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The sun was setting. The BBQ was being prepped.
Leo sat on the pier, fishing. His level was stuck at 4. The farm was full of strawberries. Life was peaceful.
"Ah-woo~~"
To his right, Ran sat on a stool, feeding Chen fish soup spoon by spoon.
Chen wiggled happily. Her eyes were slits of pure joy.
How nice.
Leo stared. His eyes turned red with envy.
He yearned for someone like Ran. Gentle. Virtuous. Maternal. Fluffy.
Ran noticed his intense gaze. She looked at the half-empty bowl.
Is Lord Leo hungry?
"Would you like some?" Ran asked softly. "Chen is full."
"No thanks," Leo shook his head. "I'm fishing."
He was an adult. He wouldn't steal food from a kitten.
But Ran misunderstood. She saw his hands occupied with the rod.
He can't feed himself.
She scooped a spoonful of milky-white soup. She blew on it gently (habit from feeding the cat).
She brought it to Leo's lips.
"Lord Leo, open wide. Ah~"
"Ah~~ Ah?!"
Leo's brain short-circuited. He opened his mouth.
Slurp.
The warm, savory soup filled his mouth.
What is happening?! Did I unlock a CG?! Is this the Pure Love Route?!
Leo, single for 31 years, froze.
Ran didn't stop. Seeing him swallow, she scooped another spoon.
Blow. Blow.
"Here comes the airplane~"
Inside a Gap, a certain Youkai Sage watched with growing horror.
My Fox is feeding him! Like a wife!
Yukari trembled.
He abducted my foot-warmer (Chen). Now he's abducting my Fox?! What's next? Me?!
Jealousy and possessiveness flared.
"You ill-intentioned brat! Go cool off!"
RIIIP.
A Gap opened behind Leo. A pale foot kicked him in the back.
SPLASH.
"I... glub glub... CAN'T SWIM!"
Leo hit the water.
In the game, the Farmer can't swim. Water is a boundary.
In reality... Leo dissolved like sugar in hot tea. He vanished instantly.
"Lord Leo!" "Boss!" "MURDER!"
Chaos erupted.
Waka and Nitori dove in. Ran jumped in.
They searched. Nothing.
"He's gone! Waaaaah!" Chen burst into tears.
The Little Fairies started wailing.
"Yukari Yakumo! You Murderer!"
Aya Shameimaru pulled out her camera.
Click. Click. Click.
"I'm exposing you! A scholar dies for his patron! For the strawberries!"
Ran surfaced, hair dripping wet. Her gaze was cold.
"Lady Yukari. You went too far."
Yukari panicked.
"I didn't mean to! It was a joke! He vanished too fast! I tried to open a Gap!"
She looked around. The fairies were crying. Waka looked ready to kill. Aya was writing a headline: "SAGE MURDERS FARMER IN COLD BLOOD."
"I need Eiki! Or Komachi!" Yukari frantically searched for the Yama.
"Stop crying!"
Kogasa stood on the pier, holding her umbrella.
"Master isn't dead. If he died, I would have exploded."
She pointed toward the farm.
"He's back at the house. The connection is still there."
The Farmhouse.
GASP.
Leo woke up in his bed. He was soaking wet.
[System Message: You passed out.] [Dr. Harvey is not available. You were rescued by a local Joja Team member... wait, no. You just respawned.]
Leo touched his face.
"I... I died?"
He checked his inventory. He lost 1000 Gold and a few pieces of bait.
"Damn it, Yukari!"
He shivered.
"My first time... drowning... was given to Yakumo Yukari."