Having successfully obtained the rice she came for, Inari strolled through the market, looking around.
Fish, fruits, vegetables, meat, miscellaneous goods, and even various luxury items... The array of shops and their goods conveyed the bustling energy of Akabane better than anything else.
Just walking around was enjoyable enough on its own. Amidst this lively Akabane, Inari caught a peculiar scent. It was similar to what she'd smelled at Aniki Mart... no, this one was far stronger, directly stirring her instincts. Yes, it was... the smell of something fried.
Drawn toward the scent, Inari found the source: a shop with a sign reading "The Croquette Master's Croquette Shop", along with pictures of various croquettes explained in simple descriptions. It seemed they were frying them fresh at that very moment, filling the air with a mouth-watering aroma only possible from freshly made croquettes.
"Ooh, croquettes, is it now... I know of those. All children love croquettes, do they not?"
Whether that was true might be debatable, but surely very few disliked them. Drawn in, Inari approached and marveled at the list of croquettes available.
Classic croquette, mentaiko croquette, vegetable croquette, curry croquette, beef croquette, pumpkin croquette... It was like a festival of croquettes. To Inari, they all looked delicious, but buying all of them felt a bit too greedy. Inari, being a good fox deity who practiced "knowing when enough is enough," wisely decided against it.
Specifically, she thought, "Even if I buy them all, I would not be able to eat them all, would I?"
Thus, Inari decided to buy just one. But deciding which one was another matter entirely. They all looked delicious.
“Curry I know. It's the spicy but tasty one, right? Mentaiko... that's cod roe, isn't it? I've never eaten that... but after all, the safest bet would be the classic one, would it not...?”
After much deliberation, Inari ordered.
"One classic, if thou wouldst."
This was, honestly, the hardest decision she'd made since she came to Tokyo—only rivaled by the time she had to choose between furikake flavors. She had once been extremely tempted by a "super delicious grilled meat flavor" furikake, but decided she shouldn't buy it until she'd tasted real grilled meat first. (For the record, she still hadn't eaten grilled meat yet. Rice with furikake and onigiri remained supreme.)
"Ho, so this be the classic croquette... Let us see—first, a bite."
With a crunch, Inari bit into the freshly fried croquette held in a small paper bag. Immediately she was greeted by the satisfying texture of the crisp coating, freshly fried in clean oil, followed by the soft, fluffy warmth of the potato filling inside. Because it was made so faithfully to the basics, the goodness of the ingredients and the skill of the frying came through directly—it was simply delicious.
Inari's expression softened, and she let out a blissful sigh, a gentle smile appearing on her face. She was genuinely happy. Fresh, piping hot croquettes... She would never have imagined eating something like this back during her days in the abandoned village. Of course, rice was still supreme, but this was wonderful in its own right. Inari sincerely thought so.
The generous use of oil, breadcrumbs, potatoes, and various other ingredients combined luxuriously to create a croquette—a symbol of human prosperity itself.
"Truly delicious. Such happiness, such richness of humanity gathered into this small delight."
"Huh... Was croquette really that good?"
"But it does look insanely tasty..."
"Wait, isn't that Inari-chan?"
As people around began to notice Inari, they were naturally drawn to the croquette shop too. When you see someone eating something happily, it somehow makes you crave it yourself. Especially with the aroma of freshly fried croquettes—it was hard to resist. One by one, people lined up, buying croquettes for themselves... to the shopkeeper’s utter joy.
"Keep frying! Fry more! I'll give you bonuses later!"
"I'm definitely gonna take that bonus, boss!!"
The line quickly promised several times the usual sales. If things went well, The Croquette Master's Croquette Shop might even become a famous landmark in Akabane!
“Thank you, little fox girl...! You seem kinda famous, so I'll look you up later...!”
The shopkeeper mentally thanked Inari, still not even knowing her name, as he watched the customers talk about "Inari-chan" with excitement.
Meanwhile, Inari, oblivious to all of it, simply tossed the paper bag neatly into the trash bin and prepared to head home.
"And now then... pray tell, who might ye lot be?"
Turning around, Inari addressed the group of men who had been tailing her since she left the croquette shop. She was aware she'd gotten a little famous, but these men clearly weren't ordinary fans. They weren't even on the same side—it was obvious from how they glared at each other while trying to smile awkwardly at Inari. And what they pulled out from their pockets... was not a weapon, but business cards.