Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 93: A Will That Cannot Be Trampled

Chapter 93: Chapter 93: A Will That Cannot Be Trampled

Passed?

Tiqie Helinai met Sen Tian Makoto’s gaze, her "tsundere syndrome" flaring up again, and she subconsciously wanted to spit out the words "not passed"!

But in her mind suddenly flashed the scene where Xia Yu had called her out to the hall for a chat earlier.

"I am the main examiner now!"

"Fairness is my principle ..."

The words she had pronounced emphatically emerged in her mind. Tiqie Helinai was naturally a proud and domineering character, even somewhat obsessively clean in spirit. She couldn’t reconcile such a betrayal of her own words with her inner self.

After debating briefly, Tiqie Helinai decided she would find another way.

She couldn’t outright say "not passed".

Yet she could employ the power of an examiner to skirt around it. Perhaps even Tiqie Helinai herself wasn’t clear on it, but she harbored a well-concealed hostility toward Sen Tian Makoto.

"I have been fed dog food by you! Now I’m very unhappy!" Tiqie Helinai crossed her arms and glared at Sen Tian Makoto.

Uh.

Even Niho Hizaki hadn’t expected Tiqie Helinai to say such a thing.

"So what now? Not passed?" Xingping Chuangzhen shouted.

"Who said anything about not passing?"

The corners of Tiqie Helinai’s lips curled into a playful arc, "Can you tell me how you managed to make this thick egg omelette?"

Sen Tian Makoto replied unruffled, "First, make the crab paste, dice the ham, julienne the radish, then beat the eggs, mix in these ingredients, and be careful not to froth the milk when adding it... Basically, it’s done using the traditional Japanese thick omelette method, very simple."

"I know these steps," Tiqie Helinai said. "How did you get the seaweed sheets into the layers?"

"Just when pouring the egg mixture into the square pan and the omelette is semi-solidified, place the trimmed seaweed sheet in, then roll it up layer by layer with a spatula, placing a sheet in every layer..."

"But that way, it must be very hard to control the heat, right?" Tiqie Helinai frowned.

Sen Tian Makoto spoke lightly, but the difficulty was clear to any chef with some skill.

Thick egg omelettes are about layering and rolling layers of fried eggs, demanding precise control over the heat. A second or two too long could change the texture of the eggs, let alone adding seaweed sheets.

The key was, this girl’s seasoning technique also caused Tiqie Helinai a slight shock.

The myriad of flavors mixed together, where, aside from the eggs, all other tastes were like stars circling the moon. The sweetness and softness of the egg roll itself were indeed the center of this "dog food".

Either she had exceptional seasoning skills, or she had researched it extensively and perfected her craft through practice, to serve such a high-quality egg dish.

"Hey hey, examiner, my dish is getting cold!"

Xingping Chuangzhen interrupted Tiqie Helinai’s contemplation.

"Your dish?"

Only then did Tiqie Helinai realize she had neglected Xingping Chuangzhen’s ’Transformed raw egg rice bowl’, and pursed her lips, taking up a pair of chopsticks with an indifferent face and picked up a bit of the mixed rice, tasting it.

Her eyes lit up.

But after chewing for a moment, Helinai put down her chopsticks, deadpan.

"Just one bite?" Xingping Chuangzhen was stunned.

"One bite is enough." Tiqie Helinai replied, oddly irritated; she hadn’t expected her ’Divine Tongue’ to still linger on the sweet taste of the Emperor Crab Thick Egg Omelette, making her lack appetite for any other food.

"Have a few more bites..." Xingping Chuangzhen said discontentedly, "This is Xingping’s dish!"

"No need, you’ve passed!"

Tiqie Helinai glanced at him lightly, then propped her chin in her hand.

"I passed?"

Xingping Chuangzhen was shocked.

Before he could even feel the surprise, he heard Tiqie Helinai, arms crossed, say to Sen Tian Makoto, "In principle, you have also passed; my ’Divine Tongue’ acknowledges your dish, but personally..."

"I don’t acknowledge it!"

Helinai emphasized the latter half of the sentence.

"Why?" Xia Yu and Sen Tian Makoto asked simultaneously.

Tiqie Helinai didn’t even glance at Sen Tian Makoto, her eyes fixed on Xia Yu, petulantly said, "No reason at all. Because I have been fed dog food, it’s too sweet, too sweet, and now I’m very upset! Just upset! Don’t ask why!"

Xia Yu was at a loss for words.

He had not anticipated that his scheming would inadvertently help Xingping Chuangzhen pass, but this was certainly not his intention!

