"Director, about the young lady's situation..."
In the office of the Totsuki Academy director—Nakiri Senzaemon, the director of Totsuki Culinary Academy, was currently looking at a document and raised his hand to stop his subordinate's report.
"You don't need to worry about Erina's situation."
Nakiri Senzaemon stroked his beard and spoke again:
"Hmm... except for safety issues, you don't need to manage other decisions. Just let Erina decide for herself—well, before Erina's generation, the Nakiri family didn't attend Totsuki anyway. Although Erina... sigh, forget it. Since things are already like this, let her decide what happens next."
Thinking about Erina's situation, Nakiri Senzaemon couldn't help but sigh.
It wasn't disappointment but contemplation.
Regarding her expulsion at Shinomiya Kojiro's hands, besides being a bit curious, he had no other thoughts—after all, for him, his daughter's and granddaughter's future and happiness were more important...
Otherwise, he couldn't have single-handedly created the Golden Age for God's Tongue.
Moreover...
"Erina wouldn't make something so terrible it's inedible. In that case, she was probably sabotaged during the exam..."
Although Nakiri Senzaemon found this matter strange, compared to Erina using God's Tongue to season something like that, he felt this possibility was the greatest.
Since that was the case—
"Rather than simple protection, it's better to let Erina experience more of what previous Nakiri family members had to go through."
"Maybe this could also change Erina's thinking..."
Moreover...
—This might also be another kind of protection for her.
After all, Totsuki might be facing the biggest crisis in decades—
With external enemies approaching, and Erina's father... that bastard Azami seemingly not giving up on his ideas... in such circumstances, maybe it would be safer for Erina to leave Totsuki...
While lamenting, he continued reading.
He looked at Erina's recent situation and also at Mutou Judai's information.
Finally, he looked at Erina's plan to prove herself...
"The shop across from Totsuki Resort... hmm, the only one that could possibly be considered a restaurant would probably be that Great Universe Bar."
Great Universe Bar was funded by Kinokuniya Bookstore.
Moreover, Kinokuniya Bookstore's representative fighter—that Himuro Ryo worked there.
So when the time comes, this matter probably can't be solved with a Shokugeki, and they'll probably need to fight a Kengan match...
Kengan was indeed a project with a longer history than Shokugeki.
It could be traced back hundreds of years, when someone first proposed simplifying costly business wars into using pure violence to resolve them.
This could save a lot of trouble while effectively controlling violence.
Simply put—when large corporations decided on certain disputes, they directly sent out fighters called gladiators to settle it once and for all!
In a sense, Shokugeki was a project derived from Kengan.
Using Shokugeki to handle problems might be popular in chef circles, but if applied to the outside world... Erina, this would probably be your first lesson.
Thinking of this, Nakiri Senzaemon sighed.
Speaking of Kengan...
—This greatest crisis for Totsuki was also because of this...
...
"Mm, the taste is pretty good."
Mutou Judai sat in his seat, holding chopsticks, picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth, nodded, then looked at Erina standing beside him. She had changed into a maid outfit, her face slightly red, full of unwillingness, and he slowly smiled.
"Why bother..."
"It was just cooking for a month at first, but then you couldn't accept losing and wanted to try again... then you lost more and more... What gave you the illusion that you could beat me? Was it me tearing open instant noodles for a Shokugeki?"
In the nearby trash can, six Baby Star packaging bags were thrown inside.
In other words—after the first Shokugeki, Erina and Mutou Judai had five more Shokugeki!
The record was naturally Mutou Judai's complete victory.
The price of the first failure was Erina having to cook for Mutou Judai for a month, the second was three months, the third was a year... By this time, the ingredients Erina brought were actually used up, but she was so heated up she wanted to continue, but Mutou Judai didn't want to continue then.
Then Mutou Judai made a new request.
Or rather, he was simply getting annoyed and planned to propose something Erina was unlikely to accept.
—He happened to have a collectible maid outfit someone had given him at home.
And then...
The familiar one month, three months, one year...
Well, it became what it is now.
A full six times, six flavors of Baby Star, complete victory!
"I absolutely cannot accept that kind of victory no matter how many times!"
Erina had discovered during the six Shokugeki.
Inexplicably.
When she cooked normally by herself, there were no problems at all, but once she had a Shokugeki with Mutou Judai, the taste of what she made would become particularly awful!
She repeatedly confirmed it wasn't her problem.
Then...
From expulsion until now, she had figured out everything!
It was all this guy with the terrible personality's fault!
But compared to being tricked by someone, what Erina couldn't accept even more was that relying on her God's Tongue and culinary skills, she was completely helpless against him!
She couldn't even understand what he was doing!
And after six Shokugeki, now that she had somewhat calmed down, Erina thought of something even more terrifying.
If this man had such ability, then...
—Doesn't this mean he's almost invincible in Shokugeki!
But...
"Mutou Judai... if you have such power, then why don't you want to be a chef?"
Hearing Erina's question, Mutou Judai washed his finished dishes, then walked to the entrance and took out his shoes from the shoe cabinet.
"Why? Don't talk like you understand me very well... The reasons are definitely varied and too troublesome to explain, but anyway, I just don't really want to be a chef."
While saying this, Mutou Judai put on his shoes.
"Let's go, don't stay home anymore—Totsuki's field study trip... I remember your so-called opportunity is probably tomorrow morning, right? If we don't go deal with the shop across from Totsuki tonight, you'll really lose this chance to prove yourself."
Eh!?
Erina was obviously stunned for a moment.
What Mutou Judai said before was right—Erina indeed didn't really understand this guy in front of her.
But through this period of contact, although Erina didn't know this man's past, she had gained a fairly deep understanding of how terrible his personality was.
But such a person...
"You're actually planning to help me?"
"Don't you need it?"
"No, I really need it!"
After six Shokugeki, Erina's attitude had unknowingly softened too much.
Without that arrogant appearance, Mutou Judai didn't mind helping her.
After all, he had indeed accidentally tricked her at the beginning.
Then he watched Erina foolishly come over to put on shoes and let out another helpless sigh.
"Are you planning to go out dressed like that? Although I indeed have no objection, are you sure it's really okay?"
Hm?
Erina was stunned for a moment, then she immediately realized, her face turned red, and she hurriedly put down her shoes and ran directly toward the room where she had changed clothes earlier.
After a while, when Erina came out again, she had already changed into her school uniform, her face still somewhat red. After putting on her shoes, she followed behind Mutou Judai.
Mutou Judai walked in front, Erina followed behind, looking at Mutou Judai's back.
In just one short day, her pride in having God's Tongue had been completely destroyed by this guy in front of her.
Then just when she thought he was the kind of guy with a terrible personality to a certain degree, he suddenly extended a helping hand to her...
Speaking of which, he indeed wasn't wrong.
Erina tucked her hair behind her ear, looking at Mutou Judai's back somewhat absent-mindedly.
—Whether it was his untraceable methods, his reasons for not wanting to be a chef, or even his entire ability and himself.
She really didn't understand at all.
But he...
Just as Erina was thinking this, Mutou Judai suddenly stopped, turned his head to glance at her, interrupting her thoughts.
"By the way—don't forget the price of losing to me after you return to Totsuki~"
Hiss—
Just thinking about having to cook for this guy every day for the next year while wearing that maid outfit, Erina, who had almost been moved by herself, once again remembered what a terrible man this guy in front of her was!
As expected.
Even though she didn't really understand him, there was one thing she could be certain of now:
—He must be the person with the worst personality in this world!