Kaizen's pupils narrowed sharply.
"Linne-san... isn't this asking too much of you?"
"It is a bit of trouble," Linne said with a smile. "But since you're calling me Linne-san, I won't tell anyone about this. No one needs to know I was the one who pushed this through for you."
She added, "Now tell me about yourself…"
"Yes."
Kaizen shared a few details about his experiences. Linne listened attentively.
By the time the light outside turned golden, she gave a small yawn.
"You've kept an old lady company all afternoon. I'm getting a bit sleepy. Go on and rest, Kaizen. If anything comes up, let me know right away."
"Yes, Linne-san."
Kaizen stepped out of the building and headed toward Menchi and Buhara's garden.
...
Not long after Kaizen left, a side door creaked open.
A girl stepped out—short, white shoulder-length hair, white eyebrows, and a round, youthful face with a playful look. She wore a crisp white chef's uniform.
"Linne-san."
Linne looked over.
"Alice, how was it?"
"Very strong," Alice replied seriously. "Far stronger than me."
"Even though we're both ranked A, I don't stand a chance against him."
Linne chuckled. "I wasn't asking about that. You know what I meant."
Alice's face flushed as she remembered Kaizen's face.
"I'll leave it to you, Linne-san."
Linne's smile widened.
"Alright then, I'll make the arrangements. For this Ten Masters Challenge, Alice—you'll participate."
"Okay."
...
Back at Menchi and Buhara's garden, Shizuku and the others greeted Kaizen at the entrance.
"Team leader!"
"Are you alright?"
Kaizen nodded. "An elder wanted to talk. It took a bit longer, but everything's fine."
To him, the matter of the Fallen was already behind him.
He resumed his daily routine.
At night, he rested.
Every couple of days, he'd arrange to meet with Shizuku. She would quietly come into his room at night, still dressed as a maid.
During the day, Kaizen roamed the World Zone, tasting cuisines from a variety of restaurants.
As he ate, he reviewed the battle with the Fallen.
One thing was certain—the Fallen's strength was undeniable.
In its perfect form, it had already surpassed standard A-rank levels.
Whether it had reached S-rank, Kaizen wasn't sure. But based on the Fallen's own words, it seemed just slightly short of that.
Linne's cursed silver coin—a contract-breaking artifact—had seriously hindered the Fallen. So much so that it was forced to split itself into two separate entities.
That split resulted in two top-tier A-rank Nen users.
Against one, Kaizen could hold his ground and gradually wear them down.
But facing both at once? That was still beyond him.
Even so, when the younger form of the Fallen was struck by the cursed silver coin, its power noticeably dropped.
In that state, Kaizen could defeat it with relative ease.
"This is the gap between Nen users of the same level," Kaizen mused. "Just like Great-Grandfather Zeno said…"
...
A group of four entered a restaurant.
This one was a little different from the others.
Only three people worked there: a woman in the back kitchen, a girl, and a boy—clearly her children.
"Hello, guests! What would you like?" the girl asked, handing over the menu.
Kaizen ordered just as he always did. "Let's get the... and this, this, and that..."
The girl hesitated.
Her brother leaned in to look.
"What's wrong, sis?"
"They ordered so much… won't it go to waste?"
He sized up Kaizen and the others.
"These folks might be Gourmet Hunters."
"Really? How do you know?"
"Come on, your brother's about to enter the Moon Academy."
The girl rapped her knuckles on his head.
"You haven't even passed the entrance exam. Don't get cocky. If you mess it up this time, you'll have to wait till next year—and Mom's health isn't getting any better."
She lowered her voice.
The boy's expression turned serious. He thumped his chest.
"I promise. I'll make it this year."
He took the order to the back.
"Mom, can I try making one?"
"No. You're not ready yet. We have a responsibility to our customers."
"But I'm close! I'm about to get into the Moon Academy. Don't you trust me? Just let me try. If it doesn't turn out, you can step in."
His mother hesitated.
"Alright. Cook it. But I'll taste it first. If it's not good enough, it goes straight in the bin."
"Thanks, Mom!"
He excitedly moved to the side stove.
Kaizen glanced toward the kitchen.
The kids were normal. The boy had a lively energy and seemed confident in his cooking. If his mother allowed it, he must have talent.
The woman… her aura was different. Naughty, but faint.
Too faint to be newly awakened Nen. More like someone whose aura had been weakened by a serious injury.
...
Soon, the food arrived.
The aroma filled the room.
Both the woman and the boy peeked from the kitchen, watching closely.
This was the boy's first time having his cooking served to customers.
When he saw Kaizen and the others eating with satisfaction, the woman finally relaxed.
"I told you it'd be fine," the girl said proudly.
"Mom, once I get into Moon Academy and train for two more years, I'll be able to take over the restaurant. You won't have to work so hard anymore. You'll finally be able to rest."
"You need rest," she added, concerned.
The boy also knew his mother's health wasn't great.
She tired easily and often seemed drained.
"Alright. I'll rest. The restaurant's in your hands."
"Don't worry, I've got it!"
The boy thumped his chest again, full of determination.
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (1047 chapters in total)