"Lady Eriina..." Niho Hizaki said softly, acknowledging her agreement with Sen Tian Makoto.

She took a deep breath.

Even though she had anticipated that Sen Tian Makoto’s examination wouldn’t go smoothly, the obstacle lay with this tsundere young lady. Knowing was one thing, but experiencing that exasperating haughtiness firsthand was quite another.

Feeling somewhat angered, Xia Yu’s voice grew stern, "Is this your Far Moon’s admissions policy?"

"The role of head examiner was entrusted to you by the Far Moon Commander, wasn’t it?"

Questioned, Tiqie Eriina also felt a trace of panic inside.

She knew she was in the wrong.

The excellence of Sen Tian Makoto’s cooking had moved her. In terms of exquisite and perfect appearance, she could find no fault; and in terms of flavor, she was equally at a loss. It sounded incredible, but the ’Divine Tongue’ conveyed information in just such a way.

Moreover, Xia Yu was no ordinary person, and Tiqie Eriina’s heart trembled when she heard the words "Far Moon Commander" spoken from his lips.

Tiqie Xianzuowen was among the few elders whom the ’Divine Tongue’ both respected and feared.

"Is this how you fulfill the Commander’s assignment?"

Xia Yu’s successive questions left Tiqie Eriina speechless, but at the same time, anger was brewing inside her.

"Do you have any objections to my ’Divine Tongue’s’ evaluation?" she challenged.

"Of course I do!"

"If you find the Emperor Crab Thick Egg Omelette unsatisfactory, please, present a dish with the same love in your cooking, and prove that this dish is just average!" Xia Yu said. "And your personal tastes are irrelevant to the transfer student’s exam!"

He had touched on Tiqie Eriina’s sore spot.

The Emperor Crab Thick Egg Omelette was just a hair away from ’killer dish’ quality, and beating a Far Moon High School third-year in a life-and-death Food Duel was not out of the question.

Besides, the dish embodied the unique sentiments of Sen Tian Makoto.

Such a cuisine, already branded with a strong personal mark, even if it were replaced by a special-class chef, it would not necessarily be possible to reproduce it highly within just one or two hours.

More importantly, the spirit within the dish should not be trampled by Tiqie Eriina’s caprices! It was qualified!

Tiqie Eriina bit her lip, looking at him, "That kind of dog food, no, love cuisine, I can’t cook it at the moment, and besides, I have said before, her cuisine is..."

Xia Yu felt tired at heart and didn’t intend to entangle himself with this young lady any longer, suddenly said:

"Let’s have a Food Duel —"

Silence.

The hall was dead quiet, every breath distinctly audible.

"You want to duel with me in a Food Duel?" Tiqie Eriina found this unbelievable, a sense of being belittled and provoked kindled her annoyance.

"Just a private Food Duel, and the condition is, you apologize to her!" Xia Yu pointed at Sen Tian Makoto.

"It’s not about being ’qualified’?"

Tiqie Eriina laughed angrily.

"Qualification is the proper assessment, which I disdain to enforce through a Food Duel for you to acknowledge Makoto, as her earnestly made dish has won everyone’s recognition, and that’s enough!" Xia Yu said.

"And what if you lose?"

"I’ll enroll in Far Moon and join your team, ready to serve at your beck and call!"

"Such an unbalanced condition for a Food Duel... Are you confident of victory? Fine, I agree!" Tiqie Eriina gritted her teeth, "Don’t think that just because you passed the IGO two-star chef examination a few days ago, you’re qualified to challenge me in a Food Duel. I had already been an IGO two-star chef before graduating from junior division!"

Xia Yu could not deny it.

Cough, cough.

Just then, a light cough slightly dispersed the gunpowder atmosphere in the hall.

The side door had been pushed open at some point, and it was only when the sound emerged that everyone realized a white-haired old man dressed in traditional samurai attire was standing quietly behind.

He stood with arms folded across his chest like a towering mountain, the scar over his right eye and his lion-like hair exuding an imposing aura.

"General!"

Niho Hizaki was surprised and promptly bowed deeply.

Tiqie Eriina’s face stiffened.

Xingping Chuangzhen, still clueless about who the old man was, scratched his head, looking utterly confused.

But Xia Yu remained calm, having anticipated the appearance of Tiqie Xianzuowen.

In the original story, this old man had been hiding outside the side door of the hall, only to sneakily taste Xingping Chuangzhen’s cooking after the crowd had left, hence Food Duel Jiao’s fate was miraculously changed.