Chapter 43 – This Year's Reflections and Aspirations

“Оh, Кirаboshi Hazuki-сhаn has finallу started singing! Нmm, hоw shоuld I рut it… suсh аn adorаble waу оf singing.”

※『So сutе!』『Сhаrming』『Nоt eхaсtly skilled but sоmеhоw gоod』『Plеasаnt to the eаrs』

Тhe streamer singing fеstivаl that I’m simultaneously viеwing with mу listeners is finally entеring its finаl stages.

Нaving finishеd mу Nеw Yеar’s soba and brоught over sоmе tеa, I’m now rеlахing with casuаl convеrsation.

By thе wаy, my sоbа-slurping tеchnique wаs praised аs 『Feеls likе a seasoned оld man』『Маstеrful slurping』.

Кiraboshi Наzuki finishеd her song, аnd the vеnuе fillеd with арplаusе.

Тogеthеr with her petite partner, she was bowing her head repeatedly in all directions.

That sharpness in her movements—there’s no doubt her mental age matches her appearance.

Which means she’s racing up the path to becoming a top streamer while still in her teens.

Terrifying to think about her future.

※『How was your year, Little Spice?』

Suddenly glancing at the comments, I saw that line floating up.

I picked it up and said,

“How was my year… hmm.”

I began to think about it.

Inheriting my grandmother’s grimoire, transforming into a Magical Girl, finding myself participating in battles against Witches while doing streamer activities, meeting Charaway and expanding my world, receiving guidance from senior Witches…

“Before starting streaming, it was nine months of nothingness, but after starting, these past three months have been as intense as my entire previous life combined…”

※『That much?』『Right, this person only debuted three months ago!』『This girl has potential』『I’ll keep supporting you!』

“Thank you! Um, as for Spice’s reflections on this year… I don’t really have any! In the midst of all these first experiences, I think I did pretty well—managed to survive! I’ve been fighting with my brain running at full capacity the whole time!”

Really, I could have died at any moment.

Streamer life—is it always this close to death?

But it’s also true that the income matches the risk.

My take-home pay is roughly triple what I earned during my salaryman days.

Partly because I’ve been steadily increasing subscribers as Black Pepper Spice and now have tens of thousands of Peppers…

But according to rumors, you can make a decent living even with around a thousand subscribers.

In exchange for risking your life, you can say goodbye to the corporate life where your time is managed by the prison of a company.

A life where you can wake up at noon or at night, sleep in the morning if you want!

Everything depends on yourself, but if you have the talent, it’s a profession where even someone lazy can become a Hero.

That’s what an Adventure Streamer is.

“Before starting this job, I thought it might not suit my personality… but it’s going pretty well.”

※『Really!?』『Now that you mention it, Little Spice properly sleeps at night and wakes up in the morning』『So many streamers have reversed day-night cycles』

“Isn’t it more efficient to sleep when everyone’s working and be active when people come home from school or work? But Spice still can’t shake the habits from my salaryman days.”

Thanks to that, my Dungeon Streams are often during the day or early evening.

Still, I’m nothing but grateful to the listeners who watch me.

That Kiraboshi Hazuki from earlier seems to be an active high school girl, but can you really balance studies and streaming?

If she’s aiming for the top while doing that, she’s either a genius or a monster.

I absolutely couldn’t imagine doing this job alongside another occupation.

Well, even I enjoy practicing magic during the day, taking naps, or exploring new restaurants.

“Oh, the singing festival ended.”

※『New Year’s Eve』『The temple bells』『I’ve never seen the real thing』『That generation too…』

If there aren’t any temples with large bells near your house, you don’t get many chances to see them.

When I was little, the Dungeon Calamity was still shallow, so we’d travel far to go see the New Year’s bells.

Apparently, in one region they stopped the bells because they were too noisy, but that area started having frequent Dungeons from New Year’s and is now sealed off.

『Master, how about sharing your aspirations for the coming year…』

A suggestion came from Flota.

As expected from a grimoire with long association with my grandmother.

“Yeah. Next year… or rather, this year now. Um…”

『Nya Happy New Yearrr!!』

※『A deep voice right as the date changed lol!!』『Happy New Year!』『Happy New Year!』『Happy New Year!』

“Everyone, hello! Spice has circumstances so I won’t be saying Happy New Year this year.”

My grandmother passed away, you see.

In these times, with the Dungeon Calamity, people dying never stops, so situations where you can say Happy New Year aren’t that common.

“Now, for Spice’s aspirations this year… ta-da!”

Here I pulled out the schedule I’d been diligently making while simultaneously streaming!

“Within the first three days of the year, there’ll be a new outfit reveal! It’s a new style that lets me use Flame Magic! It’s power I took by defeating the Witch of Flame from Christmas time. Well, I still can’t use any major flames yet!”

※『Whoa!!』『New outfit incoming!』『So excited!』『A huge New Year’s gift!』

I’m glad they’re happy about it.

And by the way, I’m the one receiving New Year’s gifts in the form of Super Chats…!

『Master, from the perspective of those supporting Little Spice, being able to see a cute new outfit is a win-win situation, isn’t it?』

Oh, that’s true.

I still don’t really understand listener psychology.

I just need to keep improving.

『Nya this year! It’s my debut so~! I’ll make~ the Peppers and Meat Brigade understand~!!』

※『A deep voice coming from a floating red-orange book!』『What is this guy lol!』『Little Flota’s companions are intense』

“Ignite! Don’t butt in before the official reveal! Bad! Very bad!!”

Ignite, struck by my chop and knocked down, cried out 『Uguwaaah!』.

“Well then, this stream is over! What are you all doing now? Going to sleep? Visiting a shrine?”

※『All-nighter!』『Going shrine visiting』『Actually already lining up at the shrine』『Sleeping~』『Just woke up』

“Uh-huh, as for Spice… sleeping~”

Just as I said that, a shrine visit invitation from Mashiro arrived on LUINE!

What timing from this junior.

“Spice got an invitation from a junior so I’m going shrine visiting…”

※『Good luck lol』『Looking forward to this year too!』『Supporting Little Spice this year too!』

“Thank you! Well then everyone, looking forward to this year too!!”

The stream ended… and the new year had arrived.