It's been a full week since the siege began.

  At first, the citizens huddled nervously inside the buildings, but now, as long as they stay away from the walls where the knights and monsters csh, they’ve started moving about freely.

  Life hasn’t returned to normal, but there’s a strange sense of freedom in the air.

  I hate to say it, but am I the only one who thinks this siege is dragging on too long?

  It’s good that the city gates haven’t been breached, but that also means we haven’t managed to wipe out the monsters.

  Back in the game days, pyers would’ve crushed them so fast that the devs would’ve gotten compints about the event being too short.

  "Hey, kid, let’s do another round.""Ah, sure."

  And so, today, I’m happily running around securing mochi with Nel, Punk-san, and his son Tenk.

  At first, people were suspicious of the mochi from the Mochi Dungeon, but after I grilled, boiled, and served it, everyone—Jink, Teresa, Nel—raved about how delicious it was.

  Punk-san, who ate with us, silently devoured five grilled mochi without a word.

  Yeah, I have to agree—it really was that good.

  I had no idea monster ingredients could taste this amazing.

  Even with VR tech, the game couldn’t replicate taste. Food was just an item you "consumed" without any real fvor.

  But this world is real. I could savor the mochi properly.

  That said, as delicious as it is…

  "I’m starting to get a little sick of it.""Did you say something?""No, nothing."

  Mochi is convenient as a preserved food, but for me, the novelty has worn off.

  The taste is incredible—honestly, the best mochi I’ve ever had. But still… it’s just mochi.

  The people in this world seem content as long as the food is decently tasty, and they’re just happy to have something to eat. They can eat the same thing over and over without getting tired of it.

  Right now, I feel like a kid who’s had too much New Year’s mochi and is completely over it.

  "Today’s quota is 200! We gotta distribute them to the folks in the shopping district too.""“Got it!”"

  But in this shopping district, where food shortages are becoming a real concern, this mochi is turning into a lifeline.

  It’s been a week since logistics started breaking down.

  Stockpiled food is gradually running out, and people are starting to panic.

  Grocery store shelves are either empty or prices have skyrocketed.

  The kingdom is providing rations, but the meals are just about filling bellies and providing nutrients—nothing more.

  Most people rely on those, but in this shopping district, mochi has become the alternative.

  So tely, we’ve been escorting Punk and his son while making rounds in the Mochi Dungeon to gather mochi.

  "Speaking of which, I haven’t seen Amina tely.""She’s probably with her family. I hope she’s okay."

  Usually, the three of us would be doing this together, but now it’s just me and Nel. It feels a little cking.

  After the stampede incident, Teresa told Amina to go home, and I haven’t seen her since. Like Nel, I assume she’s staying safe with her family, but…

  I won’t feel at ease until I see her face.

  Lost in thought, I defeat a Kagami Mochi and step out of the dungeon with Punk-san, who’s carrying a huge pile of mochi—

  "Liberta! Nel!!""Amina!?"

  Standing by the stables is a familiar girl.

  "Hehehe, I got bored, so I came!""You just… came? Are you sure it’s okay to leave your family?"

  She sticks out her tongue in that infuriatingly cute way only girls can get away with, and I can’t help but sigh.

  "It’s fine, it’s fine! I told them I was going to Nel’s pce, and they said okay!"

  Is it really alright to just wander off during an emergency? I want to question it, but I guess the common sense of this world and mine don’t quite align.

  "Long time no see! I’m gd you’re okay.""Mmm… I haven’t been eating much, so I’m not really okay. My family has a lot of siblings, so food’s been scarce."

  As I wonder if this is normal, Nel suddenly slips past me, grabs Amina’s winged hands, and beams—only for Amina’s stomach to let out a loud growl.

  "Ugh…""Well, perfect timing! We were just about to make something. Amina, you should eat with us!"

  Embarrassed, Amina clutches her stomach, but there’s no hiding her hunger.

  Seeing this, Nel smugly pulls Amina along, leading her out of the stables.

  Right now, Jink’s backyard has been turned into a makeshift food stall.

  Originally, it was just a leftover setup from someone in the shopping district who used to run a stall, but now it’s fully dedicated to grilling mochi.

  "I saw it when I arrived, but what is this pce? It wasn’t here before.""It’s a temporary ration station. Jink manages it, but the staff rotates among the shopping district folks.""Huh.""Amina-chan, it’s been a while! Want something to eat?""Eh? But I didn’t bring any money…""Don’t worry about it! Thanks to Jink and Punk, we’ve got enough to spare for you.""That’s my mochi, you know.""Don’t be so stingy! There’s a hungry girl here. If you’re a man, just do your job quietly."

  Today, it’s Punk’s wife running the stall.

  With her wild, curly hair, she’s now fully embraced her role as the grilled mochi matron.

  Someone skilled at grilling meat turns out to be just as good at grilling mochi—hers tastes even better than mine.

  Right now, she’s diligently flipping mochi with bamboo tongs, wrapping them in bamboo leaves.

  "Here, Amina-chan! Fresh off the grill—delicious!""Wow! Thank you!!""Auntie! Me too!!""Of course! Here, Nel-chan, be careful—it’s hot."

  She hands them each a wrapped portion, and the two unwrap theirs to find steaming-hot grilled mochi inside.

