Kaito loved drinking tea. Perhaps it was because Kaito was from the Canton region?
For this reason, when everyone went to Asakusa, Kie specifically bought the most famous and best tea leaves.
Unfortunately, after tasting it, she found it inferior to the slightly better tea that Akina had let her sample.
Later, when Kaito left for the Demon Slayer Corps' headquarters, Kamado Kie sought Akina's help again, asking if she could obtain even better and more prestigious tea leaves.
Akina, understanding Kie's intentions, used her connections that same day. She personally went to China to acquire those tea leaves, along with some very precious liquor.
Just buying these items cost nearly ten million cash, several times the market price, and only because the seller had that limited amount. Otherwise, Akina could have bought even more.
Acquiring these items took considerable effort on Akina's part. Normally, such tea leaves were impossible to buy. She managed it thanks to her other resources.
She had just sent them via gift to Kie when Kaito returned.
Thus...
The tea Kie was now carefully brewing for Kaito was the one Akina had bought.
She was also practicing the somewhat unfamiliar Gongfu tea ceremony, finally placing the cup before Kaito.
"..." Kaito looked down at the teacup, the liquid inside, and the aroma. He immediately realized this tea was not from this era.
Even the tea leaves bought in Asakusa couldn't produce such a fragrance.
So...
Where did this tea come from?
Considering Kie had the best relationship with Akina, Kaito realized that Kie might have asked her for help.
"Sigh..."
He raised the cup and took a gentle sip.
'Mm...'
'It was fragrant!'
He looked at the tea's color, then closed his eyes to savor the aftertaste.
It was Golden Melon Tribute Tea!
And not just ordinary Golden Melon Tribute Tea, but a very top-grade variety!!
As far as Kaito knew, the most famous top-grade Golden Melon Tribute Tea, if authentic, cost around 350,000 yuan per 100 grams?
It was said to hold the title of the most expensive tea in Pu-erh history.
But...
Wasn't this tea, like Wuyi Mountain Da Hong Pao, not for sale?
How did Akina obtain it?
"This tea is excellent!"
Hot sniff: the aroma was significantly rich and pure.
Cold sniff: the fragrance was long-lasting, with a sweet, refreshing scent.
The tea soup was golden and lustrous, with a rich ginseng and jujube flavor.
The liquid was smooth, silky, and rich mellow.
Tasting this tea felt like savoring life itself, with indescribable joy and excitement.
After finishing this cup, Kaito reluctantly came back to his senses.
Since everyone in his family drank tea, especially the older generation, Kaito had grown to love it too.
Well, initially, he learned to present tea as a child, then started drinking a little himself. Getting familiar with the elders, he naturally drank more tea.
After all, most people from Canton enjoy tea, especially those from a particular city. They were practically inseparable from tea, even brewing a cup in the car while driving.
"Mrs. Kamado, you went to a lot of trouble."
Kaito expressed his sincere gratitude to Kie.
First, she had prepared this surprise to cater to his preferences. Even with Akina's help, could her earlier effort of buying the most expensive tea in Asakusa be dismissed?
And this tea was, without a doubt, the best and most expensive tea he had ever tasted.
It made him realize that despite his wealth and power now, he hadn't thought about such things.
For instance, he liked drinking tea, but only bought it at higher prices or drank it elsewhere.
But this tea...
This was truly a first for him!
Fortunately, he had tasted Golden Melon Tribute Tea costing a few thousand yuan per 100 grams before, so he could immediately identify it.
In short, he truly received Kie's feelings.
Just like this tea, mellow and sweet.
That indescribable emotion lingered in Kaito's mouth.
"I'm glad you like it. I have a few more portions; you can take them back."
"No... keep them here. When I want tea, you can brew it for me. That would be fine."
Kie quickly understood the implication of those words.
Understanding made her blush even more.
"Alright... I understand."
After saying this, Kie refilled Kaito's cup. After finishing that pot of tea, Kaito took her to the Jade Chamber.
There was no need to explain how wonderful the Jade Chamber was.
After strolling with her there, they soaked in the Jade Chamber's open-air hot spring.
Then he showed her some bedrooms, mentioning that one would be specifically for Kie to use in the future.
Currently, Kaito couldn't bring her across different worlds, but eventually, he would find a way!
If SS-Class didn't work, then SSS-Class. If SSS-Class didn't work, then EX-Class!!
Strength was a temporary matter. With the EX-Class limiter removed, Kaito would grow stronger every moment.
And this "Spatial Gate" was something he definitely needed to upgrade quickly.
Not just because it was a spatial ability!
"By the way, let me tell you the story of Little Red Riding Hood collecting mushrooms?"
"Story?"
"Yes, indeed."
Kaito smiled slightly and recounted the story.
One day, Little Red Riding Hood went to the mountain to collect mushrooms...
"Huh? Where's Mom?"
At the Kamado Inn, it was now dinner time, but her mother was not inside.
Nezuko looked around curiously, but found that not only was her mother missing, Kaito was also gone.
"Huh? Mitsuri-nee, have you seen my mom?"
"Oh, you mean Mrs. Kamado? No, I haven't seen her. I was resting in my room all afternoon."
After all, she was exhausted. Even with Kaito's help to recover, she was still mentally fatigued. After being shown to her room, she had rested early.
"Is that so? What about Kaito-nii?"
"Husband? I think I understand."
Mitsuri immediately understood the situation. She smiled gently and stroked Nezuko's hair.
"They probably went out for something. So let's not wait for them; we can have dinner ourselves~"