Chapter 379

After the second examination concluded, the students who had passed boarded their assigned trains and continued toward the next examination venue.

Inside the carriages, some leaned against the windows and watched the snowy landscape rush past, while others buried their heads in their notebooks, reviewing everything they had learned. A few simply closed their eyes and tried to rest, conserving what little energy they had left for the challenges ahead.

An almost oppressive silence hung over the train.

Of course, Haruto was an exception. He was sitting comfortably beside a window, leisurely admiring the winter scenery without the slightest hint of nervousness.

Before long, the train arrived at the location of the third examination. Once that was over, the students moved on to the fourth, followed by the fifth and sixth.

As the examinations continued, more students were eliminated. Some failed because they made mistakes while preparing their ingredients, while others were disqualified after mismanaging their cooking time.

With every new challenge, the number of surviving first-years continued to dwindle.

By the time the sixth examination ended, those who remained had traveled all the way to a harbor at the northernmost end of Hokkaido.

A bitterly cold sea breeze swept across the docks, picking up loose snow and sending icy particles stinging against their faces.

Haruto looked around at the students who had gathered at the harbor and made a rough estimate of their numbers.

Approximately five hundred students had participated in the Promotion Exams at the beginning. Now, only a little over three hundred remained.

In other words, nearly half the original participants had already been eliminated before even reaching the final examination.

Fortunately, every member of Polar Star Dormitory had managed to make it this far.

Although, strictly speaking, Zenji Marui was only remaining upright because Daigo Aoki and Shoji Sato were supporting him on either side.

“I’m so glad everyone made it!”

Megumi Tadokoro looked around at her friends and let out a relieved sigh.

“Of course we did! We’re Polar Star Dormitory, remember? We’re practically unbeatable!”

Daigo and Shoji declared confidently, apparently forgetting that they were still holding up a thoroughly exhausted Zenji.

Just then, the deep blast of a ship’s horn sounded from the distance.

An enormous ferry slowly approached the harbor and docked alongside the pier.

“All students, please board the ferry in an orderly manner,” a staff member announced.

Following the instructions, the students began boarding one after another.

Once everyone was aboard, the ferry pulled away from the harbor, its massive hull cutting through the freezing seawater as it headed toward Rebun Island.

Haruto stood on the deck with his hands resting against the railing, gazing toward the distant horizon.

Gradually, the island came into view.

The entire landmass was blanketed in thick snow, its brilliant white landscape contrasting beautifully with the deep blue sea. Above it stretched a perfectly clear sky, occasionally crossed by seabirds whose sharp cries echoed through the crisp winter air.

Sunlight poured across the snow, scattering dazzling reflections in every direction. In the distance, the coastline curved and twisted along the island’s rugged terrain, creating a winter scene beautiful enough to belong in a painting.

Unfortunately, most of the students had no interest in appreciating the scenery.

With the final examination approaching, their minds were occupied by far more pressing concerns.

…

After the ferry docked, the students disembarked and followed the staff toward an enormous building.

This was the venue for the final stage of the Promotion Exams.

Beyond its heavy entrance doors lay a remarkably spacious hall containing several hundred fully equipped cooking stations. Every station had its own collection of utensils and professional kitchen equipment.

The judges’ platform stood in the center of the hall, while an enormous set of doors along one side led into the ingredient storage area.

The students had barely finished gathering when Gin Dojima emerged from a side entrance, accompanied by several instructors from Totsuki Academy.

His appearance immediately drew everyone’s attention.

“Good work, everyone.”

Dojima raised the microphone in his hand and looked over the assembled first-years.

“After overcoming numerous examinations, you’ve finally reached the most important stage of the Northern Expedition.”

“I’ll now explain the rules of your final examination.”

The atmosphere inside the hall became noticeably more serious.

“The theme of the final examination is Innovation. You will have twenty-four hours to complete your dish.”

“There are no restrictions on what you may prepare. As long as you create an innovative dish capable of satisfying the judges, you will pass.”

“We’ve also prepared an extensive selection of ingredients, all of which are available for you to use freely.”

Dojima paused briefly before delivering the final announcement.

“With that, the examination officially begins.”

For several seconds, the entire hall remained silent.

Then the students erupted into discussion.

“Innovation? Isn’t that way too broad?”

“Seriously! What exactly counts as innovation? How different does something have to be before it’s considered innovative?”

“Twenty-four hours is plenty of time, but where are we even supposed to start?”

Confusion was written across many faces.

The previous examinations had all provided clearly defined objectives. Students were either required to use particular ingredients, prepare a specific category of cuisine, or work within certain restrictions.

But this time, the theme was simply innovation.

It was so vague that many students found themselves completely at a loss.

What kind of dish would actually qualify?

Did the judges expect innovative ingredient combinations? Unconventional cooking techniques? Or perhaps an entirely new approach to presentation?

The absence of restrictions, rather than making the examination easier, had left many students uncertain about what they were supposed to accomplish.

Haruto rested a hand against his chin and considered the theme.

‘Innovation, huh?’

In a sense, this was both the easiest and the most difficult examination imaginable.

It was easy because there were no restrictions whatsoever. Students could use virtually any ingredient and prepare any dish they wanted.

But it was difficult precisely because there was no clear standard against which their creations could be measured.

‘So what should I make?’

Countless dishes passed through Haruto’s mind.

Each one seemed suitable for the examination, yet none felt particularly innovative.

After considering the problem for a while, Haruto decided to visit the ingredient storage area first.

Perhaps seeing the ingredients available would give him some inspiration.

He pushed open the massive doors and stepped inside.

The sight that greeted him was impressive even by his standards.

Totsuki Academy had clearly spared no expense in preparing for this year’s Promotion Exams.

