Ryuuou no Oshigoto! - Volume 14 - Chapter 3.1

  SIGHTSEEING IN KANAZAWA

The day following the Third Crown Title Match.

Ai and I stay behind in Ishikawa Prefecture to explore Kanazawa City for a whole day.

Leaving our bags at the hotel, we head out on the town with our hands free.

“Wow, nothing beats sightseeing the day after winning a title match! It’s hard to enjoy anything the day before because of all the sequences playing out in my head.”

“Me too! I had to go sightseeing all by myself in Hawaii because you went back to Japan right away, remember?”

“And I’m sorry about that ……”

I wasn’t thinking of today as a way of making up for it, but it kind of is in a way.

The difference is that I would’ve come out for sightseeing today even if I lost. That condition was made very clear beforehand.

“I know you said that our schedules didn’t line up and we won’t be able to celebrate your birthday together this year, but …… Are you sure this is what you want? Being a tourist with me isn’t much of a present.”

“Yep! Forget about Shogi! I’m renting you for the whole day, Master!”

Giddily taking my hand, Ai takes off like a rocket.

“So, please make sure to stick with my plan, okay Master?”

“He-he. I’ve spent so much time showing you around Osaka that it’s an interesting change having you show me around instead.”

I can let my apprentice lead the way and enjoy the day without thinking about anything at all.

Shogi has literally been the only thing on my mind for so long that I’m really looking forward to this. I take off running to keep up with Ai.

Of course, I know I have more title matches to play.

Win two of them, and the Crown title is mine. I can’t take my foot off the gas just because I’m in the lead.

It’s just ……

–––Ai lost consecutive Women’s Legend League matches. She needs some time to change gears ……

At any rate, I’m going to forget about Shogi and enjoy myself! Here we go!!

The first place Ai leads me is–––.

“No trip to Kanazawa is complete without coming here! The Kenroku-en Garden!”

“This place is pretty famous ……”

Walking up a sloping street lined with souvenir shops, it’s easy to spot some shapely trimmed trees in the distance.

Tons of tourist groups are lined up outside the entrance to the garden.

We make our way through the crowd and find a good spot to take a picture. Ai puts her smartphone in selfie mode and flash☆.

This is kind of embarrassing, but …… Well, this will be a good memory.

“Kenroku-en is a kind of strange name, don’t you think? How’d they come up with that?”

Ai responds with the speed and confidence of a veteran tour guide, “The name Kenroku-en comes from the fact that all six attributes of a perfect landscape are represented here. They are spaciousness, seclusion, artifice, antiquity, waterways and panoramas.”

“Ah, I gotcha. Roku means six and the ken comes from the attributes and en is the garden. Impressive ……”

I’d expect nothing less from the daughter of one of the most famous inns in Ishikawa Prefecture. Her background knowledge of the area is flawless. She didn’t even stutter.

“Every year on November 1st, all the trees in Kenroku-en Garden are fitted with yukitsuri to protect them from the snow. They look like big umbrellas made of rope. People from the north coast know that winter is coming when they see pictures of them on the news.”

“Winter …… snow tires, ice scrapers, warm boots …… There’re so many things to prepare. Oh, you can’t forget to stand up the windshield wipers.”

I’ve forgotten about a lot of it because it almost never snows in Osaka, but I remember what the winters were like in Fukui Prefecture where I was born. Very cold.

And winter will be in full swing once the Ryuo Title Match is over.

The seasons changed so quickly this year … especially the jump from summer to winter. We might’ve had a few days of fall, but that’s it.

I turned 18, and Ai is about to turn 11.

She’s grown a few inches since we met back when she was nine. Hearing her rattle off all these facts one after another, she’s well on her way to becoming an independent young woman.

“…… How nice! I could get used to my apprentice leading me around.”

Not too long ago, she’d get lost right away if I didn’t hold her hand …… But she’s made so much progress. Crap, I think I’m gonna cry.

Grade schoolers are so inspirational ……!

“All right! Let’s go have a look around!!” I say as I head for the ticket booth, but Ai says something so strange I stop in my tracks.

“We’re not going inside.”

“Come again?”

“Do you have any idea how big Kenroku-en Garden is? The whole day wouldn’t be enough time to see everything. Do you like gardens that much, Master? Do you have a green thumb fetish? Lolicon and Lily-con?”

“Wh-When you put it that way, no, not really ……”

“Then we’re moving on.”

Goodbye, Kenroku-en Garden ……

Leading me off in a different direction, Ai heads for a bridge right next to the garden.

