After a very elaborate decorative cut, Erina Nakiri's attention became highly concentrated as the crispy hock, which was in the oven for the second time, gradually bubbled on its skin and began to turn golden.
With a 'pop' sound of oil bubbles bursting, Erina Nakiri, wearing thick gloves, took out the crispy pork hock. Steam was still rising from it, and the crispy skin had just formed, being in its optimal state.
Without much hesitation, Erina Nakiri's knife work was sharp and decisive. When cutting the pork hock meat, she did not damage the skin or the meat, only severing the cutting surface, perfectly deboning it. Finally, she divided it into five small portions and arranged them in a row on plates on the table.
"Whether I have the skill or if I'm just a false reputation, this dish will tell you the answer. How big the gap between the upper class and commoners is, it will also tell you! Its name is Desslin Crispy Hock."
Her eyes turned sharp, and her voice carried strong confidence. As the sauce was poured over the hot pork hock meat, a rich aroma instantly erupted, wildly assaulting the hearts of everyone present.
"Thump, thump."
The strong tremor made Hoshino Sora stop kneading the dough. He hadn't been idle while Erina Nakiri was cooking, after all, tomorrow's business couldn't be left undone.
"Gulp..."
The rich aroma lingered at his nostrils, and Hoshino Sora couldn't help but swallow. His body uncontrollably walked towards the dish. The crispy skin, bright color, tender meat, paired with the special sauce, the rich aroma instantly conquered him!
What a perfect dish this was! The color of the pork skin was roasted just right; a little more would make it dry and tough, a little less would make it too soft and hard to chew. To control a dish so well, it was impossible without extremely meticulous observation.
"Delicious! The skin is crispy, the meat is tender, and this sauce, it has the sweetness of onions, the freshness of carrots, the flavor of celery. The combination of the two is simply amazing!"
As the dish entered her mouth, Ya Xiang's eyes instantly widened. Her originally straight body began to sway, her cheeks flushed slightly, and her thighs pressed tightly together, as if something was about to come out.
Rika was in a similar situation; the deliciousness of the dishes kept stimulating their brains, causing dopamine to secrete, and a tingling sensation spread from her limbs, making her look as if facing a formidable enemy.
"Erina-sama ~ amazing! It's like something is impacting my body, and my whole being is wildly riding a wild boar; this dish is full of wild charm!"
Hisako's face was slightly flushed from the overwhelming sensation, and she clutched the corner of the table, expressing her feelings with a blissful expression. As expected of Erina-sama's cooking! After eating it, she felt it was worth dying for immediately.
[Analysis of Dish]: Deslin Crispy Pork Knuckle
[Quality]: Bronze (Upper Grade)
[Analysis 8%]: The raw ingredients for the dish include pork knuckle, garlic, carrots, celery...
"The taste is good. It seems your reputation is not unfounded, but if this is all you have, you won't win this competition against me."
Enduring the impact brought by the dish, Hoshino Sora shouted with a slightly flushed face. The Crystal Phantom in his backpack finally filled its progress bar. As he spoke, he washed his hands and took out the same ingredients as Erina Nakiri from the refrigerator.
He closed his eyes and silently chose to use it, then he gained Erina Nakiri's cooking experience. The next moment, Hoshino Sora moved, perfectly replicating all the steps of her dish.
"Even if the steps are the same, if the heat is even slightly off, the final product's taste will be noticeably different."
Erina Nakiri didn't believe it, didn't believe Hoshino Sora could control her heat so precisely. Although it looked like simply 160 degrees for 1 hour, that was an adjustment she made considering the size of the pork knuckle.
If Hoshino Sora only copied it, the final taste, while not too far off, would absolutely not be identical! And as long as the taste was different, he would lose.
This competition was so absurd, which was why Erina Nakiri agreed to his shameless bet. Make her wear a maid outfit and call someone out? What a joke! If that happened, she wouldn't have the face to see anyone.
"158 degrees, 63 minutes."
Precisely adjusting the time, Hoshino Sora confidently glanced at Erina Nakiri, then continued to work on his pasta. This stuff took a long time; making one portion required at least two hours.
He glanced at the clock on the wall; it was almost eleven. Seriously, always picking dishes that took a long time. Didn't he know he had to get up early tomorrow? He didn't show any consideration for others.
"Bluffing."
Seeing Hoshino Sora's time control precise to the minute, Erina Nakiri said with her arms crossed. She didn't think he had that kind of skill, but deep down, she was still a little nervous.
The subsequent steps Hoshino Sora took were identical to Erina Nakiri's. Under the effect of the Crystal Phantom, there was no error whatsoever, and the adjustment of the heat was even more precise.
The more she watched, the darker Erina Nakiri's face became. At this moment, a bad premonition arose in her heart. This guy had something. His cooking skills were clearly good, yet he only made commoner dishes.
