Multiverse Gourmet Hunter

The moment the group entered the kitchen, a rich medley of aromas swept over them.

The deep sear of roasting meat, the savory fragrance of simmering stock, and the warmth of countless spices blended together in the air.

At the stove, Yukihira Joichiro was working on a large cut of beef with one hand.

Hearing the others enter, he casually called out to Soma.

”Oh you’re back, Soma. Come give me a hand! You can take care of the vegetables over there.”

”Sure.”

Soma answered almost instinctively.

Then Joichiro noticed Haruto standing nearby and looked mildly surprised.

”Oh, it’s you—the young boss who was selling grilled meat. Didn’t expect to see you here.”

Haruto rubbed his forehead.

”Uh... Haruto is fine.”

Like father, like son.

Soma had called him almost the exact same thing before.

Joichiro grinned and nodded, then turned back to Soma.

”You handle washing and cutting the ingredients over there. The stock is nearly finished.”

”Got it.”

Soma nodded again, already planning the order in which he would tackle everything.

He took a step toward the stove—then suddenly realized that this was not Restaurant Yukihira!

Soma whipped around and stared at his father, who was still cooking as though he owned the place.

”Wait a second! What are you doing here?!”

”...”

While everyone else tried to work out the relationship between Soma and Joichiro, something occurred to Haruto.

He quickly left the kitchen and returned to his room.

A short while later, he came back carrying a piece of Jewel Meat.

Beneath the lights, the meat gleamed with the brilliant luster of a polished gemstone.

Its fine marbling formed distinct, intricate layers, while the firm flesh glistened with succulent moisture.

Even uncooked, it released a fragrance that was at once clean, rich, and almost intoxicating.

Joichiro happened to finish one of his dishes just as Haruto approached.

Haruto placed the plate holding the Jewel Meat in front of him.

A warm yet radiant sheen flowed across the meat’s surface.

Even while sitting untouched, its deep, luxurious aroma slowly spread through the kitchen, making everyone’s mouths water.

”Joichiro-san, could I ask you to prepare a dish using this Jewel Meat?”

Jewel Meat was extraordinarily valuable, but it did not require any specialized preparation method. An ordinary chef could cook it.

Haruto wanted to know whether the man once known as the Asura could truly master such an ingredient and turn it into something exceptional.

Of course, there was always a chance the meat would simply be wasted.

For Haruto, however, Jewel Meat now occupied an awkward position.

He had already eaten a great deal of it.

For someone with Gourmet Cells, the greatest growth came from tasting a completely new ingredient for the first time.

Afterward, repeated consumption generally served only to replenish energy and nutrients. It was unlikely to produce another dramatic evolution.

That meant Jewel Meat, despite its immense value, was now little more than a highly efficient source of energy for Haruto.

Using it that way felt terribly wasteful.

Still, that was not always the case.

Even if an ingredient was no longer new to him, an exceptionally delicious dish could still stimulate and strengthen his Gourmet Cells.

The dishes made from Regal Mammoth meat had already proven that.

That was precisely why Haruto had brought out this piece.

If Joichiro could transform it into something astonishing, Haruto stood to gain greatly. It might push his body and abilities even further.

Even if the final result fell short of perfection, the loss would hardly be devastating.

There was still a considerable amount of Jewel Meat stored inside Gourmet Restaurant.

Haruto also had no intention of keeping the finished dish entirely to himself.

However, he remembered that eating Jewel Meat had been what awakened his own Gourmet Cells.

If he had not been surrounded by an enormous quantity of the meat at the time, the consequences might have been disastrous.

To eliminate any possibility of an accident, Haruto had used a newly developed ability of Gourmet Restaurant to process this particular piece beforehand.

He had named the ability Ingredient Deconstruction!

By consuming his Nen, Haruto could analyze ingredients stored inside Gourmet Restaurant.

To a limited extent, he could even reconstruct and optimize them.

The cost, however, was enormous.

Although he had awakened the ability while in the Hunter × Hunter world, he had only tested it once and never used it again afterward.

This sudden desire to have Joichiro cook the Jewel Meat had prompted him to activate Ingredient Deconstruction and restructure the ingredient.

He had completely removed the possibility of it awakening Gourmet Cells in anyone who ate it, eliminating the hidden danger.

The price had been severe.

Haruto looked perfectly normal on the outside, but nearly all the Nen in his body had been exhausted.

It would likely take several days before he fully recovered.

...

Joichiro’s expression grew serious as he studied the Jewel Meat.

Its unique aroma continued to rise from the plate, as though it contained the concentrated essence of countless different meats.

He reached out and lightly pressed a fingertip against its surface, testing the texture of the flesh.

No elaborate examination was necessary.

From its fragrance and feel alone, Joichiro could tell that this ingredient surpassed every premium cut of meat he had encountered in his life.

It was a true treasure without equal.

A razor-sharp gleam flashed through his eyes.

The interest and competitive fire that had lain dormant for so long ignited all at once, sending heat surging through his blood.

After leaving Totsuki in his youth, Joichiro had traveled the world as a wandering chef.

In the vast green depths of the Amazon rainforest, he had encountered rare game from the most untouched reaches of nature.

Along the cold, rugged coasts of Northern Europe, he had tasted precious seafood drawn from the deepest waters.

In the ancient streets of the East, he had experienced humble local dishes refined by generations of craftsmanship.

The number of rare ingredients that had passed through his hands was beyond counting.

He would never claim to know every ingredient in the world, but he had never even heard of anything possessing this texture, this natural brilliance, and this perfectly harmonious fragrance.

That alone revealed just how extraordinary it was.

”Unbelievable texture... nearly perfect distribution of fat, and an aroma that reaches straight into the soul...”

Joichiro murmured quietly.

”If I want to do this ingredient justice, I’ll have to give it everything I have.”

The long-forgotten thrill of confronting an unknown ingredient of the highest quality made him feel as though he had returned to his youth, when he had chased the summit of the culinary world with reckless passion.

Every nerve in his body drew taut with focus—and yet the sensation filled him with overwhelming joy!