Mushoku Tensei Redundancy - Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Nanahoshi Gourmet: Sandwich

Translator: flyingsakana

Editor/Proofreader: Jokoril

—

My name is Nanahoshi .

Nanahoshi Shizuka .

Due to some circumstances, I am currently running in the garden of Perugius’ Castle, Chaos Breaker . The cobblestone path circling the castle is definitely not easy to run on . Even so, I will keep running . That is because I need some exercise .

Recently, I have been running like this every single day . The castle is surrounded by this beautiful garden and its appearance changes every time I wake up . Different flowers bloom every month, resulting in a rotating assortment of colors . If I were to wake up every day instead of once every month, I would be able to fully appreciate this gradual change .

[Fuu…]

Three laps around the castle .

That takes up just about an hour . Of course, it’s not like I was continuously running for an hour, I don’t have the stamina for that . If I have to take small breaks, I will . Initially, I was plagued with muscle cramps due to my sedentary lifestyle, but lately, this level of activity rarely results in cramps or sores . This must be a result of my body becoming more physically fit through training . If I can train to become fit, then it logically follows that a lack of activity will make me fat .

Anyways, if I am running with this frequency, I shouldn’t be able to get too fat . Not that I am against getting fat . It’s just that I don’t want to be mistaken as someone else when I return home .

After catching my breath, I took a shower, changed clothes and returned to my room . I wonder what’s on the menu today . What will Rudeus bring me today? I pushed the door open while having those thoughts in mind .

[Hmm… . ]

[What’s wrong? Your chances of winning are slim now . Surrender . ]

However, Rudeus is nowhere to be found .

In his place are Zanoba and Perugius . Between them sits a table on which they are playing a game similar to chess . The chess pieces are well-crafted, such that minute details can be made out even at a distance . This set was probably taken from Perugius’ collection, or bought somewhere by Zanoba .

As for the state of the game, it seems like Zanoba is being outnumbered . Even without looking at the board, you can tell that Perugius is winning by looking at Sylvaril moving her wings with pride .

Come to think of it, this world also has a game like that .

How nostalgic .

Back in middle school, I was really into games like chess and shogi . I used to go to a dojo-like place in the neighbourhood to play from time to time . In fact, I won quite a lot of those games . I stopped all of that once I got into high school, though .

[Please wait a moment . In the Shirone Kingdom, we fight to the last man without surrender . ]

[You do not have the makings of a ruler it seems . Even if you lose the war, you can rebuild the country as long as troops remain . ]

[You mean there existed a country rebuilt with just surviving troops and a dead leader?]

[How ignorant, Zanoba Shirone . It is the very country you were born in . Your country descends from one that was annihilated in the war with Laplace . ]

[I see… It is no wonder that the downfall of my country occurred in my generation . ]

Leaving aside the contents of the conversation, I am more interested in what they were eating while playing their game of chess . Two slices of white bread cut in either squares or triangles, with something in between . From what I see, that something consists of green and yellow stuff . Regardless of what is put in between the two slices of bread, the name of the dish remains the same .

It’s sandwiches .

[Long time no see, Zanoba . ]

[Ohh, Nanahoshi-dono! Good morning . It has really been a while . ]

Zanoba has really gotten old as compared to the Zanoba I remember . Much of his hair has become white and his face is filled with wrinkles . He is now over 40 years old, from what I have heard . Zanoba is officially an old man now .

[So it’s not Rudeus today, huh . ]

[Shishou1 has been busy recently, you see . Remember that incident?]

[Ahh…]

Some time ago, Rudeus consulted with me on a dreadfully serious topic .

It was regarding the elopement of Ars and Aisha .

As for what happened during his consultation, it’s so heavy for someone like me that I did not know what to say at all . All I could do was to give vague responses or keep quiet . He brought in donuts on that day, but I could not appreciate the taste at all . In the end, more than half of the donuts remained unconsumed . It seems that the issue is still unresolved .

[Even so, as you can see, Shishou has prepared food for everyone here . You should eat up too, Nanahoshi-dono . ]

[…Itadakimasu]

I sat beside Zanoba . Although only a third of the sandwiches remain, there are still a variety of fillings to choose from . There’s one filled with Tamagoyaki2, some with what looks like smoked meat and grilled fish, as well as those with white filling – probably potato salad .

For now, I reached out and grabbed the Tamagoyaki sandwich .

It may have caught my interest because of its bright yellow and green colors, but it was also due to nostalgia . As my family did not make onigiri, my lunch boxes were often packed with sandwiches . Among them, there were always Tamagoyaki sandwiches .

Thick cuts of tamagoyaki and a lettuce-like vegetable are held between the bread slices . I held it with my bare hands and started nibbling the top part of the triangle . The inner side of the fluffy bread has gotten soft from the moisture . Biting into the lettuce-like layer, I feel a slight crunch as a subtle bitterness spreads in my mouth . As my teeth sink into the softly fried tamagoyaki layer, saltiness hits me with a slight hint of sweetness, balancing the bitter taste of the lettuce . A salty aftertaste is left in my mouth, intensifying my urge to take the next bite .

