Amid Illya's cheers, they dug a tiled well by the villa, and while Kiyohime regaled them with ghost tales of Ono no Takamura and the mouth of a well, they erected a traditional wooden water pump before the Japanese-style courtyard.
Finally, Sakatsuki, wiping cold sweat from his brow, reluctantly began installing faucets in front of all three courtyards. Beside him, a blonde ahoge queen paced back and forth—her adorable face full of anticipation, her art style suspiciously moe and out of place—making Sakatsuki repeatedly question whether he had wandered into the wrong anime set.
Is this "Today's Menu for the Emiya Family"? But this isn't Fuyuki… and I'm not Emiya…Sakatsuki screamed internally, desperately searching for a way out of this mess.
There was no doubt—the faucet should only dispense clean drinking water. But when Artoria put on that fragile, puppy-eyed expression and timidly asked, "Is it… possible?", who could possibly refuse that face?
Didn't he already see Ritsuka and Mordred go completely feral? One had to be physically dragged away by Mash, while the other was still rolling across the beach in excitement.
And of course, Sakatsuki knew—the cuter the ahoge is now, the more painful the Excalibur to the face will be later.
I'm such an idiot. Truly.
While Sakatsuki was mentally collapsing, Artoria was already unable to contain herself:
"I just wanted to reconfirm what you said earlier—about how the faucet doesn't just pour water, but also orange juice, and…"
She took a deep breath. In a tone soaked with bliss, the King of Knights murmured:
"WUDONG's TANGZHI…!"
Mash, just returning in place of her Master, panicked:
"Oh no! Lady Artoria's so excited she's started mispronouncing everything! Although… that actually is how you'd romanize it…"
Artoria, however, was lost in deep nostalgia, sparked by some summoning memory.
"Simple, yet profound… I remember just how incredible that dish called WUDONG was. The noodles—soft yet firm… the broth—a labor of love… Seemingly plain, but in truth, a masterpiece of delicate culinary art!"
"Speaking of Kagawa Prefecture—someone once nicknamed it 'Udon Prefecture.' Since it's the home of handmade udon in Japan, it's practically a must to eat udon when visiting Takamatsu."
Sakatsuki, seeing a chance to stall, threw out a casual info dump to buy time:
"The streets there are full of udon shops. Some are self-service—you get your noodles, and add your own green onions and ginger. The broth is kept in a giant barrel, and you just open a faucet to pour it. That's why people say: 'In Sanuki (Kagawa's old name), turn on a faucet and udon broth comes out.'"
At some point, all the Servants had gathered, quietly listening to Sakatsuki's impromptu food lecture like students in a classroom. Even the sulking Illya had shown up with her friends, all sitting neatly in a row.
Sakatsuki continued, subtly fiddling with something behind his back:
"What will flow from a faucet? That's part of the magecraft, right? For example—Matsuyama Airport in Ehime Prefecture dispenses orange juice. Aichi Prefecture has tomato juice. In Uji, elementary schools serve matcha tea, while in Okinawa's izakayas, the taps flow with Awamori (a local spirit). In Awaji Island's highway service area, they even have onion soup from local produce."
With every mention, the regional flavors and quirks began to paint vivid scenes in everyone's minds, stoking their imaginations.
"Mr. Sakatsuki sure is knowledgeable," Kuro said with a mischievous smile, chin resting on her palm. "By the way, stir-fried udon is really tasty too!"
Sakatsuki's smile froze.
This Kuro… next time, I swear I'm going to spank her. No—I'll seal her entire mana core if I have to.
Artoria jumped in excitedly:
"You mean the version where they fry the noodles? Yes! That one's excellent too! The aroma alone is irresistible!"
But the very next moment, the King of Knights snapped back into focus:
"Wait! Let's not get sidetracked! We're talking about the TANGZHI from the faucet! We must confirm it immediately! Hurry, let's go!"
Sakatsuki sighed as the ahoge king re-centered on the mission.At the same time, he noticed the rest of the Servants looking at him with a mix of pity and glee.
So… you all knew, huh? Was it Ritsuka who sold me out?!
His face twitched harder. He despaired at Chaldea's gossip-hungry peanut gallery, but still obediently stepped aside and gestured grandly:
"Please, my King."
"Eh?!" Artoria stepped back like she'd been shocked. She stared at Sakatsuki, suspicion rising as déjà vu began to itch at her subconscious… but the temptation of flavor quickly drowned out all doubt.
Swallowing hard, bowl (of mysterious origin) in hand, she stepped forward, one trembling step at a time.
Heart pounding. Hands shaking. She aligned her bowl.Turned the faucet.
Out came—
Clear. Rich. A fragrance that stirred the soul.
A pale crimson broth flowed out, pooling in the bowl, forming a tiny lake that shimmered like a gem.
Wisps of rising steam drifted up, playfully curling before each pair of wide eyes, delivering an undeniable scent of savory richness.
After a brief silence, everyone cried out in unison:
"...The real Udon broth?!"
A red-haired girl hidden in the crowd couldn't hold back any longer. She dashed forward, her steps echoing—thump, thump, thump—and tried to snatch the bowl from the hands of the ahoge-bearing king… but failed. Instead, she simply bowed her head and took a big slurp straight from it, only to erupt into a fit of coughing from the heat.
"Cough, cough… it's real? This is actually real?!"
"Master…" the ahoge queen, Artoria, fixed her gaze on Ritsuka with quiet intensity, pondering whether to finish the bowl first before drawing her sword—
"Here, fresh Udon." Sakatsuki appeared, carrying a bamboo basket. He gently poured the soft, snow-white noodles into the broth, then garnished it with scallions, ginger, and garlic. With elegant formality, he placed a pair of chopsticks in Artoria's hand and bowed politely. "Summer Limited Edition: Udon Noodles. Please enjoy."
With a casual wave, Sakatsuki opened a rhombus-shaped portal. The clamoring Servants were unceremoniously swept away, all teleported to the other side of the sea. The surroundings fell silent in an instant, leaving behind only the ahoge queen clutching her udon bowl, and Sakatsuki, who had quietly taken a seat on the wooden doorstep beside Draco.
"…I'm never helping you again." Forced to return to the original world to fetch ingredients, rush through cooking, and race back with the results, the little red dragon gave the udon-eating King of Knights a glare, then turned a sharp eye toward Sakatsuki and muttered under her breath.
"Ehehe?" Leaning against Draco, Sakatsuki conjured up two bowls of udon like a magician, his face brimming with joy. "Look, what do we have here?"
Anything he had analyzed, he could project. Of course, the broth used in the projection still came from Draco's own carefully prepared stock.
Even in her current form, Her Majesty Nero's culinary skills were truly without equal.
With a snort, Draco accepted the smaller bowl of udon, her expression finally softening.
"Hmph. At least you have some semblance of a conscience."
"Yes, yes, many thanks, Your Majesty."
In the distance, Artoria was already quietly savoring her meal, a look of bliss spreading across her face. Meanwhile, Sakatsuki and Draco sat shoulder to shoulder on the doorstep of the traditional courtyard, appreciating the King of Knights' divine beauty while enjoying a rare moment of culinary peace—despite Draco's ever-deadly glare.
Before those heartless fools found their way back, they still had time to relish the moment.
"Sakatsuki, you heartless jerk! I'm a girl, you know! And you just threw us into the sky, hundreds of meters high… Miyu nearly cried, okay?!"
"Munch gulp?! Ritsuka? Why are you back so fast?!"
***
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