Carrying her things, she turned and walked toward the house. Taking out her keys to open the door, Ritsuka went all the way to the kitchen and placed all the ingredients there, waiting for dinner time to process them.
"What delicious things did you buy?"
Kiritsugu had noticed the bag Ritsuka had been carrying all the way, and at this moment he stepped forward to take a look. He had guessed when he went out earlier that Ritsuka would go buy things to stock the kitchen of this home, but he wasn't sure if he would have the chance to enjoy a feast.
"The main dish is kichiji fish, and there are some other Kanto-style dishes." Ritsuka, who had begun preparing the sauce in advance for the braised kichiji fish in the evening, replied without looking back.
Kanto dishes have a heavier flavor, which is the cooking style Kiritsugu prefers. Ritsuka had also studied it specifically; she was quite good at making tempura and Shiki rice, possessing housework skills that even an average housewife would find hard to rival.
Taking the kombu needed for the evening out of the bag, Ritsuka soaked it in water. "Kiritsugu, I have a question to ask you."
"Go ahead, I'm listening."
Kiritsugu, holding the New Moon clan's record book, sat on the sofa, immersed in it without looking up, but he still responded to Ritsuka's words.
After all, the last time he chose to ignore Ritsuka, the result was quite sad. He couldn't eat a single hot, filling meal for three days, gnawing on hard biscuits and pickles until he coaxed Ritsuka back into a good mood.
Since then, he understood one thing: under the premise of not knowing how to cook, he must never ignore Ritsuka, or the consequences would be dire.
"Do you know the background of the Matou Family?"
Hearing this, Kiritsugu's pupils shrank slightly, and he fell into silence, seemingly not knowing how to speak.
After hesitating for a moment, Kiritsugu's eyes drifted slightly.
"Well, the Matou Family is just an ordinary local family. I'm not very clear on the specifics."
Although Ritsuka was dissatisfied with Kiritsugu's obvious concealment, she said nothing. She didn't think too much either, and after a huff, she walked toward the kitchen, no longer paying attention to Kiritsugu behind her.
Accompanied by the sound of the TV in the living room and the sound of chopping vegetables from the kitchen, Kiritsugu sighed softly and sat on the sofa watching TV, but his mind had already flown far away with the Mystery named the Matou Family. That was not something to be trifled with.
As the local magical landlords, the Matou Family controlled the underworld of Fuyuki City, with strength comparable to the local church. By comparison, his friend Fujimura Raiga was just a person with relatively more power in the surface world.
In fact, as soon as he received the reminder from Fujimura, he had thought about warning Ritsuka not to let her contact anyone from the Matou Family.
Unfortunately, it was a step too late... It was only just noon. Having eaten breakfast quite late, Ritsuka didn't have much of an appetite, so she simply started preparing the evening's meal in advance. Having plenty of time gave her ample choices.
Opening the refrigerator, she took out some fresh seaweed and set it aside. Simultaneously, she took out the packaged sushi rice, tore it open, and poured out two cups' worth of rice.
The rice was washed and placed in a clean pot. After soaking the rice in water, she added a few drops of oil, and then proceeded with the normal process of cooking rice.
Steaming crab sticks, slicing carrots, and beating eggs, she quickly had all the sushi ingredients for dinner ready. Ritsuka covered these things to prevent dust and then pushed open the door to leave the room.
"Let me think, emmmm, I should go tidy up my room first."
Tapping her left hand into her right palm, Ritsuka decided to go check her room first.
Entering the backyard and finding the room with the [Ritsuka] nameplate, she pushed the door open and pulled over the suitcase from the corner.
She had known all along that Kiritsugu wouldn't help her take the things out of the suitcase and put them away one by one. That guy might not even tidy his own. In terms of housework ability, at only ten years old, she was enough to leave Kiritsugu dozens of streets behind; the gap really wasn't just average.
Panties, pajamas, coats, dresses... Taking them out one by one and putting them into the already cleaned closet, Ritsuka, having completely emptied and tidied the suitcase, wiped the non-existent sweat from her forehead and walked outside. She planned to go to the dojo to practice for a while... After finishing her practice and washing off the sweat, Ritsuka came to the kitchen, while Kiritsugu was still slumped on the sofa like a salted fish watching TV, with a pack of Pocky on the table.
Of course, if you excluded the light sniper rifle by the sofa, this was no different from a decadent old otaku.
Or rather, Kiritsugu is a military otaku?
The sound of the knife hitting the cutting board rang out as Ritsuka began processing the kichiji fish in her hand, with the cookbook spread out directly in front of her.
