Chapter 14

On a hot summer day, everyone had gathered at a hermitage lent by a merchant in Kiyosu to hold a tea ceremony, but it was unbearably hot that day. Because of the heat, not only Kōki, but also Kyōko, Fujitarō, Shōichirō, and Iemasu, had no desire to hold a tea ceremony. They were all exhausted by the task of boiling water in the pot.

"Mr. Shinchi, I saw an old man collapse from the heat on my way here," Shōichirō informed them.

This era was in the Little Ice Age, but it was not without scorching hot days. When Kōki checked the thermometer he had brought, the temperature was 33 degrees Celsius.

"Mr. Shinchi, what is that?" Fujitarō, intrigued by the thermometer, asked Kōki.

"It's a device for measuring heat."

"Is that so? The clock we received as a wedding gift is also a wonderful invention from the Southern Barbarians."

Fujitarō looked at the thermometer with great interest, thinking it was as impressive as the clock he had received as a wedding gift.

"Didn't you also present one to Lord Nobunaga?"

"Yes."

"Lord Nobunaga has always been sensitive to heat. In the past, he would immediately go out to play in the water, but in his current position, he can't do that anymore."

Kōki and Kyōko often heard stories about the young Nobunaga from Iemasu. As a child, Nobunaga, known as Kichihōshi, would wander around the domain in a manner unbecoming of the Oda family's heir, eating persimmons with his hands while on horseback, roasting and eating fish he had caught in the river, and engaging in sumo with the children of retainers and farmers, leading a rather wild life.

"(It's like a former delinquent who has taken over his family's company and made it successful through performance-based management... He's incredibly capable.)"

While Kōki wasn't sure if his assessment was correct, he evaluated Nobunaga in this way.

Nobunaga himself, however, had to bear the consequences of his youthful unruly behavior. His upright younger brother, Nobuyuki, had rebelled, claiming that he was more suitable to be the head of the Oda family. Although Nobunaga had initially forgiven him, he eventually had to defeat Nobuyuki. In this rebellion, the current chief elder, Hayashi Hideyasu, and the third-ranking elder, Shibata Katsuie, had also joined Nobuyuki's side. Now, they acknowledged Nobunaga's abilities and were loyal to him, but Katsuie, in particular, was overly enthusiastic in his loyalty, which Kōki found stifling.

Still, he thought Katsuie was a bit annoying.

As for Hideyasu, Kōki couldn't form a clear impression of him, despite his high rank.

"Lord Nobunaga might be staring at the thermometer right now."

With the freedom to play in the river gone, the only option left was to have a page fan him with a hand fan.

"Let's change things up today. It won't be a formal tea ceremony."

Kyōko, the instructor, stopped boiling the water and distributed the sweets and drinks she had brought. The tea was iced tea served in beautiful glasses, and the sweets included chilled water yokan, castella, pudding, and kuzumochi, all of which were kept cold in a refrigerated box she had brought.

All of these were made by Kyōko herself. She was a talented woman, skilled in cooking and baking despite being a widow.

"Did you make all of these, Mr. Kyōko? Wow, they're amazing. I've never tasted such delicious sweets before."

"Not only are they delicious, but they're also chilled, making them perfect for a hot day."

"They seem to cool the body down."

The tea ceremony was canceled that day, but Hideyoshi, Shōichirō, and Iemasu were all very satisfied with the cold tea and sweets.

A week later...

"Today is also unbearably hot."

The temperature was 35 degrees Celsius, a level of heat that could be described as a heatwave. Despite the heat, they managed to hold the tea ceremony, but everyone ended up drenched in sweat from drinking hot tea.

"Kyōko, I've heard that drinking hot tea on a hot day can make you feel cooler, but that must be a lie."

"Mits-chan, there's a limit to that."

"Those people in the past, lying to us!"

The heat was so intense that it made them want to complain.

"It's hot! I'm going to make shaved ice!"

Unable to bear the heat, Kōki took out the ice from the freezer box he had brought and started making shaved ice with a home-use ice shaver shaped like a penguin, which he had purchased from a home center in the past.

"What flavor do you want, Kyōko?"

"I'll have strawberry."

"I think I'll have mango..."

The syrup for the shaved ice was not artificial but made from real fruits that Kyōko had harvested from the automated farm in Kanagawa. She had prepared syrups in flavors such as strawberry, melon, lemon, mango, and pineapple.

"What flavor will you have, Mr. Fujitarō?"

"Mr. Shinchi, is it really okay?"

It was understandable for Fujitarō to be hesitant. In this era, without refrigerators, ice had to be stored in ice houses during winter, making it a luxury item that only the most powerful or wealthy could afford in the summer.

"Since we are the hosts, please don't hesitate."

"That's very kind of you. I've never had ice before. It's a luxury. However, the colors of the syrups are unusual."

