Novel Vol 7 Chapter 1 Part 1 translation

Kaikaku-maru approaching the Imperial Palace of Yōto, Anime Ep 3, Source

Below is my translation of Volume 7 Chapter 1 Part 1 of the Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi novel. There is no Ōdanna-sama here, but we can read about how the Tenjin-ya crew (including Aoi) sprang into action to rescue him. We can also read about how Aoi is in Ōdanna-sama's absence. This chapter is 37 pp long in the original Japanese novel, hence I split it into two parts. Part 2 is here. Click here for the list of chapters for Vol 7. Click here to find out how to read this translation in other languages.

Please refrain from posting my translations elsewhere. If you need to quote it, please acknowledge my site for the quote, because translating from Japanese hardcopy texts to English is a really hard work...I will delete this translation when there is an indication that the novel will be translated into English and I will replace it with the summary of the chapter.  

Volume 7 

“I’m serving dishes that will determine our inn’s victory”

Chapter 1  The Night Flight 

Part 1

P5

“Aoi. I will definitely marry you. I respect you… from the bottom of my heart.”

Ōdanna-sama’s words at that time, his warmth as he embraced me, I still vividly remember them now.

The darkness that I saw through him at that time, what was that? Even now, it still clouds my vision and disturbs my heart. This is the first time I ever feel like this. What on earth can I do to protect Ōdanna-sama?

“Ōdanna-sama doesn’t return to Tenjin-ya after leaving for Yōto. With his tactic, Raijū is planning to take Ōdanna-sama down from his current position. The situation is serious. At the current rate, Tenjin-ya will be taken over by Raijū.”

Byakuya-san closed his fan with a snap, and that snapping sound returns me to the present. 

A meeting has just started at the Tenjin-ya large meeting hall. 

P6-7

I’m Tsubaki Aoi. Sitting next to Ginji-san, I was attentively watching the progress of the meeting in the large conference room where the executives and other employees are currently gathering.

“Thus, I will go to Yōto for the time being.”

Head of Accounting and Chief Operating Officer^ Byakuya-san, who always moves this place forward, struck his own palm with his fan and proposed to personally go to Yōto.

“No way! At times like this, the Chief Operating Officer can’t also disappear from here!”

“Please don’t go, O-Chōbachō-sama…”

“Hey, you’re always a pain in the butt, but please don’t act as you wish when it’s convenient!”

Although every managerial staff of Tenjin-ya complain, Byakuya-san dismisses their concerns coldly.

“Ahem. Anyway,  I need to check several things.”

First: Ōdanna-sama’s well-being and current status.

Second: Why did Ōdanna-sama fall into a situation where he couldn’t contact us?

Third: The conspirators who have trapped Ōdanna-sama into such a situation.

Byakuya-san marked that there may be more complications, depending on the circumstances.

“Maybe Ōdanna-sama is in such a situation where he cannot contact us because of that idiotic, good-for-nothing Raijū. Thus, firstly I will gather any intelligence concerning Ōdanna-sama in Yōto.

P7

I can’t even contact the garden ward leader Saizō-dono. I hope that they are still together, but… at any rate, there must be a reason why both of them can’t go back to Tenjin-ya.” Then Byakuya-san gaze heavenwards.  “Whatever that thing is, it happened in Yōto. There is a growing mood amongst the Imperial Palace insiders. Thus, I’d like some help from our garden ward Sesuke.” 

The face of the nominated Sesuke appears through a crack in the ceiling as he simply says “Understood”. It’s likely that it’s his usual place during meetings, for nobody quipped about it.

“Of course… intelligence gathering from Yōto is possible, but even for the former chief vassal^ of the King’s, this one shall be an exception, O-Chōbachō-dono.” 

“But I’m still a bit worried.”

“Who will make decisions for Tenjin-ya in your absence?”

Everyone is in agitation and can’t hide their anxiety, because usually either Ōdanna-sama or Byakuya-san would always stay in Tenjin-ya. 

“During my absence, Waka-danna Ginji-dono will make decisions for Tenjin-ya.”

 Hearing his name mentioned, Ginji-san straightens his back, which was rather relaxed thus far. 

“Time and again, you are the one trusted during Ōdanna-sama’s absence. You have proven yourself during those times.”

