“What are these?” Marie asked. “Boards with a lot of gaps in them?”
“They are quite detailed, and there is a regularity to the design,” Wridra noted. “They seem to be parts for something, but they are all connected with pieces of plastic.”
The old man chuckled in amusement as the two women stared with great interest. He then smiled and grunted as he stood up.
“I’ll make some tea while you two try to figure out what it is. I think that would be more fun than just giving you the answer.”
They told him that the tea wouldn’t be necessary, but his smile only grew as he told them, “You still haven’t solved the mystery.” Wridra seemed to have lighthearted fun earlier, but now she had a mystery to solve. It would damage her pride as an Arkdragon if she couldn’t answer a question from a human.
“Hmm... There are six of these slabs full of gaps. They are each different in color as well,” Wridra observed. She furrowed her brow, then picked up one of the plastic pieces.
Humans created many strange contraptions, and they sometimes made things that far exceeded her expectations. Cooking was once the prime example of this, but this object had no smell or taste. The old man had a strange air about him, so she wondered if he was using some sort of illusion.
Suddenly, Marie turned to her, wide-eyed. She looked as if she had just made a great discovery and turned a box in Wridra’s direction. It featured an old picture of what seemed to be some sort of vehicle.
“I think this is what it’s supposed to be!” Marie exclaimed.
Wridra furrowed her brow as she stared at the piece of plastic again. She wasn’t seeing it; it looked nothing like the picture. Marie then pointed out each piece as if she were teaching a student that was slow to catch on.
“See? This round part is just like the picture here. If you connect here and here... Do you see it now?”
“Hm! Yes, I see it!”
The old man returned just as they discovered the vital clue. The sliding door rattled open, and he handed them tea from a tray.
“You ladies sure are smart. These are called plastic model kits. This one hasn’t been assembled yet, but with a little time and effort...it’ll end up looking like this.”
With that, he placed the finished model on the table: some sort of large, foreign, two-wheeled vehicle. They recognized it from a previous car ride, and the two couldn’t help but let out an awestruck cheer at the model with rubber tires, precise wheels, and a charming design that inspired childlike wonder.
They couldn’t believe such an exquisite toy came about by putting the pieces together like a type of three-dimensional puzzle. They were just pieces of plastic, but a little bit of painting and filing breathed life into them, making them look just like the real thing.
“Ah, this is beautiful! I have always thought large motorcycles are aesthetically pleasing,” Wridra said with amazement.
“Ha ha, Italian bikes are masculine yet classy. You see many motorcycles nowadays, but I think something about these makes them special.”
The old man paused to take a sip of tea.
People were letting go of things like motorcycles, cars, and even luxury items in general. It wasn’t just that transportation methods had improved since the old days, but it seemed people had moved on to other forms of entertainment. The old man wasn’t lamenting, however. He was all smiles as he put a plate down, which had something that looked like charred nuts. He gestured for the girls to eat.
Ginkgo nuts were part of the autumn tradition. Mariabelle made a strange face at their distinctive smell. Monkeys and even mice didn’t eat ginkgo because of its sulfuric scent. Still skeptical, she tried the smooth, green, bean-like object and was surprised by its depth of flavor. The elf and dragon exchanged wide-eyed looks. The old man laughed again, amused by their reactions.
“Do you remember there was a ginkgo biloba tree nearby? This is one treat that won’t get lost in the sands of time.”
It seemed the two had found another hint for the manor. Some things faded away while others aged gracefully, and the difference was the connection they had with people. This clue would surely help when the time came to name their manor or events.
There was something distinctly comforting about the old man’s smile that reminded them of Kitase.
The sliding door rattled open, and the elf girl was holding something she hadn’t had before. The square box had an illustration of a large tank on it, and she was holding it up with both hands like she had discovered a treasure.
“Ahh, what an amazing purchase! I hope we didn’t spend too much,” Marie said.
“Certainly not,” Wridra said. “He gave us quite the discount. It was kind of him to lend us some tools as well.”
“Right! Now, let’s go build this tank together!”
