Anime Collector: Starting With the Malevolent Shrine-Chapter 212 ⟴ The Culinary Selection Begins

The Cabinet Prime Minister made a sudden announcement: the Culinary Selection would begin immediately!

Originally planned for the following days, this abrupt scheduling caught top chefs worldwide completely off guard.

International airports became overwhelmed with chefs rushing to attend.

Asahi Saiba, the mysterious and technically brilliant leader of Les Cuisiniers Noirs, stood with his kitchen equipment box in one hand and a heavy suitcase in the other.

He had expected the Japanese Cabinet to provide advance notice of the specific selection time.

Instead, they announced without warning that the Culinary Selection would begin at 8 PM tonight — enough to make Asahi's blood boil. He had traveled to the countryside to relax and prepare, believing he had plenty of time!

Now he found himself trapped in the packed airport, uncertain whether he'd even manage to board a flight.

After an exhausting wait, flights finally began boarding. Asahi wiped his brow in relief — it would be unthinkable for the mighty leader of Les Cuisiniers Noirs to miss the Selection because he was stuck at an airport.

As he reached down for his equipment box, his hand grasped empty air!

His face turned ashen as he stared at the spot where his box had been moments before.

While frantically scanning the crowd for the thief, someone bumped into him again.

When he regained his balance, he discovered his heavy suitcase had vanished too — this thief's audacity was incredible.

He was the leader of Les Cuisiniers Noirs, for heaven's sake!

Thank goodness he'd had the foresight to ship some of the elite chefs' knives to Japan beforehand, or he would have been finished before he began.

Asahi boarded the plane, his rage barely contained, vowing to show these fools true devastation once he conquered the Demon Lord's taste buds with his cuisine!

❊❊❊❊❊❊❊❊❊❊

While chefs outside Japan scrambled to adjust, Kojirō Shinomiya, who had returned early, adjusted his glasses with smug satisfaction.

His foresight had paid off — with his culinary prowess and strategic mindset, securing a position in the Culinary Selection seemed straightforward.

"Hey, since you're at Tōtsuki, have you heard any details about the Culinary Selection? How many rounds will there be? Is there a revival round?"

What puzzled Kojirō was the Cabinet Prime Minister's announcement — while declaring the selection's immediate start, they'd failed to explain any competition rules.

Surely it couldn't be decided in a single round. That would make the entire Selection far too rushed.

Sōmei Saitō, who had spent the day cooking, bewilderedly shook his mohawk — even the Tōtsuki Elite Ten knew little about the competition.

Satoshi Isshiki, sporting his signature pompadour, threw himself into researching new dishes — his financial empire's fate hung on this selection.

The reserved Eishi Tsukasa merely shrugged helplessly, his blank expression making Kojirō's brows furrow.

What could the Prime Minister be thinking? The whole thing felt like an amateur production.

"Well, we still have an advantage over the others. With so many top chefs stranded outside, my chances of winning are excellent!"

He reasoned that unless he faced those titans who'd earned the W.G.O. Three Star evaluation, victory was practically assured.

Reassured by this thought, Kojirō calmly guided the Elite Ten's culinary techniques while studying their strengths for his own benefit.

During these sessions, Eishi and the others noticed that while their senior's culinary mastery was impressive, his weaknesses were just as evident.

"The Légumes Magician! He's remarkable in some ways, but not unbeatable — his cooking is too traditional, lacking experimentation!" Satoshi's face lit up with a smile.

Once he identified these flaws, he knew his talent could overcome them. His ability was undeniable — even Tōtsuki's Director, Senzaemon, had recognized his exceptional potential.

Though his business pursuits had previously diverted his focus, diminishing his performance to that of a mere assistant, dedicated cooking practice was now rekindling his command over kitchen and ingredients!

❊❊❊❊❊❊❊❊❊❊

Compared to the bustling atmosphere at Kojirō's villa, Senzaemon felt as if the sky were falling.

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

Erina had withdrawn from the selection? Not only his granddaughter, but all the female Elite Ten members had withdrawn as well — something he hadn't anticipated.

The Nakiri family's bloodline was their glory and talent, but also their burden, especially the God's Tongue — that nearly unbreakable curse!

As the God's Tongue tastes more cuisine, its threshold continuously rises until no dish can satisfy it. Unless food and flavors beyond this world are found, the bearer will ultimately perish from starvation.

His daughter Mana Nakiri lived this reality, surviving on IV injections rather than taste ordinary chefs' cooking.

What worried him more was that Erina had also inherited the God's Tongue, and without intervention, she would likely follow her mother's fate.

Because of this, he urgently recalled her, determined to warn her about the God's Tongue's curse.

❊❊❊❊❊❊❊❊❊❊

Erina looked helpless.

She wanted to explain that she had already met the Dragon Lord, but her grandfather wouldn't even give her a chance to speak!

❊❊❊❊❊❊❊❊❊❊

Back in the Director's office at Tōtsuki, Senzaemon and Gin Dōjima sat with grave expressions, silently offering a cup of tea.

It was tea brewed with ordinary leaves — ordinary people might not notice, but the God's Tongue would surely detect its awful taste!

"Don't speak, taste this tea first!" Senzaemon commanded, cutting off Erina's words.

Though confused, she took a small sip.

"How is it?"

"It's okay, there are flaws everywhere — it must be cheap tea. Grandfather, do you really drink this stuff in your office?" Erina frowned and tasted it again.

It really was cheap tea, with some leaves reduced to powder — terrible quality.

Senzaemon's expression froze — this wasn't how he imagined it would go. Shouldn't she have immediately spat out the tea?

"No other sensations? No other comments?"

"Um, should there be something else?" Erina looked at her grandfather in confusion.

Gin and Senzaemon exchanged shocked glances as an almost impossible thought emerged in their minds.

The God's Tongue's curse... had actually been broken!

If they could replicate how to break the curse, wouldn't that mean Mana could also be freed from the suffering and constraints of the God's Tongue?

Senzaemon's expression instantly became excited.

❊❊❊

T/N: If you want more Chapters like this, check out my Patreon! Take a look at my other translations too, you might like them!

For just $1.50 you can access all the extra content, descriptive images, and the smuts (this one has a lot), costs only $2!

That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)

https://www.patreon.com/collection/827183