To the requests of the diners, Erina paid no mind at all.
With her arms crossed, she stood tall like a proud swan, waiting for the final result of the contest.
The manager stared blankly at his now-empty bowl, then let out a soft sigh.
"I lost!"
After tasting Erina's fried rice, he knew he had been defeated—completely and without complaint. Before the diners could even comment, he admitted his loss on his own.
He raised his head to look at Erina, his heart filled with shock at her cooking. Never had he imagined that one person's culinary skills could reach such heights, capable of stirring such intense emotions with a single serving of fried rice.
If someone told him at this moment that Erina was the Goddess of Food, he might have believed it.
"Mhm."
Erina gave a calm nod, without any further words. She neither offered humble remarks about her victory nor ridiculed her opponent's overconfidence. Her attitude perfectly embodied her pride.
Ignoring the diners' pleading gazes, she walked over to Alice and the others.
"Alright, the contest is over. It's time we leave."
Alice and the others nodded immediately and rose from their seats.
Of course, Erina had noticed the Red Queen's gaze. But she had no intention of taking action. As long as the Red Queen let them leave quietly, Erina could ignore her eyes. After all, she bore no ill will toward the Red Queen, who wasn't some irredeemable villain.
Unfortunately, the Red Queen had no intention of letting her go so easily. Just as they rose to leave, she stepped forward to block their way.
"Don't be in such a hurry, young lady."
The Red Queen smiled as she looked at Erina, her crimson eyes shining with satisfaction.
"Is there something else?"
Erina looked at the Red Queen blocking her path with calm indifference.
"Your cooking pleases me. Would you be interested in staying here as a chef? As payment, I can offer you benefits beyond imagination."
The Red Queen didn't start with force, but instead spoke as though negotiating. Though she was proud, Erina's cooking had earned a measure of her respect.
At her words, the once silent diners revealed eager expressions. If Erina became a chef here, wouldn't they be able to taste that god-tier cuisine every seven days?
Even the manager's eyes lit with anticipation. He hoped to learn a higher realm of cooking from her. He had even forgotten to ask about the JK uniforms.
But under the weight of everyone's expectations, Erina shook her head without hesitation.
"Thank you for the invitation, but I have no intention of becoming a chef here."
Since the Red Queen's tone had been fairly polite, Erina didn't respond too harshly either.
Hearing her refusal, the manager and diners showed disappointment.
The Red Queen, however, wasn't disappointed. Instead, her lips curled into a playful smile.
"Oh? You refuse my offer? Then do you know what consequences come from rejecting me?"
As she spoke, a powerful aura surged from her body.
The diners turned toward her in fear, their hearts trembling as they worried for Erina.
Under the pressure, Erina said nothing. She simply met the Red Queen's gaze in silence.
Then, her lips curved into a faint smile.
"Why don't you show me these consequences?"
At the same time, an even greater aura burst forth from Erina, instantly engulfing the entire restaurant. The very space warped under her might, and the building itself quaked as if struck by an earthquake.
The sudden change drained the color from every diner's face. One by one, their bodies collapsed forward onto the tables, unable to resist the overwhelming force.
As an ordinary person, the manager thought an earthquake had struck. He pulled Aletta under the table with him while warning the others to take cover.
Meanwhile, Victoria, Darkness, and Eris were protected by Alice, spared from the crushing pressure of the aura. After all, most of Erina's aura was directed squarely at the Red Queen.
Under its weight, the Red Queen crushed to the floor in a humiliating pose. Her prideful expression vanished, replaced with disbelief and even a faint trace of fear.
Since the Red Queen had tried to suppress her with aura, Erina wasn't going to hold back either. Still, she hadn't unleashed her full power—otherwise, the Red Queen wouldn't be kneeling but dead the instant the aura struck.
A full minute passed, with Erina maintaining her aura for over ten seconds. Yet under her precise control, the restaurant itself suffered no damage. Only tables and utensils shifted or fell from the shaking.
The diners realized the aura's true source and turned pale as they looked at Erina. They knew this was a clash between her and the Red Queen, and that they were only caught in the aftershocks. None dared to speak.
Pinned down by the oppressive force, the Red Queen couldn't move a muscle, not even to beg for mercy. All she could do was plead with her eyes, silently praying Erina would relent.
A single minute of this torment shattered her pride. Even when she had faced Chaos thousands of years ago, she hadn't felt so powerless. For the first time, she experienced the emotion of fear—of her life no longer being under her control.
But Erina had no intention of killing the Red Queen. This was merely punishment, a warning. When she saw the Red Queen's desperate eyes, she decided to stop.
With a light snort, Erina withdrew her aura.
In an instant, the shaking ceased, and everyone, including the Red Queen, regained their freedom. None spoke, only casting wary glances at Erina.
Without a word, Erina turned toward the restaurant door. Alice and the others immediately followed.
Soon, with the sound of the door's bell, Erina and her companions disappeared from the restaurant.
Only then did the remaining diners let out breaths of relief.
