Chapter 455: The Righteous Devil's Interest, Modeus Prepares to Depart
Hiratsuka Shizuka's words plunged the room into a sudden, weighted silence. Sōryūin Shion and the others who were already in on the secret simply watched with knowing amusement. Shiina Mashiro, meanwhile, maintained her usual placid poker face; she didn't understand the context anyway, so sitting quietly was the most logical course of action.
Sengoku Chihiro, however, was completely lost. "Mana... Nakiri? Nakiri Mana? Is there some special significance to that name?" she asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"The Nakiri family of Japan," Hiratsuka Shizuka began, her voice low and serious, "controls one of the most elite culinary academies in the world, Totsuki Culinary Academy. The current director is Nakiri Senzaemon, a man known throughout the culinary world as the 'Demon King of Cuisine.' And those who bear the Nakiri name possess a unique, hereditary ability: the God's Tongue."
She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in before continuing. "The current wielder of the God's Tongue in the Nakiri family is Nakiri Erina, who is still a student. The previous one... was Nakiri Mana. She is also the one and only Special Inspector for the World Gourmet Organization—the WGO. If I recall the magazine article correctly, that would make you..."
Nakiri Mana offered a gentle, confirming smile. "That's right. That would be me."
Shizuka's breath hitched. "It really is you! For someone of your caliber to be here... this restaurant's cuisine must be far beyond any ordinary gourmet meal."
"If it weren't for the fact that Ren wishes to keep this place from becoming a spectacle, I would have granted it the title of the number one restaurant in the world long ago," Mana stated, her tone as casual as if she were discussing the weather.
Shizuka's eyes widened. "Such a high evaluation?!"
Mana nodded, her expression unwavering. "Of course. And I assure you, that assessment is entirely free of personal bias or exaggeration."
"That's... truly incredible," Shizuka said, a hint of awe in her voice. "But what are you doing here, of all places?"
"I moved the WGO's headquarters here," Mana replied with startling nonchalance. "I was just out this afternoon to check on the construction site."
The statement landed like a bomb. "You moved the WGO... to Tokyo?!" Shizuka sputtered, her composure cracking. "That's a major international event! What about your previous headquarters abroad?"
"It's now our largest branch office," Mana explained calmly. "The new headquarters is currently under construction. Thinking about it now, it does seem like a rather significant undertaking, but it doesn't matter. It's an internal affair of the WGO; it has nothing to do with anyone else."
Shizuka rubbed her throbbing forehead. "As expected of a top executive... you're all so willful. So, are you here to make this restaurant a subsidiary of the WGO?"
A light, musical laugh escaped Mana's lips. "Of course not. Please, don't think of us as so terrifying. We're simply coming home."
"Home?!"
"That's right," Mana confirmed with another serene smile. "We all live here."
A vein pulsed at Shizuka's temple. "I see," she said, her voice strained with the effort of processing it all. "I completely don't understand... So, does that mean you are all... Inspectors?"
Courage beamed, taking the cue. "The three of us are First-Class Inspectors for the WGO. As for Lanterby, she's a Second-Class Inspector, but one with special privileges."
Watching Shizuka's increasingly bewildered expression, Sengoku Chihiro finally had to ask, "What exactly is the WGO? I feel like I've heard of it somewhere..."
Shizuka let out a long, weary sigh. "Senior, I've told you before, you need to read more books, not just manga. The WGO is the gourmet organization that evaluates every restaurant worldwide. They're the ones who award the star ratings, with three stars being the absolute highest honor."
"But that doesn't sound like it comes with that much power, does it?" Chihiro asked doubtfully.
"It's different," Shizuka corrected her, shaking her head. "A single evaluation from the WGO can cause a high-end, multi-star hotel to lose its rating overnight or see its reputation plummet. Their influence extends into every related field: ingredient sourcing, recipe development, culinary fashion, education... they're an unbelievably powerful organization."
Sengoku Chihiro swallowed hard. "A single word holds that much weight... Then wouldn't they...?"
Decora, gently rubbing her own arm, smiled knowingly. "I know what you're thinking. But there's no room for favoritism or corruption. The bribes people might offer wouldn't even match an Inspector's salary. Besides, the rank of the Inspector dispatched to a restaurant corresponds to the establishment's level."
Chihiro's mouth twitched. "Just how many more of these outrageous organizations are out there?"
"There are many," Sōryūin Shion chimed in with a graceful smile. "But in the world of gastronomy, there is only one WGO. It can be considered the absolute pinnacle of the field."
By now, Hiratsuka Shizuka's interest was no longer just in Ren, the man, but had expanded to encompass his cooking. To receive such an unequivocal endorsement from the WGO's sole Special Inspector... this was clearly no ordinary cuisine.
At that same moment, in the depths of Hell, Justice was out for a leisurely stroll. The high prosecutor of Hell, whose current whereabouts were a mystery to most, suddenly saw a small ball of fire materialize in the air before her.
She adjusted her dark sunglasses, a curious tilt to her head. "Eh? Who's this? Still using this old method to contact me?"
Despite her casual words, she reached out and took the flickering flame. As her fingers closed around it, the fire vanished, and the message it carried flooded her mind. For a long moment, Justice stood completely still, stunned. Then, a cheerful, brilliant smile—the kind no demon should be able to make—spread across her face. "Lucifer, you sly old devil... you really went and did it."
She stood there, lost in thought, murmuring to herself. "Pandora's message only said that she, Lucifer, and Cerberus were staying at a restaurant in the human world. She didn't mention what they were doing there."
'Pandora's job is one she can't easily abandon,'Justice mused, her sharp mind already piecing together the puzzle.'But now she's skipping work, and with Lucifer's knowledge. If that's the case, those two must have struck some kind of deal... What could it be?''Wait... Lucifer disappeared first, and Pandora followed. That means Lucifer arrived at that restaurant a long time ago and simply... stayed. Pandora must have used her time off to help Lucifer keep it a secret. That girl... it seems she's found something interesting. How loyal of her!'
Justice was, after all, the former Chief Prosecutor. Her analysis was swift and almost entirely correct. A grin touched her lips. "Looks like I should pay Lucifer a visit in the next day or two."
Meanwhile, in another corner of Hell, Modeus was engrossed in watching the spider mating season when a familiar ball of fire popped into existence before her. Driven by her extraordinary curiosity, she snatched it without a second thought.
The next moment, Modeus froze. She tilted her head, her expression a mixture of confusion and excitement. "Eh? Pandora is at a restaurant in the human world? What's she doing? Could it be... a date?!"
Though Modeus was intensely interested in love and all its strange facets, she was, in reality, completely clueless. Her fascination was purely academic. Emotionally, the girl was purer than a blank sheet of paper, her every action a form of research driven by insatiable curiosity.
"Hmm... I think I should go take a look," she decided, her eyes gleaming. "A restaurant in the human world... maybe I can find some interesting things there. Pandora just left directly, so she probably didn't need to ask for leave, right? Eh? It's not like I have much work to do anyway."
She glanced back at her viewing material. "I'll leave right after I finish this chapter!"
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