"The process of letting it sit?" Jacob Kowalski repeated the words, his fingertips tapping lightly against the edge of the table, looking thoughtful.
"Yes." Dumbledore laced his fingers over himself. "If I had brought out that magic right at the start, it would have been like this morning, when I didn't finish the Raspberry Oat Fruit Yogurt Cup..."
"When you heard my recommendation and tried that 'Raspberry Oat Fruit Yogurt Cup,' perhaps you would have praised it a little, but you wouldn't have actively wanted to get it, to taste its flavor."
Once Dumbledore put it that way, Jacob Kowalski understood what he meant. "Mr. Dumbledore, it does seem that way..."
A somewhat knowing smile appeared on his face. "Otherwise, before the morning meeting ended, I wouldn't have taken the initiative to say that to you."
"Exactly!" Dumbledore said. "That was why I didn't need to disrupt the pace of the meeting. I ought to preside over it properly."
"They would take the initiative to speak, and during the process of giving their reports, feel their powerlessness and frustration in the face of a new threat."
"That reminds me of my grandfather..." Jacob Kowalski's voice lowered, his gaze drifting into the distance, his tone taking on a hint of reminiscence.
"Ah..." Dumbledore sighed with feeling. "He was a very interesting man, and he baked quite good bread too. It was just a little lacking in sweetness."
"Grandpa told me about something like that..." Jacob Kowalski continued. "When he took part in the war, he nearly starved to death on the battlefield because the supplies hadn't been replenished..."
"When he was nearly in despair and had already started eyeing his boots, the supplies finally arrived... though what ended up in his hands was only a can of food that was still