30: Culinary Heart

"Perhaps it's because I felt an unprecedented motherly love from Leonora."

After all, Leonora's maternal aura was overwhelming.

Erina smirked mischievously and said deliberately:

"Poor Aunt Sayuri."

A sharp gaze instantly locked onto Akira.

"Erina, there are different kinds of motherly love."

Akira quickly patched up his explanation.

That finally softened the piercing gaze behind him.

"Akira, I challenge you to a Shokugeki!"

"Akira is a chef too?"

Leonora's new way of addressing him made the pressure from that previous gaze intensify once more.

"Aunt, you—you!"

Erina was at a loss for words against Leonora's brazenness.

Even she, as Akira's childhood friend, didn't have the nerve to call him that so casually.

Yet this middle-aged woman said it openly without hesitation.

"Erina, why do you suddenly want to challenge me to a Shokugeki?"

"I'm not even a professional chef."

"That's exactly why I'm challenging you. Because you're not a professional chef."

"This is a reasonable request from a childhood friend. You can't refuse."

"If I win, my demand is that you cannot secretly meet with my aunt."

Unsurprisingly, both Akira and Leonora protested.

"Erina, what do you mean by that?"

"Akira is my future son-in-law."

"Why can't I meet with him in private?"

"Erina, that's discrimination against my integrity."

"You have no integrity. How can I discriminate against something that doesn't exist?"

Pfft!

"And my Shokugeki request is completely fair. Even though you're not a professional chef, you've been influenced by cooking all your life while spending time with me. Your learning ability far exceeds mine."

"So, you're not a complete novice in the culinary world."

"Can I bring in outside help?"

"As long as it's not from China, anywhere else is fine."

Erina was well aware that Akira's strongest connections were in China and Neon.

By limiting his access to China, and considering that Neon's culinary world was dominated by Totsuki, he wouldn't be able to find a suitable ally.

"Even if you bring in Aunt Leonora and Alice, I won't mind."

If she could defeat Alice and Leonora in an official match, it would make her aunt behave for once.

"Erina, don't underestimate me!"

Leonora was about to explode from rage.

This was outright discrimination against her and her daughter!

"Molecular gastronomy has only existed for a few decades."

"It's still far behind Japanese and China cuisine."

"Erina—wait, I misspoke."

"Akira, you did that on purpose!"

"I really didn't. I just heard Leonora say 'Eririri' so many times that it slipped out."

"Erina, you still haven't stated what you'll wager if you lose."

"Name your terms."

"Because I won't lose."

"Really?"

"Then my condition is that you're not allowed to interfere with my interactions with Leonora."

Erina was furious at Akira's shamelessness.

"Do you even call that normal interaction?"

She scoffed.

His true colors were already exposed.

Erina resolved to utterly defeat Akira in this Shokugeki and make him behave from now on.

"Erina, while I was training in China, I also learned a few culinary techniques from a 'Lin-level' master chef."

"Akira, what's Lin-level?"

Leonora curiously raised her hand, eager to learn.

"Akira, why do you always know these obscure, mysterious things?"

Seina blinked her bright eyes, clearly intrigued.

"Akira, I'm curious too. What is Lin-level?"

Eri Chitanda mirrored Leonora's gesture, raising her hand like an eager student.

"Because it's another hidden secret the general public doesn't know about."

Akira spread his hands, looking helpless.

That only deepened everyone's curiosity.

"It's an internal ranking system for China chefs."

"Most countries classify chefs as low, intermediate, advanced, and special-grade."

"But in China, special-grade chefs are the true starting point."

"Below special-grade, chefs are just considered apprentices."

"For example, Totsuki Academy, the leading culinary school in Neon."

"Even the members of the Totsuki Elite Ten at best only reach the level of high-level chefs in China."

"They're still miles away from being real special-grade chefs."

"Akira, are you kidding me?"

"The Elite Ten may lack experience and knowledge compared to Neon's top special-grade chefs, but in other areas, they're not that far behind."

Erina argued, unconvinced.

"In China, chefs who are considered special-grade in other countries are merely 'quasi-special-grade'."

"The real defining feature of a special-grade chef is the ability to cultivate their own 'Culinary Heart'."

"Culinary Heart?"

"Akira, are you making this up?"

Erina raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

"It sounds like something out of a manga."

The others nodded in agreement, finding it too surreal.

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