Chapter 96.
"Have you completely lost your mind?!"
Erina gaped at him, utterly incapable of processing the man's unhinged financial logic.
"Acquiring an entire publishing house and an animation studio just to publish a single manga? Are you not afraid of losing everything?"
"What's the issue?"
Shijun shrugged with absolute indifference. Making money wasn't the point; personal happiness was. When you had endless capital, you could afford to be a little capricious.
"Of course, it's an issue! Do you genuinely believe a single series can financially sustain an entire corporation?"
Erina snapped. She didn't even understand why she was getting so worked up over his wallet.
"Who said I only have one series?" Shijun paused, a teasing glint entering his eyes as he leaned against the counter. "Wait... are you actually worried about me, Nakiri?"
"W-Who would ever worry about you?! I hope you go bankrupt!"
Erina shot back, her face flushing crimson as she whipped her head away, looking exactly like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on.
Hisako blinked, glancing at the flustered Ice Queen in profound surprise.
Erina-sama is definitely acting strange today, she thought, though she couldn't quite pinpoint why.
Shijun simply laughed off Erina's tsundere outburst. Her financial concerns were completely entirely unfounded. He wasn't just buying the infrastructure; his System repository was absolutely loaded with generational masterpieces. Thanks to years of daily sign-ins while living in the mountains, his inventory was a goldmine of legendary manga and light novels.
He currently held the original manuscripts for Slam Dunk, Inuyasha, A Silent Voice, and Anohana.
As for light novels, he was sitting on Sword Art Online and Accel World.
He also possessed copies of High School DxD and Oreimo, though as an upright, morally upstanding chef, he absolutely refused to publish those. He couldn't risk corrupting the youth. He would just keep those locked safely in his room for personal enjoyment. Luckily, having such a massive stockpile of entertainment was the only reason his secluded mountain training hadn't driven him insane.
Her emotions twisted into a complicated knot, Erina abruptly dropped the JoJo sketches onto the table. She turned her back to the group.
"It's getting late. We are leaving!"
"Wait, we're done reading?"
Hisako asked, her eyes lingering reluctantly on the first arc. She had been thoroughly enjoying the bizarre adventure.
"I'm not reading another page! Only children would obsess over something so trivial!"
Erina huffed, lifting her chin haughtily as she marched toward the door.
Shijun was momentarily speechless.
This eldest lady really flips her moods faster than turning the pages of a book. Weren't you just completely obsessed five minutes ago?
Shaking his head, he decided trying to decipher a tsundere's mind was a lost cause. Seeing Erina depart, Megumi, Yuki, and Ryoko realized they had indeed spent the entire afternoon playing cards and reading. Not wanting to overstay their welcome and accidentally impose on Shijun for dinner, they politely said their goodbyes.
Sitting in the backseat of the luxury town car on the drive back to the Nakiri estate, Erina stared blankly out the window.
Today had been an absolute whirlwind, leaving her chest feeling inexplicably tight. From the moment she bumped into Shijun at the hotel entrance, her emotional state had been strapped to a roller coaster. She recalled her past humiliations, the agonizingly close contact they had shared in the car, and the staggering realization that Shijun's culinary prowess had forced even the legendary Joichiro to bow his head.
And finally, discovering that this infuriating, arrogant man was also a generational manga artist.
Erina didn't know how to categorize him anymore. The man she had violently hated for months was fundamentally shifting in her eyes. Thinking back to his flawless knife skills, his absolute mastery of seasoning, and the dishes that perfectly embodied her ultimate culinary ideal, she realized something profound.
She aspired to be a chef exactly like him.
Resting her head against the cool glass, a quiet realization washed over her:
He really isn't that annoying after all.
—
Totsuki Academy, Area 10.
The imposing central building served as the official headquarters for the Elite Ten Council.
Shijun still had a fresh memory of this place. After all, his first real date with Rindou Kobayashi had taken place here, and it was the same room where he had sampled Momo Akanegakubo's famous Baumkuchen.
Normally, Shijun had absolutely zero intention of attending these bureaucratic meetings. He had unapologetically skipped the previous two council sessions. Since his girlfriend, Rindou, was currently off traveling and skipping the meetings herself, he naturally lacked the motivation to show up.
But today, he had to make an appearance.
His precious "little secretary" was facing a minor political crisis regarding the upcoming Autumn Election.
Thanks to Erina, Shijun already knew that three members of the Chinese Cuisine Research Society were likely to be nominated: Megumi Tadokoro, Miyoko Hojo, and Ikumi Mito.
As for how Ikumi "Nikumi" Mito ended up in the Chinese Cuisine RS? That was entirely Erina's doing.
The Ice Queen had likely manipulated the situation, assuming that if Nikumi hadn't foolishly challenged Shijun to a Shokugeki, Erina wouldn't have lost face by association. Operating on the principle of "sharing the suffering." Nikumi was officially drafted into the club.
Shijun didn't mind; the Meat Master's skills were highly beneficial to the society anyway.
The real issue on today's docket was Megumi.
A faction within the Elite Ten apparently believed Megumi was ineligible for the Autumn Election, arguing that she had only survived the grueling Training Camp by riding Shijun's coattails.
Shijun had decided to show up personally to see exactly which arrogant council member possessed the audacity to deny his secretary's qualifications.
Stepping out of the elevator on the top floor, Shijun strolled into the grand conference room.
Eishi Tsukasa, Erina Nakiri, and Satoshi Isshiki were already seated at the massive round table.
Without asking for permission, Shijun pulled out the empty leather chair situated directly between Isshiki and Erina, settling in comfortably.
Eishi Tsukasa looked mildly surprised by Shijun's sudden attendance but didn't voice any objections. Since Shijun was officially a seated member of the Elite Ten, his presence at the table was a matter of right, not privilege. Isshiki merely flashed a knowing smile; he knew exactly why the famously lazy chef had suddenly decided to clock in today.
While waiting for the rest of the council to arrive, Shijun leaned over, casually whispering to Erina.
"By the way, the publishing house acquisition is finalized. JoJo will be hitting the shelves very soon."
"Really? It's publishing that soon?!"
Erina whispered back, her eyes lighting up with genuine excitement. Despite her earlier tantrum, she still deeply loved the story.
However, catching herself, she immediately panicked and cast a stealthy, paranoid glance toward Isshiki and Eishi. Seeing that neither of the older boys had noticed her slip in composure, she breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
While she might have completely lost her dignified image in front of Shijun, she absolutely had to maintain her flawless, elegant Queen persona in front of the rest of the academy. If word got out that she was a closet otaku obsessed with a hyper-violent shounen manga, she would die of embarrassment.
A few minutes later, Momo Akanegakubo, Etsuya Eizan, and Nene Kinokuni filed into the room, taking their respective seats.
With the necessary quorum met, the Elite Ten Council officially commenced.