The Red Queen, drained and trembling, struggled back to her feet. After what had just happened, she had no desire to remain for the red wine stew she had waited seven days for. Without another word, she left Nekoya Western Restaurant—abandoning even the iron bucket she had brought.
...
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): Not bad, Erina. You've learned how to put on a show. That display in front of everyone just now was well done~]
[Moeha Fujiwara (Level 7, Stage 1): Erina-oneechan was so cool just now~]
[Arifureta (Level 7, Stage 3 / Group Leader): Did you see the customers' faces? Each one was stunned. Before long, Victoria's world will probably start spreading the legend of the "Goddess of Food."]
[Chika Fujiwara (Level 7, Stage 2): Very possible. There were plenty of important figures from other worlds in that restaurant. If the story spreads from their mouths, it'll be quickly accepted.]
[Arche (Level 7, Stage 2): Not necessarily. They might consider today's events taboo and bury it deep inside instead.]
[Ruri Gokou (Level 7, Stage 2): If only I'd been there too… then I could've revealed my true form as Fallen Angel Black Cat!]
[Erina Nakiri (Level 7, Stage 2): Goddess of Food… What kind of ridiculous name is that!]
[Arifureta (Level 7, Stage 3 / Group Leader): Isn't it fitting? You showed them cuisine beyond mortal limits and revealed overwhelming power. Put them together, and isn't that exactly a Goddess of Food?]
[Erina Nakiri (Level 7, Stage 2): …]
[Erina Nakiri (Level 7, Stage 2): What kind of logic is that?]
[Alice Nakiri (Level 7, Stage 1): Hahaha, Erina, I think that title suits you perfectly. Why not just use it from now on?]
[Chika Fujiwara (Level 7, Stage 2): Exactly! From now on, let's all call Erina the Goddess of Food, hehe.]
[Asuna Yuuki (Level 7, Stage 2): Agreed! laugh.jpg]
[Erina Nakiri (Level 7, Stage 2): I! Absolutely! Refuse!]
[Eris (Level 3, Stage 6): Why reject it? Isn't that title beautiful? I also have the title of Goddess of Fortune. curious.jpg]
Seeing Erina so resistant to the title "Goddess of Food," Eris was confused. She wasn't the only one. Frieren, Victoria, and others who came from other worlds also struggled to understand. To them, receiving the title of "goddess" was an unparalleled honor.
[Erina Nakiri (Level 7, Stage 2): It's way too embarrassing. I don't want such a title.]
[Eris (Level 3, Stage 6): …Embarrassing?]
[Frieren (Level 2, Stage 8): …]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): What's so embarrassing about it? As long as you don't feel awkward, it's others who'll feel awkward!]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): Besides, I have a goddess title in another world too, and I never felt embarrassed.]
[Arifureta (Level 7, Stage 3 / Group Leader): That's right. They even have a statue of Eriri over there.]
[Erina Nakiri (Level 7, Stage 2): …]
[Eris (Level 3, Stage 6): Eriri has a goddess title too? What's the full title?]
[Arifureta (Level 7, Stage 3 / Group Leader): It's "Goddess Kashiwagi Eri."]
[Frieren (Level 2, Stage 8): Kashiwagi Eri? What a strange title.]
[Natsuki Minamiya (Level 2, Stage 8): Isn't that Eriri's pen name? I saw it in one of the memory images.]
[Natsuki Minamiya (Level 2, Stage 8): To use a pen name as a divine title… that's so like you.]
[Frieren (Level 2, Stage 8): I see.]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): Whatever~ I think it sounds nice.]
[Natsuki Minamiya (Level 2, Stage 8): …]
...
After returning from Nekoya Western Restaurant, Victoria ended the livestream.
This time, she had earned quite a lot of rewards. Just from Eriri alone, she received over a million points. Added to the smaller amounts from other members, it totaled several hundred thousand more.
Since the rewards were all given because of Erina, Victoria originally intended to transfer the points to her. But Erina refused. To her, a mere one million points wasn't even a fraction of her balance. Moreover, since Victoria had hosted the livestream, she had no reason to accept the rewards.
The chat group had an unspoken rule: whoever hosted the livestream would keep all the rewards, regardless of who was featured. Normally, when a livestream took place in a member's world, the task would fall to them. The reason Eriri had Victoria host this time instead of Erina was exactly because of this.
With Erina's explanation, Victoria happily accepted the windfall.
After her excitement faded, however, she realized something important—she had forgotten to pay the bill, and also forgotten the four servings of French fruit pudding she had ordered for takeaway.
But there was no way to go back now. The instant they returned, the portal to Nekoya vanished. It appeared only once every seven days and could be used just once, disappearing immediately afterward.
Yet Victoria wasn't too disappointed. In the past, missing out on her pudding might have left her too upset to focus on her magic research. But now, it no longer mattered.
Her love for French fruit pudding was nothing compared to her new craving for Erina's cooking.
Besides, there was tomorrow's gathering. Surely, there would be desserts even more delicious than the fried rice she had just tasted.
Thinking of this, Victoria's heart swelled with anticipation for the coming day.
—
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