Chapter 95: Agedashi Tofu

Chapter 95:
Agedashi Tofu

 

Underneath the ever-blue sky, the boat drifted across the ocean.

On the deck, which shifted to and fro, Alice dug in her heels and stood. In her hand was a large staff made from an ancient tree. A complex pattern was carved into the magic staff, which Alice’s master had made especially for her. She gripped it tightly and began awkwardly chanting one of the “spells” her master had taught her.

“Go!” She fired the spell with gusto.

A glowing arrow of light erupted from the end of Alice’s staff and smacked into the open sea. Alice had been taught never to aim her magic at a living creature while practicing, so she took great care to avoid doing so.

To grow familiar with using—and eventually mastering—magic, Alice had been given a bit of homework. Firing magic arrows was part of that. When Alice’s master had been as young as Alice was, her parents had taught her in the same way. She’d apparently fired magic arrows at stones and such.

After repeating this attack against the ocean three times, Alice sat back down, exhausted. “I’m bored.”

Caring little about dirtying her clothes, she let herself sit on the ship deck and stared at the endlessly blue sky. About half a month had passed since she and her master had begun their journey across the ocean. Alice was terribly bored of it all.

“Give me something to dooooo.”

Before Alice and her master had boarded the ship, some straight-eared people had told them that the journey would be perilous. Sometimes, there were huge rainstorms. It was even possible that a sea monster would attack them.

If anyone fell into the ocean during a catastrophe like either of those, they’d be doomed. Heck, lots of ships sank to the ocean floor before ever reaching their intended destination. However large the ship, one poor encounter with a massive storm or giant monster was all it took.

Alice had been terrified when she’d heard all that, and even her master had ended up changing her plans. Deciding to stay in town for a bit, she’d headed deep into the nearby woods, cut a branch off a tree, and ultimately turned it into a staff that made it easier for Alice to wield magic in self-defense. Then Alice’s master had bought and made all kinds of potions, cast magic on her bow and arrows, and prepared in advance for crossing the ocean.

Since that fateful day when Alice’s master had found her abandoned in the woods, Alice had learned so many things.

The reason the trip had been so smooth up until now was likely the amulet that the friendly witch lady in the seaside town had given them. It was made of a stone and a shell that she’d found deep within the ocean.

I doubt that any of the ocean god’s followers would be foolish enough to attack you with one of these. It even has the power to keep storms away. Still, be careful.

Alice recalled the surprised expression on her master’s face when the witch lady had given her the amulet. The young girl didn’t know the details, but she could just barely tell that the amulet was full of strong magical power.

And so, her first journey by ship had gone swimmingly. Too swimmingly, in fact. Alice wasn’t sure whether it was because of her amulet, but nothing bad had happened. She simply sat on the ship as it swayed to and fro endlessly, bored out of her mind. That had to be a good thing, right?

After sitting on the deck for a while, Alice sighed and stood up. “Guess I’ll go back!”

Her master, the elf mage Fardania, was currently holed up in her room. Fardania figured that, if she had all this free time, she might as well use it to complete some of the magical research she’d been doing. She was jotting down all kinds of things on paper, casting magic, and generally staying too busy to keep Alice company.

“Master’s new magic… Didn’t she say she was gonna finish today?”

Alice thought back on what she and Fardania had spoken of that morning. Her master desperately wanted to finish her work today, so she’d told the young girl to give her some time alone in their cabin.

“I wonder if she’s done.” Alice looked up at the sky. The sun was starting to look as though it was setting.

What sort of magic was her master working on? The young girl desperately hoped it would rid her of her boredom. With that thought in mind, Alice headed below deck to the small, dark cabin she shared with her master.

“Yes! It’s done!” Fardania exclaimed.

Just as Alice arrived at the windowless room lit by her master’s magic, Fardania had completed her research. “Ah, Alice! Perfect timing. I’m all done. Brand new magic!”

“Um…um…congratulations?”

Alice wasn’t sure how to reply to her master, who was usually the epitome of calm and cool. Nonetheless, she offered her words of congratulations.

Alice’s response put a smile on Fardania’s face. “Thanks! It took a wee bit more time than I expected, but, eh, easy as pie for someone like me!”

The elf had first begun work on this magic over half a year ago. There was no way that a human or half-elf mage could do something that Fardania couldn’t, and that thought had driven her to start her research.

Now, after all that time, her hard work had paid off. Of course, she was on cloud nine.

“Wow.” Seeing her master so excited was enough to pique Alice’s curiosity. “What kinda magic is it?”

“A type of summoning magic. Using a spell, I alter the flow of magical power and call forth something from a faraway place or another dimension that fits certain requirements. Basically, it’s magic that lets me bring stuff I want to myself directly.”

Fardania explained her new magic in the simplest terms to the fascinated young girl.

“Wooow. So, are you gonna summon something now?”

“But of course!” Fardania nodded. “That’s why I spent all night trying to finish up!” On the floor of the cabin was a magic circle that she’d drawn without permission. She began to pour her magical energy into it, chanting.

