"You rest and recover here. I'll personally escort you back to China later. As for the seeds, if possible, I hope you can leave ten of each kind here at Ryōzanpaku. I'd like to try growing them here to see how they taste."
Kensei Ma's voice rang out. As a chef, he was very interested in these so-called seeds that could cultivate superior ingredients, so he made his request.
"Of course. If you all hadn't helped, these seeds would have long been snatched away by those bastards from the Dark Culinary World. I can leave ten of each kind."
"In a moment, I'll write down the relevant planting instructions. As long as you avoid the pitfalls, even a novice can grow decent-quality vegetables."
Hearing Kensei Ma's words, Liu Wei sighed in relief. He wasn't afraid of them wanting the seeds; he was afraid they wouldn't want anything at all.
After all, they had saved his life and even helped him avenge a great wrong. Just asking for a few seeds wouldn't affect his cultivation plans back home at all.
"However, there is one thing I'd like to ask of you all. Please don't let the seeds get out, at least not this year. I want to use them to apply for a patent."
Liu Wei's expression was sincere. This was, after all, the fruit of his research team's labor. He planned to apply for a patent after returning to his country to receive a national grant.
He had already planned how to use the money: one part for continued research, and the other for compensation. He wanted to give the money to the families of the deceased researchers.
"Rest assured, no one can steal anything from us at Ryōzanpaku."
Looking at Liu Wei's sincere eyes, Hayato Fūrinji made a solemn promise.
"Your injuries are severe and you need to rest. We won't disturb you any longer."
"Okabe-kun, that Dark Culinary World you were just talking about with Grandpa and the others... is that the dangerous organization you told Erina about the night before last?"
On the way back to her room, Miu Fūrinji hesitated for a moment before finally speaking up to ask.
As for Erina Nakiri and Hisako Arato, they had rushed back to the Nakiri household yesterday. As the young lady of the main family, she needed to return home a few days early to greet guests.
After all, it was the Gourmet Demon King's birthday banquet. People came from all over the world to celebrate, and many were even famous foreign chefs.
They would usually arrive a few days in advance and stay at the Nakiri estate. Few would arrive on the day of the event, so she needed to be there early to entertain them.
"That's right. The dangerous organization I mentioned the day before yesterday is indeed the Dark Culinary World. They excel at bewitching people's hearts, striking when a person is at their most vulnerable."
Hearing Miu Fūrinji's words, Okabe replied with a serious expression.
Because of what happened the day before yesterday, he had specifically asked Kensei Ma a few questions during his training yesterday and had managed to get a rough outline of this world's Dark Culinary World.
It was somewhat different from what he knew from his previous life.
But one thing was certain: they were the enemy.
"How terrifying..."
Hearing Okabe's words, Miu Fūrinji's brow furrowed slightly, her eyes filled with worry as she looked at him.
"Little Okabe, it's time for special training."
Just as Miu Fūrinji was about to say something, a head suddenly poked out from a roof beam up ahead. The next moment, Shigure Kōsaka jumped down.
"Yes, Master Shigure."
The sudden appearance of Shigure Kōsaka startled them both. Okabe nodded slightly, then turned to Miu Fūrinji, "Miu, I'm heading off to train."
"Ah... okay."
Hearing Okabe's words, Miu Fūrinji answered softly. She then watched their figures recede into the distance and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
"If you don't seize the opportunity, that boy Okabe might get snatched away, you know."
Just then, a voice spoke right beside her ear, making her jump. She turned her head to see Kensei Ma, who was watching everything with great interest.
"What are you talking about! I'm just worried about Okabe-kun!"
Hearing Kensei Ma's words, Miu Fūrinji's cheeks turned visibly red. Annoyed, she stomped her foot and ran off towards the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Okabe followed closely behind Shigure Kōsaka, the fragrance wafting from her lingering in the air, making him involuntarily take a couple of deep breaths.
"We're here. Come on in."
Seeing Okabe standing at the door, Shigure Kōsaka slid it open and invited him in warmly.
"There shouldn't be any traps this time, right?"
"I've dismantled them all. There shouldn't be any traps left."
