Marin realized she had gone too far earlier. While putting her clothes back on, she explained: "Our strength increased so much just now, I thought we might turn into muscle women with eight-pack abs, so I had to undress to check."
"Sorry, sorry, Saki, I'm really sorry."
Saki understood Marin's reasoning and couldn't help but laugh. "If you wanted to check, you could have just put your hand under your clothes. Why did you have to undress?"
Marin clapped her hands in sudden realization. "Oh, right! I could have done that. Why didn't I think of it?"
Saki sighed helplessly. She found Marin to be truly reckless at times. Her energy was overwhelming—she did whatever came to mind without caring about others' reactions. Such people lived very openly, and Saki admired that.
Gurgle gurgle…
Suddenly, both their stomachs growled. Only then did they realize how hungry they were.
Kael smiled. "It's your first time cultivating. Your bodies have just been transformed, so you need nourishment. Come on, I'll treat you to a feast."
Marin cheered and pulled Saki along.
Kael led them to a high-end barbecue restaurant. Marin hesitated, and Saki tried to persuade him: "Renjou-kun, maybe we should go somewhere else."
The place looked expensive, far beyond what ordinary people could afford.
"Don't worry, it's fine." Kael patted his chest. "I just earned some money recently. Treating you to one meal—or even ten—is no problem."
Besides, he had just helped Okino Yoko that morning. Soon she would likely send him payment, and as a star, she wouldn't be stingy. So barbecue was affordable.
Still, Marin felt it was too costly. She rubbed her stomach, feeling like she could eat an entire cow. Eating barbecue here would be far too expensive.
Then an idea struck her. "Renjou-kun, I remember there's a really good buffet nearby. The food is similar to here. Why don't we go there instead?"
Saki quickly nodded. She agreed that a buffet was much better—cheaper and filling.
Ignoring Kael's objections, the two dragged him toward the buffet.
On the way, Kael noticed a very unusual restaurant. It was special because he recognized the name—not from this world, but from the one before he crossed over. He had seen it in a manga. The restaurant was called Kiri no Ya.
The manga he had read was Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma. Surprising, yet not unexpected. This was a crossover world, already fused with many universes. Adding Food Wars was no stretch.
Seeing the restaurant, Kael remembered its chef was a top graduate of Totsuki Academy. Without hesitation, he said: "Forget the buffet. We're eating here."
Marin's jaw dropped. "No way, this place is really expensive."
She had read an interview in the newspaper about the restaurant. Its chef was a celebrity, so the prices were high, far beyond normal means.
"I've decided. This is the place. No arguments." Determined to dine at Kiri no Ya, Kael pulled Marin and Saki inside.
Marin sighed bitterly. She wished they had just gone to barbecue—it would have been cheaper.
"Welcome to Kiri no Ya." As they entered, kimono-clad servers greeted them warmly. "Do you have a reservation?"
Marin's eyes lit up. "Right, Renjou-kun, restaurants like this require reservations. We don't have one, so let's go somewhere else."
The servers' smiles turned apologetic. "Sorry, if you don't have a reservation, we can't serve you. You may book now, but the earliest available table is in half a month."
Saki sighed in relief and urged: "Let's go, Renjou-kun. Let's just eat at the buffet."
Kael wasn't surprised by the reservation requirement. After all, the chef was a Totsuki Elite Ten graduate. Such prestige was expected. But since he was here, he wasn't leaving. He truly wanted to taste the cooking of a Totsuki graduate.
Scanning the restaurant, Kael spotted a table of guests waiting for their food. He walked straight over. "This table is ours. You should leave."
The guests immediately stood up and left without complaint.
Kael smiled at Marin and Saki. "See? Now we have seats."
The servers were stunned. Who was this man, that a single sentence could make waiting guests leave without protest? Even the surrounding diners were shocked, speculating Kael's identity. Surely he was someone they couldn't afford to offend. Otherwise, who would give up a table they had waited half a month for?
Marin sighed in resignation, pulling Saki to sit opposite Kael. She whispered: "Renjou-kun, you used magic just now, didn't you?"
Kael nodded. He had indeed used a charm spell—otherwise those guests wouldn't have left so easily. After all, no one was a fool.
"That wasn't fair to them, Renjou-kun." She knew he had magic, but didn't want him abusing it.
Kael replied calmly: "Relax. Do you know why I chose those particular people?"