The next morning, right as class began, Alice Nakiri went straight to Kael and told him her plan without any hesitation.
Alice had always been straightforward—no beating around the bush, no ojou-sama attitude. If it were Erina Nakiri in her place, she probably would've died of embarrassment before managing to say a single word.
"You want to move into the Polar Star Dormitory? That's great. Aunt Fumio will definitely welcome you with open arms," Kael said with a smile after hearing her idea.
"It's just a temporary thought. I want to check the place out first," Alice replied. She planned to drop by tonight, see what the dorm was like, and only move in if she liked the atmosphere.
"Honestly, Polar Star is just like a normal dorm… but the vibe is way better. With your personality, you'll like it for sure."
Based on what Kael knew about her, once Alice experienced Polar Star's chaotic yet warm atmosphere, she'd absolutely choose to live there. After all, unlike Erina—who could room with Hisako because they were both girls—Alice lived alone. Ryo Kurokiba, being a guy, had been assigned elsewhere.
Living alone got boring, and she didn't have much reason to hang around Erina, whom she basically saw as a rival.
After chatting a bit, Alice said she'd send over some ingredients for the dorm. Now that she understood how Polar Star operated—nearly completely independent—she felt like contributing something.
Kael didn't stop her. For someone like Alice, money was never the issue. He just gave Fumio Daimido a quick call to let her know.
Hearing that the Nakiri heiress was coming over, bringing tons of ingredients, and possibly planning to move in, Fumio was thrilled. As long as the new resident wasn't a troublemaker, the stronger the chef, the better.
And at this stage, Alice was undeniably strong. Why wouldn't she welcome her?
Once that was settled, Kael brought up something he needed Alice's help with.
"You want to forge a kitchen knife? Don't you already have your own special one?" Alice asked, confused. She clearly remembered Kael's huge cleaver.
"That knife was something I bought casually. The one I want now is special." Kael had wanted a proper custom knife for a while, but he'd needed to save money back then. Now that he finally had the funds, he could afford it.
Since Alice had connections, he wanted her help to forge a Hundred-Hole Knife.
He wasn't worried about others copying it. Once someone had seen the knife, forging it wasn't hard.
Liu Maoxing's own knife had been recreated by a master just from witnessing it during a battle against the Dark Cooking Society. If Kael ever used the Hundred-Hole Knife in public, people would obviously notice.
But the real key to the knife wasn't the forging—it was the technique. The blade was incredibly thin, almost like a razor, because it needed flexibility. The countless holes prevented ingredients from sticking.
Ordinary chefs wouldn't even be able to control it. Without precise control, the knife would work against the user rather than helping them.
Only Kael could bring out its full potential.
"This knife is really… strange. Are you sure it'll even work once it's made?" Alice looked at the blueprint Kael handed her. The blade was so thin it was almost scary—like something that shouldn't exist in a kitchen.
But the holes were easy enough to understand—they were standard anti-stick design.
"Of course it works. It's just hard to use."
Kael grinned. In this entire academy, he was the only one who could handle such a blade with ease.
"That actually makes me curious. Alright, I'll find someone to forge it. If nothing goes wrong, you can have it tomorrow morning," Alice said confidently.
"So fast?" Kael blinked.
"Is that fast? With modern techniques? This is nothing."
She had a point. This era wasn't the same as the one in Chuuka Ichiban! While legendary items like the Seven-Star Knives couldn't be recreated even with modern tech, something like the Hundred-Hole Knife was simple.
After finalizing the details, Kael naturally offered to pay, but Alice waved it away like it meant nothing.
Instead, she wanted him to use the finished knife to cook something for her. She genuinely wanted to taste what kind of dish such a bizarre blade could create.
After classes ended, Kael brought Alice to the Polar Star Dormitory.
"Even though I've seen pictures… it looks way more like a haunted house in person!" Alice said, staring at the vine-covered building—though she actually seemed to like it.
She'd grown up surrounded by luxuriously designed structures. Something like this felt refreshing.
"Everyone thinks it looks like a haunted house the first time they visit."
Kael laughed and led her inside. The residents, who had already been informed by Fumio, excitedly welcomed Alice. And since she came with loads of ingredients, they were even happier.
But something else happened that evening as well—Soma Yukihira had just gotten into a confrontation with Ikumi Mito, just like in the original story, all because of the Donburi Research Society.
The upper administration had already approved a Shokugeki between them, themed around donburi.
Hearing that, the Polar Star residents relaxed. They all knew Soma's cooking level well.
If the duel had been strictly about meat dishes, they might've worried. But donburi? That was definitely not Ikumi Mito's specialty.