From the New City, Venetinova

The stage is Venetinova, a coastal city in the east of the Kingdom of

Friedonia.

The Kingdom's coast was bent in a < shape. To encourage more active

distribution of goods throughout the country, King Souma had sponsored

the construction of Venetinova at the corner of that shape.

If there was one thing unique about this city, it was its two-level layout.

In the lower level, facing the sea, there was a fishing port, a plaza, parks,

and more, while the residential quarter, governor's mansion, and other

similar buildings were concentrated in the upper level.

Nearly all of the shopping areas were along the hill road between those

two levels. This town layout was in preparation for the great earthquake that

was said to strike once every hundred years.

In one of the clinics along the hill road in Venetinova, there was

currently an eight-month-old baby boy swinging his legs as he was held by

his mother.

"Goo goo!" the baby cooed.

This healthy baby was named Fuku. During Souma's visit to the

refugee camp, Hilde Norg, a female doctor belonging to the three-eyed race,

and Brad Joker, a surgeon, had delivered him by caesarean section.

Incidentally, Souma himself had given the boy his name.

Today, little Fuku had come in with his mother for a regular checkup.

Hilde was the doctor examining him. "Hm... I don't see anything out of

the ordinary. He's full of energy."

Until just recently, she had been at Ginger's Vocational School in the

capital, Parnam, training doctors. Once it had gotten on track, Hilde, who

had always been more at home treating the common people than hidden

away in a lab studying, had left her duties to her juniors at the school. In

order to follow the former refugees, having been concerned about them, she

had followed them to this new city and opened a clinic.

That said, Hilde was considered one of the two greatest minds in the

medical world, and the other one was the surgeon, Joker. So they were both

frequently called to the medical school in Parnam, but recently, for a

certain reason, she had been staying in Venetinova.

Hearing from Hilde that her child was okay, Fuku's mother bowed her

head. "Thank you so much. It's all thanks to you and Dr. Joker that Fuku

and I are both still here."

"No need to thank me," said Hilde. "It's my job, you know. More

importantly, like the king told you, you should really be thanking your

child, for being born when both of us were there."

Perhaps to hide her shyness, Hilde turned to look the other way as she

brushed Fuku's hair, which had finally begun to grow evenly.

Fuku clapped his hands in glee.

Fuku's mother watched with a slight smile. "I guess you're right. Now

we can wait together for my husband to return."

"Oh, that's right, they found your husband, didn't they?"

"Yes," said another woman, stepping forward. "I received word from

my elder brother."

The one who responded to this question was an eighteen-year-old girl

who wore an outfit similar to that of a stereotypical Native American, and

paint on her cheeks that seemed magical.

Her name was Komain. She had originally been left in charge of

handling the refugees by her brother, Jirukoma, and was now a community

leader for the former refugees putting down roots in Venetinova.

Komain had come here today to give support to Fuku and his mother

during their routine checkup. "According to the messenger kui my brother

sent, he should be on his way here now."

Jirukoma had returned north, leading all of those who refused to

become members of this country, and who insisted on attempting to retake

their homelands. He was now staying in the Kingdom of Lastania, one of

the smaller countries inside the Union of Eastern Nations, as a volunteer

soldier, having responded to their call for troops.

In that land, he was also gathering information on those who had been

scattered while they were being driven from the north. Fuku's father was

just one of the ones he had found that way.

"He said your husband was searching for you in one of Lastania's

neighboring countries," said Komain. "When my brother told him you were

safe, and your child had been born, he dropped everything to rush here and

be at your side."

"Honestly... That man's always been in such a hurry," Fuku's mother

said, but she looked really happy.

Hilde gave an exasperated shrug. "Well, it's good to have the family

together. Just, let me caution you on one thing."

"Huh? Uh, sure."

"Your belly's already been opened once for the delivery. The procedure

went perfectly, and you can probably have a second, but...once the belly has

been cut once, it's weaker, and a natural birth becomes more difficult. So,

the next time you give birth, it would be safer for both you and the baby to

cut you open and take it out."

Fuku's mother and Komain both gulped.

Hilde grinned at both of them. "When your husband gets back, you're

going to have some romantic time together, right? If that makes you decide

you really want a second, you'd better consult a doctor approved by either

me or the country."

"Right!" Fuku's mother nodded enthusiastically.

