Today, Damian saw Rindō and Momo sitting on the couch as soon as he returned to the dormitory, both of them staring intently at a booklet. Damian was momentarily stunned before softly saying, "I'm back…"
"Oh! Welcome back… Look at this."
Damian blinked for a moment and stepped closer before asking with some doubt, "Huh? What's this? Tōtsuki Friendship and Rapport Training Camp…?"
"Yes. I think you already know, but it doesn't hurt to explain."
"The Tōtsuki Friendship and Rapport Training Camp is the first major obstacle that all first-year Tōtsuki students must overcome."
"Students are sent to the Tōtsuki Resort, where they spend five days in training."
"The camp is supervised by some of the school's instructors, like Roland Chapelle, and the resort manager: Gin Dōjima, the former First Seat of the Elite Ten Council."
"The camp invites several Tōtsuki alumni to participate as instructors. Most of them attend the camp to scout potential chefs who might work at their restaurants one day."
(I suppose Inui will be there too, Damian thought.)
"During the camp, students are treated as staff members by the alumni. If a student fails to meet an alumnus's expectations or cannot complete an assigned task, that alumnus is authorized to expel the student from the academy."
"Damian, we've known you long enough to realize you tend to get lazy when you find something too easy. But try to put in some effort this time—this event is crucial for your future as a chef," Rindō said seriously.
"I know that, Rindō. Do you really think I'd let myself get expelled from Tōtsuki just for being lazy?" Damian laughed.
"I'm just worried about whether you'll be able to pass the exams," Rindō sighed.
"You shouldn't worry about that."
"All right then, let's do a little test right now," Rindō said.
Damian nodded and said, "Okay, tell me."
"Prepare a beef dish in two hours using unconventional methods. What would you do in this situation?"
"What kind of unconventional methods are we talking about?" Damian asked.
"A method so uncommon that hardly anyone would dare to try it."
"Well, that leaves me with some interesting options…" Damian pondered for a moment.
"For example, there's Pajata, Coda alla Vaccinara, Lampredotto, and a few others…" Damian said.
"I've never heard of any of those…" Rindō and Momo said almost in unison.
"Well, Pajata is a traditional Roman dish made from the intestine of an unweaned calf—meaning the animal has only consumed milk and hasn't yet eaten grass. Theoretically, the remaining milk makes the dish creamy and flavorful after cooking," Damian explained.
"Calf intestines? Isn't that a little cruel?" Rindō asked.
"It depends. As I said, it's a traditional Roman dish, and I've had very little contact with it," Damian replied.
"Moving on, Lampredotto is a dish of very humble origin. In Florence, it's considered high-quality street food, usually served in a sandwich called semelle, which is savory, unlike other Tuscan breads."
"It's made from one of the four cow stomachs—the abomasum. It goes through a long cooking process with tomatoes, onions, parsley, and celery, though there's also a version served with green sauce or cooked with Swiss chard," Damian explained.
"Okay, that's enough. I don't even want to hear the last one," Rindō said.
She was afraid the next dish would be even stranger than the first two.
"Actually, the last one is the most 'normal' of them, and it even has an interesting story behind it," Damian said with a smile.
It wasn't every day he got to talk about Italian cuisine.
"Ugh~ I might regret this, but go ahead," Rindō said with a sigh, while Momo nodded in agreement.
"Well, Coda alla Vaccinara is an oxtail stew in modern Roman cuisine that includes several vegetables, especially celery. The tail is considered offal and is nicknamed 'the fifth quarter' in Rome."
"It's a refined dish in Roman cooking. Its origins trace back to the old Roman neighborhood where butchers—the vaccinari—used to live."
"In the past, they were rewarded for their services with the 'fifth quarter,' meaning the less valuable parts of the animal like tripe, tail, and other organs. These butchers would then sell the leftovers to ordinary people who couldn't afford the finer cuts."
"Recipes like Coda alla Vaccinara, Trippa alla Romana, and Pajata were born from humble cooking, aiming to make the most out of even the poorest ingredients—turning necessity into virtue."
"You were right—there's an interesting story behind it. But now, thanks to you, I want to try this dish. As your Senpai, I demand that you make Coda alla Vaccinara for us," Rindō ordered, while Momo nodded in agreement.
"All right, who am I to refuse an order from my Senpai," Damian chuckled as he wrote down the list of ingredients and handed it to Rindō so she could get them for him.
In an office, Senzaemon was carefully reviewing a document. After a long pause, he turned to Roland, who was also reading some papers, and asked, "Roland, I'm curious about something. Of all the graduates we invited to this year's Tōtsuki Friendship and Rapport Training Camp, Inui Hinako accepted the invitation almost immediately, right? Do you know why?"
"To be honest, I don't. I called her and asked, but she just told me she had some free time," Roland replied.
"But didn't she close her restaurant a few days ago to travel?" Senzaemon asked, confused.
"Huh? How did you know she was away?"
Senzaemon sighed and said, "Well, I went out to take care of something, and on my way back, I passed by her restaurant and saw a sign on the door saying she'd be away for a few days because she won a prize in some raffle."
"Ahh~ That is a bit strange… but it's not that important. We've already received positive responses from several alumni—they should be arriving soon."
"Tell me about the exam plans."
Roland nodded and discussed his plans with Senzaemon.
"I agree with doing it during the final days," Senzaemon said with approval.
"But… why is there a cat on the cover of the exam form?" he asked, puzzled.
"That was something Tsunozaki decided…"
"You mean Tsunozaki Taki, right? No wonder…" he sighed, remembering the girl.
They spent some more time discussing the event plans. After Roland left, Senzaemon relaxed in his chair for a moment before making a phone call.
"Erina, come to my office. Bring Hinako with you."
Shortly after Senzaemon hung up, he heard a knock on the door.
"It's me, Grandpa."
"Come in, Erina," Senzaemon said.
As she entered, Erina looked at him curiously and asked, "Do you need me for something, Grandpa? Do you want me to taste a dish?"
"Yes! It is indeed a tasting—but not in a restaurant."
"It's at the Tōtsuki Friendship and Rapport Training Camp…"
Erina was stunned for a moment and asked, "But what is there to taste over there?"
"It's not the camp's food I want you to taste—I want you to evaluate the students' cooking!"
"Huh?!" ×2
Hisako spoke in confusion, "How could student cooking be worth evaluating…"
Erina waved her hand and said, "Hisako, I think Grandpa must have his reasons, but I still want to know why."
"Well, it turns out that at this year's Tōtsuki Friendship and Rapport Training Camp…"
Senzaemon spent a few moments explaining.
After some time, Erina left the office and stood just outside the door, softly saying, "Damian Gray again…"
"Erina-sama, what should I do?" Hisako asked.
"Hisako, I want all matters for the 4th, 5th, and 6th days of the Tōtsuki Friendship and Rapport Training Camp postponed. Reschedule the morning reservations on the 6th day to the afternoon, and cancel everything after 3:00 p.m. on the 4th day," Erina instructed.
"In other words, you'll be back by noon on the 6th day?"
"Yes. After all, I'm still preparing for a Shokugeki. If I win this one, I'll become a member of the Elite Ten Council!"
"Understood. I'll start preparing everything immediately," Hisako replied.
(End of Chapter)
Give me some power stones there you go~😉