Having completed the first step, attracting attention, I now needed to turn it into sales. At first, some people were attracted by one or two Sakizuke, but after trying them and discovering that the taste is no worse than the appearance, they started to pick other meals.
Despite the crowd surrounding my workstation, the number of different plates made it possible for everyone to pick something without waiting for me to prepare more, so despite there being many people present, a queue had not formed.
At the same time, I was replacing dishes that were being taken, making sure that the assortment accessible to guests wouldn't decrease too quickly. This is also where the third part of the successful buffet started, keeping the attention.
Now that guests had food in their hands, they would look at other things to entertain them while eating. The first thing they would see aside from my meals would be myself, and few could say that my appearance wasn't pleasing to the eye.
Using some slights of hand and misdirections, I put up the show rather than simply making the food, making it so flowers would bloom on plates. As the guests were made of families with both children and the elderly, attacking one with visuals and others with some traditional meals made my place the centerpiece of the whole buffet.
Hassun and Mukōzuke were quickly disappearing from the table, so I started to put up the next element, bringing up surprises in the form of Futamono. As a lidded dish, one had to uncover what was hidden there by themselves, and after some people discovered different dishes, everyone was curious about what they would get.
Yakimono also made its appearance, bringing even more tastes with itself, slowing down the speed of eating. It was already well over an hour since the deal started, and I had successfully kept almost all the guests on my station, but some started to look around for different tastes.
To prevent them from leaving, I brought up something to refresh their taste buds. The su-zakana was also presented in a much more striking way, as if bugs appeared among flowers. This surprised those looking for a dish, and knowing that my food was delicious, this soon turned into curiosity. How would those bugs taste like?
The sudden and strange appearance of this course attracted back some of those who left, and most of them stayed for Suimono, which appeared just after.
Now, using to my advantage that despite being cool inside, many still felt hot after a long summer day, I presented Hiyashi-bachi to everyone interested.
The Gohan also showed up, as if a counteroffer to the anti-summer meal, showing the bounties of the season. Now, everyone had a choice between embracing the summer or fighting against it.
As almost two and a half hours already passed, I decided it was time to finish, so in preparation, I presented the Naka-choko to cleanse the palate once again. Seeing the sudden shift, guests became interested in what would happen now, slowly becoming used to the surprises I uncovered one after another.
What some didn't expect was for me to take out main dishes in the form of Shiizakana, Kō no mono, and Tome-wan. This time, the amount of food on each plate was bigger. Alone, it might not be enough to satiate a person, but as the average guest took six different plates from me already, this would be enough to fill them.
As everyone was eating, I cleaned my workstation and brought up one last surprise for everyone, but especially the children, the Mizumono. This dessert was made from both some ice cream and fruit, and while continuing the trend of small portions, it was fitting cheery at the top for this meal.
I kept most of the guests with me for almost the whole time allocated for the buffet, creating a problem for examiners as, aside from me, none could sell more than sixty or so portions. As this meant that I was the only one who passed, it was decided to extend the buffet for the evening meal, allowing for a change of food if needed, if it passed the taste requirement, of course.
In the end, the plates and bowls were counted, and I received a score of three thousand four hundred and fifty, achieving an average of almost seven plates per guest. This score was not only a record, but if one considers that I had to sell triple that amount of dishes to achieve it, it was even more striking.
The whole friend party approached me, looking both shocked and annoyed by my performance. Everyone congratulated me and asked for some details about how I managed everything.
~"I prepared many things beforehand, but as most of the dishes were not hard to make nor required long preparations, it was easy to make them on the spot. The rest is time management, focus, precision, and, lastly, a bit of magic."
-"Magic? So you were cheating?"-Asked Tomoe.
~"Not that kind of magic."
-"Well, thanks to you, we have to work a few hours more, so be sure to compensate us."-Kuga spoke, annoyed.
~"What do you have in mind?"
-"Give us a taste of your food!"
~"Sure, I still have some ingredients. Give me a second."
-"Then also count us in."-Spoke Chef Dojima, who approached us with other alumni.
~"But your plates will count to score."
-"Haha, sure, you can have those few more points."
I prepared a set for everyone, after which I went back to freshen myself, as despite my strength being beyond most people, I still had a mortal body in this world. I was allowed to take part in the second part of the buffet as a guest, but I decided to rest in my room, as I didn't want to be swarmed by the rest of the guests.
Using that time to catch up on all documents that needed my input, I spent a good hour on that before deciding to take a short walk. The area surrounding Tōtsuki Resort was well taken care of, and while it couldn't compare to Moon Palace of Emerald Dream, it still possessed beauty worth seeing.
As I was walking around, I ran into a familiar person.
-"Hisako, how could Grandpa want me to test those average dishes."
-"Miss, the Headmaster wanted you to take a break."
-"I know, but..."
~"Look who it is. Long time no see, Erina."
-"Yue?!"
~"Why are you surprised by seeing me here?"
-"Right, I still can't get used to you being a student here. Wait, shouldn't you be taking the test then?"
~"I passed it before, so I decided to wander around."
-"I see. As you are free, mind giving me your opinion on some of my ideas?"
~"Sure, let's find a place to sit."
I met Erina a long time ago during a banquet, and since then, we have become quite friendly, talking about food from time to time. At first, she was quite strong-headed and wanted to prove herself to be better than me, but after some time, she decided to settle on the draw, acknowledging me to be her equal.
After finding a bench in the shade of a tree, she started to explain some of her ideas. I pointed out some problems she hadn't noticed, but for the most time, we discussed about the spices and other details.
~"So why do you want to cook something like that? It's not your preferred style of cuisine."
-"I plan to take the Tenth Seat, so I need to prepare some ideas for the dishes that I can use in the Shokugeki."
