Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red/Mystia

Page 58-59

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Article and Interview: Mokou

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Article and Interview: Wriggle

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Article

Illustration by Genji Asai.

第百二十季　神無月の一三	Season 120, Kannazuki issue #13 (est. 2005/11/02 ~ 2005/12/02)
夜雀が経営する新商売が好調	Night Sparrow's Promising New Operation
焼き鳥食べるなら焼き八目鰻	Grilled eel as a substitute for grilled chicken
最近、夜雀が始めた新商売が好調だ。その商売とは、焼鳥屋ならぬ焼き八目鰻屋である。人通りの少ない夜の道、突然現れる紅い提灯の屋台。その紅い灯りに誘われてふらりふらりと暖簾をくぐると、そこは焼き鳥屋ではなく焼き八目鰻屋だ。この一風変わった料理は変わった物好きの幻想郷の間で話題になっている。	Recently, a night sparrow has started a profitable new business. Rather than operating a yakitori stand selling grilled chicken, she has opened one selling grilled lamprey eels. One day, a red-lantern stand suddenly appeared on a road that few people travel at night. Lured by the inviting lights, visitors will not find yakitori through the shop's curtain, but skewered lamprey eel grilled to perfection. This peculiar fare is widely discussed among those with a love for the curious.
この屋台を出しているのは、ミスティア・ローレライさん（夜雀）だ。ミスティアさんは紅提灯から焼き鳥を撲滅すべく、この新商売を始めたという。昔から八目鰻は鳥目に効くと言われ、重宝されてきた。また反対にこの道を夜歩いた者は、鳥目になることも多いという。その為、この道を通って鳥目になった者がそのままこの屋台に駆け込んだり、最初から予防の為に一杯やってから、という客が多い。	The stand's operator is Ms. Mystia Lorelei (night sparrow). She started her business in an effort to drive red-light stalls selling yakitori out of business. It has long been thought that lamprey was good for night-blindness, making it a delicacy. However, it's said that the people who walk the road in which her stand is located become night-blind. For that reason, many of the people who take that road and become night-blind rush into the shop, and others come in to prevent such a thing from happening in the first place. These make up a great deal of her customers.
ミスティアさんはこう語る。	Mystia said the following:
「夜の屋台の定番が焼き鳥ってのはおかしいわよねぇ。もっと二重に美味しい食べ物だってあると思うの。二重って味と商売的って事ね。で、考えたんだけど、この辺は鳥目のお客さんが多いじゃない、っていうか私が人間を鳥目にしているんだけどー。だとしたら鳥目に効く八目鰻は人気出るんじゃないかなと思ってね。人間を鳥目にして夜まともに歩けなくして、鳥目に映るは提灯の紅い灯り。仕方が無く入ってみると鳥目に効く八目鰻。これって無敵じゃない？」	"It doesn't make any sense to me why most night stands serve yakitori. I think there are other foods that are twice as delicious. That 'twice' also goes for sales. So, I was thinking about how a lot of customers around here are night-blind, although that's mostly because of me. That being the case, I thought that maybe lamprey would be pretty popular. Making humans night-blind makes it hard for them to walk, but in that night-blindness they'll see the red light from the lanterns. Faced with no other choice, they'll come and see that there's lamprey, ready-to-eat and great for night-blindness. It's a foolproof plan!"
また、この店では店主の歌が聴けるサービスもある。お酒が進んだ後でないとまともに聞けないこの歌を聞いてしまうと、もう帰れなくなる位の素晴らしい歌だ。なおこのサービスは拒否出来ない。焼き鳥より焼き八目鰻。これからの新定番となるのかもしれない。私も食してみたが、これはおすすめである。	As extra service, you can listen to the shopkeeper sing. One cannot fully appreciate her song unless they've imbibed plenty of sake. Her voice is so wonderful that no one wants to leave once they've sat down. Also, this extra service cannot be refused. Grilled lamprey eel is superior to grilled chicken. It may set a new standard in late-night snacks from now on. I tried some and found it was quite delicious. I highly recommend it.
（射命丸　文）	(Aya Shameimaru)
＊夜店への問い合わせは、手近な雀ないしは文々。新聞までお気軽にご連絡ください。	*Please feel free to contact any nearby sparrows or the Bunbunmaru Newspaper for enquiries about the night stand.

Interview

Illustration by Chiha Ayami.

