Jeanne and the Lollipop

The boy felt a gust of wind lift him up, faster than light, and he returned from the universe to the solar system, landing back in Paris in just a few seconds.

The boy, lying on the bed, opened his eyes, checked his phone, and saw that it was already 8:50.

Shirou felt that one problem after another was brewing, but he still stood up, grabbed a towel and toothbrush, and walked towards the washbasin outside. He still had an unfinished mission to do: to use food to help the people of Paris, who had been affected by this incident, recover their spirits. That was what he needed to do.

After washing up, Shirou changed into his chef's uniform and ran towards the event venue. If it were only Erina there, the large crowd would make things quite difficult. Fortunately, it was only nine o'clock, so he still had time.

As Shirou ran towards the door, he saw Shizuka Hiratsuka hiding in the smoking area set up for tourists, smoking a cigarette. Shizuka also looked in his direction.

"Oh, Shirou, that's great! You finished smoothly on your end!" Shizuka Hiratsuka said happily, patting the boy's shoulder as she saw him return safely.

"Yes, it's finished. How about you, teacher?" Shirou asked curiously, seeing Shizuka Hiratsuka still dressed in a suit, looking as usual.

"Well, as for singing, there's one session after 10 a. m., and it seems like in the afternoon there will be a voluntary event where everyone can sign up to go on stage." Shizuka Hiratsuka shrugged helplessly, but having more people would divert some attention, which was a good thing for her.

Just because she sang a song yesterday, she inexplicably gained a bunch of elderly men and women who became her enthusiastic fans, pulling her around and showering her with concern. She felt somewhat unworthy of such attention.

"Is that so? Good luck with the performance," Shirou encouraged.

"Hmph, this isn't something that can be solved with just a few words like 'good luck'," Shizuka Hiratsuka muttered under her breath, a cold glint of revenge flashing in her eyes.

"What's wrong, teacher?" Shirou asked, puzzled. He had a feeling that he had sensed a kind of malice from the female teacher for a moment.

Shizuka Hiratsuka waved her hand, dismissing the boy, saying, "It's alright, it'll be alright later. You should go check on Erina. If you don't come soon, she's about to throw a tantrum."

"Oh, see you later, teacher." Shirou walked inside.

The female principal was standing at the door, seemingly waiting for some guest. She saw the boy approaching and waved happily.

"Good morning, Principal," Shirou greeted.

"Oh, Shirou ~! You've finally arrived. Erina, we've been waiting for you for so long! Now the competition can finally begin!" the headmistress said with a smile.

"A match?" Shirou asked, puzzled.

"This was my idea. After tasting your and Erina's cooking yesterday and listening to Hiratsuka's wonderful performance, I decided to hold an even grander event!" the headmistress said.

"Ah, I know. Anyway, I'll do my best to cook well," Shirou replied, as he had originally intended to do the same.

"It's not just about cooking, but you should go ahead, the cooking competition is about to start. Good luck, my students are also very good cooks." The female principal patted the boy's shoulder encouragingly.

"Okay, goodbye." Shirou continued walking towards the field ahead and saw newly erected sheds where many local students dressed in chef's uniforms were already performing their duties.

Meanwhile, in the area next to his stall, the blonde girl was preparing breakfast, and a long queue had already formed.

"Yo, Erina." Shirou walked up with a smile and greeted the girl wearing a chef's hat.

"It's not time for 'yo' yet! It's too slow!!" Erina complained, crossing her arms as she continued, "Fine, I've already prepared all the ingredients listed in your recipe, so hurry up and get ready! Now it's time for our showdown!"

"I know, don't be angry, at least tell me the rules," Shirou said helplessly.

"Stop nagging! The students here are all very skilled, but they're no match for you! You just need to compete against me! Honestly! The official competition starts at 9:30. People from this school will bring special plates then, and the winner will be determined by the number of plates that are finished. And here, take this!"

Without waiting for a reply, the girl took out an ornately decorated bowl and a beautifully patterned silver fork from under the counter and placed them in the boy's hands.

