Monster Master: Evidence of the Way

Inside the kitchen of the restaurant at the Four Gods Base, Suzaku was staring at the sweet-scented osmanthus on the chopping board with a dead look on his face.

Not long ago, she received a notice that her father was critically ill. When she hurried home, her father had already closed his eyes.

Suzaku's younger brother told her that her father had been waiting for her to come back. As the eldest sister in the family, Suzaku naturally inherited the position, which also meant that she had to bear the corresponding responsibilities.

It is no exaggeration to say that Suzaku is still too weak now.

What made her even more desperate was that her brother told her an extremely cruel truth.

"Sister, you are actually a food lover."

It seemed like everyone knew about this except Suzaku. Her father had wanted to tell Suzaku himself, but he couldn't wait for her to come back, so he had to tell Suzaku's brother.

This is the truth. Suzaku can't cook delicious dishes because she's an idiot. Just like how Captain Saran lost his sense of taste and could no longer be a gourmet monster master, this is a terrible thing.

The ingredients that were once so colorful have become just black and white in Suzaku's eyes.

Black and white, the most essential colors in this world.

Zhuque became a little anorexic, and no matter how Qinglong and the others tried to persuade her, she remained listless.

Perhaps she would soon embark on the same path as her father. But if that happened, Xuanwu would definitely be sad.

Unable to simply die, yet unable to live happily either, Suzaku seemed caught in a dilemma, the only path before her being destruction.

Actually, at worst, she could just not do it. There wasn't just one way out. For Suzaku, studying cooking was only half of her life. Even if she lost it, she could still survive on the other half. As long as that half didn't get lost, everything would be fine.

"Suzaku-senpai."

Zhuque was in a daze and didn't even notice anyone entering the restaurant's kitchen.

Yi Yin swallowed, seeing a look of utter despair in Suzaku's eyes. There was nothing more tragic than a broken heart. He knew this would be no easy task.

.

"She just lost her father. Watch your words."

In front of Yiyin, Baihu whispered to him.

"Baihu, there's no need to say that to him. I think he will understand. As an orphan, he obviously understands better than us." Qinglong still believed in Yiyin very much.

"..."

Xuanwu silently tugged at his sleeve.

"(To be honest, I don't have high hopes for this. But if it were you, maybe you could actually do it. Now go, Suzaku is in the restaurant kitchen. I'll be waiting for your good news.)"

.

That's it. God knows how speechless Yi Yin was when he came to the kitchen with such determination but saw Suzaku's depressed look.

The lines I had rehearsed so many times in my head suddenly became ineffective. How do I communicate with someone who has just lost a loved one?

Put yourself in her shoes and think about it. Who comforted you when you just lost your mother? Oh, it was her... No, now is not the time to think about this.

Yiyin took a deep breath.

Suzaku looked up at him and said nothing.

"What do you want to eat? I'll make it for you."

An unintentional peek made Yiyin discover the osmanthus flowers on the chopping board. Okay, let’s do that.

I hope my skills are not rusty yet...

.

Years ago, when Isabella's father died, Yiyin made this for her. Even in times of pain and misfortune, fruit can be given as a gift.

Yiyin has always been very clear that it is better to let actions speak for her rather than powerless words.

There is nothing that cannot be let go. For human beings, being alive is the greatest success.

Suzaku bit her nails while watching Iin perform her acrobatics. Undoubtedly, compared to her, Iin's cooking skills were quite outstanding.

.

"Okay. This is osmanthus cake."

Before the meal started, Yiyin saw that Suzaku and Xuanwu had nothing to say, so he started talking on his own.

"By the way, Senior Suzaku, I have a close connection with osmanthus. Do you know the meaning of my name? In my hometown, a flower blooms every month, and they are collectively known as the Twelve Flower Gods. Osmanthus is one of them. Besides osmanthus and cherry blossoms, the other Twelve Flower Gods I'm most familiar with is chrysanthemum."

"chrysanthemum?"

Suzaku finally showed some reaction.

"'I believe the chrysanthemum is the hermit among flowers.' I was born on the birthday of the chrysanthemum goddess, so my mother would have named me Yiyin. But... she is no longer with us."

"This is something we must accept. Everyone will die. Even the sun will eventually go out, let alone humans."

The more Yiyin spoke, the sadder she felt, and she almost burst into tears.

It seems sadness is contagious, which is really terrible.

"Eat, people can't live without food."

Yiyin pushed the osmanthus cake towards Suzaku, "Take a piece."

Zhuque originally wanted to refuse, but the osmanthus seemed to have a mysterious fragrance that made Zhuque feel itchy.

The rich aroma stimulated Suzaku's nerves, causing her to open her mouth and slowly take a small bite...

"..."

As the pastry melted in his mouth, Suzaku had already shed tears.

"So sweet."

Suzaku choked up and said, "I haven't tasted this kind of dessert in a long time. Nothing I eat has this taste, only the ones you make for me, Iin, have this feeling. You are just like my father."

"My dream is to become a great gourmet like my father. But I was born a foodie... How is this different from dreaming of becoming a pianist but discovering you have no fingers?"

"Stop it, I understand how you feel."

When the value system that one has long built completely collapses, few people will not go crazy. Just like if you tell Yi Yin that the system has been using him and sucking his blood, Yi Yin will most likely collapse in his mind.

Zhuque wiped his tears while biting a piece of osmanthus cake. The sweeter the food, the more hope it can give people. Only with energy can we continue to survive.

"Thank you, Iin."

Zhuque ate half of it and couldn't bear to eat any more.

"It would be a waste if I ate something this sweet all at once. Can you still make this for me in the future?"

"I……"

Facing Suzaku's question, Yiyin was about to answer when he heard...

"Paji"

The door to the kitchen was pushed open at some point, and three little heads were lying on the ground in a rather strange posture, as if they had accidentally knocked the door open while eavesdropping.

"Senior Qinglong, Senior Baihu, Senior Xuanwu, you..." Yiyin didn't know what to say.

In front of them, Suzaku instantly wiped away his tears and said speechlessly:

"Hey, let me tell you, were you guys peeking at me when I was talking to Yi Yin just now?"

Hearing this, Baihu and Xuanwu lowered their heads guiltily, only Qinglong still had a gentle smile on his face.

"How can you call it stealing when it comes to the Four Goddesses?"

Qinglong smiled and said, "Suzaku, we're all doing this for your own good. You're vulnerable and helpless when you're alone, and you're alone with Yiyin. If he tries to do something bad to you, that would be dangerous."

"Hey, hey, hey, didn't you ask me to help Suzaku-senpai cheer up quickly? Why are you blaming me now?"

Yiyin really wanted to point at Qinglong's nose and retort her, but when she thought about the fact that the other side had more people and more power, Yiyin instantly wilted.

"Thank you so much. But no matter what, I am still a foodie, and that's impossible to change." Suzaku sighed.

"Not necessarily."

Yi Yin suddenly spoke up, "Master Angulin is currently at our Cross Base. If I go and ask him, maybe he can make something delicious that can cure my food craving."

"Great!"

Zhuque's eyes lit up and hope was rekindled.

"Well, let me interrupt for a moment."

Baihu coughed awkwardly twice, "Suzaku, do you want to eat the remaining half piece of osmanthus cake? I'm really hungry."

"..."