“But… but I…”

P8-9

“Are you going to say that you can’t do that, Ginji-dono?”

Byakuya-san’s matter-of-fact gaze meets Ginji-san’s troubled gaze.

“… No, this is not the place to say such a thing right now. Very well then.  Please leave it to me during your absence, O-Chōbachō-dono. I will protect and carry the responsibility for Tenjin-ya until Ōdanna-sama returns safely. It surely is my duty this time around.”

Ginji-san has a commanding look of someone who has a decided preparedness ahead of anyone else. Because of his words, the distracted look of other employees and executives is gradually replaced with focused intention. 

True. Nothing will be solved if we remain perplexed. In that sense, Ginji-san’s determination has pulled everyone back. After all, it does feel that Ginji-san has changed a bit. It’s not just about him being reliable. I feel strength flowing from within him. Byakuya-san also narrowed his eyes with satisfaction to see Ginji-san like this. 

“Ginji-dono. Although you were a capable young master in the first place, there was something that set you apart from us. However, since the event in Orio-ya, you have become a man who fits to carry the weight of Tenjin-ya on your back.”

Such a rare compliment from Byakuya-san has made everyone saying “Ooohh…”. Ginji-san’s face turned slightly red in embarrassment, but he then cleared his throat and proceeded.

P9

“Nonetheless, O-Chōbachō-dono, we have a shortage of staff. Thus, we should somewhat change the way we run our business at Tenjin-ya.”

“Certainly. When I am going to Yōto, it’s meaningless if we don’t keep a frequent contact. You will need extra staff. We no longer have our hard-working Kasuga-kun. Let’s adjust Tenjin-ya’s business so that it can perform within a reasonable extent. Although we’re now at peak season, if the tourists are not satisfied, we will receive a blow next year.”

At that time, the Front Office Manager Akatsuki raised his hand and said,

“Ummm, O-Chōbachō-dono. What happens to the plan for the “Airship Night Flight” that we started to arrange five days ago?”

The Airship Night Flight. That is an aerial night cruise that departs at sunset from Tenjin-ya to Yōto. During that cruise, you can enjoy the night scene, entertainment, limited sake and Tenjin-ya meals at ease. There is also a banquet facility that is used for year-end parties by those working at Yōto. It seems to be a standard event held every December. 

Ginji-san put his hand on his chin as he seemed to be thinking of something.

“The Airship Night Flight. Oh, right. There was that plan, right? Indeed, Akatsuki, didn’t the Airship Night Flight cruised the Yōto sky before?”

P10-11

“Indeed, Waka-danna-sama. It’s a popular event where one can enjoy the Yōto night scene   from the deck. This year, Tenjin-ya’s latest extravagant airship “Seikamaru” will have her maiden voyage. We planned to deploy her on a larger scope than the previous years. Throughout December, Seikamaru will go back and forth Yōto and Kimon.”

“Then, by taking advantage of that project, we can easily go back and forth between Yōto and Kimon. Intelligence gathering can be done one by one.” Byakuya-san is quick to connect the airship project with our issue at hand. 

“In a few days, the story about Ōdanna-sama will reach every Hachiyō. There will be those who will take this opportunity to celebrate our fall. There will be those who are looking forward for Raijū replacing Ōdanna-sama’s position. There will also be others who are in the ‘wait and see’ position. This month is an information warfare month. Let’s give it all we’ve got.”

Afterwards, Byakuya-san gives instructions to every executive. 

The Young Master Ginji-san temporarily becomes Number One who needs to protect Tenjin-ya. He will also make contacts with the Southern Land, in which he has a connection anyway. Front Office Manager Akatsuki will continue to support Ginji-san and will endeavour to become the face of Tenjin-ya and maintain customer satisfaction. Our Gesokuban-chō, the Head of Outer Footwear, Chiaki-san will have an earnest negotiation for the cooperation of the Northern and North-western Lands added to his usual outer footwear load. Chiaki-san’s niece Kasuga has married into the Northern Land, and Chiaki-san’s mother happens to hold the title of the North-western Land Hachiyō. If these two connection work, Tenjin-ya will inevitably have the support of the Minister of the Right^.

P11

It means that Chiaki-san has the most difficult role to play. 

