Rice ball. Steaming hot grilled salmon rice ball.
Sure, grilling and flaking the salmon yourself is nice, but in this modern age, the existence of salmon flakes must not be overlooked.
Stuff them easily and as generously as you please into a mound of rice, shape it neatly into a triangle with a squeeze—perfection.
Whether or not you use seaweed is optional. Just the salmon alone guarantees happiness.
Yes, Inari believed in the power of nori. But she had equal faith in the power of salmon.
“Fufufu... Just look at these salmon rice balls, all lined up. Ahhh, they look divine... No, no, bad! I mustn’t! It would be most improper to eat here in the kitchen. They must be carried properly to the dining table...!”
Snapping her blissful expression into a sharp resolve, Inari carried the plate of salmon rice ball over to the dining table.
The hot tea was already prepared. All that was left was to eat.
The piping hot rice ball filled the air with a fluffy aroma that practically declared their deliciousness in advance.
“Truly, what a sinful age we live in. To think such a marvel as salmon flakes are sold! Pickled plums are fine and all, but the harmony between salmon and white rice is perfection. And to think I can now enjoy it steaming hot! Oh, this is bliss! Itadaki—”
Just as she was about to take a bite—
Ding-dong!
“KIEEEEE!”
The all-too-loud doorbell rang, and Inari jumped up from her chair still clutching the rice ball.
“T-the intercom...! As always, that thing is far too loud, is it not...?”
With a look of great longing, she gently placed the rice ball back on its plate and walked over to the video intercom screen.
There, displayed on the screen, was none other than Yasuno.
“Hmm? Yasuno? Now what could she want?”
Fumbling with the controls, she pressed the call button.
“Ooh, Yasuno. Good day to thee.”
“Ah, hello, Miss Kogami! Actually, I came by because there’s something I really need to talk to you about—”
“Couldst thou return at a later time?”
“Eh?”
“I am currently... rather busy.”
“Ehh!? B-but! I promise it won’t take long! It’s urgent!”
Urgent, she said. With that word, Inari couldn’t just turn her away.
She cast one more wistful glance at her salmon rice ball, sighed softly, and ran to open the front door.
“Hello! May I come in?”
“Aye, I suppose so.”
In the living room, Yasuno spotted the salmon rice ball and tea on the table and made a face that all but said “Oops... did I mess up?”
“I’m terribly sorry to interrupt your meal... but this really is urgent.”
“Worry not. Now then, what bringeth thee here?”
“Ah, it’s fine if you want to eat while we talk—”
“That wouldst be most uncouth, would it not? Speak plainly, I say.”
Inari pushed her food aside, and Yasuno gave a respectful nod before taking documents out from her bag.
“This is about the helmet and sword you listed on the auction the other day. They’ve fetched the highest price in auction history. Congratulations.”
“Oh, mm. My thanks.”
“That’s... a bit of a lukewarm reaction. It’s actually a huge deal, you know...”
“Even if thou say so.”
“They sold for a total of 432 million. It’s unheard of. I think the set bonus was the key factor. And... because of how high the price went, the winning bidder requested to handle it in person. That person is... the master of the Genesis Clan.”
Genesis Clan—one of Japan’s top ten guilds. Its master, Takenaka Youichi, was a distinguished long-range dealer. In other words, someone who had no use for either the sword or helmet.
So then why had Takenaka gone out of his way to win the Orc General gear at the auction?
“The answer lies in this video that was just released.”
The Awakener-exclusive video-sharing platform WeTube, linked directly from the Awakener Portal Site. The channel Genesis Channel was among them.
Yasuno pressed play on his Awakener Phone and held it out to Inari.
“And so, we of Genesis have secured this sword and helmet! Of course, we intend to loan them to someone who can use them properly. But this is also a statement: whoever dropped these items must be an incredibly promising Awakener.”
“Hooh...?”
“Was it a Sword Saint? The Black Witch? Or some new, unknown organization? Whoever it may be, we of Genesis welcome you. Just like we secured these items, we are confident we can offer the best terms. Contact us at—”
“That’s the gist of it,” Yasuno said, as the video ended.
“Hmm...”
Inari stared seriously at the screen, then pointed at the “related videos” list.
“There seemeth to be many videos titled things like ‘The Truth About Tokyo Dungeon #4’...”
“Ah, you can ignore those.”
“Hm?”
“Well, they’re... you know, those kinds of videos. You don’t need to worry about them. The real issue is—well, this.”
Yes—the real problem was that a top-tier clan like Genesis had now openly broadcast this message.
“There’s already widespread effort to identify you, Miss Kogami. The shady groups we mentioned before are likely to ramp up activity. That’s what I came to consult you about.”