Chapter 7

"Looks like you've been doing pretty well for yourself these past few days, Machi," Nobunaga remarked.

He walked over to the table and picked up one of the bowls Morin and Machi had used earlier. Carefully inspecting it, he marveled, "This is such a good-quality bowl. I've never seen anything like it. Everything I have at home is junk."

He studied the bowl closely, clicking his tongue in admiration.

It was one of the bowls created by the Gourmet Tablecloth when it produced food.

"Just one of these could probably be traded for a good amount of black rice," he said casually.

Although he made the comment without much thought, Machi's ears perked up, and her eyes lit up at the idea.

That's right! she realized. I can't take the food out because people would tear me apart for it, but these leftover bowls and plates—if I'm careful enough—might work just fine. Surely no one would go as far as to eat tableware!

Her mind quickly started calculating again, estimating how much she could sell the dishes for.

"Enough about that!" Uvogin interrupted impatiently. "Let's hurry up and get moving."

"Wait," Morin chimed in with a smile. "Just one of these bowls can be exchanged for a lot of black rice?"

"That's right," Nobunaga replied with a nod. "Only the elders get to use things this nice. For us, as long as we can get some black rice to fill our stomachs, it's good enough."

Nobunaga seemed to see a reflection of his younger, more carefree self in Morin, which made him more inclined to chat.

"Does black rice taste good?" Morin asked, tilting his head. "It always smells kind of weird."

"Of course, it doesn't taste good," Nobunaga replied with a wry grin. "But it's cheap to trade for, and even a small amount can fill you up. It's practical."

Meanwhile, Uvogin was starting to feel like a ghost in the room, completely ignored.

"Hey! Are you two just gonna keep pretending I don't exist?" he growled, clearly frustrated.

"I'll treat you all to a meal," Morin said suddenly, cutting him off mid-complaint.

"As a gesture for our first meeting."

"You're treating us to a meal?"

This time, Uvogin's temper quickly cooled, and he zeroed in on the most important detail.

"You're buying? Let me make something clear: I'm not holding back."

"That's exactly what I want," Morin said with a grin. "Eat as much as you can. If you're not full, I'll take it personally."

"Is that so?"

Uvogin immediately perked up, his grin widening. Morin's bold attitude struck a chord with him.

"Alright, then! Bring on the black rice. I'll make sure to eat every last grain."

"Black rice?" Morin shook his head, chuckling. "I'm not serving black rice."

"Oh?"

Uvogin and Nobunaga both raised their eyebrows in surprise.

Machi, who had been silently observing, smirked and added, "He's got something better than black rice."

"Better than black rice?"

The three stared at Morin, curious about what he had up his sleeve.

Uvogin and Nobunaga's eyes lit up simultaneously.

They exchanged a glance, their instincts perfectly aligned, and then settled themselves at the table without a word.

"No wonder I thought I smelled something good when I walked in," Uvogin said with a grin. "At first, I figured it was just my imagination."

Nobunaga nodded slightly. "Well, we'll wait and see."

Swipe!

As the two sat down, Morin pulled out the Gourmet Tablecloth again and spread it across the table before them.

"Where did that come from?"

At first, the pair were curious about whether Morin had performed some kind of magic trick. Then, their attention shifted to the tablecloth itself.

"This is pretty fancy," Uvogin remarked, his voice tinged with appreciation.

Nobunaga nodded in agreement. "It could probably trade for quite a bit of black rice."

"Do you have any particular dishes you'd like?" Morin asked casually before getting started.

"You just bring out whatever you've got!" Uvogin declared boldly, waving a large hand dismissively.

"Alright, I'll choose for you, then," Morin replied with a smile.

With a snap of his fingers, he announced, "Let's start with two roast suckling pigs to whet your appetites."

The moment the words left his mouth, the Gourmet Tablecloth began to shimmer under their watchful eyes.

In an instant, two golden-brown, perfectly roasted suckling pigs appeared, their crispy skin glistening invitingly. The rich aroma filled the room like a tidal wave, engulfing everyone.

"Gulp!"

A loud swallowing sound broke the silence.

"This is… roast suckling pig?!" Nobunaga's voice wavered as he stared at the platter before him.

The two pigs, with their tantalizing aroma and perfectly roasted appearance, seemed to be calling out to them, practically begging to be devoured.

"Slurp!"

Nobunaga smacked his lips unconsciously, while Uvogin unabashedly wiped a stream of drool from his mouth with the back of his hand.

Even Machi, standing off to the side with her arms crossed, had to subtly swallow, despite having already eaten her fill earlier.

"Please, help yourselves," Morin said with a gracious gesture.

Uvogin and Nobunaga glanced at him, then at each other, their faces reflecting the same thought:

If this was just slightly better than black rice, we wouldn't hesitate. But this aroma... it's too incredible, too tempting.

Still, the fact that the pigs had seemingly appeared out of thin air gave them pause.

They both turned toward Machi, gauging her reaction. Seeing no objections from her, they made their decision.

"Let's eat!" Uvogin declared, reaching out and tearing off a pork leg with his bare hands. 

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