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94
“What?”
The surroundings froze at the shocking announcement.
Because there was no one who could handle aged kompu mushrooms.
‘What are we supposed to do with a crazy ingredient like this!’
Eric’s outrage did not make it out as words.
Because the slightest wrong breath would send that stench straight up his nose.
In a way, it was a reaction drawn out by the survival instinct.
‘This… no one can pull this off, right?’
He looked at his competitors falling into chaos and projected the future.
If not a single person made it past the judging, a variable would arise.
Perhaps they would swap out the ingredient and start over…
Thud— thud—
Just then, the sound of a knife striking a board reached his ears.
He turned his gaze, and the same three people from before were still proceeding with their cooking.
Not a trace of hesitation or wavering.
‘These absolute madmen…….’
Eric doubted his own eyes.
These were not people barely forcing themselves to move through it.
They were genuinely each ‘cooking’ in their own way.
“Contestant Avantgarde! He is mixing small fish and mushrooms together! What went in alongside them is… herbs!”
The host raised his voice near Avantgarde’s station.
The judge, watching the preparation process, gave a nod and said:
“The method of the northern regions. Depending on the type of herb, it can have a significant effect on reducing the stench. It seems he used stronger herbs to match the aged ingredient.”
Avantgarde — a streamer who travels to every corner of the continent.
It was no surprise that he knew various cooking techniques, but he was adapting fluidly even to the changed nature of the ingredient.
Whoosh—!
While that was unfolding,
people shifted their gaze to Liwei’s station, where tremendous flames were blazing.
“Wow…….”
“That’s a proper chef right there.”
“Isn’t he the son of some big Chinese restaurant?”
Vanguard Liwei was using a large griddle like a wok.
Just from the shape of the prepared ingredients and the seasonings, it was clearly a cooking method that fully embodied the characteristics of Chinese cuisine.
In particular, there was no guessing what had gone into the sauce he was preparing alongside it.
“Contestant Liwei displaying outstanding technique! The intense, spicy aroma of this sauce already seems to be whetting the appetite! The mushroom’s stench is the last thing on one’s mind!”
The host, having taken in the aroma, raised his voice with even greater excitement.
That was how overwhelmingly the rich scent of the sauce filled the competition venue.
“Quite a large number of ingredients have gone into the sauce. It can easily become a muddy flavor, but the aroma is remarkably refined. The spicy seasonings used in several western regions have been applied without excess as well. Using strong heat to add a char flavor is also a sound choice.”
“…Ugh.”
The continued strong performances from the other contestants ground down Eric’s resolve.
But the frustration that burned was greater than that broken resolve.
Shhh—
He soaked a cloth in water and pressed it hard against his nose.
He would not be looking at the taste.
He would entrust himself to the knowledge and sense he had built up in a short but fully committed time.
He had absolutely nothing to lose.
Sizzle—!
The cooking competition resumed with renewed determination.
Roughly thirty contestants remained in the race.
“Wow, what is that?”
“That’s just professional-level work.”
“He’s good at cooking too?”
People’s eyes turned to the main attraction — Black Dragon.
A person said to possess extraordinary knowledge from having read the original novel of RP.
Whether that extended to cooking as well had been the question, but what was before them now was entirely unexpected.
Thud— thud—
Sizzle—
Even while focused on his own work, Eric naturally let his gaze drift over.
He was moving with the fluid motions of an accomplished chef.
‘Just who is this person?’
Not one of the precision, speed, or force with which he handled the kitchen knife was ordinary.
And the lines of movement were as natural as though he were working at his own kitchen counter, used every single day.
The deftness of his hands on the equipment.
The control of the flame.
All of it drew Eric’s gaze.
“Oh? That’s a snow mountain boar’s liver! I have no idea where he obtained that!”
The host, watching Black Dragon, spotted a highly special ingredient.
A cut with an intensity of texture and aroma strong enough to swallow the flavor of most other ingredients.
The vivid crimson and smooth surface indicated it was the finest quality among those.
“A rare thing to bring. It is a particularly difficult ingredient to handle, and demanding in both preparation and pairing. The way he handles it suggests someone who has spent a considerable number of years in this field……. I am curious to see what dish comes out of it.”
Even the judge appeared genuinely surprised.
Sizzle—
Black Dragon cooking with calm focus despite the eyes on him from all sides.
The aura he gave off felt truly like that of a master who had been through every hardship imaginable.
‘Damn it.’
The gap growing ever larger as time went on.
Even amid that swirl of emotion, Eric bit down hard.
Right now, all he could do was pour every ounce of his effort into the cooking.
About thirty minutes passed like that.
“Now, time’s up! Contestants, please step away!”
The time limit ended with the host’s voice.
Everyone’s food was plated and sitting on their respective dishes.
“Then let us begin.”
The judge, who had been watching the flow throughout, rose from his seat.
He slowly made his way toward the stations.
He started with the contestant nearest to him.
“A stir-fry, is it.”
The judge picked up the plate and examined the food carefully.
Then, a moment later—
Whoosh—!
He flung the plate sideways.
“Zero points.”
“No — what’s wrong with my dish——!”