Just when I was about to take a second bite, the tamagoyaki slipped out of the bread and landed on my plate, possibly because it was too thick . I picked the tamagoyaki up with my fingers, returned it in between the bread and took my second bite . This may be bad table manners, but I don’t care . While wiping my fingers with a handkerchief, i took my third and fourth bite .

Bread, lettuce and eggs .

Even with just three ingredients, this wonderful balance of flavor is achieved .

There’s also me being hungry from the physical activity, as I instantly finished eating the first sandwich .

[Still, it is quite unbelievable, what happened . Even wise people would act so rashly . ]

[How is that unbelievable? That is human nature at work . ]

With a snort, Perugius moved his chess piece .

Zanoba reacted with a “Ugh” to Perugius’ move, and reached out for a sandwich while staring at the chessboard .

[What do you mean by that?]

[Humans are the most foolish when they desire something . They fail to do something they are usually able to do, and they take the easiest and most irrational route . Don’t you remember such times, yourself?]

[Yes, I do . ]

[As expected . This chessboard is the perfect demonstration of that . You left yourself defenceless, trying to take my king . You throw away your troops needlessly over and over again with those reckless attacks, all the while not realising that the king was just a bait . ]

Perugius has an overwhelming advantage in the chess game .

Zanoba lost more than half of his army and is being surrounded by Perugius’ troops .

[Subsequently, after experiencing your defeat in this match, you would probably stop taking baits that are dangling right in front of you . Even if you are tempted by your desire, you would be able to control it . However, after a few matches, you would fall for the same trap again and choose the simplest way to attack . That is human nature, and humans are foolish . ]

[So you are saying that no matter how smart one is, he will repeat the same foolish actions?]

[I don’t know about that . But for someone that always makes the optimal decision after considering the cost and benefits, which route she chooses when desire takes over… Wouldn’t that be a sight to behold?]

[I see, is that why Perugius-sama would not tell Shishou about Aisha’s whereabouts? If that is the case, pardon me as I would have no choice but to say that you have bad taste . ]

[Hmph, I have no intentions of moving my subordinates for such a trifling matter . ]

It seems like Rudeus had sought help from Perugius .

If only Perugius had swiftly found Aisha, I would not have felt so needlessly depressed…

[Though you say that, doesn’t Perugius-sama also have desires?]

[Hou?]

[Your obsession with Laplace, isn’t that in Perugius-sama’s own words, utter foolishness?]

[Zanoba, are you trying to say that I am a fool?]

[My apologies, that is not my intention…]

[Fine . You are right, I am foolish by nature . But Zanoba, a person can make wise decisions with full knowledge that they are foolish . ]

Having an increasingly strong urge to let out a heavy sigh, I reached out for my next sandwich . Being wise or foolish… What a drag… If I think too much about what Perugius is talking about, I would definitely not be able to savor my sandwich .

[And even fools come in many varieties, for example―]

[Hey, how long are you guys gonna go on about that topic?]

When they heard that, both of them exchanged glances .

Zanoba adjusted his glasses while Perugius snorted in displeasure .

[My apologies, this isn’t something we talk about over good food . Perugius-sama, let’s leave it at that . ]

[Hmph . ]

The conversation ended and both of them returned to playing their game in silence .

I should also go back to having my meal .

Next, the ham sandwich .

It had a rectangular shape, made to fit the shape of the ham .

This is probably the Greyrat household’s homemade ham .

When I hold it in my hand, it can feel that the ham is covered in spices .

What was this called again… Yes, it’s pastrami .

The ham itself is cut thickly, giving it a juicy appearance .

Lifting up the bread a little, I can see that the inner sides of the bread and the lettuce are slathered in a brown-colored sauce . It looks incredibly delicious .

Without a second of delay, I opened my mouth wide and bit into it .

The bread felt a little harder compared to the previous ones . I feel the body of the ham and the crunchiness of the cucumber and lettuce, hitting my teeth with a nice resistance . If I were to describe the tamagoyaki sandwich as an experience of softness upon softness, then this sandwich would be an experience of denseness upon denseness .

On top of that, the sauce accentuates the meaty taste of the ham, stimulating my taste buds . The spicy taste in my mouth gets stronger with every bite .

[Looks like the spice used on the meat came from the Migurd Village in the Magic Continent…]

Just as I was thinking that aloud, Sylvaril came serving tea .

Her displeased expression might be because this spice came from the Magic Continent and was produced by the hands of a Magic Race .

Perugius’ subordinates do not take a liking to people from the Magic Race .

Maybe her displeased expression was because of what Zanoba said as a rebuttal to Perugius or even due to me ending their conversation prematurely .

[Is this okay?]

