Chapter 175: Pikachu: Are you being polite?
"Is Lucifer still unhappy?"
The question hung in the crisp, late-morning air, mingling with the distant hum of traffic and the faint, sweet scent of crepe stands lining the commercial district.
Ren walked with a relaxed, leisurely gait, his hands tucked comfortably into his trouser pockets. He cast a sideways glance at the silver-haired woman walking beside him. The sunlight filtered through the leaves of the roadside trees, dappling the pavement and catching the edges of her pristine white suit.
Lucifer, the Queen of Hell, let out a huff that was equal parts arrogance and flustered embarrassment. She held a glossy envelope in her hands, her fingers tracing the edges with unnecessary force before she finally slipped it into her handbag.
"I am not unhappy," Lucifer declared, her voice carrying a regal chill that didn't quite reach her crimson eyes. She tossed her hair back, chin held high. "I am merely... critiquing the technical incompetence of that photographer. He clearly lacked the artistic vision required to capture the true majesty of a ruler."
Ren chuckled softly. "I thought the lighting was excellent. And the photographer seemed quite terrified of you, which usually helps with obedience."
"He was trembling," Lucifer admitted, a small smirk touching her lips. "But that is only natural."
The previous night, under the warm, ambient lighting of the Dimensional Restaurant, Ren had attempted a sneak attack—a candid group photo. Lucifer, caught completely off guard mid-sentence, had been immortalized in a state of blinking confusion, her mouth slightly open. It was a disaster of timing that she had vehemently protested.
So, Ren—being the considerate, if slightly mischievous, shopkeeper that he was—had decided to rectify the tragedy. Today, he hadn't taken them to one of those cramped, automated photo booths found in game centers. Instead, he had booked a session at a professional photography studio in the heart of the city.
It wasn't just a simple snap-and-go affair. It had been a full production involving umbrellas, soft-box lights, and a poor photographer who had nearly dropped his camera when Cerberus—in all her triple-bodied glory—started arguing with herself about who should stand in the middle. Lucifer and Cerberus naturally didn't need makeup; their skin was supernatural, flawless even without sleep.
"They turned out well, though," Ren said, offering a reassuring smile. "You didn't even need makeup. The photographer said your skin reflects light perfectly."
Only after confirming the new photos were perfect did Lucifer finally breathe a sigh of relief. To be honest, if that very first photo from last night were ever displayed, she wouldn't have the face to see anyone. Although she still looked objectively beautiful, she was the only one blurry and with her eyes closed. Who could handle such a stain on their reputation?
Ren looked at Lucifer carefully putting away the photos and smiled, shaking his head. He had a lot of happy things happening today.
His good mood was anchored in a strange, disembodied event that had occurred earlier that morning.
It had happened during breakfast. The kitchen had been filled with the aroma of grilling fish and miso soup. Ren had been standing at the stove, flipping a perfectly seared piece of sea bream, when the System's voice—cold, mechanical, and devoid of emotion—had suddenly echoed in his mind.
[Congratulations, Master. You have received affirmation from nineteen guests from Another World, and have established bonds with many people.]
Communication with the Shop relied entirely on thought, so Ren had silently counted at the time. He did a quick mental headcount of the chaotic, colorful cast of characters that had walked through his wooden door.
"Nineteen?" Ren had asked internally, confused. "Wait a minute. By my count, including the new arrival last night, shouldn't there be twenty? Or is there a guest who gave me a bad review? Did I undercook someone's steak?"
The System remained silent for a beat, as if processing the audacity of the question. Then, it delivered the punchline with absolute deadpan seriousness.
[Pikachu does not count as a 'guest' in the context of sentient humanoids capable of complex culinary critique.]
Ren had nearly dropped the sea bream into the fire.
[Pikachu: Pika? (Translation: Are you being polite?!)]
The sheer absurdity of the distinction had made Ren burst out laughing in the empty kitchen. He wondered if Pikachu would be completely dumbfounded if it heard that. It was truly too amusing.
However, nineteen or twenty made no difference to the bottom line. It seemed that to help Ren quickly gather twenty people, the number of visitors from Another World had increased noticeably over these past two days.
This was probably the best news Ren had heard this morning. For everyone, attitudes towards life differ, but without exception, most people's thoughts are either to have a peaceful morning or to have good news greet them.
Evidently, Ren was the lucky one in the second category. If there was good news in the morning, it was enough to keep him in a good mood all day.
"Ma... Shopkeeper Ren... Ren! Ren!"
A tugging at his sleeve brought him back to reality.
Cerberus, currently in her human form—three identical girls wearing matching casual outfits—was bouncing around him like electrons around a nucleus.
"It seems we're almost at Totsuki!" the three girls chimed in a staggered harmony.
Ren was startled. They were indeed almost at Totsuki, but how did Cerberus know? They were still walking through the outer district, the grand gates barely visible in the distance. However, thinking about how Cerberus remembered things related to her interests and people very clearly, he didn't say anything.
At this moment, Totsuki Culinary Academy could be described as overflowing with the fragrance of books and food.
That's right, the fragrance of books.
Although Totsuki is a genuine culinary academy, it's not solely for studying cooking. It is one of the best culinary academies in the entire world, and many of its students are young masters and young ladies from prestigious families. No business owner wants their hard work to eventually be handed over to a descendant who only knows how to cook but cannot read a financial report, nor is it possible to send their children to a school that only teaches culinary arts.