Fujitarō looked at the syrups, unsure which one to choose.

"They're all fruit flavors."

"Then, I'll have the pineapple syrup."

Fujitarō chose pineapple, Shōichirō chose lemon, and Iemasu chose melon. They all started eating the shaved ice together.

"It's sweet, cold, and delicious."

"It's perfect for a hot day."

"It makes you feel like you're indulging in a luxury."

Despite the heat, the shaved ice helped them get through the day. A few weeks later...

"It's not as hot as before, but it's still hot."

Iemasu looked at the thermometer, which read 31 degrees Celsius, and sighed.

"Today, I've changed the sweets for the tea ceremony."

Kyōko had made homemade matcha ice cream for the tea ceremony, bringing a large amount in a freezer box.

"I've never seen such a sweet before."

Shōichirō looked at the matcha ice cream on a glass plate with great interest.

"Miss Kyōko, is this another cold sweet?"

"Yes, it's very delicious. While it's not something you'd typically see at other tea ceremonies, the essence of tea ceremony is 'one time, one meeting,' and the true spirit lies in entertaining the guests."

Although it was a direct quote from someone else, Kyōko didn't mind and served the matcha ice cream.

"It's delicious."

"Indeed, this is a treat."

"Using matcha in a cold sweet is impressive."

The matcha ice cream was well-received, and Fujitarō and the others enjoyed it.

"I'd like a second serving."

"Of course."

As Kyōko was about to give Fujitarō a second serving, she suddenly felt someone's gaze. Looking around, she saw someone peering through the fence of the hermitage. It was Nobunaga, Fujitarō's lord.

"Lord Nobunaga?"

"You're eating something delicious."

Nobunaga, with a displeased look, addressed Fujitarō.

"This is a sweet served at the tea ceremony..."

While trying to explain to Nobunaga, Fujitarō didn't stop eating the matcha ice cream, clearly enjoying it.

"Monkey, I commend your efforts to cultivate yourself despite your low status. However..."

"However, what, Lord Nobunaga?"

"Why didn't you invite me to such an interesting gathering? Iemasu too!"

Fujitarō and Iemasu were speechless at Nobunaga's unreasonable request. It was unheard of for a retainer to invite their lord to a tea ceremony after being invited by a colleague. If Kōki, the host, had invited him, it would be different, but for Fujitarō and Iemasu to invite him on their own would be disrespectful to Kōki.

Moreover, it would be a bit pitiful.

"Cold sweets and even ice on that scorching day! Why didn't you invite me?"

"(Because inviting you would make us nervous.)"

Kōki couldn't say that, so he remained silent, but he also realized that Nobunaga had a sweet tooth.

"However, why do you know about the sweets from the previous tea ceremonies?"

"I heard Iemasu talking to Goroza."

Iemasu had mentioned the tea ceremony to Goroza, also known as Tanba Nagahide, who had expressed envy. Nobunaga had overheard their conversation.

"(Why is Lord Nobunaga so angry?)"

"(That's it! Lord Nobunaga loves sweets!)"

Iemasu informed Kōki that Nobunaga was a teetotaler but had a sweet tooth, though the information came a bit late. Just as Kōki was wondering what to do, Kyōko came to the rescue.

"Would you like to join us, Lord Nobunaga?"

"Sure, I know a thing or two about tea ceremony. I'll watch your form."

Nobunaga, in a good mood after being invited, entered the hermitage and began to critique Kōki and the others' tea ceremony skills.

"Except for Kyōko, you still have a lot to learn."

The super-futuristic Urasenke master's certificate holder, from Nobunaga's perspective, was more than qualified. He praised Kyōko's form.

"Lord Nobunaga, here is the sweet for the tea ceremony."

"A cold sweet made with matcha. It's not only sweet but also leaves a refreshing aftertaste."

Due to Nobunaga's direct guidance, Kōki and the others were so nervous that they couldn't even taste the matcha. On the other hand, Nobunaga was in a good mood, having three servings of matcha ice cream and taking some of the long-lasting sweets Kyōko had made as a souvenir.

"I usually don't, but I'll attend Mits' tea ceremony occasionally."

Kōki, who was hosting a club-like tea ceremony, was casually told by his lord that he would attend. As a result, Kōki and the others spent a while in a state of nervousness, unable to taste the tea.

"The sweet today is called 'sherbet.' It has a different texture from ice cream and is delicious."

Through Iemasu's connections, Tanba Nagahide also began to attend the tea ceremonies. His ability to join casually without making Kōki and the others feel awkward was a testament to his high communication skills.

"Indeed, I regret not being able to attend before. Miss Kyōko, please give me another serving of sherbet."

Later, the tea ceremonies were made by permission only, by order of Nobunaga,