There are many mysterious things at Izakaya Nobu.
The kamidana displayed on the wall behind the counter is one of them.
Shinobu and Eva are in charge of cleaning before the shop opens, but only the Taisho meticulously cleans every nook and cranny of this small, wooden shrine.
Translator’s Note
Kamidana is a miniature Shinto shrine, often found in homes and businesses in Japan. It’s a place to enshrine and offer prayers to deities (kami).
Once, Eva mistakenly peeked into Nobu on a day off, and she saw the Taisho cleaning the kamidana by himself. Eva doesn’t know exactly what it is, but after seeing the Taisho like that, she has treated the kamidana with special reverence.
Near Eva’s home near the city walls, there was an old shrine that enshrined the Aarv (T/N: Likely a local deity or spirit). The elderly people in the neighborhood would offer bread and fruit there. The Nobu’s kamidana also has offerings.
Better quality, clear sake than what is served at the shop, and branches of trees with vibrant green leaves.
And, a single aburaage.
Translator’s Note
Aburaage is a thin, deep-fried tofu pouch.
Eva didn’t know about this aburaage food until she came to Nobu.
Even when she asked her mother, she didn’t know, so she assumed it was a food from the Taisho and Shinobu’s homeland.
One aburaage every day, without fail. Once, when they mistakenly ran out, the Taisho hurriedly prepared something else.
Why do they offer aburaage to the kamidana?
Eva, who had been curious about this for a long time, asked Shinobu for the reason yesterday.
“Well, Eva-chan, it’s because God’s messengers love aburaage!”
God’s messengers – she imagined them like the winged angels depicted in the ceiling paintings of the church. The thought of those angels playing in those solemn scenes liking aburaage was somehow strangely amusing.
Even though Assistant Priest Edwin doesn’t follow it very strictly, the church has days when you can’t eat meat. It’s funny because the assistant priest always escapes to Nobu on those days.
The angels must surely be eating aburaage as a substitute for meat. Even angels must get tired of just bread, wine, and vegetables.
Opening the sliding door and sweeping with a broom, the spring breeze feels pleasant.
It feels like just recently it was winter, but the season is already completely spring. On some days, she even feels sweaty from the sunshine.
The Taisho is out buying ingredients, and Shinobu is out on a walk for her hobby, so Eva is the only one at Nobu right now.
In the warm sunshine that almost makes her want to take a nap, Eva carefully sweeps the shop clean.
She focuses on cleaning under the counter and tables, and near the walls, where dirt is easily overlooked. It makes her feel like not only the shop but also her heart is becoming clean.
Cleaning before opening is hard work, but there’s also something to look forward to.
Inside the counter, there are onigiri that Taisho has prepared for her.
He started preparing them because he knew that Eva hadn’t eaten breakfast.
Every day, there are three large onigiri wrapped in seaweed.
The fillings inside are different depending on the day, but they are all delicious. Eva’s favorites are the ones with beef and onions stir-fried in a sweet and savory sauce, grilled cod roe, and tuna mayonnaise.
According to the Taisho, tuna mayonnaise is an unorthodox onigiri, but Shinobu loves it, so he reluctantly makes it.
After finishing the sweeping and moving on to wiping down the chairs, something white crossed the edge of her vision.
“What?”
What appeared before Eva, who was startled and raised her broom, was a small, white fox.
It had the aburaage that had been offered to the kamidana in its mouth.
The white fox glanced at Eva, snorted softly, and ran off toward the back door.
“Wait!”
That aburaage is important to Nobu.
If something that was prepared for the God’s messenger is taken away without permission, who knows what will happen later. There were several stories she’d heard at the church about how people were punished by the heavens for neglecting offerings to the Gods.
“Wait!”
Eva leaned the broom against a table and chased after the white fox.
She went behind the counter, through the area with the ingredients and refrigerators, and saw the fox slip out the back door.
Normally, the door is securely locked, but Shinobu had left it slightly open to air out the shop.
Eva hesitated.
She had been strictly told by both the Taisho and Shinobu to never go out the back door. They didn’t tell her the reason, but it must be because this back alley is not safe.
The ancient capital is a city with many guards, but there are still some dangerous places.
There was even a case where a girl about Eva’s age was kidnapped.
Should she chase it, or shouldn’t she?
If she chases it, she’ll be in danger. She might even be unlucky enough to get kidnapped.
But, what will happen if she doesn’t chase it? What if the God’s messenger just happened to want to eat today’s aburaage? Wouldn’t Nobu be punished?
Putting herself in danger versus Izakaya Nobu being punished by the heavens – there wasn’t even a question which she disliked more.
There’s not much time to hesitate.
Even as she thinks, the fox is getting farther and farther away. She has to catch up and take back the aburaage.
Eva made up her mind and opened the door.
It stinks.
The first thing she felt was a strong odor.
No, it’s not just smelly. It’s somehow stifling.
A horseless carriage sped past Eva, who stopped in surprise.
The atmosphere of the city is completely different from the main street.
Buildings made by hollowing out huge stones, with no seams or wood grain at all.
Every house has glass windows, and the ground is not gravel or tile, but a gray, featureless road that stretches on forever.
Is this really a back alley?
Eva suddenly felt uneasy, feeling as if she had been thrown not into the ancient capital, but into a completely different place in a completely different world.
But, this is no time to be worrying about that.
Relying on the fox’s tail, which is still barely visible, Eva began to run.