Chapter 23: The Birth of a Genius

As the pastry touched his lips, the only word Byron could think of was "crispy." Cecil and Duke, standing closest to him, could even hear the crunch as he chewed.

Swallowing the bite, Byron couldn't wait to speak: "Wonderful! This pastry is crispy on the outside, salty, savory, and tender on the inside. It truly deserves its two-and-a-half-star rating."

"Two-and-a-half stars?" This rating, rarely seen among novice ranchers, left Cecil astonished.

While Cecil was stunned, Duke and Karl had already reached for their own pastries.

"Delicious, simply delicious."
"Fragrant, truly excellent."

By the time Cecil regained his composure, half the turnip cakes on the platter were gone.

"Hey, leave some for me!"

In an instant, the judges' table descended into chaos.

Momo, perched on Chi Sui’s shoulder, whispered into her ear: "Chi Sui, there’s no meat in this dish, so why are they fighting over it?"

Having spent so much time with Momo, Chi Sui had learned its dietary preferences well. It was a little creature that lived for meat; it could be lured away with a single meat patty. As for Mr. Stone, he preferred lighter fare and hadn't shown a particular fondness for any specific food yet. The Green-Bud Python on the mountain didn't need mentioning—its preferences were straightforward: it loved garlic.

"Not everyone is like you, needing meat in everything. Besides, didn't I put dried shrimp in it?" Because the judges couldn't understand Momo, Chi Sui kept her voice low.

"That's not the same," Momo muttered.

"Rancher Chi Sui, how old are you, and how long has your ranch been open?" With the platter now empty, Byron finally had a chance to ask the question on his mind.

It was the same question Maeve had asked. Knowing what it implied, Chi Sui answered generously: "Seventeen. The ranch only opened recently, about ten days ago."

The original Chi Sui was certainly older than seventeen, but here on the Sky Island, she was only seventeen. At an age where she was still a child, she had inherited an entire ranch and, buoyed by the expectations of a small town, had boarded the airship to the Sky Island.

"Truly surprising. To be able to create such a dish at such a young age—it seems the Following Wind Ridge is about to welcome a new genius," Cecil said, wiping the grease from the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief.

"Rancher Chi Sui, do you intend to sell this pastry? Our chamber of commerce can place purchase orders directly with your ranch." With such a high star rating, Chairman Karl certainly wouldn't miss this opportunity.

Chi Sui quickly shook her head: "Thank you for your favor, Chairman Karl, but this dish already has a partner. If you're willing, you are welcome to visit Wind-Blowing Town to try other dishes; the quality won't be much different."

Karl, who had been dejected upon hearing there was already a partner, became instantly excited. "Good, good! That's settled then. I will definitely visit Wind-Blowing Town in a few days."

"At this age, using ordinary ingredients to make a high-quality pastry that excels in color, aroma, and taste—it seems this competition has no suspense left," Byron said, stroking the small tuft of beard on his chin with a hearty laugh.

"Rancher Chi Sui, would you have some time after the competition for an exclusive interview? I’ve already thought of the theme for the newspaper."

Chi Sui had never expected such a request from Byron, but as she turned to see Mayor Ayla waving excitedly, her hesitant heart grew firm.

"Of course, but I have a small request, and I hope Mr. Byron will agree."

"Tell me."

...

After everyone had been judged, the awards ceremony proceeded smoothly.

The final winner was, without question, Chi Sui.

Maeve took second place, and although Malik’s bean curd pudding had been a disaster, it was one of the only three dishes in the competition to receive a one-star rating, earning him third place.

Aside from the champion, who had to wait for the final mystery prize, most contestants chose to leave after the ceremony. Only Maeve and Chi Sui remained.

"You are truly amazing. It's a pity there wasn't a tasting round between contestants; I didn't get to taste your pastry. If you have time, I’ll visit your ranch, and of course, you are always welcome in Windpipe Town."

Seeing Maeve extend her hand, Chi Sui was pleasantly surprised and quickly reached out to shake it.

"Thank you, you are always welcome."

As they shook hands, Cecil popped up from nearby.

"Are you both here? Are you waiting for my mystery prize?"

Seeing Cecil approach, Maeve stepped back subtly, the smile on her face faltering.

"Hey, hey, hey, little Maeve, such a reaction will break your uncle's heart." Cecil spoke with feigned grievance, clutching his chest with both hands in an exaggerated gesture.

*Uncle?*

Standing on the side, Chi Sui felt the satisfaction of catching some gossip.

"Chi Sui, don't misunderstand. Rancher Cecil is a friend of my mother's, but we aren't very close."

Hearing this, Cecil clutched his chest even harder, his waist bowing.

"Little Maeve, you break my heart. We just saw each other a few days ago—don't you see this look of deep sorrow on my face?"

"I can't see it; you have too much facial hair," Maeve retorted without a hint of politeness.

Cecil touched his beard, feeling a bit insecure. "It's not that bad, is it? Not too much? What do you think, Rancher Chi Sui?"

Chi Sui gave a polite, professional smile and remained silent.

"Alright, back to business. Rancher Chi Sui, come with me; I’ll take you to see what the mystery prize provided by my ranch is." Cecil turned his head to look at Maeve. "Coming along, little Maeve?"

"No, I probably know what it is. I'm going to find Nana."

With those words, Maeve bid Chi Sui farewell and turned to leave.

"Look at her, she didn't even say goodbye to me," Cecil complained before asking, "Rancher Chi, now that you've come to Windbell Town, what do you think is its greatest feature?"

"Windbell Town is beautiful, full of pink flowers; it's a romantic town. And the residents here don't seem to be afraid of bees."

Hearing this, Cecil laughed and asked, "Then, has Rancher Chi heard of the 'Pink Gold' from Windbell Town?"

Regarding this, Chi Sui had heard Mr. Stone mention it before she arrived.

Windbell Ranch was famous for its beekeeping and was the source of sweetness for the entire Following Wind Ridge. The sale of honey was the most important economic pillar of Windbell Town. Among the various qualities of honey produced there, the most famous was the pink honey from Windbell Ranch. It was a top-tier ingredient produced by the magical creatures contracted by its rancher, and because its value was comparable to gold, it earned the name "Pink Gold."

"With Pink Gold being so famous, how could I not have heard of it?" Chi Sui said, a hint of excitement in her voice. "Rancher Cecil, is the mystery prize this time... Pink Honey?"

Cecil shook his head and said solemnly, "Not entirely. The mystery prize this time is the source of the Pink Honey."

"What?"

In that instant, Chi Sui wondered if her ears were playing tricks on her.