All Kazuki wanted was a bowl of hot, chewy noodles.
He did not want:
To be mistaken for a revolutionary leader
To get chased through a spice bazaar
To inspire an uprising against workplace inequality
Or to have Getsuryu carry protest banners in his teeth
But fate had a different lunch plan.
✦
It All Started With a Craving
Kazuki's stomach growled.
"Smile," he whispered, poking his gelatinous companion. "We're going on a mission."
Smile saluted.
Kazuki scribbled a note:
Going out. Need noodles. Please don't start any wars while I'm gone. —Kazuki
Tala walked in as he tried to tiptoe out.
"Where are you going?"
"Uhhh… peacekeeping patrol?"
"Dressed like that?"
Kazuki wore his "Super Bowl of Honor" noodle hoodie and slippers.
Smile had a noodle bowl balanced on his head.
Tala stared.
He broke. "Okay, okay, I'm going to look for ramen!"
She sighed. "At least take the eagle."
✦
Enter: HAYATE, The Regal Philippine Eagle
Hayate swooped down from the rooftop, majestic as a warrior in the wind.
Feathers gleaming.
Eyes sharp.
Wings wide enough to block out the sun.
Kazuki held out a snack. "Want to come noodle-hunting?"
Hayate took the snack, judged Kazuki silently… and nodded.
With the new team assembled (Kazuki, Smile, and Hayate), Operation Brothstorm began.
✦
Minatozu's Noodle Alley
Noodle Alley was a chaotic heaven:
Dozens of shops.
Thousands of scents.
Endless steam.
Kazuki practically floated toward the one that claimed:
"RAIJIN RAMEN – NOODLES FIT FOR THUNDER GODS!"
But he never made it.
Because just outside the stall, a shouting match had broken out.
"I told you—these spice quotas are crushing us!" yelled a cook, slamming a ladle.
"And I said shut up and make the Emperor's Feast!" barked a red-faced manager.
A crowd had formed. Someone threw a leek.
✦
The Hero Walks Into a Labor Dispute
Kazuki paused.
"Should we… intervene?"
Smile made a "drama intensifies" squish.
Hayate spread his wings ominously.
Before he could choose not to get involved, the arguing cook turned—
"You! You're that guy from the parade! The lord who stood up to nobles!"
Kazuki blinked. "Wait, no, that was a mistake—"
"Please, help us!"
"Eh???"
✦
Somehow, This Becomes a Protest
Within minutes:
Kazuki was standing on a crate
Smile was handing out "NO TO OVERTIME WITHOUT RICE" banners
Hayate perched atop a signpost like a divine symbol of freedom
"Let us decide our own seasoning blends!" yelled one noodle maker.
"Workers of the wok, unite!" cried another.
Kazuki raised his hands. "I'm really just here for lunch—"
The crowd chanted:
"KAZU-KI! KAZU-KI! KAZU-KI!"
A small child gave him a headband that read "Broth and Justice."
He wept internally.
✦
Meanwhile, in the City Guard Headquarters
Tala sipped tea.
A panicked guard ran in. "Ma'am! There's a protest in Noodle Alley!"
She raised an eyebrow. "And?"
"They're following Kazuki-sama again."
She dropped her teacup.
✦
The Speech Kazuki Didn't Mean to Give
He was pushed back on the crate.
"Tell us what to do, Hero!" someone called.
"Y-You deserve fair stew-port," he stammered. "I mean, support—"
Applause.
"Boiling over isn't fair. Everyone should get rest… and pick their own toppings!"
Wild cheers.
"Also, Smile says it's illegal to punish people for seasoning to taste!"
More wild cheers.
Smile jiggled, holding up a "Power to the Parsley People" flag.
✦
Then the Manager Threw a Chair
CRASH!
"This is madness!" he roared. "You think you can take my staff?!"
Kazuki ducked. "I think we were just taking lunch?!"
The cook pulled off his apron dramatically.
"WE QUIT!"
Then the cooks stormed out, following Hayate, who screeched in support like a feathery battle trumpet.
✦
The Aftermath
Kazuki sat on a bench, slurping instant noodles Tala handed him.
"So… let me get this straight," she said.
"You left to eat noodles…"
"Uh-huh."
"…accidentally sparked a worker's revolt…"
"I guess."
"…and now half the food stalls are forming a co-op guild with you as their mascot?"
Kazuki slumped. "Why does this keep happening?!"
Smile wore an apron and chef's hat.
Hayate handed him a protest badge.
Tala gave him the side-eye. "Did you name the guild?"
Kazuki nodded glumly. "United Noodle Front."
✦
Back at the Fortress
Aurelis trained with magical weights.
Sweat glistened on his brow.
A courier bird dropped a letter.
He opened it.
"Kazuki has founded a revolutionary food union."
The scroll burst into noodles.
He screamed into the snow.