The moment one entered the Moon Banquet Festival grounds of Tōtsuki Culinary Academy, even the main avenue not far from the front gate was already packed shoulder to shoulder with people.
From where Selene currently sat, the avenue—surrounded on both sides by temporary food stalls opened by Tōtsuki students—stretched all the way up to the Tōtsuki auditorium on the hillside. In front of the auditorium lay a large semicircular terrace. Along the stone railings of the terrace, rows upon rows of seasonal flowers, colorful banners, lanterns, and decorative lights were arranged in perfect order...
Clusters of vibrant little balloons echoed the fluttering banners in the wind. Electronic displays and cloud screens continuously played Moon Banquet Festival congratulatory slogans. Amid the hawking cries of Tōtsuki students and the clamor of visiting tourists, the entire scene felt even more lively.
The avenue, which normally seemed spacious, now felt especially crowded. Tourists from all over the world gathered in groups of three or five.
There were families traveling together, returning soldiers from the 11th Legion on leave, and even quite a few visitors from other star systems. Beastman attendants, elven maids, even merfolk... the atmosphere was extraordinarily bustling.
"Compared to staying in the Imperial Palace and admiring myself in solitude, this kind of lively atmosphere truly has its own worldly charm."
Sitting inside a simple food stall tent, Selene rested her chin on her hand as she waited for the 'Classic Yakitori Set' she had ordered. Through the pale blue noren curtain, she observed this so-called culinary academy.
In District 11—an island nation where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold—an academy of this scale was already outrageously large. Selene lifted her gaze slightly, looking at the campus that occupied the entire mountainside, spreading across several rolling hills. Its classical aesthetic carried an unmistakable sense of luxury, and she could not help but feel a trace of anticipation.
Advanced facilities and complete infrastructure were merely basic requirements. There was even a Tōtsuki resort... It was said that from the registration area to the high school dormitories, if one was unfamiliar with the route and lacked transportation, one might not arrive even by sunset.
Ninety-nine percent were discarded pawns polished for the sake of the one percent.
That sentence perfectly described Tōtsuki Academy's brutal elimination rate.
Of course... Selene was here to enjoy herself. She had absolutely no interest in meddling in their affairs, nor any inclination to comment.
Do as you please. Develop further, climb higher, or decline and fall into ruin—it made no difference to her. As long as you did not evade taxes or break the law, she did not care.
You provide service and cuisine. I enjoy it and offer payment. If it tastes good, I will not be stingy with praise. It all depends on my mood. That is all.
Still, for them to recover their former prosperity so quickly after the war... it seemed the Tōtsuki Group's maneuvering abilities were quite impressive.
Selene silently browsed through the compiled information regarding the Tōtsuki Group, Tōtsuki Culinary Academy, and Nakiri International.
During the conquest war, once the Empire's spearhead forces arrived, District 11's former Self-Defense Forces collapsed almost instantly. Like the Shinomiya Conglomerate and other zaibatsu, they keenly sensed that the "winds were changing" and made a decisive choice within an extremely short period of time.
They abandoned the so-called bushido spirit touted by their propaganda machine and surrendered collectively. In exchange for preserving essential life and property, they bypassed the cabinet and signed a surrender agreement with the Imperial Expeditionary Force, swiftly aligning themselves with the Empire. After the war, they actively participated in reconstruction and the establishment of a new order.
Thus, relying on the influence of zaibatsu oligarchic capital, coupled with the Empire's overwhelming military superiority, the entirety of Japan fell within nearly twenty-four hours. Because the oligarchs who controlled nearly sixty percent of the nation's total assets surrendered so quickly, this region was fortunately spared even greater wartime destruction.
Aside from upgrading internal facilities, Tōtsuki Culinary Academy had largely preserved its original appearance. After all, only someone truly bored would have the Salamanders Legion bombard a hill clearly designated as a chef school.
From an architectural standpoint, the closer one moved toward the center, the more classical the structures became. Oh—and there were also several newly added multi-tiered Gothic-style buildings, clearly catering to Imperial aesthetic preferences.
That was indeed the case.
The Salamanders Legion appeared to have special arrangements for this tourist world. The new capital—constructed through land reclamation—where the planetary Governor's Office was located, was undoubtedly built into a super-massive fortress metropolis using advanced Imperial technology.
Yet the rest of this tourist world had not been forcibly overdeveloped. Aside from necessary continental capitals, near-orbit facilities, and spaceports, many regions had undergone gradual and progressive transformation compared to before Imperial rule—particularly in terms of ecological optimization.
