Chapter 19: Mana Nakiri's Efforts for Ramsay (Patreon)

I had to admit it. The man known as the “Food’s Demon King” had real presence. The signature scar over his right eye only deepened the calm, imposing authority of his face.

“Let’s skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point,” Senzaemon Nakiri said.

“Totsuki Academy has kept strict rules since the day it was founded. Whether it’s a new student’s enrollment, the yearly evaluations, or graduation itself, every stage is guarded by layers of rigorous testing, and not an ounce of favoritism is allowed!”

His voice was rough and gravelly, and he spoke slowly.

“Right now, it’s neither the enrollment season nor the window for general admissions. A separate interview for a single applicant has never happened in the hundred years since Totsuki was founded. You must know there’s only one reason I made time to see you today…”

He paused, and his eyes softened a little as he named his daughter, Mana Nakiri. “It’s my daughter.”

“Yes, her. She sought me out and personally recommended you.”

Ramsay’s heart gave a small jolt. He kept listening quietly as Senzaemon Nakiri went on.

…

“Mana has been calm and rational since she was a child. She looks at every dish and every person with a severity that borders on coldness.

And in all the years since, she has never once pleaded with me on behalf of an outsider. Never mind making an exception, never mind asking me to bypass the admissions system and issue you an admission invitation that carries this much weight!

As her father, I couldn’t refuse my daughter’s request. As Director, I had to see for myself what kind of young man could move her this far.”

Senzaemon Nakiri leaned slightly forward, his gaze locked on Ramsay.

“Do you know how my daughter described you?

She didn’t say much. Just one sentence: ‘That young man named Ramsay is someone Totsuki should set its rules aside to accept.’

But obviously, a sentence like that wasn’t going to move me.

So she had no choice but to lay out everything you’ve done, one detail at a time, right in front of me.

She said your talent for cooking is the finest she has ever seen, after travelling everywhere and judging countless renowned chefs. From the very first dish you served her, she felt a shock to her palate unlike anything before.

And every meeting since, whatever you set before her has exceeded her expectations and shaken her to the core.

Mana wasn’t even sure whether you intended to enroll at Totsuki. Still, she begged me again and again to give you a chance, even if it was only worth a try.”

…

Having said his piece, Senzaemon Nakiri raised an eyebrow and looked at Ramsay.

“Well? After hearing all that, what do you think?”

A warm, stirring feeling welled up in Ramsay’s chest.

He had never imagined that Mana Nakiri, so aloof and self-contained, would praise him this fiercely in front of her father, or that she would break a century of Totsuki tradition to pave his way!

After a moment of silence, he collected himself, lifted his eyes to meet the Director’s gaze, and answered with equal seriousness.

“Honestly, I never expected Miss Nakiri to go this far for me. Right now I have only one thought: I must not betray the trust and expectations she has placed in me.”

…

The sincerity of the answer drew a faint smile from Senzaemon Nakiri, and some of the pressure around him quietly lifted.

“Speaking as Totsuki’s Director, and as a father too, it’s a relief to hear you say that.

The core principle a chef must hold onto above all is never to betray the expectations diners place in them. You understand that clearly.”

Then his tone shifted, returning to the bottom line of the rules. “Even so, being willing to bend the rules and issue you an admission invitation already pushes the limit of school regulations.

Daughter’s request or not, I can’t keep opening the back door for you without limit.

You should understand that the admission invitation is merely an entry pass. To formally enroll at Totsuki, you must pass a dedicated entrance exam.

Exams for every transfer student and exceptional admission are run by members of the Elite Ten Council, taking turns. Whether you step through Totsuki’s gates is ultimately decided by the examiner.

This year’s examiners have already been notified. If you’re ready, you can head to the exam room now.

I don’t know what the exact test will be. But I trust that a chef Mana would recommend with everything she has won’t disappoint me.”

Ramsay straightened his back, and a confident, composed smile rose to his face. He answered the Director with a deep, steady voice. “Since I dared to come here today, I’d already prepared myself for any trial.

Please rest assured, Director. I’ll give it everything I have and pass the entrance exam.”

…

Their conversation did not last much longer.

After a few brief words of instruction, a staff member stepped forward to guide him. They passed through a long corridor and stopped before a vast, empty professional cooking classroom. The staff member stepped aside and gestured toward the door.

“Ramsay, the Director has already spoken with the examiners. Both of them are waiting for you inside the cooking classroom.”

“Understood.”

Ramsay nodded, then raised a hand and knocked lightly on the heavy solid-wood door.

…

From inside came a deep, resonant male voice. “Come in.”

Ramsay pushed the door open and swept his eyes over the room. His steps stopped short, and he froze on the spot.

In that huge space sat two men, and he knew them both.

Before the counter by the wall stood a broad-shouldered, bald man whose muscles made a striking impression. He was none other than the current first seat of the Totsuki Elite Ten… Gin Dojima!

And at the desk by the window, lounging in his chair with a lazy, carefree look in his eyes, sat the man who held the second seat of the Elite Ten.

Yes, him. The man known as “Asura”: Joichiro Saiba!