Fate/zero special drama CD 4: Eat in Taishan

Synopsis: Kirei eats mapo tofu at his favourite restaurant. A while later, Kiritsugu walks in and orders the same dish…

Track 1

Kirei: (Although I have never had any clear desire, I have still had no shortage of torment from my physiological needs. The foremost of these is the need for food. When it comes to eating, although I recognise it as a type of desire, I only consider this desire to be a necessity for survival. Yes, it is only a procedure of placing food into the stomach to prevent it from becoming empty, this is what I think of the act of eating. I, who have had many missions overseas, have tried many different dishes from the East and West and have once anticipated that one of them could truly fill the emptiness in my heart. Unfortunately, it was all a futile effort. No matter how delicious the meal was, even if it could fill the stomach, it could never bring a sense of fulfillment to the heart. I would only mechanically put the dishes served into my mouth to fill my stomach and then leave my seat without any emotion. I have no more expectations. This is the conclusion I have arrived at regarding the taste of food. But even so, there is one thing that can touch my heart. …Mapo tofu. Not just any plain mapo tofu. There is a restaurant in Fuyuki City - Hongzhou Feast Hall: Taishan. The mapo tofu that I had unintentionally tasted in this restaurant is the only delicacy I recognise. Although it looks like a mere disarrayed dish with chili peppers piled on top, the moment one puts the tofu into one’s mouth, the stimulating scorch on one’s tongue brings an indescribable taste. Yes! Spiciness must be the best, spiciness must be the ultimate experience of the sense of taste! Today, I will also release myself, blend into the crowd in ordinary clothing and open the restaurant door. For the sake of filling my stomach with that taste once more. Heh.)

(Opens door, sits)

Kirei: Shopkeeper, order. I’ll have this mapo tofu.

Sound Drama Fate/Zero Anthology Drama 4: Eat in Taishan

Kiritsugu: (I should eat out - the reason I thought this was to save my strength for the Grail War coming up. Still, I have no interest in dishes made from high-class ingredients. In the nine years I spent with the Einzbern family, I have had my fill of those things. What I need now is an ordinary meal aimed towards the general public, a dish offered by a discreet restaurant by the street. Fragrant fish or meat, with deliberate emphasis on the scent of spices, may be considered simple and crude - but that is just fine. The world of cuisine closest to me is precisely there. In the days before I stayed at the Einzbern castle, I used such a mess of foods to fill my stomach. Then, in order to return myself to my condition in the past, I should follow my old eating habits and use the foods I was accustomed to before to fill my stomach. Yes, the point of doing this is to return myself to my condition in the past. It is absolutely not because I am tired of all the extravagant foods in the past nine years. Mhm, that’s right, there’s no way my heart would waver for mere food.)

Kiritsugu: (Walking) …Still, I can’t go anywhere too noticeable…

Kiritsugu: (If I am to truly begin my preparations for the Grail War, I should not go anywhere noticeable and should avoid people’s eyes and ears as much as possible. Right now, this city is gradually becoming a den for the gathering magi. Even so, a magus is still human. No matter how much they exceed humanity, as long as they are human, they will become hungry. Magecraft attracts each other, so if I’m unlucky, the person sitting beside me may be another Master. To prevent such a near miss, I should eat somewhere not noticeable.)

Kiritsugu: (Walking) …Hmm? Is that a Chinese restaurant? “Hongzhou Feast Hall: Taishan”…hmm…Chinese food, huh, doesn’t sound bad. There don’t seem to be traces of magecraft nearby, either. Right, I’ll eat here.

(Opens door)

Kirei: (Eating vigorously)

Kiritsugu: (There’s someone really focused on eating mapo tofu… Mapo tofu! Hmm! This could be good! As for a seat… The seat behind this guy is empty, I’ll just sit there.)

(Sits down)

Kiritsugu: Excuse me, I’d like to order. Please give me this mapo tofu.

