Chapter 51
Seeing Alice's haughty attitude, Erina let out a cold snort. "And who was it that said halfway up that they couldn't climb anymore? If Mineo-kun hadn't pulled you along, you probably would have given up in the middle of the mountain slope."
"Gosh, Erina, that's in the past! Why are you bringing it up again? I was just in a bad headspace today. Next time we climb, I'll definitely be able to make it to the summit all by myself!"
As Alice and Erina bickered, a sliver of light began to emerge from the dark horizon. The color of the sky shifted slowly, and the sun finally began to reveal a hint of its face from the edge of the world.
Beams of multicolored light pierced through the sky, and the clouds above looked as if they were being painstakingly coated in a thin layer of gold leaf. A sunrise was always beautiful, but standing at the peak of a mountain, one could truly feel the breathtaking splendor of the breaking dawn.
Erina and Alice were frozen in the moment. The two sisters' gazes were fixed intently on the distant horizon. It wasn't that they had never seen a sunrise before, but today was the first time they truly felt just how magnificent the sight could be.
"So beautiful... Is this the view from the top of Mount Akatsuki? It's amazing... This is the true charm of nature..." Alice covered her small mouth, and a crystalline shimmer reflected in her beautiful, water-like eyes.
She wasn't the only one; even Erina was momentarily lost in the scene. Especially as she inhaled the crisp, fresh air of the mountain peak and felt the warmth of the morning sun shining down on her, a sense of tranquility she had never known before welled up in her heart.
As beautiful as the sunrise was, it couldn't last forever. After a short while, the extraordinary spectacle slowly faded as the sun fully ascended.
"Is it over already? I thought a view this pretty would last longer!" Alice bit her lip softly, then turned to Erina. "Next time we climb, we have to bring a camera! Missing out on a shot of something this great is a total tragedy."
Erina didn't respond to Alice's chatter. Instead, she was pondering Mineo's purpose for inviting her on this hike. She felt that the arrangement of this itinerary definitely wasn't just so she could experience the sunrise.
At that moment, Mineo turned his attention toward the silent Erina. With a faint smile, he said, "Are you wondering what my real goal was in bringing you up here today, Erina?"
Hearing Mineo's words, Erina nodded slowly. "I was indeed thinking about that. I can't quite see the connection between cooking and climbing a mountain to look at the scenery."
"It's quite simple, Erina. I'll give it to you in one sentence: Cooking is about human character; deliciousness is about life."
"Cooking is about character? Deliciousness is about life?" Hearing Mineo's words, Erina was instantly stunned. For a moment, she couldn't grasp what he was trying to convey.
The things Mineo wanted to say were insights he had absorbed from Master Anson's experiences. So, he continued:
"We usually spend all our time refining our cooking skills. This process is exhausting, just like climbing a mountain. You walked the whole way up from the foot of the mountain; you felt for yourself that this journey wasn't easy. But after reaching the top, did you feel something special?"
"We are standing at the peak now, looking at a view that many people at the bottom can't see. This is the same as your style of cooking, Erina. You've always worked hard, always chasing a better flavor. But the truth is, even after you climb to the top and see an incredibly beautiful view, it only lasts for a moment."
"Therefore, if you pursue flavor alone, even if you reach the absolute limit, the pride you gain is only fleeting. Beyond that, you'll just feel lost about where to go next and which direction to take."
"Is this kind of height really what you need to chase? Instead of thinking about constantly scaling the peaks of deliciousness, it's better to set your sights on the people around you. Create dishes that everyone loves, and pour all your feelings into them. As long as that food can make the people around you happy, then it doesn't matter what height you're standing at anymore..."
"In the end, even if you keep climbing, you eventually have to return your cooking to the common people. Rather than doing it that way, it's better to choose the path that makes you feel the most happiness right now."
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