Then, onsen manager Shizuna-chan was told to thoroughly manage the hot spring and to hasten the completion of the “aforementioned medicine”; the meaning of the latter I have no clue whatsoever. Starting from today, the old proprietess and the current waka-okami Kikuno-san^ are instructed to give management instructions to the Tenjin-ya waitresses who are likely to be busier than usual due to the lack of staff.

However, when O-Ryō was about to leave the room with the old proprietess and the current waka-okami, Byakuya-san said “Wait a minute”, effectively stopping her…

“O-Ryō-kun. I’d like you to not work at the Tenjin-ya main building this month. Instead, I’d like you to board Seikamaru and become the Head of Waitress there.” 

“Come again? Why me? It sounds like retiring to the countryside^^ or so… I hate it. Why can’t you just ask the current waka-okami Kikuno-san for it? I’m staying in the main building.”

“H-hey, O-Ryō…!”

The nothing-to-lose O-Ryō gives this brazen response to Byakuya-san, of all people. Akatsuki, who is sitting next to her, turns pale and is fidgeting nervously. Byakuya-san is irritated, but he puts his fan on his mouth and continues indifferently.

“I don’t think it will be a bad strategy for you. The authority of the Head of Waitress assigned for Seikamaru is the same as the Young Proprietess’ authority. It will help your future career if you have good performance there.”

P12

“Ah. Is that kind of thing good? I mean, I’ve escaped a position of responsibility and I’ve come to enjoy the carefree position I have now."

“Now, just a minute, O-Ryō! You always told Kasuga that you wanted to be a waka-okami^!”

But O-Ryō remains her classical self. Whatever I said does not spark her motivation, not even the slightest. And yet I felt such a determination from her the day Kasuga left for her wedding…

“This is how I appreciate your value, O-Ryō-kun. However, if you are not willing, it can’t be helped.”

Byakuya-san closed his fan with a snap and, with a foul face, made a suggestion.

“There will be aristocrats and bureaucrats of Yōto gathering together in Seikamaru for the year-end parties. If you show them some care, I think you’d be able to get acquainted with these usually unapproachable nobles. Wouldn’t such an encounter be a golden opportunity for you?”

“Alright, alright! I’ll do it, I’ll do it!”

O-Ryō, with her swiftly changing mind. It seems that Byakuya-san is taking advantage of the fact that O-Ryō is in the midst of hunting for a high-prospect husband. However, next to her, Akatsuki glared.

Having reached a resolution with O-Ryō, Byakuya-san’s eyes gleam^^.

“Ahem. Now then. The executive with no awareness of being such. Our R&D Manager Saraku.”

P13

Dr Saraku gulps.

“Ōdanna-sama has let you do whatever you want in the basement workshop. However, this time, we can’t have it like that. You’ll get out of the basement and make an effort to replace me in my absence. The Young Master and the Front Office Manager are more reliable than you, but they are still relatively inexperienced. Since you’ve been working at Tenjin-ya for years, this is a good opportunity for you.” 

“Co-copy that, copy that, Byakuya… But… uhm… me and the sunny places of Kakuriyo are… well…” 

Dr Saraku pushed his sunglasses and dropped his shoulders candidly.

“Get a grip of yourself, Saraku. You and I are both the founding members of Tenjin-ya, right?!”

“Well, I’m the unsung hero here. Doing the thankless works is something that suits me… But I’m not sure about dabbling in hospitality business!”

“You’re not expected to handle the hospitality side of thing. You just need to tap into your brain and put on an air of wisdom.”

Indeed, Dr Saraku doesn’t look fit to handle the hospitality side of thing…

However, the executives seemed to be slightly reassured as if they suddenly remembered that Dr Saraku was – in fact – still in Tenjin-ya. 

“…Alright then. That’s because I’d hate it if our Ōdanna-sama is no longer the master of Tenjin-ya.” I heard Dr Saraku absent-mindedly spilled those words as he stroke his long pleat.

So he’s one of the founding members…

P14-15

So Dr Saraku's existence is apparently special in Tenjin-ya.

Byakuya-san then distributed roles and expectations to other executives and colleagues. While each and every one of them got their moral boost, I alone have been excluded from the start of the conversation.

“By the way, the unusually quiet Aoi-kun.”

“Y-yes?!”

