"Give me three of those Delicious Radish Seeds later. I want to try growing them too."
At the mention of the seeds, Ei became interested.
They were miraculous items comparable to the Gourmet Tablecloth.
And unlike the tablecloth...
The seeds could be replanted over and over again.
Three seeds would be more than enough for her.
"They're my reward."
"If you want them, go draw them yourself from the boss."
The Raiden Shogun rejected her without hesitation.
She still remembered her vow.
One day...
She would eat a skewer of dango in front of Ei...
Then casually throw away another skewer.
Now that she finally had the chance...
She certainly wasn't going to share.
"But I paid for your manga!"
"I don't want many. Just three seeds."
"That's perfectly reasonable, isn't it?"
Ei folded her arms with an unhappy expression.
Forget the fact that she'd created the puppet herself.
She was even the one who had paid the manga fee!
Asking for a few seeds wasn't excessive.
"Oh."
"That's true."
The Raiden Shogun nodded as if suddenly enlightened.
Just as Ei's face brightened...
The Shogun calmly continued, "In that case..."
"I'll have someone deliver you one hundred thousand Mora later."
"...No."
"Two hundred thousand Mora."
"I received such a wonderful reward."
"I should properly thank you."
"Shogun, you..."
Ei twitched helplessly.
Who was this sarcastic person?
Where had her cold, emotionless puppet gone?
Just as she was about to continue arguing...
A voice came from outside.
"Your Excellency."
"A blonde young lady and a floating companion are requesting an audience outside Tenshukaku."
"They claim to be acquaintances of yours."
"Would you like to receive them?"
"A blonde girl... and a floating companion?"
Ei immediately thought of the pair she'd met at the manga shop.
After all...
Blonde girls weren't particularly rare.
Floating companions, however...
Were another story.
"I didn't expect them to arrive in Inazuma so quickly."
With that thought, she replied,
"Escort them to the reception room."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
Ei glanced toward the Plane of Euthymia.
"We'll continue this discussion after I've met the Traveler."
With a light snort...
She left for the reception room.
The disastrous kitchen remained exactly as it was.
Without her orders...
No one dared enter.
Just like the soldier who had only delivered the message from outside.
The Raiden Shogun paid no attention to any of that.
Instead...
Her gaze rested upon the Delicious Radishes growing nearby.
The fruits were already close to ripening.
"They grow quite quickly."
She silently evaluated them.
If they tasted as good as advertised...
She could keep cultivating them indefinitely.
Meanwhile...
It wasn't long before Ei met the Traveler and her floating companion inside the reception room.
"The two of you..."
"I didn't expect we'd meet again in Inazuma so soon."
After sitting down formally, Ei smiled gently.
"We came to tour Inazuma."
"And... sell some carrots while we're here."
Lumine took a sip of tea before explaining.
"...Sell carrots?"
Ei blinked in surprise.
The Traveler visiting Inazuma was perfectly normal.
But...
Selling carrots?
That was a rather unexpected change of pace.
"The boss gave Lumine a magic spell that can create carrots."
"So we thought we'd travel around and earn some Mora at the same time."
Paimon quickly explained.
"I see."
"So you're here to sell carrots to me?"
Ei finally understood their purpose.
"Yes."
"We figured Tenshukaku probably needs quite a lot of carrots."
Lumine hurriedly answered.
She was honestly afraid Paimon might blurt out...
"We're here to fleece a rich customer!"
If that happened...
She had a feeling Paimon would be the one getting fleeced first.
Ei thought quietly for a moment before smiling.
"In that case..."
"Since you can create carrots indefinitely..."
"Why not accept a small position here?"
"Come by periodically and supply Tenshukaku."
"As for the price..."
"We'll purchase them at the highest market rate."
She hadn't proposed this on a whim.
A person capable of endlessly producing carrots...
Was equivalent to a stable food supplier.
For any nation...
That was extremely valuable.
After all...
People had to eat to survive.
Even if the variety was limited.
That alone made the Traveler's ability incredibly important.
Which was precisely why she made the offer.
"Lumine!"
"I think this is a great deal!"
Paimon's eyes lit up immediately.
A long-term supplier meant...
Stable income!
No more sitting in the streets running a vegetable stall!
And she'd even offered the highest market price.
That would definitely earn more than selling them for 200 Mora each.
As expected of the Electro Archon.
So generous.
Much better than a certain someone who couldn't even spare a single Mora.
"I agree."
"I accept."
Lumine felt there was nothing wrong with the arrangement.
She already had the Anywhere Door.
Returning to Inazuma later would be effortless.
A stable source of income like this suited her perfectly.
The group then discussed the details of the carrot supply.
Before long...
A formal agreement had been reached.
"Now that business is settled..."
"We can move on to personal matters."
Putting the agreement aside, Ei smiled warmly at them.
"Personal matters?"
Lumine and Paimon exchanged puzzled glances.
Did the Electro Archon need their help with something?
"As friends..."
"This is your first visit to Inazuma."
"I should properly entertain you."
"Please wait here."
"I'll be back shortly."
She gestured for them to relax before standing and leaving.
Perfect.
This was the ideal chance to show the Traveler her cooking skills.
After the earlier experience of smashing countless pots...
Surely this attempt would go much more smoothly.
"They came here to help you..."
"And your response is to poison them?"
The Raiden Shogun's voice echoed dryly inside her mind.
"How is that poisoning them?"
"I have the Delicious Seasoning now!"
Ei replied confidently.
The Shogun remained unconvinced.
The seasoning only improved the flavor.
It didn't change anything else.
A poison...
Could still taste delicious.
It would remain poison nonetheless.
As for Ei's cooking...
Well...
Those who knew, knew.
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