The contestant’s eyes went wide as they cried out in protest.
The judge narrowed his eyes as though looking at a pest.
“Did you think drowning it in oil would bury the mushroom’s stench? It would taste like chewing rubber soaked in dishwater.”
Whoosh—
He moved on to the next station with that sharp verdict.
But the content of the judging did not change much.
“Do you know the difference between salt and sugar? I would not give this to my worst enemy. Zero points.”
“The undercooked noodles made it all the more nauseating. Garbage that even a starving monster would turn its nose up at. Zero points.”
“Not remotely amusing. Have you mistaken this for a children’s play kitchen? Zero points.”
Contestants dropping one after another with zero points.
That hell continued until four contestants remained.
“Hmm.”
Next in line was Avantgarde.
The judge picked up his plate as he had the others and studied the food.
“You have clearly given good thought to the use of herbs.”
He gave a slow nod.
Then he scooped a little of the food with a spoon and brought it to his mouth.
“Hmm.”
The judge closed his eyes and slowly savored the taste.
A moment later, he set down the spoon and said:
“The attempt was good, but the overly strong herbal fragrance swallowed the mushroom’s flavor. It would be worth thinking more carefully about the combination. Five points.”
“So that was the case after all. Regrettable.”
Avantgarde accepted the levelheaded assessment with a nod.
It had been a result of failing to properly address the aged ingredient.
Crunch—
The judge moved on and stood before Eric.
“Hmm.”
A gaze that looked down quietly and examined the food.
The judge, spoon in hand, probed the plate and inspected its contents.
“It seems you have the fundamentals — but your mind was rushed.”
“……!”
Eric’s eyes widened at the assessment that cut straight through him.
The feeling of being seen right through brought more shame than he had expected.
“Fundamentals alone do not complete a great dish. It seems you need to develop a better understanding of the ingredients. Two points.”
Whoosh—
His verdict delivered, the judge moved to the next station.
“Hmm.”
The judge picked up Liwei’s plate and examined the food.
The difference was the time.
Unlike the previous two, he spent three times as long on it.
“Clearly different.”
The judge finally lifted his gaze and gave a nod.
Spoon in hand, he scooped up some food and brought it to his mouth.
Slurp—
The judge chewed slowly in small amounts, savoring the taste.
He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them and slowly set the plate down.
“The aim of this dish was clearly visible. The skill is on par with an accomplished chef. The sauce, spices, and char flavor were quite harmonious.”
The praise began on a positive note and was detailed.
But the assessment did not end there.
“However good the harmony, what ultimately matters is what feeling it gives the one who eats it. The strengths of the kompu mushroom are its taste and texture. These needed to be brought out more. A lighter cooking approach would have served it better. Eight points.”
“Regrettable, but it was my best. No complaints.”
Even at that assessment, Liwei squared his shoulders.
Because it truly had been the result of giving everything.
The judge turned and headed toward the final contestant.
“Oh?”
He stopped before the station and looked down at the plate with a puzzled expression.
The judge lowered his upper body and asked Black Dragon:
“What did you make?”
“A steak made with kompu mushrooms and snow mountain boar’s liver. When the two ingredients meet, they create a texture resembling tender meat.”
“…Hmm. You knew that.”
He gave a nod and leaned his upper body closer to the plate.
Slowly bringing his face near, he savored the aroma.
He did not take as long as he had with Liwei — but the reason was clear.
He simply wanted to taste it quickly.
Slice—
He picked up a fork and knife and carefully cut into the steak.
The texture was soft yet springy.
Shhk—
The judge picked up a large piece and brought it to his mouth with somewhat more speed than before.
And the moment the moist texture of the steak touched his tongue—
“……!”
His eyes went wide with shock.
Chew—
With every movement of his jaw, the judge’s expression changed.
Happiness, surprise, astonishment.
The face that shifted too quickly stirred curiosity in all who watched.
Gulp—
‘Just how good is it?’
Just watching the judging made him desperate to taste that steak.
The judge continued tasting with an expression of rapture.
Before anyone noticed, nothing remained on the plate.
“Ha.”
He clicked his tongue with what looked like longing.
After gazing at the empty plate for a moment, the judge lifted his eyes and looked at Black Dragon.
“Magnificent. I find myself wanting to learn the technique.”
A judgment delivered in a voice carrying genuine feeling.
He went on with words that bordered on admiration.
“A precise degree of cooking achieved to allow each ingredient’s texture to complement the other. From the mushroom and liver as you chewed, something like the richness of meat juices flowed. The distinctive sauce supporting it all, and the grilled vegetables alongside — beyond perfect, it was a taste approaching the ideal.”
“Thank you. What is the score?”
“Ten points, naturally. A pity that ten is all I can give. Should you ever come to the Royal Capital, please do visit my restaurant.”
The judge removed a small brooch from his chest and handed it to Black Dragon.
Then he turned and departed the competition venue.
“Ah…….”
The host, who had been watching everything unfold, stared at the judge’s retreating figure.
When he finally disappeared from view, the host raised his voice once more.
“The winner is Black Dragon! Black Dragon, with a perfect score of ten out of ten!”
