Chapter 21: The War Over Whether or Not to Order Rice at Yakiniku
The Great Plains on the Eastern Continent.
The number of countries in this continent are few and far inbetween, where most people are instead living within nomadic tribes.
Among those tribes is a certain werewolf tribe.
This one is significantly gentler than all the other werewolf tribes, to the point where all the other werewolves scorn them as ‘mere dogs who have forgotten how to hunt.’ But those in the tribe are living truly comfortable and carefree lives.
After all, they are wolves living as shepherds. There’s no way other animals would attack their flock.
“Nn, this should do the trick, I think.”
Within this werewolf tribe is a single human teenage girl.
Her name is Mizutome Azusa. She looks older due to her long-slitted eyes and taller height, but she is actually only fifteen-years-old and had only just began high school.
While going through a high school life that included her cla.s.smates calling her ‘Anego’ despite her protests, the other day she was summoned to become the bride of the king of one of the few countries on this continent.
At the very least, that king was indeed quite handsome. However, halfway through self-introductions he suddenly came in for a kiss. Azusa-san, who might look like an adult on the outside but is actually a teenager going through p.u.b.erty on the inside, flared up and smashed an uppercut into his chin before following through with a midair combo that sunk him entirely.
Realizing what she had done, Azusa-san immediately fled.
Then somehow the flow of events eventually led her to come under the protection of this tribe of werewolves.
“I think this could use more vegetables, but our stock is so low. But it seems that everyone don’t really mind, so I guess there’s no helping it.”
Unwilling to be merely protected, Azusa-san took to accepting various jobs from the werewolves, and now it’s become her daily routine to make food for them all.
Her most recent worry is about how their meals are always so meat-heavy.
The j.a.panese who are an agricultural race are used to simplistic meals on a genetic level, so not having enough vegetables is a rather serious matter of life and death (in the sense of their weight).
Incidentally, the reason why she wants vegetables so badly is not only because of its nutrients, but also because it helps to take away the gamey taste in meat.
When one thinks of removing gamey taste, spices come to mind, but actually spring onions and shiitake also serve quite well.
It’s not a lie. Shiitake really can remove the gamey taste in meat.
The author is someone from Mikan Country, and is definitely not a spy from Shiita-ken. Really.
(T/N: ‘Mikan Country’ is actually the nickname of Ehime Prefecture. The ‘ken’ in ‘Shiita-ken’ is the character for ‘prefecture,’ but of course there’s no such preference in j.a.pan, it’s just a pun.)
There is! Only one! Ehime mikan!! (nonchalant mikan endors.e.m.e.nt)
(T/N: This line is lyrics from the song ‘Mikan no Uta’ (literally ‘The Mikan Song’) by j.a.panese heavy metal band s.e.x MACHINEGUNS.)
“Ah! Are you done, Azusa? Is the food done?!”
“Yes, yes, it’s done, so stop right there.”
A little girl with inumimi who’s noticed that the contents of the pot are boiling is rushing over in a tackle.
Azusa-san, in a practiced manner, stops the incoming tackle by clasping one hand on the little girl’s forehead before ladling some of the food onto a small dish and offering it.
“Here you go, taste test. Today is a stew with sheep shank as stock.”
“Fuwah, what’s with this meat it’s so soft! If it’s like this then I might even be able to eat the bones!”
“Ah is that so. I won’t tell you to not do it but I’ll say upfront that such a feat is impossible for me.”
So says Azusa-san with a wry smile while the little girl waves her tail furiously with great excitement.
Just like the little girl before her, the members of this werewolf tribe are all very honest and frank, to the point where even the Azusa-san who used to put up a cool front because of her appearance has now warmed up to them quite a bit.
“Azusa really is good at cooking! Almost makes me want to marry you!”
“But I don’t swing that way, so too bad.”
So Azusa-san replies to the little girl’s words while waving her off. But then she gets the same line in a serious manner from male werewolves around her own age who’ve gathered for the food and is kind of troubled with handling them.
But she was so troubled that she ended up using “I was hurt by a bad guy before, so I find that kind of thing a bit frightening still” excuse, which then caused the atmosphere to change entirely.
The serious male werewolves went “oh how insensitive we have been?!” with the aura of a funeral while the female werewolves glared at them with frosted eyes.
Today, too, this otherworld is at peace.
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At the same time, in Takamagahara.
Because Tsukuyomi eventually did fold under his older sister’s “go buy me a net and charcoal” selfish request, an impromptu yakiniku party has begun.
j.a.panese people and j.a.panese G.o.ds generally really love merrymaking. Even when cursed by a G.o.d their default solution is ‘let’s pacify the G.o.d by hosting them a feast!’ so that speaks volumes about how much they love it.
“To think that the age has come where beef can be eaten so easily. Umm, is mutton delicious?”
“I’ve eaten it before. It’s delicious, but has a strong gamey taste. Oi Susanoo, no one’s going to take it away from you so stop taking them when they’re only half-roasted.”
“I know Aniki won’t take them, but I can’t say the same for Aneki.”
Thus the Three Pillars of Amaterasu-sama, Tsukuyomi-sama, and Susanoo-sama are harmoniously crowded around the net.
Amaterasu-sama and Susanoo-sama are focused only on eating, while Tsukuyomi-sama also makes sure to secure his own portion despite being the one doing the cooking. Each of the Three Pillars’ personalities can be readily observed from this scene.
“…… So then, why am I here?”
The three’s faces look up at that voice, towards the figure of a young man who’s also sitting in their circle.
He is Hino-Kagutsuchi. He was also born between Izanagi-sama and Izanami-sama, which makes him the older brother to the Three Pillars.
Because he is the G.o.d of fire, he ended up burning his mother to death when he was born, which caused the enraged Izanagi-sama to behead him.
Incidentally, one of the G.o.ds that was born from a blood splatter upon Kagutsuchi-sama’s death is Takemikazuchi-sama. Dying and birthing new G.o.ds and coming back to life again, j.a.panese G.o.ds sure are busy.
“We had trouble lighting the charcoal so we called you.”
“You called me for that alone?!”
Amaterasu-sama speaks honestly and Kagutsuchi-sama tsukkomis.
By the way, when lighting charcoal, the trick is to not directly apply fire to the charcoal, but to put something flammable underneath the charcoal and light that instead.
You are not supposed to call on Kagutsuchi-sama (flamethrower) in any case.
“Well well, just have some meat, Kagutsuchi.”
“The ones around here are almost ready to eat, Kagutsuchi.”
“Don’t sweat the small details, Kagutsuchi.”
“…… Are you guys fine with that?”
The going-my-way Three Pillars (siblings) and the Kagutsuchi-sama who’s at a lost for words.
Today, too, Takamagahara is at peace.