Chapter 274: Chapter 274
"Ahaha~~!"
Amidst joyous laughter, Klee's small hands were covered in white flour.
"Whoa, Klee, stop right there! Klee wants revenge~~"
With flour on her tiny nose, Klee chased after her friends who were fleeing in all directions with her short legs.
"Klee!!~"
A loud voice echoed through the spacious kitchen. Hiroshi, wearing an apron, looked sternly at the little ones playing around in the kitchen.
"This is not a place to play. If you want to play, go outside."
Having just caught Luo Xiaohei, Klee froze instantly when she heard Hiroshi's stern voice. She turned her head slowly, glancing at the adults staring at her. Klee shrank her neck and turned around.
"Klee is sorry. We'll go play outside."
Bowing obediently to apologize, Klee, along with Hinata and the others, scampered out of the kitchen.
Watching the children leave the kitchen, Hiroshi couldn't help but shake his head helplessly.
"Sorry about that, Dojima-sensei. It's rare for these little ones to gather together, so they got a bit excited."
"Hahaha, it's fine, it's fine."
Beside Hiroshi, Dojima Gin was rolling up his sleeves to prepare the ingredients. He laughed heartily at Hiroshi's words.
"Kids should be like this. Besides, they're adorable. I really like them."
"Especially your little sister, Qiqi."
Looking down at Qiqi, who was attentively following his guidance while preparing ingredients, Dojima Gin's lips curled into a smile.
"Qiqi has an exceptional talent for cooking. She understands everything I explain on the first try, and every step of her cooking is filled with her heartfelt intentions."
"Given time, Qiqi will undoubtedly become an outstanding chef."
"Can Qiqi really become an excellent chef~?"
Standing on a small stool by the counter, Qiqi looked up, her flour-dusted face glowing with a hint of hope and a small smile.
"Qiqi will work hard. Qiqi wants to make delicious food for Brother Hiroshi, Sister Liuli, and Sister Klee."
"Remember this intention."
Placing a hand on Qiqi's small head, Dojima Gin said with a smile, "It will guide you to become an outstanding chef."
"Mm."
Nodding earnestly, Qiqi glanced at Hiroshi, who was watching her, and gave a cheerful smile before resuming kneading the dough. Today, she wanted to try making some small cookies for her family to taste.
"Brother will be looking forward to it."
Standing beside her, Hiroshi gently guided Qiqi on the method of preparation. Nearby, Shirou Emiya was swiftly chopping vegetables into neat categories, while Miyu Emiya, wearing an apron similar to Shirou's, carefully washed the produce.
Bang!
A loud door slam suddenly echoed. Kazuma Satou strode in, carrying a massive, freshly prepared fish.
"Yo, Hiroshi, I'm here."
Waving at Hiroshi, who was busy, Kazuma handed the large fish to the surrounding chefs.
With a red headband tied around his head and an air of battlefield ferocity, Ryo Kurokiba eagerly ran his fingers over the massive fish's scales and meat, trembling with excitement.
"This is amazing! This is incredible! I've never seen such fish meat and textures before!"
"Fantastic! Hahaha! Let me cook this masterpiece today!"
Holding a long knife, Ryo skillfully cut the fish meat precisely where he wanted and then stepped away from the massive fish.
"Ryo, honestly~"
Pouting, Alice Nakiri brushed her white hair from her forehead, slightly annoyed that Ryo had ignored her while fully immersed in cooking mode.
"Hmph! If Ryo won't help me, then I won't help him~~"
She playfully grumbled, sticking her tongue out at Ryo before turning her attention to the enormous fish.
Her red eyes gleamed with excitement as she licked her lips.
"I wonder what kind of flavor such premium fish meat will yield with meticulous molecular gastronomy? This is so exciting~!"
Glancing at Erina Nakiri, who was working near Hiroshi, Alice tilted her head slightly.
"Grandfather really plays favorites, assigning Erina to work alongside these mysterious guests."
"So unfair. I'll head over there later."
Surveying the bustling kitchen filled with conversation and activity, Alice's eyes sparkled with curiosity. Her grandfather had gathered the Elite Ten and other promising students from Tōtsuki Academy, explaining that they were hosting a banquet for distinguished guests. These guests, invited by Sōma Yukihira, appeared to hail from various places, each exuding an extraordinary aura. The ingredients they brought for the banquet were just as extraordinary.
From luminous red herbs to massive fish with unbreakable scales and boars the size of small mountains, the assortment of magical ingredients seemed like a chef's paradise. Alice had already spotted dozens of fantastical materials she had never seen before.
For instance, the petite Klee had knocked out a giant boar with a single punch and carried it off to be processed by Kazuma.
Slapping her cheeks, Alice's eyes burned with determination.
"I need to finish my work quickly and request some ingredients from the guests to create my own dish!"
"If Ryo can do it, I can too! Oh~!"
Raising her pale arm in self-encouragement, Alice grabbed a piece of fish meat and moved toward the stove.
In the bustling kitchen, everyone was immersed in their work.
Outside, Lumine lounged on a wicker chair, stretching comfortably. She raised a glass of juice from the nearby table and took a sip, letting out a contented sigh.
"Ah, this is the life~~"
"Too bad Paimon couldn't come. I'll just have to take lots of pictures to show her later."
"Lumine, be careful, or Paimon might bite you out of jealousy."
Keqing, lying nearby, mirrored Lumine's actions, a gentle smile on her face.
"Since meeting you, Lumine, I feel like my life has changed so much."
"In the past, I never would have spent time on things like this."
"It's all thanks to your help that my work efficiency has improved so much, giving me time to relax and enjoy the midday breeze with you."
"Hehe."
"Keqing, you should learn from Zhongli's lifestyle. Look, he and Barnier are over there having fun with Klee and the others."
Grabbing Keqing's arm, Lumine said with a smile, "When we have free time, let's travel to new places together."
"Mm."
Holding Lumine's hand tightly, Keqing smiled faintly.
"During our breaks, let's explore various places together."
"By the way, Lumine, you haven't been searching for your brother much lately."
"Uh..."
Lumine paused for a moment, blinking.
"Well, then we can look for him along the way."