Under Alice's guidance, Ron came into contact with many of the teachers and outstanding students of the Moon Institute. The structure of the senior division at the Moon Institute was relatively complex. The teachers were only responsible for instruction, while internal student management was, to a large extent, carried out by the students themselves.
There was no student council. The highest authority among students was the Elite Ten Committee, made up of ten Elite Ten members. Within the Moon Institute, they could even stand on equal footing with teachers, with many matters not requiring teacher approval. This was why the Elite Ten were so deeply respected by the student body—not just for their culinary skills, but also for their authority.
Beneath the Elite Ten Committee were various associations, formed by students who shared a particular culinary interest. Outside the classroom, these associations were likely where students could learn the most. Much like in ordinary schools with basketball clubs, soccer clubs, badminton clubs etc. Here, however, they stood out quite a lot.
A girl in revealing clothing, skilled in preparing meat dishes.
A muscular boy, built like a sumo wrestler.
A girl with long black straight hair who made dishes that most people simply could not accept—dubbed "dark cuisine."
A shy, girl-next-door type.
...These were relatively normal examples. But there were also many who were far from normal.
Ron also met with Mike, who had passed the transfer exam earlier. Mike never imagined that a guest who had once visited his family's restaurant, someone who had tasted his cooking, would turn out to know Alice—and even seemed to be on close terms with her. After all, Alice was now someone in the Moon Institute under the spotlight of the entire student body, practically a school idol. She had broken historical records.
Mike felt much the same. Especially in comparison. He had worked hard, emerging from a group of transfer exam candidates as one of only two who had passed. That alone, he believed, was a considerable achievement. Among his peers, he could already be considered outstanding. He was ready to take over the family restaurant, so his mother wouldn't have to work so hard.
But Alice? She was the same age. Just a first-year high school student. Yet she was already an Elite Ten member, and every challenge she faced ended in overwhelming victory. Then, on the third day of the Elite Ten ranking matches, she even challenged the former number one—and won. How surreal was that?
"So who exactly is he?" Mike stared at Ron's departing back, dazed for a long while.
"Mike." A figure walked up beside him—it was Tatsumi, the other transfer student who had passed.
"Mike, what's wrong? You know that guy from earlier?"
Mike nodded. "He's been to my family's restaurant before."
"Tatsumi, do you know what his relationship with Alice is?"
"Looks like they're very close friends," Tatsumi replied. "But even if Alice is ranked first among the Elite Ten, bringing an outsider into the Moon Institute to tour everywhere, with no restrictions at all, it definitely isn't just a friendship."
"Mike, do you know what a freelance Gourmet Hunter is?"
Mike nodded. "Of course. I've bought ingredients from freelance Gourmet Hunters before at the market."
"Wait—Tatsumi, are you saying..." Mike's pupils shrank sharply as he grasped what Tatsumi was implying.
"You mean that guy is Alice's contracted Gourmet Hunter?"
Tatsumi shrugged. "Highly possible. Alice's cooking level is far above the rest of us students here. At her level, it's expected that she'd form a contract with a Gourmet Hunter."
"To gain her recognition, that guy must be incredibly capable."
"But it doesn't seem like he's from Gourmet Paradise."
"No idea where he's from—but he definitely isn't ordinary."
"Only a genius can be acknowledged by another genius. And his background must be impressive, too."
"After all, the contract between a chef and a Gourmet Hunter almost always leads to a romantic relationship, with very few exceptions."
"Mike, if you could somehow connect with him—become friends—then getting rare ingredients in the future would be no trouble at all."
Mike nodded, agreeing with Tatsumi's words, but soon shook his head again. "It's not possible. I only met him once."
After the visit to the senior division of the Moon Institute concluded, Ron's progress in the Observer's Intent increased to eighty percent. Only twenty percent remained to reach full mastery.
Ron had not yet visited the Graduate Zone or the Secret Zone, and there was also the upcoming Council Candidate Tournament that Linne had mentioned. Based on everything currently available, Ron was certain that once he visited those places and claimed the remaining traits, he would reach one hundred percent progress—without needing to scheme for anything else.
News of the Council Candidate Tournament spread quickly. From the Graduate Zone, a large number of chefs and Gourmet Hunters returned to Gourmet Paradise. Normally, they were all outside—seeking rare ingredients, pursuing culinary inspiration. But the announcement of the tournament forced their return.
This was Linne's mandatory order.
It was like when Chrollo issued a command to the Phantom Troupe—no matter where the members were or what they were doing, once they received the order, they would drop everything and arrive at the designated time and place.
This gave Ron a lot of convenience. He made reservations at many Graduate Zone restaurants and tasted numerous excellent dishes, which enhanced his "Gourmet Cell" ability. At the same time, his Observer's Intent progress was pushed further—from eighty percent to ninety percent.
At this point, the Council Candidate Tournament officially began.
Each team consisted of one chef and one Gourmet Hunter. All participants entered in pairs—no exceptions.
What surprised Ron was that Linne had signed up both him and Alice without asking. The two became the youngest participants in the tournament. Menchi and Buhara also joined.
Most chef–Gourmet Hunter partnerships ultimately became married couples, with only a few exceptions. Menchi and Buhara were one such rare exception, as they seemed to be a bother-sister kind instead.
"Ron!" Upon seeing Ron, Menchi and Buhara both waved.
"Senior Menchi, Senior Buhara."
"Alice, long time no see."
Menchi put her arm around Alice's shoulder. Many gazes turned toward Ron and Alice.
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