Menchi’s mood was somewhat complicated.

Just moments ago, she had been telling Misty about how formidable Barkslong was, firmly stating that no one would be able to capture it. Yet now, Barkslong had been brought back alive.

“Ron…”

“Alice…”

“To think they were capable of capturing even Barkslong. They’ve already reached that level of strength?”

“There’s no need to compare further. Just capturing Barkslong alone is enough to prove the strength of Ron and Alice.”

Voices of discussion rose among the crowd.

The middle-aged woman’s expression turned grave. They had previously considered whether or not they should try challenging Barkslong, but after serious thought, they had chosen to give up. With the strength the two of them possessed, it would have been exceedingly difficult, and even if they succeeded, they likely would have suffered heavy injuries.

As for the others, in their view, none of them had the capability to capture Barkslong. So the two had concluded there was no need to take such a risk. Capturing ingredients within the scope of their own abilities would be enough to secure first place in the competition.

“So young and accomplished.”

“This is what true genius looks like.”

At the start, very few people had high hopes for Ron and Alice in this parliamentary candidate competition.

Aside from Menchi and Buhara, who were familiar with Ron’s strength, most in Gourmet Paradise didn’t know much about him.

And Alice was more widely seen as a chef.

Even though she had reached the level of an A-rank Nen user, Alice’s abilities were purely culinary in nature, and it was assumed that her combat capabilities couldn’t possibly be too high.

But they knew how Barkslong was overwhelmingly powerful.

“At first, everyone thought Ron was the one getting the better end of the contract with Alice. Alice’s talent and potential are unmatched in all of Gourmet Paradise.”

“No one can compare to her. There’s no one in all of Gourmet Paradise who can. Ron is stronger than most younger generations here, but we thought it was still within reason.”

“Yet now, it seems that’s no longer the case. In the process of capturing Barkslong, the one who must have contributed the most… was surely Ron.”

“To defeat and capture Barkslong at his age—what kind of talent and strength must that take?” (Note: If you need a mental image of Barkslong, just think of an earth dragon. That is why they are so surprised.)

“In the future, how far will Ron’s power reach?”

Even Menchi and Buhari were surprised, though not as much as the others.

Back during the Hunter Exam, they had already taken notice of Ron’s abilities. They had even heard Netero’s evaluation of him.

At that time, Ron had already surpassed the two of them. Now, after even more time had passed, Ron’s strength could only have grown further.

“And it wasn’t just Barkslong! There were two more ingredients. Both of extremely high capture difficulty.”

“One was Capture Level 10.”

“The other, Capture Level 9.”

“Unbelievable.”

Alice began preparing the dishes. There wasn’t much time left in the competition, but for her, it was more than enough.

Not long after, three complete dishes were finished.

The middle-aged woman carried the plates to Linne’s table.

Linne picked up her chopsticks and began tasting the food.

Then, she assigned her scores.

Very quickly, the final rankings were released.

Ron and Alice’s team placed first without any doubt, and by a huge margin ahead of second and third place.

The middle-aged man and woman came in second.

Menchi and Buhara took third.

Truthfully, this outcome was unexpected for many.

Most had thought Ron and Alice were merely participating for experience. No one had expected them to come in first.

Few believed Ron and Alice would secure a parliamentary seat.

Even if both of them were undeniably talented and had strong backgrounds—Alice being Linne’s great-granddaughter was practically an open secret—people assumed Ron and Alice were still the future, not the present.

If they had come in third, people would have speculated.

They might have suspected that Linne gave them special treatment, that the competition was unfair, and that she had pulled strings to elevate Alice.

But once everyone witnessed Ron and Alice capture Barkslong, those suspicions vanished.

No one would question Ron and Alice earning a parliamentary seat.

At most, those who ended up fourth—just behind Menchi and Buhara by a slim margin—might feel a bit of jealousy.

“The results of the competition are out,” Linne said. “Top three teams, please come forward.”

Ron and Alice.

Menchi and Buhara.

The middle-aged pair.

All three teams stepped up.

Linne said, “According to the rules, only one person may serve as the councilor, representing both the Gourmet Hunter and the chef. You may discuss amongst yourselves who will take the seat.”

Menchi and Buhara exchanged a glance.

Moments later, Menchi stepped forward.

Ron and Alice had nothing to add.

Even if they had fulfilled the contract, it was impossible for Ron to be tied down to Gourmet Paradise.

So the councilor position would naturally go to Alice.

As for the middle-aged pair, the man stepped forward.

Linne nodded.

“In that case, it’s settled. Starting today, the three of you will serve as provisional councilors of Gourmet Paradise. Your probation period will last one year. If you qualify by the end of it, you’ll become official councilors.”

“You now possess the authority and resources of a councilor, and likewise must bear the responsibilities and duties.”

“That’s all. Everyone else may leave.”

The crowd began dispersing. The participants who didn’t make it drifted off one by one. Misty and the others, who were spectators, left soon after.

Soon, the plaza grew quiet.

The effects brought about by the Fallen One’s incident in Gourmet Paradise had mostly been resolved.

“Ron, I didn’t expect you to capture even Barkslong,” Menchi said after hesitating.

“Ron, Alice, I know this might be a bit much to ask, but… may I make a request?”

“What is it?”

“Would it be alright if Buhara and I use some of the Barkslong meat in our cooking?”

Barkslong was massive in size.

The amount Alice had used to cook for the competition was minimal. Much remained.

To chefs, seeing a high-grade ingredient made it almost impossible not to want to prepare it.

“Of course,” Ron answered without hesitation.

“These days in Gourmet Paradise, you and Buhara have taken good care of us. You can take as much of the Barkslong meat as you’d like.”

“Thank you so much, Ron,” Menchi’s eyes lit up.

Ron, too, was curious to see what kind of dish Menchi and Buhara would craft from Barkslong meat.

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