The ryokan with the same familiar name was a building with the charm of a good, old-fashioned inn.
The design reminded me of the Taisho and early Showa periods, but that was only the exterior; inside, it had a very clean, new construction smell.
It was a three-story wooden building, and inside, there were retro-style furniture and decorations.
"Looks like the atmosphere of the Orphan Dragon Phoenix Kingdom."
Hilda, who had been looking around the lobby with its open ceiling up to the second floor, said this.
Indeed. The Orphan Dragon Phoenix Kingdom had a strong blend of Japanese and Western elements in its culture, and there’s something similar about this ryokan.
"Eh, is this place fully booked for us today?"
"Yes, we only have twelve rooms. It was originally a booking for a group that canceled, so we decided to keep it as is. You can also use the large hall."
Mom, who had been checking in early at the counter, was surprised by Iori-san’s explanation. A full booking, huh? In a way, it’s nice that we don’t have to worry about disturbing other guests, especially since we have a lot of children. Some people might not like noisy surroundings.
"Please have some tea for now."
On a table in the lobby, there were tea and sweets prepared, likely in time for our arrival. A welcome drink, perhaps?
"Let’s dig in! It’s delicious!"
Steph, who had sat down first, immediately opened the package of Japanese sweets and took a bite. It looked like brown sugar manju, maybe?
I also sat down in a chair and had some tea and manju. The hot tea and sweet manju seemed to melt away the travel fatigue and made me feel relaxed.
Mom, who had been talking at the counter with Iori-san, came over.
"About the room assignments. It seems we’ll have enough rooms if we pair up two people per room, but how should we do it?"
It looks like there will be two people per room, but she’s concerned if the kids will be lonely.
Hmm, at the castle, we often sleep in pairs or sometimes in small groups, so I don’t think it’ll be a problem. However, being in a room alone in a new place might be a little lonely for the kids.
"Then let’s put four people in one room. It would be a hassle to use more rooms and trouble them. You decide the room assignments on your end."
With that decision made, Mom went back to the counter.
Afterward, we decided on the room assignments. We decided to have the mother-daughter pairs stay together: Elze and her daughter, Linze and her daughter, one room; Sue and her daughter, Sakura and her daughter, another room; Yaé and her daughter, Hilda and her daughter, another room; Lu and her daughter, Leen and her daughter, one more room. So far, it was all smooth sailing. But the combination for Dad, Mom, Fuyuki, Yumina, Kuon, Alice, and me caused a bit of a conflict.
Naturally, Alice insisted on staying with Kuon, but even though they were engaged, I didn’t think it was a good idea to have these two sleep in the same room. I could just imagine what her dad, Ende, would say.
Of course, Alice and I in the same room wasn’t an option either. Most likely, Dad would disapprove of me being with Alice, too.
I had to admit that with Alice present, the best solution was to separate the genders.
In the end, it was decided that I would share a room with Kuon and Dad, while Mom would share a room with Fuyuki, Yumina, and Alice. Hmm, maybe it’s better this way; it’ll be easier not to worry about things with just the guys.
"Now, let me show you to your rooms."
After deciding on the room assignments, Iori-san guided us to our rooms.
It seemed that the entire second floor was booked just for us. No one was expected to stay on the third floor today.
"From this side, we have the rooms: Pine, Plum, Cherry Blossom, Wisteria, Iris, and Peony. The Pine and Peony rooms have large windows, but the room layout is the same."
Iori-san explained as she led us in front of the corridor lined with sliding doors, up the retro-style staircase.
"Are the room names based on the Hanafuda cards?"
"Yes, that's right. The third floor has the rooms: Chrysanthemum, Pampas Grass, Maple, Willow, and Paulownia."
Iori-san answered Dad’s question. I see, they’re based on Hanafuda cards. The designs on the cards for each month from January to December are used as inspiration.
"I want the Cherry Blossom room."
Sakura, with the same name as the room, said this. Well, that’s fine. In that case, should we choose the Pampas Grass room? The Pampas Grass card in Hanafuda is associated with the full moon. It’s called the "Moon on Pampas Grass," or "Bōzu" card. We’re "Mochizuki" after all.
Well, if I said that, everyone would technically be "Mochizuki," but still. Besides, the Pampas Grass room is on the third floor, so we can’t pick that one.
