Chapter 122: Nostalgic Smell
「Haaー, tatami mats after a long timeー」
Following my drink after the bath, I lay down in my own room since I still have some time until dinner.
This room - which is as wide as the dining room in the mansion - has tatami mats laid out on the ground, giving the feeling of it being a Japanese-style room.
The calming cream-colored walls are made using fine quality wood, giving you a sense of security without the feeling of being locked up inside the room.
……I wonder. It’s been quite a while since I’ve been inside this sort of Japanese-style room, it slightly lifted my spirits and made me feel nostalgic.
Thus, when I lay down on the tatami mat, a faint smell drifted from it.
Aah, such a nostalgic smell. I often took a nap in my grandma’s Japanese-style room.
Eating watermelon, or taking a nap while listening to the sound of wind bell in the well-ventilated Japanese-style room……
The smell is something that has a close connection with my memories.
As I was having my fill of the smell of tatami after a long time, I got up and went to the window.
Since I’m not tall enough, I placed a chair and stood on top of it to open the window.
My room is on the second floor of the ryokan. Naturally, when it comes to the surrounding buildings, the ryokan is bigger, even the second floor is pretty high, and I can see the surrounding scenery.
I can easily see the sun setting into the sea in the distance, and the streets of Kagura illuminated in crimson color.
「……it's a fine scenery」
I muttered while staring at the scene and putting my elbow on the windowsill.
The feeling of the gentle wind blowing as if it caresses your cheeks is nice. Feeling your bangs swaying slightly.
When I looked down on the main street from the second floor of the ryokan, I could see numerous people, such as a woman wearing brightly colored Kagura clothes or a man wearing clothes in subdued color walking around relaxedly.
A man running around while carrying something that was made of wooden material, boys and girls running around the place as they happily raised their voices.
What the heck is that man’s job anyway, and even just imagining what kind of games those children are playing with the things in their hands is fun.
It looks like it’s the same with the Japan that I used to live in, but they probably have an entirely different life and culture. As for why, well, they have magic here after all.
Either way, even if they have a similar culture, they lived in the past-Japan compared to the modern times where I used to live, but I only know about their superficial part from history books and dorama, so for me not being able to recognize their culture is a matter of course.
I wonder if the scenery of Japan in the past looks like this? When I think about that, it feels as if I time-travel back to the past, which is an interesting thought.
I feel quite happy about that and it makes me want to go sightseeing.
But, it’s getting late now and I’m tired, so I can go out. I can do it tomorrow anyway, so I will look forward to it.
「Oーi! Al! Time for dinner!」
「C’mon, let’s go!」
「Uwaa, what a nice room. Indeed, the wider the room is, the more comfortable it is to live in.」
When I was vacantly staring at the scenery outside while thinking about such things, the door suddenly opened and Roomba, Irvine, and Mort entered the room.
「I’m happy that you call for me, but can’t you knock?」
「Food is more important than that right now! Let’s go Al!」
Even when I told them that, it seems that Roomba’s already thinking about nothing but the food, he pushed my back to urge me on.
Oh well, I’m also hungry right now so let’s hurry then.
In the end, it’s going to be our first Kagura dish, and it’s a dinner at the ryokan.
I wear the geta that was prepared in the room while my expectations grew.
Of course, Roomba and the others are all wearing geta.
The brand new footwear is enjoyable and novel, and it’s easy to wear since I can wear the geta barefoot.
After I finished wearing the geta just like them, I went out to the hallway.
『Are you going to do it again this time?』
『Aah, of course. But there you don’t make any mistakes in securing the item, right?』
『But of course. I’ve even gone as far as snatching them from the other room so I won’t get caught by the proprietress and employees.』
『Then, there is no problem.』
In the hallway, Toriela Firm’s workers are walking in groups after they had finished carrying the luggage and taking their bath.
Soon, the hallway was enveloped by the people’s discussion, it somehow feels like a field trip.
Even so, swiping the item, I wonder what are they talking about? I’m a little worried about it.
It’s hard to hear them since everyone is wearing geta and the sound of their steps is resounding in the hallway.
「This geta is so comfortable to wearー. I will definitely buy it and bring it back home.」
「It’s nice being able to wander around and put it on right away even when you’re barefoot, right. And since the sole is high, it’s difficult for sand to get in even when we use it to walk outside.」
Irvine and Mort talk about the geta.
That’s right, I’ve also decided to bring those geta back home. Everyone else has slippers, so they might need it but, I wonder about that? They might not like it and say something like, it’s hard to walk on or the sole is high if I brought them something like the one we are wearing right now.
No, the one with a short sole will be even easier to wear, so it will be cool in the coming summer season later, and they might be pleased with it.
Just that, I’m scared when Eleonora-neesan gets angry as I give her this. Unlike the slippers, it has quite the hardness to it, so I think it will hurt a lot when you use them to hit someone. This is troubling………
「I’m looking forward to Kagura’s food!」
Oh well, that’s not important right now. Now is the time for Kagura’s food isn’t it. I agree with Roomba.
