Chapter 66: Store Summoning 9

“Huh?”

Waking up, for a moment I didn’t know where I was seeing the unfamiliar ceiling. Or rather, the canopy of the bed. Ah, right. Yesterday, I came to the le Philharmonie Ducal territory. Beside me, Kohaku-san is sleeping sprawled out like a big character ‘Dai’ (大). Cat, no, tiger, yet he’s dexterous… Suddenly looking at the crest of the Goddess of Summoning, Samonia-sama, on my right hand, the scale had gone up by one. Level up. This makes the ninth one. In the end, I forgot to ask the Goddesses about the mechanics of this level up. Currently, I suspect it increases by clearing in-game events. Since it increased like this this time too. Even though the encounter event was for two people, the level up being only one might be because Ritsu and Leon appeared together in the game too, so it’s treated as one event. In the game, Bianca and Jean also appeared together, perhaps that’s why meeting Bianca after Jean didn’t level up. Still don’t understand well. Well, whatever. Now, what store is next! I’m looking forward to it!

◇ ◇ ◇

“A new store, huh… Normally, it should be done in a place with a proper barrier set up, but…”

When I told Father about the level up, he made a subtly grim face. Unlike the mansion in the Royal Capital, the castle in the territory doesn’t have a summoning ground for safety. It seems there used to be one, but it was removed due to deterioration. Without a summoning ground, he’s saying summoning is dangerous because we don’t know what will come out. Certainly, if something like a huge department store is summoned, it might cause trouble to the surroundings…

“With my little master’s current magic power, I do not think such a huge thing can be summoned. It will probably be fine.” “Is that so?”

At Kohaku-san’s words, I consider my own magic power. Compared to the beginning, I think it has grown quite a bit, but is it still insufficient to summon something like a department store? Among my stores, the one that consumes the most magic power is the Fashion Center. I think this is due to the size, but that’s a one-story building. A department store would have at least three or four floors even if small. Thinking simply, the summoned object is three or four times larger… naturally it would consume magic power. Even if it’s one story, something wide like a Home Center would likely consume magic power. [Store Summoning] consumes quite a bit of magic for the first time… Whether it’s land area or volume, since Kohaku-san says it’s fine, I think it’s fine. Then I must test it! Fortunately, there is a large vacant lot behind the castle in the territorial capital, and here it should be fine even if summoned, unless a department store appears. …Thinking carefully, this is like being told ‘A department store won’t appear’, right…? I feel like the fun of the future has been stolen… No, if my magic increases, there’s still a chance, and it’s just that it won’t appear this time. Let’s think positively!

“Sakuraile’s new summon, is it. I’m looking forward to it.” “Surely Lady Sakuraile will bring out an amazing shop!” “Umu, looking forward to it!” “I’d like a food place~.”

Elliott, Estelle, Bianca, and Jean are chatting excitedly behind me. I wish they wouldn’t put so much pressure on me though… Even I don’t know what will come out. I hope a weird store doesn’t appear… no, I don’t recall going to any weird stores though. I concentrate my magic power. I wonder if a sushi place will appear. Everyone might dislike raw fish though.

“[Store Summoning]!”

Magic power drains from within me. Not that much. Apparently, it’s a small store as Kohaku-san said. When the dazzling vortex of light subsided, seeing the store that appeared in front of me, I involuntarily made a victory pose.

“────Yes! Jackpot!”

A yellow sign and simple storefront appeared before my eyes. A ramen chain store ‘Horakuen’ operating since the Showa era, which I often visited on my way back from vocational school. Ramen! It’s Ramen! I can eat ramen!

“Ah, Sakura-chan!?”

Ignoring Mother trying to stop me, I run straight to Horakuen. Impatient even for the automatic door to open, I entered the nostalgic store, sat straight at the counter seat, and opened the menu. Uoooooh! Ramen! Lots of Ramen! Which one should I choose!?

“Here, as expected, the classic soy sauce… no, miso is hard to discard too…”

While I was muttering and agonizing over the opened menu, Father and the others also entered the store. With practiced ease, Father places gold coins on the change tray in front of the register.

“This is a restaurant, right? Is that the menu?”

Father peers into the menu I had opened.

“This is a noodle shop. Besides that, there are gyoza… food with meat and vegetables wrapped inside…”

Explaining to Father, I realized something with a Hah. Dropping my gaze to the menu again, finding something at the edge, I involuntarily thrust my fist to the heavens.

■ Rice (150g)

Rice! It’s rice! Gohan! There is rice! Ramen Rice!

“S-Sakura-chan?” “One soy sauce ramen and gyoza, and a large serving of rice!”

Ignoring Mother slightly put off by my high tension, when I shouted that, nostalgic soy sauce ramen, gyoza, and the mountain of rice I even dreamed of appeared before my eyes in an instant. Coming out without waiting is the good part of my [Store Summoning]. An irresistibly delicious smell tickles my nostrils. I take out disposable chopsticks from the chopstick holder on the counter and split them in two. Preparation complete!

“Itadakimasu!”

