Mitsuba/Stories

General Stories Misc

Quotes

On Sortied

I'll bring you the flavors of Hinomoto!

On Entering a Room

Come get your fill of my secret techniques!

When Quest Begins

Off to chef training!

Is everything ready?

Response to Beginning of a Quest

Let's get a move on already!

I'm all prepped and ready to go!

When Controlling Character in Quest

Time to slice and dice!

When Receiving a Heal

Oh, oh gosh. Thank you!

Thank you for your kind generosity!

When Entering a Boss' Room

Time to show off my excellent knifework!

We won't lose this battle!

Response to Entering a Boss' Room

Slice 'em, dice 'em, and drop 'em in the fryer!

I swear on my knife that we'll win!

Upon Getting to Low Health

I'll shame chefs everywhere if I fail now...

Th-this? Just a scratch!

Upon Opening a Chest

Any good ingredients in there?

I'll take that! Yoink!

Boss on Low Health

Don't let up until it's over!

Just a few finishing touches to go. Keep it up!

Boss Enters Break State

Time to cook this chump!

I'll roast you good!

Rare Enemy Spawns

Ooo, that one looks extra tasty!

I wonder if that's a delicacy?

Upon Death

I'm sorry, Dad...

I can't face my family like this...

Upon Revival

My heart and my oath remain unbroken.

When Using Weapon/Shared Skills

Damage: I'll slice you like sashimi!

Buff Self: Time to show off my skills!

Buff Ally: My gift to you!

Debuff Enemy: Let's season this meal.

Heal Ally: Eat up.

Heal Self: Heh, a chef needs her strength!

Player Uses Damaging Skill

Ooh! You've got skills!

I didn't know you could do THAT!

When Shape Shifting is Ready

One fresh dragon, comin' up!

The dragon's power is on the boil!

Shape Shifting into Dragon

A pinch of human, a touch of dragon and voilà!

Idle During Quest

You want a rice ball? I've got plenty!

I should've brought a lunch.

Quest Clear

Order up, chum!

Quest Failure

I'll have to start over from scratch.

Home Screen Walking

Morning market time!

Time to prep for dinner.

All ready for tomorrow!

Hmm... What should I make for breakfast?

Sushi for lunch, maybe?

A proper dinner has many courses.

Home Screen Inside

The essence of Hinomoto cooking is bringing fresh, seasonal ingredients to all of our dishes.

I can boil anything into a tasty broth. ANYTHING.

The castle kitchen is so full of life—even the ingredients seem to be staring at me!

I am terrible at customer service. ...TERRIBLE. I'm always yelling at customers for stuff.

My siblings are all doing well—and I respect them—but they're also a bunch of weirdos.

Alberian sweets are SO good... This has to be illegal!

Home Screen Portrait

I trained as a waitress, but Mom said I was too strong-willed for that line of work.

The leaders of the Twelve Wyrmclans stop by our place all the time!

Dad's chef training was so strict, I didn't touch a knife for years.

If you come to the morning market with me I'll make breakfast!

My parents are so nosy! They keep asking me to introduce you all to them.

Collection Portrait

I can't help correcting chefs when it comes to flavor, and customers, too.

I'm the second generation owner of our family's restaurant. We may not have a long history yet, but our food speaks for itself.

Are there any secret Alberian ingredients I should know about?

To succeed my dad properly I'll have to combine his flavors with my own.

"Hospitality" is related to "hospital", right? Like, caring for people.

At The Halidom

I've got a PERFECT brine for my latest batch of pickles.

I need to send a letter to my family.

Whatcha want for dinner?

When upgraded to next MC (mana circle)

Woo hoo hoo! I'm gettin' even stronger!

When fully upgraded (50 MC)

I'm a step closer to Dad's flavors! But I still have a long way to go.