The rosy-cheeked elf looked quite adorable in the old man’s eyes. Old-fashioned plastic models were being forgotten as time went on, but the old man couldn’t help but smile when looking at the girls. He was still a businessman through and through, seeming to have thrown in a shrimp and pulled out a whale.
§
“I’m home... Huh?”
I looked around, but nobody was there. No, I heard some cheerful chatter from the bathroom, so they were probably in there together. I tried calling out to them and heard an energetic “Welcome home!” as expected. I could tell they had had a fun day just from the tone of their voices.
I loosened my tie and removed my jacket, then noticed something unfamiliar: a bunch of ginkgo nuts on the table and a finely crafted plastic model tank.
“Hm...? Ginkgo and a tank?” I said to myself.
I picked up each of them, then my brain stopped processing. The souvenirs the two ladies had brought home were completely different from what I had expected.
It seemed they had had another unusual adventure. I couldn’t wait to hear about it once they were done with their bath. So, I picked up a ginkgo nut and enjoyed its distinctly fall fragrance.
Some rice cooked with wild vegetables and ginkgo nuts sounded good for dinner. There would be beer too, of course. After all, it would be rude not to serve some refreshments to the ladies from the fantasy world.
And so I hung my suit on a hanger, looking forward to what tonight would bring.
The bathroom forbidden to men slid open with a rattle.
Wridra walked out with a towel hung over her shoulder. From the inside, I heard “Don’t be a child and blow-dry your hair.” This told me she had fled from the hair dryer. I wasn’t sure about dragons, but cats hated the noise they made. I turned around, and my eyes met Wridra’s as she ran away from Marie.
She was wearing the cat paw-print shirt Marie had picked out, and her hair was still wet. She seemed little different from when she was a cat with the way she took long, light-footed strides and sat down on the table.
“Hi, Wridra. How was your first time back in Japan in a while?” I asked.
“It is very comfortable here,” she replied. “Not only are there no foreign enemies to think about, but there is something special about this place. I believe it has something to do with the air here.”
She folded one leg as she spoke, and I showed her a clear glass from where I stood in the kitchen. I then flashed her a can of beer with my other hand, and her expression brightened.
“Aha, yes! I am not a cat today, meaning I can enjoy a postbath beer! Make haste and bring it here. I have been away for a long while. I say I am entitled to a bit of spoiling!”
“Yes, yes, welcome to Japan, Ms. Wridra. I’ll be sure to spoil you rotten tonight. Now, let’s start with this grilled fish. It should go nicely with your drink,” I said.
This was a good opportunity to have her taste test for Marie. I had cooked fish before, but those dishes weren’t all that popular. She was happy that I had made it for her, but she had already eaten a lot of fish in the dream world.
I brought out a beer bottle and glasses, and Wridra was delighted. There was a luster to her still-wet hair that reminded me of crow feathers. Maybe it was because she had just taken a bath, but her bare skin and smile looked radiant.
“Hah, hah, such lavishness... Top-quality alcohol and food are served to me as I sit here. It is quite satisfying to have everything taken care of for me,” she said.
“You’re living like that in the other world too,” I pointed out. “The manor’s really coming together. Now that you’ve gotten used to luxury, I wonder what the Arkdragon will want next.”
Wridra seemed like she was going to say something, but she lost the words. Her obsidian eyes were drawn to the freshly grilled saury on the plate put before her. The saury’s Japanese name, “sanma,” contains the character for “katana,” which the fish resembled in both shape and color. Although they were a bit pricey, I wanted her to enjoy the seasonal fish—mainly so she could taste test.
“Hm, it looks almost golden brown when cooked. Do I top it off with this white thing next to it?” Wridra asked.
“Yup, add the grated daikon radish and soy sauce and try it. I haven’t removed the guts, which might not be to your taste.”
Wridra’s expression darkened slightly at the mention of the fish guts. Normally, the guts were removed before the fish was served. People had a preconception that they were bitter, tasted funny, and brought down the flavor of the fish. She gave me an accusing look as if to ask why I hadn’t removed them, but quickly changed her mind.