Novel Vol 7 Chapter 1 Part 2 translation

Since a picture of Seikamaru won't be available for a while, here's Kaikakumaru again (source)

Below is my translation of Volume 7 Chapter 1 Part 2 of the Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi novel (you can read part 1 here). Although it has no Ōdanna-sama, please keep reading. There is a character here who will be instrumental in helping Aoi rescuing her Ōdanna-sama. Volume 7 list of chapters can be found here. 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.  Meanwhile, thank you for reading! Btw, Chapter 2 will have Ritsuko-san talking to Aoi, and I hope I can finish it in two weeks' time or so.

Vol 7: “I’m serving dishes that will determine our inn’s victory”

Chapter 1 The Night Flight Part 2

P27

The airship deck is not colder than I expected, partly because of the floating silver and gold oni fire. There are several elevated resting areas covered with tatami which can be used to relax as you’d like. While eating light meals and drinking sake, guests can enjoy the outside fresh air, the starry night and the night view.

“Welcome, welcome! We have bread burgers from Utsushiyo, you know…”

After doing various chores, some oni children are parading the deck, carrying signs which read “Moonflower’s Airship Branch Store: Moonflower Two”.

P28

These children are the ones promoting our bread burgers. As for me, upon receiving bread burger orders from Ai-chan, I immediately make them inside the wagon. There are three types of options in the Japanese menu as follows:

(1) The Moonflower fried chicken burger: the spicy and juicy kara-age (deep fried chicken) from the local fire chicken is sandwiched between crispy shredded cabbage

(2) The Tenjin-ya fish burger: our own fish is marinated with soy sauce and mirin and then deep fried, served with a generous amount of tartar sauce and squeezed lemon juice for a refreshing palate

(3) Moonflower Two cheese burgers: this simple bread burger consists of Kiseki beef meaty patty sandwiched between thickly-sliced avocado, tomato and the Northern Land fresh cheese

The bun part of the burger is baked in advance in Moonflower, and it’s light and soft. 

P29

Once I receive the order, I toast the bun slices to bring out its savoury fragrance and assemble the slices into the burger. The burger  is then wrapped in a wrapping paper specially made for this occasion. The guests can then gulp the burgers with their bare hands.

Just like in bread burger shops in Utsushiyo, if a guest orders a set instead of a single item, they will get extra French fries or onion rings and avocado-shrimp salad. Also, by ordering a set, they can buy drinks at a sake shop next to the Moonflower Two wagon at a slightly lower price. A couple of lizard ayakashi runs the sake shop; they are very well-versed in their sake and liquors. The married couple are the inheritors of the sake shop that often have business deals with Tenjin-ya. By way of this cooperation, I was able to prepare the sake sale here from early on.  In addition to sake, they also offer normal fruit juice, tea, as well as the recommended warm carbonated water and sweet sake. In addition, for any ayakashi who mainly wants to drink sake, we prepare fried chicken, our own soy-mirin marinated fish, edamame, etc. for them to nibble while drinking. 

“Aoi-samaaa, one Moonflower, one Tenjin, two Moonflower Two please…”

“Copy thaaat, Ai-chan!”

Nevertheless, selling food from a food wagon during a speed competition is a hard work. Usually, I would have Ginji-san to help me out during busy hours. However, this time he’s entrusted to protect Tenjin-ya, thus I couldn’t rely on his help. Yet, since Ai-chan has already become a reliable aid, I could make it work somehow.

P30

Wearing navy-blue kimono, the oni children who are carrying the dishes and the fellow waitresses who are assigned here are all serving the customers cheerfully. We have many customers although it’s only the opening day. Furthermore, as the branch store of Moonflower, although we only serve the so-called bread burger with a strong Utsushiyo cuisine element, we generate great interests and orders are coming through. True to the nature of bread burgers, the Moonflower Two cheese burgers seems to be popular.

 “Pfftt… lemme take a breather…”

“Not yet, Aoi-sama. We will now come to a stand-still mid-air the Yōto airspace. The Yōto aristocrats will come at once to use the facilities in this ship.”

