News of Erina Nakiri taking up the position of leader of the Research Society Alliance spread quickly. Surprisingly, no one in the alliance raised any objections.
While Erina's presence wasn't as intimidating as Kael's, it was still more than enough to keep anyone from causing trouble.
After all, Erina had once been the undisputed Ice Queen of Totsuki. The only people who had ever seen her vulnerable were those from Polar Star Dormitory—and only when she was facing Azami Nakiri.
To everyone else, she was still the proud, untouchable queen she had always been. Add to that her status as the Nakiri family's eldest daughter and the bearer of God's Tongue, and no one dared complain about her becoming alliance leader.
Once the research societies had reorganized, their members began bringing their prepared bento dishes to Polar Star Dormitory.
They were confident their food would sell well on its own, but with Kael—a Nine-Star Chef—and Erina, who possessed God's Tongue, overseeing things, they knew their dishes could become even more popular after being refined by the two of them.
So naturally, they brought everything straight to Polar Star.
That day, Polar Star Dormitory was packed with people. Kael and Erina worked together to revise each dish brought to them.
The first round was handled by Erina. Using God's Tongue, she pinpointed flaws and suggested precise adjustments.
Then Kael would take a second pass, refining the dish even further based on Erina's changes.
This approach had two major benefits. First, it pushed each dish closer to perfection.
Second, it helped Erina herself grow as a chef.
In the original story, when Erina joined Polar Star, her shortcomings became apparent. Aside from having almost no basic life skills, she also had a rigid way of thinking.
Because of God's Tongue, Erina tended to rely heavily on her accumulated knowledge combined with her perfect palate to determine how a dish should be adjusted. The results were accurate—but often inflexible.
Polar Star Dormitory, on the other hand, was known for one defining trait: creativity.
In the original story, its residents were never afraid of having their food judged as bad by Erina. During the transfer student exams, the moment students saw Erina as an examiner, most of them fled on the spot.
God's Tongue carried too much authority—once she labeled your food "bad," your days at Totsuki would be miserable.
But Polar Star was different.
They weren't afraid. They exchanged ideas constantly, experimented freely, and improved dishes according to their own inspirations. That was something Erina lacked.
Until then, she had always worked alone. Among her peers, she had no equal—no one qualified to advise her. And while the upperclassmen of the Elite Ten existed, they rarely interacted with her. Everyone was busy with their own responsibilities.
As a result, Erina's thinking had gradually become rigid.
Kael's alternative perspectives filled that gap, broadening her understanding. At one point, Erina even pulled out her tablet and began taking notes on everything Kael said.
Naturally, Kael's advice was immensely valuable to Erina. And it wasn't just her—others nearby listened intently, taking notes as well.
In a single day, dozens of research society dishes were revised. All that remained was to produce the final versions and sell them to earn their first real profits.
As alliance leader, Erina took the initiative.
Within the academy, her Elite Ten seat had been reduced to a hollow title, offering little direct help. But outside the school? That was where Azami Nakiri's influence reigned—and Erina used it decisively.
She personally planned a major event.
"The Totsuki Research Society Culinary Fair? That's incredible—they're setting aside ten entire streets for stalls!"
At Polar Star Dormitory, after everyone else had left, Erina had Hisako Arato distribute a document to the group.
It was her full proposal.
While the research societies were capable of making money on their own, they still needed a platform. Erina had built that platform for them.
The plan provided Totsuki students with a dedicated venue, opening once a week on weekends—Saturday and Sunday. Research society members could set up stalls, run businesses, and sell their food.
It would also allow outsiders to see the true level of Totsuki students and give more people the chance to taste their cooking. The previous Moon Banquet Festival had already drawn huge crowds, so this event was guaranteed to attract attention.
As long as the prices were reasonable and the food was good, two days were more than enough for the societies to earn serious money.
Once things stabilized, they might even make more than the funds previously allocated by the school.