Iori-san opened the sliding door to the Pine room and guided us inside.
The room was 12 tatami mats in size. A hanging scroll and an ikebana flower arrangement decorated the tokonoma (alcove). In the center, there was a large rosewood table with floor chairs, and beyond the shoji screens, there was a small table and two chairs on the veranda, a typical setup for a ryokan.
Next to the entrance, there was a small room of about four tatami mats, likely where the futons were stored.
"This is quite a nice room."
"Thank you."
I passed by Mom and Iori-san talking and headed toward the veranda. From the window, I had a full view of the hot spring town with steam rising, and it was a veranda with a really good view.
"Well then, your father and the others will use this room. Alright, let’s go check the next room. Everyone, after you drop your luggage, meet me in the lobby."
With that, the women began heading toward the next room, leaving only Dad, Kuon, and me behind.
We decided to take a break, so we set down our hand luggage, sat in the floor chairs, and poured tea from the teapot that had been left there.
"Whew, finally settled down."
"Kuon, are you tired?"
"Not really. I’ve been in vehicles for a long time, so I feel like my body is a bit stiff."
I couldn’t help but laugh at my son’s somewhat elderly-sounding response.
Suddenly, Kuon turned his gaze toward the hanging scroll in the tokonoma. I followed his gaze and saw that it depicted two cranes.
"...? Ah, I see, 'Cranes on Pine.'"
"What does that mean?"
I must have muttered to myself because Kuon asked me about it with curiosity.
"In Japan, there’s a card game called Hanafuda, and one of the designs is 'Cranes on Pine.' That’s why there’s a 'Cranes Scroll' in the 'Pine Room.' I think the other rooms might be similar."
"The Ume (Plum) Room probably has a hanging scroll with a Japanese bush warbler on it. ...Then, does the Sakura (Cherry Blossom) Room have a curtain scroll? What is a 'curtain' scroll...?"
"But why Cranes on Pine, though?"
"Both pine trees and cranes are considered symbols of good fortune and longevity. In January, they were seen as particularly auspicious."
"I see. So it represents longevity and prosperity..."
"Also, cranes are said to symbolize marital harmony, as they mate for life and live together forever."
"Ah, so that’s why there are two cranes in this painting."
As I pondered over the hanging scrolls in the other rooms, Kuon and Dad began discussing something more complicated. Being a manga artist, (?), Dad is surprisingly knowledgeable about trivia like this.
I sipped my tea while listening to the conversation between my son and my father. This feels nice, you know?
After finishing our tea, we went back to the lobby on the first floor.
Soon, everyone, now lighter without their luggage, came to join us with Iori-san.
"By the way, what are we doing for lunch?"
"Oh, we haven’t eaten yet, have we?"
As I glanced at the clock on the pillar in the lobby, I noticed it was already well past lunchtime, almost 2 PM. We hadn’t had a chance to eat yet.
"If you go back about ten minutes along the road, there’s a soba shop. They make 100% buckwheat soba without any binding agents."
"Oh! Sounds great! Soba, huh?"
At Iori-san’s words, Yaé’s face lit up with excitement, and at the same time, her stomach growled loudly.
"Well, after eating the manju, my stomach’s starting to react..."
Yaé flushed red and desperately tried to explain herself.
"I think they’re open until 3 PM for lunch, so it should still be open."
"Alright, then let’s go there."
Since no one particularly disagreed, we all left the ryokan.
As we walked down the gentle slope, we enjoyed the scenery of nature. The children were laughing and chatting as we headed toward the hot spring town with a river flowing through the streets.
"I wonder if there will be magical beasts or something?"
"Linne, there aren’t any magical beasts in this world."
"But I heard on TV that there are dangerous animals, like tigers."
"Tigers? They’re not dangerous at all, though?"
...The conversation was a little grim. Is it because of Kohaku that they think tigers aren’t dangerous?
I really need to teach them that tigers are dangerous... wait, for them, maybe it’s not dangerous at all...?
Even in a state where magic can’t be used much, a tiger or two would probably be killed in an instant...
As I started questioning my kids’ ability to handle dangerous situations, we soon arrived at the soba shop we had been aiming for.
"Welcome! Uh, how many people are in your group?"