Otherwise, how could it be called a tourist world?
In the end, the Tōtsuki Group lived up to expectations and became one of the conglomerates granted a logistics supplier license for the Astartes Eighteenth Legion, the Salamanders. Of course—not for weapons.
The Tōtsuki Group supplied people—chefs. The field cooks stationed on the 11th Tourist World under the Salamanders Legion had gained a modest reputation within the Imperial military.
There were also institutions such as Le Cordon Bleu Paris, the Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyon, and the Basque Culinary Center.
"Apologies, apologies, miss. Thank you for waiting."
Selene's thoughts had only begun to wander when a crisp sound from the tray being set on the table drew her attention. The anticipation for the dishes made her turn her head.
Following the arm that was still arranging the wasabi dish, salt dish, and sauce dish, she looked up at the Tōtsuki student wearing a chef's hat, sweating slightly and visibly nervous. Selene returned a gentle smile, then shifted her gaze to the golden-skinned skewers before her—chicken neck, chicken hearts, gizzards, thigh meat, cartilage, wings, and even lantern skewers...
On the table beside her lay freshly peeled lemon, releasing the unique fragrance of citrus that soothed the mind. The aroma fully awakened the appetite she had already been cultivating.
With a faint smile, she picked up a skewer of chicken neck. The grains of salt were distinct, and under the light the golden exterior glowed enticingly.
She bit down lightly—crunch—the crisp outer layer and juicy meat delighted her taste buds. The simple salt seasoning highlighted the freshness and quality of the ingredients. The control of the heat rendered just the right touch of caramelized char.
If examined closely, she possessed what some might call a divine tongue or divine nose—simply heightened acuity of the five senses of taste and smell.
But Selene had never developed it, nor cared to. She even deliberately limited her ordinary taste and smell to roughly that of a normal person. Otherwise, she might eventually find herself unable to eat anything at all—would that not rob life of one of its great pleasures?
At the same time, she was not a professional chef. In fact, she could only be described as a rather superficial gourmet enthusiast. She harbored no lofty pursuits—she simply sought good taste. No matter how extravagantly chefs described their creations, she treated it merely as a pre-meal overture.
Under the tense yet hopeful gaze of the Tōtsuki student at the grill, Selene praised lightly while picking up a skewer of chicken thigh. She dripped lemon juice over it, added a touch of wasabi, then placed it in her mouth and bit down gently.
Mm... this time, combined with the distinctive citrus aroma and a subtle spicy kick.
Chewing gracefully yet with remarkable speed, Selene swiftly finished the skewers on the table. Watching her expression of genuine enjoyment, the Tōtsuki barbecue club members finally let out a breath of relief. For a chef, seeing someone display such satisfaction over their food was the highest praise imaginable.
Finishing with a skewer of chicken hearts, Selene glanced at the students behind the grill, beads of sweat rolling down their foreheads, and asked thoughtfully,
"Even if you couldn't prepare air conditioning in advance, why wasn't even a fan arranged?"
She lightly tapped the reclining chair beneath her, which seemed oddly out of place. "And these seats are rather strange as well..."
"We are terribly sorry!!"
Because of a single question, the captain of the Tōtsuki Barbecue Research Society immediately bowed at a full ninety degrees, speaking in panic.
"Our Barbecue Research Society lost the food war for Moon Banquet Festival shop funding. Our preparation funds were extremely tight. After securing essential ingredients and tools, we had no choice but to borrow extra chairs from the swimming club. We sincerely apologize and beg your forgiveness!"
The explanation came rushing out.
He could hardly be blamed for being nervous. Although most invited figures of influence headed straight for the mountainside Third Zone, anyone with functioning eyes could see that Selene was anything but ordinary.
Those crimson eyes, deep and radiant like blood diamonds. Silver hair that shimmered like snow. The elegant red Western-style dress. Fingernails lustrous as diamond curled around the wooden skewers while faint light flowed across her skin.
Her simple yet aristocratic attire, the golden double-headed aquila brooch at her collar, and that unquestionable aura forged over countless years—all silently proclaimed her extraordinary status.
A noble lady visiting from another star region, perhaps.
Even though her demeanor was gentle, the moment she stepped into the stall to order, goosebumps had spread across their skin. It felt as though some sixth sense warned them to give their absolute all—any trace of perfunctory effort would surely bring disaster.
