Episode 8: The Girl, Chocolate, and Miso Soup
Girls are unfair.
Haven’t you ever thought that? I certainly have. In fact, just a few days ago, I exclaimed, “Ah, that’s so unfair!”
I’d like to share that story now.
Let’s rewind to a few days ago, on the day I went shopping.
In this remote area where Sena and I lived, connected to Hermit Mountain, there was a town with a rather grand name. It was called Bordaf.
Bordaf was highly regarded within the Arcana Kingdom.
Although it was somewhat distant from the central region, it was strategically located along the border with a neighboring country, and due to the constant threat of vicious monsters descending from Hermit Mountain, the kingdom never underestimated its significance.
Moreover, the monsters that emerged from the mountain were all rare species, and the town thrived on the materials and magic stones brought in from their subjugation.
Not only that, being a border town also meant it served as a gateway for diplomacy. Because of its economic prosperity, many merchants from foreign lands visited.
It was said that if you were looking for something rare from the southern regions, you could find it here.
I often heard tales of nobles and wealthy collectors making the journey from the central region just to acquire these rare items.
That day, I was wandering through the market, much like a nouveau riche seeking rare treasures.
However, I wasn’t looking for exquisite weapons or masterfully crafted artifacts; I was simply in search of unique food items.
Thus, what I laid my eyes on that day could be considered a wonderful treasure that I rarely encountered.
First, there were dried goods. This was something I had been searching for a long time. Being far from the sea, this remote area often had meals dominated by meat, which left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. Dried goods, even if they were fish, could provide a flavorful broth. How wonderful!
The second item was fermented food. Not fish-based, but rather fermented soy products like soy sauce and miso. This is a versatile seasoning that anyone living in modern Japan would know. Having this would greatly expand my cooking options.
Both items were quite expensive due to the use of a Magic Bag for preservation and transport.
I had been casually tossing everything into my bag, unaware that the market vendors claimed that Magic Bags were incredibly rare.
Moreover, they told me that a bag with the same capacity as mine was considered a national treasure.
When I asked what a normal size was, they replied seriously that simply owning any size of Magic Bag could count as a fortune.
Still, the prices they quoted seemed outrageous, and I felt like they were trying to take advantage of me, but I paid without hesitation.
As an ordinary high school student summoned to another world, negotiating or haggling with seasoned adults was nearly impossible (excuses).
The town was bustling with excitement after the recent conquest of the Blade Labyrinth, and everywhere I went was filled with energy. Taverns and eateries were almost always packed, and the stalls were quite crowded as well.
Since it was lunchtime, I thought I would browse the market a bit longer before hitting the stalls.
At that moment, I overheard a young male vendor grumbling behind me.
“Ah, I came all the way here, and nothing’s selling! The people of Arcana have no taste! This is bad! My old man’s gonna chew me out!”
I had no idea why he was speaking in a Kansai dialect, but I chalked it up to the quirks of world translation. Regardless, I noticed a box in the hands of the vendor.
Inside were black grains that made me think, “No way.”
“Hey, what’s that, shopkeeper?”
“Oh, oh! You’re interested in this?”
“Yeah.”
“This is—”
It was said to be medicinal, sweet, and brought from a faraway place, making it something you couldn’t find around here, and the vendor’s Kansai dialect seemed to lend credibility to his claims.
I had traveled around various markets in the Arcana Kingdom, but this was the first time I had seen this.
“Alright, I’ll buy it!”
“Just saying you’ll buy it, do you even have the money?”
“How much?”
“Well then, how about twenty gold coins for this box of grains?”
I could almost see the vendor’s thoughts: “You’re probably gonna say you don’t have the money, right?”
“Really? That’s all? I’d pay fifty and buy another box on top of that.”
That was the moment the vendor’s eyes lit up.
I ended up buying various interesting items from the Kansai vendor, but I’ll save that story for another day.
Feeling pleased with my purchases, I was searching for an inn when I unexpectedly ran into Milan. For some reason, she was desperately tugging at my clothes, insisting, “If you’re looking for a place to stay, come stay at my house!”
Unable to refuse, I agreed to spend the night at her home.
As a thank-you for her hospitality, I offered to cook, but Maro insisted multiple times, “It’s a thank-you, so let me handle it,” and she graciously prepared a meal for us.
After dinner, Milan and I chatted about the current Hero Party, and we even played a game pretending to be Seekers (I took on the role of the boss, Milan was the Sword Saint, Fio played the Saintess, and Maro was persuaded by the children to be the Mage), making for a rather eventful night.
The next morning, I woke up just as the sun began to rise. Since I needed to prepare breakfast for Sena, I left a note along with some bread and extra potions, quietly departing from Milan’s house.
“Good morning, Ichiro.”
Having walked this path many times, I reached home in no time.
How does she always know when I’m back? Sena was waiting in front of the house. She approached me, leaning against me as usual, her weight resting on my shoulder.
“Good morning. I’ll hurry and make breakfast, so help me get ready.”
Finally facing Sena, my day began.
“Where’s that person?” I asked.
Sena placed a hand on her forehead for a moment before replying, “She said she had some errands to run.”
“I think she’ll be back soon,” Sena predicted, so I prepared breakfast for her as well, just in case.
“Ichiro.”
“What?”
“Here,”
Sena lowered a bowl of miso soup.
“It’s really warm and has a gentle flavor.”
I let out a soft sigh, and she added, “Ichiro, thank you as always.”
That was because I used water dashi, and I had secretly prepared it at Milan’s house yesterday. Hehe, it’s delicious, right?
But all that prideful explanation flew out of my mind.
I suddenly remembered the box I bought from the Kansai vendor.
“Sena, here’s a sweet treat for after your meal. Hehe,” I said, rubbing my nose, presenting it to her with pride.
“What is this—what is this?”
Sena’s teasing reaction made me feel a bit deflated.
“Don’t you know? This is chocolate, a sweet treat so popular in my world that girls battle royale over it!”
“I know, this is chocolate.”
“Don’t act like you know—well, whatever. Sena, please enjoy it at your leisure.”
Sena picked one up and popped it into her mouth.
“—～～～!!” Her eyes sparkled, and she wore a blissful expression.
As she licked the remnants off her fingers, I thought, “Is she a cat?” but I didn’t say it out loud. Instead, I asked, “How was it?”
“Delicious. Amazing. Chocolate is amazing.”
It seemed the overwhelming deliciousness had wiped out Sena’s limited vocabulary.
As I shrugged, she murmured, “But—”
“Hm?”
“I prefer your miso soup over chocolate, Ichiro.”
She continued, “Ichiro, I want to drink your miso soup every day.”
My heart nearly stopped.
Did she really mean that? I couldn’t ask. But still,
“Is that so?”
As I tried to ask, Sena tilted her head and said, “What?”
Just that made it impossible for me to ask anything further.
Was this little devilry intentional or not? Only God and Sena knew the answer.
Girls really are unfair creatures, I thought to myself.
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This concludes this chapter.
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