I'm Ornn, and I'm about to be beaten to my knees by the Man-eating Horse Girl!

"You've really been a huge help this time. To be honest, if Tamamo-no-Mae had continued to be so listless, I might have even gone to Fulai to exorcise the evil spirits. I really don't know how to repay you..."

"You're too kind, Senior Komiyama. We can discuss payment later."

Orn reached out and ruffled the hair of the boy in the chestnut hat beside him, and said with a smile, "Besides, it's a good thing for the members of my team that our rivals are able to return to their peak."

"You're right, aren't you, Oguri?"

"Ok!"

The girl with the tuft of hair nodded vigorously. Looking at the short girl with tufts of hair in front of her, she extended her right fist and said, "Xiaoyu, let's settle our score this autumn!"

Tamamo Cross also extended her right hand, and the two fists collided in the air.

"Great! We're really looking forward to seeing how you improve after your secret training!"

"Ah, it's getting late, Gu Mei, let's go help the uncles and aunties prepare dinner!"

"There are a lot of people today, so it's a good opportunity for us to show off our skills! Xiao Li, our takoyaki is really delicious! Do you want some?"

Little Chestnut Hat winked almost imperceptibly, then nodded and said, "Eat."

Komiyama patted Tamamo Cross on the back and said with a smile, "Okay, go ahead. Orn and I will take the little ones back to the classroom first."

"If you want to practice and run later, just tell me, or tell Ornn!"

Ornn nodded to the members of Dolan's team and said, "Radiance, Aldan, March, you guys go and help them prepare the ingredients."

"Hey! Wait a minute, wait a minute!"

Shining with new light, she raised her right hand and asked, "According to Tamamo Cross-senpai's suggestion, can we also help with the cooking?"

Tamamo nodded and said, "Yes, because there aren't many uncles and aunties, we'll share the burden as much as we can."

"While we don't have any fancy ingredients here, we do have most of the common foods!"

Little Deer Hair nodded thoughtfully and said, "I see..."

Nodding, she glanced back and forth between Orn's direction and the direction of the restroom, finally looking at Komiyama Komi standing next to Orn, clutching her stomach and looking uncomfortable, and nodded affirmatively.

Seeing the newly gleaming lights that seemed to be plotting something wicked, Ornn added, "Well... you guys did come camping with me for a while before, so it's time to see how well you cook."

"Even if you haven't eaten pork, you've seen pigs run, right? This is a little task I'm giving you tonight. You can either work individually or in a team to prepare your best dish."

As he spoke, he glanced at the brand-new radiance and said meaningfully, "I don't ask for anything else. You can even make scrambled eggs with tomatoes, everyone has to eat it anyway. As long as you're confident that others won't beat you up after eating it, you can make a culinary disaster."

"But if you're not fast, don't even think about doing anything weird, understand?"

Shining Radiance shrank back, muttering, "I...I know..."

"My benefactor, just say what you want to say. Why are you staring at me like I'm some kind of prime suspect..."

Orn snorted and teased, "Hmph, you know what you're doing. I trust everyone else perfectly well, but you're the one I worry about the most!"

"Alright, those are the requirements. Go now!"

The horse girls were indeed quick. After confirming the necessary preparations, Tamamo Cross led the Doran Squad towards the kitchen.

Seemingly because they had just witnessed Ornn casting a healing spell with a hammer, and knew that the man before them was not to be trifled with, the ponies on the ranch obediently lined up in two columns and began to walk towards the classroom.

The entire group remained completely silent, even the usually mischievous Wang Xiaomei chose to stay quiet.

Komiyayama and Orn walked at the back of the group. Looking at the children who had suddenly become so well-behaved, Komiyayama asked in confusion, "Hmm? Why have they suddenly become so well-behaved?"

"Normally, persuading them to go back requires a lot of effort. Those uncles are amazing; they're already in their forties or fifties, yet they can still climb up and down the trees with these little ones..."

"It's a little strange that you've suddenly become so well-behaved."

Orn coughed lightly and changed the subject, saying, "Perhaps it's because they've become more sensible; after all, they behave a little better in front of an outsider like me."

"Speaking of which, Komiyama-senpai, will you be attending the summer festival later?"

"Summer festival?"

Komiyama Komi thought for a moment before realizing which summer festival Orn was referring to.

