"Alright, youngsters, my assessment is very strict! If your skills don't meet the passing mark, you get a zero! So, you better be prepared!"
In a certain mountain forest, a man, bare-chested and wearing an animal skin skirt around his lower half, spoke. His gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, seemingly able to perceive everyone's thoughts and abilities.
"I like dishes that are both cute and full of creativity. Try to make your creations lean in that direction."
"As for the punishment for losers, the leader specifically told me to be gentle. So, I've decided: you won't sleep for a whole night and will instead spend it in the kitchen, endlessly perfecting your failed dish."
"However, I must warn you beforehand. If your cooking is too terrible, truly too difficult to swallow, I might not be able to control my inner fury. When that time comes, this whip in my hand won't let you off so easily, you know~"
Beside a crystal-clear lake, stood a woman clad in a black cloak. With a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, she addressed the students before her.
Her attire resembled that of a chivalrous thief, yet underneath, she wore very little. Her graceful figure was partly visible, partly hidden, as if about to be fully revealed, only to be obstructed by her clothes at the crucial moment.
At this moment, she spoke while gently flicking the whip in her hand. The whip drew a graceful arc in the air, creating a whistling sound.
This was an audible threat.
"Just do your best, everyone. I will give you all a fair score."
A girl with blonde hair, blue eyes, and an exceedingly cute face was this time's invigilator. A green dragon was embroidered on the cuff of her left sleeve. Though merely an inanimate object, it exuded a chilling dominance that made people afraid to meet its gaze.
"Don't worry, we'll work hard!"
"Miss, you're so cute! Can I add you on LINE? That way, if I have questions about cooking, I can ask you."
"By the way, Teacher, do you have a boyfriend? If you don't mind, I'd be willing..."
Her presence made the boys on site cheer cheer enthusiastically. Foreigners developed earlier, but her cheeks were still very youthful.
Therefore, to these adolescent kids, the current invigilator could perfectly be described as having the face of an angel and the body of a devil!
"I don't have a boyfriend yet, but I already have someone I like."
"I'm glad you like me, but please don't say such things again. Otherwise, I might not be able to resist giving you a zero directly," the blonde girl said with a smile, yet she bluntly rejected everyone because her heart was already taken, with no room for anyone else.
As her words fell, the clamor on site instantly died down, becoming completely silent.
This woman doesn't seem like a good person! She was so gentle just a moment ago, and the next she's threatening to give them zeros. What kind of man could make her change so drastically?!
"This teacher looks quite nice."
"Let's do our best together, Megumi, Ryoko," Yuki Yoshino said.
"Yeah!~" they both replied. Megumi Tadokoro and Ryoko Sakaki enthusiastically raised their hands, their faces showing confident expressions.
Meanwhile, in other locations:
Ryo Kurokiba was sweating under a waterfall, while Akira Hayama was chasing scents in the mountain wilderness.
After the invigilators assigned the tasks, every student was giving their all, just to achieve a higher score.
"So, under these limited conditions, how can I create a dish that will satisfy him?"
Ikumi Mito fell into deep thought as she glanced at Dylan, who had pulled up a recliner and was sunbathing leisurely in front of everyone.
Creating delicious food under poor conditions was by no means an easy task, and seafood cuisine wasn't her specialty to begin with...
She bit her lip lightly. The faint pain slightly cleared her mind, and she then turned her gaze towards the river.
"At least I need to decide on the main ingredient first."
Standing still was just a waste of time. Ikumi Mito jogged over to the river, preparing to gather ingredients before considering other things.
"Lady Erina, what is she doing...?"
Arriving near the river, Ikumi Mito was a bit puzzled watching Erina Nakiri, who had pulled up her pants and was wading barefoot in the water. Then, she saw the shiny thing in Erina's hand, glinting under the sunlight!
"These are... snails and blood clams."
So that's it. Fishing is too difficult, so she chose these easily obtainable ingredients. Although it takes time, it's countless times better than fishing, where you might spend time and still not get anything!