"Twenty-three people. Will there be enough space?"
"Ah, yes. That’s no problem!"
The cashier, who had been standing in front of the register, momentarily looked surprised at the number of people behind Mom but quickly returned to a sales smile.
Since it was already past lunchtime, there were almost no other customers in the restaurant, so it seemed like we could fit in just fine.
Of course, we couldn’t all sit together, so we split up into separate seats at tables.
I sat with Kuon, Yumina, and Alice at a table and quickly opened the menu.
"Let’s see... there's Sarashina soba, Inaka soba, and even Buckwheat soba."
"What’s Buckwheat soba?"
"It’s a bit bitter, but it’s good for your health. See, it says so right here."
I pointed to the part of the menu where it said "100 times rutin."
Rutin is a type of polyphenol, and I think it’s good for preventing lifestyle-related diseases.
"The reason Inaka soba is dark in color is because it’s made with the husk still on, right?"
"Wow, you really know your stuff..."
"It’s something Mother Lu mentioned before."
I was surprised at Kuon’s knowledge, but it turned out it was something Lu had taught him.
Since I’m here, I decided to order Buckwheat soba with a side of tempura.
Yumina ordered Sarashina soba, Alice ordered Duck Namban, and Kuon ordered Inaka soba.
"This tea is delicious."
Kuon took a sip of the tea and said this. I also took a sip and thought it was indeed good. It was soba tea. The fragrance was nice.
"Here you go."
After a while, the server started bringing out our orders one after the other. Oh, this looks delicious.
"Wow, it looks great! Let’s eat!"
Alice was the first to dig into her Duck Namban. Well, I guess I’ll dive in too.
"Let’s eat."
I first ate the soba without adding any wasabi or green onions. Unlike Kuon’s Inaka soba or Yumina’s Sarashina soba, Buckwheat soba had a slightly yellowish hue.
I dipped just the tip of the soba into the dipping sauce and slurped it up. Mmm, it’s delicious.
After another bite, I added the condiments and ate again. The green onions made it even better.
Next, I had a piece of tempura. There was pumpkin, eggplant, bell pepper, shrimp, and a round fish-like thing.
I was curious about the small round tempura, so I decided to try that next.
I dipped it in the tempura sauce and took a bite. Oh, it’s kamaboko. Tempura kamaboko is rare, but it’s really good.
"Here is the soba-yu."
While eating the tempura and soba alternately, occasionally taking a break with some pickled daikon, the female server brought over the soba-yu.
"What’s that?"
"It’s soba-yu. The water used to boil the soba. It’s full of nutrients from the soba, so after finishing the soba, you mix it with the dipping sauce and drink it."
"Wow..."
"You really know a lot for someone so young."
As I was explaining it to Kuon, the server who brought the soba-yu smiled, impressed.
"Well, my grandfather taught me."
"I see."
I hurriedly explained, though it wasn’t entirely wrong. Most of what I know about soba comes from my grandfather. He loved soba and even made it himself.
Now that I think about it, I probably still have that soba-making kit at home... No one’s using it, so maybe I could give it to Lu.
I added wasabi and momiji-oroshi (grated daikon with chili) to my soba and continued eating. Delicious. This soba shop was a good choice.
After finishing, I poured the soba-yu into the remaining dipping sauce and drank it, then finished off with the soba tea. I exhaled contentedly. Ah, satisfaction.
"Thank you very much!"
It seemed like everyone was satisfied as they exited the soba shop.
Dad offered to pay for the meal, but I firmly declined, saying I’d pay for it later. After all, I’m the head of the household, even if they’re my parents. I have to be polite about it. I’ll make sure to pay for yesterday’s credit card charges, too.
When it came time to pay, Dad smiled awkwardly and checked his wallet, but how many bowls of soba did Yaé and Frei eat...? There are over twenty people after all...
Yeah, I’ll definitely pay later.
As we left the shop, I noticed that Kuon was holding something carefully in his hands.
"This is soba tea. Grandpa bought it for me."
"Ah... he must have liked it."
"Yes."
As usual, my son is so refined... Is he really the reincarnation of my grandfather, as his name suggests? No, if it were Grandpa, he wouldn’t be this thoughtful.
