On the stage, Erina Nakiri looked at the examinees and spoke.
"To all the examinees taking the test, I am Erina Nakiri, the examiner in charge of today's transfer student exam."
After introducing herself, Erina turned to Hisako Arato beside her and asked, "What are the arrangements from the admissions department?"
Hearing the question, Hisako immediately took a step forward and opened the document in her hands. "First, based on the application materials, everyone will be divided into groups of ten for a collective interview. After that, there will be a practical cooking exam consisting of three dishes. Those who pass will then—"
"Hmph, boring."
Erina interrupted Hisako, frowning slightly, clearly impatient with such a tedious process. Her time was incredibly precious; she had no time to waste on such a dawdling exam.
Hisako simply closed the document and looked at Erina.
After pondering for a moment, Erina's eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had thought of a brilliant idea. She then instructed Hisako, "Bring a cooking station over here."
"Yes!"
Hisako didn't hesitate at all, immediately pushing a mobile cooking station to the front of the stage. A dazzling array of fresh ingredients was laid out on the counter.
The examinees looked at each other in dismay, completely unable to guess what this young lady had up her sleeve.
At this moment, Erina slowly walked up to the cooking station, her gaze sweeping over the ingredients before she reached out and picked up an egg. Holding it up, her cold gaze swept across the room.
"The main ingredient is egg."
"Please use it to make a dish."
"As long as you can make a dish that satisfies my palate, you will pass the transfer student exam."
As soon as these words came out, the crowd erupted into an uproar.
"What? Make a dish using eggs?"
"Satisfy the God Tongue? That's completely impossible!"
"This is crazy, she's definitely making things difficult for us on purpose!"
"..."
The examinees' faces instantly turned deathly pale. Some even couldn't help but take a half-step back, their eyes filled with despair.
Satisfy Erina Nakiri's 'God Tongue'?
Let alone these examinees who hadn't even stepped foot into Totsuki Academy, even long-established head chefs wouldn't necessarily have the confidence to do so. Furthermore, once their cooking was judged as unpalatable by Erina, their careers in the culinary world would likely be completely ruined.
Ray looked at the egg calmly, his fingertips gently stroking his chin as he recalled the preparations he had made beforehand.
Soma Yukihira, on the other hand, had his eyes light up. He rubbed his hands together, looking eager to give it a try.
Eggs? This was the most basic ingredient, and also the one that allowed for the most creativity! In Soma's eyes, such an exam topic was simply too easy.
Erina had long anticipated the examinees' reactions. A mocking smirk curled on her lips as she continued.
"In addition, examinees, you are allowed to withdraw and forfeit this exam within the next minute."
This sentence was like the straw that broke the camel's back.
The numerous examinees could no longer care about their dignity. They scrambled over each other to run out of the venue, their footsteps frantic as if they were being chased by vicious beasts.
Watching this scene, Ray actually understood them quite well. Most of the examinees were either rich or noble; there was no need for them to gamble their culinary careers on a single exam. However, not even daring to try only proved that these people's skills were truly nothing special.
Unlike Ray, Soma was completely dumbfounded. Looking at the examinees fleeing in panic, his face was full of bafflement.
Wasn't it just making a dish with eggs? Was there a need to be this scared?
Because he really didn't understand, Soma simply grabbed a stumbling examinee and asked, "Wait, what are you running for?"
The examinee, held back by Soma, was sweating profusely from anxiety. Turning around and seeing Soma's bewildered face, his eyes nearly popped out of his head in shock.
"You idiot, do you not know who she is?"
"I don't know, tell me."
Soma looked completely honest, not feeling like there was any problem at all.
The examinee was almost laughing from anger. He spoke in a rushed and panicked tone.
"Erina Nakiri! The possessor of humanity's ultimate God Tongue!"
"Newborns usually start talking between one and two years old, but three months after she was born, her very first words were actually—'The flavor isn't strong enough'!"
"Showing her brilliant talent in taste right after birth, she has been commissioned as a taste tester by famous restaurants all over Japan since she was a child. The leading figures of the culinary world are all Erina Nakiri's clients!"
"Her evaluations are widely circulated within the industry. If... if you are branded as talentless by her, your life as a chef is completely over!"
After saying all this in one breath, the examinee struggled free from Soma's grip and sprinted toward the door without looking back, terrified of being even a second too late.
Soma stood frozen in place, blinking his eyes.
'God Tongue?'
'It sounds pretty amazing...'
'But, as long as I make something delicious, isn't that enough?'
Scratching his head, he turned to look at Ray in confusion, only to find that Ray was currently watching the stage with great interest.
When the examinees were fleeing in a panic, Erina stopped paying attention to them. After all, she didn't think anyone would dare to stay and challenge her.
"Hmph, as expected, they're all a bunch of trash. How could I possibly set aside time specifically for these people!"
Saying that, Erina turned to Hisako beside her, her tone becoming a bit more cheerful.
"That should be it for today's schedule, right!"
"Yes."
Hisako nodded helplessly. The transfer student exam that was supposed to take up most of the day had been ended just like that by a single sentence from the young lady. However, thinking about how to write the follow-up report was making her head throb.
Erina stretched in satisfaction, her tone carrying a hint of laziness.
"Well then, next, let's go to my room and test out some new dishes!"
"...!"
Hisako thought of something unknown, and her cheeks instantly flushed crimson, the redness spreading all the way to the tips of her ears. She raised her head and looked at Erina, her eyes full of anticipation.
'Erina-sama's cooking...'
Seeing Hisako's shy demeanor, Erina suddenly remembered a plot from a manga she had read before, and her interest was immediately piqued.
So, Erina slowly walked up to Hisako, reached out her right hand, and gently hooked her slender fingers under Hisako's chin, her thumb casually brushing against her soft lips.
As their eyes met, the air seemed to freeze in that moment.