9, 9, 10
"So amazing!"
"It's even higher than Kuga-senpai's score!"
"As expected of the man who defeated Eizan! His strength has already surpassed the current third-years."
28 points!
As the judges pressed the scoring buttons, a score of 28 appeared before everyone's eyes. Hoshino Sora did not say anything, but his brows were slightly furrowed, looking dissatisfied.
Although this was an incredibly impressive score among first-years and even third-years, compared to Eishi Tsukasa's 30 points, he was weaker in all aspects by more than just a little.
This was easy to understand. The opponent got 30 points because the maximum score was 30 points, while he got 28 points because his skill level was only 28 points.
In other words, in terms of cold dishes, there was a significant gap between him and Eishi Tsukasa. Although he was reluctant to admit it, if he were to face Eishi Tsukasa now, his chances of winning would likely be very small.
Thinking of this, Hoshino Sora's mood couldn't help but become a little heavy, and his face became expressionless. He merely glanced coldly at his score and then stepped down.
Is he still the Far Moon's number one after all?!
"Sorry to keep you waiting, can I place the dish here?"
His voice was magnetic and gentle. As soon as Hoshino Sora returned to his seat, Eishi Tsukasa came over with a dish, placed it in front of him, and then lifted the lid.
"Gulp…"
How beautiful it was, that crystal-clear gelatinous texture, with neat edges, revealing jewel-like red patterns inside—that was venison, and also the core of this dish.
His eyes reflected the unique luster of the gelatinous block, and a faint fragrance wafted to his nose. Hoshino Sora was momentarily mesmerized, his chopsticks suspended in mid-air, not falling for a long time.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Hearing Eishi Tsukasa's slightly puzzled question, Hoshino Sora shook his head, then began to taste in the order requested by the other party.
As his teeth met the dish and bit down, a rich flavor exploded in his mouth! It was tender yet chewy, with a hint of saltiness, and the texture was excellent!
It should be known that because venison has less fat and more lean meat, if not cooked properly, it can be very difficult to chew. Therefore, venison has always had only a few fixed cooking methods.
Eishi Tsukasa's method was a unique approach. By gelatinizing the venison and deer tendons, the problem of tough venison was perfectly solved, and it also provided a rich texture.
And as a cold dish, Eishi Tsukasa also put a lot of effort into the sauce.
Especially the last sauce, the rich herbal aroma, combined with the spiciness from the previous sauce, filled the mouth, and together with the perfectly handled deer tendons and meat, it almost made one swallow their tongue!
"Tsukasa-senpai, what is the name of this dish?"
His voice was filled with curiosity. The time it took to taste a dish could be long or short. Hoshino Sora took over ten minutes to fully allow his tongue to experience the dish's inherent flavors.
And this cold dish precisely embodied the taste of the ingredients themselves. The role of the sauce was to highlight and stimulate the flavor of the venison, making it perform at 200%.
At the same time, Chef's Heart began to work the moment he ate the dish. Illusions appeared in Hoshino Sora's mind. He glanced at the remaining ingredients on the cooking counter, and he felt as if he could communicate with them.
Although this feeling wasn't particularly obvious, the moment his hand touched the ingredients, a profound sensation surged through his heart again, as if he could now converse with them!
At first, Hoshino Sora felt confused about this, but he quickly came to terms with it.
Because Eishi Tsukasa's ability was very interesting: he could communicate with the spirits of ingredients, thereby bringing out their inherent flavors, and was known by outsiders as the 'White Knight of the Dining Table.'
Thinking about it carefully, isn't being able to communicate with the spirits of ingredients equivalent to directly communicating with the soul of the ingredients?!
Possessing such a talent, wouldn't it be equivalent to having one foot already in the door of the Golden rank?
By tasting Eishi Tsukasa's dish, Hoshino Sora, although not directly gaining his ability, also gained a subtle connection with the ingredients.
This feeling was very strange, like unrelated people becoming illegitimate children, obviously much closer.
"Deer Field Beneath the Ice," Eishi Tsukasa slowly stated the name of his dish.
