The dishes the two of them made had completely different styles. Without tasting them, it really was impossible to tell which was better.
What surprised Kiana was Kalpas's cooking. She had originally thought that with such explosive cooking, he would make something spicy and aggressively intense, the kind of flavor that hit with full force. She never expected it to be unexpectedly gentle instead, without any flavor that harshly stimulated the senses.
"All right, stop staring. Kiana, weren't you going to compete with Paimon to see who could eat more?" Mei said with a helpless smile.
This was not a competition between chefs. They should not get things mixed up.
"If you two can't finish it…" Kalpas clenched his fist.
He really hated wasting food, especially food he had made himself.
Kiana and Paimon hurriedly nodded like chicks pecking at rice. They felt that if they could not finish it, they would get their livers punched out.
Even though he was wearing a mask and his expression could not be seen, they could still feel that he was an incredibly fierce person. With fists that big, getting hit would definitely hurt.
"Paimon, let's start. Let's see who can eat faster."
"No problem."
The big eaters of two worlds began competing on the same stage. Their astonishing appetites left everyone watching completely dumbfounded.
The food disappeared at a speed visible to the naked eye, almost as if it had evaporated. It felt like the plates would not even need washing afterward. They were eating them so clean that rinsing them seemed unnecessary.
As they ate, they stared into each other's eyes. Neither of them was willing to admit defeat.
…
In the end, the two of them finished all the food Mei and Kalpas had made, and the contest ended in a draw.
Even Kalpas was somewhat stunned as he said, "That Kevin guy's descendant can eat this much? And this little thing too…"
This was his first time seeing something like this. Kevin himself had not been able to eat this much, right?
"Bronya feels that Kiana could eat St. Freya into bankruptcy," Bronya joked.
"How could that happen?!"
Kiana held her slightly overstuffed stomach. It was not like she ate like this all the time. Besides, it was just some food. How could that possibly bankrupt St. Freya?
"I think so too," Theresa said with a nod.
The corner of Kiana's mouth twitched. Just how little trust did they have in her?
"Paimon, I really didn't expect you to be able to eat that much," Kiana said emotionally.
She had the advantage in body size, yet she still had not beaten Paimon. Did Paimon have a black hole in her stomach?
"You're not bad either. Of all the people I've met, only Varesa can beat you."
Paimon was extremely satisfied with the meal. These two really had excellent cooking skills.
That was how it should be. If someone had a face that looked like they were good at cooking, then their cooking should match it.
"Are you full, Kiana?"
Himeko smiled faintly. Kiana nodded without understanding why, but in the next second, she could no longer feel happy.
A thick stack of study materials was placed in front of her. It was practically thicker than her life.
"This couldn't be…"
Kiana swallowed. A terrible guess had already formed in her heart.
"That's right. Your study materials. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask Fu Hua," Himeko said.
Fu Hua pushed up her glasses and said, "I have experience tutoring Kiana."
Kiana's entire body turned gray and lifeless.
She felt like she was slightly dead.
"Fu Hua, saying things like that in this era doesn't really do anything, does it?" Kalpas asked.
"It's fine, I suppose. Then in your opinion, Kalpas, what would be useful? Directly beating the Honkai to death?" Fu Hua asked in return.
Kalpas did not answer.
Of course he knew it was unrealistic to beat the Honkai to death. No one had ever thought they could beat something like the Honkai to death.
"We're leaving. Call us if anything happens."
Kalpas left. Next, he would go find some Honkai Beasts to loosen up his muscles.
Kiana miserably began reviewing. If she could not pass the makeup exam, her homework would be doubled, and she would not be allowed to eat Mei's cooking. It was practically double torture.
"I'm so jealous that you can go to school, Kiana," Lumine said with a smile.
She had never formally gone to school, nor had she really experienced things like exams. After all, she was a Traveler, not a student.
Awesome!
Not having to go to school felt amazing. Just thinking about it felt wonderful. That was true freedom.
"Kiana, you can think about it all you want, but if you drop out, Theresa's Judah will come crashing down on your head," Himeko said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Since Kiana had joined St. Freya Academy, there was no such thing as dropping out for no reason.
"Lumine, do you want to come study at St. Freya Academy?" Kiana raised her eyebrows.
Lumine said irritably, "Do you think I'm a dumb Paramecium? Why would I go looking for trouble myself…"
Why would she give up her current free life and throw herself into a cage like school?
Kiana: "?"
Kiana honestly could not stay calm after hearing the nickname Paramecium. Was that supposed to be a jab at her?
"Himeko-obasan, did you have these kinds of worries when you were in school too?"
Himeko thought for a moment, and a look of emotion and nostalgia appeared on her face.
"Not really. After all, I didn't fail classes all the time like you. My campus life was quite easy."
Kiana was a little confused. Was she the only one who felt that going to school was such a painful thing?
"Himeko, if I remember correctly, you have a doctorate from Caltech, right?" Theresa said casually while drinking watermelon juice.
"A doctorate?"
Kiana stared at Himeko in disbelief. This teacher who liked drinking and seemed so carefree actually had such an impressive academic background?
"What? Do I not look like someone who could get a doctorate?"
Himeko rolled her eyes at Kiana. Still, that had all happened many years ago. Her main field had been stellar propulsion dynamics, and she had earned her doctorate in her early twenties.
Of course, that was also related to her family background. Since she was young, she had received an excellent education, which had allowed her to get ahead of most people.
"So amazing… Can I get a doctorate in the future too?" Kiana murmured.
"Compared to thinking about that, you should first worry about whether you can graduate from St. Freya," Himeko said, directly pouring cold water on her hopes.
A proper doctorate was not that easy to obtain. Kiana had basically no hope of that.
"True."
Kiana had a clear sense of her own grades. Getting a doctorate was not something possible for her.
"Sigh, I really wish I had Ancestor MEI's intelligence," Kiana sighed softly.
Fu Hua was speechless. Among all the Kaslanas she had met, not one of them had inherited MEI's intellectual talent. Could it be that this aspect had been wiped out somehow?
"Kiana, a genius like MEI appearing once in an era is already impressive enough," Fu Hua said.
"However, there is one thing I also don't quite understand. Why didn't you, or the previous Kaslanas, inherit it?"
Theresa thought about it for a moment. She was also a Kaslana. Although her surname was Apocalypse, her bloodline was Kaslana. Could the reason she was not a genius also be because of the Kaslana genes?
(End of Chapter)
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