◆ ◆ ◆
Inside a Japanese-style room in the ryokan, Tsubaki no Ma. It’s a room that can not be compared to the one where I was spending my time before, it was wide enough it makes me think that it’s something like a large banquet hall.
It felt great when the tatami mats are arranged at such length.
I took off my geta while being surprised by the size of the Tsubaki no Ma.
There are plenty of long tables arranged on the tatami mats, and on top of those tables, colorful Kagura’s dishes are lined up.
Ohh, just as you’d expect from Kagura. There are sashimi and also soy sauce.
「Uohhー, that’s awfully beautiful. It’s unlike those showy, noble dishes.」
The moment Irvine laid his eyes on the Kagura’s dishes lined up on the table, he raised his voice in admiration.
Incidentally, the term ‘noble dishes’ that he said are mainly used by people who serve the nobles, like the maids, butlers, and their knights. I’ve heard the maids and butlers at the royal capital's party complaining about something along the lines of 『eating noble dishes』.
「Where are our seats? 」
Roomba - who can’t help himself but want to immediately take his seat and eat - looked around and muttered.
The employees of the Firm are already sitting at the tables nearby, at a glance, it’s difficult to decide which seat is unoccupied.
「I’m pretty much a noble, so I think I will get the seat of honor. Look, Tori and the others are over there.」
At the table far back from the entrance, Aleutia and Ilya were sitting there with Tori, and four unoccupied cushions (zabuton) were left there.
Perhaps they also notice me pointing in their direction, they smiled and waved at us.
Now that we have found our seats, we moved to the seat of honor and sit on the cushion.
Secretary-san, Roomba, Tori, then me.
Then there are Irvine, Mort, Ilya, and Aleutia lined up. In front of me are Aleutia and Ilya - who were wearing yukata -, so the view is gorgeous.
「Nevertheless, this is such a lavish dinner」
「Well, Alfried-sama was looking forward to Kagura’s dishes, right. So I chose an inn that serves delicious meals, y’know.」
The dishes were lined up on the table, there is rice, fish grilled with salt, steak, simmered vegetables, an assortment of sashimi, dishes I’ve never seen before, a bowl with a gorgeous lid on it, and so on.
The three-dimensional manner of how they arranged the dishes made it looks delicious, the brightly colored vegetables, how they cut the food into shapes, how they select the plate to match the ingredients, it was something to please the guest before they eat it.
Bartolo would have been absolutely delighted if I showed him this. I think that this kind of technique to make the dish look delicious can be used in ordinary meals.
「What is this? Ooh! It’s rice, huh!」
In the middle of the table is a big container, Roomba opened it and shouted in joy.
「Yes, please have those if you want to get another helping. If it becomes empty, we will bring you a new one if you ask for more.」
I don’t know when did she came here, but the proprietress’s voice came from behind us.
「Ooh! So I can eat as much as I wanted to, huh!」
「That’s right!」
Aah, that big container that was for a five-person share will be done in by Roomba alone, I guess.
「……it doesn’t seem to be an octopus」
「……right. I’m glad」
As for Aleutia and Ilya, they look relieved after check-ing on the assortment of sashimi in front of them.
Apparently, they became lightly traumatized after unknowingly eating that octopus.
I would also be surprised if octopus dishes came out at the ryokan after I said that I won’t eat them.
「Oh? What’s this? The lid won’t open, y’know? Was it stuck to something?」
Irvine voiced his doubt as he took a bowl’s lid.
That often happened with clear soup broth (suimono).
(Suimono) something like this
If I remember correctly if you put a lid on a container that was filled with something warm, it will depressurize and the lid will be stuck firmly to the container since the temperature dropped and the volume will decrease.
Here in Kagura, they have rice, so I expect they have something like miso soup.
「Aah, it would be easier to open it if you press the bowl and let some air in.」
The proprietress quietly moved to the other side beside Irvine and show him how to do open it.
「Ooh, then what about this brown soup?」
「It’s a clear broth soup called miso soup. It looks like a soup, isn’t it」
And as I expected, there was a miso soup there.
As expected from Kagura, they even made something like miso. As for me, I’m part of the Japanese-food-in-the-morning group so I’m really happy with it.
From now on, I’ll have the Japanese set of rice with miso soup, fish, and omelet for breakfast. Logan will also be delighted. I’m going to negotiate with him to make something like a takoyaki grill pan.
As we were lightly informed about the dishes in front of us, Tori stood up to see if all the employees were already present or not.
Everyone was holding a sake cup in their hand while eagerly waiting for dinner.
Incidentally, mine is green tea since I can’t drink sake. How lonesome.
「Now then, everyone is already on their seat, right? Well nowー, we have finally arrived at Kagura, right. It feels like such a long journey even though it’s actually a short one, yeah. But, well, there are all sorts of things I would like to say in front of such appetizing meals, but for now, please eat and drink as much as you want to recharge and relieve the fatigue from the journey! Kanpai!」
「「Kanpai!」」
Along with Tori’s kanpai, everyone also raised their sake cup.
Yes, we’ve finally arrived at Kagura.
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