Hearing Byakuya-san’s voice, I immediately squared my shoulders and answered spontaneously. All Tenjin-ya executives turn to me at once.

When did I get this much of attention before? Somehow I remembered that it was like this the first time I was brought here.

“I’m sorry to drag you into a situation like this, but I have a suggestion for you. Is it possible to have the Moonflower business aboard Seikamaru for the time being?”

“… Sure. Is it like a business trip, then?”

“Well, something like that. You won’t be doing the business in our courtyard for the month of December. Instead, I’d like you to cook and entertain the guests aboard the airship. Mainly choose weekdays for that, 2-3 days a week. Wouldn't it be nice?” 

“Weekdays?”

“Seikamaru is not a lodging facility. Therefore, guests will just stop by at Seikamaru and aimlessly enjoy sake and the night scene  after they clock-out for the day. You should aim for these people with your meals. The Friday before the weekend is the time to earn money.”

P15

“I see. It’s indeed intriguing.” Ahead of me, Ginji-san’s eyes sparkle in enthusiasm; his body is also leaning forward. 

“Instead of banquet dishes, it would be nice to have light meals that one can casually browse and eat. We’ll put seats on the deck so the guests can enjoy the night scene.”

“That’s right, Aoi-kun. You can have an eye on any moves or actions of Yōto by being onboard Seikamaru. I’d like you to do the preparation for that. It will literally be a busy December, so I’d like you to brace yourself for it. Also, I’d like your cooperation on another matter.” 

“You’d like me to cooperate with you on…what matter?”

Detecting my doubt, Byakuya-san just says “Oy, oy, I’ll get in touch about it.” 

He then says nothing about whatever that matter is and, instead, gives detailed instructions to other executives. Those who received the instructions leave the big hall one after the other with an air of tension. I’m the only one who is still bewildered, unable to adjust to the changing situation. 

Is Ōdanna-sama safe?

My only redeeming feature is my cooking. I totally have no idea what else to do or what else I can do. 

“We also ought to go soon, Aoi-san.”

P16

“S-sure…”

It seems we have no time. The meaning of the Airship Night Flight has changed now; now the preparation has to begin in an instant. However, I stop in the hallway. 

“Say, Ginji-san. Is that really okay that I’m just preparing light meals? Ōdanna-sama’s place to belong is Tenjin-ya. Thus, would my preparing light meals really protect this place? I… I…”

“…Please calm yourself, Aoi-san. I’m sure Ōdanna-sama is alright.”

Ginji-san seems to sense my uneasiness, thus he looks over his shoulder as he says so. However, upon seeing my facial expression, he was slightly surprised. 

“That’s quite rare to see you being timid like this, Aoi-san.”

“…eh?”

“You were always strong-willed; confidently and admirably facing whatever came your way. Regardless of the adversity, you used to challenge it with such a forward-looking attitude. Yet…”

I slowly opened my eyes wide.

True. Why is it that I’m so restless, timid and weak like this?

“You’re most worried because this crisis is concerning Ōdanna-sama, right?”

“Eh, th-the, the thing is…” 

P17

Waving his hand several times in front of his face, Ginji-san chuckles. Yet, before long, he quietly exhales. Then, when his earnest expression returned, he said this to me.

“The first thing that you must do above all else is cooking. There’s no mistake here that it is your strength, which was why Byakuya-san gave you that instruction. Your cooking “exposes ayakashi’s heart”. Your cooking makes ayakashi honest. You take the advantage of your cooking as a power to help Ōdanna-sama, to protect Tenjin-ya. I think that is Byakuya-san’s line of thinking.”

“Take the advantage of my cooking…?”

“Yes. I’ve seen so many times how your cooking has played a role in breaking through my difficulties. Also with our case at hand, there must be something that your cooking will connect with. That’s why, the first thing to do is to leave the matter of Ōdanna-sama to others. In lieu, let’s think together of how you’ll entertain the guests onboard of the Seikamaru with your cooking. Your cooking will tell you the very thing you must do.”

Ginji-san’s words persuaded me. The thing that I should do…my cooking will tell me what to do. I finally regain my composure with his words. When my doubts got the best of me, I was reassured that the very thing that I can do this time is, apparently, cooking^. 

P18

“Fine, Ginji-san. First, I will think of what light meals to serve onboard of the Seikamaru.”

