Kagura felt as if she had unknowingly become like a Dining Hall auntie.
After she and Maruzensky returned with the ingredients, she naturally plunged straight into the kitchen to get busy. Maruzensky, who had nothing much to do, simply sat in the Dining Hall on the side closest to the kitchen, waiting for food.
If it were just Maruzensky squatting there, it would be one thing. But when Kagura carried several clay pots back to the stove, she glanced out the window and noticed that another Uma Musume had appeared not far from Maruzensky at some point. That Uma Musume wore sunglasses and a Tracen student uniform, but she didn't look like a young student; instead, she gave the impression of a middle-aged mother out for fun.
The reason Kagura referred to her as a middle-aged mom was because she recognized the person. Even with sunglasses and a mask, the white strands mixed in her hair and the inherited white highlight on her forehead exposed her identity. But Kagura couldn't fathom why she would be there at that time.
'How did the Head of the Family sneak in?! And how does the Head of the Family have a school uniform?!'
Although Maruzensky couldn't recognize her, Kagura wouldn't mistake the person. Clearly, the one sitting there was Speed Symbol, disguised as a Tracen student. Of course, it was also possible that Speed Symbol wasn't just pretending to be a student; she might have genuinely attended school there when she was younger.
Seeing that Speed Symbol didn't seem to intend to reveal her identity, Kagura wasn't in a hurry to expose her. She simply continued to busy herself with her work in the kitchen.
Kagura had to admit that even as a child, an Uma Musume's body was much more convenient than her previous body, especially for strenuous tasks like chopping ribs and meat. She could now effortlessly cut ribs into small pieces with her bare hands and carry large stacks of clay pots without feeling tired.
She first soaked the rice in water, then cut the pork belly into pieces and threw them into a pan to render out the fat. While that was happening, Kagura cut the ribs into bite-sized pieces and then began washing the vegetables for later. She also took the opportunity to mark one of the clay pots; she remembered that Speed Symbol's taste was slightly different from the others, so she needed to make some adjustments according to Speed Symbol's preferences.
Time passed quickly while preparing the ingredients. When the clock on the wall struck half past eleven, Kagura had just greased the bottom of a pot with lard and put the soaked rice into the pot, preparing to cook two pots for Maruzensky and Speed Symbol, who were waiting outside for food. Then she saw a small orange and white figure emerge from the Dining Hall entrance.
'Chairwoman, don't you usually not eat in the Dining Hall?!'
Without needing a closer look, it was clear that only Akikawa Yayoi in the entire academy had that color scheme. But Kagura had heard from other staff in the kitchen that, to avoid disturbing the students, the Chairwoman rarely appeared in the Dining Hall during meal times.
"Surprise! Little Kagura is cooking in the Dining Hall today!"
Akikawa Yayoi, who had spotted Kagura bustling in the window from a distance, bounced over to Kagura's window, curiously poking her head in to see what Kagura was up to.
"Can you save a portion for me too!"
Although she still didn't know what Kagura was making and couldn't tell just by looking, Akikawa Yayoi still chose to trust Kagura's cooking skills.
"Ye...yes, Chairwoman Akikawa, you can go sit over there. Cooking will take some time."
Kagura quickly pointed to where Maruzensky was sitting, and then picked up another clay pot, put the rice in, added water, and covered it.
"Um... Little Kagura, do you need our help?"
The other staff members nearby, seeing Kagura sweating profusely from her busy work, and having finished serving their own dishes and being temporarily free, came over to ask if Kagura needed help.
"Ju...just help me get a few more clay pots!"
Kagura knew that these staff members definitely wouldn't be able to make the dishes she was preparing. They wouldn't be able to control the heat or the timing of adding ingredients, so she didn't dare ask for more help. As long as someone could help her transport the cooking utensils, that would be enough.
While putting rice into the newly placed pots and turning on the heat, Kagura didn't neglect the clay pots that had been on the stove earlier and were almost done. Seeing steam rising from the first two pots, Kagura immediately grabbed the lid with a cloth, opened it, then took the sesame oil she had bought that morning. She scooped a small spoonful, held it against the rim of the pot, and drizzled the oil along the edge. Afterward, she spread the ribs, fermented black beans, and vegetables over the rice, covered the pots, and continued cooking.
"Is...is this the legendary Kitchen Immortal..."
