How many times had I repeated this same exact explanation now? Although it was Sylph and Undine’s first time hearing it, as far as I was concerned, it had lost much of its novelty. Still, as they listened, they reacted with indignation and tears. It was truly heartening to be with those who would sympathize with me and share in my anger.
Sylph sat before her glass of cold green tea and looked at me with sorrow in her eyes. “It seems you have suffered quite the ordeal.”
“I have, but I am incredibly grateful to Alk for allowing me to live here by his side.”
Undine was enjoying a sweet water dumpling beside the wind spirit. “’Course he did!” she said. “What kind of heartless monster would turn you away after hearing what you’ve been through?”
The items I had ordered were from a special selection of Japanese desserts and candies. Rice crackers, fried snacks, and items made with red beans... Savory or sweet, it didn’t matter—our table was chock-full of them.
Right in front of me, Alk was munching on a fried manju bun with a pout on his face. He seemed to have a taste for both alcohol and sweets. Salamander seemed to like the roasted mochi pieces, which came in a variety of flavors. As for Gnome, he seemed partial toward the shrimp-flavored rice crackers. Undine was enjoying some red bean jelly and the soft kuzumochi rice cakes. Meanwhile, Sylph had been pecking away at the crispy bean kakimochi crackers for some time now. I was confident that the spirits were developing a fondness for Japanese snacks!
As for me...I had my eye on an unconventional variety of rice crackers. There was one type that held a smooth layer of red bean paste between two crisp crackers, and I found myself reaching out for one of those before I knew it. The way they tasted cycled through sweet, salty, sweet, salty... They were a diet’s worst enemy!
“Are there no more of these peculiar doughnuts left, Fran?”
“Oh dear, are they all gone? Might I recommend this deep-fried bun together with this deep-fried mochi instead?” I suggested. “It is quite the devastating combination.”
Alk grinned. “They devastate you, do they, Fran?” And with that, he snatched up the last fried bun.
I supposed I couldn’t complain. My raison d’être was to satiate his appetite, after all, but he didn’t need to snort at me like that! Puffing my cheeks out to make sure he knew I wasn’t pleased with his teasing, I ordered us some more deep-fried buns and mochi.
“They are devastating indeed! The very sight of them makes me want to burst into tears!”
Alk genuinely seemed to be enjoying himself as he waved a deep-fried bun right in front of my face with a smile. “Really? The items you procured with your own skill have that much of a negative effect on you?”
I’ve got him now!
“Yes, exactly! I cannot bear to look at them, truly!” I said.
“Wh— Fran! How dare you?!”
Alk had let his guard down completely, allowing me to snatch the bun from his hand. It took him a split second to understand what had just happened, but by the time he cried out, it was too late. Before he could recover his snack, I’d already taken a bite!
The bun’s crisp fried surface gave a satisfying crunch as I bit into it, while the inside was as soft as anything. The dough had a subtle sweetness to it and had been fried in a high-quality rice bran oil. In truth, I would have been happy enough if the whole snack had consisted of just its outer layer.
And speaking of devastating, how about that velvety bean paste filling?! It melted in your mouth, and I could think of no better companion to the rich flavor of the outside of the bun than the inside’s unassuming sweetness.
After eating the whole bun, a hint of sweetness lingered inside my mouth. I followed that treat up with the salted, savory fried mochi. The result? The greatest bliss it was possible to experience in this world!
And while I was indulging in such pleasure, Alk was grinding his teeth!
“I-I thought you said they were devastating!” he said.
“Precisely. Which is why I decided to store them in my stomach—that way, I don’t have to lay my eyes on them!”
“It pains me to say that sounds entirely logical!”
I kept my eyes on the frustrated dragon as I washed away the last vestiges of delicious joy from my mouth with some cold brew tea. As delicious as the snacks had been, they were still deep-fried. The aftertaste they left was inevitably heavy, which made for the perfect prelude to the slight bitterness of the green tea! I sighed happily after having drunk some down. Was this delicious enough to be described as “nectar”? To be honest, nothing so far had been as devastating as the tea—since it’d been allowed to steep longer than usual, it gave it a flavor that was quite strong.
From one corner of my mind, Teiren was telling me that Alk looked far more devastated than I was pretending to be. Well, perhaps he should have thought twice before teasing me! I thought. And besides, it wasn’t as though our bun and mochi supplies were running low.
I heard a chuckle and turned to find Gnome looking both amused and exasperated.
“Honestly,” he said. “Dragon, young lady, you two are squabbling like children!”
His remark brought me back to my senses. I had been far too concerned with getting back at Alk!
How embarrassing...
“Ah... It seems I forgot myself,” I mumbled, my mind going blank.
“I don’t see what’s so bad ’bout that,” Salamander said. “Means both of ya get along!” However, his comfort only served to show that I was a little more mortified than I’d thought.
Sylph, however, was chortling. “Well, I don’t think we have to worry about any real discord between the two of them.”
“It’s great that you can rib each other. Way better than having to hold it all in, right?”
Even Sylph and Undine seemed to find us endearing, but their comments only made me feel even more awkward. Where’s the nearest hole? I need to hide myself away!
Alk was eagerly finishing off his replacement bun and stared at me intently. “Incidentally, Fran, where were you intending on doing that gardening of yours?”
It was only when he had pointed it out that I realized I had only thought about the idea of gardening and not the practicalities, such as where to have it.
“Um... I was hoping that I might be able to borrow part of this space.”
Salamander was shocked. “Huh?! Not to insult ya, m’lady, but how’s about somewhere with a little more sunlight, eh?”
“I would have to agree. It is difficult for wind spirits such as myself to traverse caves,” Sylph said. “If nothing else, you might wish to consider somewhere with a short path to the outdoors.”
I had thought I might be able to grow simple plants here because of the basket fires, but it seemed that was naive. Both Salamander and Sylph were quick to correct me. I was aware that sunlight and wind would make for a better garden, but I just didn’t know where I could find a suitable place on this island.
“I realize now that I am all too unfamiliar with this cave’s layout, let alone the geography of the entire island,” I admitted.
Sylph looked up from her glass and swallowed her beakful of green tea. “Is that so?”
I nodded solemnly. “I was sent to the cave’s entrance by a teleportation spell cast by several other people, so I simply have no idea what else is here.”
Not only that, but I had immediately leaped inside without taking the time to scout out the area. My ignorance of where the sun hit the island was just one example of the knowledge I lacked. It was no wonder that I didn’t know where I wanted to plant my crops. All I knew was that we were—probably—in the deepest part of the cave. And I didn’t even know where on the island this cave was located!
Gnome was crunching on some fried mochi slices that he was sharing with Salamander. “Well then, dragon, why not give the young lady a tour of the island?”
The very prospect seemed to horrify Alk. The blood drained from his face. “Excuse me?” he barked. “Why should that duty fall to me?”
“That’s usin’ your noggin, Gnome! Ya were asleep a long time, right, Lord Alkerag? Probably ’bout time ya stretched those muscles,” Salamander agreed.
The dragon grunted. “My muscles are in prime condition, thank you very much.”