“Arrgh… you’re right, Ai-chan...”

I was taking a short break in a brief moment when the flow of customers came to a lull.  Yet, as per Ai-chan’s words, right afterwards, many Yōto customers boarded Seikamaru from a small airboat. For sure, these ayakashi look like celebrities who are decked to the nines. 

I made bread burgers in a bewildering pace incomparable to the busy pace I’ve had so far today. I was basically a bread burger machine.

“Wooow… we’re done! We’re done!”

It’s now midnight.

P31-32

Having finished the last order, I was rotating my stiff shoulders and neck inside Moonflower Two. After stopping at Yōto for about an hour, Seikamaru will return to her port in Tenjin-ya.

“Ummm... Aoi-sama…”

It was that time when it happened. Ai-chan poked on my loosened shoulders and called me.

“Eh?”

When I looked up, I saw a male customer standing alone in front of our counter^. His appearance is a bit dubious. He dons a thick haori, a scarf muffler^^ and a black hat. He also wears sunglasses that hide his eyes and, probably because he has a cold, a big mask around his mouth.

I have no inkling of what kind of ayakashi he is. I understand he wants to disguise himself, but can’t he just wear a mask that a normal ayakashi would wear?

“Excuse me, but seems that I can’t place an order anymore?”

His voice, easily transmitted through the mask, was youthful and soothing. 

“That’s fine. What would you like to order?”

I immediately accept his request with smile, for we still have some ingredients anyway. Slightly tilting his head, the customer and studies the menu.

“When I heard that you can eat novel dishes here, I immediately took off when I had the chance. Hmm… you indeed have strange dishes here.

P32

‘Ham…bur…ger…’, what is that, I wonder?”

“Hamburger indeed looks like a strange dish in Kakuriyo. Are you familiar with bread?”

“Hmm. I’ve tried anpan once.”

“It’s actually the same bread with anpan.  However, unlike anpan, burgers are non-sweet food. I put meat and vegetables in the bread.” 

I then explained the three types of recommended bread burgers.

“The ‘Moonflower kara-age burger’ is using Kimon’s own fire chicken, deep fried until crispy with spicy soy sauce and sandwiched between the bread buns with shredded cabbage. It’s a very substantial meal. Because of the Japanese-style seasoning, it leaves a good impression amongst the male customers who like to order simple food.

“Uh-huh, uh-huh…”

“For our ‘Tenjin-ya fish burger’, we deep-fry our own fish as the burger.  It is marinated beforehand with soy sauce and mirin, and it gives the crispy feeling on the outside and the irresistible fluffy feeling on the inside. We serve it with a generous amount of tartar sauce made of Utsushiyo’s own seasoning of mayonnaise and egg, plus squeezed lemon juice for a refreshing palate. Some people also at it once and then bought more as a gift.”

The thick-haori-wearing guest still ‘uh-huh, uh-huh’-ing to himself, stroking his jaw as he enthusiastically listens to my explanation.

P33-34

“The last one is ‘Moonflower Two cheese burger’, a very typical Utsushiyo hamburger. The seasoning is our home-made tomato ketchup.”

“Oh, I know cheese! I heard it’s popular amongst the nobles of Yōto.”

“Yes. Cheese-based dishes and snacks seems to be in vogue recently, right? Also in our Tenjin-ya, we offer the cheese version of our ‘Hell-ju’ hotspring manju as gifts.”

“Have you eaten it before? Was it delicious?!”

“Eh… uhm… aaah, well…”

A bit surprised, the person asked with such a vigor, with head nod and all. What should I say? I was actually the one who developed that manju… hehehe…

“Well then, which burger would you like?”

“Which one is the most fashionably Western^?”

“Ah… then I recommend the Moonflower Two cheese burger. I don’t know whether it’s  fashionably Western, but it’s Hawaiian.”

“Well, shall I have it then?”

The customer placed his order. While waiting, he sat on the nearest seat and arched his back; attentively looking at the sky.

P34

He looked rather tired, perhaps he came straight after a day at work.

