After leaving the hotel, Hiiragi Chisato and Akira returned to the Kansei Magis trate's Office, where the kitchen had already prepared a meal.
Akira simply accompanied Hiiragi Chisato to the Kanjo Magistrate's cafeteria, as he also wanted to see what it was like.
When they arrived at the dining hall w here the magistrate was to be appointed, everyone's eyes widened in surprise. They actually saw the Lord in the dining hall!
Even someone of such high status as the Lord would choose to dine here.
Everyone stood up and bowed to Akira: "Greetings, Lord!"
"No need for such formalities, everyone," Akira said, waving his hand.
"Chisato, take me to get some food. I've never been here before," Akira said.
To eat in the cafeteria, you naturally need to show your credentials, but he didn't have any identification.
"Master, you don't need it." Hiiragi Chisato retorted, "Come with me."
With that, Chisato led Akira to the window and asked, "Master, which one would you like to eat?"
"Anything is fine with me, I'll eat with you," Akira said with a smile.
"Then let's have Wakatake-ni (a type of stew)." Hiiragi Chisato led Akira to a crowded area and said, "Our cafeteria's Wakatake-ni is absolutely amazing! It's even better than Uyu-tei's."
"Oh? Then I'll have to give it a good try," Akira said with a smile.
As soon as the two of them reached the queue, the people in line immediately made way for them.
"..." Akira was silent for a moment, but he didn't pretend. He pulled Hiiragi Chisato to buy two servings of Wakaba-ni (a t ype of stew) and then left.
People respect him as their master, so there's no need to be overly concerned a bout these trivial matters.
"Oh, it's so good to follow the Master ~" Hiiragi Chisato said with a grin, "It saves me from queuing. I have to queue up when I come here."
"You silly girl, always teasing your husband." Akira gently tapped Hiiragi Chisato's head.
"Hehe." Hiiragi Chisato chuckled, then, as if noticing someone, said, "Master, let's go sit over there."
As she spoke, she pulled Akira to a table where only one girl was sitting.
"..." The girl seemed to sense someon e was there. She looked up, her expression changed, and she quickly stood up, bowing her head in greeting.
"Your subordinate greets Your Majest y... Your Excellency!"
The girl was pretty and cute, with a baby face, but she seemed a bit timid.
"And who is this?" Akira asked, looking at Hiiragi Chisato.
"Her? She's the Minister of the Imperial Treasury who reported you for spending too much money before," Hiiragi Chisato said with a wicked smile. "Her name is Aoyama Tsukimi, and she's the eldest daughter of the Aoyama family, which is under our jurisdiction as the Commissioner for the Inv estigation of the Imperial Treasury."
"..." Akira fell silent for a moment. It seemed that Teyvat was indeed somew hat dominated by women, and the powerful officials were all women.
"..." Hearing Hiiragi Chisato's joking intro duction, Aoyama Tsukimi lowered her head even further.
She had previously complained in an official document that the expenditures of the Tenshukaku Internal Affairs Treasury were indeed too high. They also needed to use Mora to build some kind of gun fact ory and establish diplomatic relations with other countries for various projects. In a short time, the more than 200 billion Mora that she had previously received was almost gone.
Seeing that the cute little girl was too shy to speak, Akira suddenly felt a flirtatious urge.
He said coldly, "Aoyama Tsukimi, is that right?"
"I saw your previous document saying that my expenses were too high and the castle tower's expenditures were also too great."
"Are you implying that I'm wasting my time? That I shouldn't have spent Mora's Inazuma? And that I'm not qualified to spend Mora's Inazuma?"
Those sitting nearby, upon hearing Akira's words, silently moved away, fearing that the god's wrath would befall them.
At the same time, they looked at Aoyama Tsukimi with pity. They knew that the words of the gods were always absolute, so how dare she submit a memorial pointing out the God's mistakes?
"..." Hearing Akira's questioning voice, Tsukumi, who had been timid, suddenly raised her head and looked at Akira stubbornly, saying, "Master, I... I'm telling the truth. Inazuma is in dire need of rebuilding, and there are many places where Mora is needed..."
"Our national treasury is empty. Only by saving can we... can we do more thing s..." As Tsukumi spoke, she seemed to realize that she was being somewhat presumptuous in front of the gods, and her voice grew softer and softer.
"What the heck... Tsukimi is so brave, how dare she speak to the Master like that?"
"Such overstepping of bounds, if the Lord were to punish us... hiss... I'm afraid the Aoyama family wouldn't fare much better..."
The onlookers whispered among themselves, marveling at AoyamaTsukimi's courage, and seemingly able to foresee the downfall of the Aoyama family.
"..." Hiiragi Chisato was also stunned. She and Aoyama Tsukimi were also good friends. This little girl was always timid, how come she was so brave today...
Even her sisters wouldn't dare respond to Akira's words, fearing they would anger their darling...
Uh, Master, Tsukimi... that's not what she meant." Hiiragi Chisato quickly said, "Master is the guardian deity of the nation, how could you not spend Inazuma's Mora? It's just that Inazuma needs Mora for so many things right now, and Inazuma should work together to save it, striving for a better future..."
Hiiragi Chisato's brain was working at lightning speed, and she even managed to say something in such a formal way, just in case Akira took his anger out on Aoyama tsukimi.
"Hahaha..." Akira suddenly laughed and said, "Alright, I was just joking. I understand the reasoning behind it. It's not like we're cutting the Imperial Household Department. I'm not really going to get angry with her."
"Inazuma is indeed poor now, and it's not the time to indulge in too much pleasure." Akira said to Aoyama Tsukimi, "When Chisato talked about you with me, she praised you a lot."
"I met you and I think you are quite good. You are neither humble nor arrogant, and you dare to face the gods directly," Akira said.
"However, your Aoyama family should be a good family. As the eldest daughter, you should be dressed in fine clothes. Why are you dressed so simply?" Akira looked Tsukumi up and down.
The girl was sweet-looking and wore no makeup. Even though she was dressed in the coarse cloth clothes that ordinary people in Inazuma wore, it could not hide her natural beauty.
However, Akira was puzzled. CouId it be that such a large family as the Aoyama family couldn't even afford brocade robes?
"Master," Hiiragi Chisato tugged at Akira's sleeve and said, "The Aoyama family is the only one among all the families under my investigation that I found to be without problems."
"The Aoyama family has been in charge of the Ministry of Finance for generations. AoyamaTsukimi's father, Aoyama Sho, retired a few days ago, and she had just take n office."
"Although they control the national treasury and economy, the Aoyama family has been known for generations of honest and upright officials who do not engage indirty or despicable acts and do not associate with those beasts," said Hiiragi Chisato.
"A few days ago, when the government was in need of Mora, their family took the lead in donating a lot of Mora treasures."