Just as planned, the workers had placed the boats near the hot spring site and created a makeshift open-air onsen out of them. Those who wanted to use the onsen could enter the water while wearing simple clothes meant for bathing, so mixed bathing was allowed for the time being. Once the inn was established, the baths would be separated by sex. And since this was just a temporary situation and we wanted the people to know how good the hot springs were, anyone could use the bath for free.
Of their own volition, the bathers were giving priority to those who worked on the realm restoration. Someone had even set up a donation box, enabling those who could afford it to make a monetary contribution after using the baths. All donations went toward the construction costs of the inn.
Having heard that the temporary onsen was thriving, we decided to check it out for ourselves. Liam, Bal, Marcel, and I climbed into the bathtub, clad in simple bathing attire. Lord Reineke did the same, entering the water with a soft splash. The water temperature was perfect, and bubbles tickled my skin.
“Ahh. I can feel my body unwinding already...” Marcel sighed.
Lord Reineke looked euphoric as well, relaxing in the tub.
Bal drank a bit of the water gushing from the tap.
“Hey! This water tastes different from the river! It’s like...fizzy!”
“Really?”
I decided to take a sip. The taste of salt filled my mouth.
“Indeed. This water comes from underground, where it soaks up minerals like salt and iron. Carbonic acid is also mixed in,” Lord Reineke explained triumphantly. “Animals drink the water from the fountain to regulate their bodies too.”
That gave me an idea.
“Then could the hot spring water be turned into a souvenir?” I asked.
“Excellent, Lune!” Lady Kuzunoha’s joyful voice rang in my mind, and her translucent form appeared before me. “In my world, onsen water is used to make manju and senbei. You should do the same.”
“Manju? Senbei?” I repeated, unfamiliar with those terms.
“What’s going on?” Liam asked me.
Besides me and Lord Reineke, nobody could see or hear Lady Kuzunoha.
“The Great Lady Kuzunoha is giving me an oracle about how to make manju and senbei,” I said.
“How to make what?” Bal tilted his head.
“I don’t know either,” I responded.
“You make onsen manju by filling wheat dough with sweet red bean paste. Mineral spring senbei is made by stretching wheat flour and grilling it until it’s hardened. They are perfect for souvenirs that can be brought back home,” Lady Kuzunoha said.
“Lady Kuzunoha says they’re sweets that make for perfect souvenirs. I’d love to try them!” My eyes glittered at the thought.
I guess manju is like a cake? As for the senbei, are they like waffles?
Those were the sweets I had eaten when I was the crown princess.
While I was getting excited, brother patted my head.
“Then let’s tell our cooks the exact recipes,” he said.
Lady Kuzunoha wagged her tail.
“I will teach you everything once you’re back at the mansion,” she said, then vanished.
“Gifts and sweets are great, but don’t you want drinks too?” Liam inquired.
“Great idea!!!” Bal shouted in agreement.
“A cold wine would be excellent,” Lord Reineke said.
“Wine for the adults, and perhaps fruit juice for the children,” Liam proposed.
“I suggest you freeze the fruit juice and make sorbet.”
“Isn’t sorbet super fancy?” Bal asked.
Ice magic was difficult, making such goods expensive.
“Even so, those who want it will pay. Besides, you have the pseudo magical ore at your disposal, do you not? Use it to make a basic icehouse nearby and freeze the juice there. And don’t forget the wine,” Lord Reineke added, licking his lips.
“All right, we’ll go over the details once we’re back home,” Liam said.
Everyone nodded.
“Woo-hoo! We’re getting new snacks!” Bal cheerfully splashed the water.
“Bal, don’t bother other people,” Marcel admonished curtly.
Bal froze. “Yes, master!” he said, then quietly soaked into the bathtub.
The rest of us laughed at him.
Perhaps thanks to the onsen, both my body and soul felt warm and tranquil. The hot steam swayed in the air around us, brushing past Lord Reineke’s whiskers as it soared into the sky.
✦ ✦ ✦
Liam, Bal, and I were standing in House Renard’s kitchen, wearing aprons and looking at a bowl of wheat flour. Lord Reineke was curled up and dozing off in the corner.
“Let us begin,” Lady Kuzunoha spoke through my body in her gentle voice. She was possessing me in order to teach us how to make onsen manju and mineral spring senbei. “First, we will make the red bean paste. It’s supposed to be made from adzuki beans, but since they don’t grow in Renard, we’ll go with soybeans.”
The day before, we had boiled the soybeans in preparation. Lady Kuzunoha mashed them with black sesame, then mixed them with water and sugar.
“Bal, put this into a small pot and knead it until it thickens.”
“Okay!” Bal said, glad to have been given a job.
“Next, let’s add the onsen water, sugar, and baking powder to the bowl.”
We did so, and the sugar dissolved.
“Now add wheat flour, mix it lightly, and let the dough rest. This will be the crust. While we wait, let’s prepare the steamer.”
We added onsen water to the steamer too.
“Divide the paste Bal made into ten equal pieces.”
The black-sesame-filled bean paste almost looked like a lump of mud. As we shaped it into balls, it felt as though we were playing with soil.
“Now divide the dough into ten pieces and stuff them with the bean paste. Once they’re ready, put them in the steamer.”
We followed Lady Kuzunoha’s instructions. When Liam took off the steamer’s lid, thick vapor floated up and fluttered his hair. I could smell the unmistakable scent of the hot spring emanating from the steam.
“It’s hot, so let me do it,” Liam said, lining the manju neatly inside the steamer and closing the lid.
“Now it’s time for the mineral spring senbei,” Lady Kuzunoha said, giving us no time to rest. “Add wheat flour, baking powder, potato starch, sugar, and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Add the onsen water last, then mix it all together.”
We did as she instructed, mixing the ingredients until we had a thick liquid.
“Heat up a frying pan and pour a tablespoon of the liquid, creating a thin layer.”
Bal poured the liquid, coating the surface of the frying pan.
“Fry until it’s crisp.” Lady Kuzunoha kept a careful eye on Bal. “Good, now turn it over.”
At the sound of her dignified voice, Bal rushed to flip over the dough. A sweet fragrance filled the kitchen.
“Once both sides are fried, you are done.”
When the senbei were finished, we left them on a net to cool off.
The manju were done by that time too, so we added them to the net as well. A bit similar yet different from cakes, they were small, round, light brown snacks—the color was a result of the brown sugar we’d used. I’d never seen anything like it and couldn’t even imagine what they tasted like, but I was looking forward to finding out.
The combined fragrance of the manju and senbei made my stomach growl.
“Ahh... It looks so good...” Bal muttered, almost drooling while staring at the snacks. He was fidgeting with excitement, but patiently waited until Lady Kuzunoha told us the food was ready to eat.
We just had to hold back until they weren’t so hot anymore.
Lord Reineke stood up and suddenly transformed into a human.
“Whoa! Lord Reineke, you startled me!” Bal exclaimed.
The spirit ignored him and went over to hug me.
“If you want to eat these ‘manju’ or whatever they’re called, then just do it,” he said, reaching behind me to grab one.
“Hey! No fair!” Bal objected, but still waited for Lady Kuzunoha’s permission.