The old man was, as usual, observing how the children were eating.
The Kamisato family was quite similar to little Eula in preferences—they simply disliked greasy food even more than she did. They favored light flavors, though there were still subtle differences among them.
Little Ayaka preferred refined dishes with gentler, purer tastes—for example, stir-fried shrimp or sakura mochi.
Little Ayato, on the other hand, liked refined dishes with more complex flavors—for example, lotus flower crisp.
As for little Sara, she seemed fairly restrained when it came to sweets. When faced with the food on the table, she didn't show that spark of excitement you'd expect when someone encounters their favorite dish.
Hmm… In the future, I should pull little Sara aside for some special midday meals and figure out her tastes. Getting a clear read on this child's stomach should be pretty straightforward.
You could say that studying the stomachs of cute children was one of the old man's rare hobbies. Who knows—he might uncover even more preferences down the line.
Oh, and there was one very special presence.
Lord Shura Anyakonsen-shou's guardian cat, Kirara, also had her own little table, with a special cat meal personally prepared by the old man.
Fish, beast meat, vegetables, seaweed, and rice cooked in the Inazuman style.
It was perfectly tailored to Kirara's tastes. Right now, among everyone present, this cat was clearly the happiest eater.
"Lord Shura Anyakonsen-shou's cooking skills are truly extraordinary…"
The head of the Kamisato family, having sneaked a bite of the children's food, let out an admiring sigh. Though unintentional, the old man noticed that this middle-aged man's palate was quite similar to little Ayato's.
Meanwhile, Madam Kamisato was more like little Eula—she preferred things a bit sweeter, though not quite to Eula's level of sweet-tooth enthusiasm.
"I'm just an ordinary adventurer right now. Let's eat."
The old man didn't pay much attention to the praise from the Kamisato household head. Instead, he kept glancing at little Sara, already thinking about how to arrange special lunches tomorrow to properly gauge her preferences.
Regardless, this dinner passed in an atmosphere of peaceful joy and delicious food.
Afterward, the children expressed their welcome toward little Sara's arrival.
Since they had just finished eating, the kids were all sitting under the small pavilion, resting and chatting about topics typical among children.
"Speaking of which, life in the military camp wasn't actually bad. The food was very reliable, and we even had our own farm…"
"Today Father took me to learn about how middlemen at the seaside make their profits from price differences…"
"Sigh… some of those middlemen are really shady…"
Hmm… it doesn't seem very… childlike at all…
Because of Inazuma's turbulent situation, these children had matured far too early. They were actually enjoying a conversation about such adult topics with real interest.
Little Ayaka watched her older siblings discuss grown-up matters, looking somewhat bewildered and innocent.
In the end, she was picked up by her mother and went off to play with Kirara on the other side…
Kirara, now being thoroughly roughed up by little Ayaka, wore an expression of helpless resignation.
The old man didn't know quite what to say about it. He simply sat with the Kamisato household head on the chairs in the courtyard and began discussing far more adult topics.
"Her Excellency the Raiden Shogun is a good student. Guiding her slowly should be no problem."
"That's good to hear. However, there may be one matter that requires Lord Shura Anyakonsen-shou's attention at the moment."
"What is it?"
"Lord Shura Anyakonsen-shou currently enjoys extremely high standing among the common people, but your public appearances have been too few. Some actions are needed to solidify that position and suppress the trouble caused by certain idiots with problematic minds."
There will always be people with issues in their heads. Although Her Excellency the Raiden Shogun personally granted the position of Shura Anyakonsen-shou,
some will still doubt its legitimacy simply because they haven't witnessed it with their own eyes.
It's not fear of any one person—it's the massive trouble these kinds of people can stir up.
There's a saying that goes something like:
A bad person can rack their brains all day, but a fool can come up with something disastrous in a single flash of inspiration.
"Have you found a suitable target?"
"Yes. The Maguu Kenki."