(Pause)

Kiritsugu: What do you mean it’ll take ten minutes? Get it done for me in five minutes!

Kirei: …It’s rather noisy behind me.

Kirei: (A lava-like spiciness permeates my entire body. This spicy flavour that can burn up the brain with each bite is really a valuable stimulus. But this isn’t enough yet, my stomach is still not satisfied. It’s not strong enough.)

Kirei: Shopkeeper! One more plate!

(Pause)

Kiritsugu: (Is that so… Is mapo tofu that delicious!? …Perhaps, this place is also a symbol of our culture. If possible, I want to let Iri come here and have a look. …Speaking which, Iri should have arrived in Japan by now. I’ll have to contact her soon.

(Pause)

Irisviel: Ah… The scent of spicy food…! Is this a shop which serves food?

Saber: It appears to be. This should be a Chinese restaurant.

Irisviel: Ah, so it’s the one with lots of spicy things. I still can’t really eat spicy things… Is there anything you can’t eat, Saber?

Saber: No. There is no food which I cannot eat.

Irisviel: …I’m jealous. …Speaking which, in your day, Saber, what kind of food did you have the most of? As a king, you must have eaten plenty of good food, right?

Saber: No… I was not too concerned with such things, and allowed the cooks to do as they wished. Only…

Irisviel: Only?

Saber: Hmm, come to think of it, the food I ate at the time…was all a little unrefined… Ah, I am not displeased with the food itself, it may have been made to match the tastes of my knight subordinates. After all, when I asked the Knights of the Round Table their opinions on the food, they all said that the taste was good.

Irisviel: … (That should be because, to the king’s face, they couldn’t just say it tasted bad…right?) I understand. Homunculi don’t have the chance to eat often, either, so we don’t know what kinds of tasty food there are in this world… But we still have some time, so let’s think of this as a little break and go somewhere to eat something.

Saber: Yes, that does not sound bad. Then, what shall we eat?

Irisviel: Hmm… If we’re talking about Japan, there’s usually sushi, tempura, things like that… But let’s go and find this dessert shop place first, we should be able to try red bean soup there…

Saber: Red bean soup…is it?

Irisviel: Yes! It seems to be common in Japanese desserts, and has glutinous rice balls in it…or something!

Saber: Oh? That certainly draws one’s interest.

Irisviel: Right? Kiritsugu said he liked it, so I thought I’d try it if I had the chance.

Saber: I understand. According to the map just now, after we pass this road, there will be many shops like this. We will have to walk for a while, is that alright?

Irisviel: It’s no problem.

Saber: Alright, then let us go, Irisviel.

(Pause)

(Phone vibrates)

Kiritsugu: (Hmm? Oh… The infiltrant in the Clock Tower has news. Perhaps he has found Kayneth’s location.)

(Answers phone)

Kiritsugu: Hello?

Track 2

Kiritsugu: Is that so? Good work! Oh! Oh!

Kirei: (What a noisy man. …Speaking which, a similarly noisy Rin once showed off her Chinese cooking to me.)

(Pause)

Kirei: Huh, Rin has cooked something, has she.

Rin: Yes. Father seems to have stayed in the workshop all the time lately and he hasn’t been eating properly. I want him to be able to eat some good food.

Kirei: I see. Tokiomi-shi will surely be happy. …Then, what am I needed for?

Rin: Hmm. You should taste the food I cooked and give me some feedback.

Kirei: Can’t have some kind of strange flavour, can it.

Rin: Why do you say these things while assuming that I’ll fail!? Didn’t I say I made good food!?

Kirei: That may be true. I only wish to confirm, although I am the one tasting it, all the food is in good shape, correct? Ashes or mysterious objects cannot be called food.

Rin: Like I said, don’t just assume someone will fail right from the start! Speaking which, you probably don’t know that I’m pretty confident in my cooking skills, and I’ve been praised by Mother, too.

