Translated by Jyzciel

I'm living in the countryside for 40 days now.

Yesterday was so much fun that I ended up drinking too much.

As I ponder whether to make clam soup and egg rice porridge for breakfast, I open the shutters, and there he is, that beautifully handsome man, sparkling in the morning light.

"Good morning?" Oh no, this déjà vu feeling again.

At least it's not the appearance of a giant white snake.

"Sorry to disturb you so early. I heard there's some fun event happening at this place." He said with a sly smile.

Um... Where did he get this information? Is it another message from the forest grapevine?

But more importantly, even though I've repeatedly said this is neither a store nor a diner, why does only this information not seem to get through?

While pondering these thoughts, I couldn't bring myself to confront the charming man before me. Instead, I took a deep breath.

Come to think of it, I don't see Little White Snake around.

"Um, is the white snake staying home?"

"In truth, he wanted to see you the most, but now is a crucial time..." The Giant White Snake lowered its eyes as it spoke.

Apparently, he was currently going through an important molting period to transition from a boy to an adult. For this reason, he becomes weaker in strength, magical power, and body, preventing him from leaving the nest.

Do they live in a nest? Can they fit in it given his size?

Perhaps, reading the expression on my face... he joyfully squinted his eyes.

"Don't worry, we usually lives in a normal house."

"Ohh."

With the company of  Giant White Snake, I offered Plum Kombu tea, all the while casually explaining the essence of "Christmas." Riding the conversational wave, it was time to exchange Christmas presents.

"Hmm... So, this is what you call a present?"

"Yes, you've mentioned your desire to whip up delicious tamagoyaki whenever you please, so... it's a tamagoyaki pan."

I give him a tamagoyaki pan crafted from sturdy copper, accompanied by a pair of cooking chopsticks.

"Appreciated. Now I can make tamagoyaki anytime." The Giant White Snake looked delighted as he admired the tamagoyaki pan.

"And this is a present for Little White Snake. I heard he is sensitive to cold, so I prepared this." Saying that, I handed over a cozy blanket.

"This is a piece of warm clothing. You can drape it over your legs or wrap it around your whole body."

"I can already picture his happy face." he mentioned with while smiling.

We then seamlessly transitioned into sharing breakfast.

The Giant White Snake, with grace, devoured five roasted Hyunafleisch in the morning.

"Chicken is indeed delicious~" The eyes of Giant White Snake unmistakably revealed his predatory instincts.

"By the way, there's something interesting in the garden. Is that some sort of watchdog?"

"A watchdog..."

I wondered if she meant Kinako and Kuro-mame?

A watchdog...

Ah! Could it be Schnappy?

"Kukuku~ It's still a fledgling, but with some training, it could become a shield for you." Saying so with a mischievous smile, he seemed to recall something.

Later on, for Little White Snake sake, we brought back ten roasted Hyunafleisch and a Buche de Noël. As a thank-you gift, when the Giant White Snake tried to give chunk of scales again, I politely declined.

When I him trying to retrieve something from his pocket, I hastily exclaimed, "No need for sparkling gemstones either!"

"If that's the case, if I find something nice, I'll bring it to you. And, tell that new watchdog of yours. Strive for improvement, Kukuku~" With those words, he left.

Curious about his words, I went to where Schnappy was planted. To my shock, about a third of the right side of its head was gone. The blue face paled even further, and there were traces of tears.

"Schnappy!!" I screamed in shock.

「Kyuuun」 Schnappy whimpered, clinging to me.

"Did you seriously confront Giant White Snake? What a reckless move! That's like challenging a boss with start-up gear! Why would you do such a thing? That Giant White Snake looks like a final boss level..."

「Kyuuun」

Even though I didn't witness the scene, I figured Schnappy must have wanted to become stronger by challenging someone stronger.

"At least he didn't eat everything." I mused, finding Shcnappy strangely adorable.

Feeling somewhat sympathetic, I gently petted its head.

To lift its spirits, the next day, I went with magic soil, and Schnappy was  actually almost completely healed. Now I know how ridiculous the regenerative ability of this demonic plant.

It was now the 41st day of living my rural life.

On the doorstep hung what seemed to be a "King Hyunafleisch," a giant chicken, probably a gift from Giant White Snake. Grateful, indeed.

But seriously, no more King whatnot series, okay!?

As I gazed into the distance with a wistful expression, contemplating the scene for a while. Inspecting the King hyunafleisch, the Demon Lord and little bat appeared.

"What's this, starting a party or something?" the Demon Lord remarked, glancing at the giant object hanging on the doorstep.

"No, the party should have been over." I sighed, shrugging my shoulders.

For now, I asked the Demon Lord to take down the King Hyunafleisch.

It turned out, the Demon Lord and his entourage had stopped by on their way to the capital, claiming they were merely here to see my face and had planned to leave immediately. I hurriedly handed them their presents.

Honestly, finding a suitable gift for the Demon Lord proved to be the most challenging. I had no clue what would bring joy to someone of his stature.

During our conversations, a tidbit info give me idea – the Demon Lord had a penchant for baths. So, I settled on a set of bath salts from a renowned store.

"This is... appreciated. Baths to relieve the fatigue of the day are exceptional. I had wanted to join the public bath Bluemoon mentioned before." the Demon Lord said, once again gazing into the sky.

Sensing that the conversation might drag on, the litlle bat chirped nervously.

"That's right, we're in a hurry today, but I'll come visit again." the Demon Lord declared.

"Yes! I'll be waiting." As a side note, I had prepared a variety of premium fruit juices for the bat.

Worried it might be too cumbersome, I was astonished to learn that the Demon Lord's magic had effortlessly transported the gift straight to the castle.

"As a token of gratitude, I'll extend an invitation for you to my castle next time." He announced before vanishing into the sky.

A Demon Lord's castle... I wonder - does it truly float in the sky?

Lost in various imaginative scenarios, I absentmindedly pressed the switch on the dishwasher.

With that, I had successfully distributed presents to everyone. It felt like Christmas had truly come to an end.

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