After we reserved soy sauce, we went around the store in the same way, making reservations for miso and rice one after another. If we buy all of them suddenly, both of us and the store would be in trouble, so it would be good to specify a date like this and let them know as soon as possible. It would also get our daily business and trading partners in trouble.

　As for the luggage, I think the ship is big enough to load it up without any problems, and I'll be able to secretly store some of it with spatial magic, so I don't have any problems.

　--Only, it's easy for money to fly here.

'Hey, come on!　Hey, big brother, would you like to see this?　If you put this on top of your rice, you'll get your meal going!

　The old man with a great sales smile and a suggestion of freshly cooked rice and what looked like tsukudani.

　This devilish combination is a bad idea!　Once we eat this, we can't help but buy the tsukudani.

'What's this?　Can I eat it?

Of course. You can't appreciate the taste until you try it, you know. Come on, I'm a blind man.

　It's too much for my dead eyes.

　But I can't help but accept the rice and tsukudani that was handed to me.

　I hate the fact that he's handing me a spoon, knowing that I'm not a Kagura man.

"Oh?　If you're going to feed me, let me have it.

I don't know, is it good with rice?

　Mort and Rumba came over brazenly, noticing that me and Irvine were getting something to eat from Dad.

'Of course. How about you beautiful sisters over there?

Oh, is this about us?

　What a ladylike way for Aleusha to turn around and say it, but if she was being humble in the first place, she wouldn't have turned around like Ilya did. It's a terrible travesty.

　Incidentally, five of the Kagla women walking down the street turned around at the flattering words of the old man just now.

　Because they wear beautiful kimono and walk neatly, they look modest, but I heard there are many people who are not so modest.

　As I thought about this, I looked at the tsukudani on top of my rice.

　It's probably clams and some kind of shellfish, seasoned with sweet and spicy soy sauce and sugar. That would be absolutely delicious, of course. I can't stop drooling just thinking about it.

　I spoon the white steamy rice and the shellfish tsukudani into my mouth.

　The sweet and spicy seasoned shellfish spread all over my mouth at once, and the hot rice takes in the thick seasoning as it absorbs it. Plus, I could feel the sweetness of the tsukudani in moderation and the flavor of the rice.

　It's a combination of strengths and weaknesses that complemented each other and made the most of each other's strengths.

　I can't get enough of this. Once I started eating, I couldn't stop.

Wow!　This goes too well with the rice!

　It was the same for Irvine next to me, who was shoveling his rice with vigor. The other faces were shaking their heads in agreement with Irvine's words.

　They must be busy right now as they are throwing the rice into their mouths to match the taste of the sweet and spicy tsukudani. Because it's best when the rice and the tsukudani taste just right.

　We put the hot rice and tsukudani into our mouths as if we were swallowing it, and in the blink of an eye, our bowls were empty.

　What a magical power.

''As long as I have this, I could eat as many cups of rice as I want!

Even I could eat two bowls of rice!

　Alusha takes advantage of Rumba's words and says.

　No, what are you talking about when you've been in the habit of eating three cups of egg rice all morning. Irvine and Malt also know, "What is this guy talking about? He looked like this.

'It goes very well with rice, doesn't it?　Even if you don't put it on rice, it goes well as a snack for kagura sake.

　The old man smiles as he makes a tipping motion for a sake bottle. It's an exaggerated movement and tone, but it's a really delicious way to say it.

　Irvine and the malt are gulping down. If I were able to drink, I'd be doing the same thing.

"Hey, Dad!　Do you have any kagura drinks?!

I'm sorry. We're a tsukudani shop. If you want Kagura sake, you can buy it at the liquor store next door.

　The old man says that with a white shrug at Irvine's words.

　I looked at the liquor store next door and saw a man who looked like the owner of the liquor store laughing at me with a mortuary bottle.

　I know that they use a small amount of liquor in their tsukudani, so I figured there was no way they wouldn't have it here, but I decided not to point it out since they have a synergistic business with their neighbors.

'd*mn!　Irvine!　Let's go buy some!

Oh!

　Irvine and Malt want to try it with Kagura sake and run in a straight line to the liquor store.

'We could stuff it in a rice ball and eat it on the move.

'It's true!　That way you can taste this any time you want!

　Roomba's eyes go wide at my words.

　That way, I'll be able to make and eat it quickly in the busy morning hours and it will work as a lunch. I'm sure Logan would be quite happy to take it to him.

'Dad, give me this!

Hey, every time!　There are other types, but can we just use the shells I just mentioned?

Oh?　Are there any other kinds?

　This is a tsukudani shop. There is no such thing as a single type of tsukudani. The tsukudani that comes in the jar is not just shellfish, but also small fish like white fish and baby sardines, seaweed, and plants with shiitake mushrooms and other ingredients. It's no wonder that rice is Kagura's staple food. There are many ingredients that go well with rice.
　Nah.

　And then there was that thing in the tsukudani that was the highest hurdle........

"...Hey, old man. What is this?

　And then Aleusha noticed it.

　You can imagine it, but it can't be possible, or rather, it's an expression of not wanting to believe it. I'm going to be able to have a look at it with a pale face.

　I'm not sure if Illya noticed Aleusha's unusual fright, or if she noticed her face close to the one she was pointing at and froze.

　It's a good thing that you're able to do this.

'Is that it?　Locusts?

Oh, no!　For all intents and purposes, these aren't grasshoppers in the rice fields or the grass!

　Yeah, we don't have locusts in the kingdom. If you're a grasshopper, you'll often see them in the village of Coriat.

　If you meet them on the one road that stretches from the mansion to the village, you'll head to the village with a cute, jumping grasshopper.

