I know, and all just over their horrible ideas of what constitutes cooking and good food..!! As for Hijikata taking Mamori on as his next squire, he's actually so attached to Shoto (he doesn't consciously realise it, but he feels for him like for a little brother or stepson!), he may not want to take another squire so soon after him (he'll have empty-nest syndrome and need time to get over it!) - however I say we just send him and Mamori on missions together until it just kind of happens naturally and at some point Hijikata will go "What do you mean she's ready to be knighted?!" (and cue him having similar feelings when she "graduates" then...).

Aw Mamori, still so idealistic! Yeah, Hijikata knows what it means to kill and maim, and he wouldn't want her to experience than when she's so young and innocent. If you'd like to send her on the whole trial journey with him (I'm confident that I can manage to not turn it into a huge multi-month thread, given how directly connected all the tests are, and they'll pass the first and last one by barely doing anything!), by all means! Let's see how they handle the mercy challenge... he may just try to strongarm her into leaving the dragons asleep, but steamrolling a pure-hearted idol wouldn't be very bushido of him! And even if he does, then we can say someone else freed the dragons and now they have to deal with that!