Hearing Muramasa's blunt words, the fox seemed a little displeased but was unwilling to show it. So, she just covered her mouth with her tail, putting on an air of profound mystery.
"Quite spirited," Muramasa mumbled, just as a girl's voice came from the doorway.
"What are you doing, Muramasa?" Hailing poked her curious head in, searching for the source of the aroma. Her gaze was drawn to the pot of hot oil. So much oil… The girl, who lived a frugal life, had never seen such a luxurious sight and suddenly started to stammer, "A-all of this... is it going into the dishes?"
She had asked a strange question.
"How could that be? I may have said I can't pull a sumo wrestler, but you don't have to eat yourself into one to test it."
Hailing was used to his deadpan, straightforward retorts, but she still couldn't help but blush at her own strange question. "Right... well, what are you making then?"
"Fried food. I'm frying tofu right now," Muramasa said, picking up the once-fried tofu and staring at the changes in the oil. Now—
The moment the oil reached the right temperature for the second frying, Muramasa submerged the tofu. The bubbling instantly frothed up, and with each pop of the tiny bubbles, a fragrant aroma was released.
"Wow... it smells so good! I want some!"
"Just wait outside for now. You'll get your share."
The fox looked up again, carefully analyzing the pheromones in the air. There's a distinctly smooth, mellow trajectory in this aroma, consistent with what most people in Inazuma City use. But, there are two other scents that are different. One is of the same type, but its aroma is richer, more mellow, like an embellishment to the first. The other's top note is not prominent, allowing the other two to stand out, but its base note is clearly several layers more complex. The fried tofu made this way will definitely be on a different level from anything in Inazuma City!
Her inner thoughts were a whirlwind, but her face was a perfect mask of an ordinary pink fox.
Sizzle—
After the second frying, the surface of the tofu was still crackling, the crisp sound like miniature firecrackers. After a light shake to drain the oil, Muramasa hung the strainer on the side of a bowl, letting gravity do the rest of the work.
"Next... right. Hailing, while you're out there, could you prepare a few bowls of soba noodles?" Even though I just said I shouldn't have a guest cook… After a moment's thought, Muramasa called out to Hailing, who was about to leave.
"Okay~" Her cheerful reply was even happier than before. Seeing this, Muramasa felt at ease.
"There's still a lot to do… since we can't eat right away, I'll have to make the batter a bit thicker."
He took a few shrimp from the basket Hailing had brought, cut off their heads, and made a few incisions on their bellies with a sharp knife. Then, with a quick peel, the straight shrimp meat was revealed. He coated the shrimp with some flour, then picked it up with his fingertips, letting gravity straighten it as it fell into the low-gluten batter.
While he was busy, the fox had no intention of just sitting there. She wasn't here to beg for food; wagging her tail was not her style. Her form was that of a fox, her status that of a wild animal, so she had none of the restraints of a human!
With a pounce of her front paws, she stuck her head into the strainer and elegantly snatched a piece of fried tofu. Then, with a flick of her tail, she left an elegant silhouette in the surprised eyes of the man.
Perfect plan, execute—
She pushed off with her hind legs and leaped from the windowsill to the edge of the strainer. But before she could make her next move, the man who had been about to fry shrimp had already set his eyes on her. A guilty hand reached out to grab the little thief.
Heh, laughable! Even the Raiden Shogun, when not serious, would have trouble striking her. Even without using elemental power now, she wouldn't be caught by a mere human. Watch me slide under your grasp, grab the tofu, and make a run for it.
The little fox twisted her body and slid, using her momentum to slip through the gap between his hand and the table, and then… As she slid, the hand swooped down and grabbed her big, pink tail. Before her head could reach the strainer, he had lifted her up.
"No stealing before the meal is served. Even if you're some family's sacred fox." Muramasa's face and hand, on both a mental and physical level, told her, 'I've got you.'
"Hu… hu?" The pink fox looked left and right in disbelief, completely shocked that he had actually caught her. "∑HU—!!!"
The upside-down view and the cooking scene suddenly awakened a long-buried memory. It was from a long, long time ago, when she had tried to steal a meal made by another 'Raiden' and was caught by the current 'Raiden'.
'What should we do with it?'
'Hehe~~ this little one's tail is her weak spot, isn't it? She looks like she can't move. Let's let her go.'
'Hmm, if you say so.'
'If you do it again, I will not hesitate to strike you down.'
The dual control of memory and her weak spot made the fox go limp, her paws held up in a gesture of surrender.
"Even if you act cute, I won't let you go," Muramasa pouted. Though he said that, he just placed her on the side.
"Hu…" The fox, her head now upright again, still looked dazed, sitting there limply without moving.
"Did I break her?"
"Oh well, cooking is more important." The fox had delayed him a bit, and the oil temperature was getting out of control. He adjusted the heat and prepared to fry again. Looking at the little fox, he prepared a few extra shrimp. Then, without shaking off the batter, he placed the shrimp in the hot oil.
The outer batter quickly puffed up, separating the ingredients from the hot oil. When the shrimp in the center was perfectly steamed, he immediately took it out and plated it.
"Last is the conger eel." He took the still-wriggling eel from the water and slammed it onto the cutting board with a slap. "I don't have a nail on hand, so this will have to do."
A weapon materialized from projection in his hand. The still-squirming eel's head was pinned to the cutting board. The fox had just come to her senses and witnessed the strange sight of magic taking physical form in his hand. His blade pierced the center of the eel's head. As he flattened the eel's body with his palm, the blade slid down, and in an instant, the eel was prepared.
"Hu…" The fox's gaze grew serious. She watched him cook quietly, making no more moves.
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