Volume 5, Chapter 9 – Yukawa Hot Spring (5)

After leaving the banana plantation, we walked back toward the center of town, following the river downstream.

Then, something strange caught the corner of my eye.

“What is that!?”

Something resembling a rock was floating on the river’s surface in the distance, with bulging eyes sticking out from either side.

The other three looked back in the direction I was pointing.

“Is there… something in the river?”

“Hmm, I can’t see anything.”

Perhaps because of the distance, the two of them couldn’t see it. Shizuku-san squinted, staring intently.

“…Hm? Could it be that rock-like thing? It looks as though it moved slightly.”

“Yes! That’s it! That rock-looking thing has vertical pupils on both sides!”

“Hah, you have quite the eyesight to see that from this distance.”

“Well… either way, let’s go check it out.”

As we approached the river, an old man called out to us.

“Now then, young ladies. You mustn’t get too close to the river.”

“But there’s something over there.”

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“Ho—to see that from this distance, you’ve got some sharp eyes. Crocodiles live in that river. If you approach carelessly, you’ll be eaten. If you want to see them, you should go to the Crocodile Park.”

Huh? Crocodiles? Is this also thanks to the power of the hot springs? And they’re farming crocodiles here?

“If you go to the Crocodile Park, you can eat a full-course crocodile meal. Since you’re here, why not give it a try?”

“Eh? You can eat crocodiles?”

“Onee-sama! Let’s go! Sluuurp .”

Lu-chan’s appetite switch had been flipped. Once that happens, we have no choice but to go eat crocodile meat.

I-I mean, I’m kind of interested too, right?

And so, we made our way toward the Crocodile Park the old man had told us about.

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“So this is the Crocodile Meat Restaurant!”

As soon as we arrived at the Crocodile Park, those words burst out of Lu-chan.

“Ahaha, well, you’re not wrong. This is a crocodile farm, but the only way to view them is through the cafeteria windows.”

The young man serving as both receptionist and waiter explained cheerfully.

We were promptly guided to seats by the window.

Below us was a crocodile tank, where several large crocodiles were basking in the sun, looking quite cozy.

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I looked at the menu, but surprisingly, there was essentially only one dish.

The lunch set only came in three tiers: Pine, Bamboo, and Plum.

The “Pine” was the full course, consisting of fried crocodile, teriyaki crocodile, crocodile and tofu meatballs, a soy-based soup with crocodile tail and vegetables, plus pickles and rice.

The “Bamboo” set lacked the meatballs, and for the “Plum” set, the soup was replaced with miso soup.

We ordered the Pine lunch set for everyone.

Lu-chan looked a bit dissatisfied since there were no side dishes, but even a glutton like Lu-chan didn’t go as far as ordering multiple of the same set.

“Thanks for waiting.”

The young man from before brought our meals.

I said itadakimasu and started with the soup first.

The soup itself was flavorful and delicious, with a strong ginger aroma that masked any gaminess from the meat.

I tried a piece of what seemed to be crocodile meat. It had a very light, mild taste.

But… have I eaten this somewhere before?

Next, I tried the meatballs.

They were coated in a sweet-and-salty soy glaze with a sprinkle of shichimi chili pepper, giving them a slight kick.

It felt like I was eating yakitori meatballs, but thanks to the tofu, the soft and fluffy texture was irresistible.

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“These meatballs are delicious. Here, Lu-chan, you can have the rest of mine.”

As usual, I passed the portions I couldn’t finish to Lu-chan.

“Yay! Thank you, Onee-sama!”

Lu-chan ate with a look of pure bliss. Good. It seems she likes it.

Next, I tried teriyaki.

Yeah, it wasn’t bad, but teriyaki would probably taste better if the meat had a bit more fat.

Actually, do we even need to go out of our way to make this with crocodile meat?

Finally, I popped a piece of the fried chicken—or rather, fried crocodile—into my mouth.

“Ah, this is… the same as yesterday…”

“I thought so…”

“Ah, indeed. It is the same meat as yesterday’s fried chicken.”

“Mmm, it’s delicious! Huh? If nobody wants theirs, can I have them?”

“Yes, go right ahead.”

I passed my remaining fried and teriyaki crocodile to Lu-chan.

It’s not that it wasn’t tasty. Yeah… how should I put it… it was just a little too plain. It wasn’t exactly the kind of flavor that makes you excited to eat.

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Oh, but Lu-chan seems to love it, and everyone has different tastes!

After enjoying the crocodile cuisine, we asked the young man if we could observe the crocodile tank for a bit. Seeing the crocodiles lounging lazily in the sun made me think they might actually be kind of cute.

“In Yukawa, thanks to the hot springs bubbling up everywhere, the rivers and surrounding areas stay warm all the time. I suppose it’s because it stays warm even in the dead of winter. Only in this area do creatures different from the surrounding regions live. These crocodiles are just like that. Apparently, people tried to raise livestock like chickens in the past, but they were either eaten by crocodiles or collapsed from the heat. So, they decided it would be better to just eat the crocodiles that already lived here, and that’s how crocodile farming started.”

“Hah, so it has that kind of history.”

“That said, they still raise chickens in areas far from the hot spring sources. Since we have crocodiles here, I’ve been wondering if we can use them to attract more tourists. Hey, miss, you’re from abroad—what do you think?”

Wouldn’t it be better to ask someone from the Miko Nation rather than us foreigners, who hardly ever come here?

Despite thinking that, I answered seriously.

“Well, I prefer chicken meat over crocodile meat. It’s a bit too bland. But on the flip side, that kind of meat is healthy, so it might work if you market it for dieting or health purposes.”

“I see, that’s a good point. Yeah, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

With that, I paid and left the Crocodile Park. Then, on the way back, a thought occurred to me.

Wait? Since the mere fact that crocodiles live near the town is rare, wouldn’t wild crocodile watching, the bananas, and the geysers be enough to sustain tourism on their own?

With that lingering feeling of confusion, I returned to the inn.