Inside the oden shop.
Under the warm lights, steaming heat filled the cramped space with a rich aroma.
Natsume Chikage lifted the noren curtain and walked inside with his younger sister, Natsume Ruri.
"Welcome—oh, it's you, young man."
Behind the counter, the kindly-looking old oden shop owner was busy at work. The moment he saw them, his face broke into a broad smile.
"You've got a cute little girl with you this time. She must be your sister, right?"
Natsume Chikage was slightly surprised.
"How could you tell?"
Natsume Ruri blinked her big eyes as well, looking curiously at the owner.
The old oden seller wiped his hands on a towel. Thinking back to how Natsume Chikage and Fujiwara Aoi had looked like a pair of clueless lovers yesterday, then seeing the huge difference in height between these two, it would have been stranger if he could not tell.
He laughed heartily.
"I've served customers for so many years. I've got an eye for these things."
"What would you like today?"
At that, Natsume Chikage and Natsume Ruri leaned over the steaming compartmentalized pot and expertly ordered several of their favorite items.
However, just as the owner was dishing out their food, Natsume Chikage's gaze abruptly froze.
To his astonishment, he noticed that the dark ladle in the old man's hand was giving off a faint, peculiar glow that only he could see.
Several illusory lines of text appeared before his eyes.
[Oden Immortal's Ladle] [Quality: White] [Effect: Dishes prepared gain a 40% improvement in taste!] [Description: I've been making oden for over thirty years. You dare say my oden tastes bad? Don't say another word. Stick your head over here first!!]
Natsume Chikage was stunned at first, before an uncontrollable surge