"Wow, there are so many people," Murata Himeko exclaimed as she looked at the bustling crowd in front of her.
The festival had everything—vendors hawking their goods, game stalls for entertainment, and a lively atmosphere filled with joy.
"Come on, Akio, let's check that out!" Murata Himeko grabbed Akio's hand and pulled him toward a stall.
"It's the Tori-no-Ichi market!" Murata Himeko said excitedly. "In my world, there's a tradition like this in an island country. I've always wanted to see it, but I never got the chance."
"At the Tori-no-Ichi market, people buy these ornate rakes called kumade to pray for blessings from the gods, wishing for peace, happiness, and prosperity throughout the year," Murata Himeko explained, picking up a kumade from the stall and showing it to Akio.
"Hmm..." Akio rubbed his chin as he looked at the rake-like kumade. So, this thing is called a kumade?
It's interesting that something shaped like a broom is considered a lucky charm.
"It seems this young lady knows her stuff," the stall owner clapped and praised. "Would you like to buy a kumade?"
"Our kumade are made from the finest materials. Buying one will truly bring you good luck," the vendor boasted. "Now that the Great Divine Sovereign has ascended, purchasing our kumade will surely bring you his blessings—peace, happiness, and prosperity throughout the year."
"Haha..." Murata Himeko chuckled softly, glancing at Akio, who was standing beside her wearing a white fox mask. The Great Divine Sovereign was right next to her. She didn't need a kumade to pray for blessings.
"Since you're making such a big claim, we'll take two," Murata Himeko said.
"Is this your first time buying? Then I suggest you start with a smaller one," the vendor, who seemed quite honest, explained. "Our tradition is to buy a small one the first year, a slightly larger one the next year, and an even bigger one the year after."
"I see," Murata Himeko nodded, picking out two kumade and pulling out a bag of Mora from her pocket.
Murata Himeko was a restless soul. She was currently serving as a military advisor for the Tenryou Commission, teaching tactics whenever she had the chance. Naturally, her salary was quite high.
"Here, my dear, take this," Murata Himeko said with a smile, handing one of the kumade to Akio. "May my beloved be blessed by the Great Divine Sovereign this year, with peace, happiness, and prosperity!"
Since Akio was hiding his identity, she naturally didn't call him by his name, opting for a more affectionate term instead.
"Hahaha, I'll accept your blessing," Akio laughed. Himeko, you're really something, asking me to bless myself?
"Then may my dear Himeko also be blessed by the Great Divine Sovereign, with all her wishes coming true and everything going smoothly," Akio said with a grin.
"Hmph," Murata Himeko put her hands on her hips and nodded in satisfaction. "Looks like this year will really be a year of wishes coming true!"
Murata Himeko was thrilled. Getting a blessing directly from a deity was far more effective than any lucky charm.
"You two are so loving," the stall owner said with a smile.
"Of course," Murata Himeko nodded with a smile, linking arms with Akio as they walked away.
The two strolled through the festival, and before long, Murata Himeko's hands were filled with various snacks.
"Open up, my dear. Try this sunset taiyaki," Murata Himeko said, taking a bite of the taiyaki in her hand. Her expression froze for a moment, then she smirked and held it out to Akio's mouth.
Akio, without suspicion, took a bite. Murata Himeko had bought a lot of delicious snacks, tasting a bit of each under the guise of sampling, while the rest ended up in Akio's stomach.
"..." As soon as the sunset taiyaki entered his mouth, Akio's lips twitched slightly. His face stiffened as an overwhelmingly sweet flavor exploded in his mouth. The sweetness was so intense that Akio felt if he weren't a deity, he might have developed diabetes on the spot—insulin wouldn't have been able to save him.
"Hmm..." After a moment of silence, Akio calmly snatched the pearl milk tea from Murata Himeko's hand and took a big gulp.
"Hey, hey, hey... leave some for me!" Murata Himeko panicked. Her mouth was also overwhelmed by the sweetness! Now, the milk tea was the only thing that could cut through it.
"Phew," Akio sighed in relief after drinking most of the tea and handed the cup back to Murata Himeko.
"..." Murata Himeko quickly sipped the milk tea, trying to alleviate the unbearable sweetness in her mouth.
"This flavor... I doubt this vendor's business is doing well," Akio said helplessly. "This level of sweetness would even make Ei hate it."
"It's just too sweet! I'm sorry, but I can't handle this level of sweetness," Murata Himeko said after finishing the milk tea, finally feeling like she had come back to life.
"This vendor is something else," Akio said with a wry smile. Just a little more, and that taiyaki vendor would have managed to defeat a deity—at least in terms of taste.
"Ugh... I think I'll have a psychological aversion to this dessert now," Murata Himeko sighed. She loved sweets, but this taiyaki was just too terrifying.
Something so sweet that it made her nauseous—she never wanted to taste it again.
"This vendor's skills are lacking," Akio said. "I'll take you to Uyuu Restaurant sometime. Their taiyaki is the real deal."
Akio had eaten Uyuu Restaurant's taiyaki many times at Tenshukaku. Since Ei loved sweet treats, she often had the Okuzumeshuu buy various desserts, and Uyuu Restaurant's taiyaki was truly delicious.
"Hey, there's a stall selling pudding over there," Murata Himeko said, spotting a shop not far away and pulling Akio toward it.
Exploring the festival, with so many unique delicacies from different countries, was all about tasting the various foods. Otherwise, what was the point?
Back when Murata Himeko used to go shopping with Kiana and Mei, with Kiana being such a foodie, their outings were basically all about eating or heading to the next place to eat.
"Rice pudding?" Murata Himeko looked curiously at the stall's sign. How could rice and pudding be combined?
"Would you like to try it, miss? This is a recipe I learned in Liyue. Many customers were skeptical at first, but after tasting it, they all gave it high praise," the vendor said enthusiastically.
"Then let's try a portion," Murata Himeko said. Then she added, "Oh, and go easy on the sugar."
"Don't worry, our recipe is perfectly balanced. It won't be overly sweet, but it won't be bland either," the vendor assured her as he started preparing the rice pudding, explaining its origins.
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