With so many people confirming it, the chances of this being fake were practically zero. And a Special Ability this absurd couldn't be faked for long anyway—it would expose itself immediately.
So everyone accepted that Kael really did possess Divine Hearing.
"I knew you had a Special Ability, but we guessed wrong. We thought it would be something related to Poison Cuisine, not Divine Hearing—something on the same level as the God's Tongue."
Alice Nakiri stared at the campus forum posts in disbelief. She and Ryo Kurokiba had guessed Kael might have awakened a Special Ability, but they assumed it was poison-related.
Instead, it turned out to be Divine Hearing—an ability completely equal to the God's Tongue and able to guide over a hundred people at once. Not even the God's Tongue could do that.
"Looks like I should visit this Polar Star Dormitory tomorrow. If the environment's good, I might just move in."
Alice had interacted with Yuki Yoshino and the others before and found them surprisingly pleasant. It was rare for people to treat her normally after learning her identity.
And now Kael was the hottest topic in Totsuki. More and more people would try to get close to him. Compared to them, Alice had a natural advantage. She intended to use it.
On the other side of the Nakiri household, Senzaemon Nakiri was also reading the news. Even he felt a jolt of shock.
After all, in the entire culinary world, there had only ever been one sensory-enhancement Special Ability—God's Tongue.
Many chefs possessed heightened senses, but none of them reached the level of an actual Special Ability. That was why Mana Nakiri's God's Tongue made her the WGO's sole Special Executive Officer.
Earlier, Senzaemon had seen potential in Kael. Now, that potential had multiplied many times over.
Of course, he still needed to see how Divine Hearing truly worked. This was the first time such an ability had ever appeared in the culinary world. Who knew if it carried drawbacks similar to the God's Tongue?
If it did… then instead of curing the God's Tongue's curse, Kael might end up suffering the same fate.
Still, for now, Kael represented the greatest hope. All Senzaemon could do was place that hope on him.
He couldn't interfere directly—better to let his granddaughter make contact. His own job was simply to release a friendly signal.
As for whether this news would spread or attract outside attention, Senzaemon didn't worry. In Japan, no one had the power to rival the Nakiri family. The title "Food Demon King" wasn't an exaggeration.
If someone poached Kael under the Nakiri family's nose, Senzaemon might as well surrender the title of Demon King altogether.
Just as he was thinking, his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, he sighed lightly—it was his granddaughter.
"Erina. You're calling about Divine Hearing, aren't you?"
Of course she was. Senzaemon knew her too well.
"Yes, Grandpa. I want to know if it's true. Is there really a Special Ability that can match the God's Tongue?"
Erina knew exactly how powerful the God's Tongue was. The Nakiri family had never publicly claimed it was the strongest ability, but everyone in the culinary world believed it was. Generations of Nakiris had proven its supremacy—though its brilliance came with a cost.
"Maybe. I doubt anyone would lie about something like this. A Special Ability isn't something you can fake. It shows in performance."
Senzaemon hadn't confirmed it personally, but an ability that functioned like the God's Tongue would expose itself quickly if it were fake. He believed the reports were true.
"That makes sense. But… Grandpa, do you think Divine Hearing has the same drawbacks as the God's Tongue? And if it doesn't… do you think Kael might be able to cure the God's Tongue's flaw?"
Her voice trembled toward the end. Senzaemon could hear it clearly.
Erina's deepest wish had always been for her shattered family to heal. And the root of that fracture was the curse of the God's Tongue.
Senzaemon's expression grew complicated.
To be honest, he didn't believe their family could return to the way it was. Mana abandoning her husband and child, Azami's descent into obsession—those wounds left scars that could never fully disappear.
The cracks could be patched, maybe, but the original shape would never be restored. Something broken once could break again at any time.
But he could never say that to Erina. It would crush her.
Despite her cold, queen-like exterior, Erina's heart was fragile—especially when it came to family. Inside, she was like a glass cup covered in hairline fractures. A gentle tap could shatter it completely.
Her reaction to Azami's appearance in the original story was proof enough. The proud Ice Queen turned into a frightened quail the moment she saw her father.
"Erina, I can't answer that. This is the first time an ability like Divine Hearing has appeared. Before Kael, I'd never heard of anything like it."
"So for now, we can only wait and see. But judging from what we know, the hope is there."
Senzaemon didn't lie or force optimism. The future was unknown. What if Divine Hearing hit a ceiling below the God's Tongue? No one could say for certain.
"I understand… Grandpa, you should rest."
After a moment of silence, Erina hung up. Senzaemon stared at his phone and let out another long sigh.
The God's Tongue had brought glory to the Nakiri household, but it had also brought endless pain. If he could choose, he would rather the ability never existed in his daughter or granddaughter.
As the night went on, the news of Divine Hearing spread through Totsuki like wildfire. Many students immediately told their families, and Kael's name spread through the culinary world almost overnight.
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