Chapter 61

"Edo's seafood is the best, Taizei."

"The sake flows best, doesn't it?"

"We shouldn't drink too much, though."

"Well, we're all busy, after all..."

"Try your best, Taizei."

"My lord, I earnestly request more personnel..."

Kouki, who controlled Kanto and was currently busy with its maintenance, was holding a banquet in his spare time. None of the current Shinchi family retainers were free. Many were working overtime, and he had organized this kind of consolation party for them. Family members could also participate, but that part was being hosted by Kyouko separately.

Kouki and the others were holding a banquet on a ship off the coast of Edo, enjoying sake and food. The ship was a special one built to host banquets on board, and smaller yachts were also being constructed and mass-produced according to Seiki's design.

Once these were operational, they planned to hold smaller, more regular banquets while enjoying the scenery from the yachts.

"The sake is the best, the food is the best. What a wonderful banquet this is."

Muto Kibei, who was attending such an event for the first time, was thoroughly satisfied with the luxurious food and sake.

"Yes, it's good that it's not too formal."

Shima Seiko was gulping down Shinchi-produced sake. The sake brewery was moving from Shinchi to Kanto, so he was stockpiling sake in case production was disrupted for a while.

"Seiko, I don't intend to cause any confusion with the relocation."

"Ahaha! I'm enjoying free sake for that reason, Lord Seiki!"

Seiko frankly told Seiki, who rarely attended banquets, about his scheme. Seiko loved sake, but his wife would get angry if he bought too much, so such occasions were a big opportunity for him.

"My wife has been well-educated by Lady Kyouko. I can't drink too much. But even she is enjoying the banquet hosted by Lady Kyouko today."

"That kind of banquet isn't for Seiko. There's a lot of sweet stuff."

Kyouko's women's gathering (laughs) featured not only delicious but also stylish dishes, desserts, tea, coffee, and cocktails, creating an atmosphere that was hard for men of this era to approach.

Seiko, who didn't particularly like sweet things, found it too challenging. Besides, no adult men were invited anyway.

"Men are happier with this kind of banquet."

"There's no need to force everyone to join together."

Seiki firmly stated that sometimes it's better for men and women to have their own gatherings.

"The young ones are busy eating..."

Young retainers in their teens and twenties were lining up at the serving corner. The food was served buffet-style, allowing them to freely choose what they liked. Various dishes from Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisines were available, with popular items including hand-made soba from Shinshu, fresh pasta, dumplings, and other dim sum, whole roasted pork, roast chicken, and tempura made with fresh Edo seafood, and Edo-style sushi with their favorite toppings, which had long lines.

"Edo is a treasure trove of abundant seafood. Prawns, conger eels, perch, whitebait, greenlings, and silver fish are all available in large quantities for tempura."

Other ingredients, not from Edo, included clams, squid, chicken, pork, sweet potatoes, and various vegetables and mountain vegetables, all prepared in large quantities. The smell of tempura fried in sesame oil tempted everyone's appetite.

"I've also prepared a lot of seafood for the sushi toppings."

Flatfish, flounder, sea bream, snapper, tuna, bonito, striped jack, yellowtail, gizzard shad, sardines, mackerel, clams, scallops, abalone, oysters, mussels, clams, scallops, shrimp, prawns, crabs, squid, octopus, eels, and whitebait were all prepared in large quantities.

Not all were from Edo, but a lot of ingredients were brought in with the help of the Tsuda navy for this day. Among them, salmon roe, sea urchin, and salmon from Ezo were particularly popular.

Other standard items like tamagoyaki (egg omelet) and cucumber were also prepared.

"The young ones are trying to eat everything. I really envy them."

"Seiko, you're not that old yet."

"Once you're over thirty, you can't push yourself like before."

"I'm over thirty too."

"Lord Seiki looks young and enviable."

Seiki, being from a super-future, looked much younger than people of this era. He came from a world with an average lifespan of ninety years, and the anti-aging effects were a part of everyday life in the super-future.

"But once you're over thirty, you start to feel old. When I was a kid, I couldn't even imagine myself being over thirty."

"That's true. By the way, I don't see Lord's figure..."

"Maybe he's in line for sushi?"

As Seiki and Seiko searched for Kouki, they found him talking to a child.

"A child?"

"Probably an assistant to the cook."

Many were training to be cooks in the Shinchi family, and many of these were children from poor families. The pay was low, but they were provided meals and could take leftover food home, so many poor children worked as apprentices.

"Is the boy from a samurai family? What's his name?"

"Yes, I am Ii Masahide. The Imagawa, Tokugawa, Takeda, and Shinchi families have taken over Faru due to war, and my Ii family has lost our territory in Ii Valley, and all our retainers have left."

"I see."

Kouki thought the child, who was only about ten years old, spoke in a remarkably mature manner. Although Kouki didn't think he was good at reading people, he felt this child might become a great person.

"What about the boy's family?"

"Just my mother."

"Isn't life difficult?"

"No, we're not poor. I work as an apprentice here, and my mother does sewing work."

In Shinchi, there was a sewing workshop for widows and other women. This was being expanded and relocated to Edo, and skilled women earned more than men, making it a popular workplace for women.

"I see, so the boy wants to become a cook to make his mother's life easier?"

"My mother is not my biological mother, but she has always protected me. I want to become a full-fledged cook and make her life easier."

"Great, boy."

Kouki, who wasn't usually a teary person, was moved to tears by the earnestness of this boy named Masahide. At the same time, he had a question.

"Do you want to become a full-fledged cook? Or do you want to be something else?"

"Um, not exactly..."

Masahide hesitated to answer Kouki's question. He might be considering the feelings of the cook he was working for. The cook himself was busy making sushi.

