"Auntie Eiko, I'm counting on you to look after Mitsuri."
In front of a mansion that clearly cost a fortune to build, a well-groomed middle-aged man scratched his head. He looked somewhat embarrassed as he spoke to the stout woman standing before him.
Hiding behind the man was a young girl who appeared incredibly timid. She kept her head low, not daring to speak or even glance at the woman. Her ears were perked up, though, as she listened intently to the conversation.
The woman the man called Auntie Eiko couldn't help but let a bitter smile flicker across her lips. However, it vanished as quickly as it had appeared, staying hidden from the man's view.
She replied warmly, "Don't you worry. After all, I've watched Mitsuri grow up since she was a little girl. I'll definitely find her a suitable husband. Just leave it to me. Everyone knows that I, Eiko, am the most capable matchmaker in this entire region. As long as I'm on the case, there isn't a girl for miles around who stays unmarried."
"Yes, yes, I know your reputation well, Auntie Eiko. That's why I've come to trouble you," the man nodded repeatedly, his expression turning solemn. "Mitsuri... I'm really, really counting on you. I'll make sure you're handsomely compensated afterward."
"Rest assured, I won't gamble with my professional reputation."
After several more rounds of reassurances, Auntie Eiko finally convinced him. But as soon as he departed, the bitter smile returned, impossible to hide.
To be honest, this was the most difficult job she had taken in over twenty years of matchmaking. In this city and the surrounding area, who didn't know that the Kanroji family had an eldest daughter with a monstrous appetite? One meal for her was equivalent to what ten grown men would eat.
That wasn't even the half of it. When she was only one year old, she could easily lift a thirty-pound pickling stone. The news hadn't just shocked the Kanroji family; it had spread through the entire city.
A huge appetite might have been manageable. The Kanroji family wasn't exactly legendary nobility, but they were quite wealthy. If they found a family of equal status, they could afford to feed her even if she ate as much as thirty people. Furthermore, Kanroji Mitsuri was beautiful and had a healthy, bountiful figure—the kind of girl elders from prestigious families usually preferred for the sake of continuing the bloodline.
The real problem was her strength, which far exceeded that of a normal human. Although the country was beginning to feel the influence of Western culture due to recent reforms, the deeply rooted traditional patriarchy wasn't something that could be erased so easily.
Under these circumstances, what man would want to marry a woman far stronger than himself? To some men, that was an outcome more humiliating than death itself.
As Auntie Eiko pondered her options, she suddenly spotted a man standing nearby who looked as if he had been perfectly sculpted. He had black hair, dark eyes, and wore clothes made of a fabric she had never even seen before. He carried himself with an extraordinary aura, radiating a sense of confidence that suggested he would never bow his head for a mere paycheck.
Most importantly, she had lived in this city for over forty years and had never seen or heard of a family with a son like this. He was strikingly handsome, seemingly from a good background, and—most crucially—he was an outsider who likely hadn't heard the rumors about Kanroji Mitsuri.
He's the one!
Eiko's eyes lit up. She immediately marched up to the young man with short black hair and asked, "Young man, do you want a wife?"
"Huh?"
The young man blinked and looked at her. She thought she saw his lip twitch slightly.
This young man was Su Yan, who had just crossed over into this world. He shook his head and rejected her immediately. "Sorry, I'm not looking for a sugar mommy."
He turned to leave without a hint of hesitation.
"Wait! Don't go! You've got it all wrong! I'm not talking about myself—"
Seeing his firm refusal, Auntie Eiko realized he had misunderstood something, though she didn't know what he meant by his strange remark. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. If she were twenty or thirty years younger and had met such a fine young man, she might have actually considered it herself. But she was old enough to be his mother now.
She rushed forward to stop him, launching into a frantic explanation. After a great deal of effort, she finally convinced him of her actual profession. Once the air was cleared, she saw the young man breathe a visible sigh of relief. She chose not to point it out.
As for Su Yan, once he understood her goal, he thought this might be an interesting experience.
A blind date in another world. This could be fun.
Auntie Eiko suggested, "How about this, young man? Go have a seat in that ramen shop up ahead. I'll go fetch the girl and bring her to you, okay?"
She didn't even ask for Su Yan's details or his name. She was simply that desperate. If a high-quality candidate like him slipped through her fingers, the Kanroji girl might truly be hopeless.
"Sure," Su Yan agreed.
It was still early, and there was no rush to explore this world yet. Perhaps it was because of his experience two years ago when he had just arrived in the world of Highschool of the Dead and was immediately picked up by Marikawa Shizuka, but he had a feeling that this sudden encounter might lead to some unexpected rewards.
"Then it's a deal. Wait for me in that ramen shop. Don't you dare run off!"
Su Yan gave her an OK hand gesture. To put her mind at ease, he slowly walked into the ramen shop under her watchful gaze and picked a seat by the window.
About half an hour later, Auntie Eiko walked in, panting as she dragged a girl along.
"You two... talk first. I'm going to get some water... I'm exhausted," Auntie Eiko said, leaving the girl behind as she went to catch her breath.
Su Yan politely invited the girl to sit. "Please, have a seat."
He narrowed his eyes slightly, observing the girl who seemed quite fidgety. He was inwardly surprised. The girl wasn't ugly at all; in fact, she was exceptionally beautiful. She had smooth black hair and striking light green eyes. Below each eye was a small, charming beauty mark.
More importantly, beneath her modest clothes was a figure that rivaled even Saeko's. It was the kind of bountiful figure where looking down meant losing sight of one's own feet. However, she was hunched over with her head bowed, looking incredibly shy.
Why would a girl like this ever need a matchmaker?
"Um... my—my name is Kanroji Mitsuri. It's a pleasure to meet you," the girl said, bowing stiffly.
"Hello, I'm—"
Su Yan was about to introduce himself when he froze. Realization dawned on him, and the words slipped out. "Wait... did you say your name is Kanroji Mitsuri?"