After that, everyone sought out Old Man Ueno's third disciple, Miyamoto.
Miyamoto looked like a typical fat otaku: fat and reclusive, with thick glasses. He looked exactly like a fat otaku from an anime who had crossed over into reality.
His personality was much the same. When he saw Duanmu Huai and the others, he was so nervous at first that he couldn't get a word out. Only after he deliberately put a distance of a whole tea table between them did his expression relax somewhat, though he still stammered when he spoke.
"You, you said it was a strange tale a-about food... Actually, just like the teacher said, there are, there are many such stories in Japan's ancient legends. For example, the famous... Ya, Yaobikuni."
"Ah, I know this one too!"
Ya Naijian clapped her hands.
"I remember the legend says that Yaobikuni saved a Ningyo, and then, to repay her, the Ningyo gave her some of its own flesh to eat. Then Yaobikuni became immortal and never grew old, right?"
"Mm, mm, that's right, but... the important one isn't Yaobikuni. It's the Ningyo..."
As he said this, Miyamoto bunched up the fat on his face and revealed a strange smile.
"W, what do you think a N, Ningyo looks like?"
"Hm? Isn't its upper half human and its lower half a fish?"
"Heh... heh heh... Th, that's a Western fairy tale. B, because the animated stories about mermaids are so popular, everyone thinks that's what they look like..."
"Isn't that what they are?"
Chitanda asked curiously, and Miyamoto nodded vigorously.
"N, no, no, no, that's right. A, actually, the legends make it very clear that Yaobikuni encountered a N, Ningyo. Not a m, m, mermaid."
"???"
It's only one word different. What's the difference?
"Th, th, the Ningyo