Hearing that, Fuku let out a confident-sounding cry, too, which caused

all three of the others to look at one another and smile.

"Is the checkup finished?" Brad poked his head out from deeper inside

the clinic. He was a man whose expression was usually more subdued, but

he was glancing worriedly at Hilde now. "Um...is it okay?"

"They're fine," said Hilde. "Both mother and child are healthy."

"No... That's not what I meant..."

"Honestly... You're more nervous than I'd have expected." Hilde stood

up and shooed Brad into the back of the clinic. "For starters, there are no

men allowed in here while I'm seeing a female patient!"

"No, you're seeing the baby... I just..."

"Enough. You go over there and get ready for tomorrow! You'll need to

head out for the capital and look at the princess. They say she's gotten

sick."

Having forcefully made Brad leave, Hilde returned to her seat. "Good

grief," she muttered.

Having seen that interaction between the two of them, Komain tilted

her head to the side quizzically. "Dr. Brad is here, too, huh? I'd heard he

had gotten a case of wanderlust, and was seeing patients all around the

country."

Brad was, indeed, prone to wanderlust. He was the sort who would tell

King Souma to his face, "I want to heal the poor, not the rich." To put it in

more flattering terms, he was a solitary sort; in less flattering terms, he still

had a mild case of middle school syndrome.

Even though he had received a request from Souma to hold lectures, he

was still traveling around the country to see patients and treat them.

Technically, he did take apprentices with him and call it training in the field,

though.

That was why Komain had been surprised to see Brad here.

However, Hilde snorted. "What's there to be surprised about? Men are

so simple," she said, rubbing her abdomen.

That gesture told Komain everything she needed to know. "You, too,

Doctor?!"

"Wow, congratulations!" cried Fuku's mother.

"Hmph..." Hilde turned to look away in embarrassment. But, still, in a

vanishingly small voice she replied, "Yeah, yeah... Thanks."

The way she said it made Komain and Fuku's mother erupt in laughter

despite themselves.

"Komain, thank you for coming with me today," Fuku's mother said,

bowing her head.

"Dooo," her little son agreed.

The time was a little past three o'clock in the afternoon. On the hill

road outside Hilde's clinic, Komain rolled up her sleeves and said, "Oh, it's

no big deal. Brother asked me to look after everyone. If there's anything I

can do, please, go ahead and tell me."

"Thank you. Are you going home now?"

"No, I have some documents to submit to the governor, so I plan to

head there next."

"Oh, is that right? Well, keep up the good work."

"I sure will! See you later, Fuku."

Taking Fuku's hand and shaking it, Komain said her goodbyes to the

two of them and raced up the hill. The governor's mansion was at the

highest point in this city. While Komain was racing through the shopping

street, the lady running one of the fruit shops called out to her.

"Koma, you always look so busy. Are you eating right?"

"Huh? Uh, now that you mention it, I may have missed lunch today."

"That's no good. Even if you're busy, you've gotta eat!" The lady threw

one of the apples she was selling over to Komain.

"Whoa... Thanks, ma'am!" Komain caught the apple, waved vigorously

to the lady, then went on her way.

People often waved at Komain when she was running through the

streets.

She was doing a lot of jobs lately, everything from cleaning, laundry,

and babysitting, to deliveries and removing bee nests. Though she was a

young girl, she'd firmly taken on her role as a community organizer for the

refugees, and because she had the guts to give the local men a piece of her

mind, even though they were hard workers and could be a bit rough, it was

little wonder she'd gotten so popular. She didn't know it, but she'd already

been nicknamed the poster girl of Venetinova.

But...I can't keep doing this forever, Komain thought as she ran through

the streets of Venetinova. The refugees are starting to put down roots in this

new city. If we're going to assimilate into this country, it's better if there's

no "wall" between those who were formerly refugees and those who

weren't. My role as an organizer for the community is emblematic of that

wall, so eventually they won't need me anymore. That in itself is a good

thing, but...

Komain bit into the apple she'd been given and let out a little sigh.

It may be about time I begin looking for a way of living for myself, like

Brother did when he went north.

Komain thought about it as she ran through the streets. While she was

still thinking, she arrived at her destination.

The governor's mansion; this was where the governor who ran the city

lived.

It wasn't the lord's mansion because Venetinova was part of the royal

demesne, and therefore the lord of this city was King Souma. However,

King Souma was based out of the capital, so he'd needed to dispatch

someone to manage this city.

