"I'm back."
"I... I finally came back!"
Touching a cherry blossom tree, Nagiri Mana's expression was complex as she murmured to herself.
She took a deep breath, carrying nostalgia for the past and a certain expectation for the future, and continued towards the General's office.
She knew that no matter what happened next, this Totsuki Academy, full of memories, would forever remain in her heart, becoming the most precious treasure in her life.
...
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
A crisp knocking sound broke the General's thoughts.
He frowned slightly and said: "Eishi Tsukasa, did you forget to take some documents? The door isn't locked, just come in..."
"Father! It's... it's me. Many years have passed, how is your health?"
The voice from behind was both familiar and strange, which made the General, who had been tired all day, suddenly perk up and couldn't help but look back.
Upon seeing the person in front of him, who was his daughter whom he had painstakingly searched for, he suddenly awoke as if from a dream: "Mana... Mana... you're back?"
"Good, if you're back, don't leave again. You don't know how Erina and I have spent these past ten years!"
As he spoke, the General's eyes reddened.
Nagiri Mana was stunned, and finally could only lower her head and softly say: "I'm sorry."
"No, you don't need to say that."
"Alright, alright, I didn't expect you to suddenly come back, but the truth is... perhaps you've found a dish that can conquer the God Tongue?"
The General wiped his eyes slightly.
Knowing that this was not the time to make the atmosphere so sorrowful, he quickly changed the subject and asked.
"I found it. I recently found a chef who can completely conquer the God Tongue, and you've met this chef before."
Nagiri Mana replied.
"It really is him!" The General understood as soon as he heard it.
Afterward, various past events replayed in his mind, and he could only sigh deeply, saying: "Mana, Nakamura Azami has been driven away by me. He is no longer my son-in-law, nor is he a member of the Nakiri!"
He knew that no matter how much some things were hidden, the truth would eventually be revealed one day.
In addition, this matter was extremely important to the entire Nakiri, so the General had to tell her everything that had happened after she ran away from home.
"So, you mean after I left, that's how he treated Erina?"
Upon hearing that Nakamura Azami had actually adopted a "cage-style education" to train Erina, and wanted to fully unleash her God Tongue ability, Nagiri Mana immediately gritted her teeth in anger!
Only at this moment did she truly understand how much pain Erina had endured all these years.
"Forget it!"
"Those things are in the past."
"And he has received the corresponding punishment. Mana, you've truly suffered all these years!"
Looking at the pale-faced, slender, and utterly frail Nagiri Mana.
The General's heart ached even more for her, knowing she had endured unimaginable pain all these years due to the curse of the God Tongue.
"Father, you've also aged a lot." Nagiri Mana also sighed.
"Mana, to be honest, your connection with Nakamura Azami ends here!"
"If you want to continue pursuing happiness in life, I fully support you. As for Erina... I think she will also understand your decision!" The General said calmly.
His words, in fact, implicitly declared the complete breakdown of the relationship between Nakamura Azami and Nagiri Mana.
At least in his heart, he no longer considered Nakamura Azami his son-in-law!
"Father, let's put my matters aside for now."
"The reason I came to see you this time, besides catching up."
"Actually, there's something I believe you've also realized: the entire culinary world will undergo earth-shattering changes in the future, and a completely new era is about to begin!"
"And I believe that the true leader of this new era is neither Totsuki Academy nor the WGO Gourmet Organization."
"You think so too?"
The General was stunned!
"Yes, so in the face of the new era, shouldn't we start doing something in advance?"
Nagiri Mana's eyes flickered as she asked softly in return.
...
"What did you say?"
"She is the General's daughter, Erina's mother, the current sole Special Executive of the WGO Gourmet Organization, Nagiri Mana!"
At this moment, at the Izakaya.
Rindo, after learning Nagiri Mana's identity.
Was so scared that she quickly drank the remaining half bottle of sake in her glass to calm herself down!
"What? You didn't know?"
Sosuke looked at Rindo with suspicion.
"How... how could I know?"
"The executives of the WGO Gourmet Organization are all mysterious, let alone her, the Special Executive!"
Rindo still couldn't calm down.
She had calculated everything, but she never imagined that the customer sitting next to her just now would be such a terrifyingly important person. And thinking about something even more chilling, it was this:
His, Sosuke's, cooking could actually conquer that Special Executive!
"Shopkeeper, it seems I made the right bet."
"Working as an assistant chef by your side after graduation, this is probably something all chefs will envy in the future."
"After all, just for being able to create dishes that conquer a Special Executive, your cooking skills and talent are enough to shock the entire culinary world."
"Shopkeeper, what if she recruits you into the WGO Gourmet Organization?"
"If she makes you an Executive, wouldn't you then hold the power to decide the life and death of all chefs?"
Finally, Rindo said with a smile.
"You're absolutely right."
"She did invite me to serve as the second Special Executive of the WGO, giving me the same authority as her!"
"Huh?"
Rindo was confused: "The second Special Executive?"
It is well known that the WGO Gourmet Organization's Executives have four levels: First Class, Second Class, Third Class, and Special Class, with Special Class being the highest and Third Class the lowest.
And so far, only Nagiri Mana has reached the Special Executive level.
But now, Sosuke, the Shopkeeper of such an Izakaya, could suddenly reach Nagiri Mana's height!
This kind of thing made Rindo incredibly envious.
One must know that although she is the current Second Seat of the Elite Ten, after graduation, if she can make a name for herself in the major five-star hotels in Japan, that would already be considered very good!
Perhaps, it truly proves the saying: comparing oneself to others can be infuriating!
"So, will this Izakaya of yours stop operating?"
"If you go to the WGO, will our agreement after my graduation still count?" Rindo asked expectantly.
"What are you thinking?"
"My Izakaya, how could I possibly give it up?"
Sosuke rolled his eyes at Rindo in annoyance.
"You... you wouldn't have refused to serve as a Special Executive of the WGO, would you?"
Hearing Sosuke's tone, Rindo seemed to understand, looking at him with a face full of surprise.
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