Chapter 383 |
We arrived in Tamia
¹ in the blink of an eye.
It is not to brag, but I can fly faster than a Sky Dragon
².
Therefore, unlike traveling by carriage on land, a distance like this does not even take an hour.
However, seriously, much like Kohane
³, I wonder if everyone's vacations have a similar design?
From what I can see, there are nothing but similar buildings.
"It looks very similar to Kohane, just like the rumors say, does it not?" Fleur-san said.
"It really looks exactly alike, does it not?" Rosario-san said.
"Even the banners have the same design... Kohane also had simmered splendid alfonsino
⁴, did it not?" Elsa-san said.
Yes, Fleur-san, Rosario-san, and Elsa-san had been to Kohane before, so the scenery did not seem to cause them any sense of strangeness.
"It resembles the buildings that I have heard exist in the Orient
⁵, does it not?" Hera-san said.
"It really is so, is it not?" Carmilla-san replied.
"This is... shops lined up among Japanese-style buildings that use roof tiles. No matter how one looks at it, it can only be seen as something that imitated Japan
⁶. It is quite amazing, mind you." Daji-san said.
Hera-san and Carmilla-san did not react as much, but Daji-san somehow appeared to be frolicking around.
Ah, Daji-san started running.
At the place where Daji-san ran toward... something that felt like the savory squid pancakes
⁷ I saw in Kohane was being sold.
"Hey mister, I want seven of those squid pancakes, mind you." Daji-san said.
"Sure thing, seven pieces. I have some that are just freshly grilled... here you go." the shopkeeper replied.
Daji-san pulled out money and received the seven squid pancakes.
"Here, eat them... it looks quite delicious, does it not?" Daji-san said.
Saying that, she offered them to us.
Everyone besides me had a subtle look on their face, but...
This aroma... it smelled extremely delicious.
It had an aroma similar to Father Ceres's soy sauce
⁸.
"Thank you! Daji-san." I said.
I expressed my gratitude, accepted it, and stuffed my cheeks.
"Daji-san, this is soy sauce... yeah, really, this is delicious, isn't it! Daji-san, do you know about squid pancakes?" I asked.
"Yes, I ate them a very long time ago, you know! This sweet and savory soy sauce is extremely delicious. It is a nostalgic taste... munch, it is extremely delicious, mind you." Daji-san said.
Daji-san was biting into the squid pancake looking like it tasted delicious.
Come to think of it, Daji-san lived in the same Japan as Dad, did she not?
"Could it be, this happens to be a Japanese food?" I asked.
"Indeed... I have also eaten them at festival stalls
⁹ long ago, mind you." Daji-san replied.
Daji-san knew about Japanese food.
I wonder if I should try asking about various things?
"Could it be, there are many Japanese things besides squid pancakes too?" I asked.
"Indeed, this town itself is just like Japan. Look, even that grilled corn
¹⁰ over there? I forget where, but I have a memory of eating it at a food stall long ago. The scenery visible from here is just like Japan, mind you." Daji-san said.
Certainly, both Kohane and this place were completely different from other locations, stretching from the buildings down to the food.
"Is that so." I said.
"It has been a while since I had a dish that uses soy sauce! It is extremely delicious, mind you." Daji-san said.
The mouth of Daji-san, who said such things, was covered in soy sauce.
(Even though she is older than me, I wonder why I find her so cute?)
"Daji-san, the area around your mouth is covered in soy sauce." I said.
Saying that, I wiped the area around her mouth for her.
"""""Eh!?""""" Fleur, Rosario, Elsa, Hera, and Carmilla exclaimed simultaneously.
The other five people were probably doing it on purpose too... they were eating their squid pancakes with the area around their mouths completely covered in soy sauce.
I guess it could not be helped.
"Everyone, the area around your mouths is sticky." I said.
I wiped the area around the mouths of the other five people with a handkerchief as well.
However, Daji-san really liked squid pancakes, did she not?
She was eating with amazing momentum too...
"Daji-san, if you still want to eat more, shall we buy a few more pieces?" I asked.
The rest of the group did not look like they were eating deliciously, perhaps because it did not suit their tastes, so I tried asking only Daji-san.
