Exploding Worms

Although the weather here was exceptionally cold, everyone's enthusiasm for finding the broth was running high.

"The journey is only officially beginning now. We have to conserve our strength for emergencies." Machi smiled as he spoke.

"Then take a break for a while, Machi," Takimaru said.

"I should at least store up enough strength to surprise you all." Machi found a quiet place to rest, planning to recover his stamina afterward.

He had just gone from a state of exhaustion to one of maximum tension. The greater the power released in an instant, the greater the destructive force, but it should have been directly proportional to his energy and stamina. Since the bitter cold had already drained him, Machi looked rather tired.

Natalie asked a subordinate of the Gourmet Gang, "Um... Mr. Machi, why did he come to obtain the Century Broth?"

The Gourmet Gang subordinate replied, "Nairge Street. That's the street where we live."

Natalie said, "I heard it's a slum—the IGO's non-member food lawless city, Nairge."

Takimaru said, "It's a lawless area where ingredients forbidden from circulation are openly bought and sold. About one-tenth of the prisoners sent to the Gourmet Prison come from Nairge Street. It's their production factory."

One of the Gourmet Gang's subordinates said, "We're truly sorry. That's our hometown too."

Another said, "Although it looks as though Machi accepted this commission for the reward, in truth, he did it for the orphans waiting in his hometown."

Another added, "The three of us were originally street urchins too—a bunch of filthy little children. Back then, the only person who responded to our begging was none other than Mr. Machi, who was already the Gourmet Gang's second-in-command!"

"Mr. Machi let us children, who had only ever eaten food scraps, taste delicious food we had never experienced