There were times when administration of major cities was left to the

nobles and knights working in the government office, but considering the

importance of this city, a mere magistrate wouldn't have been sufficient.

The title created for the post of running this city was "governor." It was

a new post, created for the person who would rule this important city on

Souma's behalf, and the place where this governor lived and worked was

called the governor's mansion.

Now, as for who was the city's current governor...

"Excuse me. Is Governor Poncho in at the moment?"

Indeed, it was the former Minister for the Food Crisis and current

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Poncho Ishizuka Panacotta.

Because this important city couldn't be left in the hands of anyone who

was less than competent, the king's close associate Poncho had been tapped,

albeit temporarily, to handle the job. Because of that, Poncho's days had

been going by blindingly fast, with him going to work in the castle every

morning, and returning to Venetinova every afternoon.

Technically, his replacement had already been chosen—it was the Lord

of Altomura, Weist Garreau, who had distinguished himself in the war—but

until he was prepared to take over, Poncho's busy days were set to continue.

What was more, Poncho had another batch of troubles coming his way.

"The governor is present, but you're looking at a long wait if you want

an audience with him," the guard said with a forced smile and in a way that

seemed to imply something.

"I understand," said Komain. "I have some documents to submit, so do

you mind if I wait?"

"I understand. Go ahead, Madam Komain. You can stay in the waiting

room."

Thanks in part to her being a familiar face, the guard easily let Komain

inside.

The maid standing by in the front entrance to the building who was

tasked with guiding guests led her through to the waiting room where there

were already four women waiting.

The women seemed to be gathered in one corner of the room and were

talking about something. They all wore gaudy outfits, and Komain could

infer they were young ladies of good parentage. The women glanced over at

her as she entered the room, then huddled close and began whispering to

each other.

Komain, feeling awkward, sat at a distance from these women. When

she did...

"What's with that outfit? Is that girl aiming to become Sir Poncho's

wife?"

"What a common girl. Does she think that, if it's Sir Poncho, even a girl

like her could seduce him?"

Komain could hear their whispering perfectly. She was from a tribe of

hunters who had lived in the north, and they were sensitive to the presence

of their prey and other noises. She could hear lowered voices like theirs

whether she wanted to or not.

Komain sighed. I knew it... They're women who've come to discuss a

potential marriage with Sir Poncho, just as I thought.

There had already been a public announcement that King Souma would

be holding a ceremony to celebrate his marriage to Princess Liscia and his

other queens in waiting. In response to that, there was now a rush of

marriage offers from those who wanted to secure a position as a queen for

themselves, too. Not only that, these offers of marriage were also coming en

masse to any unwed men among Souma's vassals who seemed to have a

promising future.

The intelligent and attractive Prime Minister, Hakuya, and the

handsome Captain of the Royal Guard, Ludwin, were both popular, but the

person these offers were most concentrated on was Poncho.

Being an upstart noble, Poncho was from a family of low status,

providing a low barrier of entry for such proposals. On top of that, there

was his pudgy body; those with confidence in their appearance thought he

would be easy to seduce. In addition, many had an honest affection for him

as one of the people who had helped end the food crisis.

In short, Poncho was visited by those of high and low statuses, those

interested out of ambition and those who were pure... It was a truly diverse

group of women who were proposing to him. The group here currently was

no doubt full of women from ambitious houses.

"Just you watch," said one. "I'll make that pudgy man mine with this

beautiful face."

"He seems like a timid sort, so if I push hard enough, he should submit

easily."

"The way he looks, he can't be used to beautiful women."

The women continued talking in hushed voices.

This is kind of unpleasant, thought Komain. I don't care what they say

about me, but Sir Poncho worked with His Majesty to provide food relief to

us refugees when things were hard for us. I want him to be happy, and I'd

rather not see anyone too weird become his wife.

However, as these women were saying, Poncho had a somewhat

unreliable side to him. If the women pushed hard enough, given his

personality, he may not be able to decline. Komain was worried for Poncho,

but then a question came to mind.

Huh? Then why hasn't he gotten married yet?

It was true Poncho was easy to push into things. However, despite that,

she hadn't heard anything about him being engaged. This was despite so

many offers pouring in.

He's rebuffing all those offers from women like these? The Sir Poncho I

know?