Adventurer Story Episodes

Episode 1

Seven Leaves

GEEEEET OUT! ...... Whoa! I just thought we'd drop by this restaurant for a bite to eat before we head out, but wow, that was some shout... For real. I heard this bistro was pretty popular, but I didn't think they were at the "screamin' at people to leave" level. Hold up, look—somebody just came out! *sigh* What's a girl to do? Mitsuba? Is that you? Huh? Oh, hey, guys! I haven't seen you since the Orichalcum Chef kerfuffle. Yeah, I still owe you big-time for that. Nice to run into you again, though! The feeling is mutual. I would've thought you'd returned home to your family's restaurant by now. Not yet. I can't return to Nanakusa until I've honed flavors that stack up to my late father's. When we lost him, the restaurant's reputation started going down the drain. It falls to me to set things right. I remember you saying as much. That's quite the legacy to live up to. Oh! Sorry to change the subject, but is everything okay? We heard shouting. Yeeeah, about that... I miiight have overstepped just a smidge. And now, my trainees, I shall instruct you in the fine art of soup-making! First, we will peel these shrimp... Excuse me, chef! Shrimp tend to shrink and get tough when you boil them. We could reduce that if we left them unpeeled. Y'know, I think she's onto something. My shrimp ARE getting a tad too chewy. A-ahem! Curb your whispering, please! Next, we'll prepare the onions. If you cut one along the fibers, the onion will remain whole as it boils, making the broth— Um, chef! It's a soup, so I'm not sure we need to be worried about it falling apart. If we cut ACROSS the fibers instead, it'll mellow out the pungent onion flavor. Grrrgh... I do believe I'M the one leading the lesson right now! Now, let's discuss how to prepare a quality soup stock. Using a beef bone as our base, we'll— That's a big no-go, chef! The bone will overpower the other flavors of our carefully chosen ingredients. I'd advise boiling the shellfish in a vegetable broth. Hey! What do you think you're— ...Aaand done! A delicious shrimp soup that pays respect to each and every farm-fresh ingredient! Holy minestrone! It's like the chef's soup, only the flavors are ratcheted up to eleven! How did she do that using literally the same ingredients? The ingredients might be the same, but flavor starts at the base, working its way upward to mouthfeel and presentation. The true essence of cooking is matching seasonings with ingredients to draw out hidden flavors in every single dish! Whoooa! You're amazing, Mitsuba! MITSUBA! I want you out of my restaurant, now! GEEEEET OUT! So the yell was you getting fired. Yeah. I kinda brought it upon myself, though. Shouldn't have showed up the head chef like that. Honestly, though? I think staying quiet would've been even worse. It would've been a disgrace to both the ingredients AND the people eating them! You sure never compromise when it comes to cooking, Mitsuba. But what are you going to do now? Honestly? I'm at a loss. It was a live-in job situation, so I'm kinda out on the street. I see. Well, how about you come to the Halidom? I can offer you room and board, at the very least. Really?! You are a LIFESAVER! But, er, are you sure it's all right? Perfectly fine with me. Mind you, we do seem to find ourselves embroiled in one conflict after another these days, but as long as that's okay with you... Pfft, I can handle a scrap or three. Heck, I'll take on all comers if it means I'll be able to continue my culinary training! Now there's the Mitsuba I know. C'mon, then—we'll show you to the castle. Hold up, folks, rewind a sec! Happy reunion and all, but I think you're forgettin' that Papa Bear is HUNGRY! Oh, yeah, that's actually the whole reason why we were in the area. Care to join us, Mitsuba? I'd love to! All right! Where to, then? Oh! I know! I heard they recently opened a Hinomoto-style joint around here! Ooh, just like we serve at Nanakusa! Wild that there's a place in Alberia that does Hinomotoan cuisine. I wonder what they've got on the menu. Sounds like Mitsuba's on board, so let's head on over!

---

"Seven Leaves: Creative Hinomotoan Cuisine." I think this is the place! Yup. Place's got a sterling rep. It checks all the boxes: quick, cheap, and delicious. No way! This restaurant, it's— Why, do my eyes deceive me? If it isn't my sister, Mitsuba. *gasp* Nazuna?! Er, care to introduce us, Mitsuba? This is Nazuna, fourth of the Nanakusa children...and my younger sister. Little sister, huh? She looks pretty darn flashy for the daughter of a traditional Hinomotoan joint. Why is your restaurant HERE, Nazuna? Why indeed? I guess you could say I'm doing preliminary work for my worldwide expansion. You know, so I can crush Nanakusa. Say WHAT?!