"Tsukasa-senpai, the name you chose is quite abstract, but I can feel it, I can feel that sensation!"
Smacking his lips and savoring the aftertaste, although the name was very abstract, perhaps it was a telepathic connection, or perhaps the dish conveyed emotion, Hoshino Sora could fully understand the meaning of the name.
"Icebound" corresponded to cold dish, and "deer field" corresponded to forest and deer. This was a dish symbolizing nature!
"Really? That's great! I was worried that the name I chose was too strange," Eishi Tsukasa said, patting his chest with a relieved expression after hearing Hoshino Sora's words. Then, he turned his gaze to the Fuqi Feipian that Hoshino Sora had made.
"Here."
Seeing the other party's gaze, Hoshino Sora directly handed over his dish, a look of anticipation on his face.
Seeing this, Eishi Tsukasa generously accepted the Fuqi Feipian, looked at the dark red chili oil on top of the beef offal slices, picked up his chopsticks, and began to taste it.
"Delicious."
As the beef offal slices, accompanied by the red oil broth, entered his mouth, a rich flavor burst forth. A glimmer appeared in Eishi Tsukasa's eyes. With another bite, it was a different flavor.
The difference was only in the type of meat slices, so the texture and taste would also have subtle differences. When these differences accumulated, the final flavor would be vastly different!
As a professional chef, Eishi Tsukasa could feel it.
This Fuqi Feipian could be said to perfectly embody Hoshino Sora's knife skills and his mastery of flavor. Every detail was handled very well; there was not a single flaw to be found!
Closing his eyes and savoring the taste of the Fuqi Feipian, a look of enjoyment appeared on his face. This guy's strength clearly surpassed Kuga Terunori. No wonder Kuga lost during the Moon Feast Festival then.
"A very outstanding dish, Hoshino-kun."
In a flash, the entire plate of Fuqi Feipian was emptied. Looking at the plate with only a layer of red oil left, and Hoshino Sora's composed expression, Eishi Tsukasa did not stint on words of praise.
"Tsukasa-senpai's dish is undoubtedly even more outstanding, beyond what I can achieve right now."
Facing the praise, Hoshino Sora was not arrogant, but humbly praised the other party. This was also the truth; he was indeed not as good as Eishi Tsukasa at the moment.
However, if it was only to this extent, it would not be difficult for him to surpass it. After all, this dish was only rated as Silver (Advanced) in the dish analysis.
The Chef's Heart condensed on the dish was not very obvious, only a relatively concrete image. It was still a considerable distance from the incredibly clear image of a Golden-rank dish.
Of course, this might also be because Eishi Tsukasa didn't go all out, but he was the same. After all, it was just a qualifying round, and Hoshino Sora couldn't expose all his trump cards.
He was no longer the naive young man who participated in the Autumn Elections, eager to show off.
Although he displayed highly original Kung Pao Shrimp, others also learned about its roots. If an opponent, like Eizan, were to use his dish to interfere with the next person's dish, then he would be in danger.
Moreover, given his state at the time, if he didn't use practiced Sichuan Cuisine, it would be difficult to win in a cooking competition.
Therefore, it was definitely correct to keep some trump cards up his sleeve.
"Another 28 points!"
"As expected of the Elite Ten Fourth Seat! I remember Akikubo-senpai seems to specialize in desserts, but I didn't expect her cold dishes to be so good!"
"Exactly! The Far Moon Elite Ten truly cannot be underestimated!"
Hoshino Sora was still deep in thought when he vaguely heard exclamations from the audience. Looking up at the judges' panel, he saw Akikubo Momo in a chef's uniform, and the scores displayed below the judges' panel.
9, 9, 10
The same score as him, but Akikubo Momo specialized not in cold dishes, but in desserts, so her strength...
Hoshino Sora already had the answer in his heart. To directly contend with these two third-years, he would have to expend more effort, and he was not entirely without a chance of winning.
Thinking of the techniques Hana-hime-senpai had Bestowed upon him, a hint of confidence appeared on Hoshino Sora's face. Although it was a niche category of floral cuisine, it was a branch of desserts.
