Time flew by, and several months passed in the blink of an eye.
During this period, Suō Tsukasa did not solely focus on cultivation, confining himself entirely to the world of training.
Reborn into a new life, he wanted to live it brilliantly, uniquely, and not blindly pursue power.
Ms. Terada's support, Tamaki's care, Yoshito Matsuzaki's friendship, and the building of bonds with others allowed him to truly integrate into this world.
Aside from striving to become stronger, he also attempted to utilize his modern knowledge to change the Teradaya's business model.
He commissioned Yoshito Matsuzaki to hire people for renovation and expansion of the shop, also adding several clean and elegant private rooms.
The expanded Teradaya storefront was completely refreshed, giving a new vitality to the Rukongai.
Just catching the tail end of the afternoon market, it was soon time for Kaien Shiba and his companions to enter the shop.
"Good afternoon, honored Shinigami-samas."
"If there are four guests, the main hall is currently full. Only the private rooms are available. Will that be alright?"
Tamaki, now wearing a brand-new light pink checkered uniform, approached them with a composed smile.
Today, she was not only the face of Teradaya but also the head waitress commanding the female staff, welcoming a transformation of her own.
"Yes."
"Very well, please follow me, guests."
Tamaki then skillfully led the four to a secluded private room, bowed, and quietly withdrew after offering a greeting.
"Guests, please wait a moment."
Soon after she left the room, hushed voices could be faintly heard from inside.
"Ah, this place looks no less impressive than the 'Hagure' restaurant in the commercial district. It seems quite expensive."
"Since Kaien-sama is treating, it should be fine... right?"
The chatter faded, and soon Suō Tsukasa, dressed in a chef's uniform, entered the room with a waitress carrying the menu and sake vessels.
"Greetings, everyone. I am Suō Tsukasa, the head chef of Teradaya."
"Welcome to Teradaya. The guests look new to me. Is this your first visit?"
After calmly greeting the guests with a smile, his eyes scanned the four people present.
This was a 'Head Chef Greeting' segment he had specially set up for unfamiliar Shinigami and regular customers.
It was thanks to these private rooms that he frequently encountered Shinigami from various Squads of the Gotei 13.
Utilizing the breaks during greetings and pouring sake, he perceived the Reiryoku inadvertently revealed by the other party as a reference for his own Reiryoku strength.
This allowed him to clearly confirm the strength of his own Reiryoku level, giving him a clearer direction than simply immersing himself in solitary, head-down training.
Regrettably, in the two-plus months since the private rooms opened, he had yet to encounter a familiar face from his memories.
Fate is often so coincidental; what you seek earnestly often arrives unintentionally one day.
Kaien Shiba, Sentarō Kotsubaki, Kiyone Kotetsu.
Aside from the Shinigami sitting in the corner whom he didn't recognize, Tsukasa immediately recognized the identities of the other three based on some obvious facial features.
"We've been here before, but Teradaya has changed quite a bit now. Do you have any recommendations today?"
Kaien Shiba laughed heartily, his expression composed. As a former noble, there was no chance of him being timid.
The waitress calmly unfolded the plain menu. Various dishes were neatly listed in beautiful brushstrokes on the yellowed paper, each accompanied by a brief description and main ingredients.
From traditional Washoku to unique creative dishes, the dazzling array of food choices was overwhelming.
With Tsukasa's perfectly timed recommendations, the four grew increasingly interested, and Kaien Shiba and his companions started ordering one after the other.
"Guests, these dishes are already enough for four. If you need more later, you can add to your order."
He appropriately halted their slightly enthusiastic ordering spree. Any more and Kaien Shiba's wallet wouldn't just be bleeding, it would be hemorrhaging.
Although he hadn't set the prices particularly high, focusing on a long-term business philosophy, he couldn't sustain the four ordering so lavishly.
Even though prices in the Rukongai were lower than in the Seireitei, adding up this many dishes was still a considerable expense.
"You're right, let's stick with these for now."
Taken aback for a moment, Kaien Shiba quickly understood, chuckled, and winked at his companions to signal them not to embarrass him further.
Handing the ordered menu to the waitress behind him to have her arrange the preparation, they then moved to the final part of the Head Chef Greeting.
Tsukasa picked up the sake flask, poured a round of aperitifs for the guests, then poured a cup for himself, took a small sip, and raised his cup.
"I hope you all enjoy your meal at Teradaya today."
"I'll take my leave."
"Please wait a moment, Mr. Suō, have you considered becoming a Shinigami?"
There's a famous saying: when you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.
In the days since Tsukasa began observing others, the attention of others was similarly fixed on him.
It was simply that no Shinigami before had noticed the extremely subtle fluctuations of Reiryoku emanating from Tsukasa.
"I will be enrolling at the Shin'ō Academy next year, so the answer to that question is: Yes."
Tsukasa's reply was surprisingly direct. Although the question was somewhat presumptuous, he didn't mind chatting a bit more.
He wasn't nervous about the exposure of his situation.
A frequent visitor by the river is bound to get his shoes wet. It was only natural that his cultivation was insufficient, leading to him being detected by Kaien Shiba, the one with the highest spiritual power among the four.
This answer caused a flash of joy in Kaien Shiba's eyes. He had expected to spend more effort persuading him, but unexpectedly, the other party already had a clear plan. He laughed happily.
In his perception, Ms. Terada was the owner of this izakaya, and the status of a Shinigami was naturally far greater than that of an izakaya head chef.
He didn't want a talent like Suō Tsukasa to be buried, which was why he asked the question.
"That's great! I am Kaien Shiba, Lieutenant of the Thirteenth Division."
"When you graduate, you absolutely must join our Thirteenth Division."
Kaien Shiba leaned forward, his eyes full of anticipation.
"I haven't even enrolled yet, talking about graduation and joining a Division is premature. It's too early to discuss this."
"For today, please enjoy your meal first."
Without rashly agreeing, Tsukasa smiled and politely declined.
"I was too eager."
Hearing this, Kaien Shiba scratched the back of his head, looking a little embarrassed.
There was a reason for this sudden enthusiastic invitation. Among the members of the Gotei 13, aside from the Sixth Division with many nobles, the other Divisions rarely had capable administrative talent.
The leader of their Thirteenth Division was an invalid, and the burden of paperwork essentially fell entirely on him, the Lieutenant.
Among the high-ranking seated officers in their Division, only his wife, Miyako Shiba, the Third Seat, could relieve some of his pressure. The others were not very reliable.
He also cherished his wife and was reluctant to assign too much work to her, often leaving him mentally and physically exhausted.
How he wished for a reliable right-hand man. The three lively individuals currently accompanying him were the best of a bad bunch, carrying his earnest expectations, but the results were mediocre.
From Suō Tsukasa's fluid conversation, concise words, and meticulous thoughtfulness just now, he was unequivocally a heaven-sent administrative talent in Kaien's eyes.