We don’t have many people eating on the deck anymore. Everyone is either watching the night view with their lover or family or already enjoying the entertainment facilities inside the airship. This guest is the only person who sat alone. I placed the cheese burger in a basket with French fries and onion rings. Then – because he was sitting alone – I added the apple ginger warm carbonated water from the sake shop next door. I then quickly delivered the set to the customer.

“Sorry for the wait.”

“Oooh… thank you.”

“Did you come straight from work?  Here’s concentrated apple and ginger boiled with carbonated water. I think it heals our tired body.”

Firstly, the customer takes a hard look at the bowl filled with the warm carbonated water. He then drinks it in one go. 

The warm carbonated water gives a soft and bubbly feeling. The apple gives such a strong feeling from its mellow scent and sweetness, while the ginger warms for the body.

“Uuufff… it does calms me down.”

I chuckle. “It’s particularly effective after work. I’ve also been drinking this warm carbonated water every night for the last five days, you know…”

P35-36

The customer eventually got onto his cheeseburger. He seems to be unsure what to do with the wrapping paper, so I peel the wrap open and show him how to eat it. He was hesitant to bite it at first, but then he saw Ai-chan heartily eating a bread burger made of leftover ingredients inside the wagon. “Ah, that’s how you eat this,” must be what he thought. Then, with a renewed resolution, the customer takes off his mask and eats the hamburger with a big bite.

“… it’s delicious…”

After a bite, he let out a surprised but rather flat voice. 

“If it’s like this, that kid might also like to eat it…”

“Eh?”

That kid…?

What he meant with those words is a mystery to me, but afterwards he continues eating in such an ecstasy. The combination of the paté, seasoned with salt and pepper, and the cheese with its fresh-milk flavour make a charming burger. THE burger.

Although bread burgers are considered junk food which you shouldn’t eat too much, it does have this unforgettable and sinful taste that makes you addicted once you eat it.

P36

“This thick, soft and green vegetable that sandwiches the meat… is this what they call avocado? It has an astonishing texture and taste. It’s very rich but also somewhat refreshing and it mellows down the taste of meat and cheese.”

“Yes. It has such a richness, but it’s a nutritious vegetable. We call it the ‘butter of the forest’ for that reason.”

“Ohh… Here in Yōto, I also have never seen nor eaten any avocado. Where did you get this?”

“Ah, we got it from the Southern Land!”

Since I remembered to promote the Southern Land produce, I took out an avocado fruit from Moonflower Two and showed it to the customer.  Showing a heightened interest, he touched and made a spectator of the dark green gnarled fruit.

“Uff… It was delicious. It was quite a pleasant experience. I usually live a life tied up with various things that I don't have much freedom. This brief moment was such a precious time for me to temporarily forget those things.

“Ha, so I thought: are you travelling incognito?”

“Well, something like that…”

P37-38

This person… is he actually a highly-ranked aristocrat? He had this sophisticated aura around him though he was just eating hamburger and French fries^. More than anything, I perceive such an elegance from his clear voice and expressions. 

“Thank you, Miss. I didn’t expect that the rumoured bride of Tenjin-ya would personally bring me the dishes.” 

“Eh? Do you know about me?”

“Of course. Every day when I read the Yōto Daily, I would often see the name of one “Tsubaki Aoi’”.

“Uh… what on Earth are they writing about me…”

Seeing how I turned pale, the customer made a slightly foolish look and then burst out a laughter. But immediately afterwards, he dropped his shoulders and said,

“Although everyone is interested in their work, it sometimes makes me uncomfortable. It’s hard being celebrities. Whatever you do or don’t do, they'll find something to write about.”

After sighing as if to himself, the customer stands up. 

“This Moonflower Two, until when are you having the stall?”

“Well… We plan to have it for five days for now^^. In addition, since we will serve interesting dishes from Utsushiyo, it would be great if you could come again.” 

Since we actually have a leaflet describing the dates of our night flight trips, I handed him the leaflet from the food wagon counter.

P38-39

The customer folds the leaflet and puts it inside his haori. Then he took off his sunglasses and hat and bowed his head.

“Well then, see you again, Miss Moonflower Two.”