"Why do you say 'shouldn't'?! Shouldn't you use a definitive statement for something like this?!"
Okabe couldn't help but retort, but he stepped inside anyway.
Fortunately, no darts shot out like yesterday. The glutinous rice on the floor was solid, not giving way to a sudden drop, and there were no spikes underneath.
"Yesterday, I gave you a brief introduction to the culinary tools of various countries. Today, we'll talk about their application."
She lightly stepped on the glutinous rice in a corner of the room, and a vast underground space appeared. Shigure Kōsaka gestured for Okabe to jump down.
"What is this? A secret base? ...Why didn't I see this when I came yesterday?"
Staring at the huge space below, Okabe was momentarily stunned, but he followed her steps. Soon, they both reached the underground area.
It was a space of about fifteen square meters, its position just offset from being directly beneath Shigure Kōsaka's room. No wonder he didn't fall into here when the floor gave way yesterday.
The walls of the space had two air vents. In the middle were all sorts of culinary tools, with knives being the most numerous. In a corner, there was a large, soft bed. Besides that, there were various kinds of ingredients.
The entire space was illuminated by four oil lamps in the corners, emitting a dim but bright yellow light. This must be Shigure Kōsaka's secret base.
"Little Okabe, besides me, you're the first person to ever come in here. Don't tell anyone else at Ryōzanpaku. Let's make it our little secret."
Shigure Kōsaka had sidled up to him at some point. She spoke softly into Okabe's ear, then exhaled a puff of air that made his whole body tingle.
"Ahem, I naturally won't say a word."
"Good. Your knife skills are quite impressive, so let's start with knife work today."
Hearing Okabe's reply, Shigure Kōsaka nodded in satisfaction. She took a traditional Chinese cleaver from the wall and handed it to him, saying, "Your knife technique is very clean. But truly great knife skills are about more than just speed."
As she spoke, she took a white radish from a nearby basket and flicked her wrist.
A flash of the blade, and the radish tumbled through the air. By the time it landed, it had been turned into slices as thin as a cicada's wing, each one as uniform as if it had been cut by a machine.
"This is the Flying Blade technique."
Shigure Kōsaka spread the fallen radish slices on the cutting board. "Your knife work is still confined to the cutting board, even if the size is quite uniform."
Okabe watched, dumbfounded.
He considered his own knife skills to be good, but compared to Shigure Kōsaka's, the difference was like heaven and earth.
Moreover, this wasn't just a flashy technique for show; it had practical applications. A faster processing speed keeps ingredients fresher and makes it easier to preserve their original flavor.
Furthermore, slicing the ingredients in mid-air doesn't put pressure on the ingredients themselves, which also improves the texture to a certain degree. It was a genuine advanced knife skill!
"Try it."
Shigure Kōsaka handed him a knife.
Okabe took the knife, took a deep breath, and mimicked Shigure Kōsaka's movement, tossing the radish into the air. With his current knife skills, he wouldn't miss the radish entirely.
However, after the blade flashed, the radish slices were of uneven thickness, and a few even fell directly to the floor.
"Your wrist needs to be supple."
Seeing this, Shigure Kōsaka came up behind him, took his hand to guide his movements, and said, "The knife is not merely a tool, but an extension of your hand."
Her breath tickled Okabe's ear, making his heart race. But soon, he was captivated by Shigure Kōsaka's exquisite explanation and began to focus intently on the feeling.
Radish after radish was tossed into the air. Shigure Kōsaka held Okabe's hand, swiftly processing them into slices as thin as a cicada's wing.
"The highest realm of knife work is when the mind and intent become one."
Shigure Kōsaka let go of his hand, turned, and brought another radish. "Try it on your own now."
"Okay."
Okabe nodded slightly. Looking at the pile of radishes beside him, he was inexplicably reminded of slicing potatoes as a child. But back then, he had no one to guide him and could only figure it out himself.
After practicing for an unknown amount of time, Okabe finally grasped the basic technique. Although his radish slices weren't as thin as Shigure Kōsaka's, he could ensure they were quite uniform.
His master-level knife skills were no joke. They allowed Okabe to grasp various knife-related techniques at an astonishing speed.