Biting her lower lip slightly, Erina Nakiri walked closer to watch Hoshino Sora prepare the sauce, and her heart sank to the bottom. The two sauces were clearly in two different bowls.
However, regardless of color or taste, both sauces were identical. Although she hadn't tasted it, Erina Nakiri knew clearly in her heart, which she found incredibly unbelievable.
She used three kinds of vegetables. As long as the proportions were off, the taste and color of the sauce would change, but now, Hoshino Sora actually made it identical to hers!
How was this possible?!
His gaze fixed on the oven until a crisp 'thud' sounded. Hoshino Sora put on heat-resistant gloves and took out the perfectly roasted crispy pork knuckle.
"Come and taste it. This is your proud high-class dish. It's not as difficult to replicate as you imagined."
Using Erina's identical technique, he divided the pork knuckle into five portions, then arranged them in a row. Even this small action was identical to Erina Nakiri's just now, which made one wonder if Hoshino Sora was being controlled by her.
It had to be said, the opponent's skill was indeed very strong. The taste of this dish was clearly a level higher than his pork knuckle rice. The main reason for this was the control of the heat.
The gap between them was obvious, probably like the difference between Silver and Star Glory. And this wasn't even the opponent's familiar field, but even so, the opponent could still produce a taste far surpassing his.
However, the key to victory in this competition lay in imitation. Looking at Erina Nakiri hesitantly picking up a knife and fork, Hoshino Sora took off his heat-resistant gloves and silently stepped forward.
"How is it? Is the taste exactly the same! Others might not be able to tell, but you have God Tongue. Tell me your evaluation, Young Lady Eri Nai."
Watching Erina Nakiri, who looked as if struck by lightning after putting the dish into her mouth, Hoshino Sora spoke triumphantly into her ear. He loved seeing the tsundere young lady's confidence shattered!
"This counts as a draw."
Putting down the fork in her hand, Erina Nakiri stubbornly spoke. As the dish entered her mouth, she felt a hot current surging through her body, causing her to involuntarily clench her legs and support herself on the counter with her arms.
Yes, this was the taste of her dish.
"Is Young Lady Eri Nai planning to renege? There's no such thing as a draw in this kind of competition. I perfectly replicated your dish, and it doesn't seem that difficult."
"Even if you win, I will work for you for one month. But you just copied a practice dish that's not presentable; there's nothing to be proud of!"
"In that case, call me Master and let me hear it."
Hearing Erina Nakiri emphasize "one month," Hoshino Sora didn't delve deeper. It was impossible to make the other party a servant for life just for losing one match; someone would surely object to that.
Hoshino Sora knew that the other party had backing. He could engage in a Shokugeki bet with her, but he couldn't go too far. He was a smart person who knew when to advance and when to retreat.
However, at the moment, bullying this guy seemed quite interesting.
"Ma...."
Her voice seemed stuck in her throat. She used all her might but still couldn't utter the last word. Erina Nakiri's cheeks were incredibly red. All the embarrassing things that had happened in her life combined weren't even a fraction of what she felt now.
"What? I didn't hear clearly. Can you speak louder?"
Hoshino Sora exaggeratedly leaned his head closer, wanting to hear what he wanted from her mouth. This feeling was simply too wonderful. The moment a high and mighty princess falls, it is undoubtedly the most exciting thing!
"Ma...ster, you just wait!"
"I'll remember you, Erina-sama, wait for me!"
"Remember to be here at seven tomorrow morning!"
After saying the last word, Erina Nakiri actually burst into tears. She was so flustered that she didn't know what to do, and she ran out of the kitchen and left the restaurant in a panic. Seeing this, Hisako Arato immediately glared at Hoshino Sora fiercely, then scurried after her.
[Hidden Quest Completed]: Teach Erina Nakiri a Lesson
[Quest Description]: The arrogant and domineering young lady Erina Nakiri has appeared. She is rude and impolite. Please use lawful means to teach her a lesson and let her know the harshness of society.
[Quest Reward]: Universal Food Spirit
[Grade]: Black Iron
[Item Description]: Can absorb the food essence from Black Iron-grade and above food to strengthen itself and the host. Normally hidden in the host's right hand, it can slightly increase the taste of food and has the potential to evolve.
As the system's prompt sounded, Hoshino Sora vaguely felt something extra in his right hand. Before he could fully sense it, a clear voice sounded beside his ear.
"Hmm, you made a girl cry."
"Sora is so mean. If you want to play master-play, you can find your sisters. Why ask someone else?"
Looking at the retreating figures of Erina Nakiri and Hisako Arato, Yaxiang Lixiang immediately stepped forward to reprimand him, though her tone held no real blame.
Even if the other party had a thousand faults, Hoshino Sora actually made a girl cry, which was a bit too much. As their older sister, they had to say something!
"Exactly! I remember there are maid outfits in the shop. Master, please wait here for a moment."