As I was overwhelmed by these mixed feelings, Mom, who was walking ahead of us, turned around.
"So, what are we doing next? Should we head back to the inn?"
"Well, I do feel like resting, but I also want to check out the hot spring town..."
Even though dinner will be served at the ryokan, there’s still time. I’d like to take a quick look around the shops in the hot spring town.
"I think we should save looking around the hot spring town for tomorrow. It’s better to relax and recover from the trip today. First, let’s enjoy the hot spring, and then we can have dinner, which will allow us to relax."
That was Yumina’s suggestion, and I thought it made sense.
Indeed, I would like to soak in the hot spring and then enjoy a leisurely dinner at the ryokan.
I’m pretty tired from all the travel today.
In the end, we decided to accept Yumina’s suggestion and return to the ryokan.
"Is the hot spring also reserved just for us?"
"It seems so. It looks like there’s a large bath and an outdoor bath..."
"An outdoor bath! I’m so excited!"
Mom, leading Yumina and Lu, walked ahead, and we made our way back up the gentle slope to the ryokan.
So, the hot spring is also private? Well, I suppose it makes sense, since we’re the only guests here.
Once we returned to the ryokan, the women quickly got ready to head to the hot spring.
Dad, Kuon, and I also grabbed our towels, bathing sets, and the yukatas that had been laid out for us, heading out of the room.
We debated between the large bath and the outdoor bath, but since it’s a special opportunity, we decided to go for the outdoor bath.
"Oh, this is quite nice..."
The outdoor bath was located at the back of the ryokan, surrounded by a forest. A privacy screen and a single-sloped roof were set up. The stone-paved path and rocks surrounding the bath made it look like the perfect outdoor onsen. I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of admiration.
Naturally, the baths were separated by gender. With only Dad, Kuon, and me, this felt like such an extravagant private bath.
"Ku, ah, aahhh..."
After washing off my body, I stepped into the hot spring, letting out a strange sound. It stings, it really stings... Maybe I was more tired than I thought. My stiff body was starting to relax.
"Kuon, is the water too hot?"
"No, it’s just the right temperature."
It seemed like Dad and Kuon were also stretching their legs and relaxing.
By the way, the women’s bath is in a separate location. Even so, I could faintly hear their voices drifting over here. It seems like they’re enjoying it too.
"It’s been a while since I’ve been to a hot spring... It’s so refreshing..."
"I’ve been to a few hot springs in the other world."
Imitating Dad, who was soaking up to his chin, I also lay back and submerged myself up to my chin.
"So there are hot springs in the other world too. Are they natural outdoor baths and all?"
"No, over there, magical beasts can appear, so if you relax too carelessly, you’d get attacked. We place pipes with teleportation magic that connects directly to the hot spring source and bring the hot water to the castle’s large bath."
"Wow, anything really goes over there..."
Anything really does go. It’s magic, after all.
"I heard that in Eashen, they have regular outdoor baths."
"The people there are really serious about baths, just like us Japanese..."
"What’s Eashen?"
"It’s Yaé’s mother’s homeland. It’s an island country located to the east of the continent..."
The three of us men were soaking in the bath while chatting about trivial things.
Dad seemed interested in the other world, so he kept asking questions. Kuon answered them in detail, and I added some explanations as well. Before we knew it, we’d been in the bath for a lot longer than expected.
Before I got dizzy from the heat, I got out of the bath, changed into the yukata I had brought, and noticed they even had yukata for children, which was nice. They even had a proper haori (jacket) for them.
We walked across the wooden corridor from the outdoor bath to the main building. The breeze blowing from the side was cool and pleasant.
Back in the room, I had a glass of cold water from the fridge. Ah, bliss.
As we were relaxing, suddenly, without any knock, the sliding door to our room opened, and Alice and Rinne appeared. Both of them were also wearing yukata, just like us. Ours were dark blue, and theirs were light pink.
"Kuon! There’s a shop and a game corner on the first floor! Let’s go together!"
"Eh, now?"
Kuon, who had just taken a break, was quickly whisked away by Alice and the others. It must be tough when your fiancée has so much energy...
"Are you sure about this, Touya-san?"
"Well, let the young ones be with each other..."
"That’s not something you should be saying."
Dad looked at me with a wry smile.
He’s right.
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