Sitting on the ground, Ikumi took off her leather boots and placed them on the bank, then slowly peeled off her ankle-high socks, revealing her small, delicate, tanned feet.
As she was taking off her socks, Ikumi clearly felt a gaze on her. This made her put on a fierce expression and turn her head sharply, wanting to warn the ill-mannered person.
But when she looked, she found that the person staring at her was Dylan. Her expression instantly softened, and she even gave him a smile.
So it's Teacher Dylan looking at me. He must be curious about what dish I'm making, especially since he seemed to like me so much earlier! I have to perform well later!
Thinking about how Dylan had clearly called out her name just now, a sense of recognition grew in Ikumi Mito's heart, filling her with motivation.
"Indeed, fair skin and dark skin have completely different feels. But someone like Nikumi should probably be considered to have tanned skin..."
Watching Ikumi Mito slowly enter the water, this thought surfaced in Dylan's mind. He inexplicably felt an urge to grab and hold her in his hands for a good look.
It wasn't like he was a pervert.
It was merely an assessment of the physical characteristics of different types of girls.
"Damn it!"
Seeing a fish splash water in her face, Ikumi Mito's face flushed with anger. She then stomped her foot hard in the water twice, sending up large splashes.
How dare this thing provoke me!
"You can't be so impatient when fishing," Alice Nakiri, who was nearby, couldn't help but chuckle when she saw this.
"Huh? Easy for you to say! This thing is so slippery, how could I possibly catch it on the first try!" Ikumi Mito was a bit annoyed by Alice Nakiri's words, but remembering that Alice had been near Dylan earlier, she refrained from swearing.
However, the underlying resentment in her voice still showed her displeasure with the comment. This girl truly is fearless out of ignorance!
"You can't just try to grab fish. You have to let them swim to you," Alice Nakiri said, not angered by Ikumi Mito's words. She simply placed her hand in the water, waiting for a fish to swim towards it.
"Swim over on its own? What fish would be that stupid!" Ikumi Mito retorted rudely.
But the next moment, a fish in the river, as if it hadn't noticed Alice Nakiri's hand, leisurely swam towards it.
Watching this scene, Ikumi Mito couldn't help but hold her breath, watching with great tension. Her heart was torn between hoping this method would work and fearing Alice would catch it easily, making her look like a clown.
"See? Didn't I get it?"
After a few minutes, with her hand still in the water like a rock, a fish swam between her hands. Alice Nakiri quickly thrust her fingers into its gills and lifted it up.
"No way?! You caught it that easily!" Ikumi Mito's face was full of disbelief as she looked at the lively fish struggling in Alice Nakiri's firm grasp.
"It's just that easy. The important thing is to find the right method. With the right method, you get twice the result with half the effort. Otherwise, it's half the result with twice the effort."
Because Ikumi Mito had caught Dylan's eye, Alice Nakiri decided to give her a little more help when it came to the actual cooking.
"I see. Thank you for teaching me."
Regardless, Alice Nakiri had taught her how to fish, so Ikumi Mito said this sincerely.
"I don't have any use for this fish, so you can have it. I hope you don't disappoint Dylan and make a dish that satisfies him."
Alice tossed the fish to Ikumi Mito. Seeing the fish arcing through the air, the girl's expression turned panicked, and she opened her arms to catch it.
"Eh..."
However, the fish was lively and thrashed wildly in her arms, causing her to look flustered. She then forcefully threw the fish onto the bank.
"Thanks, but I still want to rely on myself."
Panting heavily, clearly worn out by the struggling fish, Ikumi Mito had no intention of accepting Alice Nakiri's gift, even though she knew it would be hard to catch a live fish on her own.
Since Dylan set the requirement for contestants to obtain their own ingredients, there must be a profound meaning behind it. So, no matter how difficult, I will be self-sufficient! If worst comes to worst, I'll consider other ingredients rather than accept charity!
