Chapter 408: The Young Lady's Private Visit  

At noon the following day, Alice and Megumi once again brought lunch boxes. 

It seemed as though the two girls were in competition with each other. Not only had they made their dishes more exquisite than before, but the portions had also noticeably increased.

What should have been a peaceful lunch break quickly turned into a battlefield.

"Come on, Sui, open your mouth," Alice said playfully, her voice sweet as she offered him a piece of food.

Megumi, smiling shyly, followed suit, "Sui-kun, this cake may not be as refined as Miss Alice's, but I'd still love for you to try it."

Though both girls wore friendly and gentle smiles, the tension between them was palpable, their subtle rivalry unmistakable. Even the bystanders nearby could feel the uncomfortable atmosphere, and Sui—caught in the middle—was suffering the most.

He hadn't expected Megumi to display such boldness. Perhaps because her opponent wasn't Erina, she found the courage to compete. However, Sui could sense the determination behind Megumi's actions. She must have struggled greatly to gather the nerve to be so assertive.

While touched by her resolve, Sui also felt a twinge of sympathy.

In the end, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and finish both bento boxes. He knew that leaving even a little behind might offend one of the girls.

Satisfied with the outcome, both Alice and Megumi departed, promising to bring lunch again the next day. 

This left Sui feeling both grateful and exhausted.

"Sensei, why hesitate? Both girls are amazing. You can't let either one go!" Atong murmured from the sidelines.

Without a word, Sui gave him a light smack on the head.

That afternoon, Sui processed even more ingredients than the day before. As he worked, he finally heard the system's prompt:

"The host has used the Nichirin knife to process more than one hundred large ingredients and has unlocked hidden attributes."

—Attribute Description: When large ingredients are processed using the Nichirin Kitchen Knife, the resulting meat becomes even more delicious.

Sui's eyes lit up with excitement. This attribute seemed incredibly useful. If it could enhance the taste of fantasy ingredients, wouldn't the flavor be even more extraordinary?

Fantasy ingredients were already far superior to ordinary ones, and now, with the Nichirin's special ability, their flavor would be elevated to an even higher level. However, this effect only applied to large ingredients such as red haired pig, Freezer Bison, and Marble Tuna. It wouldn't work with smaller ingredients.

Even so, the attribute was incredibly powerful.

On the third day, Sui returned to work.

Although he had unlocked the full potential of the Nichirin Knife, there was still the Etsy, which remained incomplete. The Etsy had a long, narrow, and slightly curved blade. Its design increased the contact area with food, preventing it from getting stuck in meat like traditional straight-blade knives, making it perfect for cutting large pieces of meat.

Though Etsy wasn't as restrictive in its use as the Nichirin, Sui decided it would be most efficient to unlock its potential while working here. Otherwise, gathering 100 servings of ingredients outside of work would take far too long.

With just one more day of processing to meet the system's requirements, Sui pressed on.

At noon, Alice and Megumi returned with another lavish lunch. Once again, Sui found himself forced to eat every bite.

Later in the afternoon, a figure cloaked in a heavy disguise appeared at the slaughterhouse's entrance, hesitating to come inside.

"Haha, Sui, looks like someone's here to see you again," Uncle Takeda teased with a laugh.

Sui, slightly taken aback, replied, "They didn't say they were coming to see me."

"Haha, if they weren't here for you, why would these girls come to such a dirty and smelly place?" Uncle Takeda laughed heartily.

Just as Sui was about to respond, the mysterious figure at the door spoke up in a soft voice, "Um... Is Sui here?"

The workers all shot Sui knowing glances, grinning mischievously. Sui sighed but went to meet the guest outside.

The figure was dressed in a tight black leather jacket that highlighted a slender, graceful figure. The collar was pulled up high, concealing much of the face, and a baseball cap was pulled low to cover the eyes.

Seeing the person standing there, Sui immediately recognized them and sighed. "Erina, why are you here?"

Startled, the person looked up. "Hey? How... how did you recognize me?"

She lifted her head slightly, revealing her signature violet eyes and a few strands of golden hair framing her face.

"I've seen and touched your figure enough times to know who you are," Sui muttered under his breath. It was impossible not to recognize her, even with half of her face hidden.

Despite her attempts to hide it, a blush spread across Erina's cheeks. Embarrassed, she stomped on Sui's foot in annoyance.

"But seriously, Erina, why did you come here dressed like this? This place is filthy," Sui asked, curious.

"I came to visit you, like I said I would," Erina responded softly, her face still flushed.

"That's not what I meant. Why are you dressed like you're trying to go incognito? You look more like a thief than a celebrity on a private tour," Sui teased.

Erina glared at him, rolling her eyes. "I didn't want to cause any trouble for the people here."

Sui thought for a moment and realized she had a point. If the workers knew the heiress of the Nakiri family was here in person, they'd be so nervous they wouldn't even be able to work properly.

Unlike Alice, who wasn't as easily recognized, Erina's title as "God's Tongue" was famous far and wide.

"Hey, Uncle, do you mind if she stays for a while?" Sui asked Uncle Takeda. After all, it wasn't ideal to have outsiders around during work hours.

"Haha, if the young lady doesn't mind the smell, we certainly don't either," Uncle Takeda chuckled. He then leaned closer to Sui and whispered, "This isn't the same girl who was here at noon, is it? You're quite popular, kid."

Sui could only sigh in resignation.

"Thank you for letting me stay," Erina said, her face flushed as she bowed politely.