“Yes, that’s the spirit, Aoi-san,” Ginji-san fiercely nodded.

I felt it a short while ago, but Ginji-san looks really reliable these days. He has been a kind and reliable Young Master from the beginning. However, these days he looks more and more dependable^. As expected, that one case in Orio-ya has changed him big time. As if he’s becoming more like Ōdanna-sama…

“Ah, right, Ginji-san. Ōdanna-sama has entrusted me with a key.”

I take out the obsidian key, which I attached to a string and kept on my chest. Ginji-san took a long hard look at the key, which was swaying at the tip of the string.

“Is this the key?”

“Yes. The last time he visited Moonflower, Ōdanna-sama said that if I want to know anything about him, I need to search for a thing to open with this key. Do you know anything about it, Ginji-san?”

“…No. I don't recall anything about it. However, I think you should search for it inside Tenjin-ya. I’m sure it has some meaning, if it’s an item that Ōdanna-sama left behind.”

As Ginji-san said, I couldn’t help thinking that the key has some meaning. Wouldn’t Ōdanna-sama have a premonition about it? 

P19

That something would happen to him and to Tenjin-ya’s future…

Once we returned to Moonflower, I got through with the day’s business smoothly. Afterwards, Ginji-san and I brainstormed about what kind of light meals and menu to offer at Seikamaru.

“Say, what about using a food wagon^ to sell the meals? Ah, a food wagon is a food stall that serves food prepared in a wagon car equipped with a kitchen. Each day has its own food theme, so we narrow down the menu and change the offerings on a daily basis. For instance, one day is noodles, the next day is donburi, and… a little gambling, but perhaps the next one is handmade bread burgers…”

“Aaah, what a good idea! If you change the type of dishes on a daily basis, the burden of food preparation is reduced. This way, I think the guests can even accept bread burgers. Why, bread has even entered the Yōto market these days. Serving the Japanese-style bread burgers with your home-baked bread sounds delicious. It’s going to be a hot topic. Compared with the local ayakashi here, the ayakashi at Yōto show interests in new things and things from other worlds.”

Ginji-san gets thrilled like a young boy while jotting down ideas in his notebook. That is so like him…

P20-21

My mood is also getting better. 

“We can definitely use Kimon’s “fire chicken”, right? The ayakashi will definitely love teriyaki-flavoured burger, right? And then… deep-frying our own fish can be another delicious option for our burger.”

“That sounds great. I’d also like to carefully consider the drinks, because it can be a big deal.”

“That’s true. If we can use Tenjin-ya’s carbonated water to make some kind of a drink, that would be good, I think. But we’ll fly mid-winter, so…”

“Not to worry. Using the abundant carbonated water of Kimon, we actually have warm carbonated water as a drink.”

“… warm carbonated water?”

My face definitely speaks “what on earth is that?”, for I definitely have never drank something like that. 

“It’s delicious, you know. You dissolve apple juice or lemon juice with carbonated water and slightly warm up the mixed carbonated water. It’s popular with children. In my case, I dilute sake with warm carbonated water. The carbonated water won’t wear off. On the contrary, it’s easy to drink and warms up my body so much.”

“Ooooh…. That sounds intriguing.”

“Would you like to try it? The warm carbonated water.”

Ginji-san was quick to stand up and disappear behind the counter. He peers into the counter and search around the shelves to extract a bottle of “Roku-chan’s Winter Mikan Orange Juice” and a bottle of Kimon’s own produced carbonated water.

P21-22

“Today I’ll make the recommended warm carbonated water for you, Aoi-san.”

“Really? So happy…”  I was excited to see how it worked.

Ginji-san takes out a small pan and pours the winter mikan orange juice into the pan. He heats it up and, when the juice is warm, adds a spoonful of honey and carbonated water. He stirs the mixture to finish. Super easy. It’s a hot carbonated drink made in a pot. The scent of the mikan orange flutteringly permeates the space. Ginji-san pours the drink into pottery bowls for us both.

“Be my guest. I made it sweet for your hard work on so many things today. This is my gratitude.”

“…Thank you, Ginji-san.”

