After our visit with Chris in the Arclesia Empire, the question of where to go next became a bit of a dilemma. Following a logical route through the Human Realm meant the Hydra Kingdom was the next stop, but the only person Kuro and I both knew there was Laguna. Unlike the close bond she shared with Chris, Kuro and Laguna weren't exactly on intimate terms.
Furthermore, Laguna wasn't particularly known for her culinary skills, so there was no specific reason to seek her out for advice. That left us with no other mutual acquaintances in the Hydra Kingdom to visit.
However, that didn't mean we were going to skip the country entirely. The Hydra Kingdom was the trendsetter of the world, a place where one could find rare ingredients and cutting-edge goods unavailable anywhere else. For Kuro, who was currently obsessed with exploring every new possibility for Baby Castella, it was a must-see destination.
And so, we found ourselves browsing the markets of the Hydra Kingdom like any other pair of tourists.
"Oh! Is this that 'Yuzu' I’ve heard has been circulating lately?"
"Yeah, it certainly looks like it. I didn't realize it was already hitting the markets."
"It's because Shiro and the Earth God worked things out recently. They've been bringing in all sorts of ingredients from the other world."
The appearance of yuzu was likely due to Kaori making a request to Eden. In response, Eden had probably grown yuzu trees specifically for her, and after a discussion with Shiro, the distribution of the fruit had been authorized.
I didn't know the exact details of how it had spread afterward, but it was highly probable that the Gods had handled the logistics under Shiro's orders. Regardless of how it got here, it was a brand-new ingredient for Kuro to play with.
"I’m definitely buying some!"
"Well, if it’s yuzu, I can see it working quite well if you’re clever about it."
"Now, for some fresh fish—"
"Stop right there."
The combination of yuzu and fish is wonderful—it goes beautifully with whitefish, for example. However, dragging Baby Castella into that relationship would result in nothing less than a demonic fusion.
It was genuinely frightening how she could try to buy fish with such a serene, everyday expression.
"Oh, that reminds me. It’s almost lunchtime. What do you want to do for food?"
"Hmm, you’re right. Since we’re in the area, let's eat at that shop Kaori is running."
"I was planning to head there after the Hydra Kingdom anyway... but if we go during the lunch rush, there’s a chance Olivia might be there."
"Olivia? Wait, does she even eat regular meals?"
"She’s apparently a regular now. Actually, I’m the one to blame for that..."
Kuro obviously knew who Olivia was, but the idea of the high-and-mighty Church Leader eating lunch at a commoner's diner was clearly a shock. I had mentioned my meeting with Olivia in the Friendly City to Kuro before, but I’d neglected to tell her that Olivia had become a fixture at Kaori’s restaurant afterward.
"Heh, now I’m even more excited to try the food. I’ve always been quite fond of Japanese cuisine, after all."
"Now that you mention it, your family serves it pretty often, don't they?"
"Because Noin absolutely loves it."
Kuro was quite adept with chopsticks and seemed very comfortable with Japanese dishes. The reason was undoubtedly Noin. I couldn't really picture Noin eating something like bread, so it made perfect sense. Well, she probably ate it occasionally, but she had complained in her diary that she was sick of it after having nothing but bread for so long.
After finishing our shopping in the Hydra Kingdom, we made our way to Kaori’s shop. Fortunately, we arrived just before the lunch rush, so we managed to get in before the place became crowded.
When Kuro and I stepped through the door, Kaori greeted us with a bright, professional smile.
"Welcome! Oh, Kaito, you’re back. And the person with you is... H-Hieee?! K-K-Kuromueina-sama?!"
"Hey there, Kaori. It’s been a while, hasn't it? About twelve years?"
"A-Ah, y-yes! It’s been a long time!"
Seeing Kuro wave with a cheery smile, Kaori bowed her head in total shock, her expression one of pure bewilderment.
"I heard from Chris that you were running a place here in the Friendly City, so I decided to come have lunch with Kaito."
"Oh, I see! Thank you so much for coming. Um, please, take a seat over here."
"Thanks~"
She was clearly nervous, but it seemed to be the kind of jitters one gets from a surprise visit rather than the paralyzed terror she’d shown when I first brought Olivia. Since they had met back during her time as the Hero, she likely understood Kuro’s friendly nature to some extent.
We followed Kaori’s lead and sat at the counter. As we looked over the menu, Kuro spoke up as if she’d just had a sudden inspiration.
"Oh, that's right. While I’m here, I might as well ask you too, Kaori."
"Huh? Ask me what?"
"What do you think the next 'possibility' for Baby Castella is?"
"……Excuse me?"
Kaori stared at her, blinking in blank astonishment. In any other context, this would be the only sane reaction. The people we had met so far knew Kuro well enough to react with either tired acceptance or a sigh, but to be hit with a question about the "possibilities of Baby Castella" out of nowhere would leave anyone else baffled.
As I watched her struggle to process the question, I decided it was time to step in and explain the whole situation to her.
Serious-senpai: "She certainly has the qualifications to be a new 'stomach-ache' character, but she's still got nothing on the legend herself, Lilia."
???: "If Lilia had been the one here, Shallow Vernal would likely have graced us with her presence as well."