Episode 2

Culinary Conquest

Crush Nanakusa? But that's your family restaurant! ...Hey, who are these guys you're with? One of them your boyfriend? I don't even HAVE a boyfriend! They're just some friends who've been helping me out! Huh. Well, whatever. Anyway, my culinary conquest has already begun. Don't be too surprised when I take the world by storm, 'kay? Ergh. Sorry you had to see that. Oh, don't mind us. What I'd like to know is why Nazuna would want to take down the restaurant she was basically raised in. I have no idea. We trained there side-by-side back in the day. After my father passed, she left home and opened the first Seven Leaves location. It specialized in fast, inexpensive food that refused to compromise on quality— a far cry from Nanakusa's M.O. She even went so far as to make the place's catchphrase "The true successor to Nanakusa." Heh. So the little mogul-to-be ducked out and opened up her own joint, eh? Yeah, and ended up poaching a big portion of Nanakusa's clientele in the process. That's partially why we've been in a slump. Aha. I think I'm startin' ta get the picture. Mhm. Although the whole family really just wanted her to come back to us. Nazuna... What are you planning, sis? A few days later...
At Valerio's restaurant, Primula Julian
Aaagh, sweet cordon bleu! Help me! HELP ME, RIVALS! Classy Restauranteur/Cheating Dastard
Picaro
Picaro, huh? You have five seconds. ...Aaand time's up. Get home safe. Bye. So cold—like dry ice! My heart, she aches! And I will not be going anywhere, good sir! I have come with a job! I wish for you to make me some food—for L'Amandier! Yeah, because as a PROFESSIONAL CHEF, food must be reeeal hard to come by. Just listen! My beloved L'Amandier is on the cusp of being stolen from me! Usurped! Absconded! And the culprit is that Seven Leaves SLOP HOUSE! Wait, did you just say Seven Leaves? Tch... They're finally taking over here too, huh? What do you mean, Valerio? That chain bought up every restaurant in my hometown and turned them into Seven Leaves franchised locations. The owner's a pretty shrewd businessperson. ...I'm sorry. That's my sister. What?! That Nazuna girl who came to my restaurant is your SISTER?! All the more reason for you to do something about this! Cook! For! Me! Seriously, man, you're a chef. Shouldn't you do that yourself? I made an agreement with Nazuna! It matters not how much you offer me— this restaurant, much like my dignity, is NOT FOR SALE! Listen, your employees have already jumped ship. They're working for me now. You're struggling in vain here. This establishment is my home, passed down from father to son, just as I shall one day pass it to mine! It is my dream. I will NEVER give it up! Hmm... How about a little test, then? We'll see if that passion is enough to keep your shop afloat. Pardon? I do not follow. If you can make creative cuisine better than one of my own chefs, I'll give up on claiming your establishment. It'll be an honest cook-off. Sound good? So you agreed to a cooking battle with your very restaurant as the prize. I am quite aware my own cuisine will fall flat, but I had no choice but to accept the challenge! I cannot lose my bistro! I admit, I understand how you feel. And it's not like this doesn't concern me... Fine. I'll help you out. W-will you? Truly?! Valerio, you'll pitch in too, right? Need I remind you who helped YOU out when you were getting ready to open this place? *cough* Mitsuba! *cough* Tch... Fine, I guess I should. OHO HO! Victory is as good as mine! The battle is in three days' time. If we lose, Picaro must immediately surrender L'Amandier. Three days, huh? Not a lot of time. Let's get brainstorming on a menu, then. I have just the idea! We'll start with— Go make yourself useful by getting the place prepped and cleaned. And don't even THINK about butting in. Rrrrrrrgh! Why, you— (You can't just rob someone of their dream like that, Nazuna...) (As your sister, it falls to me to stop you...and stop you I shall!)

Episode 3

Creative Cuisine

The day of the cook-off...
How do you do? I am Gilbert, the chef who will be representing Seven Leaves. I thank you for having me here today. I cannot tell you how proud I am to be taking over such a splendid establishment. Gracious, forgive me! I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, aren't I? Ha ha ha! Urk! Why, you...! Keep your head on, Picaro. Settle it at the stovetop. We've spent three whole days preparing these new recipes—now it's time to wield them as weapons of culinary might!

---

I will now explain the rules for this cooking contest. Our theme will be "creative cuisine." In the interest of fairness, we've selected judges from a pool of local citizens. The rules are simple: whosoever impresses the most judges with their dishes wins! Chefs, to your stations! Let the culinary battle...BEGIN! Do it just like we practiced, you two. Let's get this food made. Heck yeah. I'll prep the vegetables. Picaro, you're on spice duty. You good with that? But of course! I must participate to legitimize my reclamation of L'Amandier!