Kirei: I see, that is not bad. Alright, although I do not know whether my opinions will be of use to you, I will still try it. Then, what do you plan to make?

Rin: Hmm… I’ll make some of the Chinese food that Mother doesn’t usually cook. Can you eat Chinese food?

Kirei: Ah, that is not a problem. Also, Rin. You should know that if you want an actor, you have the wrong person.

Rin: Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?

Kirei: That’s right, this is your trial. Yes, I, who serve God, cannot tell a lie, even if it is for the sake of Rin, and when I think that the food tastes awful, I must clearly express that it “tastes awful”! I will absolutely not lie…

Rin: I said, don’t just assume that I’ll fail!!

(Pause)

Kirei: (Eating) …Tasty! No, this is honestly delicious! This is truly surprising. Rin, so you really are skilled at cooking.

Rin: …You aren’t just being polite, are you?

Kirei: I did say, didn’t I, that I had no plans to lie. When he eats a dish like this, Tokiomi-shi would surely feel joy from the bottom of his heart. It is truly terrifying that you have such skill, and it is no wonder that you are this confident.

Rin: Of course! I’m a daughter of the Tohsaka family, after all!

(Pause)

Kirei: (Yes, at the time I had forgotten, forgotten the fact that she was a daughter of the Tohsaka family. Not long after, Rin presented her cooking to Tokiomi-shi. However, she seemed to have poured an entire bottle of chili sauce into the wok at the last moment. Also, nobody had noticed this at all. Still, even though the food was spicy enough to make anyone faint, Tokiomi-shi bore it without a single word. Indeed, it was somewhat surprising.)

(Pause)

Waitress: Mapo set meal has arrived, aru~

Kiritsugu: Hmm? …Oh, the food arrived. Just put it there. …Apologies, I’m eating right now…I see! Kayneth is hiding there, after all…! Do you have the hotel plans? …Sent over already? That was quick… Understood, I’ll pick it up. If there are any new developments, contact me again.

(Hangs up)

Kiritsugu: (Right, I’ll just call Maiya again.)

(Pause)

Maiya: (Munch munch) … (Yum! Not only is the cake colourful, its sweet flavour also stirs one’s appetite. The flowery decorations are filled with novelty, the sponge cake is soft and bouncy, the fresh cream melts in the mouth, and the slightly bitter chocolate gives a touch that is just right. The chocolate cake and cheese souffle just now were also extremely delicious! …Ah, such joy…perhaps this is the first time I’ve felt this way. I never knew before that the Fuyuki Hyatt Hotel restaurant would have such a wonderful cake buffet. Next time, I have to come here again.)

(Phone vibrates)

Maiya: …A call from Kiritsugu?

(Answers phone)

Maiya: What is it, Kiritsugu?

Kiritsugu: Maiya, Kayneth’s location has been confirmed. He is, after all, at the top floor of the Fuyuki Hyatt Hotel. Considering the worst possible outcome, prepare to demolish the entire Hyatt Hotel.

Maiya: …! (TL: Poor Maiya, no more yuetsu for her.)

Kiritsugu: What’s wrong?

Maiya: Nothing. When will the preparations for demolition take place?

Kiritsugu: Within today. I’ll head there after collecting the hotel plans. Maiya, prepare the tools and materials. Park the car at the Fuyuki Hyatt carpark at 16:00.

Maiya: Understood.

(Hangs up)

Maiya: …Phew. (Either way, there are still two hours until the appointed time. Also, my stomach still has room.) Excuse me, extend my buffet time, please.

(Pause)

Kiritsugu: (Hangs up) Then, I’ll quickly finish eating and hurry to the scene. …Speaking which, when I said that we would demolish the hotel, Maiya seemed to choke for a moment…? Just what was that about… Hmm, come to think of it, Fuyuki Hyatt is famous for its cake buffet. …Hmm? Haha, such a cute side is something Maiya…wouldn’t possibly have! …So, mapo tofu mapo tofu.