When the customer lifted his head, I spontaneously uttered a “Wow…”. Because… his pupils have a pattern of two circles, and his hair is dyed in a gradation of pale pink^ and purple. Such a very curious-looking ayakashi; I wouldn’t be able to imagine his true appearance from his disguise.

“Oh, I have to go back!”

He hastily rearranged his disguise, quickly returned to the small airship he used earlier and left Seikamaru.

After a while, I fold my arms and ponder, “That person, I feel that I’ve seen him before somewhere, but I totally can’t remember.” Having said that, I don’t think I can forget such peculiar eyes and hair though.

Meanwhile, I see a small airship on the way back to the ground port from nowhere in particular. 

“… What an amazing scenery… all around, I can see only lights…”

While watching the night view of lights and skyscrapers of Yōto, I wonder whether Ōdanna-sama would be somewhere in this giant city. 

P39

Ōdanna-sama, who can’t go back to Tenjin-ya, whose whereabouts I know not. 

Although Byakuya-san is now gathering intelligence in Yōto, I’m still worried.

“Ōdanna-sama… I wonder if he’s eating properly…”

The next time we meet, what shall I feed him if Ōdanna-sama is hungry? I don't even know his favourite food. Since our last meeting, I feel like I haven’t seen that face for a long time.

“Aoi-samaaa, don’t be idle please, and help me cleaning up…”

“Oh, sorry, sorry, Ai-chan!”

And thus I was scolded by the hard-working Ai-chan. Yet, when I was about to hastily go back to Moonflower Two, 

“Aoi-dono.”

From the back of the wagon, I heard Sasuke-kun’s voice calling me. Confused, I turn towards the back of Moonflower Two. There, blending into the shadows, Sasuke-kun was quietly standing still.

“A proclamation^ from O-chōbachō dono is as such^^: You would land in Yōto on the spot.”

“…Eh? On the spot? Right now? Really?”

Promptly, Sasuke-kun holds me in his ninja-like manner and, just like the wind, carries me into a small airship. It’s a stealth airship bearing no Tenjin-ya crest.

P40

“Sa-sasuke-kun?!”

“Please do not trouble yourself with our returning guests and their conducts^. I shall take you like this to the centre of Yōto.”

“Whaaaaat?!”

“Shhh! Quiet. Aoi-dono, you can be quite loud at times…”

In a nonchalant and, strictly speaking, rude manner, Sasuke-kun urged me to enter the small airship. Then, being vigilant of the outside, he was on the lookout through the closed window.

“Aoi-sama… Aoi-sama…Gosh, where are you?”

Oh no, I left out Ai-chan on her own! However, I also heard an angry voice who thinks that I was lazing around again. That loud voice sounds familiar…

“Don’t worry. I shall ask another garden ward to explain this to Ai-dono. Also, it is essential that she is to disguise herself as Aoi-dono and return to Tenjin-ya. 

“So, she’s impersonating me^^?  Wouldn’t Ai-chan be in danger?”

“Of course Ai-dono’s presence is just a camouflage for Aoi-dono in Tenjin-ya. We shall also have several escorts. Instead, by being separated from Tenjin-ya, you are actually in a greater danger, Aoi-dono.”

“Uh, that’s right… So, what can I do?”

“Well then, shall we go, Aoi-dono.”

P41

Our small airship gets farther and farther from the larger mother-ship; melting and being sucked into Yōto’s skyscrapers.

“Woooww…”

The city looks different compared to just being observed from above. The giant city looks like being made out of many towers piled up high. Although the Ginten-gai of Kimon is also lively,  it’s completely on a different scale. Before, when I visited Yōto with Ōdanna-sama, we just wandered around the castle township and didn’t go into the city centre. That’s why, right now I’m even more overwhelmed by the scale of this city. Buildings after buildings, vertical structures such as high-rise buildings are clumped together towards the Central Palace. When our airship enter the aisles between buildings, the sky feels so far away, and I have the impression of looking down onto something very big. 

“Sasuke-kun, where are we going?”

“We are heading towards the Nui-no-in Mansion.”