"Hmm, thank you." Shirou looked at the toast on the plate and the breakfast that the girl was good at: the delicate and beautiful Eggs Benedict, with the sauce drizzled on top in a lovely arc, showing how much care the girl put into cooking.

"You haven't had breakfast yet, have you? Then hurry up and eat, and then go prepare it!" Erina shouted, turning her head away from the boy and continuing to cook.

"Oh... then I'll take it over to eat. Staying here is getting in the way of you and the guests," Shirou said, holding the plate.

"Hehe." The people around them who were eating eggs laughed in a friendly manner, with expressions that said things like, "It's okay, we'll just watch," and "It's really entertaining to see young people arguing."

"Wait, where are you taking my special bowl and fork?!" Erina looked up and shouted, her face already bright red.

"Huh? Why are you using your special bowl?" Shirou asked, puzzled.

"Then you'll get mixed up with the bowls here!!" Erina was stunned for a moment, unsure how to answer, and shouted angrily.

"Couldn't we just put it somewhere else?" Shirou muttered under his breath, but having experience dealing with sulking beasts, he knew it was best not to argue back at this point.

Excellent chefs often have a stronger and more persistent passion for cooking than ordinary people, and therefore have higher requirements, such as using the most handy cooking utensils, the best heat, and cooking in the most comfortable space.

Things like kitchen knives and woks for hot dishes, and dough rolls for cold dishes, are things I'll try my best to bring with me even when I'm on a business trip.

In addition to kitchenware, Erina also had a set of tableware. Whether it was the bowl with its ornate patterns or the carvings on the cutlery, they were all custom-made by famous artists. Originally, she brought a set of these items with her, intending to use them all by herself.

"Then I'll gratefully begin my meal," Shirou said, and began to enjoy the breakfast the girl had carefully prepared.

Drizzled with golden Netherlands sauce, it's sweet and sour, and when you cut the poached egg with a fork, the runny yolk flows out, smooth and tender with a delicate, powdery texture. The bacon and toast, soaked in the egg and Netherlands sauce, go into your mouth together, bringing an overwhelming sense of happiness.

"Here you go! Milk tea!" The girl promptly handed over a drink.

"Oh, thank you, Erina. It's delicious, thank you for the treat." Shirou took the teacup; this time it was pure white ceramic, so it didn't seem to be for girls anymore.

"Hmph, that's only natural," Erina replied confidently, arms crossed. "Now that you've had breakfast, let's hurry over! Don't forget you promised to compete against me! This is your chance!"

"I understand. Since I've accepted your hospitality, it wouldn't be right to refuse." Shirou thought for a moment and agreed. After all, the matter was settled, and he would enjoy satisfying his guests while showcasing his culinary skills and exchanging techniques with the excellent chefs.

At this moment, the chefs on the other side of the tents smiled confidently, raised their heads, and were all ready.

The school arranged for helpers to deliver a cart full of bowls with lily logos to each of the tents.

There are ten people participating in the competition, including Shirou and Erina, as well as the top elites from each grade of the Culinary Department.

At 9:30, the competition officially began!

Chapter 195 Jeanne d'Arc and the Lollipop

The Paris Branch School's culinary competition began with its most exciting moment: the participating chefs took to the stage, where an announcement was made to introduce each chef, followed by an explanation of the rules of the competition, where the winner was determined by the number of plates served.

The loudspeaker announced, "The cooking competition has now officially begun!"

"Hmph, Shirou! You've kept me waiting for so long! This time, let's have a proper match!" Erina, the blonde young lady dressed in a chef's uniform, stepped forward, pointed at the boy with an imposing air, and shouted.

"Hey, Erina, since I agreed to participate in the same event as you, you should at least show me some respect for your senior," Shirou said helplessly to the young lady.

"Hmph! I still have the same attitude as before. I have no interest in dealing with vulgar people whose cooking skills are worse than mine. If you can convince me, then it's not impossible," Erina said with a cold and arrogant smile.

"Is that so? Then let's have a match." Shirou felt his fighting spirit ignite and looked at the girl, saying this.

"Hmph!" Erina tossed her head, and the boy turned around at the same time. The two stopped looking at each other and walked towards their respective cooking stations.