While Komain was still wondering about that, the maid came for them,

and all of the women present to discuss potential marriages were led off one

by one.

The next thing she knew, Komain was alone.

Then the maid came for her, informing Komain that her turn had come.

"I'm sorry for the wait. Madam Komain, come this way, please."

As she followed the maid down the corridor, Komain saw one of the

women who had been in the waiting room before walking quickly toward

them from the opposite direction. Her face was tense, and she passed by

Komain without seeming to take note of her.

Wh-What was that? She looked like she was on edge. Did her meeting

not go so well?

While she was wondering about that, they arrived in front of the

reception room. The maid knocked lightly on the door, then waited for a

response from inside before opening it and announcing Komain's arrival.

"Please do come in, yes."

Hearing Poncho's voice, Komain responded, "Excuse me," and entered

the room.

Inside the reception room, a somewhat tired-looking Poncho was seated

on a sofa with a maid standing behind him.

Komain's eyes went wide despite herself as soon as she saw that maid.

For a moment, she was overwhelmed by this woman who looked to be a

little over the age of twenty, with a beautiful face, and a poise that spoke to

her great intellect.

Little wonder that woman looked so pressured...

With a beauty like that behind Poncho, it would no doubt destroy

whatever confidence the visiting women had in their own looks. Had it been

solely thanks to her that, despite all of the offers, no woman had been able

to push hers through? In that case...

Huh?! Is she glaring at me?! Komain felt as if the maid standing

behind Poncho had shot a glare at her.

When a beautiful person did the glaring, the impact was multiplied.

Komain felt a chill down her spine, but this was the same Komain who

spent her days openly speaking her mind to burly men.

She glared back, as if to say, I won't lose.

At Komain's return glare, the maid turned up the intensity.

Their gazes collided. It was as if an image of a wolf and a hawk could

be seen behind them.

"Um, you two, is something the matter?" Poncho asked hesitantly,

sensing the abnormal atmosphere between them.

Having been addressed by him, Komain was the first to come back to

her senses. "Oh, that's right. Poncho, I've brought the list of newly arrived

refugees."

"Well, well. Thank you for your hard work, yes."

When Komain turned over the papers to Poncho, the oppressive vibe

she had been getting from the maid vanished. In fact, the maid bowed to her

and said, "I'll go prepare tea now," then left the room.

While there was still a question mark floating over Komain's head at

her sudden change in attitude, Poncho spoke.

"I'm sorry it seems we kept you waiting, yes," he apologized as he

perused the documents.

"Oh, no. Um... Do you have a lot of people expressing interest in

marrying you?"

"Y-Yes. Let's see. From what I hear, many of the unmarried men among

His Majesty's vassals have been receiving such offers, yes. Even I have

received a fair number. If Madam Serina, who is the head maid at the castle,

hadn't handled them for me, I'm sure things would have gotten even worse,

yes."

Serina... Is that the incredibly beautiful maid from before? If she's the

head maid in the castle, she must be highly capable.

Poncho put on a troubled smile. "Of course, maybe it's because of the

way I look. I've received an awful lot of offers to discuss the prospect, but

not one of them has worked out, yes. I'm often told, 'Actually, let's call the

whole thing off,' the moment they see my face at the interview."

Huh? Does that mean...

Komain recalled the moment of first entering the room. She'd seen the

kindly Poncho, and the super beautiful maid Serina standing behind him.

Yeah... That was the first barrier. For those who had a little confidence

in their appearance and thought they could easily seduce Poncho, when they

saw Serina's beautiful face, they were likely to beat a hasty retreat. Even if

they held their ground, the next thing to hit them would be that wave of

intimidation from Serina. The average woman probably couldn't withstand

that pressure.

Even Komain had felt something akin to the kind of shudder she would

feel if she encountered a large wolf.

"Serina has been kind enough to manage things, so I feel bad for her,

yes," Poncho said apologetically.

No, isn't it Serina's fault that none of these offers have worked out?!

Komain nearly said that out loud, but the maid interrupted.

"Pardon me. I've brought the tea." Serina brought in the tea with what

felt like carefully planned timing, so the words never left Komain's mouth.

While she was drinking the delicious tea, Komain's mind spun in

confused circles. Madam Serina is getting in the way of Sir Poncho's

marriage offers? But why? Since she was sent from the castle, is that under

His Majesty's orders? No, that can't be right. I can't see the king doing

anything so nasty. Then is it her own will? Does she have something against

Sir Poncho, maybe?

