160: The Imperfect Century Soup

After finishing the Garlic Bird Oyakodon, Komatsu still felt unsatisfied, lingering on the taste. He savored it carefully and suddenly said, "This Oyakodon... it seems to have a hint of Sesame Chestnut aroma. It is very faint, but it adds more depth to the overall flavor profile."

Granny Setsuno looked surprised: "Oh? You actually noticed that! That is right, when I was simmering the stock, I did add a little bit of ground Sesame Chestnut. That was actually a suggestion from little Erina."

Komatsu looked admiringly at Erina, who was sitting next to Lin Luo: "I have really learned something new today! As expected of Granny Setsuno's top student! That unique nutty aroma of the Sesame Chestnut, combined with the richness of the Garlic Bird meat, really makes the flavor more unique and profound." He thought for a moment and added, "I feel like... it might pair really well with 'Seven-Flavor Herbs' too."

Upon hearing this, Erina's violet eyes flickered slightly, as if she were seriously considering the possibility: "Hmm... the complex aroma of Seven-Flavor Herbs... that might actually be quite good."

Granny Setsuno looked at Komatsu and smiled: "What an interesting idea, young man. You possess quite an impressive sense of taste and observation, as well as a vigorous curiosity and imagination... and 'sexiness' too?"

Komatsu was embarrassed by the praise, rubbing his head and grinning foolishly: "Oh, not at all... Huh? Sex... sexiness?"

Toriko, who was sitting nearby, laughed and patted his shoulder: "Granny Setsuno probably meant 'the talent for making sexy dishes'! Hahaha!"

"Ma... make sexy dishes?!" Komatsu's face instantly turned red, completely unable to imagine what kind of dish that would be.

"Ufufu!" Granny Setsuno chuckled, then turned her gaze to an exquisite soup pot that had been prepared nearby, her smile becoming meaningful: "Alright, Toriko, what you reserved... is my special menu."

Toriko jumped up from his seat, his eyes fixed intently on the plain-looking soup pot that Granny Setsuno had placed on the table, his voice trembling: "Gra... Granny Setsuno! Is this..."

"The century soup!" Granny Setsuno finished the sentence for him.

"Uooooooooh!!!" Toriko immediately let out an excited, strange cry, dancing around and completely losing his usual easygoing yet relatively composed image. He could not wait to lean in close to the transparent lid, his eyes wide as he looked inside—

"Eh? Why... is it empty?" He was stunned. The inside of the pot looked completely empty, clear to the bottom, with nothing in it.

"Ufufu..." Granny Setsuno was amused by his reaction: "It is properly served inside. It is just... the transparency is so high that it is almost invisible to the naked eye, is it not?"

As she spoke, she reached out and completely lifted the lid. Hum— It was as if some kind of Seal had been broken.

An indescribable, extremely complex aroma instantly overflowed from the pot, as if it had physical substance!

Toriko, whose nose was the most sensitive, took a sharp breath. Immediately after, his eyes widened to their limit, and his face displayed an expression of near-shock: "Ooooooh...!! So, so amazing! What is this?! Hundreds? Thousands? No... it is the essence of countless ingredients, as if it has turned into a torrent of information, flooding into my mind all at once!!"

Lin Luo's gaze was also firmly drawn to that soup pot. What emanated from the pot was a vast Universe that seemed to exhaust all imaginable flavors in the world.

Just as he was marveling at it, two bowls of clear, almost transparent soup were placed in front of Toriko and Komatsu. Lin Luo had assumed this legendary "century soup" would be out of his reach, but to his surprise, Granny Setsuno also brought a bowl and placed it gently in front of him.

"Everyone who comes to the shop is a guest," Granny Setsuno said, looking at him with a gentle smile in her eyes, "Besides, you are little Erina's 'special customer.' Of course, you deserve special treatment."

As she spoke, she handed another bowl to Erina, who was already seated in her place.

"Quick, everyone, taste it while it is hot!" Granny Setsuno's voice was full of anticipation.

"So amazing!" Toriko's gaze was fixed intently on the clear soup in the bowl, and he exclaimed again, "To have such clear soup! It is even clearer and more transparent than the cold drink 'Air Water'!"

Lin Luo looked at the liquid in the bowl, which resembled the purest mountain spring water, the look of surprise in his eyes growing even more intense. It clearly looked as transparent as water, yet the aroma drifting from it was so complex and rich—the contrast was incredibly strong.

He could not help but pick up the bowl and take a gentle sip. Boom— Despite containing the ultimate umami, which seemed to hold the essence of endless ingredients, the moment it entered his mouth, it was exceptionally smooth and light, sliding down his throat like the finest silk, without any stickiness or heaviness. The flavor, complex to the extreme, unfolded in distinct layers within his mouth, yet harmoniously blended into one.

"This is truly delicious!" Lin Luo could not help but exclaim.

Beside him, Komatsu and Toriko had already begun to list the ingredients they had tasted and identified as if counting their own family heirlooms: "...the mineral sensation of volcanic rock salt... the gelatinous sweetness of deep-sea anglerfish... the freshness of Cloud Peak Grass... and a hint of mellow depth from century-old aged soy sauce..."

