Chapter 9

Tougo Erina ignored Totsuki Senzaemon's low call.

"Far Moon? I won't go."

However, a voice suddenly interjected.

This made the old man, Erina, and Senzaemon all look over. Natsuhane spoke with a matter-of-fact tone: "Far Moon is a chef's hell. I yearn for a more relaxed and comfortable life, so old man, leave the shop to me!"

He also realized that the old man was planning to return to Japan.

In fact, a few days ago, when Shinjiro Azaka came over, Natsuhane overheard some details and had already guessed the general situation.

Regarding the old man's departure, he didn't ask much. Although he felt a bit of reluctance, he wasn't as panicked and lost as other sixteen-year-old boys. Before arriving in this parallel world, Natsuhane was already an independent adult.

The old man's departure made him a bit excited.

Could he finally try running a small restaurant? Natsuhane was eager to see how far he could go with the help of the Chef God System.

"Chef's hell?"

"That's not wrong. Far Moon's philosophy is competition."

Tougo Erina looked at Natsuhane, her eyes filled with disdain. "Are you afraid of competition? Chefs with poor skills should be eliminated. Not everyone has the qualifications to advance in the culinary world. The incompetent should have the awareness of their incompetence and recognize themselves."

Natsuhane's temples throbbed.

Although he knew about this "God Tongue" character from anime and manga, experiencing it in the real world was a whole different level of annoyance.

Could the girl just speak normally for once?

"Incompetent?" Natsuhane shrugged, not intending to argue with this young lady.

Currently, his culinary skills were just starting, and he couldn't match the "God Tongue" who had already secured a top ten position in Far Moon's middle school. But looking at it from a developmental perspective, Natsuhane was confident he would catch up soon and make the Far Moon geniuses take notice. Who says you have to attend Far Moon to be successful?

"Dissatisfied with my evaluation?"

Tougo Erina's face darkened slightly.

"Like I have to accept your evaluation... Who are you..." Natsuhane smiled.

"You, you..." Tougo Erina stood up abruptly, her face full of anger.

She was the top student in Far Moon's middle school and would be entering the high school after the summer. In the middle school, no one, whether student or teacher, had ever dared to defy her.

For the "God Tongue's" evaluation, the incompetent and commoners should tremble and bow their heads in acknowledgment.

But Natsuhane's indifferent attitude inexplicably made Tougo Erina's heart burn with anger.

"Erina!"

Totsuki Senzaemon's stern voice interrupted their argument. The "God Tongue" looked reluctant, biting her lower lip as she knelt down.

Natsuhane, however, had no intention of wasting time here. He poured another cup of tea for the two old men, bowed slightly, and retreated to the shop, disappearing into the kitchen.

Soon, the old men and Senzaemon, who were in conversation, suddenly put down their tea cups.

The kitchen behind them emitted a fragrant aroma.

Tougo Erina had already noticed this smell, sniffing and muttering to herself, "Chili, Sichuan pepper, five-spice powder, fermented black beans, and broad bean paste... Is he making Sichuan cuisine?"

The pungent spiciness made Tougo Erina frown, her face showing dissatisfaction.

Indeed.

Commoners are commoners, lacking manners.

With guests still in the house, cooking such a pungent spicy dish was like driving them away.

"Mapo Tofu?" Totsuki Senzaemon asked curiously.

"These past few days, he has been experimenting with new dishes. Saying it's Mapo Tofu isn't wrong; it's an improved version with an additional mysterious flavor," the old man said calmly.

"Improved Mapo Tofu?"

Totsuki Senzaemon fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Can we try it? To be honest, I'm very interested in your grandson's culinary skills, Mr. Natsuhane."

Beside him, Tougo Erina's eyes showed shock.

When had the commander of Far Moon, the leader of the Japanese culinary world, ever cared so much about a commoner chef's skills?

"Sure." The old man's face remained expressionless as he turned to the kitchen and called out louder, "Wait, bring the Mapo Tofu you made over."

"..."

Natsuhane had just finished a plate of magical Mapo Tofu and was secretly annoyed by the system's 70-point rating, planning to argue with the system. But then he heard the old man's voice.

The commander of Far Moon and the "God Tongue" wanted to taste his dish?

He was surprised and a bit excited.

These two, one the culinary devil and the other the "God Tongue," could provide valuable insights into his cooking.

"Let's go with this plate."

"The 70-point rating is the highest I've gotten in the past few days. The ingredients are running low, and it's hard to make a higher score."

So, Natsuhane took two clean pairs of chopsticks, picked up the steaming plate of magical Mapo Tofu, and walked out of the kitchen.

"Please enjoy!"

He placed the plate of tofu on the low table, not just throwing the chopsticks on the table. Instead, he brought wooden chopstick rests and placed the chopsticks on them, keeping them off the table.

This small detail caught the attention of the others, and Totsuki Senzaemon couldn't help but nod. "Mr. Natsuhane, your grandson already knows how to serve guests. I believe the shop will not decline under his management."

Hmph.

Tougo Erina, however, turned her head away.

The freshly cooked magical Mapo Tofu was brightly colored, with white jade-like tofu pieces arranged in a bed of bright red chili oil, covered with a layer of finely chopped meat sauce, and garnished with green scallions on top.

Just in terms of color and aroma, the dish was flawless.

But she was curious about the taste...

Tougo Erina's curiosity was piqued, but she didn't realize her gaze was fixed on the dish, stubbornly turning her head away.

Smelling the rich aroma, Totsuki Senzaemon couldn't help but pick up his chopsticks, picking up a piece of tofu covered in chili sauce and minced meat, and putting it in his mouth.

The first bite was hot.

But then, the intense spiciness and numbing sensation spread across his tongue, washing over his entire mouth, causing his saliva to flow rapidly.

The heat and spiciness complemented each other, and by the first bite, sweat was already forming on Totsuki Senzaemon's forehead.

Second bite, third bite, fourth bite...

Tougo Erina was shocked, watching her grandfather's appetite increase, and she secretly swallowed.

Was it really that good?

After a while, Totsuki Senzaemon put down his chopsticks, crossed his arms, and sat in a cross-legged position. His upper body's shirt suddenly opened, revealing a strong, muscular, bronze-colored torso.

"This is..." Tougo Erina's pupils contracted.

"Shirt split!"

Natsuhane blurted out in his mind.

What the hell!

A dish rated only 70 by the system could actually make the "Devil of Food" split his shirt?

At this moment, Natsuhane was infinitely skeptical of the plot of "Food Wars."

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