Frankly, I feel the heat of the venue cooled down instantly with my words.
Yeah, honestly the instructor told me, and I agreed and acted.
Marriage, if done ignoring each other’s will, will never turn out well.
Therefore, we must ensure that everyone fully understands the peculiarities of the other world.
It’s fine if you think of things from a human perspective and don’t impose it on others, but once you do, it creates a crack, a rift.
It would be a disaster if that widened into an international incident.
We must not forget that this is not only a venue for a marriage hunting party but also a place for inter-world exchange.
We have to approach this with the determination of a stubborn old man who only accepts serious romantic relationships.
“…”
As I was feeling anxious about whether my explanation would be accepted, one man, who was drawn to the Dryad woman, quietly held a mask to his face.
“I have no problem.”
Then, he changed his form and stepped forward.
It truly looked like a moment of reaching out to the other world.
Not necessarily to be the catalyst, but his companions who were with him also put on masks and changed into other forms.
As each person changed, there were women in the audience who could remember them before and after the change, but it wouldn’t be a problem as they would be shuffled later.
Is it a sad trait of Japanese people that if someone does something, others follow suit?
Eventually, everyone except Tachibana and his entourage put on masks and their appearances changed drastically.
Only Tachibana remained, stubbornly refusing to put one on.
It was as good as declaring that he had no intention of compromising.
Kirie-san approached Tachibana.
“Branch Manager Sagami.”
The appearance of a superior made Tachibana and his group straighten up.
“Prepare to leave.”
Without listening to any excuses, Kirie-san decisively chose to expel Tachibana and his group.
“Did you hear what Manager Tanaka said earlier? Those who cannot understand and accept their uniqueness, no, their individuality, have no place here. If you are going to act that way, I will permit you to return home under my authority as branch manager. Furthermore, I will create a report about this incident and explain it to your families.”
Her resolute posture seemed to say that she would not allow anyone to trample on the wishes of her friend who desired inter-world exchange, and her eyes, usually cold, were ignited with a fiery gaze.
“Wh- If you do that, you won’t get away with it either!”
“I am not discussing responsibility. If there are repercussions later, I will accept them. However, be warned. You should understand whose speaking power is greater, yours or mine, before making such a statement. Moreover, if the children of your families, other than those present here, were to report what they heard and saw to their parents, wouldn’t it be clear which is the truth?”
With Kirie-san’s voice, which carried without her needing to raise it, Tachibana and his group fell silent.
Kirie-san mentioned that due to their family connections, they couldn’t be excluded from the selection, and she said she would handle it.
“Didn’t I explain earlier? This is a place for exchange, a place to make the future of Japan better. It’s good to take pride in your work. However, imposing that pride on others is arrogance.”
The atmosphere in the venue had become strained due to Tachibana.
Instead of hesitating, they decided to refuse participation, essentially telling her to do as she pleased.
This led Kirie-san to take action.
“I will say it again.”
The people in the party venue seemed to have taken Tachibana’s actions to heart, and rather than being offended, they seemed to welcome the shift in atmosphere.
Even the women who were initially welcoming would naturally distance themselves when confronted with clear disdain.
Here, their positions were strictly equal.
Family background was irrelevant.
“I permit it. Leave this venue immediately, return home.”
“Don’t regret this.”
As if to say hierarchy meant nothing, Tachibana turned on his heel with a menacing look, leading his entourage away.
“Who do you think will be regretting it?”
Kirie-san’s voice, unheard by them, but narrowed like a fox’s eyes, was clearly audible to me.
Her expression resembled my mother’s when she was genuinely furious.
In my mind, I prayed for the souls of those Tachibana and his group who would face the consequences.
“Everyone, my apologies for the disturbance. I will be away for a moment, but please enjoy your interactions.”
Then, without pursuing Tachibana, she exited through a separate entrance. As she gave me a knowing glance, indicating she had entrusted me with the role, I continued my duties as the host.
“Ah, we’ve gone a little off track, but this is where the real fun begins. Earlier, I was observing the women, but I want the women to pay attention to the men as well. You might have reservations about your own species, but please remember that while they are human, they are not from ‘that side’.”
It’s difficult to reignite enthusiasm after the air has gone still.
I thought I might need to throw in some kind of fuel, and I had a few things prepared for that very purpose, so I decided to use one of them.
“Well, now that you’ve all been instilled with a certain awareness, I have a gift for everyone.”
I signaled one of the staff members, and with Memoria’s connections and out of the funds I paid, one item stood out as particularly costly.
An item was brought in on a large trolley.
“Yes, I believe people from Japan have heard of the term ‘branded beef.’ This is an item created by farmers through advanced breeding. On the other hand, we have here, prepared from the other world, a rumored natural and exquisite item known as a ‘Sky-cow.'”