Watching Kagura simultaneously process ingredients, mix sauces, and keep an eye on several pots already on the stove, and then looking at the Chairwoman and Maruzensky sitting outside, the other uncles and aunties couldn't help but feel a sense of awe for this Little Horse Girls.
'Good thing I bought a lot of extra ingredients today, otherwise there really wouldn't be enough...'
Kagura, bustling between four or five stoves, was somewhat glad she had bought extra ingredients today. Otherwise, with so many unexpected diners, she might not have had enough food to go around.
At eleven forty-five, Kagura, who had just added meat and vegetables to the other pots of rice to continue simmering, estimated that the first two pots should be ready. Seeing that the other pots would take a bit more time, she put on gloves, took a tray with two pots, and walked out.
"Miss Maruzen ~ yours is ready."
"Oh, oh! It smells so good!"
Watching Kagura lift the lid in front of her, Maruzensky hadn't even started eating, but the enticing aroma already made her mouth water uncontrollably.
Kagura drizzled the prepared sauce over the rice and dishes, then placed Maruzensky's portion in front of her:
"Please enjoy ~ And don't be surprised if you find some crispy rice. The fragrant, crispy crispy rice is the soul of this dish ~"
"Question! Little Kagura, did you save a portion for me?"
Akikawa Yayoi, sitting next to Maruzensky, had been unable to resist the smell for a while. However, seeing that the two portions Kagura brought out didn't seem to include one for her, she was curious who the other portion was for.
"The Chairwoman's portion is still cooking, and this one..."
Saying this, Kagura carried the tray to where Speed Symbol was sitting, placed the clay pot down, and drizzled the sauce just as before:
"...is for Kagura ~ Please enjoy, and be careful not to burn your mouth."
"Oh dear... no wonder Rudolph said your anti-reconnaissance awareness is strong. It turns out I didn't fool you at all."
Knowing her identity had long been exposed, Speed Symbol simply stopped pretending. She took off her sunglasses and mask, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.
"After all, you're too conspicuous ~ I was startled when I first saw the Head of the Family pretending to be a student here. With a little dressing up, the Head of the Family looks truly vibrant, just like a real student!"
"Haha, you child, your words are so sweet... I was just a little worried about you living alone at Tracen, so I came to check... It seems you're adapting quite well."
Speed Symbol's main purpose for coming today was to check on Kagura; getting a free meal was an unexpected bonus. For the past few days, she had been thinking about Kagura's cooking at home, and today she finally got to eat it as she wished.
"It's alright... Hehe, and thank you, Head of the Family, for giving me this opportunity. I will definitely repay the Head of the Family for her kindness to me!"
"Well... I told you, your living well is the best repayment for me."
Seeing Akikawa Yayoi's aghast expression not far away, Speed Symbol couldn't help but want to laugh.
To control the heat properly, Kagura didn't dare chat with Speed Symbol for too long and immediately returned to the kitchen. She vaguely heard the unique commotion Akikawa Yayoi was making outside, seemingly complaining about how Speed Symbol had snuck in without a word and hadn't given her a heads-up.
As for Maruzensky, it seemed her appetite was quite good today. She was continuously eating the hot rice with her head down, as if someone would come and snatch it from her if she didn't finish quickly.
"Kagura ~ you're here after all!"
Not long after returning to the kitchen, Kagura saw two small red ears pop out of the window. Just as she was wondering which expert had arrived this time, Little Soshi poked her head out.
"It's Soshi... what's wrong?"
"It's mealtime, and I thought I shouldn't always bother Kagura, so I wanted to eat in the Dining Hall. I didn't expect you to be busy here today, Kagura."
Counting the time, it was indeed mealtime, so it wasn't strange for Soshi to appear. It was just that Kagura had served so many waves of people and was now somewhat drenched in sweat. She was very glad that she had prepared several extra portions when she started cooking.
"I've prepared your portion too. Go sit at the Chairwoman's table..."
"Eh... Thank you, Kagura ~!"
Watching Soshi scamper over to sit with Akikawa Yayoi, Kagura hadn't even had a chance to catch her breath when she saw a familiar chestnut-haired Uma Musume, a student named Rudolph Symbol, walk in from the Dining Hall entrance. Kagura, feeling like her work today had really intensified, couldn't help but feel a wave of dizziness.
'Don't you people usually not come to the Dining Hall?!'