First, the ramen! Taking noodles with chopsticks, placing them once on the soup spoon, and then slurping them all at once. Noodles entangling with soup jump into my mouth, playing an indescribable harmony on my tongue. This is it! This taste… nostalgic!

“Sakura-chan, isn’t that a bit bad manners? Eating while making noise…” “Mother. This is the formal way to eat this dish. By sucking in air together, you prevent burns, and the aroma escaping through the nose adds depth to the taste!” “I-Is that so?” “It is so!”

Explaining to Mother like that, I slurp the noodles—zuruzuru. Since ramen doesn’t exist in this world, I’ll push through that this is the correct way to eat! I don’t care about noodle harassment! Next to ramen is gyoza! Biting into the crispy skin, meat juices overflow from inside—juwa. Muho, delicious…! And with that aftertaste remaining, shovel rice in at once! Gyoza and rice are dancing in my mouth…! Delicious…! So delicious…! Tears came out due to the sheer deliciousness…

“I-Is it that delicious?” “Delifious…”

While crying and slurping ramen—zuruzuru—and eating rice, Father and the others start choosing from the menu saying they will eat too. Mother, sitting next to me, pointed at one of the items on the menu to me.

“Sakura-chan, Mother thinks this one with lots of vegetables looks good.” “That’s Tanmen. Soup flavors are salt and miso, which one do you want?” “Miso? Hmm, I don’t know well so salt for now.”

Ordering one salt Tanmen, a salt Tanmen with plenty of vegetables appeared in front of Mother.

“My, looks delicious! …But Sakura-chan, can this only be eaten using those two sticks?”

Shoot. Mother and the others can’t use chopsticks. It would be grateful if forks or something could be brought out.

“Can I have a fork?”

Asking just in case, a wooden fork appeared in front of the Tanmen. Quite flexible, my [Store Summoning]. Using the fork, Mother takes noodles onto the spoon and eats elegantly. Perhaps concerned, she doesn’t seem to slurp.

“…Delicious! Both soup and noodles are exquisite!”

Whether she noticed or not, eventually Mother started slurping noodles just like me. She’s also eating vegetables deliciously—hafu hafu. Tanmen looks delicious too…

“Sakuraile, I want to order this.”

Since they can’t read the menu, I have to do everyone’s ordering. Maybe I should make someone learn Japanese… I can’t eat slowly. Or rather, what Father ordered was spicy green onion ramen. Compared to the previous Hot Source Special, it’s totally in the safe range though… Does Father like spicy food? From the flame mark containing the character ‘Spicy’ (辛), maybe he guessed it was spicy ramen even without reading the characters. Ordering for Grandmother, the Empress, and Elliott too, everyone becomes captivated by the taste. As for me, I noticed later that there was Curry Rice on the menu and stomped my feet in frustration. As expected, a six-year-old’s stomach can’t eat any more…! Ordering and leaving leftovers is against my principles. Lunch. I will definitely eat Curry Rice for lunch! Father and the others were surprised that there was pepper among the condiments on the table. Is pepper valuable in this world? It appears occasionally in our meals though. Well, it’s fine to add it for an accent to the taste, or not.

“Delicious! Among Sakuraile’s shops, this is the most delicious!”

Eating Chashu-men engrossed is Jean. Apparently, he ordered it just because there’s lots of meat. Athletic boys like meat, huh…

“It’s my first time eating this kind of dish, but it certainly is delicious. This Rice? Is this something our country doesn’t have?”

Elliott was talking about that with Jean while savoring fried rice (chahan), but does this world even have rice in the first place? If it exists, I wish it would spread more. …Or rather, fried rice looks delicious too… For lunch, not Curry Rice but Fried Rice… No no, carry through original intention. Lunch is Curry Rice.

“…Umm, one fried rice.”

While I was looking enviously at Elliott‘s fried rice, for some reason Estelle ordered fried rice. Estelle should have ordered salt ramen. Still eating? You’ll get fat, you know?

“Lady Sakuraile and Bianca-san. Shall we split this fried rice among the three of us? As expected, it’s too much for one person…” “I’ll eat!”

I answered immediately and moved to the table where Estelle and the others sat. Right, sharing was an option! Estelle is smart! Bianca was also eating miso ramen and gyoza, but it seems she can fit a third of the fried rice. I eat the fried rice moved to my gyoza plate with a spoon. Rice and egg soaked in the umami of oil, and the harmony of pork and green onions… Damn it, indisputably delicious! While eating fried rice savoring it deeply, Estelle for some reason directed a smug face—fufun—at Elliott at the next table. What are you doing? Elliott, who it was directed at, tilted his head with a face saying he didn’t understand. Does she want to take a mount saying she ate fried rice too? Well, this fried rice is delicious, after all. Wow, even so, ‘La Vie en Rose’ last time and ‘Horakuen’ this time, it’s a winning streak! Is this thanks to the protection of the Goddesses of Genesis? Maybe they asked Samonia-sama to bring out good stores. Grateful, grateful. Offering prayers of gratitude to the Goddesses, I finished off the fried rice.