After breakfast, Satoru changed into casual clothes and left the school by climbing over the wall.
Although he could leave anytime using the 1st Division's token, as a law-abiding model student, Satoru felt he shouldn't abuse his privileges.
Thinking this, he couldn't help but sigh.
If Yamamoto knew how noble he was, unswayed by the temptations of power, he'd surely be very pleased.
Using his superb Shunpo skills, Satoru easily slipped into Seireitei.
Without his school uniform, even if people saw him along the way, they paid no special attention.
Following the clean, orderly streets, he soon reached his destination.
The 12th Division barracks.
Due to the recent attack incident, there were noticeably more Shinigami patrolling around the 12th Division.
But for a true master, no number of foot soldiers makes a difference.
With a flash, Satoru leaped lightly past all patrols.
Arriving at a door, he reached out and knocked gently.
Seconds later, the sliding door was pulled open abruptly.
Inside, Kirio Hikifune sat cross-legged on the floor with a book on her lap, a teacup and snacks beside her.
Seeing Satoru, she showed a somewhat surprised expression.
"I was wondering who had sneaked in, and it turns out to be you, young man."
Kirio smiled and patted the tatami mat beside her. "Come, sit!"
Satoru gave a slight bow before entering the room and sitting cross-legged opposite Kirio.
As he settled in, his eyes casually glanced at the book resting on Kirio's lap.
It appeared to be a publication about culinary recipes.
So this powerful and stylish captain of the 12th Division had a passion for gourmet food?
Noticing Satoru's gaze, Kirio perked up with interest.
She picked up the book and showed it to him.
"Hey, young man, look at this! It's a Western publication from the living world, all about various gourmet recipes~"
"I had someone retrieve it from the living world and used special techniques to convert the physical copy into reishi form so it could be brought back to the Seireitei. That's how we can read it here."
"This is the only copy in the entire Soul Society, a true rarity~"
Hearing this, Satoru's expression turned curious.
"Let me see."
He reached out and took the book from Kirio.
After flipping through a few pages, his eyes took on a subtle look.
The book mainly featured various Western-style pastries.
Likely due to the era's limitations, the recipes were all very simple and basic.
There were almost no mentions of the high-end pastries that required sophisticated equipment and ingredients.
To Kirio Hikifune, these recipes might seem impressive, but to Satoru—who had frequented food channels and followed tutorials to make pastries in his previous life—the content was downright elementary.
Seemingly detecting the disdain in Satoru's eyes, Kirio assumed he didn't care for Western pastries.
"Don't underestimate these Western pastries! They're absolutely delicious when made properly!"
Watching the slightly flustered Kirio, Satoru suddenly had an idea.
Holding the recipe book, he asked, "Captain Hikifune, do you have the cooking utensils needed to make these?"
Kirio blinked in surprise, then nodded. "I had a batch custom-made not long ago. They just arrived a couple of days ago."
"What about ingredients?" Satoru pressed.
"I've prepared some of those too. I was actually planning to try making them today," she replied.
Satoru nodded in satisfaction.
"Good. In that case, no time like the present. Let's get started."
"Captain Hikifune, I'll show you what real dessert craftsmanship looks like!"
Seeing Satoru's confident demeanor, Kirio was a bit puzzled.
Did Satoru know how to make Western pastries?
In this era, Japan had only just begun interacting with the West.
Most commoners had never even seen such things, let alone made them.
But Satoru didn't seem like he was about to fool around.
After a moment's thought, she simply nodded and led him to her secret little kitchen.
Lately, she'd been entertaining a new idea.
If Satoru could really come up with better recipes, it would be greatly beneficial to her.
Standing before the kitchen counter, Satoru couldn't help but admire the setup.
As expected of the 12th Division captain—the scale was truly impressive.
Each piece of cookware would be considered a rare exhibit in Edo-period Japan.
But to Satoru, who had come from the modern era, none of this was particularly special.
Under Kirio's watchful gaze, he began working with practiced ease.
"O Great Sister, Big Bowl of Iron, Soft Cuisine, bestow upon me your strength!!"
Watching Satoru skillfully wield various Western kitchen utensils, Kirio Hikifune finally began to believe that this young man truly knew how to make Western pastries.
Before starting, Satoru had actually felt a bit unsure, worried that without high-tech assistance, his skills might decline.
But once he got going, he realized that with Aizen's shared spiritual pressure and his fine control techniques, using Kidō to heat things was even more reliable than an oven.
Soon, under Satoru's hands, one pastry after another emerged.
Chiffon cake, soft European bread, garlic butter baguette, soufflé, macarons...
Faced with these delicacies, Kirio couldn't help but grow excited.
Picking up a warm soufflé and taking a bite, her eyes sparkled with delight.
Under Satoru's gaze, Kirio initially maintained her elegance, savoring each bite slowly.
But as she ate, her pace gradually quickened.
Gradually, Satoru's expression turned peculiar.
The pastries he'd made were enough to satisfy two or three people.
Considering how rich they were, they could probably feed five or six.
Yet, to his surprise, Kirio devoured everything single-handedly in just over ten minutes...
Watching her pat her flat stomach contentedly, Satoru couldn't help but entertain a slightly mischievous thought.
If she kept eating like this, she'd probably gain weight soon.
Just as this crossed his mind, Kirio suddenly vanished from his sight.
Satoru instinctively tensed, preparing for an attack.
But then, she reappeared right in front of him.
To his astonishment, she suddenly bowed deeply—
"Young man... no, Master! Please take me as your disciple!!"
"This is I, Kirio Hikifune, making the request of a lifetime!!"
Satoru: "???"
Staring at the deeply bowing Kirio Hikifune, he felt a sense of surrealism.
She was, after all, the esteemed captain of Squad 12, one of the strongest Shinigami in Soul Society second only to Yamamoto. Was she really going to such lengths just to learn cooking?
Amused, he shook his head. "Captain Hikifune, it's just pastry-making. No need for this. If you like, I can teach you more. But in exchange—"
"No, this isn't merely about cooking!"
Kirio Hikifune straightened up, her gaze resolute.
"This concerns the crucial decision of what path of cultivation I'll follow for the next several hundred years!"
"For me, whether I can create truly delicious cuisine determines my future, my very life!"
"Master Satoru! Please take me as your disciple!!"
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