Erika took a small piece of the Crab Pig and nodded appreciatively.
"Yeah… it's sweet like crab, but richer."
She paused for a moment, then asked,
"Oh yeah… did you figure out what happened to Erina?"
Akira, his mouth still full, mumbled,
"What?"
Erika clarified,
"I mean the blood sample. You said she couldn't taste food like she used to, right?"
Akira paused mid-bite, then set the meat down.
"Oh, that. I did run full tests on the blood samples—ours included—to see if the Gourmet Cells affected us. But the results are… well… nothing happened… biologically, at least."
Erika leaned forward, surprised.
"What? What do you mean nothing happened?"
Akira explained patiently,
"So how should I put this… it's because she didn't have Gourmet Cells. People who are born with them get stronger the more delicious food they eat. But those not born with them can only gain them through artificial injection or by slowly building them up over years of consuming high-quality food. And since Nakiri Erina doesn't have any, she won't develop them after eating just a few foods from that world."
Erika pressed,
"Then why couldn't she taste food the same?"
Akira leaned back, thinking.
"Well, I couldn't find anything unusual in her blood, so from what I can tell, she tasted food beyond her world's ceiling. It's like how sometimes after eating at a great restaurant, normal home-cooked meals feel bland for a while. With her God Tongue, the effect got multiplied by so many levels."
Erika's eyes widened with realization.
"Wait… isn't that exactly what the contract between your families wanted you to save her from?"
Akira let out a long sigh.
"Yep. Now the situation has already reached this point."
Erika asked seriously,
"So how do we fix this?"
Akira replied,
"Well, the easiest way is to keep feeding her more and more delicious things… or reduce the extreme sensitivity of her God Tongue."
Erika frowned.
"But… the contract said you have to help her without doing that, right?"
Akira nodded.
"Well, that's true. The other way is to make her enjoy not just the food, but other things too."
Erika tilted her head.
"What do you mean?"
Akira picked up another piece of Crab Pig.
"Happy memories or happiness itself can make even mediocre food taste good."
Erika thought for a bit and asked,
"Is it like how sometimes food from the carnival tastes good because we're already having fun?"
Akira smiled.
"Yep, that's exactly it. It's like how food cooked by someone you love tastes better."
He lifted the Crab Pig meat in his hand meaningfully.
Erika blushed slightly.
Then Selena suddenly spoke up, biting into a piece of Crab Pig.
"Are you saying this is why you always ask her to cook even though you're better at it? I thought it was because you're lazy."
Akira turned to her, startled.
"No, I'm not lazy. I'm just busy with some more interesting things… wait, sis, since when were you here?"
Erika also turned, shocked.
At some point during the conversation, Selena had somehow appeared beside them, casually eating.
Selena smiled innocently.
"Just now. I wanted to eat Erika-chan's food too."
Akira reached out quickly.
"Nope, it's for me!"
But Selena dodged easily.
"Why so stingy? I want some too."
Erika finally intervened, sighing.
"Both of you, don't play around while eating. Eat normally."
Both siblings immediately stopped and said,
"Okay."
Then Erika sat down too, recovering from her blush, and asked,
"So… do you actually have a plan to help Erina?"
Akira answered immediately, "Nope. I have no idea how to help her."
Erika blinked.
"What?"
After the way he had explained the problem so confidently, she had seriously thought he already had a plan.
Akira smiled slightly, looking unusually unsure.
"This problem should be solved psychologically rather than my way. But I'm completely new when it comes to emotions. What if I mess it up badly? I can't even deal with my own situation… how am I supposed to help her?"
Erika went silent, realizing he was right.
But then… how were they supposed to deal with it?
Selena, still casually eating, spoke up.
"Don't worry. I'll think of something."
Akira narrowed his eyes.
"Really?"
Selena smiled innocently.
"Yes. If you can't come up with something, I will."
Akira muttered,
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"
Selena waved it off.
"It's fine, it's fine. Don't worry—it's nothing dangerous."
Akira now felt even more uneasy than before.
But since he had no idea what she was planning, he let it go for now.
Erika shifted the topic.
"Wait, you said you tested our blood too, right? Is there any change in us, since we're not normal humans like her?"
Akira nodded.
"Well, not really. To be honest, I'm not even sure if we will develop anything from the Gourmet Cells."
Erika asked,
"We won't?"
Akira explained,
"Well, I told you how I made it so the food I eat is directly converted into mana, right? That's why I eat so much."
Erika nodded.
Akira continued,
"It's the same here. My metabolism and digestive system are so powerful that even the Gourmet Cells get broken down and converted into mana. The amount that actually stays in my body is so low, I don't think I'll develop any powers related to that."
Erika nodded, thinking it made sense, then asked,
"Then what about me?"
Akira hesitated, then said,
"Well, for you it's… how should I put it… your primary source of sustenance is…"
Before he could drag it out, Selena bluntly finished,
"Your primary source of food is my brother. More specifically, his blood. Even though you like the foods from that world, I'm sure you still prefer my brother's blood, right?"
Erika blushed furiously, stuttering.