And so, while grilling, they pushed themselves to the limit, squeezing every ounce of focus from their minds. Their effort had paid off. All of them shared a sense of déjà vu—they had broken through. The result far surpassed their previous trial preparations.
"Food war..."
No wonder. I thought these chairs looked like beach loungers. And no fan either... well, with something as distinctive as a food war involved, it makes sense.
"..."
Still maintaining that ninety-degree bow, the club captain waited uneasily. Instead of rebuke or forgiveness, what came was a wave of coolness.
Wait—what was this refreshing sensation?!
The next moment, an invisible force lifted them upright. Selene stood and snapped her fingers. A faint halo enveloped the entire stall, isolating the heat radiating from the crowd and suppressing the high temperatures spreading from the grill. She pointed at the menu hanging from the tent's steel frame.
"Th-th-th-those... and that as well. Half salt, half sauce. Pack them to go."
"Yes!"
His body snapped to attention instinctively, chest straightened, voice ringing out.
It's supernatural power!!
In that instant, he became even more certain of his guess.
"As the first stop of my visit to the Eighteenth Legion's tourist world, this humble little barbecue stall has given me a rather pleasant impression. This constant-temperature barrier will maintain the most comfortable temperature for the human body for five days—until the Moon Banquet Festival ends."
Hearing this, the club captain reflexively attempted to bow again in excitement, only to find his body immobilized and his head forcibly turned toward the grill.
Selene's voice continued.
"No need for thanks. Opening a barbecue stall in this kind of heat—with neither fans nor air conditioning, and no chilled drinks available—no wonder business is poor. Consider this a token of appreciation. I'm in a hurry. Be quick."
"Y-Yes! Yes, ma'am!!"
With her arms folded, Selene watched his skilled movements and nodded. To advance from Tōtsuki's middle school division to high school and survive the residential training and Autumn Elections without elimination—these remaining students all possessed solid fundamentals.
Still... barbecue. Losing a food war was not surprising. In the eyes of certain current "God's Tongue" members of the Elite Ten, it was nothing more than street food unfit for refined halls. It was inevitable that the research society would lose funding in such a contest.
As for Selene, she simply loved good food—and found most things delicious.
If asked about her standard for deliciousness? Sorry—there was none.
As long as color, aroma, taste, and presentation were all satisfactory, she had no particular taboos. She was the type who ate whatever she happened to crave. If she encountered a dish she particularly liked, she could eat it three meals a day for months until she grew tired of it—then switch to something else, and later return to it when the craving resurfaced.
She did not need to worry about nutritional balance—though Sebas and the head imperial chef Susanoo certainly did.
Soon, as though his potential had been ignited and he was performing beyond his limits, the captain wiped the sweat from his brow and respectfully handed over the neatly packed box of skewers.
"Your yakitori skewers, along with seasonal vegetables to accompany them. Please enjoy."
"Thank you. I look forward to your culinary path advancing further," Selene replied courteously.
Selene might be cold at heart, but she had never worn a perpetual scowl. On the contrary, if she appreciated someone and held goodwill toward them—as long as her interests were not offended—she was never stingy with kindness.
"Thank you very much!!"
The series of events at this shabby barbecue stall drew curious glances from passing tourists. Yet when they saw Selene emerge holding a large box of skewers, still chewing as she walked, they instinctively stepped aside and lowered their heads.
After she walked farther away, curiosity overcame them. What kind of magic did that humble stall possess, attracting an Imperial noble to enter, pack food to go, and eat while walking?
"Wasn't that stall struggling even with decoration costs?"
"Let's go take a look."
"Oh! It feels so cool inside!"
From the corner of her eye, Selene glanced at the small barbecue stall now drawing a line due to herd mentality. She chuckled softly.
The effect of 'Discipline.' Even the faint aftershock of her words could, without side effects, guide those under its influence to uncover their bodily potential—or rather, awaken latent capability.
It seemed she was about to play the role of a generous benefactor at Tōtsuki Academy.
When more hidden gems emerged in this cohort—when even more so-called "divine talents" appeared—once leadership changed, who would prevail?
Tossing the finished wooden skewers into a trash bin by the walkway, Selene headed toward the next stall.
Eating as she walked, she soon discovered a rather interesting shop.
The equipment appeared complete and luxurious—yet there were no signs of cooking whatsoever.
One woman and two men were arguing noisily, utterly uncoordinated and busy blaming one another.