Chapter 264

On one side was an endless unknown filled with other worlds.

On the other was the Continental Magic Association she had personally built.

Even Serie found herself caught between the two.

Seeing her hesitation, Haruto spoke up.

"There’s no need to make the decision right now."

"I’m very interested in the magic and ingredients of this world, so I’ll probably be coming back here fairly often."

"If you want to visit another world, there’s no rush."

Haruto had already been somewhat hesitant about taking Serie to another world in the first place, so postponing the matter suited him perfectly.

It would give Serie enough time to put the affairs of the Continental Magic Association in order.

And it would give Haruto more time to prepare and make sure he had room to maneuver if anything unexpected happened.

Serie blinked at his answer before her furrowed brows gradually relaxed.

It was only a delay.

For a mage with a lifespan approaching eternity, waiting another ten or twenty years was hardly worth mentioning.

Still, the fact that she could not immediately go see an entirely new world left her faintly dissatisfied. The corners of her mouth dipped slightly.

"Fine."

She quickly pushed the disappointment aside and sat up straighter.

"Then let’s return to our earlier agreement."

"You’ve already told me about the other worlds you’ve visited."

"So, what magic do you want?"

"Whether it’s lost magic from the Mythical Era, the highest forms of offensive magic, or advanced sealing spells, as long as the spell exists in this world, I can provide it."

Serie watched Haruto with obvious curiosity.

She genuinely wanted to know what he would choose.

Lernen and the others beside her almost held their breath.

This was a promise from Serie herself.

For any mage, it was an opportunity beyond imagination.

Countless people sought the title of First-Class Mage specifically because it gave them the chance to receive one spell of their choosing from Serie.

Haruto was being offered ten.

Haruto looked at Serie and answered with complete seriousness.

"I want magic related to cooking."

"...You’re serious?"

All the anticipation on Serie’s face froze.

She stared at Haruto with an expression caught somewhere between disbelief and exasperation.

She had met mages who desired power.

Mages who desired wealth.

Mages who pursued immortality.

But this was the first time anyone had stood before her and asked for cooking magic.

His complete disregard for what anyone else would consider valuable inexplicably reminded Serie of someone.

"Of course I’m serious."

Haruto smiled.

"I’m a chef before anything else."

"To me, magic that can improve my cooking is far more valuable than some spell capable of blowing away a mountain."

More importantly, Haruto had absolute confidence in his Gourmet Cells.

As long as he continued eating delicious food, he could continue growing stronger.

Powerful offensive magic would be useful, certainly, but it would ultimately remain another tool in his arsenal rather than the foundation of his strength.

Serie studied his eyes.

Once she confirmed there was not even the slightest hint that he was joking, the amusement disappeared from her expression.

She closed her eyes and searched through her memories.

Even for Serie, immediately recalling such obscure, everyday magic was not particularly easy.

She had never forgotten the spells.

She simply had very little reason to think about them.

Before long, Serie opened her eyes again.

"I do have several spells related to cooking."

Without waiting for Haruto to ask, she began listing them.

"There’s a Precision Separation Spell designed specifically for processing ingredients. It can completely remove things like tiny fish bones, bone fragments, connective tissue, or membranes from meat without damaging the edible portions at all."

"A Purification Spell for Ingredients can remove unpleasant odors, bitterness, sourness, difficult impurities, and even toxins without damaging the ingredient’s natural flavor."

"A Constant-Temperature Enchantment allows precise control over the temperature of fire, steam, or boiling water."

"A Cookware Adaptation Spell can reproduce the heating properties of virtually any material—iron, clay, stone, copper, and so on."

"There’s also an Umami Extraction Spell, which draws out as much of an ingredient’s natural flavor as possible."

"A Rapid Seasoning Spell can accelerate the penetration of seasonings into food. Something that would normally require days of marinating can absorb the flavor almost instantly."

"And finally, there’s a Preservation Spell passed down from the Mythical Era that can keep ingredients permanently at their freshest state."

Serie listed seven spells in total.

Every one of them was directly related to ordinary cooking.

The reason she only possessed seven such spells was simple.

In Serie’s eyes, this sort of everyday magic had always been little more than a strange side path.

She had never deliberately gone out of her way to collect it.

Lernen, Genau, Sense, and Falsch all wore complicated expressions.

They had spent their lives dealing with conventional magic and had never seriously imagined that magic could be applied to something as mundane as preparing meals.

For a moment, none of them could decide whether the idea was ridiculous or astonishing.

Haruto, on the other hand, was delighted.

Every one of those spells was highly practical.

Of course, not all of them would be equally useful to him.

The preservation spell from the Mythical Era, for example, could keep ingredients permanently fresh.

But Haruto already had the Gourmet Restaurant, which fulfilled much the same function.

For him, the spell’s practical value was limited.

Even so, he had no intention of rejecting it.

Another spell meant another piece of knowledge.

And the principles behind the spell—the way mana was structured and controlled to produce its effect—could still provide valuable insight for his own techniques.

Having made up his mind, Haruto answered immediately.

"I want all seven."

Serie had initially felt mildly depressed at having to dig through what she considered such bizarre, insignificant magic.

But when she saw the pure enthusiasm and genuine passion in Haruto’s eyes, her mood inexplicably improved.

A faint smile tugged at her lips.

"Interesting."

"You really are interesting."

After a short pause, Serie gave him her answer.

"I’ll have someone prepare the grimoires containing those seven culinary spells and deliver them to you later."

Then she remembered that their agreement had been for ten spells.

Only seven had been chosen.

"So what about the remaining three?"

"What kind of magic do you want for those?"

Haruto fell into serious thought.

If there were only seven spells directly related to cooking, then ideally the remaining three should still contribute to his craft somehow.

After a moment, he decided.

"Then I’ll take fire-related magic."

"Cooking depends heavily on fire, after all."

"If I can freely control its temperature and form, I’ll have even more options when preparing food."

Serie showed no surprise at that choice.

She nodded without hesitation.

"Fine."

"I’ll prepare three fire spells along with the other seven."

The grimoires had not yet reached his hands, but Haruto had no reason to doubt Serie’s word.

Satisfied with the arrangement, he nodded, then took his leave.