteous confidence.
She had already locked onto two suspects. Though they had left the village, her instincts told her they would return.
She was already eager to see what juicy scoop she would receive as a reward after completing this mission!
"Alright, let's eat first. We'll handle the rest later. Today, I'm counting on you all."
"Got it~"
After everyone washed up and took their seats, Sakuya brought out the last few dishes.
When Rin finally settled down naturally beside her, Remilia's gaze immediately turned sharp.
Marisa was right—this bastard was after her head maid!
But for my own safety…
I'm sorry, Sakuya!
Exchanging a secret glance with Marisa, Remilia was just about to speak when Rin placed a large jar of Fēi Nǚ (Scarlet Daughter) wine on the table.
"Fresh stock today—everyone, have a taste."
"Kids shouldn't drink too much. Juice is fine for you."
Rin ruffled Chen's hair as he poured her a big glass of fruit juice.
But Chen's eyes remained fixed on the wine jar, her cat ears twitching curiously.
Seeing her eager expression, Rin thought for a moment, then dipped his chopsticks in the wine and held them up to her mouth.
Chen cautiously licked it, her eyes widening in astonishment at the rich, unfamiliar flavor.
But before she could take another sip, her little face flushed unnaturally red.
Dizzy, she wobbled back into her seat. Rin chuckled as he pinched her cheek—
"Stick to juice."
"Heh~ Kids will always be kids. Alcohol is too much for them." A mocking voice came from the side.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Remilia swirled the wine in her glass, acting like a seasoned connoisseur.
But when she brought it to her lips, she didn't dare to gulp it down—she could only carefully lick at it with her tongue.
Even so, it didn't take long before her head started feeling light.
"Don't hold back, everyone. Drink up!"
"I'll pour for you."
Sakuya grabbed the wine jar and generously filled everyone's cups to the brim.
However, by the time she got to herself and Rin, only a tiny amount remained.
Patchouli's eye twitched as she noticed the stark difference.
Something's not right. With growing suspicion, she stared at her cup as if it were poison, her pupils trembling violently.
I must not drink this!
On the other hand, Aya didn't think too much about it. She tilted her head back and chugged her entire glass.
"Puhah—! That's amazing! Boss, do you sell this? I wanna buy a couple jars!"
"Of course. Take some when you leave."
"Sweet! Pour me another—this is incredible."
"Just don't get too drunk and cause a scene." Rin said this, but he still poured her several more full cups.
Feeling welcomed by his generosity, Aya's smile widened, utterly oblivious to the lurking danger.
This guy is actually a nice person! Sakuya watched her walk straight into the trap with an unreadable expression, anticipation growing in her heart. "You two aren't drinking?"
Rin looked at Patchouli and Marisa in mild surprise.
It made sense for Patchouli, given her weak constitution.
But Marisa? Since when did this troublemaker develop such strong self-restraint?
Marisa sneered.
'Don't think I don't know what you're planning. You're trying to get me drunk and drag me somewhere private to have your way with me! Nice try. I won't give you the chance!'
Seeing how on guard the two were, Rin didn't push further.
No rush—there were already people taking the bait. He could take his time with these two.
Meanwhile, while the group inside enjoyed their lunch, at the village entrance, a pair of figures—one big, one small—restlessly paced back and forth.
"How can it smell this good…"
An exasperated voice grumbled.
A petite figure with light brown, straight long hair rolled back and forth on the grass, as if trying to distract herself.
Her large, curved horns dug into the dirt, and her purple ribbon picked up a few specks of dust.
Her white sleeveless blouse and long purple skirt were now covered in dirt, making her look like a mischievous child playing outdoors.
In contrast, the taller girl beside her seemed much more mature.
With golden hair draped messily over her back, her crimson eyes appeared vacant and unfocused.
Though she wore a simple white top and blue skirt—almost like a gymnastics uniform—her voluptuous figure made it look incredibly seductive.
Right now, the scent of Fēi Nǚ Zhī Jiǔ was driving her to the brink of madness.
She wanted nothing more than to charge into that general store and gulp down a hundred barrels!
They had drunk countless types of alcohol in their lives—but never had they encountered one as divine as this!
But clenching the newspaper in her hand, her last shred of reason held her back.
If this were a normal general store, they'd have gone in already.
But no—inside lurked a terrifying perverted jet black demon, one who preyed on both the young and the well-endowed!
The newspaper had clear photographic evidence of the shopkeeper tormenting young girls and imprisoning busty women.
The moment they saw those images, they were utterly shaken.
'There's a monster like this lurking in Gensokyo?!'