Multiverse Gourmet Hunter

After taking another sip of his drink, Soma suddenly remembered something.

He turned toward the others with a curious expression.

"Hey... what exactly are the Elite Ten?"

The room fell silent for a moment.

Once Ryoko recovered, she looked at Soma in disbelief.

"Wait, you seriously want us to explain that?"

"You really did come to Totsuki without knowing a single thing, didn’t you?" Yuki added, unable to resist teasing him.

Now she finally understood how Soma had dared to announce that he would rise above everyone else.

Yuki turned toward Marui Zenji.

"Marui, you explain it."

"Why me?"

Zenji frowned, clearly reluctant.

Did something this basic really need an explanation?

"Come on, don’t complain. Think of it as helping the new guy," Ryoko urged gently.

Zenji looked around at them helplessly, adjusted his glasses, and sighed in resignation.

"Honestly, you people..."

He cleared his throat before beginning.

"Listen carefully. The Totsuki Elite Ten Council is made up of the ten highest-ranked students in the entire academy."

"A great deal of Totsuki’s administration is handled through student self-government..."

"In other words, the Elite Ten are effectively the academy’s highest decision-making body..."

As Zenji continued explaining, a fierce sense of ambition rose inside Soma.

So, if he wanted to stand above everyone at Totsuki, he would have to take the First Seat of the Elite Ten?

...

Footsteps suddenly approached from the hallway.

A moment later, Isshiki Satoshi opened the door and entered with his usual warm smile.

Sato Shoji and Aoki Daigo followed behind him.

"Suzuki Haruto-kun, Yukihira Soma-kun."

Isshiki stepped forward and offered them his hand, his smile as warm as spring sunshine.

"Welcome to Polar Star Dormitory. I’m second-year Isshiki Satoshi. You can call me Isshiki-senpai."

"I look forward to living with you, Isshiki-senpai."

Haruto shook his hand, followed by Soma.

Isshiki withdrew his hand and looked around the room, genuine happiness shining in his eyes.

"I’m truly delighted!"

"We now have two more companions with whom to share these precious days of youth."

"Nothing could make me happier!"

"Young people living beneath the same roof and eating from the same table—that is youth! That is student life!"

"I moved into this dormitory because I longed for exactly this kind of experience."

Isshiki spread his arms wide.

"Come! Let us celebrate the brilliant dormitory life awaiting us!"

Despite the passion in Isshiki’s speech, Haruto could not stop himself from mocking him internally.

’What do you mean, longing for a youthful student life? You obviously moved here because it’s the only place that lets you run wild.’

There was probably nowhere else at Totsuki that would tolerate a student crawling through the ceiling or wandering around in nothing but a fundoshi or an apron!

"Putting all that aside..." Shoji rubbed his forehead and sighed. "Senpai, could you please stop calling us through the ceiling?"

He still remembered the first time Isshiki had suddenly spoken to him from above. The shock had nearly sent his soul flying from his body.

Haruto silently nodded in wholehearted agreement.

His senses might be unusually sharp, but that did not mean he enjoyed seeing someone’s head emerge from his ceiling.

Unfortunately, getting Isshiki to abandon the habit was probably impossible.

"Hmm? You don’t like it?"

Isshiki tilted his head, then looked thoughtfully at the speaking tube in the corner.

"Should I use that to summon the boys from now on too?"

"Tadokoro always comes whenever I use it."

"B-because..." Tadokoro Megumi explained miserably, "if I don’t go and check quickly, Isshiki-senpai keeps calling my name through the tube every few minutes..."

Daigo looked speechless.

Just imagining it made his scalp crawl!

"Being called over and over would definitely get annoying," Shoji admitted after weighing the options. "Maybe the ceiling is better after all."

At least they had grown used to it.

Repeated bombardment through the speaking tube sounded much worse.

Soma looked around at everyone, then at Haruto, who remained completely calm.

"Why do I get the feeling everyone in this dorm is a total weirdo?"

Haruto had seemed perfectly normal before this.

Soma was suddenly beginning to worry about what his life at Polar Star would be like.

"I think you’ll fit in with everyone pretty quickly, Soma-kun," Megumi remarked.

As far as she was concerned, Soma was every bit as strange as the others.

"All right, everyone! You’ve all got a drink, haven’t you?"

Isshiki clapped his hands, drawing everyone’s attention back to him.

He lifted his glass with a brilliant smile.

"To welcome Suzuki Haruto and Yukihira Soma into Polar Star Dormitory—"

"And to the glory of Polar Star!"

"Cheers!"

Everyone raised their voices together.

...

The party quickly came alive, and even Zenji, who had resisted the gathering from the beginning, soon became fully caught up in the mood.

"Hahaha! Ryoko’s fermented rice drink is fantastic! Give me another glass!"

Haruto raised his cup, laughter shining in his eyes.

He genuinely enjoyed this atmosphere.

It was young, lively, and overflowing with energy!

"Food! We’re running out of food! Hahaha!"

Soma slapped the floor, having completely thrown himself into the celebration as well.

"I’ll bring over what I smoked today."

Ibusaki Shun, who had been quietly drinking until then, calmly rose to his feet.

He left the room and soon returned carrying an elegant wooden tray.

"Smoked cheese and three varieties of beef jerky."

Haruto picked up a piece of jerky and placed it in his mouth.

A rich smoky fragrance immediately spread across his tongue. The meat was firm and pleasantly chewy, becoming more flavorful with every bite.

The salty cheese paired beautifully with the smoke as well.

"This is excellent."

Haruto made a mental note to learn smoking techniques from Shun sometime.

Perhaps he could eventually try making smoked Jewel Meat.

Not to be outdone, Daigo soon brought over a plate piled with assorted fried vegetables.

"Dig in! I picked these vegetables fresh from the fields out back. I guarantee they’re delicious!"

"They’re definitely delicious!"

Soma was the first to grab a large piece and stuff it into his mouth.

"Hahaha! See? I told you!" Daigo puffed out his chest proudly.

"The fried shrimp I made last week was much better," Shoji replied calmly while continuing to eat the vegetables.

"What?"

Daigo immediately turned toward him, sparks practically flying between their eyes.

The room grew even louder.

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