Translated by Jyzciel

On the 38th day of my life in rural life, I received a delightful morning surprise. It was none other than the adorable squirrel siblings, the very embodiment of fluffiness.

"Good morning, Big sis." the older brother greeted me.

I was thrilled to see them again and couldn't resist hugging them tightly. It was an excellent excuse to indulge in the softness of their fur.

"Both of you, it's been a while! How have you been?" As it happened, they had been busy gathering an abundance of walnuts and had brought some of their finds as a gift.

"Thank you. This means a lot to me," I said gratefully.

"Our Mom and Dad also asked us to convey their regards." The older brother added with a somewhat mature expression.

"Please extend my warm regards to them as well." I replied with a smile.

But the older brother seemed to be fidgeting, and he started to speak with a tremor in his voice.

"Hmm?" I was curious about what was bothering him.

His younger sister nodded in agreement. With a hint of nervousness, he showed me a shiny, stone-like object and asked, "I received this and was wondering... Can I take it home?"

Puzzled, I asked, "What is this? What's going on?"

The older brother explained, "I got this from the Demonic Plant we saw in the garden earlier."

"What?" A glowing stone from Schnappy? I was even more puzzled.

And then...

"That's a 'Blood Crystal,' a rather rare item, ya know."

"Ronald-san!"

"Since Rinsakura-san didn't place any orders, I brought these over on my own."

Saying so, Ronald, the merchant from another world with a distinctive Osaka accent, stood before me, carrying two large bags.

"This here is specially blended magic soil. You can feed it to Schnappy once a month, and it'll keep him healthy." He said this while looking at Schnappy and giving a thumbs-up.

Schnappy seemed to understand what it was and began to dance in joy again.

Considering that Schnappy didn't attack Ronald-san, he might look laid-back and slim, but his combat capabilities could be surprisingly high.

"Thank you for the magic soil. But, could you tell me more about this stone?"

According to Ronald's explanation, the Gobble Bloom Plant creates these stones when it expels excess magical energy during its growth process. In the natural world, it was extremely rare to find these stones.

In particular, the original Blood Crystals were considered valuable. Finding one was said to bring good luck. Naturally, they could fetch a high price when sold. However, they were known to be selective, turning into ordinary rocks the next day if used for ill purposes.

"Oh... I had no idea such a thing existed."

"Yeah, it's a miracle to have one directly from the source." Ronald-san grinned.

"What's the matter?"

"We entered your garden, and suddenly, the Demonic Plant approached us, offering its leaves while making a peculiar sound." No way, it made that sound!

I recalled the incident from a few days ago. Did you really make a 'kyuun' sound again?!

"We thought it must be hungry, so we gave it a few walnuts. And in return, it gave us this." the younger sister explained with sparkling eyes.

It turned out that it had a gentle side for children. But you really are quite a

Surprisingly, it seemed to be kind to children. But, you really are quite the glutton. I felt like I had just discovered a new side of Schnappy.

"If Schnappy gave this as a thank-you, then this stone belongs to you." The two siblings looked at each other with delight and wagged their tails from side to side.

Now that the three of us were together, we decided to hold the 1st Christmas party.

Since all three of us were finally together, we decided to hold the first Christmas party.

The squirrel siblings were amazed by the fruit punch made with cider. It seemed they hadn't experienced such fizziness before. Nevertheless, they enjoyed it so much that they had seconds.

Ronald devoured two whole roasted Hyunafleisches by himself. I couldn't help but wonder where it all fit in his slender frame.

We drank, ate, chatted, and had a wonderful time. Finally, it was time to give Christmas presents.

I gave the older brother a large drawing paper and a set of 36 colored pencils. He had mentioned that he loved to draw. For the younger sister, I chose a set of colorful ribbons. Every time they came here, she tied a different colored ribbon to her tail, making her quite the fashionable little lady.

Both of them were overjoyed and held their gifts tightly to their chests. Their parents came to pick them up, and the squirrel family left, expressing their gratitude to me multiple times.

Today's souvenirs were the roasted Hyunafleisch and Christmas-themed icing cookies. Ronald was eyeing the Christmas tree.

I was stunned. You can order a Christmas tree...? Where is the demand for that?

"Uh, I believe it was around page 128 in the catalog." Ronald said with an excited tone, misinterpreting my expression.

No, that's not it. Well, never mind, I don't need a Christmas tree anymore. We've been through this already!

"No, I don't need one this year."

Ronald and I had a glass of wine and indulged in a platter of prosciutto and cheese while chatting. It was getting late, so before he left, I gave him a Christmas present.

I could only respond with a half-smile.

"Please don't hesitate to let me know anytime."

"Thank you very much."

I managed to prevent Ronald's sale for a Christmas tree. Afterward, the two of us sat down with wine, enjoying a platter of prosciutto and cheese while we chatted.

As it was getting late, before he left, I presented a Christmas present to Ronald. It was a selection of local snacks.

"So many varieties! This is amazing~ Thank you so much!" He said, showing the most genuine smile I had seen from him all day.

"Now, here's mine for you," Ronald said and handed me a small box with a ribbon.

"Thank you. Can I open it now?"

"No! You can do it after I leave." He told me quite insistently.

What's inside? I couldn't help but be curious. I hope it's not some kind of seed. When I looked up at Ronald, he seemed a bit embarrassed. He ruffled his golden hair and scratched his cheek.

"Well, it's about time for me to head home."

With that, he stroked Kina and checked Schnappy's condition by gently touching its leaves, and then he left in a brisk manner. Of course, his souvenir was roasted Hyunafleisch. He seemed to like it quite a lot as he took three pieces back with him.

I wonder if he'll eat them when he gets home? He's quite the big eater.

And so, the first Christmas party came to a close.

By the way, the present from Ronald was a beautifully crafted pendant. It had a pendant top in the shape of a teardrop, with a mysterious gem that seemed almost transparent but contained a shifting rainbow of colors within.

That looks like the same stone as the earrings Ronald wears on his animal ears.

Depending on the angle and how the light hit it, it changed into various colors, creating a beautiful effect. I spent the rest of the day just gazing at it.

I was surprised to learn later that it was a precious stone called "Water Opal."

I was hesitant to wear it, so I decided to delicately display it along with the earrings I received from the Demon Lord.