Although Kirara's transformation was something expected, no matter what, turning into a human form was definitely worth celebrating.
So tonight marked the opening of a welcome party to celebrate Kirara's transformation.
After all, changing to a new form and a new face naturally called for a proper welcome.
Due to the old man's interference, this time the dining table was the large round one from Liyue—symbolizing a family gathered in perfect unity and harmony.
Now, let's introduce the three head chefs hosting this welcome party!
The genius little Kuki Shinobu, who possessed an advanced chef certification; the noble young lady little Eula, heir to a thousand years of Lawrence Clan culinary education; and the legendary adventurer old man Cid, backed by none other than His Excellency Rex Lapis!
What would the feast look like once these three combined their efforts...?
First, little Kuki Shinobu set the tone for tonight's dinner: rice as the staple food!
Then, to showcase her learning results, tonight's Kamisato family dishes were entirely prepared by little Kuki Shinobu.
Since she had taken the chef certification exam in Inazuma, her style leaned heavily toward seafood. And to accommodate Kirara, who had just transformed, she painstakingly processed all the crabs—shelling and extracting the meat. Though her technique was still a bit green, she handled it smoothly and completed the task.
Little Eula, meanwhile, chose to showcase her own specialties. At this point, it was time to unleash the Mondstadt-style desserts. Just watching her incomparably elegant movements made it clear that tonight's dinner would probably leave someone stuffed to bursting.
With the staple food and desserts taken care of, what could old man Cid possibly contribute?
"Mr. Zhongli, this slow-simmered pork, bamboo shoots, and fresh ham stew... by the time this dish is ready to serve, the welcome ceremony will already be over, right?"
Old man Cid was preparing a special version of the stew under the direction of the Geo Archon cat-dragon plushie. At this moment, the plushie looked at the already prepped ingredients ready for simmering and merely made a slight move...
"This time the timeframe really is too short. We can only make do with something approximate."
That was the ingenious Adeptus technique belonging to the Geo Archon Morax!
In an instant, the Geo Archon cat-dragon plushie fully displayed the divine power of Rex Lapis!
Food is the paramount necessity of the people! Delicious meals were the dream of the stove god Marchosius, but eating one's fill should always come first. Making guests wait too long was simply not the way of hospitality. As a friend, how could Morax let the diners down?
Cid looked at the stew that old Mr. Zhongli had whipped up with great fanfare in no time at all and fell silent.
Wasn't this going a bit overboard?
Yet the Geo Archon cat-dragon plushie seemed slightly regretful.
"The essence of slow-simmered pork, bamboo shoots, and fresh ham stew lies in the slow fire and the patience. Though this is a rushed version, the flavor reaches only about eighty to ninety percent of the original...
When you return to Liyue, I'll personally make you a proper one.
Did you remember all the details of the preparation just now? If not, I'll teach you again once you're back in Liyue."
Old man Cid silently nodded. He had remembered everything old Mr. Zhongli had just taught, but turning it into something truly his own...
He would still need a lot more practice.
But right now, the old man was in Inazuma and temporarily had no time to immerse himself in honing his culinary skills.
Mm, no problem. Once everything was dealt with, there would be time.
For now, it was better to enjoy tonight's celebratory banquet...
The old man brought out the grand finale dish of the celebration: slow-simmered (Geo Archon speed-run version) pork, bamboo shoots, and fresh ham stew.
"Hehe, Ayako-sama, when do you plan to start writing the sequel~?"
Kirara, while holding little Ayaka, asked little Ayato beside her.
"Ah, I'll see the reception first... Mm, I'll keep going until it's finished. Tomorrow I'll write."
Little Ayato had originally thought that if not many readers were interested, he could delay it. But then he saw the expectant look in his little sister's eyes as she sat in Kirara's arms.
Alright then. But today was the happy celebration for Kirara's transformation, so there was no time.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow he would definitely write.