Chapter 317

Before the serving cart even reached their table, an indescribably rich aroma drifted toward them.

It was astonishingly complex, carrying the fresh sweetness of vegetables, the deep richness of meat, the savory fragrance of seafood, and the enticing scent of countless spices.

Hundreds of aromas intertwined without clashing, instead blending into something so harmonious that it seemed capable of reaching straight into the soul.

Haruto swallowed involuntarily.

His stomach growled.

Kagura and Kanna were equally captivated by the aroma, their eyes filled with anticipation.

The server smiled and placed a bowl in front of each of them before lifting the covers.

At that instant, a dazzling aurora rose from the bowls.

Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet light intertwined overhead, forming a beautiful curtain of color that slowly shifted through the air like something out of a dream.

Even more astonishing was the soup itself.

It was completely transparent.

Even from close range, it almost looked as though the bowls contained nothing at all.

"So this is... Century Soup?"

Kagura murmured, staring at the aurora in wonder.

Even Kanna’s eyes widened slightly as she watched the colors ripple above the bowls.

"Let’s try it."

Haruto took a deep breath, suppressed his excitement, and picked up his spoon.

He lowered it into the bowl.

The spoon disappeared beneath the perfectly clear surface, sending transparent ripples outward while the aurora above shifted along with them.

Haruto brought the first spoonful to his lips.

The instant the soup touched his tongue, the flavors of countless ingredients erupted across his palate.

First came the crisp, clean sweetness of Cartilage Cabbage, carrying the freshness of sunlight and rain.

Then came the smooth sweetness of ONLY Beans, rich and mellow like melted cheese.

The deep aroma of Stew Sake followed, bringing a gentle warmth reminiscent of fine alcohol.

There was also the soft richness of Pork Chop Potatoes, the overwhelming umami of dried bonito, the springy bite of Seven-Colored Shrimp, the deep savoriness of dashi kelp, and the almost dreamlike sweetness of Cream Mushrooms.

Hundreds—perhaps thousands—of flavors unfolded one after another.

Yet there was not the slightest hint of disorder.

Every ingredient complemented the others, lifting the entire dish to an impossible level of harmony.

It was a flavor beyond words.

As though an entire century had been condensed into a single spoonful of soup.

Spring’s renewal, summer’s blazing vitality, autumn’s abundance, and winter’s silver stillness all seemed to pass across Haruto’s tongue in that one mouthful.

His Gourmet Cells immediately stirred.

At the same time, some mysterious force seemed to take hold of his face. The corners of his eyes drooped, while his lips involuntarily curved upward.

Haruto tried to control his expression.

He could not.

It was simply too delicious.

Too satisfying.

The kind of happiness that made a person want to shout, cry, and grin like an idiot without caring who saw.

He turned toward Kagura and Kanna.

Kagura was already wearing an enormous, vacant smile, her spoon frozen halfway to her mouth. Her eyes were wide, and tears were streaming freely down her cheeks without her even noticing.

"It’s so good... so good... This is the best soup I’ve ever had..."

Kanna sat quietly beside her, taking small spoonfuls one after another.

A genuine smile of happiness rested on her face.

Seeing them like that only made Haruto’s own smile deepen.

Coming to the world of Toriko had absolutely been the right choice.

A single bowl of Century Soup had washed away his earlier frustration and allowed Kagura and Kanna to experience the pure happiness that gourmet food could bring.

When the final spoonful disappeared down her throat, Kagura stared longingly into the empty bowl, her cheeks faintly flushed with satisfaction.

She licked her lips.

"I wish I could drink this every day."

Kanna quietly set down her spoon, then raised the Mirror of Death in front of her face as though hiding her own lingering smile.

Haruto chuckled.

"Since we’re already in this world, it would be a waste to leave after only drinking one bowl of Century Soup."

"This world is overflowing with incredible ingredients. I’m planning to collect some more, so you two can come with me."

Kagura’s eyes immediately brightened.

Even Kanna showed a trace of anticipation.

Over the following days, Haruto took the two of them deep into the wilderness of the Human World.