"What?! A couples' showdown?" the surrounding onlookers exclaimed excitedly.

"It looks interesting over there, let's go and join the queue!" The onlookers, their eyes gleaming with gossip, followed the young boy and girl's stall and lined up one by one.

"Damn it... there's that last move too!" The man who was also his opponent exclaimed in shock.

"Showing off your love with your partner while cooking, having romance in the kitchen—isn't this the life we all dream of?" A female chef, also participating in the competition, sighed wistfully, fiddling with her hair, her eyes secretly glancing at a few good-looking classmates around her.

But the boy shook his head and said very seriously:

"No, I can't possibly date a chef. Otherwise, I'd have to take orders from the head chef at work, but then back in the kitchen at home, who's in charge?!"

"Then you can all go and work in the kitchen!" the female chef cursed viciously.

The competition quickly became intense, with Shirou and Erina locked in a serious duel, as well as the female chef who was like a demon.

Crimson flames burned, obscuring everything in sight.

"Gawa hahaha!"

Holding a lit fire in front of his eyes, the cross-eyed black boy let out a sly laugh, thinking he looked like a devil. He stared disdainfully at the tiny blue flame emanating from the microwave in front of the boy.

"Even if you're going to start a fire, don't do it here! And for some reason, I feel like I'm being looked down upon," Shirou thought helplessly.

"Hahaha!" The seven- or eight-year-old black boy lit a second fire and continued laughing. This flame was nothing compared to the fire he had set the entire street ablaze the night before. If he hadn't been hit by a car, he could have burned everyone to ashes! The flames used by these mortals were truly pathetic.

Ignoring the child any further, Shirou took out the prepared ingredients, poured oil around the edge of the pan, and added cooking wine.

Boom! Holding the pot up slightly and tilting it forward, the rising oil mist, combined with the cooking wine, caused Mars to fly from the stove, and a pillar of fire more than a meter high instantly rose up, igniting the meat in the pot.

"..." The little black boy was so shocked he couldn't close his mouth, and the matches he was holding fell to the ground.

Under the astonished gaze of the little black boy, Shirou quickly flipped the wok, slicing the pork kidneys into flower-shaped pieces with his superb knife skills. The pieces tumbled in the flames, like burning red lotuses.

This is a technique in Chinese Cuisine called "gouhuo," which involves cooking food at very high temperatures in the shortest possible time to preserve the original flavor of the ingredients to the greatest extent. However, this technique requires the chef to have a high level of control over the heat.

If the oil on top burns out, the food will burn instantly. Even if you deal with it promptly, it may still leave a smoky smell.

However, these steps weren't too difficult for the boy, and he eventually finished stir-frying the pork kidneys.

"Come on, kids don't need to pay, don't be shy, go eat at the empty seats over there." Shirou divided the dish into several small plates, handed one to the little kid, and pushed him along as he spoke.

"Oh, oh..." The little kid picked up the plate and obediently walked towards the chairs that had been set out. His eyes were sparkling; so besides superheroes and arsonists, chefs could also make fire look so cool!

So, without the boy's knowledge, another unruly child's future was saved.

"We'd like one of the ones that were just on fire," said a tourist who stepped forward in line.

"Me too," the next couple said.

A large plate of stir-fried pork kidneys sold out in no time.

Even though it's in Europe, it seems to be quite popular even when it's in the water.

After all, this is France, a country that eats snails. In addition to chicken, duck, foie gras, and chicken gizzards, they also make sausages from pig's stomach, large intestine, small intestine, and blood, as well as meat jelly made from pig's head.

"Oh, are they all gone?" the man and woman behind in line said regretfully.

Just then, a "ding" sounded from inside the shed.

"Please wait a moment, we still have the ingredients, quantity is not a problem. In the meantime, come and try our baked cheese bread." Shirou smiled and opened the oven, a rich aroma wafting out.

The sandwich, filled with sausage, features different cheeses from left to right. Since he had come all the way to the cheese capital and the Culinary Department had access to the ingredients, he decided to try out several of the more unique local cheeses.