The knowledge Fardania had gained over the course of a hundred years, the new knowledge she’d acquired during her short-but-wonderful journey—this was magic born of the techniques she’d picked up on her travels, born of Fardania’s entire being. However much the ship rocked back and forth atop the waves, that truth couldn’t be moved.

Eventually, Fardania picked up on a nostalgic presence through the magic circle—the familiar feel of the forest where she’d spent most of her life. Amid the trees was the single object that had inspired her to begin her journey.

All right! She drew it close to her and summoned it. “Come to me, door!”

Fardania completed the spell, and the desired object stood in the magic circle.

Seeing the familiar entranceway in the room, Alice gasped. “Wait—is this the door to Nekoya?”

Since the morning following her fateful encounter with her master, she’d passed through that door with a cat illustration numerous times.

“That’s right! If I hadn’t finished the spell today, we’d have had to wait another seven days. I worked really hard to make it in time!” Satisfied that her magic had succeeded, Fardania gulped. “Now then, shall we?”

“Yay!” Alice replied, a big smile on her face.

Within the narrow cabin on the ship, the sound of bells rang out.

It’d been nearly a month since Alice and Fardania had set foot onto solid ground. Both let out sighs of relief. They’d avoided being attacked by monsters or swept up into storms. Still, for an elf, there was something terribly comforting about standing on solid ground. That served as a firm reminder to Fardania that elves just weren’t meant to be on the open sea.

And so, she made an order that she normally wouldn’t have.

 

***

 

“They don’t care how long it takes—they just want to drink miso soup?”

The master couldn’t help repeating Aletta’s words back to her in surprise. Miso soup came with nearly every meal set on the menu. Aside from the special pork version served on Meat Day, nobody had ever specifically ordered miso soup by itself before.

“Yeah. The pair over there.”

“Ah. I get it now.”

Once the master confirmed that the two guests were regulars—the sisters who’d recently begun to drop by together—he immediately caught on to what they wanted.

He’d heard in the past that there was a race of pointy-eared beings who never aged and hated food made from animals. Now that he thought about it, the master realized that none of his pointy-eared guests had aged in years. He remembered the blonde-haired girl in particular because she’d ordered a meal with no meat, fish, milk, or eggs on her very first visit.

Since Nekoya’s miso soup used bonito stock, its scent alone made it no good to serve to them.

“Well, if they really want miso soup, I suppose I could make some using kelp stock. But, you know what…it’d be a waste not to cook a meal to go with it. They’re basically leaving it up to me anyway!”

“What’re you going to make?” Aletta asked.

“I’m gonna serve them a new dish I thought up not too long ago.”

The master peered into the large fridge. After thinking for a bit, he pulled out the firm silky tofu. When it comes to texture, silky tofu goes best with miso soup.

He cut a big chunk off the tofu and wrapped it in a dishcloth, placing a dish on top of it. “Now then, I suppose I’ll get to the miso soup.”

It would take a bit of time for the tofu to drain. Meanwhile, the master checked other customers’ orders, filled a small pot with water for the sauce, and started making miso soup without bonito.

Fardania and Alice were taking in the sights. It’d been quite some time since their last visit, after all. It would be a while before their food came out, due to their order. However, the fruity ice water was far more thirst-quenching than the old, bad-smelling water on the ship.

The sound of customers happily chatting filled their long ears—not the sound of endless waves, the ship creaking, or the snores of other travelers with too much free time on their hands.

Among the guests was Fardania’s friend, happily enjoying a plate of rice and natto spaghetti. The witch Fardania had met in town—likely not human—was also present.

Fardania was relieved. I’m glad they’re both doing well.

Since departing on their journey to cross the ocean, Fardania and Alice had had no idea what was happening on the mainland, besides brief island stops to restock. As far as the mage could tell, little had changed.

Eventually, a demon waitress came out with food in hand. “Sorry for the wait! Here’s your agedashi tofu!”

“Thank you.” Upon getting a whiff of the dish’s aroma, Fardania instinctively expressed her gratitude.

She glanced at the meal in the deep bowl. During her time in the other world, she’d developed a habit of staring at her meals and trying to figure them out.

Steam rose off the brown miso soup and white rice. Off to the side were some yellow pickles. The main course—a somewhat sweet-smelling yellow square drenched in dark brown sauce—sat in the center of the dish. On top of this square were some dark green vegetables and a light yellow something or other.

I’m guessing that this is a tofu dish. The tofu’s color and overall look were different than usual, but since the dish’s name had “tofu” in it, Fardania was sure she was right.

It’s yellow…which means he fried it in oil.

There were lots of oil-fried food in the port town. Fardania also saw fried food fairly often at the Restaurant to Another World.

The sauce’s sweet aroma, along with the faint scent of something fried in high-quality oil, was enough to whet her appetite.

Meanwhile, Alice was already digging in, her cheeks nice and full. “Hey, this is really tasty! It’s kinda spicy, though!”