[“Even if its made by the Magic Race, an ingredient is still an ingredient, they are not the Magic Race itself . ” was what the generous Perugius-sama said . Through Rudeus-sama, we hold some of this spice in the castle’s kitchen . ]

Ultimately, Perugius prioritised his own desires and took the easier way out . This spice was purchased from the Migurd Village by Rudeus . In the end, his money is going right into the pockets of the Magic Race .

[…]

Anyways, I couldn’t care any less about that .

I took a sip of the red tea and gave a sigh of relief .

Let’s see, which one should I eat now?

The potato salad sandwich looks nice .

[Check . Surrender now, Zanoba . ]

[Hmmm… Looks like I have nowhere to escape . I surrender . ]

[If you had said that 20 moves earlier, your troops would not have died in vain . ]

While talking, Zanoba added salt to his vegetable sandwich and ate it .

So you can eat it that way too . When I saw that, I start to crave the sandwich with the tomato-like vegetable filling .

[As expected of Perugius-sama, you are too strong . I cannot imagine myself winning . ]

[That goes without saying . I have been playing this game for several hundreds of years . As if I would lose to humans who cannot even live past a hundred years . ]

… No, let’s go with the other sandwich .

The menchi-katsu3 sandwich, which is the only other option left . Right, katsu sandwich it is . While I am still hungry, I want to eat something with more of a bite to it

[Nanahoshi, how about it? One match?]

[No thank you, I’m good . ]

[I see . Not only did you cut our conversation off, you would also refuse to have a match with us . ]

[No, that’s… ah…]

Just when I was about to reach out for the katsu sandwich, Perugius took it and bit into it . That was the last one .

[…]

If you looked at the sandwiches on the plate, four flavors of sandwiches were lined up together . In other words, there should have been four katsu sandwiches . They were placed closest to Perugius . There were four people in the room . Theoretically, if each person were to eat one type of sandwich each, I should have my share of that katsu sandwich… Sylvaril wasn’t even eating this time round…

[So Zanoba, shall we have a rematch? Or Sylvaril? You sometimes lose on purpose so I can’t really trust you…]

[I will do it . Please teach me the rules and how to move the pieces . ]

Hearing me say that, Perugius broke into a wide grin . Seeing that expression, I finally understood . He probably ate my katsu sandwich predicting that I would do this . I pushed Zanoba aside and sat in front of the board, in full knowledge that I thoroughly fell for his ploy .

—

4 wins and 11 losses .

That’s my score for today .

More losses than wins .

At first I lost three games in a row, which allowed me to learn the rules and features of this game . As it seems like classic shogi tactics are often being employed, I used the double check and open check techniques like it was the most natural thing to do .

After the fourth match, I learned the trick to smoothly build an encirclement of the enemy . Winning became much easier, but I haven’t fully grasped how to attack properly, resulting in a fragmented offense . It ended up with me trying to fend off various offensive moves from Perugius .

While doing that, I attacked with shogi tactics similar to the Climbing Silver and the Fourth File Rook . Having these attacks in my arsenal, my scores with Perugius were about 50-50, with me winning the final match .

The moment Perugius lost the last match, his face was filled with frustration, despite having more wins than losses .

Losing four times to a beginner player like me must have damaged his pride as a perfectionist . Being able to see his twisted facial expression, I will leave aside my resentment of not being able to eat the katsu sandwich .

As game was ending, I finished up the remainder of the sandwiches . I had my fill today .

Satisfaction .

It is too bad that I couldn’t eat the katsu sandwich . I’ll request for it again next time .

[My apologies Nanahoshi-dono, it seems like I have done you a disservice today . ]

As he was about to leave, Zanoba said that with an apologetic expression . I wonder what he is apologising for? We didn’t really talk today right? Ah, he was observing at the side the whole time I was playing the game with Perugius, occasionally giving me advice . We did talk .

If it’s not about not talking to me, then it must be regarding that topic .

[I should be the one apologising . ]

I may have appeared a little irritable today, I shouldn’t have stopped their debate .

[If you have any message you want to leave to Shishou or anyone else, should I pass them on for you?]

[Let’s see… To Rudeus, I pray that his issue is resolved soon . Can you tell him that for me?]

[Understood . Well then, I will return again, next time with Shishou and Cliff-dono . ]

Exchanging those words, I saw Zanoba off .

It was good that Zanoba came for me today .

There was a day where neither Rudeus nor Zanoba, not even Perugius came to visit me . I spent that day quietly in a daze, alone in my room . My mind wandered off and was filled with negative thoughts, making me needlessly depressed .

Compared to that, I would much rather be having conversations, even with the kinds of topics discussed today . Lately, I think I have come to better appreciate the value of having liveliness and company . It’s not like I absolutely need company, but with no one around, it feels lonely .

[Alright, please come again . ]

I replied Zanoba, feeling thankful for his words .

However, while having a meal, I would prefer to talk about brighter topics .

With such thoughts, my eyelids grew heavier as I fell asleep .

—

1 . Master/Teacher in Japanese .  

2 . A type of fried egg, folded into a cuboid shape: Video link 

3 . Fried breaded patties with minced meat as the filling: Video link