---

(Picaro aside, there certainly seems to be a fire inside those other two chefs.) (Ah, but creative cuisine is the forte of Chef Nazuna, and I, her dedicated pupil, simply cannot lose!) Et voilà! Now to plate and serve! Ta for now, everyone. The judges are about to embark on a culinary journey, with me as their humble guide. H-how is he already done? Speed IS one of the pillars upon which Seven Leaves bases its reputation. Picaro, how are things on your end? S-seasoning will be finished momentarily! These are the spices you're using, right? ...*hurk* Sweet Amaterasu, are you TRYING to murder our taste buds, Picaro?! What do you mean? I'm sure I added the proper amount of salt, so— *gag* SWEET! TOO SWEET! Literally ALL you had to do was mix up the spice blend! How did you manage to hit the complete opposite end of the flavor spectrum?! ...Because I am a misunderstood genius? Tell me you're joking. Because a recipe is useless in my hands! It matters not how closely I follow directions—my food always ends up tasting foul! Are you kidding me right now? We practiced for three days straight, and THIS is what it comes to? Well, now what? Hrm... There's no time to remake it. We need to leverage this flavor as-is. R-right! Think! Think of a way to make something delicious using my too-sweet meat! Now go forth, my disciples! COOK! *sigh* You're something else, man. But yeah, if we need to use sweet meat, then...

---

Your dinner is served, dear guests. This is a Seven Leaves specialty: Hinomoto-style Roast Beef. Oooh, roast beef? Doesn't look all that creative at first blink, but let's give 'er a taste. It's delicious! What IS this? A pleasant crunch, mixed with a slightly bittersweet flavor, yet so refreshing on the palate! It is grated daikon radish, flavored with watercress and a balsamic vinegar. Ah, but that is not all. The meat was marinated in a kombu dashi broth for a rich, distinctly Hinomotoan flavor. Mm. A fusion of Hinomotoan and Alberian flavors... Just the sort of creative triumph I'd expect from Seven Leaves! You honor me. It's almost a shame that the winner of this contest is already clear when poor Picaro is still cooking. As if I would allow such a thing! Feast your eyes and mouths upon THIS! Th-that food, it's...! Heh heh! Yup. A Hinomoto classic. Behold, Salty-Sweet Braised Pork Belly— known in the common parlance as kakuni! Oho, but did your menu not originally call for your meat to be sautéed? Could it be that in an attempt to gloss over a blunder, you hastily reworked your dish? That's for us to know and you to...not. As for whether we're trying to "gloss over" something, we'll let the judges decide.

---

Now then, esteemed judges! Please enjoy! Hmm. So this is based upon a Hinomotoan dish? Let's just have a bite... (Heh. Pointless. A long simmer over low heat is essential for kakuni. Their last-minute change of plans means that the flavor won't have penetrated the meat.) This... THIS IS DELICIOUS! What?! This is truly, marvelously delicious! The pork simply melts in the mouth! Mm! I'm getting notes of tomato, celery...and is that onion? Such comforting, familiar Alberian flavors! Familiar...yet new! I can't get enough of this! I like this more than the last dish! Me too! Please, chef, another serving! Of all the idiotic—how did they manage to season and braise a perfect pork kakuni in such a short time?! We employed a basic technique for cooking meat in Alberia, which is to slice meat finely, and through the muscle, which reduces its toughness. Then we used a technique from Hinomoto—starting the meat in cold water and heating it slowly—to keep it oh-so-tender. And the pièce de résistance was my custom L'Amandier cooking pot! A-a cooking pot, you say? Verily! It is a custom-made device, handed down from one generation of L'Amandier chefs to the next! It is a special sealing pot that applies both heat AND high pressure to the food, drastically reducing cooking time! A rokkan smith was paid a tidy sum to create this marvel of kitchen engineering. We call it...a PRESSURE COOKER! We combined the cooking techniques of Alberia and Hinomoto, along with L'Amandier's unique cookware... ...making it possible for us to tenderize the meat in a flash. N-no! A chef of Seven Leaves losing a battle of creative cuisine...?! It cannot be! Stop this, Gilbert. It's disgraceful. The judges have decided. We have lost. C-Chef Nazuna! So you came too, huh? I just got here. I knew the match was almost over, so I assumed I'd be coming by to take over my new restaurant. Well, whatever. A loss is a loss. As I promised, I'll back off...for now. But are you sure there isn't something more important you should be doing with your time, Mitsuba? What's that supposed to mean? Heh heh heh... You'll know before long. Come, Gilbert. We're leaving. Er, yes, ma'am.

