Chapter 834

Natsume Chikage felt a surge of joy and pressed:

"Then, what is its price?"

Ando Masako was even more surprised:

"Natsume-kun, you ask like that... could it be that you are interested in that knife and want it?"

Natsume Chikage did not deny it and nodded frankly:

"Yes. I have some interest in knife collecting personally."

"The shape and aura of this knife made me feel it was very special at first glance, and I like it very much."

"Ando-sister, I wonder if you... would be willing to part with it?"

Upon hearing this, Ando Masako showed a troubled yet somewhat amused expression.

"From my personal perspective, if a customer sincerely wants it, selling it is of course no problem."

"However..."

She shook her head with a bitter smile.

"This knife is my father's 'heart's treasure,' or rather, it is one of his 'obsessions'."

"He himself... actually isn't very willing to sell it."

Natsume Chikage was slightly stunned:

"Is there... some special reason for this?"

Ando Masako sighed and began to tell that somewhat special past:

"When my father was young, he had a very close friend who was a highly skilled chef."

"The two of them—one obsessed with making all kinds of fine kitchen knives and tools, the other devoted to studying culinary arts—were true soulmates."

"They both particularly loved a very old manga called 'Cooking Master Boy'."

"One dreamed of making the glowing dishes from the manga, while the other dreamed of crafting the magical kitchenware from the manga."

"This 'Water-Chanting' was what my father spent immense effort to tailor-design and hand-forge for his chef friend back then."

"It fused all the pursuits of 'sharpness,' 'ease of use,' and 'aesthetic beauty' that my father could think of at the time."

Her tone became somewhat emotional.

"However, just on the eve of the knife's completion, when he was preparing to give it to that friend..."

"That chef friend passed away suddenly due to a heart attack."

Ando Masako pointed to the knife.

"My father never got to see his friend use this knife to make the dish of his dreams."

"This matter became a great regret in his heart."

"So, he hung this knife in the most prominent position in the shop and set a rule—"

She repeated her father's words.

"He said: 'Only a chef who can make a truly 'delicious' dish that I approve of is qualified to take away this 'Water-Chanting'."

"This is both a memorial to his friend and... a kind of near-paranoid expectation."

After hearing this, Natsume Chikage showed an extremely strange expression on his face.

This reason... was both a touching persistence and carried a bit of a manga-otaku-like romantic fantasy, mixed together, making one not know how to evaluate it for a moment.

He was silent for a few seconds before digesting this information.

Ando Masako added from the side:

"There have indeed been quite a few chefs who came before; they all liked this knife very much when they saw it, and after hearing the story, they felt it was very challenging and wanted to try..."

"But after my father tasted the dishes they specifically made, he would shake his head and say things like 'this isn't the right flavor,' 'the heat control is wrong,' or 'it tastes bad'..."

"They were all rejected..."

"My father is extremely picky when it comes to 'eating,' and his mind is hard to guess."

"So, Natsume-kun, if you just like this style or the sharpness of the knife..."

She enthusiastically pointed to other counters.

"There are many other good knives in the shop that also came from my father's hands, and are even more practical; I can introduce them to you in detail."

Natsume Chikage's attention, however, was completely captured by that "Water-Chanting Kitchen Knife."

The effect of "an intangible slash every fifteen seconds" held no small attraction for him.

It was rare to encounter a piece of special attack-type equipment, and he wanted to try the possibility of obtaining it no matter what.

Of course, if after trying, he truly couldn't satisfy Ando Toshio's strange conditions, he wouldn't force it.

Just as he was thinking about how to speak, a crisp and pleasantly surprised female voice suddenly came from the shop entrance:

"Natsume-brother—?! Why are you here?"

Natsume Chikage looked toward the sound and saw a girl wearing a Sacred Heart Middle School uniform, looking sweet and cute, standing at the entrance, looking at him in disbelief.

It was Ando Chizuru.

His younger sister Ruri's classmate.

Natsume Chikage was also somewhat surprised, but quickly revealed a gentle smile:

"Hello, Ando-sister. I came here to ask the master to help repair an old piece of kitchenware."

His gaze shifted between Ando Chizuru and the shop, and he asked with slight surprise:

"However... why are you here?"

Ando Chizuru's cheeks flushed slightly, and she walked into the shop with shy, small steps, standing beside her mother, Ando Masako.

"This... is my home."

"Eh?!"

Natsume Chikage was truly dumbfounded this time.

"This... is your home?"

The beautiful clerk, Ando Masako, also showed a surprised expression, looking at Natsume Chikage and then at her daughter, suddenly realizing:

"Oh my! So this handsome young man... you know our Chizuru?"

Natsume Chikage quickly sorted out the relationship and explained:

"Yes, ma'am. My name is Natsume Chikage."

"My younger sister, Natsume Ruri, is a classmate and good friend of Ando-sister."

"So that's how it is!" The smile on Ando Masako's face became even more cordial, with a hint of playful reproach, "You are the older brother of that child Ruri! Why didn't you say so earlier? If you had said so, I would have had to give you a discount on the repair cost just now!"

Natsume Chikage quickly waved his hands, his attitude sincere:

"No, no, there's really no need for that."

"It should be what it is; Master Ando's craftsmanship is worth the price."

The two deferred to each other for a while; seeing Natsume Chikage's firm attitude, Ando Masako had to give up helplessly, but the way she looked at him became increasingly gentle and appreciative.

She looked at her daughter beside her, whose cheeks were slightly red and who was stealing glances at Natsume Chikage from time to time, and then at the handsome, tall, and well-spoken young man in front of her, and a playful smile couldn't help but rise in her heart.

It seems that this classmate's brother, whom her daughter knows... is quite extraordinary.

Natsume Chikage's thoughts quickly returned to the "Water-Chanting Kitchen Knife."

Since he knew Ando Toshio's obsession and conditions, he felt he might be able to give it a try.

He turned to Ando Masako and spoke again, his tone serious:

"Ando-sister, regarding that 'Water-Chanting'..."

"After hearing that story just now, I actually want to try even more."

"I wonder... would it be convenient to tell me, what kind of cuisine does Master Ando... prefer or approve of?"

"Perhaps, I can try to make a dish and see if I can meet his standards."

His words had just fallen.

Ando Chizuru, who was on the side, suddenly had her eyes brighten slightly.

An idea quickly took shape in her heart.

She was just worrying that there was no suitable reason or opportunity to have more contact with this "Natsume-brother" who made her feel good.

Now, Natsume-brother seems to have developed an interest in her grandfather's knife...

Isn't this an excellent opportunity?

Even if Natsume-brother's dish fails to pass her grandfather's harsh test in the end...

She could privately ask her mother to use another reason to exchange a different, equally high-quality knife from the shop for Natsume-brother as compensation.

In this way, she could have more interaction with Natsume-brother without letting him leave empty-handed. ===== CHAPTER 835 =====