"I think I understand a little why Dylan values you so much. You're really different from those good-for-nothings."
Seeing Ikumi Mito's incredibly determined gaze, Alice Nakiri was suddenly touched and spoke from the heart.
"Of course! How can those trash compare to me? Not just them, even you and Lady Erina, I will find a way to surpass!" Ikumi Mito suddenly clenched her fists and said, her eyes filled with seriousness, thinking about how Dylan had valued Alice and Erina earlier.
"Quite ambitious! But with your skills, I'm afraid you might not even be a match for Hisako. Keep working hard."
"This girl..."
Watching Alice Nakiri's carefree figure as she waved and walked away, Ikumi Mito gritted her teeth.
Her attitude clearly showed she didn't take Ikumi seriously.
"Just you wait! I'll definitely make you all see me in a new light!"
Ikumi Mito clenched her fists and threw herself into the process of catching fish once more.
After walking some distance, Alice Nakiri didn't leave the river but moved to a shallower spot to continue catching shrimp and crabs.
Because Dylan had made marinated raw fish slices earlier, Alice Nakiri changed her theme to shrimp and crab sashimi, using shrimp for the sashimi and crab roe as the base for the sauce, marinating the shrimp with salt, white sugar, vinegar, light soy sauce, and dark soy sauce.
As for how to obtain these seasonings, Alice Nakiri, carrying the shrimp, crabs, and fish wrapped in cloth, went ashore. She looked at the students returning empty-handed, a commercial smile on her face.
"Fish, shrimp, and crab! Trading for salt, white sugar, vinegar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and other seasonings! Don't miss out, step right up!"
When faced with a problem, find a way to solve it. Alice Nakiri was never an inflexible person.
"I want some! I want some! Please save some for me! I'll trade scallions, ginger, and garlic with you!"
"Trade your foot! She wants salt and white sugar and those kinds of seasonings! Please trade with me, I have salt! I only need one fish!"
"Maybe she needs everything? Scallions, ginger, and garlic are essential for any dish! How do you know she doesn't need them?!"
"Trade with me, trade with me! I have everything you want! Just give me two crabs!"
"Hurry up and tell us, what's the exchange rate!"
Hearing Alice Nakiri's call for trade, many people gathered around, greedily eyeing the fresh fish and shrimp displayed before her, while also asking what price they had to pay.
If it weren't for the fact that she was highly regarded by Dylan, they would have resorted to snatching! After all, such a small girl didn't look like she could protect these 'treasures'.
"Damn it, if I don't get a high score, I'll be expelled! The ingredients I brought are only enough for myself. Since this is a competition, snatching should be part of it!"
There were timid people, but there was no shortage of aggressive and radical ones, especially in such a high-pressure environment where people were most prone to becoming desperate!
Suddenly, a strongly built man pushed through the crowd and rushed forward, reaching out to grab the fish on Alice Nakiri's stall.
It happened so fast that the surrounding people didn't react. By the time someone did, the man had already reached the stall.
"Truly unsightly."
Looking at the frenzied man, Alice Nakiri seemed to have anticipated it.
She gave a disdainful smile and suddenly stood up. The man, who had been charging forward, felt the world spin.
The next moment, a strong force struck him, and he was pressed to the ground.
"Does anyone else want to try and snatch?"
Having been by Dylan's side for so many years, Alice Nakiri had learned a few self-defense moves. Even if the enemy was bigger than her, she could easily handle them by using minimal force to overcome a greater one.
At this moment, she looked at the astonished students with a smile and said faintly.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!"
At the same time, the brawny man under her let out extremely painful cries. He struggled violently but to no avail, pinned down firmly. This pushed Alice Nakiri's deterrent power to its peak.
And this made those who had been tempted to act when they saw the brawny man rush forward, forcibly stop in their tracks.
"Heh!"
On the other side, Erina Nakiri placed the collected blood clams and some snails into a basin, soaking them in clean saltwater to speed up the sand purging process.