---

WHAT A RELIEF! Thank you, beloved rivals! I shall be happy to repay the favor by hiring you on as line cooks at L'Amandier! Or dishwashers—whatever you prefer! How magnanimous of you. I'm good, though. (I'm glad we were able to save L'Amandier, but what in the world was Nazuna talking about...?)

Episode 4

The Worthy Successor

Um, Mitsuba? I have a message for you. It's um... It's from Nanakusa. It's marked 'super-extra-urgent.' *sigh* Another overbearing letter, huh? My family's a bunch of worrywarts. Huh?! Er, is everything all right? I'm fine, but I've gotta run over to Seven Leaves. See you later! M-Mitsuba?! Seven Leaves
Alberian Branch
Nazuna! Fancy seeing you here during the lunch rush, sis. Table for one? Nazuna, how COULD you?! It's bad enough that you've been buying up Alberian restaurants by the dozens, but now you want Nanakusa too? Come on! Finally got word of that, did you? Yep! That's been my goal all along. You're telling me you've been trying to take over Nanakusa from the start? Silly me, I could've sworn I said the exact words "I want to crush Nanakusa." But why, Nazuna? Do you hate Nanakusa? Do you hate...your family? What are you talking about, sis? I love you all to death. Seriously. Taking the restaurant down is my way of showing how much I care about my family. Let me get this straight: Destroying the eatery that means so much to your family is somehow a show of love. Yup. As things stand now, Nanakusa's on its way out, regardless of what I do. Still clinging to tradition to the end. Father wouldn't have wanted that. He'd want us to share the Hinomotoan cuisine he so adored with folks around the world. That's why I started Seven Leaves and expanded operations this far. "A welcoming atmosphere at an affordable price point. Fast, cheap, delicious Hinomotoan cuisine." So by prioritizing efficiency, you can serve Hinomotoan food to as many people as possible. That's how you uphold Nanakusa's legacy? Yep. It's a new Nanakusa for a new era. My business model is clearly working, too. After all, I've worked hard enough that I can now afford to buy Nanakusa out. Our brothers and sisters aren't convinced yet, but they'll realize I'm right soon. That includes you, Mitsuba. Surely the girl who left home to create a flavor that would surpass father's legacy can understand where I'm coming from. Honestly? I do. Your logic is sound. But what you're doing now? This isn't the way to succeed Nanakusa. ...And what do you mean by that? Let me assure you: Even as I've expanded, I've NEVER compromised on taste. And I regard Nanakusa's cuisine highly. I know that. The food your Seven Leaves chef made at L'Amandier was spectacular. But that's not what I meant. Your way of doing things doesn't carry on Father's soul. Rrgh... What do you even know? You've spent who-knows-how-long trying to surpass his legacy, and what do you have to show for it? Nothing, that's what! I know more than you, at least. Want me to prove it? Huh? How are you going to do that? By cooking, duh. We're chefs. Let's compete, Nazuna—for Nanakusa. We'll find out fair and square who's the worthy successor to Nanakusa. Fine. You're clearly blinded by your foolish ideals. It's about time I gave you a wake-up call.

---

We'll have one round. The one who makes the audience coo with delight wins. And the theme will be...Hinomotoan cuisine. We're going to settle this with the Nanakusa flavors that Father taught us. Have it your way. Whatever proves to you that I'M the one who has what it takes to rebuild Nanakusa! I heard Mitsuba came to have words with Nazuna, but this is somethin' else. A battle between sisters with the future of Nanakusa hanging in the balance...

---

(I know I'm in the right. Everything I've done has been to preserve the Nanakusa flavor—to protect my family!) (What has Mitsuba accomplished? Nothing! She's WRONG!) (Efficiency, speed, and quality— I've got them all down pat.) (I'm going to make a next-generation restaurant by leveraging all the skills my father taught me!) First plate's done. Get it to the dining room! Go!

