[Eon''s POV: ]


    An outer surface as shiny as the eyes of a golden deer. Resembling the finest ss work polished to perfection by an experienced grandmaster''s delicate hands.


    A thin round spherical surface, papery but not so much so that it would break by some light pressure.


    It resembled ss.


    However, it was not ss.


    "Instead of using starch, I''ve used some unique techniques to turn a certain mixture of fruit extracts into the form you see there."


    The elemental tempering process that I used was not simple.


    To produce that sslike form, I first needed to get the perfect bnce between various extracts and, to obtain a kind of harmony that cancelled out all vours that these extracts individually possessed, I had to use all six elements in various proportions in just the right way that it would stabilise each other''s properties.


    It was not an easy process, and it took a long time to get those exact bnces right not once, but three times.


    "The inner surface of the ''ss'' sphere is coated with a specialyer of fluids that make the ''snow'' crystals inside move constantly."


    It followed some basic principles of gravitational theory and electromaic fields. Finding just the right ingredients through trial and error which would produce the kind of effects as well as taste that I wanted was not easy either.


    ''It would have been much easier if I could have used Lucy''s question abilities, but that wouldn''t have been fair to the other students that were doing everything with their own abilities.''


    I knew a few more things than them and I had a little more experience with the ingredients and techniques that I was using.


    They were things that I had learned and knew. They were mine and ording to the rules of this test, I can use them all however I liked.


    It was permitted. Receiving help from someone else?


    ''It wasn''t permitted, not even if it was direct help from my own skill.''


    So, I had to do all of it in the short time I had.


    Thankfully, my past experiences with my master helped me a bunch with this dish.


    "The ''snow'' crystals are all made with the dryfreezing-crystallization technique, however instead of using the regr artifacts, this one is made with a more natural and traditional method."


    Inside the ss orb was a simple scene.


    A wooden hut made with orangish material closely resembling wood, with a special multicoloured smokeing out of its chimney.


    There was a window on this hut, and if one with good eyesight looked inside the window, they would find a warm ce with regr materials and furniture.


    ''Though, it''s small so not just anyone could see it.''


    The base ground had green grass, and this grass was covered in ''snow''.


    ''A grey snow that resembled ashes to those who had better perception of colours.''


    The ground was covered by this snow, the house was covered by this snow, and this snow was moving all around the orb thanks to theyer coated on the inner part of the ss sphere.


    The colourful smoke would disappear after going up a little, and when one removes the sphere to taste the inside of this orb, the ashes would settle down at the ground, not moving even due to wind.


    "Starting with the base of the sphere, I''ve prepared everyyer that makes the ground, the cabin, the grass, the smoke producing element, as well as the ss sphere covering it with different ingredients that, whenbined together, harmonises every element of it.


    Additionally, even if one tastes every element of this snow globe individually, they would experience the individual characteristics of each of the elements.


    However, there is a chance that somebinations of some of the elements of this dish will not influence the sense of taste or smell."


    It also meant some of thebinations of some of the things will have either small or taste but not the other.


    "I''ve named these pieces (Lamentation). Please, enjoy them."


    Lady Cleo was observing the small te with the snow globe closely from all angles. Her eyes were glowing, which indicated she was even using her skills to observe the elements of this presentation.


    She was also using some artifacts on the side to check some of the elements of this orb, while at the same time, after every few seconds, she was looking up at me with either a stunned expression or an expression that showed her disbelief in what she was seeing.


    The headmasters were the same in this case.


    Both of them had received the other two pieces that I had prepared and they were looking at them closely just like Miss Cleo, even using their skills and their unique authorities to evaluate, observe, and understand the dish that was presented before them.


    [{ "I wannnnnnnnnt thatttttttt! Bastard! How can you not make one for meeeeee! Such a prettttttttty thing~?!" }]


    As I had expected, Rein was sad and angry that she couldn''t have such a pretty looking piece.


    She did not expect it to be so pretty and, since it was very realistic one might not even believe that what they were seeing was in fact a dessert prepared to be eaten.


    ''Many students were still in disbelief that what they were seeing right now was in fact something edible.''