She shook her head and said, "You mean the festival at the hotel? I'm not going! Little Tamamo definitely won't go either."

Orn stared at the group of pony girls moving silently forward like corpses being transported in western Hunan, and asked, "Is it because of these little guys?"

"Yes, because they're there, Tamamo-no-Mae won't go, and of course, I won't go either,"

Komiya gave a wry smile, looked up at the sky, and continued, "Continue along the national highway for another seventy kilometers, and there's a small mountain there."

"Calling it a mountain peak isn't quite accurate; it's more like a hillside."

“If you stand on that hillside, you can see the fireworks blooming over Wakkanai City. Last year and the year before, I would drive the kids up that hillside with the older guys.”

She gazed at the horse girls before her with a loving look and said softly, "For them, seeing the fireworks that night is all there is to the Summer Festival, isn't it?"

"Tamamo and I don't want to deprive the children of their wish to watch fireworks, so naturally we miss it every year. Hehe, if it weren't for the fact that I'm a senior trainer, my colleagues might have complained to the chairman."

"The reasons... are things like being aloof and arrogant, not participating in colleague gatherings, not socializing, and disrespecting seniors..."

Seemingly realizing he had complained a bit too much, Komiyama covered his mouth with his hand and said apologetically, "Ah! Sorry, I think I vented a bit too much negative emotion."

"Ornn, are you alright?"

"It's okay, complaining is human nature, it's normal."

Orn glanced back at the garage and said, "However, this year's festival will probably be different from usual."

"Since we can't get to the foot of the mountain, let's move the mountain to our front!"

Komiya was taken aback. Shouldn't the original words have been "we are heading towards the mountains"? How did it become "the mountains are being moved to our doorstep"?

But then she thought about it again and understood what Orn meant.

She patted Ornn on the shoulder with great enthusiasm and laughed loudly, "Great! No wonder you're this year's top trainer! That's a brilliant remark!"

"Let's set up the tables and chairs first, and then we'll wait for Tamamo and the others to finish making dinner!"

"Hey, let me tell you, my family's meatball maker is absolutely amazing! Everyone raves about it!"

"Now I can recite the steps for making meatballs to you: first, add flour and eggs, then add salt, a little water, and soy sauce to make a batter,"

"After mixing well, put it into a special mold and bake. After shaping, flip it over and bake it again. You can also brush it with oil to make the balls more golden in color..."

"Yes! That's right! Oguri! That's how it's done!"

"Okay! Now carefully use chopsticks to flip the meatballs that are starting to take shape. Yes! Be careful, be careful..."

Under Tamamo's guidance, Oguri Hat stared intently at the dumpling in her hand, carefully using her chopsticks to gently pick up the delicate dumpling with her right hand.

"!"

"Xiaoyu! Look, I did it!"

"I know! Quick! Flip the meatballs over and put them down!"

"Hey! Stop showing off this dumpling on your face! Put it down! Half of it isn't even fully set yet! Don't shake it like that! Or it'll burst..."

“Gah!”

Just as Tamamo Cross said, the dumpling in Oguri Hat's hand suddenly burst open while she was shaking it, spraying all the juice out!

(5)(2)(6)(6)(2)(2)(5)(1)

The juice splashed directly onto the brand-new, gleaming hand opposite the stove, scalding her and causing her to cry out in surprise, throwing the spatula in her hand as well.

"Ah! Aldan! Watch out!"

Meguro Ardan, who was chopping carrots, looked up in confusion, only to see a smoking wooden spatula hurtling towards her head.

【nimble footwork】!

Aldan instantly activated his skill, dodging under the stove to avoid the spatula's attack.

Beside Aldan was the unsuspecting Fujimasa March!

Oh no! My butt's going to get a good spanking now!

Seeing the spatula about to hit the back of March's head, the brand-new radiance couldn't help but crouch down, covering its head in defense. This posture would at least alleviate some of the pain from March hitting its butt with the spatula later.

But to everyone's surprise, it was as if the march had eyes; she took a step to the side, then reached behind her with her left hand and grabbed the spatula.

Shining with newfound radiance, she stood up from under the stove, her eyes wide with astonishment. "This! How is this possible?"

"March, how did you manage to grip the handles so precisely?"

Fujimasa turned around, rolled her eyes, and said helplessly, "I pay close attention to every event that Kōki participates in."