Since beginning her new life, the young girl had accompanied her master to Nekoya many times, and the food was delicious every time. Thus, Alice had no reservations about digging into any and every new dish the restaurant presented to her.

As usual, she was immediately pleased by how tasty this new meal was.

“Then I suppose I’ll have to dig in, too.” Fardania grinned at Alice and looked at the dish.

First, let’s figure out what this is.

The elf carefully cut a piece without sauce. Her silver knife sliced through the block’s golden-yellow crust smoothly, revealing the dish’s white insides.

Fardania stabbed the slice with her fork and took a bite. Yeah, definitely tofu.

Her expectations weren’t betrayed, but in a strange way, she was still surprised.

The slightly sweet flavor, reminiscent of elf beans, was in fact tofu; its aromatic crust had been fried in oil. All of that was as Fardania expected.

The crust was thin, and had a different flavor than the tofu beneath it. Its savory taste added something extra to the tofu’s light flavor. Fardania had assumed that the tofu’s crust was likely coated with some kind of fried flour.

But it’s firmer than usual. No, it’s hard. She rolled the piece around her mouth with her tongue, taking great care to taste it slowly.

The surface of the tofu was tougher than tofu steak. That said, “tough” tofu was still extremely tender compared to most foods. In this case, however, the tofu was so tough that it didn’t fall apart when Fardania bit it.

Furthermore, its flavor was stronger; the aromatic taste of elf beans spread through Fardania’s mouth.

What’s up with this?

Fardania often found herself lost as to how a dish in the other world was cooked, even if she understood its ingredients. She raised her head and noticed Alice looking at her, befuddled.

“Um…um…do you like it?”

“I do. I do.” Fardania chuckled.

She understood why the younger girl would be confused. After all, she’d taken a single bite and then worn a conflicted expression on her face.

This time, Fardania cut a big piece of tofu with sauce and put it into her mouth. Tasting the dish once more, she couldn’t help but offer her impressions. “Ah! This is delicious.”

The taste of rich oil in the tofu’s fried crust fused the firm, white tofu’s rich flavor and the sweet, salty glaze of soy sauce, sugar, and even alcohol. The handful of somewhat-spicy yellow roots and dark green sliced vegetables on top brought out the dish’s flavor further.

“Right?!” Alice’s face sparkled as she listened to Fardania.

Slightly overwhelmed by Alice’s childish smile, Fardania turned her attention to the soup. “Let’s try some of this as well. It was our main objective, after all.”

The palm-sized bowl of brown miso soup was ever so slightly different from what the master had served to other customers. Square pieces of carefully cut tofu and green ocean weeds floated in the liquid.

Fardania glanced at the soup other customers were drinking; it appeared largely the same, but the scent was different. The very faint aroma that, as an elf, usually turned her off from miso soup was gone. All she smelled was miso.

Fardania used her spoon to scoop up some soup and took a sip.

Aaah!

Her first taste of the otherworldly restaurant’s miso soup was as delicious as she expected. The seaweed had melded with the soup, adding a saltiness that her tongue absorbed. The ocean weeds themselves absorbed the miso’s savory flavor and had their own unique mouthfeel, while the square bits of soft tofu fell apart quickly.

This wasn’t the usual soup for humans, which had some sort of minor fish ingredient mixed in. Fardania wished the seaweed soup was the standard miso soup that the master served at Nekoya; it really was that delicious.

Watching Fardania drink the soup, Alice decided to try some for herself.

“Whoooa!” She found the liquid far too hot, making her ears tremble in surprise.

It didn’t take the young girl long to try again. A silver spoon in hand, she soon devoured her miso soup. Fardania could tell that Alice was also quite fond of the seaweed broth, and for some reason, she found herself oddly satisfied by the girl’s reaction.

The elf placed a few pickles atop her rice and took a bite. The salty vegetables and sweet white rice restored her miso-soaked tongue to normal, and soon, she turned her attention back to the agedashi tofu.

Now then.

When it came to the Restaurant to Another World, Fardania was a veteran. She knew well that the taste of the restaurant’s dishes tended to evolve after some time passed. In exchange for losing its rich aroma fresh out of the kitchen, a dish often gained a new flavor, or became slightly more tender. That allowed any given dish to be enjoyed in a novel way.

Judging by its appearance, agedashi tofu was one such dish. After Fardania took a single bite, that much was made clear to her.

Mmm. I knew it.

The sauce had soaked into the tofu’s crisp surface, revealing a brand-new persona. The tofu no longer smelled of high-quality oil. Its sauce-soaked crust had softened and tasted sweet instead. That cloying taste enwrapped the tofu’s flavor.

It’s actually too rich by itself. Fardania took a bite of rice. Its taste fused with the main dish’s heaviness, bringing out its savory flavor even further.

Yeah, this is the stuff.

Satisfied with the rice and tofu, Fardania continued to dig in until she noticed a pair of eyes on her.

Alice was looking at her jealously. There was no longer any agedashi tofu left on the young girl’s plate.

Fardania grinned and gave Alice half of her portion.