At a small sweets stall, Su Ran picked up a skewer of sanshoku dango.
"Wanna try?"
He held it up to the Raiden Shogun's lips.
"…It'll cause tooth decay."
If it were Ei, she would've already snatched three skewers with both hands.
But the Shogun wasn't the type to enjoy sweets.
"In a dream, you're worried about cavities?
That sounds a bit absurd.
Go on—taste it."
At his urging—and the stall owner's hopeful gaze— the Shogun finally took a bite.
"The flavor… is a little strange."
Of course she'd think that.
As a puppet forged by Ei, the Shogun had never tasted human food in her life.
Ei loved sweets, true—
but she hadn't eaten anything personally in centuries, and last time she tasted sweets, she wasn't even in the same body as the Shogun.
To the Shogun, food was an entirely foreign concept.
"Strange" was her first evaluation.
The stall owner instantly broke into a cold sweat.
The Raiden Shogun hadn't said it tasted good.
She hadn't even said it tasted normal.
If word spread, his business might collapse instantly.
Dango Milk had become a sensation because the Shogun liked it—
so how did his dango end up with… "strange"?
"You try it."
The Shogun pushed the remaining two dumplings directly into Su Ran's mouth.
"…It's actually pretty good."
It was sweeter than he expected, but the flavor wasn't bad at all.
No wonder Ei liked sweets so much.
"Then this item… must be worth its price."
Only after hearing Su Ran's reaction did the Shogun finally understand:
The "strange" sensation she felt was what humans called tasty.
She had been created for governance, not living.
Now, having gained her own consciousness, she was experiencing the world for the first time like a true thinking being.
But the constraints Ei once placed on her—
to ensure she never deviated from Eternity—
were harsh and numerous.
Even her thought processes had been restricted.
No wonder she couldn't empathize.
No wonder Inazuma had fallen into that state.
The fault lay largely with Ei.
At last, hearing Su Ran's positive review, the stall owner nearly wept with relief.
After the Shogun's stroll, Inazuma's streets buzzed louder than ever.
Stall owners peeked over from every direction, hoping—praying—
that the Shogun would stop by to taste their food as well.
Her influence was unparalleled.
If she took two bites, the dish would sell out for a month.
If she walked the streets more often, Inazuma's entire circulation of Mora would accelerate.
Even the arrogant nobles wouldn't dare oppress common folk while she watched.
Sensing her people's hopes, the Shogun silently understood what she should do from now on.
…Which also meant Yoimiya's wallet was doomed.
As owner of Naganohara Fireworks, Yoimiya was comfortable among commoners—
but that didn't make her wealthy.
Within minutes, her Mora was gone.
Soon, she was signing IOUs as though she were buying fireworks wholesale.
Stall owners tried to refuse the payment, of course.
Having the Shogun taste their food was honor enough.
But Yoimiya insisted— to her, covering the bill was part of the experience.
And seeing the Shogun interact warmly—well, neutrally—
with the citizens of Inazuma made Yoimiya's heart glow.
If the Shogun understood her people better, perhaps the Vision Hunt Decree, the Sakoku Decree— perhaps none of that would ever happen again.
Even if she went broke, she smiled radiantly.
Ayaka watched with concern.
"If your Mora runs out… we could put it on the Kamisato account instead."
Though the Kamisato Clan had declined in power, its foundation was still formidable.
"…Then I'll trouble you, Ayaka."
Yoimiya's gratitude was sincere.
"It's nothing.
After all, we share the same wish."
Yes—wanting the Shogun to understand the hearts of her people.
But Ayaka had a tiny… personal reason too.
She didn't want Yoimiya to accumulate too many "good impressions"
in front of Su Ran.
She feared that little by little, her own presence in his eyes might fade.
When the dream finally ended, she would no longer have the chance to serve and accompany Su Ran each day like she did when the Shogun was still absent.
Ayaka found herself reminiscing about those early days—
when she didn't understand him, was even a little afraid of him.
But it had been a special time.
A life completely unlike her noble upbringing.
A memory carved deeper than she expected.
Now…
she felt herself being pushed to the side little by little.
No wonder she felt defensive about Yoimiya.
Because Yoimiya's position now was very similar to what hers once was.
Ayaka simply—
wanted to be someone Su Ran noticed.
Someone he cared about.
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