"It's unexpectedly delicious... Lexon..." Satoshi Isshiki looked at the empty plate, an uncontrollable smile spreading across his face as he praised the dish.
"Senior Isshiki's cooking is the one that's terrifyingly good... The skill level of the Elite Ten's Seventh Seat is truly impressive," Lexon said calmly, a gentle smile appearing on his slightly flushed face.
Neither of them was just engaging in mutual flattery.
The food they had both prepared was genuinely, exceptionally delicious.
Soma Yukihira, who was already caught in a vortex of gourmet bliss from which there was no escape, was living proof of that.
Satoshi Isshiki hadn't expected Lexon's cooking to be this advanced, and Lexon hadn't expected the Seventh Seat of the Elite Ten to reach such heights.
After tasting Satoshi Isshiki's dish, Lexon's God's Tongue seemed to have leveled up slightly.
Moreover, the dish contained a subtle [SPIRIT INVIGORATION] trait that piqued Lexon's interest.
It could stir the spirit and consciousness, stimulating the psyche...
It was on a completely different level from the food Soma Yukihira had made for him, with significantly greater benefits.
If he could taste similar gourmet food more often in the future...
Perhaps...
He would undergo a change.
Or so Lexon thought.
"It seems you know a bit about me, Lexon... knowing my rank and all," Satoshi Isshiki replied with a smile.
"I looked into who the members of the Elite Ten were when I entered Totsuki," Lexon casually fabricated a lie.
"Oh?" Satoshi Isshiki's interest was piqued. "Why pay special attention to that? Was it just for the sake of knowing?"
He could have easily used that as an excuse at a time like this.
But Lexon didn't.
"To become the First Seat of the Elite Ten."
Perhaps it was the effect of the food talking, or perhaps it was his true intention.
Lexon gave his answer.
"The First Seat, huh? So... you're serious about reaching the summit of Totsuki..." Satoshi Isshiki's soft gaze seemed to sharpen once more.
"Of course I'm not joking," Lexon replied with a smile.
"Your cooking is already far beyond what a first-year high schooler should be capable of, Lexon... but even so, the path to the Elite Ten is still quite long..."
"It's not that far anymore, is it?" Lexon's smile remained unchanged.
Looking at the smile on his face, Satoshi Isshiki fell silent for a moment.
After a brief pause, he finally spoke. "True."
He had to admit it...
Given the level of culinary skill displayed in the dish the boy had just presented...
He was indeed approaching the level of the Elite Ten.
Whether it was the delicate handling of the ingredients or the taste as harmonious as a symphony... for some reason, there was even a faint hint of a culinary intent similar to his own...
'Truly terrifying,' Satoshi Isshiki thought as he gazed at the handsome face before him.
Looking at the other party's handsome face, Satoshi Isshiki thought to himself.
'I'm glad I took it somewhat seriously just now... otherwise, I might have actually been surpassed.'
"So, after tasting my dish, does the owner of the God's Tongue have any suggestions for improvement?" Satoshi Isshiki asked Lexon.
He had entered this culinary exchange with the intention of improving his own cooking, so he naturally wanted to know its flaws.
Hearing Satoshi Isshiki's question, Lexon sat in his chair, resting his chin on his hand in a pensive stance.
After a moment, he shook his head. "I can't find any flaws."
With his God's Tongue only at a basic proficiency level after signing in with Erina Nakiri twice—even with the frequent tastings of Soma Yukihira's food—Lexon hadn't reached the point where he could identify flaws in a dish made by the Seventh Seat.
"Is that so..." Satoshi Isshiki sounded a bit disappointed, but he quickly smiled. "Then that's it for our exchange. It's late; we should head back to our rooms and get some sleep."
"What about them?" Lexon glanced at the members of the Polar Star Dormitory who were slumped over, already asleep.
"Oh, right... Goodness, they might catch a cold sleeping in the kitchen..." Satoshi Isshiki flicked the hem of his apron, looking troubled.
Then, he turned to Lexon with a request. "Lexon, could you help me carry them back to their rooms?"
Lexon nodded; it was a small matter, after all.
After helping move them back to their respective rooms, Lexon bid Satoshi Isshiki goodnight and returned to his own quarters.
...
"Let's go, Lexon! Let's go check out the research societies together."
During the lunch break, Soma Yukihira ran over to Lexon's classroom, shouting and wanting Lexon to join him in visiting some clubs that caught his interest.
"No," Lexon replied flatly, sitting in his chair.
"Eh? Come on, come on!" Soma Yukihira was persistent, buzzing around Lexon while continuing to badger him.
"No." Lexon was equally skilled at rejection, remaining completely unmoved as he turned him down again.
"Aw, come on... you might see something interesting..." Soma continued his tireless invitation.
'Something interesting, huh?'
Lexon suddenly remembered there was indeed a research society that was both interesting and useful.
Akira Hayama from the Jun Shiomi Research Society.
Akira Hayama was a character exceptionally skilled in the use of spices.
His sense of smell was so acute it was practically a God's Nose.
'It's worth signing in with him once...'
Lexon thought to himself.
He'd been signing in with Satoshi Isshiki for the past few days... it was time for a change of pace.
Besides, that guy spent a lot of time in the dorm wearing nothing but an apron; touching him was honestly a bit uncomfortable.
Anyway, he'd already gained plenty of culinary skills from him.
Having made his decision, Lexon spoke to Soma Yukihira. "Fine, let's go."
However, if the olfactory abilities of Tanjiro and Sakonji—which were sharp enough to smell emotions—hadn't been sealed by the Main God, he probably wouldn't have needed to sign in with this person.
Lexon felt a twinge of nostalgia for the combined sense of smell he'd inherited from Tanjiro and Sakonji.
Although, after gaining the White Snake Sage's perception in the Naruto world, he hadn't really used it much...
And so, Lexon, Soma Yukihira, and Megumi Tadokoro set off through the grounds of Totsuki Academy.
"You already have Tadokoro leading the way, so why drag me along too?" Lexon asked Soma.
"Since we entered the academy together, we should do things together! After all, we're the ones who are going to reach the top of Totsuki together," Soma said with a laugh.
"Lex... Lexon... if you don't want to come, you don't have to..." Megumi Tadokoro stammered nervously, thinking he was reluctant to join them.
"It's not that I'm unwilling," Lexon said gently, putting her concerns to rest.
"That's good, Lexon," Megumi said, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Heh heh, Tadokoro, why are you so nervous around Lexon?" Soma Yukihira chuckled, never one to miss a chance to stir the pot. "What? Do you have a crush on him?"
"No... that's not it!" Megumi's face flushed crimson at the teasing, and she waved her hands frantically in denial.
She was simply overwhelmed by the fact that he was part of the Nakiri family and possessed the famous God's Tongue talent. Standing before him, she couldn't help but feel inferior, knowing she had barely scraped by in the entrance exam as the lowest-ranked student.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]