While learning floral cuisine, Hoshino Sora also systematically studied knowledge related to desserts. Although a short period of intensive study would certainly not compare to Akikubo Momo's long-term accumulation.
However, this did not mean he was without the power to fight.
In addition, Hoshino Sora also planted wheat in Gourmet Manor, cultivating many commonly used crops, and raising some ordinary creatures such as chickens, ducks, fish, pigs, and cattle.
It must be said that the mutation rate was very low. Aside from the first tomato plant that mutated, the only mutation in Gourmet Manor recently was a cow that developed a very peculiar fragrance on its body.
Because living creatures are not like tomatoes that can grow back after being picked, Hoshino Sora did not butcher the mutated cow. However, he actively encouraged the mutated cow to mate with normal cows, wanting to see if they could breed mutated offspring.
Everything was still in experimentation.
"Off work."
Thinking of this, Hoshino Sora packed up his things and left the cooking station. All the contestants he was interested in had finished their presentations. As he had expected, Eishi Tsukasa's strength had reached a level where he was in a league of his own.
Next, it was time to go to other competition venues.
Leisurely leaving through the back door, Hoshino Sora knew he would definitely be among the sixteen qualifiers. He didn't think that the remaining people could produce a dozen dark horses all at once.
In a flash, he arrived at Venue B, which was closest to Venue A. Standing in the audience, it was just Shiina Mashiro's turn to go on stage, holding an exquisite platter.
The theme of Venue B was desserts.
As the platter was opened, a beautiful sugar art appeared before all the spectators. The exquisite dish was simply like a work of art, with the sugar art placed on top of a cake.
On the surface, it seemed to be just a sugar art + cake combination, nothing extraordinary. However, all of this changed the moment Shiina Mashiro took out a blowtorch.
The flames melted the sugar art, causing it to flow and cover the cake, forming a beautiful amber color. At the same time, it added a layer of color to the cake's surface. As the cake was cut open, the colors revealed from within surprised everyone even more.
"How beautiful! Is this even a cake?! It's practically a landscape painting, so beautiful that one can't bear to eat it."
"But this sweet aroma is simply irresistible! I'll dig in!"
Swallowing their saliva, the judges on stage originally wanted to hold out a little longer, but upon smelling the sweet aroma of the cake, their mouths immediately began to water uncontrollably, and then they began to taste.
"Super rich flavor!"
"How can there be so many flavors without any of them clashing?! From the cross-section of the cake, they are also clearly distinct, without the slightest flaw!"
"Mango, pineapple, apple, kiwi, etc.—these are all seasonal fruits of autumn. How can all these fruits be combined in one cake without appearing out of place?!"
"Indeed, to seamlessly combine these fruits requires extremely strong coordination skills!"
The judges on stage looked at each other, then pressed the scoring buttons below.
9, 10, 10
29 points!
Surpassing Nukishima Tsubusu and Isshiki Satoshi's 28 points, she tied them and forcefully took first place in the overall score for Area B!
Looking at Shiina Mashiro, whose name was at the top, Hoshino Sora's expression was slightly surprised. Although he had long known that the other party was very strong, he didn't expect her to be so strong.
The corners of his mouth curved slightly upwards. It seemed he was about to gain another great general under his command!
After confirming the scores, Hoshino Sora left Venue B and toured Venues C and D.
As expected, his other wives also successfully advanced and achieved top rankings in their respective venues.
However, Hoshino Sora didn't know that after he left, another person in Venue B achieved an excellent score of twenty-nine points, tying with Shiina Mashiro for first place.
— — — — — — — — — —
That evening, Yōbi Dormitory held a celebration feast.
Tadokoro Megumi didn't come because of Polar Star Dormitory's banquet, but Hisako and Alice were both present and even sat together.
"Heh heh, how was it, little secretary?"
"How was what?"
"Hoshino-kun's taste, you've already tried it, haven't you? All sorts of things."
