"Just as I thought, going through the complete process once is enough to unlock this skill!"
His suspicion confirmed, a look of joy appeared on Okabe's face. He then gave Liu Anqing a slight bow in farewell before running back towards the fields.
Only this time, he wasn't heading for the tomato patch, but the cucumber patch not far away.
Look, smell, ask, touch, weigh.
Each time he used the ability to make a judgment, a correct one would slightly increase his proficiency, with the criteria for correctness being certified by the System.
[Skill: Five Methods of Produce Discrimination proficiency increased]
"As expected, this cucumber is better."
Using the Five Methods of Produce Discrimination, Okabe quickly judged the difference between the two cucumbers and chose the greener one. The notification sound chimed the moment he made his choice.
After confirming that judging the quality of ingredients could increase proficiency, Okabe turned into a busy little bee, frantically darting through the vegetable garden.
During this process, he was delighted to discover that the more accurate his judgment of the produce, the more proficiency he gained. Unlocking new fruits and vegetables also increased his proficiency.
"This is so hard... Maybe I should go ask Grandpa Qing..."
While wandering through the fields, Okabe arrived at Erina Nakiri's patch. He was about to go over and greet her when he overheard her muttering to herself.
"The okra on the right is a little better. Its color is a vibrant green, and its skin is covered with a fine layer of fuzz. The one on the left is a bit too dark; that's a sign of aging."
[Skill: Five Methods of Produce Discrimination proficiency increased]
Seeing the troubled look on Erina Nakiri's face, Okabe's voice sounded from behind her, startling her so much she flinched and nearly fell. Fortunately, Okabe had quick eyes and fast hands.
"Why did you suddenly appear behind me like that!"
Having fallen into Okabe's arms, Erina Nakiri's alarm vanished. Once she was steady on her feet, she turned around and started to complain.
"I heard you talking to yourself and was just passing by, so I thought I'd give you the answer. You were in Hokkaido when we had the lesson on this, so it's perfectly normal that you don't know the characteristics of okra."
"Who asked you to tell me! I just couldn't remember for a moment, that's all. If I'd waited a little longer, I'm sure I would have remembered. But... since you meant well, thank you anyway."
Hearing Okabe's explanation, Erina Nakiri replied in a tsundere fashion, though her words left him a bit speechless.
How could she possibly remember knowledge she'd never learned?
It's not like she's a prodigy who could see this plant for the first time in her life and immediately judge its quality. That would be too much of an exaggeration.
"If there's anything else you're not sure about, you can ask me now. I know about all the fruits and vegetables in this garden."
This wasn't an exaggeration. As a reincarnated grinder, Okabe would read books whenever he had free time.
Because he understood the importance of knowledge, and because of the content of Liu Anqing's lessons, the book he was reading was titled Encyclopedia of Ingredients, so he even had some familiarity with obscure ingredients.
Of course, the Encyclopedia of Ingredients mostly contained just descriptions, far less detailed than Liu Anqing's lectures. Practical application still required hands-on experience.
"Are you trying to show off to me? I don't need your guidance. Go teach Alice instead. I can handle this myself."
However, upon hearing Okabe's words, Erina Nakiri suddenly bristled. A feeling of being looked down upon welled up from the bottom of her heart, and her voice turned a few shades colder.
"Well, call me if you need anything."
Okabe didn't know how he had touched a nerve with the young lady, so he could only scratch his head. He didn't go looking for Alice specifically, but instead headed off in a different direction to continue his exploration.
"I won't lose to you! I'm the owner of the God's Tongue, and Daddy said I'll become the greatest chef in the world one day!"
Watching Okabe's retreating back, Erina Nakiri clenched her small fists. Thinking of her father, who had accompanied her throughout the entire trip to Hokkaido, a competitive fire ignited in her eyes.
In her memory, her father spent very little time with her; they barely saw each other more than a few times a year.
But he was her father, after all, connected by blood. She unquestionably had great faith in his words, subconsciously believing she could never lose to anyone.
The fact that she wasn't as good as Okabe now was surely because she hadn't learned enough. Once she caught up on the missing knowledge, she could stand before him with her head held high!
She didn't know why she felt this way, but she just didn't want to admit she was inferior to Okabe—not in any aspect!
Meanwhile.
After parting with Erina Nakiri, Okabe continued to explore the fields, and the proficiency of his Five Methods of Produce Discrimination grew wildly in the process.
[Skill: Five Methods of Produce Discrimination proficiency increased. Proficiency has reached the rank limit. Novice has been upgraded to Adept.]
