Word of Mouth Really is Amazing!
With the cover safely decided, the guidebook project was off to a great start.
We’d save Elmirah’s Ancient Dungeon for the grand finale, but first we’d finish the sections on lodgings, food, and Rivana’s map.
We planned to sprinkle in pictures of the water cats here and there, which would surely give viewers a warm, fuzzy feeling.
“Hmm, this building looks very much like Rivana.”
“Haha, Aqua, you’ve completely taken on the role of photographer now.”
“And Pin, up on your head, has really settled in.”
Aqua had a magic camera hanging from her neck so she wouldn’t miss a shot.
On her head sat Pin, looking completely at home.
She seemed to have grown fond of the water cats too. Even though we were just making a guidebook, somehow our bonds were deepening.
At that moment, I felt a strange sensation—
As if fragments of my memory were slotting back into place.
… Ah, I see. I must have enjoyed myself like this in the past.
Maybe if I just kept traveling, my memories would come back naturally.
While I was thinking that, I noticed Milfie suddenly stiffen as well.
“What’s wrong?”
“I… just got this strange feeling. Like I’ve seen this before.”
… That surprised me. She felt the same thing?
Up until now, we’d been desperate—feeling like we had to force ourselves to remember.
But maybe that wasn’t the right way.
Maybe it was enough to just have fun on the journey.
From now on, maybe we should stop overthinking it.
“Ah, Aqua’s going on ahead! We have to hurry! Come on, Tabito!”
“O-Oh.”
Milfie grabbed my arm tightly.
Her softness pressed against my elbow, forcing me into full concentration.
… Yeah, no. I definitely have to remember. Living without my “Tabito Harem Era” memories is just too painful.
“Hey Tabito, what do you think of the shops around here?”
“Hang on. I’ll check.”
There’s one thing essential for guidebook-making—
Something loved in every world, in every country.
—Food.
Rivana is famous for seafood.
We’d already planned to feature the buffet restaurant we visited upon arriving here, but I wanted to showcase more.
Milfie would be writing the article, and she seemed ready, judging by the loud growling of her stomach. Fast work.
My job was to find good restaurants.
Sweets would go in the dessert section later, so first up was savory dining.
Rivana’s narrow streets made finding shops a bit of a challenge.
Which was exactly where my skill would shine.
“What about that place? It’s in a good spot, and the staff look lively.”
Aqua pointed at a shop with a wide entrance and a staff member built like a tank.
They had loud voices, too—probably good service.
Nice, this looked promising.
—
[Fish Festival Tavern Gorigori-tei]
2.7★★★☆☆ (1,147)
Tourist from the Royal Capital
★★☆☆☆
The flavor’s not bad, but they make the plates heavy for muscle training.
Hard to eat.
Rivana local
★★☆☆☆
The taste is addictive, but both the plates and dishes are heavy, so I can only eat here once a month.
The fish is high quality and rich in protein.
Muscle Rivana
★★★★★
Flavor’s great, and the heavy plates are awesome, muscle!
Even the cups are heavy, so you can train while eating, muscle!
—
“Hey, you guys! How about our Muscle Fish Set Meal? Delicious!”
“We’ve even got Muscle Statues inside! Rivana Muscle!”
“““Rivana Muscle!”””
A group of men with hot-blooded physiques gave us an enthusiastic welcome.
Aqua and Milfie were about to get sucked in, but I casually grabbed their hands and pulled them back.
Not that I had anything against the place—it’s just, for our first spot, I wanted something else.
“Aww, let’s all do Rivana Muscle together~”
“My arms would give out, so no.”
“I wanted to photograph the Muscle Statues.”
Well… the statues are kind of intriguing. Maybe?
Milfie’s strong, so she’d probably handle the plates easily, but my arms would snap.
Ignoring Aqua’s disappointed look, I went back to browsing reviews.
Unlike the Royal Capital, Rivana had lots of small shops.
This was where reviews truly shined.
I wanted to pick out a hidden gem—a place only the locals knew about.
And then I found one that caught my attention.
—
[Moonlit Water Hermitage]
5.0★★★★★ (10)
Wandering Knight
★★★★★
Seafood soup… I can’t believe it was simmered for three whole days.
The flavor was so gentle it brought me to tears.
Songstress of the Night Boat
★★★★★
To eat is to live.
Such a wonderful thing, indeed.
It was truly delicious.
Wandering Gourmet
★★★★★
No seafood restaurant surpasses this one.
The cooking is so careful, bringing out the true flavor of the ingredients.
That’s why it’s a shame—it deserves more recognition.
—
Overwhelming praise, but very few reviews.
I told the two about it, then used the guide map to navigate the narrow streets.
It was confusing, with stairs that went up and down.
Eventually, we reached a dead end. But just before that—there it was.
The sign read: [Moonlit Water Hermitage]. This was it.
“Excuse me.”
I slid open a rickety old door, revealing a scene like an old-fashioned set meal shop.
Four tables, no counter.
If there’d been a TV in the corner, it would have been perfect.
“Excuse me, there are three of us—can we come in?”
The atmosphere was incredibly calming.
I imagined some elderly master of the craft must run the place—
But then I was surprised.
“Welcome. It must have been hard to find your way here. Thank you for coming all this way. Please, sit wherever you like. I have cold water and hot tea—what would you prefer?”
The one who appeared was an elegant woman in an apron.
In this other world, her silky black hair—straight and long to her waist—was rare.
Her voice was gentle, yet her facial features were strikingly beautiful.
If I had to put it into words—yes, a classic Japanese beauty.
“I’ll have cold water, please.”
“… Why do you sound smoother than usual, Tabito?”
Milfie’s jab was sharp as ever.
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