Erina Nakiri watched nervously.
Leon was the first to pick up his chopsticks. He lifted a slice of tuna from the plate and put it in his mouth.
"This flavor..."
The tuna melted on his tongue.
Leon stopped short despite himself.
The fish had been prepared with plenty of seasonings.
Yet none of them overwhelmed its flavor. Instead, they worked together to bring out the dish's main taste.
The fish's juices and springy texture were both just right.
Leon had never seen ingredients handled and seasoned with such skill.
"Good. Very good," Leon praised her. "Congratulations, Miss Nakiri. You're hired! If you're willing, you can leave with us."
"Really?" Erina Nakiri's eyes widened, and she began to light up.
But then she hesitated. "Um, where exactly would we be going...?"
"We're going to—"
"Ah!"
A sudden moan cut him off.
Artoria had been eating the tuna when she abruptly curled up in her chair.
Her cheeks flushed, and her green eyes shimmered like spring water as she squirmed in her seat.
The white shirt tucked into her high-waisted skirt pulled taut, its buttons looking ready to burst.
"This... flavor... mm, it's like countless feathers... ah, on, on..."
Artoria twisted her slender waist, her words slurring.
She did not look well at all.
Eri's face filled with alarm. Silently, she pushed away the untouched tuna in front of her.
Leon turned to Erina Nakiri. "We're going somewhere you'll have plenty of chances to drug people."
"That sounds wonderful... Wait, drug people? A real chef would never do that!"
Erina Nakiri blushed faintly, but pride showed on her face.
Artoria's reaction was the highest praise her cooking could receive.
"Hey, hey, hey! That Little Chef guy put fluorescent powder in the food, didn't he? He definitely did!" Erina Nakiri protested.
The