---

Thank you for your patience! This is a Seven Leaves specialty: Broiled Salmon Ogawa. Wow, talk about fast. That's Seven Leaves for you! It's not just fast, either. *munch* It's scrumptious, too! This place rocks. Uh-oh, guys. Nazuna's gettin' tens across the board! (She's got a great mix of ingredients, and her plating's top-notch. You definitely know your stuff, Nazuna.) (But let's see how she likes THIS!) Your next course is a Nanakusa specialty: Shrimp Ankake. Let me see... *slurp* Ooh, this dashi has a wonderful umami flavor. It's like the very embodiment of Hinomotoan food! The seasonal flowers decorating the plate are lovely, too. Such attention to detail!

---

Phew. Glad to see Mitsuba ain't pullin' her punches. It's wild that their takes on Hinomotoan cuisine came out so different. Yeah. You can really see each chef's personality reflected in their cuisine. I'm on pins and needles waiting to see who will emerge victorious.

---

(Nazuna, I know well the yearning you feel for Nanakusa.) (But I'm not going to lose to you. You may have inherited father's technique, but only I embody his soul!) (I know you can find it too if you dig deep, Nazuna. So please...open your eyes!)

---

All the food's been served. That's the last dish. All that's left is the moment of truth.

Episode 5

Service with Soul

Mitsuba or Nazuna... Who's going to win? Here comes the verdict... ...... It's Mitsuba! Heck yeah! Attagirl! Well, I guess that's it, Nazuna. I...I can't believe this. I plated quickly, my garnishes were impeccable, my recipes were novel... I was superior in so many ways, so why? If you listened to the guests, you'd know.

---

Everyting was delicious, but... Hmm, how to put this? Nanakusa's food was...warm. Hey, yeah, that's exactly it! I took my time eating, but the food didn't get cold! That was pretty strange, huh? Hey, wait. Don't these plates actually seem warm? Lemme see... Ah, you're right! All their plates are warmed! How thorough of them!

---

Wait, you warmed the actual plates? Yep. I've matched the temperature of the plates to the food that will go on them. It prevents the food from cooling, while not overheating it, ensuring the guest can enjoy their food at the proper temperature all the way to the last bite. Are you KIDDING me?! You made sure your PLATES were temperature-matched? That's idiotic! Worrying about that sort of thing is incredibly inefficient. No wonder business at Nanakusa is off-track! Sure, but...our customers enjoyed it. The spirit of hospitality I embody is rooted in making every meal I serve into a rich, fulfilling experience from top to bottom. That's the definition of "service with soul." ...! Listen up, girls. A restaurant like ours is a place where customers come to eat on occasions they hold dear. That's why as chefs, we must value our customers' time as much as they do. Even when you aren't waiting on them directly, our hospitality is what turns mere food into a rich, fulfilling experience. That is the definition of "service with soul." Service...with soul... Heh... How blind I was. Hm? Did you say something? No. But Mitsuba, I admit defeat. Inheriting father's technique alone isn't the same as inheriting the soul of Nanakusa. I got so wrapped up in my own path to save our family restaurant that I guess I lost sight of what really matters. Does this mean...? Yeah. I'm not going to buy out Nanakusa. Instead, I'd like to propose a business partnership. What does that mean, exactly? *sigh* Exactly what it sounds like, sis. Is your brain only good for cooking? I'm saying I'll give you money! Which means you can focus on rebuilding the Nanakusa school of cooking YOUR way. You'd really do that, Nazuna? Bear in mind that I have high standards for my business partners! I'm gonna need you to get things back on track ASAP. O-of course! And, um... Thank you. Don't sweat it. Our methods may differ, but we clearly both love our family. You said it, sis. Oh, and speaking of family, they said to stop acting all hoity-toity and to come home for a visit one of these days. They're really worried about you, y'know. Heh. I bet they are. I'll be sure to drop in and update them on my training soon.

---

(We're all dreamers, us Nanakusa kids. Mitsuba most of all.) (Just what is it that keeps me from getting to her level?) Hinomoto
Nanakusa Restaurant
Everything was delicious today. I can rest easy knowing that the restaurant AND Mitsuba are both back. Glad to hear it. I'll be packing up and heading back to Alberia soon to keep honing my technique, though! Aha ha! Like father, like daughter. He, too, was always on some new culinary quest. I'll be looking forward to your return. (Father... Thanks to Nazuna's help, Nanakusa's customer base is slowly returning to what it once was.) (I haven't surpassed you yet, but mark my words—that day is coming soon.) Watch over me until then, Father. I vow to uphold the ideals of "service with soul"!