A whole cow, its various parts lavishly used in dishes like roast beef and beef stew.
The price was so high that I was honestly shocked.
Keiri-san had asked me to prepare something surprising, and in my search for high-end items, I found that this was comparable to dragon meat.
The dishes already on the tables were also expertly prepared, but upon tasting it, I could say I had never eaten anything so delicious.
“Actually, I asked the chef to let me try it earlier, and I’ll say this frankly: This alone made participating in this event worthwhile. Those who left have missed out tremendously.”
As soon as I mentioned tasting it beforehand, the women booed, and when I mentioned Tachibana and his group leaving, the men laughed.
“I could tell you to enjoy flavors that make meat costing a thousand yen per gram look paltry, but before you eat, I have a question. There’s actually an even more delicious part within this cow. Where do you think it is? Ah, ladies, please refrain from answering as this is a common knowledge question.”
The men were a little bewildered by the quiz format but tilted their heads, wondering what it could be, and suggested various cuts of meat.
Then, someone suddenly said, “Heart?”
“Correct.”
The heart, that is, the meat from the heart. For creatures whose magic circulates within their bodies, the heart is the most delicious part when the magic concentration is highest.
Therefore, the heart of the Sky-cow, a rare beast, is considered the most delicious part.
“The heart is the most delicious part of this Sky-cow, and consequently, the amount that can be obtained is limited. So, unfortunately, there isn’t enough for everyone here to eat.”
With a smile plastered on my face, I concealed the fact that I had already eaten my fill.
“Everyone will enjoy the parts other than the heart while playing a game. I believe you’ve received a piece of paper along with your masks from the staff. It’s a riddle, but you won’t be able to solve it with just the paper.”
This is a masquerade party, and we’re providing a talking point with a riddle game.
The themes vary, but ultimately, they lead to a password needed to obtain the heart.
“So then, where are the hints? As you’ve probably guessed, the men have the problem statements, and the women have the hint sections. Please try to aim for the exquisite taste while enjoying the meat and savoring its deliciousness. We will be serving the first ten pairs due to the limited quantity of meat.”
The problems and hints are designed to correspond with each other.
So, how can you match the hints and problems? You’ll have to speak to each other.
However, the men from Japan might think that a mere piece of meat isn’t worth going out of their way to initiate contact.
But the women from the other world are different.
The Sky-cow is a highly famous delicacy. It’s a rare cow that is rarely seen, even at national festivals.
When you hear “a cow that runs in the sky,” how fast do you imagine it? This cow flies at approximately five times the speed of a jet fighter.
It even sleeps while flying. Its strength is inferior to a dragon’s, but it’s incredibly difficult to catch a Sky-cow that constantly flies at supersonic speeds and even faster when truly escaping.
However, its meat is incredibly delicious. So much so that ordinary people can never hope to eat it.
I was worried that the women might rush forward, but they maintained their composure and began moving towards the cow’s area with deliberate steps. The women moved as one.
The men seemed taken aback by their coordinated movement, but then a woman with blue hair moved. She originally had green hair and, due to her species, didn’t favor eating meat. She accepted a plate of roast beef from the chef and walked towards the man who had stepped forward first, holding the plate.
“Would you like to try it?”
She offered the plate. Although she might not have seen the point in actively participating in this event due to her species, seeing her join out of goodwill, wanting the other person to eat, made me a little happy.
The man seemed to recognize her voice and looked back and forth between the offered plate and the woman’s face, but she waited with a smile for him to accept. After a few seconds, the man took the plate, brought the meat to his mouth, and exclaimed, “Sooo deeeliciouuuus!?”
With such deliciousness, he displayed a reaction worthy of a gourmet manga. I thought he might start a food review, but instead, he was lost in the moment, his illusions shaking, and he ate slice after slice of the roast beef on the plate. Then, he snapped back to reality and looked around. To the men who seemed to be questioning if it was that delicious, he quietly said, “Yeah, I exaggerated a little. You all shouldn’t worry about it and eat other dishes.”
His words and actions clearly didn’t match. In fact, after saying that, the man asked, “Excuse me, do you have any recommendations? And if possible, could you also tell me about the hints?” He then promptly asked for seconds from the woman who had recommended the dishes. His actions were sufficient to make the other men wonder if the meat was exceptionally tasty.
As one by one, more and more men approached the special beef buffet area, shouts of delight began to erupt. And as the frequency of these shouts increased, their desire for the premium cut, the heart, grew stronger.
What would it taste like? The atmosphere that Tachibana had dampened was, before anyone realized it, gone. A scene was unfolding where men, seeking hints for their own problems, actively engaged women in conversation, leading to lively discussions.
Today’s word:
While issues of like and dislike certainly exist, whether or not to accept them is a matter of personal freedom.
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