    The ss, the realistic hut, the smoke, the grass… some of them had good eyes so they could even see the basic elements of this piece even from all the way back.


    And it was unbelievable for them how someone could make not one but three identical pieces of something that only those top level, most famous chefs considered their masterpieces.


    ''Creating three or them that were almost exactly identical was one of the things that did not pose any big problems to me.''


    I had a special kind of memory that did not allow me to forget anything. Which though is a curse more than a gift, it has its perks.


    "Lucifer…"


    It seemed like Lady Cleo was done evaluating my dessert after her ten minutes of observation and now that she was done, she was finally looking up at me.


    "Yes, teacher."


    I looked back at her with a confident expression, only to receive an unexpected question.


    "How am I going to eat such a thing?"


    "Hmmm?"


    From the sadness on her face, it did not seem like she was saying that in a negative manner, however she had put back her artifacts and had even moved a step away from her kitchen counter.


    "This piece is something I would expect from Little Med, or something I would see in Zenith''s collection.


    It''s something that elder Lan might make on special asions, or something I would expect to see in the cherished collection of Otter."


    She signed right after saying names of some of the most famous people in the field of art that were considered apostles or reincarnations of divine beings associated with their art styles.


    And, yes. Those people weren''t all Chefs. Only Lady Med among the many people she had mentioned followed the path of cooking.


    "This is not something I would expect to see in this academy, much less something being made right in front of my eyes by the young yet experienced hands of a young student."


    She looked at me for a moment without saying anything. Then, she looked at the students behind me who were also giving this test alongside me.


    Then, she looked up at the students on the balcony looking down at us, then the teachers, and then finally the headmasters who also shared the same look of bitterness as hers.


    "This piece right here is something that I would consider one of the best things I''ve evere across. As well as an art piece that is not meant to be tempered with."


    She was saying that this simple dessert was so well made that it was supposed to be encased and decorated in a ce where people could see it but not touch it.


    Eating it was out of the question if she was saying that it wasn''t supposed to be touched. And, if we think about it… this was something that could very well be preserved in some art gallery and people woulde from different ces just to see it.


    "I''m very sad right now, Lucifer…"


    All of us could see the sadness in her eyes as well.


    It almost seemed like she wanted to cry at this moment.


    "If this were anything other than a dessert, I would have made sure everyone in the world knows about it and sees it."


    As someone who could understand emotions better than anyone else present here, it was not that hard for her to understand the true meanings hidden in this attractive looking snow globe.


    [{ "You''re amazing, big brother." }]


    Zoe was the only person who knew the scene inside this globe actually represented thest moments of her mother.


    Joy was not the theme of this test, it was sorrow. And, in this piece, I expressed thementation I had felt in thest moments of my master… the moment of my life in which I had felt the most sorrow until now.


    "But this is a dessert, a food item that is meant to be eaten."


    Food was meant to be enjoyed, not decorated in some unbreakable ss for the world to see.


    "You''ve made it for Us to enjoy it."


    She looked up at the headmasters as if to ask their permission for something. And, they also knew what she was asking for, so, they just nodded and gave her their permission with a smile on her face.


    "The least I can do in my position, in this moment, is to allow everybody fortunate enough to be on these premises, the opportunity to have it alongside us."


    There were only three so it definitely wasn''t enough for even the judges considering how they would want to have as much of it as they possibly could.


    But, she was saying she would share it with not just the people present in the kitchen, but… everyone present in this school?


    "Miss Cleo… wouldn''t that…"


    Realistically, it wasn''t possible for all of us to have this small portion of it, and practically, it was impossible for me to make this special dessert on arge scale like I could do with some other things.


    I didn''t even have ingredients to make more than three of them anymore, so… if she was saying that everyone should enjoy it while asking for permission from the headmaster…


    [{ I see someone has done something incredible in little Cleo''s ss after a long time, hun. }]


    It was an indication that… something very special was going to happen now.


    [{ Young Lucifer has surprised us with his specialness again, I see. }]


    Something so special that it will require the assistance of Sir Quesnel, the ancient oak guardian of the academy.