The Healer in a Japanese-Style Game World: Mastering Healing to Save My Favorite Character in a Brutal World, Only to Find Everyone Around Me Becoming Obsessed - Chapter 34: Hinomiko-tei

Chapter 34: Hinomiko-tei

As the sun set in the western sky, night began to fall. 

The moon, just past its first quarter, illuminated the castle town filled with numerous laughing voices.

Workers who had finished their jobs, the guards of Shinano, and many other adults were noisily celebrating in the main street of the castle town—perhaps to wrap up the day or to celebrate the upcoming festival.

“…This is the main street. It’s my first time here.”

“Well, Oboro-sama, you usually stay indoors.”

“I don’t come here much either. Hey, Yomi, isn’t the restaurant around here?”

“It’s quite a big and distinctive place, so even at night… ah, there it is.”

Among the bustling crowd, the restaurant stood out. 

I had only seen it in the morning, so I thought I might get lost, but it was one of the largest buildings among the rows of shops, with a large sign that read “Hinomiko-tei,” making it easy to find.

“Master, Master, it’s so lively and smells really good! Let’s go in quickly!”

Makami, who was most interested in food, was drawn by the delicious aroma and her eyes sparkled with excitement. I had skipped lunch today, so I was hungry too. Without further delay, we all stepped into Hinomiko-tei.

“Ah, Yomi-san! Makami-chan too! —Four customers, right? Please follow me!”

As soon as we stepped inside, we made eye contact with Sanae-san, who was carrying some dishes. She told us to wait a moment, and soon we were guided to a quiet table at the back.

I sat down first, and Makami immediately took the seat next to me. Kagura sat across from me, with Oboro-sama sitting beside her, glancing around.

After we were seated, we were given two menus and some cold water. We began to look at the menu.

Though the options were simple, everything looked reliably delicious, and being hungry made it even harder to decide.

“Hey, hey, Master, let Makami see too!”

While I was battling with the menu, Makami tugged at my hand and peeked at the menu with me.

Thinking it couldn’t be helped, I decided to let her look too. She quickly pointed at something.

“Master, there’s boar meat. Is this okay?”

“Wild boar, huh? Well, you can eat whatever you want today, so feel free to have lots.”

“Then, Master, can I also have unlimited yakitori?”

“Yeah, we should thank Ryusui-sama for that.”

“Ryusui, you’ve earned my respect.”

I wondered if there was something behind that muttered comment, but decided to ignore it for now and asked Kagura and the others what they wanted to eat.

“I would like kitsune udon, inari sushi, and mochi kinchaku.”

“…Isn’t that too much? Oh, I’ll have tempura soba with duck and wild vegetables.”

“So, you two are having noodle dishes. Now, what should I get… this is tough.”

Hearing what the three of them ordered made it even harder for me to choose from the thirty items on the menu. The illustrated menu made everything look delicious, which made it even more difficult.

Usually, we would consider the budget before ordering, but since we had the freedom to choose this time, it was a challenging decision for someone like me, who was used to being frugal.

“Yomi-san, are you having trouble deciding?”

“Yeah… I really can’t decide. Do you have any recommendations?”

“Well, as I mentioned before, the wild vegetable tempura is delicious, and the miso dishes here are the best in the area. Also…”

Sanae-san leaned in close to whisper so that only I could hear.

“Today, we have a special dish, hempongan. Would you like to try it?”

I wondered what it could be, but something about it triggered a memory. 

It was a medicinal dish I had been given around the age of ten—simply put, miso-marinated beef. I had only eaten it once, but I remembered it being incredibly delicious.

“Really, you have that? Then I’ll order it… and can I get one for Makami too?”

“Of course—two portions of hempongan. And what about the rest of you?”

With that, Kagura and the others placed their orders, and we spent a little time chatting and watching our surroundings while waiting for the food. 

Soon, the soba and udon arrived, along with the perfectly grilled boar meat and rice… and the special dish, hanpon-gun, was placed on the table.

“Is that everything? I also have a message from Kuzuryu-sama: eat as much as you want today!”

And so, our meal began. While eating, I couldn’t help but notice Kagura’s graceful manners. When I looked at Makami, she seemed wary of the brown-wrapped meat at first, but as soon as she tasted it, her tail wagged and her eyes sparkled as she looked at me.

Seeing Makami’s reaction raised my expectations, so I took a bite as well, and the words slipped out naturally.

“Delicious—no, seriously, this is amazing.”

“Right? The miso dishes here are truly outstanding. Don’t underestimate the best in Shinano. Jokes aside, I’m glad you’re enjoying it, Yomi-san.”

As I savored the rare dish, I couldn’t help but let out such a comment. 

At that moment, Sanae-san came over, brought a chair, and naturally joined our conversation.

“Yes, the food is delicious, the place is lively… and it’s nice to see everyone smiling.”

“I haven’t known you for long, but I feel like I’m starting to understand you, Yomi-san.”

“…What’s that about, Sanae-san? Did I say something strange?”

“Fufufu, nothing at all.”

Though her smile didn’t fully reassure me, I sensed she didn’t mean anything bad, so I didn’t press further… It certainly wasn’t because Kagura’s eyes were piercing, or because Makami’s claws were digging into me.

As we continued our meal, and just as everyone was nearly finished, the door suddenly burst open. Several men dressed like castle soldiers stormed into the restaurant.

“We received a report that the princess is in this restaurant!”

Their faces were stern, and their voices were harsh. 

The cheerful atmosphere of the meal changed instantly as the soldiers began searching the restaurant.

The customers, too frightened to speak, watched in silence. I noticed Sanae-san, looking unusually pale, hiding behind me. 

She was gripping my clothes tightly, and I could feel her trembling.

“…There you are, Princess Sanae! We finally found you. Please return for the sake of the festival!”

As soon as the soldiers saw Sanae-san hiding behind me, they knelt down and called out to her, with me caught in between.

“I… I will not return.”

“Why not? Without you, the festival cannot proceed—Nagisa-sama has ordered your return.”

“No, I refuse—because I have my reasons.”

“Is there something more important than the festival?”

Sanae-san shifted her gaze from side to side before looking at me. I was utterly confused, but as I was about to step in to stop the soldiers, she said something unbelievable.

“Because I made a promise to marry this man—Yomi-san!”

“Eh, Yomi-sama?”

“Master?”

“—Ha?”

…What? I didn’t know anything about this!

The sudden bombshell plunged the room into chaos. The soldiers glared at me with hostility, and even Kagura unleashed her divine power, all directed at me.