"Your talent is truly amazing. You're the most skilled person I've ever seen, besides myself."
She picked up one of the radish slices Okabe had cut. It was about 0.3 centimeters thick, with a margin of error not exceeding 0.03 centimeters. For a beginner, this was already very good.
"I can't help but feel like you're praising yourself."
Hearing Shigure Kōsaka's words, Okabe retorted, but a smile appeared on his face.
Because the system's notification sound had chimed in his mind.
[Detected that the host, under Shigure Kōsaka's guidance, has grasped the esoteric principle of 'the knife follows the heart.' Unlocking skill: Flying Blade Method (Blue)]
[Flying Blade Method (Blue)]: Master the secret of "Control," allowing you to gain fluid, seamless control during knife handling.
[Skill Description]: Enables a perfect fusion between the knife and wrist, allowing the blade to precisely track an ingredient's trajectory in mid-air. This technique greatly increases the efficiency and uniformity of ingredient processing, making slices perfectly consistent in thickness.
[Proficiency]: Novice (388/500)
"This is one type of advanced knife method. Besides the Flying Blade Method, there are also the Decorative Cutting Method, Rotating Blade Method, Slicing Method, and so on. And beyond Chinese cuisine, there's Western cuisine, which also has its own particular knife techniques. I'll teach you one each day."
Shigure Kōsaka didn't know that Okabe had already unlocked the Flying Blade Method. She was patiently explaining, ready to teach him everything she knew.
Teaching couldn't happen overnight. Even if she wanted to impart all her knowledge to him, it would require time and dedication.
"Let's stop here for today. You can rest here for a bit. I'll talk to Kensei later and tell him you'll go to him for your medicinal cuisine training this afternoon."
"Huh?"
Hearing Shigure Kōsaka's words, Okabe looked startled for a moment. He didn't understand why she was telling him to rest here. Could this bed have been prepared for him?
"It's already dawn outside. Even with curtains, you can't block out all the light. You can get better rest here. Hurry up and sleep. I'll come wake you later."
After saying this, Shigure Kōsaka blew out the candles on the surrounding walls, lit some sleep-inducing incense, and then left the small space.
"Eh?"
Watching this, Okabe was completely bewildered.
Master Shigure acted way too impulsively. And what the hell did she mean it was already dawn outside? He felt like he hadn't been practicing for that long. Could it be that the secret room had isolated him from the concept of time?
All sorts of thoughts surfaced in his mind. Okabe fumbled in the dark to the side of the bed, hesitated for a moment, and finally lay down.
The next instant, drowsiness washed over him. Before long, the sound of steady snores echoed in the secret room.
"Don't you treasure this secret room the most, treating it as your second home, your true base of operations, and forbidding any of us from entering? So why did you bring the boy Okabe in there now and even let him sleep inside."
In Shigure Kōsaka's room, Kensei Ma held a cup of barley tea, looking at the young woman who had just emerged from the secret room, his voice tinged with amusement.
"Little Okabe... he's different."
"Besides, the completely isolated secret room allows Okabe to concentrate better without being disturbed by trivial matters. In just one night, he has already successfully mastered the Flying Blade Method."
The glaring sunlight made Shigure Kōsaka squint slightly. She then picked up the barley tea Kensei Ma had prepared for her and took a sip as she spoke.
"Even if the training is effective, it needs to be done in moderation. This has already disrupted our original training schedule. He was supposed to come to me this morning to learn about medicinal cuisine."
"Mm, I'll be more careful next time."
"It's not in your character to be careful about such things. But forget it. Tonight and all of tomorrow are my time. You're not allowed to take it."
Taking another sip of barley tea, Kensei Ma disappeared from the room.
Seeing this, Shigure Kōsaka went to her wardrobe, changed into pajamas, and entered the secret room once more.
An unknown amount of time passed before Okabe awoke from his slumber. He then smelled a familiar fragrance, and felt a soft touch on his arm.
"Ikaros, you don't have to hug me while sleeping. It's a little hot."
As he spoke, Okabe tried to turn over, but his arm was held tightly. The sensation was similar to usual, yet subtly different.
