Chapter 507: Mana's Secret and the Handsome Woman
Elsewhere, the new headquarters for the World Gourmet Organization was still in the early stages of planning. An organization of its immense scale couldn't be rebuilt overnight, and the process was a slow, deliberate crawl.
At this moment, a blond, blue-eyed man in a sharp suit stared at the assembled group, his expression a mixture of shock and awe. "Lady Mana! And the Executive Officers! What brings you all here?"
Nakiri Mana showed no trace of the girlish, almost whimsical demeanor she displayed at the shop. Here, in her element, she was every bit the queen of the culinary world. Her exquisite face was a mask of cold seriousness, her posture radiating an authority that had been honed over many years in a position of absolute power. She was a truly formidable existence, and her ability to command a legion of elite Executive Officers was no empty title—she possessed an aura that could bring lesser men to their knees.
"Sharumm," Mana's voice was low and resonant, cutting through the air like chilled steel. "Your reaction is identical to Istar's. Why must you all be so easily flustered?"
Sharumm trembled visibly. A grown man, a senior officer in his own right, being reprimanded by Nakiri Mana was enough to make him break out in a cold sweat. He didn't dare utter a word in his defense. "Lady Mana! My apologies! I was rude! Please, forgive my lack of composure!"
"I'm in a good mood these days, so I'll let it slide," Mana stated, her gaze unwavering. "However, I want a thorough and sincere inspection. Anne! Make a note of that for me."
Anne, one of the officers beside her, gave a crisp nod.
Sharumm let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He bowed deeply, his tone now impeccably courteous. "Lady Mana, and the esteemed First-Class Executive Officers, are you here to begin the inspection? I will immediately arrange for everything you need."
Nakiri Mana gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod. The gesture was enough. Relieved, Sharumm turned and practically fled the room. As a senior Second-Class Executive Officer, there was only one person in the entire WGO who could instill such deep fear in him, and that was Nakiri Mana.
The moment he was gone, Cerberus tilted her head, her expression blank but her tone admiring. "Mana is so cool!"
Instantly, the queenly facade shattered. Nakiri Mana's dignified expression melted away, replaced by a brilliant, unrestrained smile. "Right? I think so too!"
Courage sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Lady Mana, please, your dignity! Remember your dignity!"
Mana waved a dismissive hand. "What's the problem? It's exhausting keeping a straight face all the time. Courage, you wouldn't understand that feeling. Besides," she added with a slight pout, "I feel less and less motivated for this work lately. I just want to stay at home."
Anne covered her face with her hand. "Lady Mana, do you really consider the shop your home?"
Mana turned to look at Anne, her expression one of genuine surprise. "Yes, of course I do. Is there a problem with that? Anne, that's a very strange question."
"Lady Mana, it's one thing for Courage, Lanterby, and Anne," Decora interjected, her tone gentle but firm. "But you're different... Don't you have your own family..."
The mention of family instantly extinguished the light in Mana's eyes. Her expression shifted, the cold authority returning with a vengeance. "Decora! Do you remember what I told you, Anne, and Lanterby back at the former WGO headquarters?"
The sudden change in atmosphere was jarring. Lanterby and Anne's faces paled, and Decora stared back, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Lady Mana! Are you... are you being serious?! I thought you were joking back then!"
"No," Mana's voice was a low, serious murmur. "That was not a joke. I was completely serious. When Erina arrives for her practical training, I will explain everything to her."
Decora swallowed hard, a chill running down her spine. "Lady Mana, you're really hiding a massive secret..."
"Eh? What secret?" Courage asked, looking between them in confusion. "Why don't I know anything about this?"
Decora let out a heavy sigh. "Oh... Courage, you were still at Ren's shop when it was discussed, so you wouldn't have heard. But you don't need to know right now. You'll find out what the secret is in a few days."
Courage tilted her head, about to press the issue, when she heard Cerberus pipe up with a thoughtful hum. "I always feel that Mana and Erina are subtly different..."
The observation, so casually delivered, made Nakiri Mana flinch. She looked at Cerberus, a flicker of genuine surprise in her eyes. That level of perception was terrifyingly sharp. As expected of the energetic hellhound that even Lucifer had trouble handling.
Taking a moment to regain her composure, Mana surveyed the situation. "Decora, you and the others can proceed with your duties. Be thorough with the inspection. All of you are dismissed, except for Courage. Cerberus, thank you for your hard work today."
"Taking things apart! It's my favorite!" Cerberus chirped with a grin. Without another word, she grabbed Anne, who was still trying to say something, and vanished in a blur of motion.
Decora gave Courage a final, meaningful look, sighed, and then led Lanterby out of the room.
"Lady Mana, is there something you need from me?" Courage asked, a sense of unease creeping in. "I have a feeling this isn't something simple..."
Nakiri Mana let out a long, weary sigh. "It's not a big deal... no, that's not right, it is a big deal. But I just... don't know how to begin..."
"What's wrong, Lady Mana?" Courage asked, her voice soft with concern.
Mana looked at her, a complex mix of emotions swirling in her gaze. "Courage, tell me more about Ren. That should be easy for you, right?"
A bright smile immediately bloomed on Courage's face. "Of course, no problem at all! Ren is..."
And so, Courage launched into a vibrant, detailed account of her time with the shopkeeper. She spoke of his quiet kindness, his surprising strength, his incredible cooking that seemed to defy all logic, and the strange but wonderful family he had gathered around him. As the minutes stretched on, Nakiri Mana listened in absolute silence, her expression a shifting canvas of surprise, contemplation, and something else, something unreadable.
---
On the other side of the Commercial Street, Ren and Modeus continued their shopping trip. Suddenly, Lucifer, who had been walking beside them, came to a dead stop.
"What's wrong?" Ren asked, noticing her sudden stillness. "Is something the matter?"
Lucifer paused, her brow furrowed in thought. "I don't know if it's just my imagination... but I feel like someone is watching me. It's a familiar, mischievous feeling."
Her words made Pandemonica freeze as well. "Could it be Cerberus?" she asked, her voice laced with its usual exhaustion.
"No, never mind..." Lucifer shook her head, dismissing the sensation. "Perhaps I'm mistaken. Nami, what's with that long face?"
Nami let out a dramatic sigh. "I thought it was just that the oranges I grew weren't as delicious as Shopkeeper Ren's, but it turns out the ones they sell out here are just as bad. And this popular drink..." she gestured with the cup in her hand, "it's clearly watered down! It tastes awful..."
Ren chuckled. "If it wasn't watered down, the cost would be too high for them to turn a profit. It's not pure juice, after all. Alright, let's keep moving. But Nami, you really do have a thing for oranges and windmills..."
Nami's expression brightened slightly at the mention of her favorite things. "Of course! Look," she said, proudly showing off the tattoo on her shoulder. "My tattoo is a pinwheel and oranges. Isn't it beautiful?"
Just then, back at the location of Ren's shop, a figure stepped into view. It was a strikingly handsome woman dressed in a stylish suit jacket, her eyes hidden behind a pair of dark sunglasses. A confident, easygoing smile played on her lips as she took a deep breath.
"Woohoo~" she said, her voice full of cool amusement. "Just as I thought. I can smell the scent of Lucifer and the girls from here."
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