They bathed beneath a rainbow while seven different flavors of candy rain fell around them.

On Breakfast Island, they harvested Corn Soup Trees and Ham-and-Egg Grass.

Across the Tofu Wasteland, they dug up huge quantities of Wild Tofu.

Several days later, Haruto brought Kagura and Kanna back to the city.

He had originally planned to enjoy one final feast before leaving the Toriko world.

Before the three of them could even decide what to eat, however, Toriko suddenly appeared in front of them.

"Been a while, Haruto!"

Toriko greeted him with a grin.

"Toriko?"

Haruto looked at him in surprise.

"What are you doing here?"

"I brought Komatsu back to the Gourmet Hotel earlier. The manager told me you’d visited and tried the Century Soup Komatsu recreated."

Toriko grinned.

"I happened to have something to talk to you about, so I asked the IGO to help me track you down."

He then produced a huge gourmet case.

Inside was an amber-colored liquid filled with countless tiny bubbles.

"Look what I brought!"

Toriko proudly shook the container.

"This is the Mellow Cola I found earlier. Let’s drink some together!"

"Mellow Cola!"

Haruto’s eyes immediately lit up.

He did not bother pretending to be polite.

"Pour me a glass."

Toriko opened the gourmet case and filled large glasses for Haruto, Kagura, and Kanna.

Naturally, he poured one for himself as well.

Amber-colored cola churned inside the glasses, fine bubbles constantly rising to the surface with a soft fizz.

A refreshing aroma drifted from the drink.

Haruto picked up his glass and drained it in one go.

The Mellow Cola exploded across his mouth.

Countless tiny bubbles danced over his tongue, producing a strange, pleasant tingling sensation.

It was sweeter than honey, yet the sweetness was nothing like the heavy cloying taste of ordinary sugar.

Instead, it was astonishingly refreshing and pure.

Immediately afterward, an enormous surge of energy spread from Haruto’s stomach throughout his entire body, flowing into every cell.

"Now that’s good."

Haruto could clearly feel his Gourmet Cells becoming active again.

"This is amazing!"

Kagura drained her own glass in one breath, looking delighted.

"It’s better than any drink I’ve ever had! It’s sweet, and the bubbles feel like they’re dancing in my mouth!"

Kanna drank hers in small sips.

By the time she finished, a faint blush had appeared on her cheeks, and her eyes shone with quiet pleasure.

She let out a tiny burp.

Then immediately covered her mouth, looking slightly embarrassed.

Toriko laughed even harder at their reactions.

"See? Mellow Cola’s incredible, right?"

Haruto set down his empty glass and smacked his lips, still wanting more.

"Drinking Mellow Cola by itself feels a little plain."

"I’ve collected plenty of ingredients recently. Let’s cook something to go with it."

Toriko naturally agreed at once.

The group headed outside the city, where Haruto brought out various ingredients and cooking equipment from the Gourmet Restaurant.

Toriko built a campfire in the open area while Haruto began preparing the food.

The first ingredient Haruto placed on his cutting board was a Slowpoke Tail.

The pinkish-white flesh gleamed beautifully and looked delicious even before cooking.

Haruto used Myriad Worlds to cut the tail into evenly sized pieces.

He briefly blanched them in boiling water, then transferred them into a clay pot along with some Natural Rice and fresh spring water.

After covering the pot, he lowered the heat and began simmering everything slowly.

"Slowpoke Tails naturally contain a lot of sugar, so there’s no need to add any extra."

Haruto stirred the pot as he explained.

"A little rice is enough to give the soup some body."

"The important part is keeping the heat as low as possible and letting the sweetness slowly seep out of the tail."

"That way, the finished sweet soup becomes rich without losing its clean flavor."

As time passed, a gentle sweetness began drifting from the pot.

The aroma gradually grew richer, blending with the fragrance of cooked rice and carrying a comforting warmth.

After roughly an hour, Haruto lifted the lid.

White steam billowed upward.

The soup inside had turned a creamy white and become almost as thick as honey.

The pieces of Slowpoke Tail had become translucent and jewel-like, gently trembling in the rich broth.

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