Blankon Announcement

492 The Fifth One and the Mother-Daughter Showdown

---

“It was really fun!”

“Indeed. It was quite impressive.”

“You guys are amazing…”

As Frey and Kuhn excitedly chat, Ende looks on with a gloomy expression.

I’m too exhausted to even stand up. Wait, wasn’t a roller coaster supposed to be this tiring? My legs still feel unsteady.

Not just me and Ende, but also the earlier group, Luu and Hilda, are all worn out. Yae, Sakura, Lean, and Rize, on the other hand, seem perfectly fine. Maybe it just depends on the person…

“Geez, Dad, you’re such a mess.”

“Ugh!? No, Alice, it’s not like that…”

Ende receives a decisive blow from his daughter. Seeing this, I straighten up and pretend to be calm. I’d rather avoid making the same mistake.

“Are you okay…?”

Elna, my daughter, shows concern for me. Ah, my daughter is so kind…

“I got really scared…”

Conversely, Elze, the mother, is worried about her own experience to come. It’ll be fine, don’t worry. You’ll get used to it soon…

The magical train carrying the latecomers—Linne, Elna, Elze, Alice, and Yumina—smoothly departs from the platform. I wonder how many more of our companions will be exhausted?

I sit down at a table in the station and take out some tea from the Storage. It seems there are no magical restrictions here.

After preparing tea for everyone and taking a breather, I finally start to calm down.

Just then, the monolith next to Sheska starts blinking blue. What’s going on?

“Do not worry. This is a call from the Doctor.”

When Sheska touches the monolith, the Doctor’s image appears in mid-air.

“Hey there, sorry to interrupt your family time. I got a call from the castle because they couldn’t reach you.”

A call? Since everyone’s smartphones are likely blocked from outside communication, it must be because I turned off my phone earlier. I was scolded by the god, after all.

“There’s a royal prince from Panashes visiting the castle. He’s apparently fast asleep due to the cost of teleportation.”

Huh, he arrives and goes straight to sleep? What’s the point of his visit…? But if he teleported with Blau’s ability, it’s understandable.

“The issue isn’t with the prince but with a small companion who’s asking to meet the King. Apparently, it’s Luu’s daughter.”

“Eh?”

Luu, who was staring at the Doctor’s image, blinks in surprise. After a moment, she slowly turns to look at me and then back at the screen, taking a sip of her tea.

“Eeeeeh!? W-What, my daughter!?”

Luu dramatically tips her chair back and stands up. Late reaction!

Surprised by Luu’s reaction, the shock of the daughter arriving fades for me. Well, it’s the fifth one after all.

“But why would she be with Prince Robert?”

“It seems she appeared in the Panashes Kingdom and immediately caught the prince before teleporting here.”

Wow, she’s really proactive, my daughter… I guess I should apologize to Prince Robert later.

“It’s Asia. She has a tendency to be extreme in her methods for her goals. She’s too straightforward.”

“Well, it’s only in specific situations. It might be a nuisance, but it shouldn’t cause harm.”

Frey and Kuhn sound resigned and exasperated. Sakura throws a question at them.

“What number is this Asia?”

“She’s the fifth one, just above Elna.”

So the order is Yakumo, Frey, Kuhn, the fourth, Asia, Elna, Linne, the eighth, and the ninth.

“What about Yoshino, my child?”

“Yoshino is below Kuhn. …Ah, Mother Sakura, that’s a leading question!”

Frey reveals some information due to Sakura’s leading question. Well, that’s fine. Yoshino is the fourth. So, Yumina and Sue’s children are the last two. Given Sue’s age, I expected it to be later…

While I’m thinking about this, Luu grabs my collar and pulls me forcefully. Ugh!

“Forget that for now. Asia is here! Touya-sama, we must go back immediately to pick her up!”

“Ah, right, right. Yes. I agree… I’ll go with you…”

I’m taken aback by Luu’s forceful demeanor and end up speaking in a polite manner. I understand her feelings, but she needs to calm down.

Seeing this, Kuhn sighs softly and addresses us.

“Please have Father and Mother Luu go meet her. I’ll explain to everyone here.”

“Thank you! Sheska-san, please teleport the two of us back!”

“Wait…!”

“Understood. Two people teleporting.”

So sudden!? Before I could say anything, Luu and I were instantly transported back to Babylon’s Garden.

“Come on, Touya-sama, to the castle quickly!”

“Alright, alright, calm down!”

I try to soothe Luu, who is pulling my arm, and use Teleport to move us to the castle.

