After breakfast, the clock had slipped to 10 a.m.
Following a short rest, Shuu-sensei brought Shun to a broad courtyard.
"The foundation of Food Honor is to bring both hands together and bow with a grateful heart."
Solemn, Shuu explained, "You've learned the basic posture, but you must keep the gesture correct at all times, otherwise—"
Fresh off the Egg Rice practice, Shun felt confident—like he'd fully grasped the basics.
"Shuu-sensei, I've already got the fundamentals down—hands together, offer thanks to the ingredient." He pressed his palms together, a bit absentmindedly.
The words had barely fallen when a cactus at the courtyard's edge snapped to life.
Sssht!
A single thorn launched like an arrow and grazed Shun's cheek.
"Hiss—!"
Stinging, he touched his face; his fingertip came away with a thin smear of red.
He stared at the cactus, pupils tightening. "What… is that?!"
Shuu's lips quirked. "I told you—the posture must be absolutely correct. Even a hint of slackness, and the Etiquette Cactus won't hesitate to punish."
Only then did Shun realize this wasn't an ordinary plant but a special training organism used at Shokurin Temple—the Etiquette Cactus. The moment it sensed an improper attitude, it fired thorns as correction.
"Food Honor is not a form—it's a state," Shuu said. "Your movement looked right, but your heart was restless."
Shun drew a deep breath and reset his mindset.
This time, he closed his eyes. His hands met slowly—fingertips touching, a hollow in the palms. Inwardly, he whispered words of thanks.
The cactus stood quiet, no sign of hostility.
Shuu nodded, satisfied. "Good. That is true Food Honor."
…
Until nightfall, Shun remained in the courtyard, practicing the bow of Food Honor.
When evening came, he thought he might finally sleep—but Shuu came again.
"Now, the final training of the day."
From his sleeve, Shuu produced a small wooden box. Inside lay a pea-sized seed, its surface tinting faintly pink.
"This is the seed of Ham Rose."
"Ham… Rose?" Shun leaned closer.
"It's a special ingredient," Shuu explained. "When it blooms, it opens like a rose, and the petals are paper-thin slices of top-grade ham—fragrant and melt-in-mouth."
"But its conditions are severe—it must be watched over day and night by a trainee with a pure heart of Food Honor, until it flowers."
Shun blinked. "So… I sit with it until it blooms?"
"Exactly." Shuu passed him the seed. "And you may not slacken, not even a little. Or else…"
He tilted his chin toward the Etiquette Cactus.
Shun's mouth twitched. "Got it."
If not for the Gourmet Cells he'd integrated beforehand, Shun's old body would never have survived training this relentless.
Such was a full day at Shokurin Temple.
The days that followed were the same.
Morning, noon, and night—even sleep was training.
You reap what you sow.
As he poured out sweat, his strength rose visibly.
—Time skip—
Several days later.
Shun stood with Shuu at the temple gate.
Morning mist pooled over the greenstone path. With a simple pack on his back, Shun paused beneath the lintel.
His features had hardened; a steady light lived behind his eyes.
"Shuu-sensei, thank you for your teaching these days." Shun bowed deeply. The gratitude came from the heart.
Although the system-given identity had ensured a bit of extra care, every inch of improvement had been earned with sweat.
Smiling as always, hands folded behind him, Shuu said, "Your progress exceeded my expectations. You completed the basics of Food Honor within half a month—beyond ninety-nine percent of people. But the ultimate mystery of Food Honor—that you can still comprehend."
The ultimate mystery… capturing the Soap Bubble Fruit.
Shun held the thought quietly.
"Shuu-sensei, I'll come back in a few months to challenge the final mystery. I need to settle matters first." He bowed again and turned from Shokurin Temple.
As he left the temple grounds, the system's clear chime rang in his mind.
"Ding. Congratulations on completing the quest [Improve Yourself]. Rewards: +100 Energy Points; Culinary Tool [Blade of Food Honor]. Item placed in System Inventory. Retrieve with intent."
Shun summoned it at once.
A blade settled into his hand—dark-silver through the body, the edge limned with a faint blue glow. The grip was wound with a vinework pattern, and when his fingers closed, it felt… related, as if it knew him.
"As expected of a system tool—nothing like the kitchen knife back home."
He gave it a light swing. The arc it traced sang with a thin wind-note.
"If it's a Blade of Food Honor… what happens if I invoke Food Honor with it?"
He formed the thought of thanks.
The blue along the edge brightened, almost alive.
Text unfurled across his retina:
[Blade of Food Honor]
Trait: Manifests the wielder's Food Honor state; minimizes damage to ingredients.
Special Effect: Preserves flavor and nutrition perfectly while cutting; the edge evolves as your Food Honor deepens.
Notes: A system-crafted exclusive—one of a kind, bound to the Host.
"…A growth-type chef's knife? That's insane."
Reluctant to put it down, he suddenly remembered the gift from Shuu and drew out a box wrapped in a protective air-cushion.
Inside were a little over a hundred grains of Egg Rice.
"Egg Rice is a kind of egg… Tomorrow's exam…"
A smile tugged at his lips.
So-called God Tongue—before ingredients from another world, it can only bow its head.
He stowed the box carefully. He didn't dare wander: the temple is ringed by a sea of trees filled with dangerous beasts—stray too far and you'll find trouble.
Finding a secluded spot, he chose to return to the Shokugeki world.
"Ding! Returning to original world. Energy Points not consumed."
…
(End of Chapter)
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