Chapter 380

Ryoko Sakaki approached Haruto’s cooking station and looked at the mountain of ingredients piled across the counter.

"Are you sure it’ll be all right to use this many ingredients?" she asked softly.

Haruto turned toward her with a confident smile.

"Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing."

Admittedly, his current culinary skills might not have reached Komatsu’s level just yet.

However, getting the flavors of a few dozen ordinary ingredients to blend harmoniously was hardly an impossible task for him anymore.

After all, he had personally tasted the legendary Century Soup, and the experience remained vividly etched in his memory.

Seeing Haruto’s confidence, Ryoko felt some of her worries ease.

His culinary abilities were far beyond her own. If he was this certain of himself, then surely everything would turn out fine.

Probably.

"All right, then. Just don’t lose track of the time," Ryoko reminded him. "Twenty-four hours sounds like a lot, but preparing this many different ingredients is going to take quite a while."

After offering that final warning, she headed toward the ingredient storage area to begin preparing her own dish.

Haruto nodded and watched her leave before returning his attention to the dozens of ingredients spread before him.

He didn’t immediately start cooking.

What he had in mind wasn’t something that could be accomplished by simply throwing a large collection of ingredients into a pot.

If he wanted to combine dozens of completely different flavors into one harmonious soup, he first needed to find the proper balance between them.

Haruto picked up the Iberian ham and gently pressed his fingers against its surface, assessing the elasticity and firmness of the cured meat.

Next came the beef leg bones. He examined their freshness and considered how long they would need to simmer to extract the marrow and develop the proper depth of flavor.

Then he inspected the sea cucumbers, abalone, salmon, and crabs, continuing through the ingredients one by one.

He examined their colors, felt their textures, and evaluated their freshness, paying careful attention to the characteristics of each ingredient.

The vegetables and mushrooms received the same treatment.

The sweetness of the apples, the moisture content of the carrots, the distinctive fragrance of the matsutake mushrooms—Haruto committed every detail to memory.

Once he had finished examining everything, he closed his eyes.

In his mind, the dozens of ingredients began taking shape, each one possessing its own unique characteristics.

They were like individual musical notes scattered across a sheet of paper.

His task was to arrange those seemingly unrelated notes into a beautiful, harmonious composition.

Which flavors would complement one another? Which aromas could be combined to produce something greater than their individual contributions? Which ingredients needed preliminary treatment to eliminate unpleasant odors, and which should be added later to preserve their delicate freshness?

There were also the different methods of preparation, the sequence in which ingredients entered the pot, and the precise adjustments in temperature required at each stage.

Countless possible combinations passed through Haruto’s mind as he mentally worked through the entire cooking process.

Time slipped by unnoticed.

Three hours passed, followed by a fourth.

Throughout that time, Haruto remained standing motionless before his cooking station, his eyes closed in concentration.

Gradually, fine beads of sweat appeared across his forehead, and his complexion grew slightly pale.

Only after five full hours did he finally open his eyes.

He rubbed his aching temples and released a long breath.

After all that effort, he had finally managed to work out a combination that should achieve the balance he wanted.

Now came the difficult part: turning that theoretical recipe into reality.

Haruto flexed his wrists, a sharp gleam entering his eyes.

’All right. Time to begin.’

He started with the Iberian ham.

Picking up his kitchen knife, he began slicing with swift, precise movements.

The blade flashed repeatedly, producing slices of ham so thin they were almost translucent.

Each one fell neatly onto the cutting board, perfectly uniform in thickness.

Haruto arranged the slices across a smoking rack and selected applewood as the smoking material.

As pale smoke began rising, the delicate fruity fragrance of the applewood gradually mingled with the rich aroma of the cured ham, producing a more complex and enticing scent.

Haruto carefully regulated both the smoking temperature and the duration.

Ten minutes later, the process was complete.

Every slice had developed a beautiful amber hue and released a wonderfully fragrant aroma.

He set the smoked ham aside for later.

Next came the beef leg bones.

Haruto split them open to expose the marrow, then placed them in a large stockpot with plenty of cold water.

He added chunks of onion and carrot, sections of celery, thyme, and bay leaves.

After bringing the pot to a vigorous boil, he reduced the heat and allowed the stock to simmer slowly.