The enormous storage facility was divided into carefully organized sections, including refrigerated storage, frozen storage, room-temperature ingredients, and fresh produce.

Everywhere he looked, shelves and counters were overflowing with an extraordinary variety of ingredients.

In the meat section, ordinary pork, beef, and chicken were displayed alongside premium Wagyu beef, venison, wild boar, and goat meat. There were even more unusual options, including crocodile and ostrich meat.

The seafood section was equally comprehensive.

A wide variety of fish, shellfish, shrimp, and crabs filled the refrigerated displays. Common varieties such as salmon, tuna, and sea bream were available in abundance, alongside expensive delicacies like lobster, abalone, sea cucumber, and king crab.

There were also numerous rare seafood products native to Hokkaido.

The produce section contained neatly arranged vegetables, mushrooms, and fruits from different growing seasons.

Meanwhile, the seasoning section featured an impressive collection of spices, sauces, and cooking oils gathered from around the world.

Haruto slowly walked between the shelves, examining the ingredients on display.

Ham, beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables, mushrooms…

Every ingredient seemed useful in its own way, and he could easily imagine preparing countless delicious dishes from them.

Then, without warning, Haruto stopped walking.

A particular dish had surfaced in his mind.

Century Soup.

The legendary soup completed by Komatsu in the world of Toriko.

It was a fantastical culinary masterpiece created by combining hundreds of different ingredients through countless meticulous cooking processes.

Its flavors possessed such extraordinary depth and complexity that tasting it was almost like experiencing an entire century of culinary history in a single bowl.

Even now, simply remembering that flavor was enough to make Haruto’s mouth water.

Unfortunately, the ingredients available here were vastly inferior to those found in the world of Toriko, both in quality and variety.

Recreating the genuine Century Soup would be completely impossible.

However…

‘What if I made my own drastically simplified version of Century Soup?’

The more Haruto considered the idea, the more promising it seemed.

He didn’t need to reproduce the original dish exactly.

Instead, he could take inspiration from the philosophy behind Century Soup and reinterpret it using ordinary ingredients.

By carefully selecting ingredients with different characteristics, processing them through various techniques, and gradually extracting their flavors, he could create a broth in which dozens of distinct tastes merged into a single harmonious whole.

The goal would be to capture the essence of that extraordinary depth—the sensation of countless flavors accumulated and condensed over an immense span of time.

Naturally, this would also qualify as a form of innovation.

Haruto’s eyes brightened.

‘That’s it! I’ll do exactly that!’

With a clear objective in mind, he immediately got to work.

He grabbed an ingredient cart and began making his way through the storage facility, selecting anything that might contribute to his planned soup.

First came the meats.

Iberian ham, with its beautifully marbled fat and deep, complex cured flavor.

Beef leg bones, packed with rich marrow that could provide a powerful foundation for the broth.

And pheasant, whose firm flesh contained a concentrated natural savoriness that would be particularly valuable in a long-simmered stock.

Next came the seafood.

For sea cucumber, Haruto selected a premium Japanese variety prized for its pleasantly springy texture and rich umami once properly rehydrated.

He also picked out thick, meaty abalone and salmon with a moderate amount of fat, which could contribute a distinctive richness and fragrance.

After that, he moved on to vegetables, fruits, and mushrooms.

Apples would provide natural sweetness and a delicate fruity aroma, helping balance the heavier flavors extracted from the meat.

Carrots would add another layer of sweetness while contributing color.

Matsutake mushrooms, with their unmistakable fragrance, could introduce a completely different dimension to the soup and increase its overall complexity.

There were also onions, celery, tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, and porcini mushrooms, each capable of contributing its own distinctive qualities.

Haruto continued moving from section to section.

Iberian ham, beef leg bones, sea cucumber, abalone, salmon, crab, pheasant, apples, carrots, matsutake, onions, celery, tomatoes, shiitake, porcini, potatoes, garlic, parsley, thyme, bay leaves…

The list kept growing.

Haruto moved through the storage facility like a whirlwind, gathering practically anything he believed might prove useful.

By the time he finally stopped, his cart was piled high with several dozen different ingredients.

…

When Haruto pushed his overflowing ingredient cart back into the examination hall, almost everyone turned to look.

The sheer variety of ingredients stacked on it left many students staring in confusion.

“Just how many different ingredients did Haruto take?”

“There must be dozens! What on earth is he planning to make?”

“There’s ham, beef, seafood, vegetables, mushrooms… He’s got practically everything! Can you even combine all those ingredients into one dish?”

“He’s joking, right? If he mixes that many things together, won’t all the flavors clash?”

Whispers quickly spread throughout the hall.

From the other students’ perspective, Haruto’s selection seemed completely excessive.

Meat and seafood together might be understandable, but he’d also brought an enormous variety of vegetables and even several kinds of fruit.

How could so many unrelated ingredients possibly come together to form a coherent dish?

No matter how they looked at it, the cart didn’t inspire much confidence in Haruto’s ability to create something genuinely innovative.

Even the instructors seated at the judges’ platform began exchanging puzzled looks.

“Isn’t that an excessive number of ingredients?”

“Surely he isn’t planning to throw everything together into some kind of stew?”

One instructor couldn’t help voicing his doubts.

“Even if he is making a mixed stew, using that many ingredients would probably destroy the balance of the dish,” another added.

Gin Dojima remained silent.

He simply watched Haruto with an unreadable expression.

Admittedly, even Dojima couldn’t immediately understand what Haruto intended to accomplish with such an unusual collection of ingredients.

Nevertheless, Haruto was a member of Totsuki’s Elite Ten.

Considering the culinary ability he had already demonstrated, Dojima found it difficult to believe that he had selected all those ingredients without a clear purpose.

‘He must have something in mind.’