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"Looks like you've had a good couple of days, Machi~"
Nobunaga stepped forward, walked up to the table, and picked up one of the bowls Morin and Machi had used earlier. He studied it closely.
"This is the first time I've seen such a nice bowl. The ones at my place are all chipped and cracked."
He turned it over in his hand, clicking his tongue in amazement.
It was one of the bowls that came with the Foodie's Tablecloth whenever it produced a meal.
"A bowl like this could probably fetch a good amount of black rice."
He hadn't meant much by it, but Machi's ears perked up the second she heard those words.
Right—she couldn't take the food outside, it would just disintegrate. But the dishes and utensils left behind? If she was careful, those should be fine, right? Surely no one's crazy enough to eat the plates too?
Her eyes gleamed as she quietly started calculating how much they might sell for.
"Quit talking nonsense already," Uvogin cut in, impatient. "Let's just go."
"Just a single bowl like that can get you plenty of black rice?" Morin suddenly spoke up, smiling.
"Yeah," Nobunaga nodded. "Stuff like this is usually reserved for the elders. For us, as long as we can trade it for some black rice to fill our stomachs, that's more than enough."
He seemed to see a younger version of himself in Morin, and that made him more willing to chat.
"Is black rice even tasty? Doesn't it smell kind of… funky?"
"Of course it's not tasty," Nobunaga admitted with a shrug. "But it's cheap, fills you up with just a little, and that makes it valuable."
Uvogin: "..."
So what, I'm just invisible now? Just gonna ignore me like I don't exist?
He was starting to lose it. "Hey, I'm talking to you two—"
"Why don't I treat you guys to a meal?" Morin cut him off again, smiling.
"Consider it a welcome meal since we've just met."
"You're treating us?"
This time, Uvogin didn't get mad. Instead, he caught the most important part of what Morin said.
"You're treating? Fine, but let's get one thing straight—I don't hold back."
"That's exactly what I want," Morin grinned. "Eat as much as you want. If you don't get full, I'll be upset."
"Oh yeah?"
Uvogin's mood flipped instantly. Morin's words hit all the right notes for him.
He smirked. "Then bring on the black rice. I'll eat every last grain."
"Black rice?"
Morin chuckled and shook his head. "I don't serve that stuff."
"Oh?"
Both Uvogin and Nobunaga raised their brows.
Machi, who had been quietly watching the show, finally cut in. "He's got something better than black rice."
"Better?"
Their eyes lit up in unison.
They exchanged a glance, then without another word sat down at the table, perfectly in sync.
"No wonder I thought I smelled something good when I walked in," Uvogin chuckled. "I figured I was imagining it."
Nobunaga gave a small nod. "Then let's see what you've got."
With a soft swish, Morin set the Foodie's Tablecloth back on the table in front of them.
"Where'd you pull that out from?"
At first they wondered if it was some magic trick, but their curiosity quickly shifted to the cloth itself.
Uvogin: "Pretty nice-looking."
Nobunaga: "Yeah. Worth a lot of black rice."
"Any favorites? Something you feel like eating?" Morin asked before ordering.
"Just bring it on!" Uvogin waved a hand broadly.
"In that case, I'll decide."
Morin smiled, then snapped his fingers.
"Let's start with two roasted suckling pigs to whet your appetite."
The moment his words fell, the tablecloth shimmered. Before their eyes, two whole roasted pigs appeared on the table, golden-brown skin crackling, the air instantly filling with a rich, mouthwatering aroma.
"Gulp~!"
A very loud swallow broke the silence.
"This is… roast suckling pig?!"
Nobunaga and Uvogin stared blankly at the two pigs on the platters, the scent hitting them like a hammer, as if the food itself was whispering, Eat me, now.
Slurp!
Nobunaga licked his lips. Uvogin, less subtle, wiped at the drool threatening to pour down his chin.
Even Machi, who had crossed her arms to watch from the side—despite already being full—couldn't stop her throat from tightening with a small swallow.
"Please, help yourselves," Morin said, gesturing politely toward the food.
The two men glanced at him, then looked at each other.
If it was just something a little better than black rice, they wouldn't hesitate. But this… the smell was too rich, the color too perfect. The craving was overwhelming.
And the fact it had just appeared like that made it even more bewildering.
They both glanced at Machi, but she offered no explanation, no warning.
Well then…
"Eat!"
Uvogin made the first move, grabbing hold of a leg and tearing it off with brute force.
"....."