Volume 4, Chapter 22 – In Search of Shizuku (5)

As we stepped inside the udon shop, the aroma of bonito and kelp dashi wafted through the air. It seemed to be quite a popular establishment; there were many customers, and the place was almost full. I took a seat at a table facing the entrance.

“Welcome, young ladies from abroad. What can I get for you? My recommendations are the tempura udon, kamatama udon ¹ Kamatama udon (釜玉うどん) is a simple, highly comforting Japanese noodle dish featuring freshly boiled, piping-hot udon noodles tossed with a raw egg and savory soy sauce. , or the kamo nanban ² Kamo Nanban is a classic Japanese noodle dish (usually soba or udon) served in a hot, savory dashi broth, topped with sliced duck meat and thick, charred green onions. udon!”

A plump woman brought the menus over to us.

“I’ll have the tempura udon, please.”

“And I’ll have the kamatama udon and the kamo nanban udon, please!”

Huh? That seems like a small amount, even for Lu-chan.

“Oh? Are you sure you’ll be alright with just that, being so slender?”

“Wait, Lu-chan, is that all you’re eating?”

“Eh?”

The woman looked back and forth between Lu-chan and me with a puzzled expression.

“Ehehe, I’ve been snacking too much while walking around, so I’m not that hungry,” Lu-chan told me with a bashful look.

“Ah, um, ma’am. This girl actually eats a tremendous amount. She usually eats twice that much, so I think she’ll be fine.”

“I-is that so? I suppose looks can be deceiving. Well, just wait a moment.”

With a slightly strained expression, the woman retreated into the kitchen. After a short while, the udon was served.

My tempura udon was topped with shrimp and kakiage ³ Kakiage (かき揚げ) is a specific type of Japanese tempura made by mixing shredded vegetables and small seafood together in a light batter and deep-frying them into a crispy, airy fritter. .

The crisp texture of the batter was irresistible as soon as I took a bite.

The scent of the dashi that had soaked into the surface drifted through my nose, and the savory flavor of the plump shrimp filled my mouth.

“Ah, this is delicious.”

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“Eeeh, I’m jealous! I’m definitely ordering the tempura next time!”

As she spoke, Lu-chan slurped her udon down with impressive speed.

“True. We plan to stay for a while, so we can come back again.”

“Yay! Oh, Onee-sama, I like this kamo nanban better than the kamatama udon. But this half-raw egg is really tasty!”

Yeah, I know.

Soft-boiled eggs are great.

Come to think of it, I wonder if there are eggs here that can be eaten raw?

If so, I could enjoy the ultimate delicacy known as TKG ⁴ Tamago Kake Gohan (often abbreviated as TKG) is a popular Japanese comfort food that translates literally to “egg-poured rice”. It is a simple, beloved staple consisting of a raw egg cracked directly into a steaming bowl of hot white rice, seasoned with a splash of soy sauce, and vigorously mixed. .

Ah, but even if I get food poisoning, I could just cure it with Healing Magic, right?

No, I’d still rather not have an upset stomach; it’s better to eat safe food if possible.

While chatting, we finished our udon and quickly left the shop to make room for other customers.

This udon shop might be worth a repeat visit.

“Lu-chan, that place was delicious, wasn’t it?”

I made small talk with Lu-chan as we walked south down the street.

“It was! Next time, I’m going to try the tempura udon! Also, I have to make sure I’m starving when we go!”

“Ahaha. If you go there while you’re starving, the staff will have their hands full.”

As we were enjoying our conversation, a white-haired old man suddenly caught my eye, crouching down and clutching his lower back.

“Sir, are you alright? Can you move?”

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“Uuu… it’s just my chronic back pain. My apologies. I’ll be fine if I just rest for a bit.”

Despite his words, the old man appeared to be breaking out in a cold sweat.

His expression was clearly one of agony, and his breathing was shallow.

Even though he was answering me, he didn’t have the composure to look my way, keeping his eyes squeezed shut.

“I’ll treat you. Please stay still for a moment.”

I placed my hand on the old man’s back and cast Healing Magic.

I couldn’t tell if it was a severe injury, an old wound, or a chronic condition, but it seemed to be a very stubborn ailment, as it drained a significant amount of mana.

However, as I patiently continued casting Healing Magic, his complexion gradually improved, and his expression softened.

Once I felt the resistance disappear, I stopped the treatment and spoke to him.

“How are you feeling?”

“O-oh… ohhh… it doesn’t hurt. The back pain that plagued me for so long is…”

Thank goodness. It seems the treatment worked.

“It’s rare for Onee-sama’s treatment to take that long,” Lu-chan noted.

“Yes. It was a rather stubborn injury.”

Now that she mentioned it, I might never have spent this much time on a treatment before. That likely means it was a serious condition.

Well, I’m glad I could help.

“Oh, young lady from a foreign land, would you allow me to give you some thanks in return?”

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“Hmm, thanks? I didn’t treat you because I wanted something in return…”

“That will not do. I, Tessai, have decided that I shall always repay any kindness I receive. Please, would you come to my home?”

“Eh? Um?”

I was half-forced along to the home of this old man named Tessai-san. His house seemed quite spacious, though my overall impression was that it was a bit dilapidated. We entered through the back door.

“Now, please, come in.”

“Thank you for having us.”

After taking off our shoes and entering, we were guided to a reception room with tatami mats. Tessai-san quickly brewed some tea for us.

“Now, let me introduce myself properly. I am Minemaki Tessai. I thank you deeply for curing my back.”

“I am Fiene Argentata. This is Lumia. We have come to this Miyako in search of a friend.”

When I introduced myself, Tessai-san’s eyes widened for a moment in a look of surprise.

Huh? Did I say something strange?

However, he quickly returned to his gentle expression. Just as Tessai-san was about to speak, I sensed someone approaching from behind the sliding door.

“Enter.”

“Pardon the intrusion while you have guests, Master.”

A voice spoke from the other side, and the sliding door opened quietly.

The person who opened it was a middle-aged man, who immediately bowed deeply.

“What is it?”

“Yes. A challenger has come to break the dojo.”

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“Hmm. I see. Fiene-dono, I must attend to some business, so would you mind waiting here for a short while?”

“Eh? O-oh, yes.”

“Then, I shall excuse myself for a moment.”

With that, Tessai-san left us behind and went somewhere.

A dojo-breaker… that means this place is a swordsmanship dojo, and someone has probably arrived shouting, “I challenge you!”

I couldn’t think of anyone who would do such a thing other than Chris-san, but I wondered what kind of person it was.

Just as I was thinking that I hoped it was Chris-san, the middle-aged man from before brought us some rice crackers.

“My apologies for interrupting your conversation with the Master. It is because I was defeated by the maiden who came to break the dojo…”

“Eh? The dojo-breaker is a woman? What kind of person was she?”

I questioned him while snacking on the tea and rice crackers.

Maybe it really is Chris-san.

“She was quite tall for a woman. A foreigner with golden hair who calls herself Christina.”

“Pffft!”

Lu-chan and I spat out our tea at the exact same time.

“Wait! Please take me to where that dojo-breaker is. I’ll stop her!”

“Eh? Eh? I-I understand.”

When I was led to the destination, what I saw was Chris-san, sprawled out flat on her back, with Tessai-san pointing a wooden sword at her.