Following the processing method described in the book, she began removing the scales and gills with swift strokes of the knife.
Soy sauce, sake, sugar... Proceeding steadily according to the steps in the cookbook, Ritsuka chuckled, took out a pot, added half a pot of water, and began the final few steps.
"Just need ginger and mirin."
Moving her gaze between the cookbook and the pot, Ritsuka took out the already soaked kombu and bonito flakes.
Processing them one by one in order and keeping the heat at medium to slowly reduce the sauce, Ritsuka began working on the other dishes. A housewarming celebration definitely couldn't just have fish, even if it was a famous Japanese fish like the kichiji fish; that would be a bit too meager.
Suddenly, thinking of something, Ritsuka narrowed her eyes and turned her head toward Kiritsugu who was lazing on the sofa. "Don't just watch TV! Come over and help me clean the vegetables!"
"Aye, aye."
Kiritsugu, who had been inexplicably scolded, silently endured it. Getting up and walking toward the kitchen, he did whatever he was told, knowing he was in the wrong.
With full concentration, Ritsuka prepared a table full of dishes before it got completely dark and began serving them. There were many varieties, but the portion of each dish was small, so nothing would go to waste.
After setting the table according to etiquette, Ritsuka washed her hands and sat down with Kiritsugu, pressing her hands together. "I'm digging in."
The sumptuous dinner greatly increased their appetite. Kiritsugu and Ritsuka, who had wandered the world for a long time, began to eat. Although their movements appeared refined and their manners were impeccable, their speed was somewhat exaggerated.
Sauced kichiji fish, sushi, hamburger steak, fried gyoza, and pork soup—the food disappeared at a rate visible to the naked eye.
Of course, after finishing that sauced kichiji fish alone, Uncle Kiritsugu's expression became somewhat unnatural... A morning breeze brushed across the face, and gentle sunlight spilled onto the road. A car was driving along a spacious road; Ritsuka, having opened the window, was enjoying a rather pleasant early morning.
Yesterday, after finishing the housewarming celebration and eating a wonderful dinner, Ritsuka had fallen asleep early at Kiritsugu's request.
After all, today was the day to go to the Sakatsuki Family to investigate. So even though they had just finished moving, they couldn't sleep in. Ritsuka, who slept and rose early, got up very early, and after finishing the cleaning, she set off with Kiritsugu.
Taking out a Pocky and holding it in her mouth, Ritsuka glanced at Kiritsugu, who was focusing on driving, and said indistinctly, "Kiritsugu, how much longer until we reach the Sakatsuki Family?"
"Soon, probably about ten more minutes."
Kiritsugu, also holding a Pocky in his mouth, adjusted the sunglasses on his face.
Actually, he personally wanted to smoke a cigarette. Since the window was open, he could just throw it out after smoking. But it had been confiscated as soon as he took it out, with Ritsuka saying it was harmful to health and that littering was shameful, using the opportunity to criticize him severely.
It was probably to retaliate for the question about the Matou Family last night since he hadn't given an answer. Personally, he still didn't want Ritsuka to get involved in the Matou Family's muddy waters.
Moreover, he himself didn't know much, mostly just hearsay conclusions, so it wasn't appropriate to speak carelessly... The car sped along the road. The dazing Ritsuka could gradually see a town in the distance. It was a rural area still within the range of Fuyuki City, looking much more backward than Miyama Town.
The mysterious New Moon clan was hidden here. Despite their long history, they held no mystery to the outside world, appearing just like a completely ordinary family. However, many suspicious points still brought doubt upon them. Whether Kiritsugu's final straw would be useful would also be revealed here.
"Ah... That, what is that?!"
Kiritsugu suddenly let out a cry of shock, followed by the car's sudden braking. Ritsuka, restrained in her seat by the seatbelt, was dazed, her head nearly hitting the edge of the window.
The car skidded to an emergency stop by the roadside, the friction between the tires and the road making a piercing sound that caused Ritsuka to instinctively cover her ears.
"Kiritsugu, what are you doing?"
Biting right through the Pocky, Ritsuka, who had almost bumped her head, couldn't help but complain. Then she looked up and saw an unimaginable sight.
Churned-up black mud formed a semi-circle inverted over the ground. Everything it touched was sucked into it. Houses shattered under the violent tearing, cars floated as if they had lost weight, and pedestrians nearby vanished in the blink of an eye.
Leaving the car, Ritsuka stood before a steep downhill slope. She looked at the hellish scene not far away with a face full of shock.
Is that hell up ahead?