Therefore, in addition to cooking, Totsuki also teaches all normal cultural subjects—language classes, economics, history, and management. In short, it is an elite training academy that focuses on cuisine but shapes leaders.
Meanwhile, inside one of the main academic buildings.
Erina Nakiri, having no food to taste at the moment, had come to class.
Erina was different from the other Elite Ten members; she was only in her first year of high school, and she still had a lot to learn regarding the standard curriculum. She was also someone who pursued excellence and perfection, and she would not miss an opportunity to improve herself. Therefore, Erina rarely chose to skip class when there was no food tasting, unless she suddenly got some culinary inspiration and went off to practice.
The classroom was large, filled with the scent of simmering cream and vegetable stock.
Erina was now sitting in the last row of the classroom, frowning at the teacher below. He was demonstrating the "proper" way to make a vegetable cream soup.
"Ensure the roux is blonde, not brown!" the teacher instructed. "The consistency must be uniform!"
Erina didn't say anything, but her dissatisfaction was palpable.
Hisako Arato, sitting beside her, whispered, "Why does it feel a bit off..."
Erina turned her head and glanced at Hisako with her sharp, violet eyes. Hisako paused for a moment, flinching slightly, then quickly whispered, "I'm sorry, Miss Erina, I..."
Erina waved her hand dismissively and said, "Hisako, you're right. Although this is the standard method taught by the academy, I also feel something isn't quite right..."
She looked at the pot on her desk. It was technically perfect, but spiritually empty.
Hisako breathed a sigh of relief and then whispered, "I remember someone ordered cream soup at Shopkeeper Ren's Restaurant..."
"Atobe?" Erina asked.
"Yes! Mr. Atobe from Hyotei," Hisako nodded. "I feel that Mr. Atobe's cream soup didn't have that many ingredients. It looked so simple, but it was still incredibly fragrant..."
Erina crossed her arms, recalling the memory. The scent of that soup had filled the entire restaurant—a rich, earthy aroma of cauliflower and truffles that didn't rely on excessive heavy cream.
She nodded, saying, "Hmm, that's indeed true, but this method the teacher is using is also the standard method. Shopkeeper Ren is truly amazing..."
Hisako also nodded repeatedly. Shopkeeper Ren himself was very handsome, and he was young and accomplished, with a gentle and considerate personality, and a very upright moral compass. Such a person is rarely disliked, and Hisako also greatly respected Ren.
At this point, Erina had absolutely no interest in listening to the lecture anymore. The difference between the "standard perfection" taught here and the "soulful perfection" of Ren's cooking was too vast.
After thinking for a moment, she suddenly smiled, a rare playful expression gracing her features.
"Hisako," she whispered, "why don't you come with me to Shopkeeper Ren's Restaurant during your practical training? You'll definitely learn something~"
Hisako was clearly very tempted. Shopkeeper Ren's skill was definitely not something ordinary chefs could approach. Going to his Restaurant would allow her to learn a great many things, and this was something that didn't even need confirmation.
However, Hisako's face fell slightly. She was very clear that Ren's Restaurant was clearly Elite Ten-level, or perhaps even higher. She didn't have the qualifications to go.
Erina, seemingly sensing Hisako's thoughts, smiled and said, "Hisako, since Grandpa said that the Elite Ten can choose their own Restaurants for the Stagiaire, and he decided this after going to Shopkeeper Ren's place... that means Grandpa originally intended for us to go to Shopkeeper Ren's."
Erina leaned back, looking confident. "As a hidden Restaurant, we just need to tell Grandpa then."
After thinking about it, Hisako's eyes lit up. What Elite Ten-level Restaurants? It was all a bluff, just a setup to let Erina go to Ren's to learn! If that's the case, then that Restaurant basically allows applications, and you can go! This is a benefit for their own people!
Looking at Hisako, who had figured it out, Erina nodded. Hisako was not just Erina's secretary; Hisako had been by her side since childhood, from her darkest times until now. Although Hisako always considered herself a secretary, Erina always saw Hisako as her best friend in her heart.
"Let's go find the old man first, and then go for a stroll~" Erina decided, ready to leave the boring class behind.
Just as Erina was about to say something else, she suddenly heard a familiar voice drifting in from the hallway windows.
Hisako also froze, whispering, "That voice sounds like Shopkeeper Ren..."
Erina also nodded and was about to say something when she heard a chaotic chorus of voices.
"Ren! Ren! Ren!"
The voices overlapped, high-pitched and energetic, sounding like three people speaking as one.
"Rindou shouldn't be in class, right?!"
Then, a calmer male voice answered.
"Maybe~ probably sleeping."
The voices gradually faded as the group walked past the classroom.
Erina and Hisako were a little excited. It really was Ren and Cerberus! They had come to Totsuki!
Thinking of this, Erina completely forgot about class. It was all stuff she already knew anyway. She immediately pulled Hisako up from her seat.
"Work! We have work!" Erina declared abruptly to the room, grabbing her friend's hand.
She slipped away before anyone could protest. The teacher and the rest of the classmates watched the empty doorway, having nothing to say, feeling only envy...
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