Volume 1 Chapter 7 (1/2)
Chapter 7: Before The Contest Begins
Part 1
Early , I have arrived at a certain country It was a country I saw by chance while flying on broom, so I had no information about what kind of country it was
It was unneeded for such sate, but normally when you enter the country that owns the land, alate soldier
That said, aside froeneral questions
”Who are you?”
”Elaina”
”Country of origin?”
”It's known as the peaceful country of Robetta”
”Reasons for entry?”
”Sightseeing”
”What's the duration of stay?”
”Probably around three days”
Usually, the questioning would end at this, if it was a country that required toll, you would pay the”In that case, please take care”
”For breakfast are you in bread faction? Or rice faction?”
It seeue question
”Excuse ain
The gate guard answered without changing his expression even a bit, ”Again, for breakfast are you in bread faction? Or in rice faction? It's a necessary infor the country so please answer honestly”
Are there food co in this country?
But if it's a necessity, let's answer honestly Though I do think that it's a little i
”I'e the faction to match the culture of the country”
I can't eat anything but bread! - You can't say that in the country with rice-centered culture right? Saoes for opposite So, I have decided to
”I see That's unusual,” Gate guard stroked his chin and said
”I see, I understand Then, let's put in both of them as your decision”
After that, the gate guard moved aside and said:
”Take care, Witch-sama”
I bowed to the gate guard and passed through the gate
Part 2
I ie question
It seeether
There was a giant ay near the gate entrance And centering on that ay, there were eastern houses lined up on its left side and western ones on its right
What's ht, ”Eastern district: People of rice faction, this way!” and opposite to it, ”Western district: People of bread faction, this way!” ritten
Looks like the country is divided as rice and bread factions on the inside
”Hmm”
I hesitated I don't really mind either of them
But thinking about it, wouldn't this be the first ti to the eastern townscape? It's always just western style
Then, it's decided
I turned to the right
The road there was co up from it, there were formal wooden houses lined up in a row The Royal Palace was visible ahead It seeuessed it was the center of the divided country
The road leading to the Royal Palace had a bridge built about about halfway The new bridge seemed mismatched when coe's arc, one could see the reflection of a sh
”?”
I ended up being puzzled because of the strange appearance of the person on top of it
It was a boy having a breakfast while sitting on a handrail It was obvious that he was a person of eastern district from the fact that he was clad in kimono, but no matter how you looked at it, what he held inbread
Next to hi her cheeks with onigiri It see a one-piece dress
I becaht
”Um, excuse me”
I called out to the two
Two of the wrong?” Bread in his hand But wearing a kie
I asked after quickly introducing myself, ”Just what kind of country is this?”
”What kind of country you ask h his arms, he asked to the woman next to him, ”Hey, what kind of country is this?”
”Isn't it a lovely country”
”Yeah, that's right It's a lovely country Yes, Traveler-san, it's a lovely country”
What I want to know isn't that, it's more
”The townscape is lovely, but you are lovely as well”
”Oh stop it, you are even lovelier”
”Ufufu”
”Ahaha”
Looks like I'm just a hindrance here It would be better to leave at once
Yes, I sensed that I wouldn't get any useful information from the you know? No, really
In any case, I quickly thanked them and left
I walked about the east and west districts, while talking to people to obtain the infor
However, the er I felt I didn't notice it earlier in theas there were few people about, but once the number of people increased around noon, it became hard to differentiate between the two districts as the people freely intere
What was even strange, was that the shopkeepers whose stalls had notes saying, ”We don't sell to people of rice faction,” despite saying so, were handing over the goods to people dressed in fine kimonos
It wasn't just the stalls It seeulation in effect, as all stores, regardless of whether they were general stores or greengrocers had signboards saying that customers from the opposite side wouldn't be served
But not a single person was
After I returned from the western side to the eastern district, I passed under the sign of the du seller
”Welcome What would you like to eat?”
As I sat on the chair, Onee-san wearing japanese clothes leaned over in front of n that was outside,
”I am in a bread faction”
I said that
”What kind of joke is that?”
After covering her les It was a refined gesture
”What do you mean joke?”
Gazing up at me with narrowed eyes, Onee-san said, ”There are no people who mind such decorations are there?”
Certainly, if you look at the situation on the streets, I can surely say that there are no people who nboards But if that's the case, then what's the purpose of the signboard?
”So, what is your order?”
”Ah, three o please”
”Coht up!”
Part 3
While feeling uncomfortable, I searched for an inn at the western district
Although there was an inn on the eastern district as well, it was no good for me there I can't sleep if there's no bed In other words, eastern inns are disturbingly difficult to deal with the feeling of walking barefoot on grass just doesn't sit ith me
I walked about in the district and finally entered the cheapest looking inn ”People of rice faction aren't allowed to stay” It was an inn with such signboard put on Well, let's ignore that
”Welcome”
When I entered, on the other side of the counter, there was a shopkeeper who see his chin with hands
”I want to stay for a night,” I said as I took out a silver coin
”Thank you for staying Now, fill out the form”
”Okay”
I' really quickly
Then, while I handed the filled paper back to the shopkeeper, ”If it's alright, can you please tell me about this country?” I asked him
”Don't think I've seen your face before miss customer, are you perhaps a traveler?”
”Yes That's why I can't help but be curious about this country”
To my question, the shopkeeper stayed quiet for a while––
”What do you want to hear?”
––and said so Oh, he's easy to talk to Still, it's just doing business with a traveler
”In that case, please tell me the reason of different situations between east and west?”
The shopkeeper told s I wanted to know
”Originally, this country o countries ere side by side to each other across the ay The country on the east followed the eastern culture, and the one on west side folloestern Each of the two countries had a king controlling it Those two kings were on good terms, and interaction between them was also popular──Well, the situation wasn't much different from now”
”Hmm, I see”
Easy to understand
”One day, the two kinds started discussing On whether they should turn the two countries into one There came no opposition to that, since both western and eastern countries had the sa”
”Was the bridge connecting two districts built at that time?”
Shopkeeper gave a nod ”Yes, That's right That's so”
”I see”
So that's why it looks unusually new
”At around that ti had a girl, while western king had a boy Just like the kings, they were close to each other and before long, they got married and ahead of the ay──Or in other words, in the country's center, they built a royal palace and lived there Even now, those two are the symbols of this country”
That's the kind of feeling this country has judging by what I know about it