Wait, I don't think I'm back in my room... Suddenly, the thought struck him like a clap of thunder.
He opened his eyes and saw nothing but pitch-black darkness.
"Mmm..."
As he abruptly tensed up, the person in front of him let out a faint, almost inaudible moan.
"Master Shigure..."
Hearing the voice, Okabe instantly realized who it was. He felt a sense of relief mixed with nervousness, having never experienced something like this before.
"Morning... I mean, good afternoon, Little Okabe."
Sleepily sitting up in bed, unlike the Shigure Kōsaka who had to remain vigilant even while sleeping in the outside world, in this secret room, she could truly relax.
"Good afternoon. No wait, Master Shigure, why are you here? That's not right either, this is your secret base, so it should be 'why am I here.' Still not right, you told me to stay here. Ah! My brain's a little jumbled..."
He ran a hand through his hair.
In the end, Okabe accepted the reality of the situation. They just slept next to each other, nothing happened. It's not like he hadn't taken afternoon naps with Erina Nakiri when they were kids.
Since she didn't seem to mind, if he acted like it was a big deal, it would just make things awkward. The best solution now was to act like he didn't mind either.
"Master Shigure, it's getting late. I should go find Master Ma."
And so, he spoke with forced composure, which finally made Shigure Kōsaka let go of his arm, her consciousness clearing up a bit.
"Oh no, I was just going to watch over you here and then wake you up when it was time. I must have fallen asleep because of the incense. I hope you're not late."
After sitting on the bed for a moment to collect herself, Shigure Kōsaka finally remembered why she was there. She leaped out of bed and stood on the floor, annoyed with herself.
"It's fine, being a little late doesn't matter. Master Ma will understand."
Seeing Shigure Kōsaka's distress, Okabe couldn't help but reassure her. He then jumped out through the secret room's entrance she had opened.
The sun outside was just right.
He quickly left Shigure Kōsaka's room and, as luck would have it, ran into Miu Fūrinji carrying a bowl of rice to the dining hall. He froze, a guilty look involuntarily appearing on his face.
"Okabe-kun, what are you doing here? I went to your room but didn't see you. I thought you had gone out for something."
Seeing Okabe coming out of Shigure Kōsaka's room, Miu Fūrinji tilted her head in confusion.
She had come looking for him here in the morning too but hadn't seen him or Shigure Kōsaka, so she had assumed they went out for something.
"I just got back not long ago. We probably just missed each other. What's for lunch today? It smells delicious. Let me help you carry that."
People inevitably get talkative when they feel guilty. Okabe hurriedly took the bowl of rice from Miu Fūrinji's hands.
"Okabe-kun, you have such a good sense of smell. You can smell it even though the kitchen is so far from here. For lunch, we have pork rib soup, pan-fried saury, and scrambled eggs with tomato."
Because Ryōzanpaku was short on funds, their three daily meals were normally simple. Only occasionally, when Okabe was practicing his cooking, would they get to eat well.
"Pork rib soup, huh? No wonder it smells so good. You can tell it's been simmered for a long time. Let me take this rice over, and I'll go with you to get the rest in a bit."
Okabe said this as he quickened his pace toward the Ryōzanpaku dining hall, leaving Miu Fūrinji standing there, watching his retreating back with a puzzled expression.
"Heh~"
The next moment, Shigure Kōsaka emerged from the secret room beneath her own. She had a lazy expression, her collar slightly askew, revealing a portion of her bandaged body.
It's been a long time since I slept so comfortably. This thought surfaced in her mind.
She didn't know why, but being with Okabe calmed her heart. This was the main reason she enjoyed spending time with him.
Seeing Shigure Kōsaka emerge from the secret room, Miu Fūrinji turned around and asked curiously.
"I just woke up. Isn't it normal to be wearing pajamas?"
Hearing Miu Fūrinji's words, Shigure Kōsaka tilted her head, then opened her wardrobe and began to change, quickly switching to her usual attire.
"Okabe-kun!"
After standing there watching for a while, the realization suddenly dawned on Miu Fūrinji. Her face abruptly turned red, and she took off running towards the dining hall.
_____
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