Patting Hisako's shoulder, Alice Nakiri deliberately spoke in an extremely ambiguous tone. Hearing this, Hisako finally understood Alice's meaning.
She was teasing her!
Hisako glared subtly at Alice, but still maintained her composure: "I'm sorry, Alice-sama, I don't know what you're talking about."
"Erina told me how crazy you two were last night, even more so than the night I took her…"
Looking at Hisako Arato's stubborn refusal to admit anything, Alice Nakiri spoke voluminously, glancing at Erina, who was sitting next to Hoshino Sora, her expression as genuine as could be.
"Stop talking! Erina-sama, why does she blurt everything out…"
Hearing Alice's words, Hisako Arato's expression froze, and her cheeks visibly reddened. This blush exposed all her thoughts.
"Hahahahaha, Hisako, you're really easy to trick. This won't do, you'll be tricked by boys. No, it seems you've already been tricked by a boy."
Clutching her stomach and laughing heartily, Alice Nakiri pointedly looked at Hoshino Sora. That guy at the dinner table looked completely dazed and simple, with a gentle personality.
From his appearance, one couldn't tell he was a master at charming girls!
It was precisely because of this that so many girls threw themselves at him, thinking they were the only one, only to find out they were just a small fish in his pond.
But what could they do once they were in? Although it was a pond, it was one that could allow carp to leap over the dragon gate. At least they were all beneficiaries and had no right to complain.
Feeling the surging power within her, this power was truly miraculous. Not to mention making her like a superhero for a moment, the enhancement of her five senses truly improved her cooking skills significantly.
Although no girl doesn't desire a one-on-one relationship, if there was no other way, they would settle for less. Anyway, Hoshino Sora hadn't changed his attitude towards them just because he had more wives.
He remained as sincere as when they first met.
"Ugh, Alice-sama, really!"
Realizing she had been tricked, Hisako puffed out her cheeks slightly and spoke indignantly. She had actually suspected Erina-sama just now; how embarrassing!
"Next time, include me too. Erina and I have already tried together, but we couldn't take that guy down. Really, that guy has too much energy. It feels like it would take at least five or six people to exhaust him."
Resting her chin on her hand, Alice Nakiri spoke astonishingly. She had wanted to see Hoshino Sora's limits for a long time. Two people certainly wouldn't be enough, and three would probably be difficult, so it could only be more.
"Five… five or six people?!"
Looking at Alice's serious expression, Hisako Arato knew she wasn't joking, and immediately said with a shocked expression, "Are all boys in this world this amazing?"
"Hmm, this is still my conservative estimate. At least that day, he didn't feel tired at all. I don't know how many kidneys he has; even a super kidney fighter isn't this absurd…"
Recalling the party at her villa that day, Alice Nakiri spoke with a hint of emotion, while Hisako listened, dumbfounded, clearly unable to understand Alice's meaning.
Alice didn't plan to explain, mainly because there was no way to explain, so she lowered her head and quietly started eating.
On the other side, Hoshino Sora's gaze swept across the dinner table, but he couldn't find Shiina Mahiru. He immediately went to look for her, feeling a bit uneasy.
"What happened? Why are you staying in your room alone?"
Knocking on Shiina Mahiru's door, Hoshino Sora patiently asked from outside.
"Nothing, just let me be." A girl's voice came from inside the room.
"Is it because you didn't advance?" Standing at the door, Hoshino Sora paused. Today was a celebration feast, and the only reason for her not coming out seemed to be this.
"A little bit…"
"Let me in. Even if you don't join the party, you still need to eat. At least let me bring you food."
Hearing the voice, Hoshino Sora didn't leave but continued to speak from the door. He had always given special care to this underachiever of Yōbi Dormitory.
Special training, guidance, and cooking Q&A.
Within Yōbi Dormitory, they were the two who spent the most time together, and she was very dependent on him. However, her progress was extremely limited, at least compared to others.
"Creak…"
Hearing Hoshino Sora's words, the girl in the room hesitated for a moment, but finally chose to open the door.
It was a face with slightly red eyes, showing a hint of exhaustion.
-----------------------------
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