While Komain was thinking that, Poncho gently began talking to her.

"How are the former refugees these days? Is there anything troubling

them?"

"Oh, right," Komain said. "Everyone is getting used to life here. It's a

gradual process, but I'm getting fewer requests for mediation than before."

"That's good, yes. Peace is the most important thing."

"It is. From my standpoint as a community organizer, I feel it's a load

off my shoulders, and I'm relieved. At the same time, I have less and less to

do, so I've been thinking of starting up something new. Sir Poncho...you're

as busy as ever, aren't you?"

"Yes. In addition to my work as governor, I also have to meet all the

people making proposals, and His Majesty has instructed me to study

something new, too. So I'm busy, yes."

Poncho looked at the mountain of books beside his desk and sighed.

"Study...? What exactly?" Komain asked.

"The transportation of provisions. According to His Majesty, whether

my name is listed among the people managing our soldier's food or not will

make a large difference in the entire military's morale. That's why, even if

just for show, he apparently wants to place me in an important post, so I'm

in the middle of having the bare minimum of base knowledge pounded into

me, yes."

Poncho was so widely regarded as a specialist on food that the common

people referred to him as "Ishizuka, the God of Food." Even just having his

name listed as a manager of military provisions would be enough to

convince the troops they could eat something good, and it would raise their

morale.

That's a trouble you run into when you're famous, I guess, thought

Komain.

Serina leaned in to whisper something in Poncho's ear. "Madam

Komain is your last visitor for the day. Thank you for your hard work."

"Oh, she is? Thank you, too, Madam Serina, yes."

"No, I was ordered by His Majesty to support you, after all."

"Still, I'm always grateful, yes."

Komain's far-too-sensitive ears picked up their whispered conversation.

Hearing their voices, Komain quickly struck down her earlier theory.

There was no trace of hostility in Serina's voice. More than that, there was

an excited "sweetness" in it. It was amazing Poncho could keep a level head

while she whispered to him like that.

"If you're that grateful, then do it again tonight," Serina whispered.

"You really do like it, huh, Madam Serina?" Poncho whispered back.

Komain nearly spewed her tea.

Tonight?! She likes it?! Huh, what?! What are the two of them talking

about?!

While pretending to drink, Komain glanced at the two of them over the

rim of her teacup.

D-Do the two of them have that kind of relationship, maybe?! Oh! That

explains why Madam Serina was being so intimidating! To keep anyone

from taking Sir Poncho from her... Huh? But that's a surprise. I wonder why

a beauty like her is so deeply infatuated with Sir Poncho...

Komain's head was filled with a different confusion than before, and it

worried her.

"Oh, that's right," said Poncho. "Madam Komain."

"Huh?! Uh, yes...?!" Komain unintentionally let her voice go a little

shrill.

"Do you have some work after this, Madam Komain?"

"No, this was the last thing for today... Um, why do you ask?"

Poncho put on a happy smile and said, "Oh, it's no big deal. I just

thought I'd invite you to dinner, yes."

H-How did it turn out like this...?

Komain didn't understand the situation she now found herself in.

She was in the governor's private dining room at the governor's

mansion. There, Serina and Komain were seated across from one another.

Poncho was away cooking, so Komain felt indescribably awkward.

Serina suddenly bowed her head. "Madam Komain, I must apologize

for earlier."

"Huh? Um, why is that?"

"For looking at you with appraising eyes. I thought you were another

one of those women who think they can so easily seduce Sir Poncho."

It seemed that look hadn't been a glare, but one of appraisal. Komain

was relieved to realize Serina had been protecting Poncho from the

venomous fangs of women with ambitions.

"Um... I was wondering, are a lot of the people who seek to meet

Poncho and talk about marriage like that?" Komain ventured.

"Yes. Like you've seen, he's a man with many weaknesses. I've been

asked by His Majesty to make sure Sir Poncho isn't ensnared by any

strange women, but many of them run away at the first sight of my eyes. I

do wish they would at least pay us the most basic level of respect."

Well, yeah, of course they'd be scared, Komain nearly said, but

managed to swallow the words just before they left her mouth.

Serina may have only intended it to be probing, but even those with no

ill intentions might get scared and run away at the sight of that look.

"But you didn't run away, did you, Madam Komain?" Serina asked.

