The season when plum blossoms scent the air. In the town where Mika lives, snow rarely accumulates, so people on the streets have gradually begun shedding their heavy coats.

Mika, too, switched to a lighter coat and headed once again toward Warehouse No. 4.

When she stepped into Acid, a beautifully clear yellow-green sky stretched above. In this world, the color of the sky changes with the seasons due to the influence of magic saturating the air—winter brings a yellowish tint, which gradually shifts to green as summer approaches, eventually becoming a deep blue.

“Good morning, Flower. Good morning, Dada, Gatt, and Zurah.”

Today, she would proceed directly to the subjugation request she had accepted. Nowadays, Flower always accompanied her. When Mika first found her, Flower had been only 50 centimeters tall, but over the past two months, she had grown rapidly and now stood over 60 centimeters—almost catching up to Gatt and Zurah. Her limbs had lengthened, allowing her to keep up with everyone’s pace.

Flower, dressed in a bunny-eared hoodie, bounced along as she walked. Lately, she had grown accustomed to life in Acid and smiled more often.

This time, the request took them to a seaside town. They would exit through the Door where Kanou—once mistaken for an orc—had been, then walk southward, aiming to reach the town by the end of the day. Along the way, they would memorize the location of one new Dore.

Since it was Saturday, the small village was graced by Kanou’s towering figure.

“Ah, hey there, Mika! Good afternoon!”

Kanou’s massive frame remained unchanged, but his movements seemed slightly quicker now. When Mika stepped out of the Door, he waved enthusiastically from the fields.

“Good afternoon. You’re here too, Kanou?”

“I managed to borrow a small part of the field I helped restore when this village was rebuilding. Look!”

Neatly furrowed rows stretched across the field, sprouting countless shoots of something. Kanou pointed at them excitedly, wiping sweat from his brow before raising his hoe to till the soil again. Around him, several others—fairies and birdfolk—worked just as diligently. It seemed Kanou had been fully accepted into the village.

Relieved, Mika resumed her journey.

The wind still carried a chilly bite, but walking warmed her body enough to break a light sweat.

Occasionally, monsters appeared along the tranquil countryside path, but most were easily dealt with using Mika’s insecticide spray or rake. Flower, too, had grown capable of handling smaller monsters—not just with her freezing magic but also by wielding a long stick like a spear, sometimes fighting alongside Gatt.

Lately, Flower had been learning stick-fighting from Gatt, and the two had grown very close. Gatt had taken on an almost brotherly role, often leading Flower around. It was heartwarming to see.

Thus, the journey was entirely safe and pleasant. Mika, Zurah, and the talkative Dada chatted animatedly as they walked, discussing recent happenings in Acid and various dishes.

Ever since they began living together at Mika’s home in Acid, Dada had apparently taken an interest in cooking. Before, Dada, Gatt, and Zurah had been carefree bachelors—adventurers who could whip up simple campfire meals but mostly ate out while in town.

But now, since they couldn’t take Flower out too often, they cooked at home more. As the three experimented with different dishes, Dada—being the meticulous type—became utterly engrossed.

“My goal is to cook together with Mika’s husband next time he visits.”

“Oh! I’m really looking forward to that!”

Since they started cooking, Mika had also heard rumors in Acid’s marketplace about those Dragonfish fillets. Initially sold at an affordable price, Dragonfish had gained such a reputation for their exquisite taste that they were now sought after like mythical treasures by chefs.

Though the mountains still had snow, the ice would soon begin to melt—meaning requests to subjugate Dragonfish trapped in the ice would likely appear soon.

The scent of saltwater filled the air. They had reached the Dore to the seaside town, located about two of Mika’s workdays away from Acid.

This Door was set in the entrance of an ordinary house, though the house itself was now vacant and unused. After confirming its location, they decided to have lunch at a street stall in town.

Mika had fully adapted to this world’s cuisine. Whether it was because the food was inherently safe or because her stomach was just hardy, she enjoyed the otherworldly dishes without any stomach troubles. Since most people here were slightly smaller than her, meals often came in bite-sized portions—making it fun to buy a variety and share.

After a pleasant lunch, they finally headed to the location of the request.

“This time, the monsters are eels.”

They approached the bank of a large river flowing into the sea, near its mouth. No explanation was needed—the river was teeming with a massive swarm of eels, enough to clog the estuary.