(Eats)

Kiritsugu: …Mm! (Spicy! Gah, it’s spicy! Spicy! What is this!? It’s much spicier than I expected!)

(Continues eating)

Kiritsugu: (Uwaa… With each bite, my blood flow seems to reverse, my hands shake, my sweat can’t stop flowing… What kind of spiciness is this!? Still…)

(Continues eating)

Kiritsugu: (…Hmm? Not too bad? This is OK! This boiling spiciness is great! I have a sense of my appetite being filled… Just like this! Even though I can’t tell whether this feeling is spiciness of deliciousness! It’s indescribably good!)

(Pause)

Kirei: One more please–

Kiritsugu: (Hmm? Finished one portion this quickly? Still…ah, I can understand. Like this, enjoying the spiciness with sweat running down my back, I sort of feel more mature! (TL: What’s wrong with you, Kerry?) Mm! I happen to feel a little unsatisfied. I’ll also…) Excuse me! Could I please have another–

(Pause)

Kirei: (What is this? The man sitting behind me is asking for a second helping as though competing against me.)

Kiritsugu: Oh, here it is.

Kirei: (What is this, this unsettling feeling. No, could it mean–)

(Pause)

Kiritsugu: (–Hmm? What is this!? This chill down my spine…! This tension makes me feel like I’ve walked into a forest filled with traps…! –No, wait, that’s not it. Could it be…!?)

(Pause)

Kirei: (The man behind me, I–)

(Pause)

Kiritsugu: (–That’s right, the man behind me is someone I know!)

(Pause)

Kirei: (–I should, turn around, and confirm the identity of the man behind me!)

(Pause)

Kiritsugu: (–I should know who the man behind me is!)

(Pause)

Kirei: (–Even if this is a fatal encounter that leads to battle? Should I, find out the identity of the man behind me!?)

(Pause)

Kiritsugu: (–I can’t. If my existence were to be exposed, all my tactics would fall apart. But even so, I will still–)

(Pause)

Kirei: …

(Pause)

Kiritsugu: (Stands up) You must be–

Kirei: (Stands up) You must be–

Track 3

Kirei: (Abrupt awakening) …! …A dream? I never expected to dream of something that long ago. At the time, I did happen to eat in the same place as a fellow Executor. His name should be…Jack? Or is it Gorou? (TL: Characters voiced by Koyama Rikiya, Kiritsugu’s VA.) …I have not eaten mapo tofu there for such a long time. Most likely, today or tomorrow, the Grail War will officially begin. If I do not know when the next chance to eat there will be… Alright, I shall go there for today’s lunch.

(Pause)

Taxi Driver: Eh? Isn’t this the passenger in my taxi just now? What a coincidence!

Kiritsugu: …Uh…?

Taxi Driver: The mapo tofu here sure is spicy, but it really suits my tastes, so I got addicted. I eat here pretty often. Ah, I should get back to work now, so– Shopkeeper, the bill please!

Kiritsugu: …I’m done. Excuse me, may I have the bill, too, please?

(Door closes)

Kiritsugu: (Occasionally trying this kind of food isn’t bad, my energy is surging up.)

(Lights cigarette)

Kiritsugu: …Phew. (Collect the Fuyuki Hyatt Hotel plans, join up with Maiya. After planting C2 charges at the Hyatt, confirm Iri’s current location.) …Good. This will be a difficult war, but I cannot lose. Time to go, the Grail war begins only now–

(TL: In case you’re confused, what happened was this: Kirei had a dream about how he met a colleague with Kiritsugu’s voice in Taishan a long time ago. Kiritsugu ran into a taxi driver with Kirei’s voice just before the Grail War, like the crazy taxi driver in CANAAN. No, our wonderful protagonists did not meet. If you expected them to… the production team trolled you. For that matter, so did my synopsis.)

END