After about three minutes, Mana Nakiri finally opened her eyes again. She took another spoonful of the meat porridge and swallowed it smoothly.
After that first bite, everyone watched as Mana kept scooping spoon after spoon into her mouth.
Aside from Kael, the others were all stunned—especially Anne. She'd been by Mana's side for so long that she knew exactly what her condition was like.
Normally, even when Mana tasted someone's cooking, she would only force down a single bite. Then, once no one was looking, she would secretly throw up the rest.
It wasn't that she was picky—this was the grotesque downside of the God's Tongue. Even if she forced the food down, her body would eventually reject it and purge it right back out.
Until today, Anne had never seen Mana take a second bite of any dish. But now, Kael's porridge had already gone down more than a dozen spoonfuls.
"Miss Anne, someone who hasn't eaten properly in a long time shouldn't eat too much at once, even if it's Medicinal Cuisine meant to help the stomach." Kael spoke up casually.
Anne snapped back to reality and rushed forward, ignoring Mana's protests as she took the bowl away.
There was still plenty of porridge left. Mana would need a break before she could continue.
Mana was reluctant, of course—but she knew her own condition well enough to stop. She didn't want to worsen her health. She forced herself to suppress the sudden surge of appetite and looked at Kael.
"How did you do it? You actually weakened my God's Tongue. Right now my sense of taste feels almost like a normal person's. All I can taste is deliciousness—no flaws, nothing."
Kael replied matter-of-factly. "Poison, of course. I already told you—this Medicinal Cuisine is also a Poison Cuisine dish. If the God's Tongue is the reason you can't eat anything, then I just have to break the God's Tongue."
"So I poisoned your taste buds and weakened them. That said… it's not permanent. Each dose only lasts twenty-four hours. After that, your sense of taste returns."
He briefly explained the poison's effects. It would erase taste entirely for a normal person for a whole day.
But Mana's God's Tongue was far beyond normal human levels, so instead of disappearing, her taste was simply reduced to that of a normal person.
A poison, absolutely. But for Mana, this poison was practically elixer.
"I've tried countless ways over the years… even considered using poison myself. But I never had the courage to actually do it."
Mana's expression softened into a dazed, almost bitter smile.
She had thought about abandoning the God's Tongue before. But Nakiri International was still growing then. Without her, the company would still develop—but much more slowly, facing bigger crises. It could even collapse entirely.
So she kept going. For the sake of the Nakiri family's survival, losing her tongue was a small sacrifice.
She was raised by the Nakiri family. They invested everything into her. Now that something went wrong with her, could she really just abandon everything and walk away? She couldn't.
If it were Erina in her place, she would've made the same choice.
If their family had been cold and loveless, maybe they would have been able to discard the God's Tongue without hesitation.
But precisely because the Nakiri family did care, Mana could never make that ruthless decision. All she could do was try to find another path.
"Poison isn't a good thing," Kael continued. "The one I used may not harm your body much—but only if you take it in proper amounts."
"You can only use this poison once every other day. If you take it too soon, the buildup will overwhelm you, and you'll die from the accumulated toxins."
Neither Mana nor Anne looked surprised. It made perfect sense. Even normal medicine becomes toxic if overused—how much more so with actual poison?
Skipping a day between doses was acceptable. Mana would have more than enough time to slowly rebuild her health.
"These should last you a year. Just add a tiny bit to your food each time. Remember—never use too much."
Kael handed them the poison and explained the dosage. Too much, and Mana would truly be poisoned.
"Thank you… truly. I've spent so many years wondering if someone would ever solve the God's Tongue's flaw. I didn't expect that the first time we met, the problem would already be resolved."
Mana's voice trembled a little. It felt like a dream—she could finally taste food again.
"It's not fully solved yet," Kael said. "This only lets you eat normally every other day. It's temporary. I'll find a real solution. I promised to fix the downside of the God's Tongue—I'm not the type to walk away halfway."
Mana smiled. Kael already delivered a cure that was good enough. She could eat. She could live normally. That alone was already far beyond what she hoped for.
But Kael wasn't satisfied with "good enough." He wanted perfection. That meant he remembered gratitude—and repaid it a hundredfold.
