Episode 69: Yakisoba and Shaved Ice

It was the day of the Dungeon Festival in Shinjuku. Having finished the setup for our food stall, we spent the early morning hours running through our final checks.

"Yakisoba ingredients are a go! The shaved ice syrup is a special fruit pulp blend made from Baal’s own produce! Pricing is set at three hundred yen for both the yakisoba and the ice. The live show viewing setup is also perfect. We haven’t missed a single detail!"

Shiki, my best friend, made this grand declaration with a loud, confident voice. It was still very early, well before the festival was set to begin. He finished his check by retightening his bandana—a special-edition one with a flame pattern. He was clearly taking this way too seriously.

Beside him, Baal was helping prep the grill, wearing the exact same bandana. Combined with his apron, the look was... well, it was a disaster. It didn't suit him in the slightest.

"Baal, why on earth are you wearing a bandana too?" I asked.

"I was told it was tradition, Master. How about you? Would you like to wear one as well?"

"Take it off. It looks terrible on you."

"Wh-What...?"

It wasn't that Shiki’s bandana was inherently bad. It was just that Baal was a black-haired, silver-streaked specimen of a man whose face was a literal weapon—he looked like a foreign idol. Seeing a man that handsome wearing a "tough-guy" bandana just felt wrong.

"Does it really look that bad, Master?"

"Well... yeah."

I didn't want to be the one to say it, but with that monocle added to the mix, he looks like a cluttered mess of accessories. It just makes the whole thing awkward.

"I see. If Master says so, I have no choice but to remove it... Even though I dreamed of us matching."

"..." I sighed. "Hey, Shiki. Do you have any spares?"

"I've got five extras, but don't tell me you're actually going to wear one, Reima!?"

"Baal rarely asks for anything," I muttered, resigned to my fate. "It can't be helped."

This guy almost never made selfish requests. In fact, this might have been the first time he'd ever expressed a personal whim like this. Between that and wanting to repay him for everything he’d done for me, I swallowed my pride and borrowed a bandana from Shiki.

I didn't usually wear things like this, so I had no idea if it looked decent or not, but I turned to face Baal anyway.

"Shiki," Baal said, his voice solemn. "I shall grant you one wish. That is the depth of my gratitude."

"Uh... sure. Thanks?"

I was hoping for a compliment on how I looked, but okay.

Based on Baal's reaction, I gathered I didn't look completely ridiculous, which was a relief. However, having a former god promise to grant a wish over a bandana was a bit of an escalation. This could get dangerous.

"Good work, everyone. Asahi and I are finished with—wait, Reima, why are you wearing a bandana?" Ayane asked as she walked up.

"It’s a long story."

"Heh... It actually suits you. I'm surprised."

"If you say so, I guess I can relax. Anyway, all that's left is to wait for the start. Oh, right—I was thinking of asking Luna and the others to help as salesclerks. Is that okay?"

If we were doing this, I wanted to sell as much as possible. This yakisoba was far beyond the quality of typical festival food, so I wanted to go all out with our "booth attractions" as well. I knew Luna and the rest were cute enough to draw a crowd. Shiki had already mentioned wanting them to help, so I decided to call them out.

"Sure, I think that's a great idea," Ayane agreed.

After getting the okay, I checked with Luna and Behiko. They both agreed to help, so I summoned them. Luna was wearing some casual clothes I’d bought for her when we went to the movies, while Behiko was dressed in a gothic lolita outfit that was likely one of Arachne's creations.

"I'll help. Give me yakisoba," Behiko demanded.

"You really are a free spirit... You’ve been raiding my snack stash without permission lately, too."

"Master’s sweets belong to me."

"That's not something you should say with such a smug look on your face, you know."

I retorted as she gave a small, mischievous smile. Looking at her, I felt relieved that she seemed to be getting along with the other Summoned Beasts. Even though our contract had been an accident, I intended to support her properly now that she was one of us.

"Is that a new outfit, Luna?"

"Yes. I wanted to show you. How do I look, Master?"

"I'm the one who picked it out, so obviously it looks fine..."

"..." Luna’s expression soured. "Dumbass."

"Fufu. Same old hopeless Reima," Ayane teased, watching us with a nostalgic look.

Give me a break. I quickly backtracked, making sure to tell Luna she looked great to salvage the situation.

"Yo, kid. Preparations going smoothly?"

"Ah, Yamato-san—wait, what are you doing here?"

The man who had approached us without making a sound was Yamato Kusanagi himself, the star of the festival. He acted so natural that I’d greeted him before the shock of his presence actually hit me.

"Well, it is my festival. I figured I'd at least come by and take a look."

"I guess... that makes sense?"

"Right? Anyway, I’m just doing a bit of a preview and taste-test of the stalls before the crowds arrive. It’ll be a nightmare once the gates open."

"Fair enough. You want some yakisoba?"

I figured having the hero himself promote us wouldn't hurt our sales, so I decided to serve him.

"Oh, sounds good. I'll take three."

"Baal, get the grill going."

"I have already finished, Master!"

"That was way too fast!"

I really had to wonder if Baal was using his abilities correctly. This man could command storms, lightning, and [Magic Bullet], not to mention his control over crop growth and the acceleration of time... and yet, almost all of it was being channeled into cooking and housework. I felt a constant urge to point out the absurdity of it.

"...Kid," Yamato said, looking at Baal. "This guy is something else."

"Baal? Yeah... well, he’s actually incredibly strong."

"I can tell. Hey, kid, you got time later? I’d love to test my skills against him."

"Ah, I'll have to ask Baal about that."

I feel like I've been through this exact conversation before.

I made a mental note to check with Baal later and handed Yamato the food.

"Whoa! What is this? The meat is standard, but these vegetables are insanely good!"

"They were grown by Baal. So, Yamato-san, can we count on you for a shout-out?"

"Honestly, this stuff doesn't even need a promotion. But sure, I'll do it. Is the shaved ice just frozen fruit that's been shaved down?"

"Yeah. We freeze the fruit Baal grows, shave it, and top it with homemade syrup or condensed milk."

Baal truly was a god of fertility. The quality of his produce was staggering. Whether it was because they were manifestations of his mana or just a result of his personal obsession, everything he grew was stupidly delicious.

"I’ve circled the whole festival, and this is the best spot by far. You’re going to be swamped with customers, so good luck, kids."

"Is it really going to be that crowded?"

"Yeah. Management said that with the live show and everything else, they’re expecting a turnout of about a million people. And if you’re serving food like this... well, I won't state the obvious."

Only now did it start to sink in that we might have over-prepared.

I felt a slight pang of regret, but I quickly brushed it aside. It was too late to change anything now. I settled in to spend the remaining time before the festival's start with my friends.