When we arrive in the castle’s living room, I see a girl about seven or eight years old sitting on a sofa with Hanae, who must have sent Prince Robert straight to the bedroom.

Noticing us, the girl turns her eyes towards us. Her eyes are beautiful jade-like orbs, just like her mother’s.

Her slightly greenish hair sways as she stands up. I recognize her. She was shown briefly in the Future Sight Gem held by Dr. Babylon (in Volume 8’s intermission). She has grown a bit since then, but it seems she is indeed Luu’s daughter.

Luu takes a step towards her.

“Are you Asia?”

“Yes!”

Asia, with a beaming smile, runs towards us. Luu also opens her arms to embrace her daughter, but Asia runs past her and jumps into my arms instead.

“I’ve finally met you, Father!”

“…Huh?”

Luu, with her arms still open, slowly turns her head towards me. Her eyes are wide. I guess I’m the same way.

“Future Father is wonderful, but past Father is also quite charming!”

“Hahaha… Well, thank you?”

As Asia hugs me tightly, I’m unsure how to react, so I just hug her back. It’s heartwarming, but I’m not used to this kind of reaction.

“Asia!? What about your mother!?”

“She’s looking well, too.”

Asia, after releasing me, performs a curtsy towards Luu. It’s a very grown-up gesture, but why is her reaction so different from mine?

“A-chan is a Daddy’s girl. Oh, she loves Luu-chan too.”

Hanae explains with a somewhat dry smile. …Is she a father’s girl? It’s both delightful and a little concerning for the future.

“It’s natural for a daughter to admire her father. I’m working hard to find a husband like Father, after all!”

“Having a husband… Isn’t that a bit too early for you?”

“You’re mistaken, Mother. If I don’t start now, I won’t have a happy marriage.”

Tsk, tsk, Asia clicks her tongue. It’s uncomfortable to talk about marriage in front of me, especially since we’ve just met…

“Well, it’s good to work on self-improvement. That’s my daughter, knowing that well.”

“Yes, Mother. I’m also a top-notch cook. I might even be better than you were at this time.”

“Oh?”

Luu’s eyes narrow in a dangerous manner. Oh, it seems like there’s a bit of a tense atmosphere…

“That sounds interesting. In that case, let me see your top-notch skills.”

“Of course. I’d be glad to show you, Mother.”

“Fufu.”

“Wait, wait a minute. Why is this turning into a showdown!? And Luu doesn’t need to get all worked up over what the child says!”

“The judge will be Father. We’ll have a competition where you’ll decide which dish you prefer without knowing who made which. Does that sound good?”

“Alright. Are the dishes free to choose, or do we need to specify?”

The discussion seems to be moving along at a rapid pace. Are we just ignoring Father’s opinions? Well, I understand I can’t really refuse, but I’d have appreciated a bit more consultation.

“It might be easier to judge if they make similar dishes. How about ‘washoku,’ Mother?”

“‘Washoku’? Is that alright? I’ve had the authentic taste of your hometown’s cuisine on-site, you know?”

No, no, Luu. Authentic taste… Well, that’s from a family restaurant, you know? Calling that authentic is… well, maybe it’s correct in a way? Washoku is washoku after all.

The definition of washoku is quite broad. Tonkatsu and gyudon can be considered washoku. If it’s labeled ‘Japanese style,’ is it washoku? Japanese-style hamburgers? If it suits Japanese tastes, is it washoku? Though I suppose it doesn’t need to be that specific.

“No problem. Even my ‘washoku’ has been praised by Future Father. I’m confident I won’t lose.”

“‘Fufufufufufu’”

Scary. Both of them are smiling while glaring at each other.

But they look so similar… Is it really a mother-daughter thing?

---

“So, it’s a cooking competition…”

“Things ended up like that without us even realizing…”

Yumina sighs with a puzzled and troubled expression.

In front of us is a large table with kitchens on both sides. This is the dining area in the [Box Garden] amusement park’s [Fire] zone. After we returned with Asia, Sheska, who had heard about the situation from us, guided us here.

We were planning to have lunch anyway, so it worked out, but…

On the central table, various ingredients are piled up, taken out from the [Storage]. The two contestants will use these ingredients to cook.

Luu and Asia have already taken over the kitchens on either side. Assisting Luu are Linze and Sue, while Asia has all the children on her side.

---

“Really, Luu looks just like her.”

“Yeah, her fearlessness, her confidence…”

“It’s not just that… Her strong will to push forward once she decides on something. It’s definitely the blood of the Regulus Empire’s imperial family.”