[Five Methods of Produce Discrimination (Blue)]: Adept (1/500)
As the System's notification sound echoed, Okabe felt his mind being submerged in a clear, cool spring. A jolt ran through his body, and everything became sharper.
Two ears of corn that had previously seemed almost identical to him now revealed their flaws quickly under the scrutiny of his upgraded Five Methods of Produce Discrimination.
"I see, so leveling up this skill increases my perception? That makes sense. Improved perception allows for faster and more precise judgment of an ingredient's quality."
The silk on both ears of corn was a moist brown, but the tip of one still had some resilience, while the other's had already gone limp.
Then there was the weight. The former was clearly much heavier than the latter; although its outer husk was larger, the actual ear of corn inside was smaller.
Its kernels were plump, uniform, and tightly packed. Leaning in for a sniff, he could smell a fresh sweetness with a grassy aroma.
"After leveling up, picking ingredients is like playing on easy mode."
Okabe then picked up his pace, no longer picking the produce but simply judging it before putting it back.
However, the rate at which his skill proficiency increased began to slow down. Comparisons between items with very obvious differences no longer provided him with any proficiency points.
But he didn't think much of it.
After all, proficiency growth was a long and cumulative process. He never expected to be able to max out a high-level skill by grinding for just one day.
The higher a skill's grade, the slower it was to level up.
This was a conclusion he had reached through practice.
·
·
Time rewound to twenty minutes earlier.
In a place unknown to Okabe and the others, on a ridge not far from the fields, two figures had been standing silently for some time, taking in the children's every move.
One of them, dressed in a suit and sunglasses, was an unremarkable bodyguard-cum-secretary.
The other man had a long facial profile and a complexion so fair it was almost translucent. His hair was neatly combed back, save for a single lock that fell over his forehead.
He was slender, yet his posture was ramrod straight. He was currently wearing a dark suit and a black trench coat that fluttered in the wind, and his hands were covered with black gloves.
This man was none other than Erina Nakiri's biological father, Azami Nakiri.
"Has Erina been receiving this kind of training for the past two years?"
Looking at Erina Nakiri, who was immersed in the soil and getting herself filthy, Azami Nakiri's expression grew dark. He clearly hadn't expected that the "foundational education" Senzaemon Nakiri had spoken of would involve making his daughter work in the fields.
His voice was deep and cold, laced with obvious displeasure. The bodyguard beside him remained silent, knowing this was not a question for him to answer.
Azami Nakiri's gaze was locked tightly on his daughter. Seeing her dirt-stained hands and slightly flushed cheeks, his brow furrowed ever deeper.
In his mind, Erina should be a lofty Queen of Cuisine, not mucking about with dirt in this rural place like the lowliest of peasants.
"This crude method of education is nothing short of defiling her innate talent."
Azami Nakiri said coldly, the fingers beneath his black gloves tightening slightly.
Just then, Erina Nakiri in the field seemed to have encountered a problem. She stared at the two okras in her hand, her brow locked in a frown. Azami Nakiri was about to step forward when he saw an unfamiliar boy walk up to her side.
To his surprise, the boy merely glanced at them before accurately pointing out the difference in quality between the two okras.
What displeased him even more was that Erina actually allowed the boy to get close, even showing no resistance when he reached out to steady her.
"Who is that boy?!"
Azami Nakiri's voice carried a dangerous undertone.
The bodyguard-cum-secretary answered in a low voice: "According to our files, he is the infant who was born in the same hospital room as Lady Erina. He is currently a foster child in the Nakiri household, named Okabe."
"Okabe... So he's that couple's child."
Azami Nakiri repeated the name, his gaze growing colder. He then muttered to himself, "It seems Father has not only subjected Erina to this crude education but has also allowed her to associate with such a commoner."
He watched Okabe turn and leave, and when he saw the complex expression in Erina's eyes as she gazed at the boy's back, his discontent reached its peak.
"It's time for Erina to return to the correct path."
Azami Nakiri whispered to himself, a cold smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"She has no need to learn how to select ingredients in such a vulgar manner. Others will naturally present the finest ingredients to her and teach her to memorize their appearance. Nor does she need to associate with these commoners who do not understand the true meaning of gastronomy, for they are not people of the same world.
She need only exercise her innate talent and become the God's Tongue of my ideals! Then, she will create cuisine in the truest sense of the word!"
A gentle breeze blew past.
In the field, Erina Nakiri seemed to sense something and suddenly turned her head to look in Azami Nakiri's direction.
But there was no one there.
Only a few leaves were left to drift slowly down with the wind.
_____
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