"I come from a tribe of hunters. I felt like I was being glared at by a

large wolf, but you can't be a hunter if you let fear get the best of you."

Komain's words seemed to have left Serina a little shocked. "My look

was on the level of a large wolf?"

At that moment, Poncho came back carrying a large pot. "Sorry to keep

you waiting. This is our experimental dish for the day, yes."

Poncho went on to serve portions from the pot onto each of their plates.

When she saw what she was served, Komain winced for a moment. Her

entire plate was covered in brown. What was more, it looked unappetizing.

Is this...the rice the mystic wolf people were cultivating? But I can see

bits that look like thinly-cut pasta here and there. On top of that, the whole

thing's brown, too...

"Ohhh, this is wonderful, Sir Poncho." Unlike Komain, Serina was

entranced by the sight of this dish. "This is like the 'sauce yakisoba' you

served before, but you've mixed in rice this time, too. The noodles are thin,

making them easy to eat together with the rice. This sinful sight of a staple

food cooked together with another staple food, combined with the scent of

the sauce, is simply the best."

Serina praised the dish like she was a young maiden in love. The gap

between this and the intellectual beauty she had seemed like earlier was so

great Komain found it a little off-putting. However, Poncho seemed

reasonably used to this reaction, and went on smoothly explaining the dish.

"In His Majesty's world, this is apparently called 'soba meshi.' First,

you make sauce yakisoba, then add rice. From there, you add things like

tendon and mix it all together. I'm thinking of serving it at my experimental

restaurant in the castle soon, yes."

"I'll dig right in."

Serina scooped up some of the soba meshi with a spoon and carried it

to her mouth. The moment she put it in her mouth, she broke into a smile of

ecstasy, as if she had just received a revelation from on high.

Poncho watched her with a smile on his face. "I must say...you really do

like it, Madam Serina."

Hearing those words, Komain recalled their earlier whispers. It seemed

this was the thing she "liked" that they'd be doing "tonight."

Feeling a little embarrassed at what she had imagined, Komain took a

bite of the soba meshi on her plate without hesitating, and...

Ohhh! Komain felt like she'd just had a revelation from heaven, too.

What is this?! It looks awful, but it's so delicious!

The sweet and spicy sauce stimulated her appetite, and her spoon went

back for scoop after scoop of soba meshi. What an alluring flavor. She

could see why Serina's face had melted like that. While she was satisfied

with her explanation, she remembered what Serina had said.

"If you're that grateful, then do it again tonight..."

Do it again tonight... Serina had said "again." In other words, didn't

that mean Serina was eating delicious meals like this with Poncho nearly

every night?

The moment that thought occurred to her, Komain couldn't restrain

herself. She kicked back her chair and stood up, then kneeled on the floor in

front of Poncho.

"Sir Poncho!"

"Y-Yes! Um, Madam Komain? What are you doing, suddenly kneeling

like that?"

"Madam Komain?" Serina asked, startled.

Seeing the dubious looks on their faces, Komain spilled forth the

feelings she could no longer keep inside. "If I can eat food like this, I want

to serve you, Sir Poncho! Please, keep me at your side!"

Komain was suddenly offering to serve under him.

While Poncho was still at a loss for words at the sudden turn of events,

Serina rose from her seat to stand in front of the kneeling Komain. Her eyes

had that same intensity in them which had driven away the women looking

to discuss marriage with Sir Poncho.

While laying a gaze meant to make those it fell on shrink away on

Komain, she said, "Is that...something you truly feel?"

"Yes! I swear it on the honor of my people."

Komain looked straight back at her, eyes unswerving.

Serina and Komain were ignoring the man who, normally, should have

been the center of this conversation, in order to stare each other down.

Poncho, as usual, was just flustered.

Shortly, Serina slumped her shoulders in resignation.

"It seems you're serious... Very well." With that said, Serina extended a

hand to Komain. "I accept you. Welcome to the Ishizuka family table."

"Madam Serina!"

The two exchanged a firm handshake. Their hearts had both been stolen

by the same thing.

On this day, the two who were entranced with B-grade gourmet dishes

were bound by a tie stronger than any plate.

Incidentally, Poncho, who had been left out of this, continued quietly

eating soba meshi by himself.

Furthermore, though this is but a side note, from the next day onward,

there were two women standing behind Poncho when women came to talk

marriage with him.