Erina also took a light sip. After savoring it carefully, she slightly furrowed her delicate brows and looked at Granny Setsuno: "Teacher, today's soup base... although it is richer and more profound than the versions I have tried before, and seems to incorporate even more types of ingredients, but..."

She paused, her tone carrying a hint of confusion and stubbornness: "I just feel like it is still missing some key element."

As a top student who had already tasted several different versions of the "century soup," Erina had felt since her first encounter with this dish that it had not yet reached true "perfection." During this time, Granny Setsuno had been making various subtle adjustments and attempts, each time bringing new sensations and improvements, but there was always a lingering, indescribable "flaw."

On the other side, Komatsu also nodded thoughtfully: "Yes, I also feel like it is missing something... but I cannot quite put my finger on what it is."

Toriko also expressed his agreement: "Now that you mention it... although it is already indescribably delicious, it does indeed feel like it is lacking that ultimate impact that can make a person completely intoxicated, as if falling into a dream. I have heard that the true 'century soup' is a 'gift from nature' that makes one's Soul unable to help but smile with happiness after drinking it."

The group's assessment did not make Granny Setsuno unhappy; on the contrary, it made her eyes sparkle with gratification and satisfaction. This showed that the taste and perception of the newcomers were sharper and more talented than those of their own generation.

Granny Setsuno made a decision. She leaned on her cane and said with a smile: "Since you all have such ideas... then come with me. I will take you to see the 'kitchen' I usually use to process ingredients and perform preliminary preparations!"

Toriko's expression shifted, and he instantly became excited: "Granny Setsuno's 'Inner Kitchen'?! Wow! Now I am really getting all sticky with excitement!"

Komatsu was also incredibly excited, quickly rising to his feet and following closely behind, afraid of missing even a single second.

Erina looked at Lin Luo, who was by her side, unhurriedly savoring the last bit of his dish, and found it a bit strange: "They are all so excited, how are you so calm?"

Lin Luo smiled, put the last bite of golden bread into his mouth, and chewed it with satisfaction: "I am just properly enjoying the dish you prepared for me. If I do not finish tasting it properly, I would not be doing justice to your efforts."

Erina rolled her eyes at him; this guy only knew how to say sweet things. However, the corners of her mouth still curved up almost imperceptibly.

Soon, Lin Luo also cleaned up the food in front of him, wiped his mouth, stood up, and said: "However, Granny Setsuno's underground kitchen... is probably a 'Holy Land' that is never open to the public, right? Such a rare opportunity is definitely worth visiting."

Granny Setsuno turned on the lights for the stairs leading to the basement. While walking down with her cane, she gently explained: "The kitchen in the dining hall is at best just a place to complete the final steps of cooking. My dining hall, or rather, is basically a space used for 'processing' and 'organizing'."

"Is there not a large castle next to the dining hall? This place connects to the basement over there."

After going down the stairs and turning a corner, the scene before them suddenly opened up—a massive, awe-inspiring underground kitchen was revealed before them! Countless ingredients were being processed, preserved, or cultivated in various ways.

Looking around, it was just like the ingredient section of a top-tier department store outside, dazzling and varied enough to make one's head spin! It was hard to imagine that this was actually just a kitchen! Calling it a top-tier "Ingredient Expo" would not be an exaggeration at all!

Lin Luo said in disbelief: "Underground... there is actually a place like this?! Are these... all preparations for cooking?"

Erina introduced from the side: "The completion of a dish basically depends on the preliminary processing. Although this kitchen is located underground where guests cannot see it, it is the most important core facility supporting the entire Setsunos Diner."

Lin Luo's gaze was suddenly drawn to a room separated by glass nearby. Inside, there was a large iron barrel, and a living ape with smooth fur was soaking in it comfortably, just like a human soaking in a hot spring, with an expression of enjoyment on its face.

Erina followed his gaze and explained: "This world is truly magical. For example, this creature called a 'Thorn Ape'—in an environment with a constant, comfortable temperature, its skin will exude a special substance that can make the soup base exceptionally rich and delicious."

"There is also an ingredient called 'Peach Potato.' After peeling, if it is not soaked in specific salt water at 4 degrees Celsius for a whole year, you cannot remove that annoying slippery feeling on the surface, and thus it cannot be used..."

As Erina introduced this, she could not help but sigh: "In my original world, I could not even imagine these things. I used to think I had encountered and cooked quite a few rare ingredients from all over the world, but compared to here... they were really too ordinary."

She stuck out her tongue slightly, revealing an expression mixed with wonder and satisfaction: "Now, my 'Gods Tongue' will never make me lose my appetite. Because here, even many raw ingredients that have not undergone complex cooking have a pure flavor that is enough to make my tongue feel incredibly satisfied."

Lin Luo watched the girl in front of him, who was rarely revealing such an expression of innocence and curiosity, devoid of the constant, tense pride and pressure she had at Tōtsuki, giving off a sense of relief and lightness, and he could not help but smile.

"So, in that case, coming to this world is actually a stroke of luck for you?"

Upon hearing this, Erina's eyes dimmed slightly, and she said in a low voice: "Maybe... but I also miss Tōtsuki, I miss my grandfather, I do not know how his health is. And Hisako... I disappeared so suddenly, she must be extremely panicked..."

"In that case," Lin Luo's voice sounded calmly, "let us go back early."