Mystia	夜の鳥ぃ、夜の歌ぁ、人は暗夜に灯（てい）を消せぇ～	Bird of the niiight, song of the niiight, humans in the dark will turn off the liiight...
Aya	話の途中ですみません。これ、貴方の事を記事にしましたので持ってきたんですが。	Pardon the interruption, but I have brought the article I wrote on your stand.
Mystia	ん？　そう、そこに置いといて。夜の夢ぇ、夜の紅ぁ～	Huh? Okay, just leave it over there. Dream in the niiight, red in the niiight...
Aya	興味無いのですか――	Are you not interested?
Mystia	人は暗夜に磔を喰らえぇ～　って歌の途中邪魔しないの。	Humans in the dark will be crucifiiied... Don't interrupt when I'm in the middle of a song.
Aya	初めてですよ。自分の事が記事になっているのに全く興味を示さない方は――。	You're the first one who hasn't shown any interest in their own article...
Mystia	歌の方が楽しいじゃない。	I have more fun singing.
Aya	変な歌詞。まぁ良いんですけど、焼き鳥反対なのは私も賛成です。	Those are some odd lyrics. Well, I really don't mind. I agree with your anti-yakitori stance.
Mystia	そうよねぇ。他に食べるもん一杯あるもんねぇ。なのに他の赤提灯では焼き鳥ばっか。やんなっちゃう。	Good. Though there are so many kinds of food, why do all red-lantern stands serve yakitori? How did that happen?
Aya	ところで、八目鰻が鳥目に効くってのは本当なんですか？	By the way, does lamprey really have an effect on night-blindness?
Mystia	そりゃ効くわよ。目が八つもあるんだもん。	Of course, because they have so many eyes.
Aya	八目鰻に目は二つしかありません。目の様に見えるのは鰓（えら）ですよ。あと模様は十四あります。	Lamprey eels only have two eyes; the eye-like patterns are the gills. Also, there are 14 different patterns.
Mystia	え？　でも実際効くんだから問題無いわね。	Really? But if it works, there's no problem.
Aya	まぁそうなんですが。	Well, I suppose.
Mystia	それに、効きが悪ければ私が鳥目を解除して、効いた振りすれば良いだけだもんね。	Plus, if it doesn't work, I can just release them from the night-blindness and pretend it did. That does the trick!
Aya	え？　それって八目鰻の売り上げを騙して上げようとしています？	What? So you're basically swindling your customers?
Mystia	夜の鳥ぃ、夜の歌ぁ～	Bird of the niiight, song of the niiight...
Aya	歌はもう遠慮します。	Enough singing, please.
Mystia	鳥目が治るんだから良いじゃないの。それとも何？　貴方も私たちに喰われた方が良い？	I'm still curing night-blindness either way, so what's the big deal? Or do you want us to be eaten, too?
Aya	貴方は本当に夜雀？	Are you really a night sparrow?
Mystia	人は暗夜に灯を～	Humans in the dark...
Aya	歌はもう良いってば。	I said that's enough!
Mystia	でもね、最近八目鰻が手に入らなくなって困るのよねぇ。	But, I've had a hard time getting more lampreys recently, so I'm a little worried.
Aya	すでにちょっとどころじゃなく季節が外れてますからねぇ。気の早い奴ならもうすぐ冬眠始めますし。	They're already out of season. Some of the more impatient ones are already hibernating.
Mystia	だから今は、八目鰻だけじゃなくて鰻とか泥鰌とかも混ぜて出しています。	That's why I'm serving not only lampreys, but regular eels and loaches.
Aya	もう普通に騙してますね。	That's just blatant deception.
Mystia	でも効くんだから問題無いって言ってるじゃないの。はい、八目鰻の串揚げお待たせ。	But if it works, there's no problem. Didn't I already say that? Here, it's the skewered grilled lamprey you ordered.
Aya	良いですけどね、八目鰻もどきでもどうでも、ってあー！　串揚げの下に敷いてるのは私の新聞ー。折角持ってきたのにー。	Well, I guess it doesn't matter if it's authentic or not as long as it tastes good... Wait! You put a page of my newspaper under it! But I just brought it for you...
Mystia	新聞紙は油を吸うのにちょうど良いからね。重宝してます。	Newspapers absorb oil very well. They're convenient.
Aya	自分の記事ですら気にならないのですか？　なかなかそういう方って居ないんですけど。	Aren't you even interested in your own article? I rarely see anyone that isn't.
Mystia	そんなに小さい文字が並んでいても読めませんて。	I can hardly read those tiny letters.
Aya	もしかして文字の読み書きが出来ない？	Could it be that you can't read any letters at all?
Mystia	そ、そこまでは酷くないわよ。ただ、新聞なんか読んでいる暇があったら歌でも歌った方が良いと思っただけよ。	I-it's not that bad. I mean, I'd much rather sing a song to waste time than read a newspaper.
Aya	少しは活字も読みましょう。鳥頭がますます鳥頭になってしまいます。	You should read more. Otherwise, you'll just become more and more of a birdbrain.

Profile

ミスティア　ローレライ	Mystia Lorelei
歌声で人間の判断能力を鈍らせる夜雀。また、人間を鳥目にするとも出来る。	Night sparrow whose singing can hinder human judgment and cause night blindness.
出演作：『東方永夜抄』『東方花映塚』	Appearances: Imperishable Night, Phantasmagoria of Flower View

Notes

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Article and Interview: Mokou

Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red

Article and Interview: Wriggle

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