And with several teachers helping refine the plan, Erina found the whole process shockingly easy. She had organized many events as an Elite Ten member before, but this time felt like starting the game with a perfect hand.
"I haven't sent this out yet," Erina said. "Take a look and see if anything needs adjusting."
Her gaze lingered on Kael. Polar Star's true pillar was him—if he said it was fine, then it really was.
"No issues," Kael said. "The plan is solid. But while it's fine to waive fees early on, once they're established, you should start charging."
He paused. "Giving too much for free often breeds resentment."
"I agree," Isshiki Satoshi said seriously. "The money may not matter to you, but excessive help backfires. Charge later—just keep it reasonable."
Erina nodded and had Hisako note it down.
After a few tweaks, the proposal was finalized. Hisako sent it directly to the alliance group chat.
There were two alliance groups. One was small, with only a few dozen members—Erina, Hisako, and the captains of each research society. The other included every member of every society.
Each society also had its own internal chat. The main alliance group existed primarily for distributing urgent notices.
The proposal received unanimous praise.
Most research societies had been struggling to find legal places to set up stalls. They weren't short on money, but permits and procedures were a headache for students unfamiliar with such things.
Erina had solved all of it in one move.
While setting up together meant competition, it also meant crowds. If one stall couldn't handle the flow, customers would naturally spill over to others.
As long as the food wasn't bad, making money wasn't a concern—and these dishes had already been refined by Erina and Kael.
Under Erina's leadership, the Research Society Alliance flourished.
The Central, however, told a very different story.
Azami Nakiri had started with grand ambitions, but now most students had defected to the Research Society Alliance. Though Central still had numbers, the atmosphere couldn't be more different.
One side buzzed with collective effort and enthusiasm.
The other relied on a handful of people while the rest coasted along, creating a cold, oppressive mood.
Azami's rule was built on pressure. Don't think. Just follow my orders.
In an environment where no one could voice their own ideas, oppression was inevitable.
Though both sides were led by members of the Nakiri family, the contrast couldn't be sharper. Some students had already begun to regret leaving the alliance and wanted back in.
But the alliance refused to accept new members.
It wasn't arrogance—they were still in the early stages and couldn't afford instability. Recruitment would only happen once things were fully on track.
Besides, those people had chosen to leave before. The alliance believed in sharing hardship and success alike.
If you only wanted the rewards, they had no use for you.
With no other options, those students stayed in Central, drifting along without purpose.
"Damn that Research Society Alliance!"
Eizan Etsuya was facing serious problems. On paper, following Azami had increased his authority and resources. But outsiders weren't stupid.
Totsuki was now split into two factions, and anyone with eyes could see which one was winning.
The Research Society Alliance held the clear advantage. Meanwhile, the Central Gourmet Organization—led by Azami and the Elite Ten—was steadily falling behind.
One by one, Eizan's former partners cut ties and began working with the alliance instead. People he used to summon with a single call now refused him outright.
The loss was unbearable.
Connections were vital to Eizan's ambition of building a business empire—and now, most of his network was gone.
He blamed everything on the Research Society Alliance, never realizing that his power had always come from the Nakiri family.
Before, Senzaemon Nakiri had been director—and head of the Nakiri family. Totsuki could draw on Nakiri influence freely.
Now, Senzaemon and Azami stood opposed.
Senzaemon would never support Azami, and everyone knew which side was worth backing.
"We can't let this continue," Eizan said grimly. "If this goes on, Central will be crushed."
He convened an Elite Ten meeting and laid out his thoughts.
"We all understand the situation," Eishi Tsukasa said helplessly. "But they've taken everything off-campus. They earn their own money, meet after classes, and only do business on weekends. Nothing violates school rules. We can't touch them."
Their defence was airtight.
"Then we stop playing fair," Eizan said coldly. "Didn't someone threaten us before? Let's learn from them."
"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" someone asked.
Eizan's smile turned sinister.
"Shokuzai," he said. "Don't forget—we still have Shokuzai."