I’m sure Ginji-san has also been working hard. However, he still took the trouble to take care of me. With such gratitude, I drank the warm carbonated water. The carbonated water popping slightly in a hot bite inside my mouth is quite different from the cold and crispy carbonated water that usually excites my throat. The stimulation of the carbonic acid is certainly fading, but it leaves an effect of feeling the fine bubbles rolling on my tongue.

P22-23

“It has such a strong sweetness and it also warms my body. Warm carbonated water is nice…”

“I’m glad you liked it.”

“Yes. I feel more alert now. After all, we do need some amount of sugar.”

Afterwards, with the warm carbonated water warming our body, we once again discuss the cooking format for Seikamaru. Food wagon, bread burger, warm carbonated water… once I see that we can use this style, more ideas are coming up.  

“In the first place, we’ve been talking about the food wagon until now. But this is Kakuriyo, so we must adjust the food stall style. We can’t use a car. Perhaps bread burgers don’t suit the ambience of our food stall.”

“Hmmm… although it’s easy to have a typical Kakuriyo-style food stall and booth, I actually would like to try Utsushiyo’s food wagon style. I’d like to surprise the Yōto residents who love new things. No, I don’t think there is an issue here. If we ask Dr Saraku from the Basement Workshop, he might immediately prepare us something. Well, leave it to me.”

Since Ginji-san made it sound so easy, I leave the matter of the food wagon, along with its kitchen equipment, to him. Afterwards, we continue to plan the menu. It seems we will put bread burger on the first day, which the customers will visit the most, but I also want to change the menu daily. 

P23

Whatever menu we decide on the following days should be fine, I think. 

“Ginji-san, I have a question. Does Yōto have any local specialties? Look, here we have our fire chicken. The Southern Land’s local specialties are their seafood, Kiseki beef and mango. The Northern Land has dairy products, right? Those type of things.”

Yōto housewives would be visiting too, thus I was wondering if Yōto have their local specialties. Ginji-san think of it for a bit. 

“Yōto is a big city, hence they don’t have stock-raising. Also, because it’s inland, it doesn’t have a seafood industry. However, in the farming regions surrounding Yōto, many dishes have been cultivated since ancient times. These dishes are called “Yōto vegetables” and they are indispensable to Yōto cuisine. Things like hotpot dishes, pickles, imperial palace dishes, etc.”

“Yōto vegetables… oooh… just like the Kyōto vegetables for Kyōto.”

“Also, because tofu has been eaten since a long time ago, they have many tofu dishes there.”  

“Aah, right!  The Orio-ya twin chefs used to work at a fancy restaurant in Yōto and tofu dishes are one of their fortes. Their home-made tofu skin was very delicious.

“Ah, now that I think of it, he might actually like tofu…”

 Ginji-san seemed to remember something as he softly spoke. 

“Who are you talking about?”

P24

“Oh, our Chief Operating Officer Byakuya-san. He likes tofu. How shall I put it… it’s very him, right?”

“Ooooh…. But you’re right. It’s very him.”

Before working at Tenjin-ya, Byakuya-san used to work as an official at the Imperial Court. If he often ate tofu dishes from the Capital, if he likes and understands tofu, somehow it all fits Byakuya-san. Fits to a T. 

“Aoi-san, your cooking has this familiar taste that is unreservedly attractive while using local ingredients. Whether it’s the Yōto vegetables or tofu, please make the most of it to your heart’s content. Also, we actually have others who might want to collaborate with Moonflower, if we are willing to do so.” 

“Collaborate with us…”

“Actually, there are some news from Orio-ya in the south. They want you to make avocado dishes that are currently on sale and make it more popular. For that reason, they will provide us their avocados, as many as you like, for free for a specific period.”

“No way! Isn’t avocado expensive! But avocados will be perfect for bread burgers and salads. It will be so valuable for Kakuriyo!”

“Yes. In exchange, they want us to clearly state that the avocados are a special product from the Southern Land. They are also happy to make offers for their Kiseki beef.”

P25

“… they certainly can grow avocados over there^.”

The Southern Land is a warm place. Even in the winter, you can get a lot of avocados if you grow them in a greenhouse. However, they said that they haven’t been able to produce dishes that go well with avocados. Thus, for this time of crisis, I’m grateful that I was raised in Utsushiyo. There were indeed many things that happened in Orio-ya in the past. However, since then, I feel that we are gradually meeting them halfway.

Five days have passed since then.