Then he turned his attention to the pheasant.

Haruto carefully butchered the bird, separating the flesh from its bones.

He cut the meat into small pieces, crushed the remaining carcass to expose more of the bone, and added the prepared ingredients to the stockpot.

With the meat preparations underway, he moved on to the seafood.

First were the sea cucumbers.

Haruto sliced open the rehydrated sea cucumbers and thoroughly cleaned their interiors before placing them over an open flame.

Under the intense heat, their surfaces rapidly contracted and became firmer.

Excess moisture evaporated, concentrating the sea cucumbers’ natural umami.

Once their exteriors developed a faint golden-brown color, Haruto removed them from the flame, diced them into evenly sized pieces, and added them to the stockpot.

Next came the abalone.

He removed the fresh abalone from their shells, cleaned them thoroughly, and scored their surfaces with a series of fine, closely spaced cuts.

The prepared abalone then joined the ingredients already simmering in the pot.

For the salmon, Haruto removed the skin and bones before cutting the flesh into small cubes.

However, he didn’t add the salmon directly to the soup.

Instead, he heated a little olive oil in a frying pan and briefly seared the cubes, just enough to set their surfaces without cooking them through.

Once finished, he placed the salmon aside.

It would be added during the final stages of cooking, allowing its distinctive richness to enhance the soup without losing its delicate flavor.

After that came the Matsuba crab.

Haruto separated the legs from the body and carefully extracted the crabmeat and roe, placing them in separate bowls.

He then thoroughly cleaned the shells and broke them into smaller pieces.

Rather than discarding them, Haruto spread the fragments across a baking tray and placed them in the oven.

As the shells roasted, the heat intensified their natural seafood aroma, drawing out the fragrant compounds that would contribute additional depth to the stock.

Once the shells had turned golden and released a rich crab fragrance, Haruto removed them from the oven and added them to the simmering pot.

The crabmeat and roe, meanwhile, were carefully preserved for the finishing stage.

With the seafood prepared, Haruto finally moved on to the vegetables and mushrooms.

He pressed the apples into juice and poured it into the stockpot, introducing a delicate natural sweetness.

The carrots were diced and steamed until completely tender before being added to the soup.

Matsutake mushrooms were lightly sautéed in butter to release their distinctive fragrance, while the shiitake mushrooms were dry-fried to remove excess moisture and concentrate their savory flavor.

The porcini mushrooms were finely chopped and sautéed until their aroma fully developed.

Haruto also took the onions, celery, garlic, and other aromatic vegetables, slowly cooking them in butter over low heat.

He patiently allowed them to soften and develop their natural sweetness, waiting until their fragrances became rich and mellow before transferring them into the stockpot.

One ingredient followed another.

Every single one of the dozens he had selected received its own carefully considered preparation.

Smoking, searing, steaming, roasting, and sautéing—Haruto used different techniques according to the properties of each ingredient, seeking to draw out its most desirable characteristics.

This preparation process alone took nearly two hours.

Once everything was ready, Haruto began incorporating the prepared ingredients into the stockpot according to the strict sequence he had worked out during his earlier calculations.

Each addition was deliberate.

Whenever a new ingredient entered the pot, Haruto carefully observed how the broth changed, paying attention to the way its flavor blended with those already present.

He continuously adjusted the heat as well, sometimes bringing the mixture to a vigorous boil before lowering it again to a gentle simmer.

Only after establishing the proper balance did he settle into the long process of reducing and refining the soup.

Haruto stood beside the enormous stockpot with a ladle in hand.

As the ingredients cooked, foam and impurities continually rose to the surface.

He patiently skimmed them away, repeating the process again and again.

Much of the scum came from proteins and other impurities released by the meat and seafood. If left in the pot, they would cloud the broth and introduce unwanted odors, undermining the clean, harmonious flavor he was trying to achieve.

There was no room for carelessness.

Even the smallest detail could affect the finished soup.

Hours continued to pass.

Throughout the examination hall, the other students’ dishes were gradually taking shape.

Some were already arranging the final elements of their presentations, while others had completed their dishes and were preparing to submit them for judging.

Haruto, however, remained beside his stockpot.