  It’s just simple salted mochi, but…

  "So good! It’s salty at first, but the more you chew, the sweeter it gets!""Right?! Right?! It’s amazing, isn’t it?!""You guys get to eat this every day? That’s not fair!!"

  Surprisingly, it is really good.

  Simple, but the quality of the ingredients makes it sweet and savory the more you chew.

  I get one from the auntie too and start munching.

  Even though I said I was sick of it, working up an appetite makes me crave it again.

  Amina must’ve been really hungry—she raises her hand energetically for seconds, then thirds.

  "Wow, you were that hungry?""Of course! Even at the ration stations, they give me less because I’m a kid and a girl. Isn’t that awful?"

  I start worrying she’s eating too much, but hearing she hasn’t had enough tely kills any urge to stop her.

  Outside the capital, the stampede siege shows no signs of ending, but inside the walls, it’s peaceful…

  "What was that?!"

  …or so I thought, until a distant explosion shakes the air.

  Punk, nearby, looks around frantically, but the bst wasn’t close.

  "Amina!""Got it!!"

  I call her name, and she immediately understands, leaping into the air.

  She circles above the shopping district before rushing back in a panic.

  "I-It’s bad!! The city gate’s been destroyed!!"

  Her flustered movements are a textbook example of panic.

  "Which gate?!""T-That one!! What do we do?! The monsters will get in!!"

  The gate’s been breached.

  Which means things are about to get really bad.

  Amina’s voice carries—her loud announcement about the gate spreads quickly, causing instant chaos.

  People scramble, barricading themselves inside, shoving furniture against doors.

  The direction she pointed to—the south gate—isn’t too far from here.

  If the monsters break through, they’ll eventually reach us.

  "Tch.""Liberta?!""Liberta, where are you going?!"

  I click my tongue, cursing my own shortsightedness.

  If I remembered the raid battles, I should’ve known the gates would fall eventually.

  In the game, if pyers did nothing, the walls’ durability would drop until they were destroyed—game over.

  But that almost never happened.

  With pyers around, monsters were wiped out instantly. Unless it was some special event, NPCs held the line, and the gates stayed intact.

  That’s why I got compcent.

  I should’ve known better.

  I dig out the golem I’d hidden under cushions.

  "Using it?""Yeah. If monsters are coming, we can’t leave this thing idle."

  The enemy’s species shouldn’t be too high-level.

  Worst case, I’ll take off the Training Bracelet and level up.

  Survival comes first.

  "What should we do?!""Huh?""Just give us orders like usual!! You can protect the town and everyone, right?!"

  I was pnning to fight alone, but Nel looks dead serious about helping.

  "This is where I was born and raised!! I won’t let monsters ruin it!!"

  She furiously tosses aside cushions, digging out the golem with terrifying speed.

  "I’ll help too!! The people here have been good to me!!"

  Amina joins in, and between the two of them, the cushions vanish in minutes.

  In no time, the golem is fully uncovered, and they both turn to me with expectant eyes.

  If I said I’d handle it alone now, they’d kill me.

  What I’m pnning is to pilot the golem for defense.

  This Angler model was built for fishing, not combat, but that doesn’t mean it’s useless.

  It doesn’t have dedicated weapons, but its limbs are all metal.

  And as a multi-legged type, it can hold its own in melee if used right.

  Its stats are higher than mine right now, anyway.

  But even so, it’s not enough to protect the whole shopping district alone.

  "…Alright. I need your help.""! Leave it to me!""I’ll do anything!!"

  Either way, holing up at home won’t guarantee safety.

  Better to fight on our terms.

  "Nel, gather as many people as you can—the more, the better! Amina, take this and go shopping for me!"

  This is improvised, but it’s our only shot.

  Whether we can pull this off will make a huge difference.

  "Got it!"

  No time to waste—Nel immediately runs off to recruit help.

  Amina takes what I hand her—all the earnings from the Rice Lotion sales she and the others saved up.

  "What should I buy?""Go to the Skill Shop and get Song Magic, then either Song of Vigor or Song of Healing. Song Magic is a must—the active skill can be any buff if needed. Can you do it?""Y-Yeah, I can fly to the store!""Then go! Once goblins spread through the city, shopping won’t be an option.""Understood!!"

  That much money should cover it.

  Amina takes off into the sky.

  "Alright… please work."

  If the golem doesn’t activate now, we’re screwed.

  I climb onto Angler’s back, pcing my hands near its neck.

  "Channel mana—Angler, activate!"

  Something pulls from deep inside me, connecting to the golem.

  "Yes, it’s working."

  I used the same method as in the game, and it actually responded.

  "…First, let’s head out."

  Multi-legged types are familiar to me.

  With a series of metallic cnks, the golem’s legs move, slowly carrying us through the stable doors.

  Outside, the elevated view shows a shopping district fallen eerily quiet.

  "No enemies yet."

  The soldiers are probably buying us time at the gate, so we still have a while before they reach us.

  "GROOOOOOOOOOAR!!"

  But not too long.

  That roar in the distance—it’s not goblins. Something worse.

  "A Zombie Dragon… damn, that’s trouble."

  I recognize that roar from the game.

  Now I know what shattered the gates.