“Nu- what, Nui-no-in Mansion?!”

“Shhh!”

Since I spoke out loud again, I clamp shut my mouth with my own hand.

“Currently, Nui-no-in-dono and his wife Ritsuko-san are members of the Imperial Court and they are also our ally. However, even with their power, we are still at a disadvantage...”

P42

Sasuke-kun keeps his expression even more tense than usual. Since the whereabouts of his father Saizō-san, the Head of Garden Wards, is uncertain, Sasuke-kun has been rather tense these days.

“For what purpose am I being summoned to the Nui-no-in Mansion?”

“Your inquiry will be resolved immedia – aaaargghhh!!!”

Without knowing what happened, the ship plunged straight down. This drifting feeling of suddenly being attacked is really bad for my heart. Next to me, Sasuke-kun grabbed his muffler firmly and endured the plunge, occasionally groaning,

“We’re going down, we’re going down!”

 

End of Vol 7 Chapter 1 Part 2, TBC in Vol 7 Chapter 2 (which has Ritsuko-san there!).

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:

P31: ^ This character will later be important in Aoi’s plight to rescue Ōdanna, so pay attention hehe…

^^ think of Joe Odagiri’s character in the first arc of Midnight Diners (Shinya Shokudo), who was always wearing a haori and a scarf muffler (I looove that kind of look, I tell you! I think a muffler somehow pairs very well with haori and kimono).

P33: ^ I translated ‘fashionably Western’ from ‘haikara’ (anyone watching/reading Miss Modern manga can relate to this)

P37: ^ The way Aoi depicted this guest, I somehow feel like this guest has an aura similar to Ōdanna-sama’s. A noble aura, undiminished despite eating junk food.

^^ I translate it from 五日こちらに出店する予定です。I’m not sure whether it means Moonflower Two will be open for five days, or that M2 will open on the 5th (of January). Since M2 is already opened, I take it that M2 is open for five days (or five days a week??). Plus, Aoi later showed the customer a leaflet… which means that the dates of M2 operation are already decided. 知らん…

P38: ^ I translated ‘pale pink’ from momo-iro. Momo is actually peach, and momo-iro is a Japanese word option for the lighter pink (as opposed to the bright pink).

P39: 

^ Sasuke’s word for ‘proclamation’ is Otashi, which is the Edo-period announcement issued by the shogunate or any daimyō to concerned parties.

^^ Sasuke-kun has his own style of speech. He always uses the archaic “de gozaru” like Kenshin (the Rurouni Kenshin), which is the archaic form of “desu”. Its direct translation is “be”, and it shouldn’t be translated like normal speech, but I haven’t got the right way of translating it without making it just like a normal speech. Sasuke also likes to use other archaic words e.g.  Otashi, which is an archaic form of announcement (see previous note)

P40: ^ Again, I am struggling to translate Sasuke’s 「帰りの客に紛れ、あちらに行動を悟られぬように、とのことでござる。」but I think my translation is quite close. By the way, -nu ぬhere is the archaic/Kobun form of -nai, or negation. 

Also, this Kakuriyo novel has triggered my interest in delving further into classical Japanese style. They are very fascinating. I do notice that Yūma sensei does use a lot of ‘mono’ 者 as the archaic Kanji to represent a person (the modern speakers would use ‘hito’ 人 instead). Also, Byakuya and others often use ‘ware’ (我 first person), though Ōdanna-sama would use ‘boku’ 僕 instead. Many Kanji in the Kakuriyo novel are also written in archaic form. Very interesting.

^^ Aoi’s word is Kagemusha 影武者, which – yes – is the namesake for Akira Kurosawa’s 1980 film. It literally means “Shadow Warrior”.

PS 28 Jan 2021: 

Some readers (Grey and Orchidus) said that they were hungry after reading about Aoi's food, and I was hungry too when translating it, actually! I actually went further as to making my own tofu-enoki-shiitake burger for lunch after I posted this post! The bun was an activated charcoal bun from Coles, very fluffy, which is similar to the texture of Aoi's burger bun.

and this burger was quite delicious that I had two buns!