Chapter 534: Has Your Sunflower Field Not Been Picked Clean Yet?
Ran sat suspended in a state of agonizing purgatory, torn between absolute dread and sheer culinary anticipation.
There were exactly two reasons for her fleeting happiness. The first was obvious: she was about to indulge in another one of Ren's legendary feasts. The second reason was a matter of survival. The four of them were currently handling the treacherous politics of sitting at a single table.
Reimu had fully intended to slide into the seat directly beside Yukari. However, catching the desperate, almost tearful plea in her shikigami's eyes, the gap yokai intervened.
"Reimu," Yukari drawled, her tone dripping with mock impatience. "Do you not realize we are about to share a pot of peach blossom wine? How do you expect us to pour for one another if we are pressed shoulder-to-shoulder?"
Pondering the logic for a brief second, the shrine maiden shrugged and dropped into the chair beside Yuuka instead.
Ran nearly wept with gratitude. Her master had actually spoken up for her, sparing her from having to sit shoulder-to-shoulder with the terrifying tyrant of the Sunflower Field.
But just as the fox yokai settled into her chair with a relieved sigh, her blood ran cold.
To help an easier drinking experience with Reimu, Yukari had claimed the outer seat. That left the inner seat—the one with the best view of the restaurant's floral arrangements—to Yuuka.
Which meant Ran was seated directly across from her.
As Ran stiffly adjusted her posture, Yuuka slowly lifted her gaze. Those deep, crimson eyes locked onto the fox yokai, utterly devoid of warmth or expression. The sheer weight of that silent stare pinned Ran to her chair, freezing her solid.
To her left, Yukari and Reimu were already chatting away without a care in the world. Ran, however, could not force a single word past her tight throat. She could only sit there like a petrified statue, acutely aware of the apex predator casually resting across the table. If she dared to stand up and move to a solitary table now, she would instantly offend three terrifying powerhouses at once.
"Reimu, I am genuinely curious," Yukari said, resting her chin on her hand. "What exactly was the reasoning behind your order of plain rice and plain water just now?"
"The plain rice is to prove that I am a pure, untainted shrine maiden," Reimu replied earnestly, not missing a beat. "The plain water serves the exact same purpose. Therefore, plain rice plus plain water equals absolute purity."
Yukari let out a long, exasperated sigh. "Are you entirely sure about that?"
"Of course!" Reimu nodded vigorously. "I am absolutely certain! Pure shrine maidens only consume plain rice!"
"You still eat wild vegetables, do you not?" Yukari pointed out dryly.
Reimu paused, blinking a few times before waving a dismissive hand. "Wild vegetables are natural ingredients born from the earth. They nourish the body and possess the noble quality of rising untainted from the mud. It is a poetic match for a pure shrine maiden."
Even Yuuka paused at that, her crimson eyes blinking slowly at the sheer audacity of the excuse.
"Good heavens, you are quick on your feet," a new voice chimed in. Lucifer stifled a yawn as she approached the table, lazily rubbing her aching calves. "But I have to admit, the logic is surprisingly sound. Though it is honestly absurd that a human is running around so casually in your yokai territory."
Yukari merely smiled, her fan snapping open to hide the lower half of her face.
Reimu tilted her head, looking at the fallen angel in surprise. "Huh? You know I'm human? Wait... you know they aren't?"
Lucifer took a seat nearby, nodding tiredly. "Of course I know. I also know that your power is inherited."
Both Yukari and Yuuka shifted their attention to the demon, a flicker of genuine surprise crossing their features.
"Don't look so tense. I have no interest in investigating your little world," Lucifer said, waving a dismissive hand. "It only takes a moment of thought to figure it out. For a pure-blooded human to wield such formidable strength, it has to be the result of a powerful bloodline inheritance or an exceptional master. Raw talent alone cannot bridge that gap so quickly."
Reimu nodded slowly. The analysis was spot-on, leaving Yukari with nothing to add.
"Huh. Who are you, anyway?" Reimu asked, tilting her head.
"Lucifer."
"Lucifer, huh..." Reimu muttered, nodding to herself. "Alright, I understand."
Seeing the shrine maiden's completely flat reaction, Lucifer frowned. 'Has she truly never heard my name? That would be genuinely absurd.'
Deciding not to dwell on it—since different realms had different mythologies—Lucifer voiced a question that had been bothering her. "I've been wondering about this for a while now. In the place where you all live, are there no ordinary humans at all?"
Yukari tapped her fan against her cheek thoughtfully. "Ordinary humans? My, what a question. Reimu, do you recall anyone who fits the description of an 'ordinary' human?"
For once, Reimu actually took a moment to think before shaking her head. "How could there be ordinary humans? The closest things we have to normal people are witches like Marisa. I'm an ordinary human, and the head maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion is an ordinary human too."
Yukari stared at her. "Are you entirely sure that anything you just listed actually counts as human?"
"At the very least, I still possess pure human blood," Reimu defended defensively.
"Aside from your bloodline, what exactly about you is human?!"
Reimu opened her mouth to argue, but a soft, chilling voice cut through the noise.
"Normal humans would never possess your level of destructive strength," Yuuka murmured, her gaze still fixed on a nearby potted plant. "So, in a practical sense, you are not human."
Reimu swallowed her retort. Deep down, she knew that in a certain sense, the terrifying flower yokai was entirely correct. Still, she preferred not to dwell on the existential details of her humanity.
The clinking of porcelain interrupted the debate. Ren stepped out from the kitchen, carrying a freshly prepared tea set on a wooden tray.
Yuuka didn't even turn her head to acknowledge him, her attention seemingly captivated by the vibrant green leaves of the potted plant.
"You still have to wait a bit longer for the food," Ren said calmly as he set the tray down.
"It is fine," Yuuka replied, her voice a flat, quiet murmur.
Ren turned to head back to the kitchen, but suddenly stopped. He pivoted on his heel, stepping closer to the table, and stared down at Yuuka in total silence.
Beneath her calm exterior, Yuuka's heart gave a sudden, uncharacteristic flutter. Her grip on her teacup tightened. 'Is he going to try and trick me again?!'
Reimu looked back and forth between the deadpan chef and the rigid flower yokai. "What's going on?" she whispered loudly. "Is a staring contest a mandatory requirement when dining at this restaurant?"
Ren shook his head, breaking the silence. "No. I just suddenly remembered something I needed to confirm."
Yukari's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Oh my," she purred, leaning forward. "Could it be that our dear owner is preparing to confess his feelings to Yuuka, simply because I made him wait for my own reply? What a fickle man."
Yuuka's breath hitched, her thoughts entirely derailed by the sudden accusation. A faint trace of color threatened to rise to her cheeks.
Ren didn't even blink. "No, no, no. I just wanted to ask a logistical question. You bring a fresh sunflower into the restaurant every single day." He paused, looking genuinely perplexed. "At this rate, aren't you going to pick your entire Sunflower Field completely bare?"
The romantic tension shattered like cheap glass. Yuuka felt a sudden, intense surge of annoyance at the sheer anti-climax of the question, but she forced herself to give a stiff, singular nod.
Yukari stared at Ren for a split second before her elegant facade crumbled.
"Hahahaha!" Yukari burst into a fit of unladylike laughter, clutching her stomach. "Mister Owner! You never fail to disappoint! I must admit, I was incredibly curious about that exact same thing!"
[Akarin's Note: Marisa Kirisame is an ordinary human magician and Reimu's best friend/rival. Sakuya Izayoi is the head maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, a human who can manipulate time and throw countless knives. Both are technically "human," but their absurd power levels make them anything but "ordinary" to the rest of the world!]
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