She placed a frying pan on the grill, added a suitable amount of olive oil, and after heating it, added garlic slices and chopped onions, stir-frying them over low heat until fragrant.
Then, she added a suitable amount of white wine, brought it to a boil, added chopped coriander, and continued to cook for a few minutes to allow the sauce to fully integrate the flavors of the various ingredients.
"Thankfully, I brought a clay pot and various medicinal herbs. By using the local fresh fish and herbs from the surroundings, I can definitely make the most perfect fish soup!"
Nearby, Hisako Arato skillfully processed the fish in front of her, arranging it neatly on an iron plate in preparation for cooking.
Her idea was to use the fish bones for soup and the fish meat, thinly sliced and supplemented with various medicinal herbs, to cook a pot of fish fillet congee that would soothe the nerves and nourish the stomach.
However, due to the limited conditions, she could only rig up some wood to suspend the clay pot, ensuring it remained balanced while cooking.
She cleaned the processed fish bones, using a small knife to remove any surface blood and impurities. She sliced ginger and cut scallions into sections.
In a frying pan, she added a small amount of oil and pan-fried the fish bones on both sides until golden brown.
The fishy smell of the bones was quickly removed during the pan-frying process. At the same time, pan-frying, as a cooking method, could also enhance the aroma of the soup.
After completing this step, she directly transferred the fish bones into the clay pot, then added medicinal herbs such as amomum fruit, Chinese yam, dried ginger, and dried tangerine peel, along with enough fresh water.
After bringing it to a boil over high heat, she skimmed off the foam, then added ginger slices, scallion sections, and cooking wine to further remove any fishiness. She then switched to low heat to simmer slowly, occasionally skimming off any floating oil.
During this process, she washed the rice and soaked it in clean water for a period to allow it to fully absorb water and expand.
She cleaned the fish meat, removed bones and impurities, and sliced it thinly. She then lightly marinated it with sesame oil to enhance its aroma and lock in moisture, setting it aside.
She sliced ginger and julienned scallions.
Once the preliminary preparations were complete, all that was left was to wait for the fish soup to turn white and for the aroma of the medicinal herbs to perfectly blend into it, which would take about an hour.
However, considering the total time allotted for cooking, it was more than enough.
"It's done!"
Alice Nakiri plated the dish before her, quickly tossing it evenly.
Her gaze shifted to Dylan, who was surrounded by students. She let out a long breath, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Alright, a contestant has finished. The rest of you, go back to your cooking. If you have problems, come over then."
Meeting Alice Nakiri's gaze and seeing her walk towards him, Dylan clapped his hands, dismissing the crowd of students who had gathered to watch the excitement.
"Okay, thank you, Teacher."
The leader of the group, the same student who had come to watch earlier, bowed respectfully upon hearing Dylan's words.
Then, the crowd dispersed.
"Come on, let me see your determination."
"Please taste it, Crab Sauce Marinated Raw Shrimp!"
Alice Nakiri bowed slightly, then lifted her hand to uncover the plate, revealing the exquisitely arranged dish inside.
The rich aroma of crab roe wafted through the air the moment the plate was uncovered, making people involuntarily close their eyes and take deep breaths to savor the incredibly wonderful taste.
"Using crab roe as the base for the sauce? Sourced from the river, used by the river. That's very good. You've understood the theme of this assessment well."
Looking at the state of the dish before him, Dylan nodded in approval.
The vast majority of the ingredients in this dish were taken from the river right in front of them; it could be said to perfectly fit the assessment's content.
"That's right. I used crab roe as the main body of the sauce, supplemented with salt, white sugar, vinegar, light soy sauce, and dark soy sauce to marinate the shrimp. Try it, Dylan."
Holding the plate in both hands, making herself a table, Alice Nakiri looked earnestly at Dylan, her heart pounding rapidly.
This was the best cooking method she could think of under the limited conditions.
_____
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