"What an incredible dish… I never imagined the Human World could produce something this miraculous!"
When the activation of their Gourmet Cells finally settled and everyone came back to their senses, their understanding of Century Soup had completely changed.
Before this, they'd believed ingredients from the Human World were mediocre at best.
Sure, the Human World had powerful individuals and skilled chefs—but that didn't mean its ingredients were impressive. Most of those powerhouses only reached their true potential after entering the Gourmet World.
But now?
Their perspective had shifted.
Century Soup was simply too extraordinary. And more importantly—it resonated with so many different Gourmet Cells at once.
Normally, each person's Gourmet Cells preferred different flavors, influenced by their respective Gourmet Demons. Yet the Century Soup Kael brought had satisfied a wide range of Gourmet Demons simultaneously.
"It's too complex…" Brunch muttered, still savoring the aftertaste. "The variety of ingredients, the preparation process—it's overwhelming. Even if I knew the method, recreating it would take an enormous amount of time."
As a chef, Brunch was already dissecting the flavor in his mind. It contained ingredients he didn't recognize—hardly surprising, given he was raised in the Gourmet World.
He could identify equivalent flavors from Gourmet World ingredients, sure. The sheer complexity of the Century Soup was mind-boggling. He'd made complicated dishes before—but compared to this, they felt simple.
In the end, he could only commit the flavor to memory. Later, he would attempt to create his own version.
After all, Kael had said it himself—their versions were all different.
If he could create one of his own…
The sense of accomplishment would be immense.
"Mr. Kael," the Daruma Hermit said seriously, "if possible, I would like to purchase some Century Soup from you."
Having witnessed its effects, he had no intention of letting this opportunity slip away.
There were still many residents in the Bewitching Food World. If they could obtain even a portion of Century Soup, their overall strength would rise dramatically.
That mattered.
Though Horse King Heracles presence provided them protection, they still had to gather ingredients themselves. Their overall strength wasn't high, and very few were capable of venturing out safely. That weakness had been painfully exposed when Midora's influence reached them in the canon.
If there was a way to strengthen their people, no cost was too high.
"We can discuss that after tasting the Ogre Shell meat," Kael replied calmly.
He had expected this reaction.
And beyond Century Soup, Ogre Shell's meat was practically inexhaustible. It contained the combined remnants of ancient marine life. Finishing it entirely would be nearly impossible.
Kael wasn't stingy with abundant resources—especially when he needed their cooperation.
They might look strange, but they were good people.
Hearing his answer, no one pressed further.
Brunch had already rushed to the kitchen to prepare the Ogre Shell meat.
After seeing the power of Century Soup, everyone was restless.
If that soup alone could activate their cells like this…
What about the Ogre Shell meat?
They could barely sit still, their eyes constantly drifting toward the kitchen.
Kael watched their reactions with satisfaction.
The effect was exactly what he wanted.
Soon, Brunch returned, servants carrying out numerous plates piled with Ogre Shell meat.
While cooking, Brunch had discovered something astonishing—Meat from different parts of the clam tasted completely unique and required different cooking methods.
The aroma that filled the air was irresistible.
No one hesitated.
They dug in.
Before long, every last bite was gone.
And once again—including Kael—everyone's Gourmet Cells activated.
But this time, when Kael's cells activated, the aura radiating from him made everyone freeze.
They already knew he was strong.
But the presence pouring from him now…
It was terrifying.
"Another ingredient recognized by Gourmet Cells…" the Daruma Hermit exhaled slowly. "Mr. Kael, please. Tell us what you need."
He'd been village chief for many years. Kael wouldn't bring out treasures like this without reason.
"My goal is simple," Kael said. "The same as yours. AIR. But it hasn't matured yet. And obtaining the right to cook it isn't easy."
He paused.
"I hope you'll take me to Horse King Heracles. I need to obtain cooking authorization from him directly."
He could go alone to Nightmare Hill.
But that was dangerous.
To Heracles and the Heracs, Kael was an outsider. The Bewitching Food World residents, however, were under Heracles' domain. They could approach without hostility.
To avoid unnecessary conflict, he needed their help.
"Obtaining cooking rights for AIR…" the Daruma Hermit nodded slowly. "We already have a plan."
Sacrifice.
That had been their original method.
The one meant to be sacrificed was Mappy—and he had accepted it willingly. AIR had long been their ultimate pursuit.
The residents here were… different. Their collective goal had become something like an engraved belief. They would pursue it even at the cost of their lives.
To outsiders, it seemed strange.
To them, it was normal.
"You're referring to the Diner of the Food King," Kael said. "I already learned about it from the IGO. But my method may allow us to avoid that."
Silence fell again.
The IGO knew about the sacrifice ritual.
They'd struggled with the idea at first—but without cooking authorization, AIR remained Heracles' treasure.
Unless they wanted to sneak-cook it like the Blue Nitro—which was suicide.
The Blue Nitro could challenge the Eight Kings because they were powerful and effectively immortal.
The residents here were not.
Unless Ichiryu, Jiro, or Midora personally restrained Heracles, they had no chance.
"That being said," the Daruma Hermit said carefully, "may I ask your specific plan?"
They depended on Heracles for survival. If Kael's plan risked angering the Horse King, they couldn't agree.
Even two miraculous ingredients weren't worth the extinction of their entire village.
"Explaining it won't be enough," Kael said. "Let me show you."
He led them to the area where Heracs foals were raised.
Air Trees grew there in abundance. For Heracs—including Heracles—air itself was food.
"You all know the Air Tree," Kael began. "But do you know it's actually an ingredient?"
"An ingredient?" Brunch frowned. "I've tried cooking its fruit before. It tastes terrible and provides no benefit. How can that be an ingredient?"
"Because the fruit isn't complete," Kael replied. "The Air Tree itself is an ultra-special cooking ingredient."
He drew his knife and made several precise cuts into the trunk.
Mappy blinked. "By the way… where do you keep pulling these things from? You don't carry Pack."
The others had wondered the same thing since he produced Ogre Shell and Century Soup.
"It's a special ability of my Gourmet Demon," Kael said calmly. "Like Ogre Shell or Casket Crab—it creates a separate storage space."
They stared at him enviously.
If they had such an ability, gathering ingredients would've been far less dangerous.
Suddenly, the Air Tree reacted.
All its fruits converged toward the center—
Then fused into a single massive fruit.
At the same time, the oxygen output multiplied several times over.
"Wait—why is it expelling so much oxygen?!" someone shouted as they instinctively stepped back.
For Heracs, air was nourishment.
For humans, too much was dangerous.
"This," Kael said evenly, "is what I wanted to show you. Not the fruit—but what happens after proper preparation. The Air Tree's oxygen output increases multiple times."
They froze.
They understood.
"If every Air Tree across Area 8 were prepared like this…" the Daruma Hermit murmured, eyes widening, "the total air supply would surge. For Heracles and the Heracs, that's tremendous news."
"And have you noticed?" Kael continued. "The Air Tree resembles something split from AIR itself. When it fuses, there's only one fruit—and it contains an immense concentration of air."
Realization dawned on their faces.
"Convince Heracles using this," Kael said. "Offer enhanced Air Trees in exchange for cooking authorization for AIR."
He looked at them.
"Do you think it's feasible?"
"It is," the Daruma Hermit answered firmly. "Heracles would certainly agree."
Then he hesitated.
"…But from beginning to end, we've been the ones benefiting."
They had gained Century Soup.
Ogre Shell meat.
And now a way to strengthen their position with Heracles.
Brunch crossed his arms and shot the old man a look.
"We can't just take advantage of him like this. Old man, show some sincerity."