“Let me tell you, no one in Gensokyo knows mushrooms better than me!
Not even that doctor from Eientei.
I dare to eat poisonous mushrooms, does she?” “Listen to me, there are four ways to grill these mushrooms, and each brings out a unique flavor and texture.
Pair it with my secret sauce, and you’ll be eating in silence, too busy enjoying it to speak.” “I’m not saying you’re small, but you’re a grown man, kid—how can you be afraid of poisonous mushrooms?
It’s just a mushroom that kills you if you eat it.
You have to trust my Emerald Antidote.” “Down this bottle of Emerald Agent, and in the next life, enter Gensokyo again!” Under the bonfire, everyone was skewering their favorite mushrooms.
Only Marisa was swaying like a madwoman, a mushroom skewer in one hand and an Emerald Agent in the other, babbling nonsense and looking completely high.
“What’s wrong with her?
Can you actually get drunk off mushrooms?” Seeing Marisa in this state, Shiki suddenly didn’t dare to continue grilling.
Well, except for the first few skewers Marisa made, Shiki had been grilling the rest.
The reason?
He was testing recipes.
Grilled Mushroom Skewer (Taught by Marisa) Ingredients: Mushroom *2 Effect: Restores varying amounts of HP and Stamina depending on the mushrooms used; sale price also varies.
It was a very simple dish.
Shiki tasted it himself after grilling; it had no effects other than restoring HP and Stamina.
Reimu had no reaction, Lady Yukari had no reaction, and Miss Ran and Chen had no reaction.
Only Marisa’s face started turning red after eating, followed by her incoherent rambling.
It got so bad Shiki almost had to explain to Reimu that he hadn’t added any ‘computer parts’ (aphrodisiacs) to the food.
“It’s fine, don’t mind her.
Marisa is just ‘Mana Drunk.’ The mushroom skewers you made have a mana restoration effect.
That amount of mana is nothing to us, but Marisa is weak, and she ate so many that the excess mana in her body made her drunk.” Reimu looked indifferent.
This was the confidence of the powerful; if Shiki had stats like Reimu’s, he could be just as composed.
“Then why is Chen fine?
Isn’t she a child?” Shiki instinctively pointed at Chen, then realized he had asked a rather stupid question.
“Meow?
Chen is already…
I forgot, anyway, I’m many years old, not a child, meow.
Besides, Chen can pass excess mana to Lord Ran.
Chen is Lord Ran’s shikigami.” After the cat-girl finished speaking, she rubbed her head against Yakumo Ran beside her with a look of pure bliss.
“Name your price.
I want as many of these mushroom skewers as you have.
Gensokyo desperately needs a lively banquet where the food is actually edible for normal people right now.” After tasting the Grilled Mushroom Skewers, Yukari made this decision.
She really needed to present some normal food to prove that the world of Stardew Valley was a normal, gentle place that could grow the ingredients everyone wanted—not some den of evil or a secret lab she, Yukari, had created to poison everyone.
“About that…
I can’t provide much right now.
Maybe 6 crates a day.
If there are poisonous mushrooms, it’ll be less.
I need to eat the remaining mushrooms myself.” Shiki thought for a moment and gave the limit of what he could currently provide.
One crate of mushrooms could make about five skewers.
By relying on 20 Grilled Mushroom Skewers a day, he could achieve stamina freedom in the early stages, quickly clearing the farm and using the extra stamina for fishing.
The only pity was that the recipe Marisa taught wasn’t as powerful as the local Stardew Valley recipes.
In the game, there was a specific mushroom recipe: one common mushroom plus one morel and Oil could make a Fried Mushroom that restored 135 Stamina and 60 HP, while also adding a 10-hour Attack buff.
In contrast, Marisa’s Grilled Mushroom Skewers were just a simple addition.
Whatever one mushroom restored, a skewer made of two was simply double that, with no other effects.
“common mushrooms are 40 per crate, chanterelle mushrooms are 160 per crate, morels are 150 per crate, purple mushrooms are 250 per crate, and red mushrooms are not for sale.” Shiki gave his quote.
This Mushroom Cave didn’t earn much per day, but it was stable and provided the stamina needed for the early game.
“That’s enough.
We just had a banquet two days ago anyway, so my ‘reputation points’ need some time to recover.
Saving up for a while will be just right for the next banquet.” Yukari pulled out her fox-Tail Wallet and started looking for money.
As a side note, the wallets used by everyone in the Lost Home were made from the tail fur Yakumo Ran shed in the winter.
The finished products included wallets, scarves, gloves, Chen’s little bed, Lady Yukari’s pillows and foot warmers, and so on.
The output was quite large—after all, Yakumo Ran has nine tails.
“What, you want one?
In your dreams.
This is a household exclusive.
If you change your surname to Yakumo, I might consider letting Ran make one for you.” Sensing Shiki’s gaze lingering on the wallet in her hand, Yukari smiled and shook the Tail Wallet.
The realistic large tail swayed, looking as if it had just been plucked from behind Yakumo Ran.
That’s a bit dark.
“Lady Yukari!” Yakumo Ran’s face flushed.
Even though that fur was shed and unwanted, it was still a part of her body.
Having it displayed like that was still a bit embarrassing…
Add one to the’strange fetishes of tailed races’ list.
“Do you want a tail?
Chen has a tail too, I can contribute one for you to pet, meow.” Chen transformed back into her black cat form, jumped into Shiki’s arms, and wrapped her tail around his arm.
The smooth fur felt warm, soft yet firm enough to feel the underlying muscle.
It was simply irresistible.
Shiki even began to suspect that Yukari was a closet fluffy-con—otherwise, why would all the shikigami in her house have such beautiful tails?
“It’s decided!” Shiki suddenly stood up holding the cat, looking dead serious.
“Fishing!
Now, immediately, right away!
It’s just 20 fish.
Chen, would you like to come play in Stardew Valley?
I’ll go fishing every day to feed you.” Lifting the cat into the air, Shiki struck a Lion King pose.
Under the sunlight, the edges of the black cat’s fur were rendered with a halo of light, looking sacred and inviolable.
“Meow?” Chen tilted her head and turned to look at Yakumo Ran.
She really wanted to play here, but it depended on Lord Ran’s wishes.
Chen was a very good and obedient cat.
“You may, but Chen must act like a real child—no using mana, and no causing destruction.” Yakumo Ran nodded.
Chen ran around everywhere in Gensokyo anyway.
When she and Lady Yukari were too busy to go home and cook, Chen would scrounge for food all over Gensokyo; she was long used to it.
“Meow, Lord Ran agreed!
Chen wants to play.” “Great!
Let’s go, kitty.” Shiki packed a large handful of mushroom skewers into his backpack, grabbed his fishing rod, and headed out.
Today!
I’ll fight a bloody battle until dark!