"Because there are other things that look delicious, one piece is fine for this, mind you." Daji-san replied.
Looking around, there were many other shops where we could buy snacks to eat.
"It is amazing. Soft-serve ice cream
¹¹, and is that fish cake
¹² over there? Truly, everything is available, mind you." Daji-san said.
Daji-san's eyes were shifting to other food.
"Everyone, since we are here, shall we walk around and eat?" I asked.
"Walking around and eating? That sounds wonderful, does it not?" Fleur-san said.
"In favor." Rosario-san said.
"I also have a lot of things I want to eat, so I am in favor." Elsa-san said.
"That sounds good, does it not?" Hera-san said.
"I am in favor as well." Carmilla-san replied.
The five people besides Daji-san also seemed to be in favor.
"Well then, since delicious things are being sold, let us purchase items here and there and take a walk while eating." I said.
""""""Yes!"""""" everyone replied.
"Well then, it is decided... Daji-san, do you have any recommendations?" I asked.
"How about soft-serve ice cream, mind you? It is cold and delicious." Daji-san said.
"It is cold! Shall we buy that? Ma'am, seven soft-serve ice creams." I said.
"Sure thing, seven pieces... yes, here you go!" the woman replied.
I paid the money, and when a short time passed, seven soft-serve ice creams were held out, so we received them in turn.
Unlike the squid pancakes, everyone was eating the soft-serve ice cream looking like it tasted delicious.
"Well then, this time, which do you want to eat, something sweet or a spicy meat dish?" I asked.
I could tell this by looking.
I have never eaten them, but I can tell by the samples on display.
If everyone wants to eat cream, we will eat a dish called crepes
¹³. If everyone wants to eat meat, I think we will eat a dish called kebabs
¹⁴.
"It is still before lunch, so we can easily eat both." Fleur-san said.
Because Fleur-san said so...
"Well then, let us go eat both... shall we start with the crepes first?" I asked.
""""""Yes!"""""" everyone replied.
In the end, because there were so many delicious things, the seven of us continued to walk around and eat until evening.
---
Summary:
The party reaches the tourist town of Tamia and instantly notes its heavy structural and culinary resemblance to another location named Kohane. Daji identifies the street layouts and food stalls as explicit matches to her past memories of Japan, dragging the narrator into a frantic food tour across local vendors. The other five female companions quickly mimic Daji's messy eating habits to receive direct physical attention from the protagonist as they move down the commercial strip toward their next sweet treat
---
Trivia:
- The text indicates that Fleur-san, Rosario-san, and Elsa-san are already familiar with this specific style of resort because they vacationed in Kohane previously.
- Daji explicitly specifies a count of seven items when buying the savory squid pancakes, ensuring every member of the active party receives exactly one piece
---
Character Insight:
Daji drops her typical ancient demeanor to excitedly run toward street food stalls, showing a deeply sentimental attachment to remnants of her past life in Japan. The remaining companions show competitive jealousy or playful desire for physical skinship, deliberately leaving sauce on their faces to force the narrator to wipe their mouths with his handkerchief.
---
Glossary:
1↩ Tamia: A resort town featuring traditional Japanese-style tile architecture and food stalls. 2↩ Sky Dragon: A standard biological benchmark for speed in this fantasy world, outpaced by the narrator. 3↩ Kohane: Another location or resort previously visited by part of the group that shares the exact same Japanese architectural blueprints. 4↩ Splendid alfonsino: Kinme-dai, a deep-sea red fish prized in Japanese cuisine when simmered in sweet soy sauce. 5↩ Orient: Used here to denote eastern cultural landscapes alien to typical fantasy settings. 6↩ Japan: The real-world country from which Daji and the narrator's father figure originate, serving as the source of the town's culture. 7↩ Squid pancakes: Ikayaki, a popular Japanese fast food consisting of grilled squid topped with savory soy-based sauces. 8↩ Soy sauce: A classic Japanese condiment made from fermented soybeans, rare in standard western fantasy world-building. 9↩ Festival stalls: Yatai, temporary food carts set up during festive Japanese evening attractions. 10↩ Grilled corn: Yaki-morokoshi, corn on the cob brushed with soy sauce and grilled over charcoal.Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!