Mana originally wanted Erina and Kael to get to know each other better. A young man with gratitude and character was exactly what she wanted Erina to be around.
She'd learned her lesson from Azami.
"Since the problem's been temporarily handled, the assessment's over. I'll be heading out, Special Executive Officer."
Kael turned to leave—Erina, of course, stayed behind to be with her mother.
"Just call me Aunt Nakiri. 'Special Executive Officer' is way too formal."
"…Alright. Then I'll call you Aunt Nakiri."
Kael didn't mind at all—building a good relationship with the WGO was a bonus anyway.
Kael left with Alice Nakiri and Arato Hisako. Erina stayed with her mother. The two of them probably wouldn't sleep tonight—they had years of words to catch up on.
Not long after Kael left, the WGO updated their website and released an announcement about him.
Arguments online had been constant—though most people supported Kael, some still doubted him. But once the WGO officially released the result, with Mana herself as the examiner, every voice of doubt vanished instantly.
"See? I knew he was really an Eight-Star Chef! It's right there—he passed Mana Nakiri's assessment!"
With evidence that solid, there was no room left to argue.
The night passed quietly.
The next morning, Kael left to sightsee with Alice. Hisako stayed behind to wait for updates on Erina and Mana.
"This little secretary is strict, but honestly… she's amazing," Alice said as they walked.
"She is. Why? Do you want a secretary too?"
Alice puffed her cheeks. Blackhair—Ryo Kurokiba—was technically her aide, but he wasn't suited for these sorts of things. And ever since they joined the Polar Star Dormitory, she and Ryo had grown a bit distant—unless something important happened.
She was honestly a little jealous of Erina.
"I want one… but where am I supposed to find someone that loyal and capable?"
"It's not hard. Megumi's Regional Cuisine Research Society has plenty of perfect candidates." Kael grinned.
That club was full of simple, earnest students—ideal followers. Megumi Tadokoro was the best example. If Kael had taken her as his aide earlier, she would have worked herself to the bone for him without a hint of betrayal.
"Regional Cuisine Research Society…? Got it. I'll check them out once we get back."
With that decided, Alice happily dragged Kael off to explore the area. They had six days left until the Shokugeki. Plenty of time to relax.
If Bunnyhair—still grinding herself half to death in Japan preparing for the match—knew Kael was spending the day sightseeing, she'd probably cough up blood.
While she's working herself into the ground, he's out here chilling like he's on vacation.
That evening, Kael received a call from Anne. Mana wanted to invite him and Alice to dinner. It was a simple gesture of thanks.
Kael accepted, and they headed to the WGO. The poison's effect was still active, so Mana could eat a small amount.
But Erina's change surprised Kael the most.
She had always worn an icy, elegant mask. Sometimes she showed a bit of natural airheadedness, but beneath it all was a constant sadness weighing her down.
With Divine Senses, Kael could easily feel emotional shifts—and Erina's entire presence was lighter now. Her heart knot with her mother had loosened, and it showed.
It was as if the huge burden on her shoulders had finally been lifted.
Mana told her that she could still handle the family responsibilities for now, and Erina didn't need to step into that world so soon.
A girl her age was supposed to smile, laugh, and enjoy life—not drown in worry.
Hearing that from her mother, Erina agreed immediately, and slowly began to adjust her mindset. It wouldn't change overnight, but the first step was taken.
Her gratitude toward Kael surged sky-high. He had helped her mother—to her, that meant everything. And she herself had the God's Tongue.
Even if Kael found no further cure, his poison could still support them for now.
The only hole left in her heart was her father's absence. But even if Azami Nakiri were here… she wouldn't feel better.
Her trauma wouldn't disappear so easily. In the original story, she only let go in the final moments of that arc.
Right now, she wasn't there yet. Even after reconciling with her mother, Azami's shadow still terrified her.
If he suddenly appeared, Erina would instantly shrink like a frightened animal.
"Kael… thank you. Thanks to your poison, I got to taste real food again. It's a shame I can't eat much—my stomach can't handle it after going so long without food."
Mana expressed her thanks, though she looked regretfully at the dishes on the table. The flavors were wonderful, but overeating now would overwhelm her recovering stomach.
The doctor told her earlier she would need time to heal.