“This is Ishikawa Bridge! It connects Kenroku-en and Kanazawa Castle! There’s a tunnel beneath it, so cars and people can cross anytime!”

“Holy cow, you can see for miles!”

The view from the bridge is so spectacular that it makes the disappointment of not going inside Kenroku-en completely disappear.

Standing on top of this bridge is like looking down on the city from a cloud.

Perfect for photography, there’s a couple dressed in traditional Japanese clothing taking wedding pictures up ahead. Someday, Ginko and I will …… just as I could just see us doing the same thing.

“Master? It’s rude to stare like that.”

“Y-Yeah …… O-o-o-owwwch?! That hurts, Ai! Elbows don’t bend like that! Ow! Ow! OWW!!”

“Who was it that rented you for today?”

“You, did, Ai! You!!”

“That’s better.”

She had my elbow in a judo-style lock, but finally lets me go. As the one being rented, I don’t have the freedom to do anything on my own ……

“Kanazawa Castle is on the other side. The front gate, Ishikawa-mon, has been designated as important cultural property!”

“Whoa! That looks more like a castle turret rather than the gate!”

“Let’s take a picture before going in.”

Ai grabs my wrist, pulls me into the middle of the bridge, leans up against my side and takes another selfie. Flash☆

“Okay. Let’s go in.”

“Say what? I wanted to enjoy the view a bit more ……”

“We’ve got so much to see today! There’s no time for that, dachikan!”

Scolded in the local accent ……

Practically dragged through Ishikawa-mon, Ai leads me onto the castle grounds. This place is enormous.

“These are what’s left of the original outer walls.”

“Whew! They’re huge. I know that this area used to be called Kaga and it was famous for growing tons of rice, so the local ruler’s pockets had to have been loaded!”

“Over there you can see the ruins of a defensive tower, the samurai’s barracks and a wall that protected the gate. There aren’t many ruins around Kanazawa Castle, either!”

“Impressive! You can still see the grooves in these big stones …… There’s a real aura to them, too!”

“No time.”

“But, the auraaaa–––!!”

“And, this is the Ohte-mon Gate, the exit.”

“Goodbye, Kanazawa Castle ……!”

Ai keeps a brisk pace as she explains why we came through.

“Most of the grounds outside the castle are treated like a big park open to the public, so it’s a convenient shortcut to get into the city.”

“The castle was a shortcut ……?”

“Like I said, we don’t have time, so that was the only choice. We’re going to have lunch at the Omicho Market.”

“Seriously?! The place everyone calls the Stomach of Ishikawa?! That Omicho Market?!”

The dark clouds of disappointment clear in the blink of an eye. Yeeesss!

Turns out the market is just outside the castle grounds.

“So, this is Omicho Market, huh ……?”

This historic area is crammed full of vendors selling every kind of seafood imaginable and there are tons of tourists.

Ai goes back into the explanation mode as she leads me through the crowd with all the vigor of a fish swimming downstream.

“This area came to be called Omicho or Omi town because merchants came along with monks from the Omi region when they moved here during the Warring States Era.”

“It’s the north coast, so we have to get some crab! We can take it back to Master’s place and have Keika cook it for us! Think of the crab cakes!”

My mouth is watering already, but Ai just sighs. Then she says, like a mother trying to discipline a spoiled kid, “Crab season doesn’t start until November 6th. They won’t show up in stores until the seventh, the beginning of winter. That’s still a long time from now.”

“Y-You would know ……”

Are there any grade schoolers anywhere in the world other than Ai who could say exactly when crabs will hit the shelves?

That was a bit embarrassing, but …… All the seafood here looks absolutely delicious, even if there aren’t any crabs. There are even vendors who will cook up anything you buy right on the spot! Man, I can’t wait! Lunch is going to be awesome!

“Seabass, oysters, shrimp, grilled mollusks!! I don’t know which one to choose!”

I’m starving after walking so much already. Knowing Ai, that was part of the plan.

“What would you like to eat, Ai? Just name it and I’ll buy it for you!”

“This area is just for tourists. We’ll be having lunch at a restaurant instead.”

Shot down again. Ai tightens her grip and pulls me past all the vendors. Seabass ……

Until we come to a stop in front of a restaurant.

“We’re here.”

“?! Th- …… This is …………!!”

Ai passed up Kenroku-en Garden, went right by Kanazawa Castle and didn’t even bother looking at a single street vendor in Omicho who had a pile of fresh seabass to get here.

It’s–––––– simultaneously the best and scariest Kanazawa has to offer.