This brine-washed cheese, with its beautiful orange-red color, retains a certain level of moisture and softness even on the rind when placed in a bowl. The inside is very sticky and has a rich, mellow flavor.

There's also blue cheese, which has a rather strong flavor. Because it contains Penicillium mold, after fermentation, the cheese develops blue-green patterns like natural marble. It has a rich flavor that can even be a bit pungent for those who aren't used to it. However, it's savory and salty at first, followed by a sweet and sour taste.

"Gulp~!" Men and women alike couldn't help but swallow hard at the aroma.

"Then I'll have one."

"Me too."

"Okay, please wait a moment." Shirou put on oven mitts, took all the bread out of the plate, and then placed it on the front desk.

Shirou took out several more portions of marinated pork kidneys from the freezer and cut them into lotus flower shapes. He then took out the washed side dishes and chopped them with a cleaver.

"Wow!!" The surrounding tourists all took out their phones to record the video and upload it to their WeChat Moments.

"Hmph~!" Erina glanced at the boy's side, then began her own performance, sprinkling the finely ground special spice powder like a celestial maiden scattering flowers onto the bowls of bacon and baked eggs lined up side by side, adding sparkling silver particles to the golden yolk gems.

As more and more tourists arrived, the number of used plates neatly stacked around the tables also increased. Other chefs brought out their signature dishes, attracting long queues of customers.

The tourists ate at each stall with beaming smiles, their listlessness from the previous days completely gone, and everyone's face was radiant.

However, in terms of the number of plates used, Shirou and Erina won by an overwhelming margin. This was due to their performance and the fact that people, in their leisure time, naturally wanted to try some exotic foods.

Of course, the most important thing is still the deliciousness, the kind of deliciousness that makes you want to eat it again and again.

By gradually accumulating an advantage, Shirou had won 500 games against Erina's 450 by the end of the match.

As for the third-place France chef, he had a glorious total of three hundred dishes, while the others only had a little over two hundred.

"Damn it, are all the chefs from the East monsters after all?!" The French Culinary Department students huddled together in dejection.

"They're from a completely different dimension from us. They supposedly had legendary cooking utensils hundreds of years ago, and their food is said to glow!!!"

"Where did you see that?" the students asked in surprise.

"I've been doing some research on those manga lately!" the man said, pulling a single-volume manga from his clothes. The title page read "Cooking Master Boy" in large characters.

"Erina, I won this time." Shirou looked at the girl who was pouting and throwing a tantrum, and said with a light laugh.

"Hmph! You win this time, Shirou-senpai!" Erina turned her head away and said, crossing her arms. She had an hour more time to prepare than the boy, and even though tourists who had come early in the morning hadn't had breakfast, she still managed to get there.

Since the boy wasn't around, and she had already agreed to help him, she naturally had no choice but to take on the job of making breakfast for the tourists.

"You did call me 'senpai,' but I didn't sense any respect from your tone at all," Shirou retorted.

"You're so long-winded, Shirou-senpai. Please shut up, Shirou-senpai. Please stop being so petty, Shirou-senpai," Erina said repeatedly with a disgusted look on her face.

"That's enough. Just call me whatever you like," Shirou said helplessly.

"I'm just using the way I like to call you~! Shirou-senpai ~!" Erina made a face, and seeing the boy's gloomy expression, she smiled happily.

After noon, when the tourists finished their lunch rush, the chefs finally had time to rest.

He walked back to his work station, took one of each of the remaining dishes, placed them on a tray, and handed it to the girl, asking, "Would you like to try some?"

"I have to eat it! I'm not willing to give up, but it's so delicious!" Erina ate the baked cheese bread made by the boy in a fit of pique, as well as the Japanese-style steamed egg custard—chawanmushi. It was a novel addition of cheese, which is a favorite of the France, making it a fusion of East and West. The mushroom and cheese steamed egg custard was smooth, tender, and rich, making you want to eat another bite after another. Before long, you would find that the bowl was empty.

"Really? Then have some more, there's still plenty left." Shirou said, smiling as he turned to the French students on the other side, "Please try some of my food."