569 Soul Food
"Saito? That's your name huh. Fumu, it's got an unusual ring to it. Hm, pardon, that was uncalled for. My bad. Forgive me."
Balga bowed while apologizing.
"Oh I don't really mind. I do think it's unusual myself."
In this world, calling myself with a katakana name would feel weird. I don't want to be called 'Michael' or 'Bill' with this Japanese face of mine.
Hence, what slipped out naturally was my old name, 'Saito'. But the characters that make up that name must be different in this world than what I have in mind, same with pronunciation and nuances.
Guess it'll do just fine as a nickname.
The waitress came by just as we were about to finish our meal.
She carried a tray with that dazzling white object on it.
"O, ooooh! Oooooooh!"
My tension went up to MAX. It's white rice. The light of its hopeful existence dazzled me.
There's also a teapot.
"You may pour the soup in this into the container."
It's stock soup tea. This inn is simply perfect.
(Rice is in this world... Amazing... I wanna cry.)
I was sure it couldn't conveniently exist in this fantasy world.
The happiness in front of me makes all of that stuff irrelevant.
"Ah, so good... This must be seaweed stock soup... Uu, this is happiness..."
I immediately poured the tea on my rice. The taste heals my soul I can't stop my tears.
Balga had a 'What's wrong with you?' look on his face.
But he seemingly couldn't find a word to comment and kept it to himself.
Balga also poured tea on his rice and worked on it.
We ate our own ochazuke silently.
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"What a curious taste. I love it, but well, if I got to say. I've got nothing on you, Saito. I'm guessing you're familiar with this meal, no? ...Well, I won't be boorish and pry today."
He must have watched me as I skillfully handled my chopsticks.
Of course, this world likely has no culture of eating with chopsticks. No wait, that Hinomoto country probably has one.
But that can't be true to this city, chopsticks are likely reserved to specific inns.
Yet I could handle my way with them even though this was my first time here.
Balga must think I came from somewhere with a different culture.
"This inn was built by president of a company at a faraway port town, you see. It's packed full with cutting edge stuff. What's more, all of this is nothing more than a pastime to that president. That company deals in seafood, they're loaded. You're aware how much it costs to stay here yeah?"
It wouldn't have been strange if this inn costed way more considering this world's standards.
Can't believe this whole place is just someone's pastime. Wonder how much are they in the red?
"The inn serves as a promotion for the products used in this meal. I'm talking about seafood. Once you get a taste, you'd want to know where they're sold. They're for sale at the souvenir shop here which sells out every day."
So a loss leader huh. Even so, isn't that just too lofty? Even if they had a souvenir shop to sell goods.
"And yet the sources of this inn's foundation and all the techs in it is wrapped in a mystery. Well, I can see why they'd want to keep it to themselves. Rumors on the streets say that the president hosted a Hinomoto guest at the port town. This inn was built the year after."
Yep, that's it. Must be. That Hinomoto guest must have been given a cheat from the god here. Either knowledge or technological cheat.
The latter if they made it themselves. The former if they had craftsmen make it for them.
(The architectural style is also that of Japan. Ah but even if they have that stuffed in their head, there's no telling if it's just memory like in my case.)
Our break after meal was over while we were talking about this inn's past.
And it's now time to fulfill my supposed promise, showing Balga my katana.
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