We have been looking after the Moonflower business during business hours and afterwards we hastily prepared for the Seikamaru business trip. Now, Seikamaru is fluttering about in the pre-sunset sky.

That’s right. Today is the maiden voyage of Tenjin-ya’s new luxurious sightseeing airship. The deck of this new airship is already fully-equipped. 

“Wooow, cool!  That’s a real food wagon car!”

This “real food wagon car” is Moonflower’s store branch code-named “Moonflower Two^^”. I thought that the sales would be conducted using a food wagon on a wheelbarrow, but Ginji-san managed to score a real big car wagon, real steer, wheels and all.  

“Well, a real Utsushiyo car in Yōto would be a rare thing. After all, cars do look cool, don’t they…”

You can see the food wagon design here in the cover

P26-27

“Say Ginji-san, how did you find it?”

“In the basement. I remembered that the Tenjin-ya basement warehouse has an old wagon car. It was brought back from Utsushiyo as a research item. With Dr Saraku’s permission, I decided to use it for our mission at hand.”

So it seems that Dr Saraku and the iron mice at the Basement Workshop remodeled the wagon car, including installing a simple cooking facility. The wagon car’s body has a simple navy blue colour with a drawing of a yellow jungle nightjar bird holding white moonflowers. The sales booth is on the side. A red umbrella that is attached to the car and an oni-fire red lantern give a touch of Japanese style. The combination of the Utsushiyo wagon car and the patterns of Kakuriyo makes the food wagon a rather curious presence. All of these, on a deck of a majestic Japanese-style airship.

“Phew. I brought home this second-hand wagon car from Utsushiyo back then. I’m glad that I kept it. Because we have no roads to use this car here, it has been sleeping in the warehouse all this time…”

Dr Saraku hasn’t slept for two days to prepare for this food wagon, but now he proudly explains his work while braiding his long hair. 

“Thank you, Dr Saraku. It’s very lovely. I’m sure that the customers will find it interesting.”

“It’s an easy task, Yomego-chan^. We all have to work together to find the whereabouts of Ōdanna-sama.”

P27

On that note, now I’m going to sleeeeeeep…zzzzzzz…”

Dr Saraku collapses right on the spot and begins to snore. The jumpsuit-wearing iron mice wrap the Doctor in a futon and carry him off the airship. It was a fully-loaded act, proving that Dr Saraku is still his carefree personality^.

“Well then, Aoi-san, I wish you all the best for Moonflower Two’s business.”

“Yes, Ginji-san. Please leave it to me.”

At sunset, the Tenjin-ya guests board the ship. Powered by the silver and gold oni fire, the winter airship is sailing the sky towards Yōto.

Ginji-san is protecting Tenjin-ya, while I’ll do my best with Moonflower Two.

Tonight, I will entertain the ayakashi with delicious bread burgers.

TBC in Vol 7 Ch 1 Part 2

Translation notes:

Following Kakuriyo Translation & Fan Translator By Choice, I put the page numbers of the original novel volumes (the Japanese version) in the translation to enable any readers who can read Japanese and have the books to examine the related pages. If the last sentence of a page goes over the next page, I will put a combined page number as an indication. 

I use mainly Jisho.org for Kanji searching, though at times Romajidesu.com and Nihongo-pro.com are used as well. I use Google Translator to have a rough guess of the meaning of phrases, but then I consult my trusted Japanese grammar book for the closer approximations of the meanings (the “Japanese the Manga Way” by Wayne P. Lammers – I would have otherwise tripped on nuances such as “kita”, “iku” and “okimasu”). I use The Jaded Network for SFX effect translations.

Specific translation notes:

P6: ^ Although the direct translation of O-Chōba-chō is "Head of Accounting", I choose to translate O-Chōbachō as “Chief Operating Officer”, because in reality, Byakuya is THE second in command in Tenjin-ya. Even Ginji needs his approval for things, so Byakuya is the real boss after Ōdanna-sama. Aoi also literally stated that in Vol 6 (forgot which chapter, though). However, I find retaining “O-Chōbachō” is also important because of its original idea, hence I will alternate between the English and Japanese words.

P7: ^ Apparently, before Byakuya joined Tenjin-ya, he was the King's chief vassal. That was a very high rank. No wonder he could so casually call Nuinoin-sama "an idiot" in front of the latter.

