Upon our arrival at the Library, we find Yumi and Charcoal playing outside with Fufu. Somehow, the cat has managed to sit on top of Fufu, and the cabbage is flying him up. Together, they chase after butterflies while Yumi chases after them.
"Hey! I see you're having fun!" I greet Yumi.
"Dad!" Yumi's face brightens with a smile when she sees me.
To be honest, I'm still not quite used to having a cute little fox girl calling me dad. But well, I'm sure that Yumi also feels the same.
"Sorry we're a bit late, sweetie. Are you guys hungry?" I ask.
"Yes! I'm starving!" Yumi exclaims. "Where should we go today?"
"How about some ramen noodles at the center market? I haven't tried that yet."
"Ohh, good idea!" Let's go!"
The Library is somewhat close to the market, so we get there in just under twenty minutes. It's already 8 PM, and the sun has set, leaving the stage in the sky for the huge moon. When we were at the library, we could see the stars clearly. However, as we get to the market, we can't anymore because the light pollution here is too strong. It's weird when I think about it, that a medieval fantasy world like this would suffer from light pollution just like modern Earth.
But well, even without the stars, Vera at night is still something else. No matter how many times I come here, I still can't help but be amazed. Sophia was right. This a city that never sleeps. The streets are lined with bright lamp posts powered by enchantments, and the vendors have colorful signs written with some kind of paint that glows. After a long day's work, people flood the streets to enjoy food and companionship. The air is filled with music and lively chatter. It doesn't feel like we are in a medieval city at all. It feels just like Tokyo.
Weird, but beautifully weird.
"Helena, stay close to me," I say to Yumi using her alias. Then, with Sophia and Yumi holding onto my sleeves, we navigate through the sea of people.
A few minutes later, we arrive at the food section of the market.
"Darling, do you remember where the ramen stall is?" asks Sophia.
"Of course."
I even have the whole place mapped out already.
Most of the stalls here sell grilled meat, skewers, or sandwiches. There's also fresh salad and potato dishes like mashed potatoes or fries. Seems like staples here are similar to Western food culture on Earth, with lots of sausage, meat, and potatoes. But instead of the usual pork, beef and chicken, there's sometimes monster meat, and the spices and aromatics here tend to be stronger compared to Earth's counterparts.
Regardless, there's a special place I happened to notice yesterday when we were just walking around exploring: Tsukiyo Ramen.
We were already full when we spotted it yesterday, but now, we've come with empty stomachs.
"Wow! I can already smell the delicious broth," Sophia exclaims, her eyes gleaming with anticipation upon seeing the bubbling giant pot of broth..
Yumi also can't wait anymore. "Ramen, ramen! Dad, mommy, let's go!"
And needless to say, I'm also very excited to see how this goes.
But first, there's a long line of people waiting for their turn, so we have to queue up. Thinking about it, there's only one reason why ramen appears in this world: a summoned person must have brought it here. The name of the place is literal proof of that. If it wasn't for the fact that we are currently wanted criminals and have to hide our real identities, I would love to have a small chat with the owner of this place.
After a ten-minute wait, we're finally seated at a cozy corner table, and a cheerful middle-aged lady approaches to take our orders. From the information that I've gathered, she is the owner of this place and works as the server too. Meanwhile, her husband is the cook. Together, they sell for nearly a thousand bowls per day.
"Dear customers, what would you like to have?" the lady asks.
"An extra large bowl of pork ramen, please, with four extra eggs on top," I say.
"I'll go for the chicken one, medium size." Sophia adds.
"I'd like pork too, but small size please," Yumi orders.
"And for the cat, can we get a small bowl of cooked chicken?" I ask.
"Of course! Coming right up," the vendor replies with a smile.
As we wait, Charcoal hops onto the table, his tail swishing with curiosity. Now that I think of it, Charcoal is an extremely well-behaved cat. Of course, we have to put him on a leash when going outside, but that's just as a precaution. He never acts up and rarely disobeys me and Yumi.
"You'll get your food soon, Charcoal," Yumi assures him, giving him a gentle pat.
The cat meows cutely.
After a short wait, the vendor returns with steaming bowls of ramen. The rich aroma makes my mouth water, and the way the ingredients are placed is exactly how you would prepare ramen on Earth.
Charcoal's bowl arrives too, its portion pretty generous.
"Itadaki—" Yumi instinctively clasps her hands and starts to say the phrase, but then realizes she shouldn't have said that. "Sorry, I just…"
"Don't worry, I almost said that too," I reply. "Having a bowl of tonkotsu ramen right here makes you feel like home, doesn't it?"
"Yeah…" Yumi murmurs.
The mood suddenly dampens a little.
From the look of it, Yumi must be thinking of her family back home again, and mostly, her dad. "Itadakimasu" is what Japanese people usually say before having a meal. But again, we are wanted criminals and have to be careful with everything we do.
"Oh, right!" I turn to Sophia and whisper, "Do fox-people here have any phrase that they say before eating? Like a prayer of some sort?"
"Ooooh!" Sophia exclaims. "Yeah!"
We are currently disguising ourselves as a family of fox-kin, so it's always a good idea to learn more about their culture.
Sophia then holds her hand out on the table. "Here, take my hands. Let us say a prayer to the Moon and Stars."
Yumi and I immediately do as instructed and hold her hands.
"Now, close your eyes, and repeat after me."
Sophia then says a long prayer that belongs to the fox-kin race.
"In the radiant light of Luna,
We gather to share in this nourishment,
Blessed by the abundance of the Earth, Terra.
May this food fortify our bodies and souls,
And may our deeds uphold the harmony of the cosmos,
As we tread gently upon the world.
Grant us wisdom and insight,
In our passage through life's mysteries,
And may our spirits be as pure as Luna's glow.
In the name of Luna, the Goddess of the Moon and the Stars, and Terra, the Goddess of Soil and Life we offer our gratitude.
So mote it be."
"So mote it be," Yumi and I finish our lines.
The prayer is very similar to what I've read in books about beast-people culture. They, along with the elves, worship three main supernatural divine entities: Luna, the Goddess of Moon and Stars; Solis, the God of the Sun; and Terra, the Goddess of Soil and Life. When it's daytime, they say prayers to Solis, and when it's nighttime, they say them to Luna.
The books were a little outdated, which is why I asked Sophia to say the prayer for us. After all, she used to have a close friend who's a wolf-kin and has certainly learned about their culture from him. That guy is none other than Curtis, the sly bastard who scammed us when we wanted to buy his Chameleon Earrings.
Speaking of Curtis.
"Your wolf friend, the guy at the market that sold us the earrings, are you still in contact with him?" I ask.
"Huh? Of course not!" Sophia replies, slightly annoyed, her brows furrowing as she remembers the incident. "But why do you ask? If you want to, I can help you find him. But I doubt he will have the guts to meet us after what he's done."
"Oh, nothing. He just crossed my mind, that's all," I reply. "Okay, we're done with our prayers. Let's dig in!"
"Yayyy!" Yumi cheers.
The ramen is so good that Yumi and I have to order extra bowls.