[226] Ongoing Training

Chapter 226: Ongoing Training

"What a romantic date," Donato chuckled.

From his appearance with blond hair and blue eyes, it was evident that he wasn't Japanese. In fact, Donato Gotoda was French, and in the eyes of the French, anything could be associated with a romantic date.

Yet, it wasn't entirely his fault; the restaurant's dim lighting and a lit candle on the table perfectly resembled a romantic dinner setting.

"I didn't expect Hikigaya-kun and Miss Erina to be a couple. It's quite surprising," Donato swirled the red wine in his hand, gaze shifting between Hachiman and Erina.

Upon hearing his words, Hachiman didn't seem bothered, but Erina immediately flared up. Blushing, she retorted, "Hah, Chef Donato, don't talk nonsense. How could I be in a relationship with this guy?"

After saying this, Erina glared at Hachiman with a mix of embarrassment and anger.

This left Hachiman, who was caught off guard, feeling very innocent. It was clear that he said it, so why was Erina glaring at him?

However, facing the situation, Hachiman raised both hands, offering a French-style salute.

"Chef Donato, you misunderstood. Erina and I are just friends, not a couple."

"Oh! That's truly unfortunate." Donato sighed, covering his forehead as if genuinely lamenting, "In my eyes, you two seem quite compatible."

"Haha, how could I be with someone like him..." Erina started to refute but stopped abruptly. After a moment, a faint blush appeared on her face.

"Anyway, I'm not a couple with this guy."

"Alright, since that's the case, I won't disturb your meal any longer," Donato nodded, wearing a regretful expression, and then turned to leave.

As Donato departed, a playful smile lingered on his lips. Uncertain about Erina, he understood Hachiman's unspoken words—perhaps not now, but who knows about the future.

Erina's flushed face gradually subsided as she looked at Hachiman, emitting a soft hum, and then got up to choose dishes.

Hachiman shrugged. The restaurant operated on a self-service basis, so he also rose to select his dishes.

Returning with their meals, Hachiman had gathered four or five dishes, while Erina chose some pre-dinner desserts and returned to her seat.

Seeing Erina's modest selection, Hachiman teased, "Erina, is this all you're eating? Your figure is already great; there's no need to diet."

Erina shot him a glare and signaled a waiter, ordering additional dishes that required on-the-spot preparation.

Observing this, Hachiman understood. The restaurant not only offered a self-service buffet but also allowed à la carte orders at an extra cost. However, considering the Nakiri family's heiress was dining here, the added expense was negligible.

Now that Hachiman had made his selections, he wasn't planning to waste anything; he would eat first.

Despite being a buffet restaurant, the chefs involved held at least a third-level culinary skill, with head chefs typically at the fourth level. The executive chef, overseeing Totsuki Resort, Gin Dojima, had reached a fifth-level proficiency.

Of course, apart from these chefs in charge, there were many assistant cooks in the kitchen, most of whom had first or second-level skills. This might be acceptable elsewhere, but not at the Totsuki Resort. With a skill level below three, there would be no chance to handle the ladle. Though cruel, it was the reality.

Being ranked among the best in the world, Totsuki Resort would never allow subpar dishes to appear on the table.

Just as Erina was enjoying her pre-dinner desserts and waiting for the dishes to arrive, she heard Hachiman's familiar voice.

"Erina, I want to ask you a question."

"Go ahead."

Setting down her fork, Erina nodded, slightly puzzled but open to the inquiry.

"For you, what is the 'God Tongue'?" Hachiman posed an unusual question.

Erina furrowed her attractive eyebrows at his question.

"What's there to ask? The 'God Tongue' is used to identify flaws in the dishes."

Hachiman sighed at her response. Azami Nakiri's teachings had deeply influenced her, and it seemed he needed to put more effort into "training" her, not to disappoint Senzaemon's trust.

"It does have that function, but that's not the entirety of the 'God Tongue.'"

"Not the entirety? But that's what I've always done." Erina's tone carried a hint of pride.

"Do you know how many culinary masters want me to help them find flaws in their dishes so that they can improve further?"

Azami Nakiri's influence had confined Erina in a small dark room since childhood, constantly tasting dishes. Plates of seemingly decent dishes were forced upon her to discard, labeled as "worthless" and lacking tasting value.

This intense memory had deeply ingrained in Erina's mind, shaping her current belief that all "commoner" dishes lacked tasting value.

This was precisely why Senzaemon sought Hachiman to change Erina.

In the world of cuisine, there was no distinction between commoner and non-commoner; there was only a difference between delicious and not delicious.

"While the 'God Tongue' can indeed identify flaws in a dish, its true purpose should be to help you discover more delicious flavors," Hachiman said, waving a finger at the girl, smiling.

Hearing these words, Erina was momentarily stunned.

Discover... more delicious flavors...

Seeing her reaction, Hachiman shrugged and continued, "That's right. Think about it. When you taste a dish, what gets magnified isn't just the flaws but also the inherent deliciousness of the dish, right?"

"But you deliberately overlooked this point before, focusing only on finding the flaws in the dish."

"If all you can taste in a dish are its shortcomings, then isn't the act of tasting dishes too cruel for you?"

As Erina processed his words, a perplexed expression appeared on her face.

"But..."

Before she could continue, Hachiman seemed to anticipate what she was going to say.

"The 'God Tongue' can indeed magnify the flaws in a dish, but isn't our purpose in tasting dishes to enjoy their deliciousness?"

"As I mentioned before, while my sense of taste may not match up to the 'God Tongue,' it has still allowed me to experience flavors beyond the ordinary."

"If I can achieve that, then your 'God Tongue' can undoubtedly do it even better."

----------------------

A/N:

Guys, let me tell you that 'God Tongue' is at level 6 (max) in the module system. And it's my birthday today, so come on, give me a stone!