P10-11: ^ “The Minister of the Right” or Udaijin 右大臣 is NOT the same as the leader of the right wing party. Udaijin was a part of the Nara & Heian-era legacy called the Daijō-kan (the Council of State), comprising of the Chancellor (Daijō-daijin 太政大臣), the Minister of the Left (Sadaijin 左大臣) and the Minister of the Right. The Udaijin serves as the DEPUTY of the Minister of the Left (Sadaijin 左大臣), while the Minister of the Left is the second-in-command after the Chancellor. Thus, Udaijin and Sadaijin are not right wing vs left wing… although depending on their political choices, of course we can class them into conservatives or liberals (or perhaps ultra-conservative vs rather-conservative, depending on the definitions and also not neccesarily at that order). Having said that, it’s not uncommon for the Minister of the Left and the Minister of the Right to have hidden agendas, as has been demonstrated in my other favourite anime “Otogi Zoshi”.

Also, the Daijō-kan lost power around the time of the Fujiwara Shogunate, but since this is Kakuriyo, the King has apparently retained that system. The Daijō-kan also has Eight Ministries, and I think the Kakuriyo Hachiyō might have taken that idea (although a Hachiyō serves more like a Daimyō than a minister in Kakuriyo).

P11: ^ apparently, Kikuno-san replaced O-Ryō as the waka-okami after the latter was demoted because she tried to kill (or at least succesfully injured) Aoi in Yōto.

^^ O-Ryō said 「なんだか都落ちみたいで嫌いですわ」, which according to Tanoshii Japanese means either “banishment into the country” or 引退して田舎に住む行為 or “the act of retiring and living in the country”. Perhaps O-Ryō associated working at Seikamaru as a downgrade because… well, it’s a ship, not the main building of the flashy Tenjin-ya (though Seikamaru would be flashy too). 

P12: ^ The sentence is 「ちょっとお涼！春日に若女将になるべきだって言われたばかりなのに」, and I think it was Aoi who said so, mostly because of what she said in the next line.

^^: Think of it as an anime scene where the corner of the character’s eye gleams in determination.

P17: ^ the sentence is 「無りを募らせたところで、今回私にできる¬ことは、これしか無いということか」 and it’s quite difficult to translate. Sorry if I got it wrong, but I tried to link it with the way Aoi was doubtful about what she could do, and Ginji persuaded her that she would help exactly with her cooking (which makes ayakashi spills their beans).

P18: ^ the sentence is 背中が大きく見える which translates to “(Ginji’s) back looks bigger and bigger”. I don’t think Aoi meant literally, as in Ginji has been going to the gym lately lol, but it’s more figuratively where Ginji looks more and more dependable. 

P19: ^ I translated “food wagon” from ワゴン販売 “wagon hanbai”.

P25: 

^ I interpreted that「…そういうとこ、ぬかりないわね、あっちも」is talking about how the Southern Land condition is more suitable for growing avocado, hence my translation.

^^ The original name is 夜ダ力号. The character 夜 means "evening", "night" or "dinner", and can be read as "yoru" or "ya", whereas ダ is the katakana for "da". When I looked up 力号 in Jisho.org, I read about Kayaba, which is a Japanese autogyro during WW2. However, I’m uncomfortable naming Aoi’s food wagon after a WW2 Japanese aircraft. Hence I look for another way to read 力号. The character 力 means "power" or "strength" can be read as "ryoku" or "rii", while 号 refers to a nickname or a title, and can be read as ‘gō’. Hence 夜ダ力号 can be read as Yadarigō or Yadaryokugō. Either way, they don't roll well in English-speaking tongue. Naming the food wagon as "The Power of Moonflower" sounds... lame... "Moonflower Supreme Power" even more...

So, since I’ve been translating Yūgao as “Moonflower”, I just translate the wagon car as “Moonflower Two”. Easier to remember. If I have another inspiration for the name, I might re-name Moonflower Two later.

P26: ^ Yomego-chan 嫁後ちゃん = “Daughter-in-law”-chan, Dr Saraku's pet name for Aoi.

P27: ^ I translated it fromつっこみどころ満載な一幕だったが、砂楽博士は相変わらず自由ということで but I’m not sure I got it correct.