Chapter 26: The Contest of Three Dishes!

"Is it finally here? Isshiki-senpai's naked apron!"

Aoki laughed.

Erina quickly covered her eyes, her cheeks burning with embarrassment, her heart pounding from the shock.

"How indecent! This is really just a group of commoners, so vulgar!"

She bit her lip, fighting back her tears.

"Erina-san, you'll get used to it eventually," Megumi said, somewhat awkwardly from the side, already accustomed to the situation.

"In terms of ingredients, I still have some mackerel left. How about we make a mackerel dish?" Isshiki said with a smile.

"I've got a little duck meat left too, Miss Erina, feel free to use it," Yoshino chimed in, raising her hand.

"Uh, thank you," Erina replied, though she didn't really care what ingredients were used. Whatever she had, she could turn it into a delicious dish.

Next, Sui, Erina, and Isshiki headed to the kitchen, each preparing to make a dish. 

Sui thought for a moment and decided to make stir-fried cabbage. He retrieved a small piece of almond cabbage from the system space. Stir-fried cabbage was a dish he had mastered. He tore the cabbage into small pieces, heated the oil in the pan, sautéed the peppers and garlic until fragrant, then added the cabbage.

Time flew by. In just half an hour, the three of them had finished cooking and returned to Marui Zenji's room.

"This duck breast in French orange sauce is my way of thanking everyone for their hospitality," Erina said, placing a plate of duck breast on the table before kneeling politely.

"Wow, French cuisine?"

"As expected from the God's Tongue!"

Everyone eagerly gathered around, grabbing pieces of the duck breast. In the blink of an eye, the entire dish was gone.

Sui, feeling a little disappointed, hadn't managed to grab any. Still, having tasted plenty of Erina's cooking the previous night, he wasn't too upset. After all, there would be more opportunities in the future.

The crispy roasted duck, paired with the sweet and tangy orange sauce, transported everyone to an autumnal orange grove, where ripe oranges hung from branches, and the air was filled with their fragrant scent.

Tadokoro Megumi, Yoshino Yuki, and a few other girls blushed deeply, their cheeks flushed, while faint moans escaped from their noses.

Even Sōma was stunned.

Is this girl really that talented?

He had thought himself to be quite skilled, but remembering that his father had sent him to this school made him feel a bit humbled.

But he hadn't expected that someone like this would be at the school—someone clearly on a completely different level from the other students!

So, this is the strength of the Elite Ten?

A flicker of surprise also crossed Isshiki's eyes. Erina's progress was even faster than he had anticipated.

At this rate, it wouldn't be long before she could mount a strong challenge for one of the top seats!

"Since Erina-san has presented such an exquisite dish, I can't fall behind," Isshiki smiled, placing a dish before the group. "Please enjoy, grilled mackerel with peppercorns."

Sui found the situation amusing. According to the plot, Isshiki should have shared this dish with Sōma after everyone had gone to bed. But it seemed that after tasting Erina's food, Isshiki couldn't sit still!

On the plate was a small piece of mackerel, artfully paired with some cabbage—a visually appealing presentation.

Everyone began to dig in.

Erina took a small bite and was immediately enveloped by a refreshing sensation, as if she had wandered into a springtime forest.

"As expected of Isshiki-senpai. To make something so delicate in such a short time is impressive."

She admired the dish's quality, realizing it was slightly superior to her own duck breast with orange sauce.

Of course, these were just casual creations and didn't fully represent their abilities.

Sōma was also feeling the weight of the competition.

Both Isshiki and Erina's cooking had left him shocked. He hadn't expected there to be people his age more skilled than him!

Sui, having managed to snag a piece this time, nodded to himself. As expected of Isshiki, his skills were still on another level.

After everyone had finished tasting, Isshiki turned to Sui. "Sui-kun, I'm eager to see what the God's Tongue can produce from you."

The others also looked on, curious but not expecting his dish to rival the Elite Ten's. However, they were intrigued by this transfer student's ability.

Sui smiled and said, "Sautéed Cabbage, please give it a try."

This was the first time he'd made Sautéed Cabbage using the fantasy ingredients.

The first to taste it was Megumi, who took a large bite of the hand-torn cabbage.

The spicy heat mixed with the cabbage's crisp sweetness, complemented by the chewy pork belly, created a flavor explosion that overwhelmed her senses—more intense than the previous two dishes!

"Wow, this is delicious!" Megumi covered her face, her expression one of pure bliss.

"Amazing... It's even better than the first two dishes!" Sōma exclaimed, stunned that this transfer student could surpass the Elite Ten in culinary prowess.

A spark of surprise appeared in Isshiki's eyes as well. "The heat control, the ingredient handling... flawless. Especially this cabbage—its taste is exceptional. And to think, this dish was made by a first-year! It's indeed worthy of the God's Tongue!"

"This dish is incredible!" someone exclaimed.

"Yeah, I feel so energized now!"

"I could go all night!"

The effects of the dish left everyone invigorated, their exhaustion wiped away.

Erina, however, remained calm. "It's decent. Better than your previous attempts, but it still has some flaws."

Sui nodded, acknowledging that while his dish had outshone the others this time, Isshiki and Erina's were casual efforts, while he had given his best.

"By the way, Sui-kun, did you grow this cabbage yourself? Its sweetness is unusual, and it has an almond-like flavor," Isshiki suddenly asked, clearly impressed by the cabbage's taste.

"Something like that," Sui replied.

"Could you share some with me?" Isshiki asked with a hopeful expression.

The others also looked eager.

Sui hesitated, then sighed. "I'm sorry, but I only have a small amount."