Indeed. The Emperor of Regulus is also like that. It seems you can’t escape your bloodline.

“Well, it’s great if delicious dishes come out of this… Touya-san, can you judge properly?”

“If it’s just a matter of preference, I think I can judge which I like better… But if there’s an issue with either winning or losing…”

Being put in that kind of position is tough, isn’t it? Ugh, my stomach is hurting with the stress… It’d be great if I could just call it a draw! Or is that not acceptable?

If I think about it normally, Luu seems like she’d win. She’s the one cooking at least one of our three daily meals now.

Depending on the day, it might be breakfast or dinner, but she knows everyone’s preferences, including mine.

I can’t show favoritism just because it’s my daughter… Besides, if I don’t know who made which dish, I can’t even show favoritism.

“What should I do…”

I hold my aching stomach and wait anxiously for the dishes to be finished.

---

Meanwhile, on Asia’s side:

“Seriously… A-chan always clashes with Mother Luu as soon as she arrives.”

From behind Asia, who was carefully selecting ingredients, Frey let out a sigh of exasperation. Though it often seems that Frey’s younger sister is overly fond of their father and harbors a rivalry with their mother, Luu, in reality, Frey knows it is just Asia’s way of wanting to earn her mother’s approval. Asia’s personality can be quite troublesome.

“Asia-onee-chan, do you think you can win?”

“Who knows? I don’t think I’ve ever beaten Future Mother Luu.”

“I don’t mind who wins as long as I get to eat delicious food.”

“Be quiet, you kids!”

Asia, gripping a carrot, barked out loudly. Elna, Linne, and Alice all shrank back and muttered under their breaths, “You’re a kid too.”

“But can you really win? I can’t imagine you would challenge someone without a chance of winning. Even if it’s the past Mother Luu, her skills are quite impressive.”

Kuhn, who had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, voiced his doubts. This time, Asia turned to her sister with a smirk, gripping a daikon radish.

“Fufufu. Kuhn-onee-sama, do you remember the dish I made for Father that was praised to the skies?”

“Huh? … Oh, I do recall. It was a dish from Father’s hometown that even Mother Luu hadn’t made yet, and Father was thrilled with it… You don’t mean…”

Realization dawned on Kuhn, and she straightened up from the wall. Frey also let out a small, “Ah,” of recognition.

“Yes. The dish was praised as the best ever tasted in the future. In other words, it’s a dish that Mother hasn’t made yet and that Father hasn’t had in years! There’s no way I can lose!”

Asia raised the daikon like a sword to the heavens, completely intoxicated with herself. This girl does have a bit of a self-indulgent streak.

“‘That’s cheating…’”

“Be quiet, you kids!”

The younger sisters and Alice criticized Asia, who barked back once more.

Frey, the elder sister, frowned slightly and gave Asia a piece of advice.

“I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s unfair, but can you really be satisfied with winning that way, Asia? If you’re going to regret it later, you shouldn’t do it.”

“There’s a saying from Father’s hometown: ‘A lion uses all its strength even to catch a rabbit.’ I will use every possible means to seize victory!”

“Well, that saying seems a bit off…”

Frey thought it was questionable to compare their mother to a rabbit, but she knew that once Asia got going, she wouldn’t stop. She was a straightforward child, for better or worse.

“But won’t history be changed? If Asia’s praised dish in the future gets praised in the past, won’t it lose its uniqueness? Will the Spirit of Time correct that?”

Alice tilted her head, and Elna and Linne beside her also pondered, though Linne was only pretending to think.

“There’s no problem. If there’s any impact, it will be on the future me, that is, the present me! If it means I can win against Mother, I’ll gladly accept the consequences!”

Even though Asia seemed to think that changing the future wouldn’t affect her here due to different timelines, Kuhn decided not to voice this. It seemed too troublesome to explain.

No matter what the outcome, Grandma Tokie would likely handle it well. The name of the Time God is not to be taken lightly.

“Anyway, I’ll win Father’s heart with this! Elna, please help me!”

“Uh, okay. Got it.”

Among those present, Elna was the only one who could cook besides Asia. Despite her small stature, she could manage a range of dishes by imitating what she had seen. Of course, unlike their mother, Elze, she didn’t make everything incredibly spicy for some reason.

Conversely, the other daughters were hopeless in the kitchen. Aside from Asia and Elna, only the eldest sister, Yakumo, had some cooking skills. Therefore, Elna was the only one who could assist.

Asia drew a knife from her waist and brought it down onto the meat on the cutting board.

“This competition is mine!”