Chapter 226: Alice
Tamako Yukihira. Joichiro's deceased wife, and the mother of the Soma Yukihira.
Gin Dojima and the others looked at each other. What do you mean, you saw a dead person waving at you from the other side of a river? That sounded a bit unsettling.
Hiss... can we please talk about something a little more worldly? This is too otherworldly.
"Joichiro, are you sober?" Gin wanted to give his good buddy a big, sobering slap. We know you love your wife, but you don't have to be in such a hurry to go find her. You still have a son who needs you! Get a grip!
"Uh... it was probably a hallucination."
Even as Joichiro said this, he lacked confidence. That scene had just been too real. The gloomy environment, the chill that seeped into his bones... it really felt like the world after death.
Kenji held back his laughter. If he wasn't mistaken, Joichiro really had seen his wife. As for the magical dish known as The Hour of Judgment, he didn't know what the taster would experience, nor did he want to try it himself to find out.
"Does anyone else want to try?" Kenji asked with a generous smile. He had plenty in stock, so he didn't mind using it at all.
"No thanks, we'll pass," everyone shook their heads. They had all clearly seen Joichiro's soul-leaving-the-body state. Who would be reckless enough to taste that thing?
The banquet ended, but Joichiro remained in a daze, as if his soul had not fully returned.
"So you're the Kenji that Erina is always talking about?"
A white-haired, red-eyed beautiful girl looked at Kenji, as if he were an interesting toy. This was Erina's cousin, Alice Nakiri. Her specialty was molecular gastronomy. Her mother was European, and she had lived in Europe since she was a child, so her personality was much more unrestrained and approachable than Erina's. Her skin tone was also much fairer than Erina's, a trait she likely inherited from her mother.
"Oh? And what has she been saying?" Kenji asked with great interest.
"Oh, nothing much. But... you're really hard."
Alice, without any reservations, reached out and pinched the muscles on Kenji's arm. This muscle density... it was really something else. So firm! So hard~ Even the world's top athletes and special forces soldiers probably didn't have this kind of physical strength. She couldn't even pinch it. She wondered if a kitchen knife could even leave a cut on him.
"By the way," Alice blinked her eyes and asked with pure innocence, "when you two do... that embarrassing stuff... can my dear sister Erina even take it?"
With that inhuman physique, wouldn't he "break" Erina?
Kenji's mouth twitched. There wasn't a trace of shame on her face. What has she been watching to be able to ask that kind of question?
"Alice! What kind of question are you asking?!"
Erina, blushing, hurried over and dragged the reluctant Alice away, afraid she would say even more "words of tiger and wolf." Her cousin was simply too frank, which was a trait she envied. But envy was one thing; sometimes, she just couldn't handle it.
"Erina, how did you get so strong? I just thought of it! Could this be the... 'dual...'"
Alice's "dual cultivation" hadn't even left her mouth before Erina clamped a hand over it and dragged her off.
There should be a spot reserved for Alice in Tokyo Bay.
"..."
Alice knew she couldn't struggle free, so she just let Erina drag her away. Before disappearing, she turned and gave Kenji a smiling wave. The general meaning was: I'll come back to play with you again. She was very curious. She had to ask more gossip related to Erina. She loved hearing it.
"..."
Kenji broke into a slight sweat. As expected of someone who had lived in Europe since childhood. She really was much more unrestrained and frank than Erina.
Meanwhile, Erina had dragged Alice back to her villa. Her face was bright red as she looked at her, feeling exhausted.
"Alice! What on earth are you trying to do?!"
"I'm just curious," Alice said with a giggle. "He solved your God's Tongue problem. My dear sister... don't you have any feelings for him?"
"Be normal."
Erina poked Alice in the forehead, leaving a red mark like a cinnabar dot. Although she hadn't turned into a superhuman, her constitution was also much stronger than most ordinary people's.
"Hiss..."
"Monster-strength woman! You almost gave me a concussion!" Alice clutched her forehead. She wasn't faking; it really hurt.
"Who are you calling a monster-strength woman?!"
SMACK!
Erina tackled Alice onto the bed and gave her a slap on the bottom. The flesh rippled. The sudden pain made the usually calm Alice completely lose her composure.
A rush of blood shot to her head, and the feeling of shame made her begin to struggle, but she still couldn't escape Erina's control.
"Ahem. Am I interrupting something?"
Kenji stood at the doorway, clearing his throat. That old geezer Senzaemon had said he would provide him with a place to stay, but he had ended up here. He wasn't familiar with this academy. He hadn't expected to see this scene. Old man... thank you for the hospitality.
It looks very elastic. It could rival the swollen buttocks of Great Britain on Saber Alter.
Erina: "?"
Alice: "?"
The moment the two of them saw Kenji, their brains crashed. What was going on? Why was Kenji here?
After their bewilderment, they remembered what they were just doing, and both of them turned into ostriches, burying their heads under the covers. The fact that they hadn't fainted was a testament to their strength.
"When did you get here?" Erina's muffled voice came from under the blanket.
Alice simply refused to speak at all. She had no face left to see anyone. For such an embarrassing thing to be seen by a man... she really wanted to die...
"I arrived just when you were poking Alice's forehead," Kenji said honestly.
Erina breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't heard their earlier conversation. But Alice was completely burned out. Her most embarrassing moment had been seen by Kenji.
"Old Man Senzaemon arranged for me to rest here. I didn't realize this was your residence," Kenji said.
"Huh?"
Hearing this, Erina poked her head out from under the blanket. Her face was bright red. Was it from being smothered in the blanket, or from shame? It was hard to guess.
What on earth is my grandfather trying to do?
Alice thought for a moment, and the corner of her mouth couldn't help but twitch. We've been set up. For a family heiress like them, their other half had to be someone from a good family or someone with outstanding talent. Kenji undoubtedly fit the bill, and he had also done the Nakiri family a great favor.
Tsk, his heart is really dirty.
But what did this have to do with her?
"If you're looking for an empty room, there is one here." Erina didn't think as deeply as Alice. She had already stayed at the homes of other group members, so she just took Kenji to an uninhabited room. It was professionally cleaned, so he could move in directly.
Kenji looked at the undecorated room. He had no complaints. He'd be sleeping in space later anyway.