He continued skimming the surface, adjusting the heat, and carefully monitoring the transformation taking place within the broth.

Many students had been skeptical of his approach from the beginning.

Occasionally, whispers and doubtful remarks still drifted toward his workstation.

But as time passed, something began to change.

A faint fragrance gradually emerged from Haruto’s stockpot.

At first, it was so subtle that it was almost difficult to identify.

Yet despite its delicacy, the aroma was extraordinarily enticing.

There was the rich savoriness of meat, the gentle sweetness of seafood, the freshness of vegetables, and the deep earthy fragrance of mushrooms.

Every scent seemed distinct, yet none clashed with the others.

Instead, they blended together with an almost uncanny sense of harmony.

As the soup continued simmering, the fragrance gradually became richer and more pronounced.

Eventually, it developed into something almost impossible to describe.

It was no longer merely the aroma of meat, seafood, vegetables, or mushrooms.

Instead, dozens of different ingredients had combined to create a completely new fragrance, one that possessed remarkable depth and complexity while remaining perfectly balanced.

The aroma was rich without being heavy, and layered without becoming overwhelming.

Different notes seemed to unfold one after another, each bringing out a new aspect of the others, until the entire examination hall was filled with a fragrance that made everyone’s mouth water.

The students who had previously questioned Haruto’s approach gradually fell silent.

Their skeptical expressions changed to surprise, then outright disbelief.

"W-What is that smell?"

"It smells incredible! I seriously want to try some!"

"Is that really soup made from all those different ingredients?"

"How did he manage to combine them without ruining the flavor?"

Even students who had already finished their own dishes found themselves distracted by the increasingly powerful aroma.

Their attention kept drifting toward Haruto’s stockpot.

At the judges’ platform, Gin Dojima and the accompanying instructors had also straightened in their seats.

All of them were staring toward Haruto’s cooking station with astonishment.

"That fragrance..."

"He actually managed to bring the flavors of dozens of ingredients together, and there’s not the slightest hint of conflict between them!"

One instructor swallowed involuntarily.

"This is extraordinary. To achieve that level of balance, he’d need an incredibly thorough understanding of every ingredient he’s using."

Another instructor couldn’t help voicing his admiration.

"To think a first-year student could possess such refined culinary judgment..."

Then again, perhaps that was precisely what it meant to be a genius capable of earning a seat on the Elite Ten Council during his first year.

A look of appreciation appeared in Dojima’s eyes.

Haruto had surprised him yet again.

He had initially struggled to understand why the young chef had gathered such an excessive variety of ingredients.

Now, however, the intention behind that seemingly chaotic selection was gradually becoming clear.

Haruto wasn’t simply attempting to produce a richer stock by adding more ingredients.

He was deliberately guiding their individual characteristics toward a single flavor profile, transforming what should have been a confusing mixture into something remarkably cohesive.

And judging from the fragrance alone, he was succeeding.

Haruto remained completely oblivious to the attention he was attracting.

Every bit of his concentration was focused on the stockpot before him.

The broth had become extraordinarily clear and translucent, its appearance offering almost no indication of the tremendous variety of ingredients that had gone into preparing it.

Yet their flavors were all present, thoroughly extracted and incorporated into the liquid.

After carefully checking its condition one last time, Haruto reached for the final ingredient.

The bird’s nest he had prepared earlier.

He gently added the cooked bird’s nest to the soup.

At that instant, a brilliant flash of seven-colored light shimmered across the surface.

Immediately afterward, an even richer, deeper, and more irresistible fragrance erupted from the stockpot.

The aroma swept through the entire examination hall like a tidal wave.

Everyone froze.

Students and instructors alike turned toward Haruto, their expressions becoming almost entranced.

The fragrance seemed to possess a mysterious power of its own. Merely breathing it in made their bodies feel strangely light, as though the burdens weighing on them had suddenly disappeared.

For a fleeting moment, some even felt as though their very souls were being drawn toward the source of that extraordinary aroma.

Meanwhile, Haruto gazed into the stockpot.

The finished soup was crystal clear and brilliantly translucent, its appearance almost impossibly pure considering the dozens of ingredients used to create it.

A satisfied smile slowly spread across his face.

His soup was finally complete.