"Whether we're camping or training, I always keep an eye on your actions, Radiant; it's even become a passive skill."

"Whether you're in front of me or behind me, I will do my best to observe your actions, even if you're beyond my field of vision, I will still be able to vaguely sense your movements,"

"Over time, I gradually mastered a skill called... [Clairvoyance]."

Shining Radiance swallowed hard, scratched her head somewhat embarrassedly, and said coyly, "Haha... So... so I'm that useful?"

"March, it seems that the things I usually do aren't all bad after all!"

Holding a spatula, Fujimasa sneered, "Yes, it's not all bad, but overall, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages."

She smacked her left hand with the spatula, making a loud cracking sound.

"Alright, Glorious, you can't escape the punishment you deserve. Come and receive your punishment."

"Or... what you want is a reward?"

With a helpless expression, the newly radiant woman fumbled around the stove, asking tremblingly, "This... this reward and punishment are the same thing, right?"

"No! I've shed blood for Dolan's squad! I've fought for the squad members! You can't do this to me!"

"I want to see my benefactor! Let me go! Stop! Waaah!"

Chapter 226 Who is the best cook in Dolan's squad?

The classroom layout, after being arranged by Orn and Komiyama, has now been completely transformed.

Four tables and chairs were added to what was originally the stage, and the judges for this year's food competition sat in those seats.

They are: Orn, the trainer of Team Doran; Komiyama, the trainer of Tamamo Cross; Miyamoto, the student representative; and Ryuzo Minamida, the faculty representative.

Orn turned his head to look at the back door, then nodded and said, "Alright, now let's invite the first contestant to submit their work."

"Tamamo Cross contestant, please come to the stage!"

The short, bushy-haired girl sighed speechlessly. She tilted her head and stared at the flat floor of the classroom, complaining, "Where's the platform? You're lying through your teeth... Gu Mei, why are you joining in his nonsense?"

Komiyama coughed lightly and chuckled somewhat awkwardly, "Well, I've been wanting to try Tamamo's dumplings for a while now, isn't this the perfect opportunity?"

"Alright, alright, it doesn't matter to us. Anyway, everyone's going to eat it together, so you can try it first."

"Xiao Li has already eaten seven plates. If we hadn't stopped her, she probably would have kept eating."

Tamamo Cross shrugged helplessly, placing a box of freshly made dumplings in front of the judges.

Orn picked up a takoyaki from the plate. The takoyaki was golden brown, covered with a layer of soft, yellowish-black powder and some ingredients that looked like sawdust. It smelled like some kind of spice.

"Don't smell it, that's just seaweed flakes and bonito flakes sprinkled on top,"

Tamamo Cross, who had been silently watching Orn, explained, "If you want a sweeter flavor, you can add some ketchup or salad dressing, depending on your preference."

As she spoke, she handed the ketchup to Orn: "Here, it tastes even better when it's hot, okay?"

Orn put the meatball drizzled with tomato sauce into his mouth and chewed it slowly, seemingly savoring its flavor.

Standing opposite him, Tamamo Cross slightly turned her head, facing the wall, seemingly unconcerned about Orn's actions, but she would occasionally glance in his direction.

At the same time, she reached out and twirled her hair, seemingly waiting anxiously for something.

'Will he like this food? Everyone says the person in charge is a lot like the trainer. Oguri likes it, so this guy should like it too, right?'

'But will he be able to eat this? Judging from what just happened, this guy isn't some heir to a powerful family, is he? He eats delicacies every day. Will what we've made be to his liking?'

"Speaking of which, what does he eat every day? I don't think I've ever seen him eat with Oguri and the others. The last time I saw him eating was after we received the Takarazuka Memorial, at that hotel with the Michelin three-star chef that Komi took everyone to."

'Judging by how easily he orders food, does this guy live like a pampered prince every day?'

Tamamo Cross felt a little uneasy. This was the first time she had ever cooked food for anyone other than her classmates, the ranch staff, and her trainers. She wasn't sure how it would go.

Moreover, she couldn't say she liked this guy, but she didn't say she disliked him either. She was somewhat envious of Oguri for having such a reliable trainer, and at the same time, she was very grateful that he was willing to help everyone on the ranch.

I admire his willingness to pay such a high price for his competitors, just to fight a battle without regrets, but I'm also infuriated by his sharp tongue...

'Ugh! This is so annoying!'