"Masahide, speak your mind honestly. If you say it's Lord Tsuda's order, can you say it?"

"Yes... I want to revive the Ii family for my mother."

Masahide looked straight at Kouki and spoke his will with dignity. Even in an era where people lived fast, it was rare for a child of his age to do so, and Kouki decided.

"Masahide, I'll hire you. Starting tomorrow, you'll be Taro's attendant."

"Taro-sama's?"

"I think he's excellent, but he's a bit absent-minded. He needs some external stimulation from time to time."

Thus, Ii Masahide was hired by Kouki and became Taro's attendant until he grew up.

"Father is doing something unusual. Well, it's fine... Good luck, Masahide."

"Yes, I will serve the young master with all my heart and soul."

"Juro, a very serious boy has joined us."

"He'll get used to it, right?"

Taro, who suddenly had a new attendant from his father, accepted him without much fuss, just like his father.

Later, Masahide, after diligent efforts, would become the head of the Ii family and revive the family.

"A banquet? It's a bit unfortunate that the timing was off."

A few days after the banquet, Hashiba Hideyoshi visited Edo to see Kouki from Kai. He came to greet Kouki, who had been relocated, and to pay for the treatment of parasitic diseases, concrete, agricultural machinery, and construction tools with gold and silver. Hideyoshi brought a large number of bags filled with gold and silver to Kouki.

"Is this much okay?"

"It's fine. Currently, gold and silver mines are increasing production. In fact, I've acquired some good talent."

"Um, Tsuchiya Changan?"

"Now, he's using my old surname, Kinoshita Changan. He's knowledgeable about finance and mining, which has made it possible to increase gold production."

The bags of gold and silver in front of them were the result of his efforts.

"I see, I've received it. By the way, are you staying overnight?"

"Yes, I would like to."

Hideyoshi decided to stay overnight in Edo Castle before returning to Kai. Kouki prepared Edo-style sushi and tempura for dinner to entertain him.

"I see, you can eat fresh fish raw because you're close to the sea. Fresh fish is also delicious cooked. What a feast."

Hideyoshi was enjoying the tempura and sushi.

"Hey! Kotasuke and Ichimatsu! Show some restraint!"

Hideyoshi had brought two young boys, Kotasuke and Ichimatsu, who had previously called Kyouko 'auntie.' They were moved by the taste of tempura and sushi, which they had never eaten before, and were repeatedly asking for more, getting scolded by Hideyoshi.

"Well, it's not every day. Young people should eat a lot."

"I'm sorry. I think they have a promising future, but their manners are still..."

"Those things will come naturally with time."

While Kouki and Hideyoshi were talking, Kotasuke and Ichimatsu were focused on their food.

"This is delicious. Ichimatsu, I've already eaten fifty pieces of sushi."

"Kotasuke, I've eaten fifty-five pieces."

"Wow, you eat a lot."

Taro and Juro, who were also present, were amazed by the two big eaters.

"I can't eat that much."

"Neither can we, young master."

Taro and the other attendants weren't that hungry and were mindful of their diet to avoid obesity, as Kyouko had advised. So, they had no intention of competing with Kotasuke and Ichimatsu.

Except for one person...

"Hmph! I've already eaten sixty pieces."

"Really? Masahide?"

Among Taro's attendants, Ii Masahide, who had been recognized by Kouki, was the only exception, eating more sushi than the two and taking a provocative stance.

"Good job, kid."

"I'm not a kid. I'll grow up soon."

Facing a pile of empty plates, a scene of Kotasuke and Ichimatsu versus Masahide unfolded.

"Young master..."

"By the way, Masahide is really competitive, isn't he?"

As Taro's attendant, Masahide spent more time studying, competing in martial arts, and sports. As a classmate, Masahide always aimed to be the best. When he lost to someone, he would secretly train to take the top spot.

Kyouko praised, "Masahide is really motivated," and Taro and the others respected his effort. However, they felt he should ease up a bit, as he tried to be the best in everything, from the number of dango eaten at a teahouse to games and fishing.

"Even in the amount of sushi eaten, it's not good for the Tsuda family to lose to the Hashiba family. Young master, leave it to me."

"Um... don't overdo it..."

After their interactions, Taro knew it was futile to stop him, so he encouraged Masahide to try his best.

"We can't back down. Flounder and salmon roe!"

"Right, let's continue the competition! I'll have ten pieces of tuna!"

"I'll have horse mackerel and sardines."

The sushi-eating competition resumed, and Kotasuke, Ichimatsu, and Masahide kept ordering and eating sushi.

"I've eaten seventy pieces!"

"Seventy-five pieces!"

"I've eaten seventy-seven pieces."

The competition was intense, and Hideyoshi apologized to Kouki.

"I'm sorry about my Kotasuke and Ichimatsu."

"Actually, it was Masahide who started the competition..."

Kouki felt a bit guilty since Masahide had initiated the challenge.

"Ninety-eight pieces! I can't eat any more..."

"Kotasuke! Put in some effort! Ninety-nine pieces..."

"I win. One hundred pieces!"

The sushi-eating competition ended with a narrow victory for Masahide.

"Young master, I did it!"

"Wow... well done. Take some stomach medicine."

Taro, who didn't really care about winning or losing such a competition, had to praise Masahide for his effort.

"Lord Tsuda, that Masahide might be a great talent."

"Ah! If Lord Hashiba, who is good at reading people, says so, then my judgment in selecting him was correct."

This was the story of Ii Naomasa, who would later become a senior retainer in Taro's era and eventually Ii Naotora.

"Sadatsugu, I want to eat Edo-style sushi..."

"Right..."

"Since Saru is in Kai, it's close to Edo, which is good."

"Indeed."

And in Azuchi, there was a lord suffering from a sudden craving for Edo-style sushi.