~"Quite ambitious. Well, I'm sure you will win."
-"That is obvious. But I plan to crush my opponent, not just win."
~"Well, I'll be sure to watch your match."
-"You are always welcome."
~"Now that I think of it, how's your tongue?"
-"Good. Thanks to your method, I can easily eat other meals, even those street foods."
~"I'm happy to hear that. If you want some more effect, be sure to talk with Yukong. She will be able to help you."
-"Sure, I chat with her sometimes, so if I need anything, I'll be sure to ask her."
~"Do you want to return to the test site with me? It should be about to end."
-"I'll accompany you."
~"Let's go, then."
When Erina, Hisako, and I arrived at the test site, the allotted time had just passed, and the results were being counted and announced. All my friends passed with no problem, but after this test, the total of students that had to drop out because of this Training Camp reached 60%.
Due to everyone being tired, we decided to forgo today's playing and returned to get some rest. This night, Sakura also sneaked into my room.
The next day was the fifth and the last of this trip. We gathered in the main dining room to wait for today's announcements, and soon, Chef Dojima appeared on the stage.
This time, there were no more tests for us, but the reward most people present here were wishing for. The food made by alumni. I also tasted their dishes and had to agree that they were delicious.
After this banquet, we were free, only having to arrive at the gathering point to return at the set time. This time quickly arrived, and soon, I returned to Tōtsuki. Rejecting the invitation from Isshiki to go to the Polar Star Dormitory, I came back to my own dormitory, where Rindō and Mome were waiting for me.
-"Yue! How was it?"
~"Good. Not only did I survive, but I had also made a record."
-"As expected of you. So what are your plans now?"
~"Vacations are near, but before that, I will see Erina's Shokugeki."
-"Will you be busy during the vacation?"
~"Somewhat, but not all the time."
-"Then can you go with me somewhere interesting?"
~"To think you would invite me. Sure, but most likely, more people will wish to join us."
-"I don't mind."
~"What about you, Momo?"
-"Momo can't."-She looked displeased about that.-"I'm visiting my parents."
~"I see. There will be another chance to go together."
-"Yes."
-"What do you think about visiting the jungle, Yue?"
~"Jungle? The rainforest?"
-"Yes!"
~"Well..."
-"Wouldn't it be fun?"
~"Ugh, at least it's not as extravagant as Elysia's ideas. We can go there, but are you sure? It's not exactly an easy place to travel."
-"I'm not. I just thought about going there."
~"How about we think a little more about our destination then."
-"Don't be a killjoy, Yue. Common, it'll be fine."
~"Sigh. So be it."
-"Thanks!"-Rindō jumped at me and kissed my cheek through the veil before rining away to her room.
Shaking my head, I looked at Momo, who stood stunned on the side.
~"Want to watch something?"
Momo nodded before the two of us moved to the living room.
The days continued to pass as before. The only change was Rindō, who became a little shy with me, but I decided to keep quiet for the time being.
As I decided before, I watched Erina's Shokugeki, which was a one-sided massacre. Erina didn't even have to use her killer dishes to make the opponent doubt their life. After the contest, she invited me to her villa for a celebration, where we had a nice evening.
If not for the call I received from Yukong just now, I could have forgotten that we were about to turn this peaceful world on its head for our selfish needs.
-"Just now, I received notification on the first official diagnosis of our plague. For now, it is called Accelerated Amnestic Cognitive Impairment, or AACI for short."
~"So, first victims in advanced stages appeared?"
-"Yes. Right now, seven people in our hospitals are linked to this 'new' disease, and over a thousand over the world. Almost all patients diagnosed with AACI are still in the early stage, but some have entered advanced. Most series will enter the last stage and fall into a come in next month at the earliest."
~"What is the reaction from the scientific community?"
-"Not much. But It's only because not much time has passed. Most likely, when the crystalline-like structure, similar to Oripathy, starts to appear, the world will pay attention to it."
~"Try to mobilize some funds to research a cure, or at least make so others think you did. Let slowly lit fire under them."
-"You can count on me, but you will also have to move this time."
~"Sure, I'll make sure they can't keep this under wraps."
-"Just try not to cause too much panic."
~"Don't worry, I quite like this world."
-"I'm also quite fond of it. While I miss some of Xianzhou's cuisine, I can't say that the food culture here is worse than even in Hold."
~"Yes, I would like for this world to motivate people in Hold."
-"Is this why you are learning cooking so seriously?"
~"Of course not. I just like to do it. Not everything has to be done with some greater purpose in mind after all."
-"True. When will you visit me?"
~"Vacations are about to start. The first two weeks will be quite busy, but later, before my journey, I'll be sure to pay you a visit."
-"I'll be waiting."
After the call was finished, I took my laptop and started to send plans that I had prepared beforehand to some of my more loyal subordinates in the Family. My purpose was to spread awareness of our plague in a way that wouldn't cause panic but would ensure that the growing threat from it was known to the average person.
After everything was sent, I decided to go and play some zither in the backyard, wanting this carefree state to last as long as it was possible.
It will be a few days later when my plans started into action, slowly raising awareness about the AACI. For now, most people thought that it was some conspiracy theory, but as the cases started to appear more frequently, that notion started turning into reality.
We calculated long before that before I take control over this world, around 1% of the planet's population is to be infected, which will rise to 10-15% before Hold reveals itself to save everyone. This would make this plague comparable to COVID-19 when it comes to infection rates, but considering that there was no cure, only slow degradation of memory and spirit, the results were much more serious.
To prevent panic and serious economic losses, we had to start working early. After all, we were doing it for a reason. So, I lived as always during the day while working at night, slowly bending both the world's and the people's will to my plans.