"Hmm... I think I've seen that somewhere before," Zenji Marui muttered, staring at the strange mushroom in Kael's hand. "Kael, could you hold off on telling us what it is for a second? Let me think."
"Sure," Kael said easily. He was curious himself to see if Marui could identify it.
Marui fell silent, eyes narrowing as he tried to recall where he'd seen that distinctive shape before. But the longer he thought, the paler he got. Beads of sweat started forming on his forehead—not from mental strain, but from realization.
"Kael... th-that mushroom... it's poisonous, isn't it?" he stammered.
"What? Poisonous?!" Yuki Yoshino yelped, her voice rising. "You're joking, right? We all just ate that!"
Everyone turned toward Marui, wide-eyed and terrified, praying he'd say he was mistaken.
"I can't remember the exact name," Marui said, voice shaking, "but I'm almost positive I saw it listed in a compendium of toxic fungi!"
The color drained from several faces at once. Poisonous mushrooms were no joke—there were countless species, and the number of people who'd died from eating the wrong one wasn't small.
"Uh... Kael?" Yuki asked, looking at him with desperate hope. "He's... he's wrong, right?"
"No," Kael said calmly. "Marui's right. This species is poisonous."
The room went dead silent.
Then—
"Megumi!"
Ryoko Sakaki's shout broke the tension. Megumi Tadokoro had suddenly gone limp and was collapsing backward. Ryoko lunged forward just in time to catch her.
"Hey! Megumi, don't scare me like that!" Yuki cried, rushing over, panicked.
Megumi wasn't poisoned—she was just in shock. Her mind was already racing through her last goodbyes to her family, convinced her life was over.
"Alright, enough!" Fumio Daimido said sharply, rubbing her temples. "Get a grip, all of you. Do you really think Kael's stupid enough to serve something actually lethal? Even if it's poisonous raw, he must've neutralized the toxin somehow."
She rolled her eyes. These kids could be exhausting. Sure, she'd been startled when Marui first spoke up, but the more she thought about it, the less sense panic made.
Kael was a Three-Star Chef—a prodigy. A student that skilled had a bright future ahead of him. He barely even knew them; why on earth would he serve everyone poison?
"Exactly," said Satoshi Isshiki, chuckling. "My stomach feels warm, but not in a bad way. There's no nausea or pain—just a pleasant heat. Kael, mind explaining before Megumi faints for real?"
At that, all eyes turned back to Kael.
"This mushroom is called the Inky Cap Mushroom," he said, smiling faintly. "Fitting name, isn't it?"
The group nodded almost instinctively. The dark, droplet-covered cap really did look like it was dripping ink.
"As Marui said, it is toxic in its natural state," Kael continued. "If eaten raw, symptoms include anxiety, rapid heartbeat, ringing in the ears, chills, numbness, and pale skin."
He paused, letting the words sink in. Several people winced.
"However," he went on smoothly, "this mushroom also has medicinal value. It aids digestion, clears toxins, and improves circulation.
The key lies in the preparation. The toxins aren't completely removed—they're converted. By combining it with the right complementary ingredients, the poison's nature changes, turning harmful compounds into beneficial ones."
"That warmth in your stomachs right now," he added, "is the result of that transformation. The toxin's energy has become a restorative effect. In other words—this soup is only good for you."
Relieved murmurs rippled through the group. They really did feel fine—in fact, better than fine. Their bodies felt light, their blood flowing warmly.
Of course, complete trust was still out of reach. Nobody wanted to tempt fate.
After all, accidents happen. Even skilled fugu chefs sometimes slipped up—and when that happened, being right didn't matter much to the dead.
More than a few dormmates quietly made a mental note to bunk together that night, just in case.
Kael, naturally, had no idea what they were thinking. And even if he had, he wouldn't have blamed them. That kind of reaction was only human.
It was like ordering blowfish at a restaurant—you could trust the chef all you wanted, but you'd still feel a twinge of fear when you took the first bite.
For Kael, though, this kind of Poison Cuisine was child's play. Mistakes were impossible. With his Five Divine Senses and the medical expertise inherited from Kaiyu, he could tell instantly whether a dish was safe just by looking or smelling it.
Kaiyu had been a grandmaster of Poison Cuisine—his knowledge was absolute. For Kael, this was the safest field imaginable.
"You're one hell of a kid," Fumio muttered, half laughing, half exasperated. "Try not to give everyone a heart attack next time, alright? Maybe lay off the poisonous stuff once in a while."
"I'll keep that in mind, Mrs. Daimido," Kael said with a light grin. "But Poison Cuisine just happens to be my specialty. Don't worry, I'll keep it out of the dorm from now on."
He wasn't exaggerating. Eighty percent of Kaiyu's culinary inheritance revolved around toxins and antidotes—poison was his art form.
Kael wasn't like his predecessor, though. He'd never use poison recklessly, and certainly not against innocents. It was a tool for battle—for his enemies, not his friends.
"Poison Cuisine, huh..." Isshiki murmured, smiling wryly.
The rest of the group exchanged looks, their expressions a mix of disbelief and reluctant admiration.
They'd grown up around chefs of every kind—but this was the first time any of them had met one who specialized in poison.
If nothing else, they'd definitely learned something new that day.