'Grasshoppers?　Oh, there are no locusts there?　Well, they're in the same league as grasshoppers. If you eat it, you'll get a crispy texture--

"'I don't want to hear it! No.

　The two of us shout and wince to drown out Dad's explanation.

　I hear it's protein-rich and delicious, but it's not something I'd willingly eat because it's not the look I'd want to. I'm not a fan of insect food either, basically, so I know how that feels.

　I wonder why I can happily eat shrimp and crabs when they don't look so different. Prawns have a lot of legs and stuff, and their faces look like insects.

Okay, let's try some.

　Aleusha and Illya's eyes widen in disbelief at Rumba's words.

　Oh, I haven't seen such an expression on their faces since I revealed that they were eating octopus.

''Go ahead. You can go?

　As Dad piled the locusts into the empty teacup, a shuffling sound could be heard.

''Hiiiiiiiiiii!''

　Aleusha and Ilya scream when they hear a sound that seems to indicate the hardness of the locusts. It's been a long time since I've heard such a less happy sound.

　I look at the locusts in the teacup and Roomba scoops some of them into a spoon and brings them to his mouth.

　All the while, me, Ilya and Aleusha's fearful screams never stop.

　The rumba munches and moves its mouth, and it's at least a relief that there are no locust legs sticking out of the edge of its mouth. Had there been such a thing, we would have been traumatized.

　As we watched with an indescribable expression on our faces, Roomba swallowed it down with a gulp.

'It doesn't look good, but it's crispy and filling, okay?　Why don't you eat Al?

I'll buy one, but I don't eat it, so no thanks.

What, you're buying one?

I'm going to fill a rice ball and feed it to Sister Elinora.

　Stupid Elinora sister. If I mix it up with some shellfish and small fish at the right time, I won't have to worry about them noticing. That way, I can get even and not be found out and punished.

　Do you think I'm the miserable one?　Think about it calmly. It's easy to fight off Elinora's sister with the magic of a torture hand, but if you do that, you're afraid of the consequences.

　If you use magic to attack them, they'll take countermeasures, and when they practice, they'll hurt you just to get back at you. Therefore, if you want to attack Elinora sister, it's a prerequisite that she never finds out.

　It's a fun way to pass the time and heap it on Thor.

I see, that's interesting too. I'll give it to Roland and Wester. And I'm sure they won't complain because it's so good!

　Roomba smiles with Sissi, showing his white teeth.

'You'll have to invite me then, because I want to see it too.

　I was very curious to see the look on their faces when they found out they were part of the grasshoppers.

'Uncle, I'm going to buy some tsukudani properly, can I use this for a moment?'

Of course.

　As me and Roomba were laughing at each other with a yawning smile, Aleusha started to put the tsukudani in Irvine and Malt's bowl.

　With a very bad look on her face, Aleusha adds shellfish, small fish, shrimp, and then some locusts cleverly mixed in with them.

　He's going to serve them to Irvine and Malt when he gets back with his drink in hand. He was still rooted to the chest from earlier.

'Haha, it's a common thing to do in Kagura,'

　Ilya is smiling bitterly, and Dad says something like that with an innocent laugh. I wonder if Kagura is okay with it, even though it's what I thought. As much as she has a calm temperament, I feel scared if I offend her.

'Dad!　I'll buy some tsukudani, let me eat some!

　Just as I was thinking about this, Irvine and Malt returned with a virtue bottle.

　Their expressions were a little red, and I guess they must have tried various kagura liquors under the guise of choosing a kagura drink. I thought he was awfully slow to come back.

'I have some here for you.

'Oh!　Oh, thank God!　Alright, let's go ahead and taste it with the Kagura sake!

Oh!

　Maybe it's because they're tipsy from drinking Kagura, or maybe it's because the shellfish tsukudani is served prominently, but Irvine and Malt spoon them into their mouths without questioning anything.

　They taste the tsukudani as they bite into it while we look on with Nimanimah expressions on our faces.

　Oh, there's a locust leg sticking out of the end of Irvine's mouth.

''Ah.... I could see it.''

　Ilya mutters on behalf of my mind.

'What?'

'It's nothing...'

'Why does Aleusha have such a big smile on her face?'

Because the food is delicious.

　It's not as if they don't mind that they're in the middle of setting up others, but Aleusha is smiling at them.

　Irvine and Malt are suspicious of such Aleusha, but right now they don't seem to care about enjoying the flavor, as if their priority is to enjoy the taste, and they stoked the kagura wine all at once.

　It's an enviable sight, but I don't think so this time.

'Phew!　Dad was right earlier, these drinks and tsukudani go well together!

'Absolutely!　I could have many drinks with this one!　The sweet and spicy taste of this shellfish and its unique crispy texture--

　The two of them express their thoughts in ecstasy, but suddenly, they look at each other as if they've noticed.

''........crisp?''

　Yeah, I knew it would be crispy.

　I'm sure Irvine and Malt think the texture is strange for a shellfish.

'Oh, come on!　You!　What's with those legs?

　And then Malt noticed. A leg that looked like a bug sticking out of the end of Irvine's mouth.

'Hey, what the hell?'

Mouth!　That's the one on the edge of your mouth!

　Malt points to Irvine's mouth as he cracks his mouth open.

　Irvine wipes his hand over his mouth, looking curious.

".........oh, hey. ........what's this?

　You can't believe the things you've got on your hands. He muttered in a shaky voice.

　Malt froze, fishing for a spoonful of tsukudani in his own bowl. Apparently, he saw it.

　To Irvine, who is looking at me while his eyes are wide, Aleusha replies once and for all.

'....it's a locust. A fellow grasshopper.''

　Two chicken-choked screams echoed through the streets of Kagura.