Volume 4, Chapter 3 – My First Tonkotsu Ramen

“Ah, Onee-sama! The food at that stall looks delicious!”

Taking Lu-chan, who said she was still hungry, we headed out to the night-time street stalls of Sakimori.

To my surprise, I learned that in the Golden Sun Miko Nation, it wasn’t particularly dangerous for women to be out at this hour as long as they were in town.

The smell of delicious tonkotsu broth, grilling meat, soy sauce, and miso all mixed together, creating an indescribable aroma that filled the entire area.

“Welcome, young ladies from abroad. First time in Sakimori?”

As we peeked into the stalls, guided by Lu-chan, the old man at one of them called out to us.

Oh, it looks like this is a tonkotsu ramen stall.

Lu-chan sat right down on one of the stools, so we followed suit.

“Yes. We arrived today.”

“I see. I hope you enjoy your stay. I only have one type of ramen on the menu, but you can add all sorts of toppings, so pick whatever you like. I recommend the ‘everything’ topping.”

“Um, I’ll have mine with a seasoned egg, and please make the noodles firm.”

“You got it! How about the golden lady and the green lady?”

“I want the everything bowl!”

“Standard noodles okay for you?”

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“Hmm, actually, make mine firm too!”

“Same for me,” Chris-san added.

“Coming right up!”

The old man began boiling the noodles.

“Are you girls here for sightseeing?”

“No, we’ve missed a rendezvous with a dear friend. We have something important to return to her.”

“Ah, looking for someone, eh? That’s a tough job. What’s she like?”

“She’s a tall woman, a samurai from this country. I think she probably arrived in town about ten days ago.”

“Ah, her! She certainly stood out. I don’t know where she went, but I remember her looking somewhat lonely. Maybe that girl was worried about you girls too.”

The old man looked off into the distance for a moment.

“She’s from the Mieshiro family. Does that ring a bell?”

“Hmm, sorry, doesn’t ring a bell. I don’t know if you’ll find her, but the Queen might know something.”

“The Queen?”

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“Oh, absolutely. She’s the great one who protects this land. She possesses incredibly strong miko powers. I believe it was over thirty years ago, but ever since she ascended, plagues and famines have vanished completely. With the Queen, finding a missing person would be a breeze with a single divination.”

The old man spoke of the Queen with a pride that made it seem as if he were talking about his own achievements.

“She’s that impressive?”

“Of course! For starters, if it weren’t for the Queen, I might not be walking under the sun right now, and you girls wouldn’t be able to walk the night streets like this without danger.”

“I see.”

I glanced around while the old man continued to brag about the Queen.

Yes, this area certainly felt peaceful.

Bonfires were lit brightly, illuminating the night market.

“Oh, they’re done. Here you go, enjoy!”

Bowls of tonkotsu ramen, just like the ones I’d seen often in my previous world, were placed before us. It was the classic combination: thin noodles in a cloudy, milky-white soup with a thin layer of transparent oil floating on top.

Mine had wood ear mushrooms, green onions, a slice of chashu ¹ Chashu is a savory Japanese braised pork dish, typically made from rolled pork belly. , and a seasoned egg. Lu-chan’s and Chris-san’s bowls had additional toppings: nori, two slices of chashu, pickled mustard greens, red pickled ginger, and spicy pollock roe.

Munch munch munch

Yes, it’s delicious. The soup isn’t too salty or too greasy, and the firmness of the noodles is just right.

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“Mister, this is very delicious.”

“Is that so? It makes me happy to hear a foreigner enjoy it.”

The old man looked genuinely pleased.

“Looks like those two like it as well.”

“Indeed, this food is amazing. It’s similar to things I’ve eaten in the Red Sky Empire, but this is a completely different dish.”

“Ah, I hear it originally came from over there. But it seems it got ‘magically modified’ in our country and became what it is now. There are all sorts of ramen in every nook and cranny of the land. Why not try a food tour once you’ve sorted out your search?”

“That sounds great! That’s a wonderful idea! Onee-sama, let’s do it!”

“Hahaha, are you girls sisters?”

“Um, well, she’s more like a little sister figure, something like that.”

“I see, I see.”

While chatting happily, I finished the flavor-filled egg and chashu, and after eating about half of the noodles, mushrooms, and onions, I passed my bowl over to Lu-chan.

“Time to eat~♪”

In a great mood, Lu-chan began sending the remaining ramen straight into her stomach.

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“Haha, the green lady has a healthy appetite. You’ve got quite long ears; do all long-eared folk eat as much as you do?”

“Yes! My mom eats ten times more than I do!”

No, I think that’s just Lu-chan’s family; general Elves probably don’t eat that much, right?

“In that case, I’d love for her to visit Sakimori. All the stall owners would make a fortune!”

The old man and Lu-chan laughed together.

But is it just my imagination, or am I probably the one funding that money?

And if by some chance Liera-san were to wander into this market, I wonder if this old man would actually survive?

That thought crossed my mind.

“Mister, that was delicious!”

“Thanks for the business! Come again!”

“We will!”

We paid and left the stall. The price came to only one small silver coin and two copper coins—roughly 1,200 yen.

With our stomachs full, we headed back to the ryokan.