"Wait, that's not true… That's…"
Akira immediately leaned in with sparkling eyes.
"Really? So what does my blood taste like? You never tell me."
Erika leaned back, still blushing.
"I will not tell you."
Akira leaned in closer.
"But I want to…"
But before he could say anything, Erika shoved a large leg of Crab Pig into his mouth.
"Go finish eating first!"
Akira swallowed it quickly.
Seeing she was getting angry, he changed the subject.
"So… what should we do about the Rainbow Fruit? Should we invite her, or is it too much for her right now?"
Selena answered,
"Well, I think it's okay to invite her. Since the problem has already happened, we can use this to see how she reacts too."
Akira nodded.
"Well, that makes sense."
Then Erika asked,
"Wait, did you already plant them?"
Akira took another big bite before answering.
"I planted them yesterday, before anything else. They should have grown quite a bit by now."
After drinking some water, Erika asked,
"Shall we take a look?"
Akira nodded, swallowing.
"Sure. After we finish eating, let's have a walk in the castle fields."
Erika and Selena finished their portions fairly quickly—the Crab Pig was rich and heavy, so a small portion is enough for them.
Akira, however, was nowhere near done.
To keep up with them, he transformed into his adult Direwolf form with a flash of light—a massive white wolf with glowing purple eyes.
Then he quite literally wolfed down the rest of the Crab Pig in huge, satisfied bites.
Selena watched him for a moment, then suddenly climbed onto his broad, fluffy back.
"Come on, let's go."
Akira paused mid-bite, his ears twitching.
"Wait, what are you doing?"
Selena settled comfortably.
"What? I want to try it too. It's not fair that only Erika and Erina get to ride on your back."
Akira grumbled,
"What do you think I am? A public bus? Get off."
But Selena just hugged his neck tighter.
"Come on, what's the problem? Look, even Erika-chan wants to ride you again."
Akira turned his big wolf head toward Erika.
Erika's eyes were sparkling as she looked at his fluffy white fur.
"I mean… it felt really good last time. It's so fluffy and…"
Akira let out a long, defeated wolf sigh.
"…Fine."
With both girls on his back, Akira carried them through the lab section and out into the vast castle fields.
They arrived at the controlled growth chamber area, where part of the empty field had already been dedicated to the Toriko ingredients he replanted.
Rows of Toriko ingredients were already thriving under magical acceleration.
Patches of pale, glossy Cream Mushrooms grew in neat clusters.
Bright golden Golden Carrots stood tall with uniform color.
Curved Banana Cucumbers hung from vines, while Bacon Leaves spread across the ground like a salty green carpet.
Almond Cabbage, Cabbecheese, Cartilage Cabbage, and Soda Watermelons filled other sections, each looking vibrant and healthy.
In the center of it all stood three Rainbow Fruit trees.
Their branches were heavy with glowing, multicolored fruits that shimmered beautifully under the starlight, far more abundant than when they had first brought them back.
Even with all the new plants, most of the field was still empty, waiting for future additions.
They explored the area slowly.
Akira explained as they walked,
"I originally wanted to plant everything in the controlled growth chamber, but Selena said it's better to use this open field for normal plants. The chamber is reserved for dangerous or extremely picky species that won't grow well in normal conditions."
Erika looked around, impressed.
"They're growing so well already…"
Selena, still comfortably seated on Akira's back, added,
"So… when should we invite Erina to taste the Rainbow Fruit?"
Akira thought for a moment.
"Well, I already ran some tests on them, so…"
Back at Totsuki, Nakiri Erina was once again performing her duty as the God Tongue.
An elite chef stood before her, presenting his latest masterpiece with trembling hands.
The dish looked exquisite—elegant plating, steam rising with delicate aromas.
Erina took one elegant bite.
Her expression remained ice-cold.
"Disgusting."
The chef flinched as if struck.
Erina continued without mercy, her voice sharp and precise.
"The sweetness is cloying and overpowers the acidity. The texture is mushy where it should be crisp, and the seasoning is heavy-handed and unbalanced. This isn't cuisine. It's an insult to the ingredients."
The defeated chef bowed deeply, face pale, and fled the room without a word.
Hisako, standing faithfully at her side, asked gently,
"Erina-sama… that's it for today's schedule."
Erina hummed absently, staring at the plate with distant eyes.
"Hmm…"
Hisako hesitated, then spoke carefully.
"Erina-sama… is something wrong?"
Erina snapped out of it.
"What?"
Hisako continued, a little nervous but concerned.
"You've been lost in thought lately. And your standards for food… they've become even stricter ever since you met that boy."
Erina's irritation flared instantly.
Ever since she tasted foods from that world, most food now tastes so unbearably bland…
"It's all his fault. And he hasn't even contacted me about the Rainbow Fruit yet…"
She quickly composed herself, lifting her chin with her usual pride.
"It's nothing. I'm just distracted."
Hisako asked with a frown.
"Is it because of that boy?"
Erina immediately said,
"No."
As they were talking, Erina's phone suddenly rang.
She glanced at the screen.
The name displayed: Hoshino Akira.