"John, I was wondering, would it be possible for me to install another collection box beside your ranch?"
John had heard the entire conversation between the two of them and understood exactly why Gario was doing this. He laughed heartily and agreed without hesitation. "Of course, no problem at all."
"And you, Silas?" he asked.
"I have no objections whatsoever. If anything, I'm the one taking advantage of you, John."
The purpose of a collection box was very simple.
Ranch owners would place the items they wanted to sell inside, and by evening, someone would come to retrieve the goods and leave behind the corresponding amount of League Coins based on that day's market price.
It was convenient for both sides—a truly great invention.
With all three parties in agreement, Gario immediately stated that someone would come the next day to build a new collection box.
"Oh right, Silas, did you come today to sell something?" Gario suddenly asked.
"Oh! Right—almost forgot," Silas exclaimed.
He hurriedly removed the bamboo basket from Mudbray's back and revealed the mushrooms inside.
"Wow! So many morels and chanterelles! Where did you find these?" Gario asked in surprise.
"In the back mountain," Silas said, pointing toward the Chatot circling in the sky. "It was the one that led me there."
"Mr. Gario, how much are these worth?"
"Hold on, let me calculate," Gario said as he squatted down, pulled out a calculator, and began counting them one by one.
While he was busy, Silas took out another small bag of mushrooms. "John, these are for you."
"I can't accept them," John said after just one glance, immediately understanding their value. For a newly established ranch, being able to take out items like these was no easy matter.
"We're neighbors. Exchanging local specialties is perfectly normal," Silas replied.
Without giving John any chance to refuse, he pressed the bag into his hands. Whether John chose to sell them or eat them was entirely up to him.
"Morels, fifteen kilos, priced at 250 League Coins per kilo, totaling 3,750 League Coins."
"Chanterelles, twenty-one kilos, priced at 300 League Coins per kilo, totaling 6,300 League Coins."
"That comes to 10,050 League Coins. Silas, take it."
An income of over ten thousand League Coins—far beyond what Silas had expected.
He looked over with a puzzled expression.
"You don't know yet, do you?" Gario explained. "Shalour City is about to host a Beach Festival. Ingredients like mushrooms that enhance flavor and are good for soups have all gone up in price."
"You and John should go gather more mushrooms from the back mountain. They'll sell for high prices."
"So that's how it is," Silas said in realization, nodding as he accepted the ten thousand League Coins without a shred of guilt.
After chatting with the two of them for a while longer, Silas saw that it was getting late and took his leave.
Mudbray's side packs were stuffed full of seasonal vegetables—John's return gift.
Back at the ranch, the Kangaskhan that had stayed behind immediately crowded around him, circling him excitedly.
Silas soothed them for a bit and sent them off to play.
He then headed into the kitchen to start preparing dinner.
There were still plenty of mushrooms left at home, and he planned to make a full mushroom feast.
Before cooking, he carefully washed the white truffle and placed it on the windowsill to dry. Turning it into dried mushrooms was the best way to prevent spoilage.
As for the other mushrooms, they were going to be eaten today, so there was no need to dry them.
Standing by the stove, Silas looked at the cleaned morels and chanterelles, pondering what to make.
Got it!
Old hen stewed with morels—freshness layered upon freshness. It was bound to be delicious.
With soup decided, he needed a stir-fry as well.
His gaze fell on the leafy greens nearby, their leaves still glistening with dew.
Chanterelles stir-fried with seasonal vegetables should be excellent too.
With a plan in mind, Silas got to work.
He chopped the chicken into pieces, blanched them in boiling water to remove impurities, then transferred them to a clay pot. He added scallion segments, ginger slices, red dates, and cooking wine, bringing it to a boil over high heat.
Once the water boiled, he turned the heat down low and let it simmer, then moved on to preparing the vegetables.
A broccoli head larger than a washbasin was cut into small florets, and carrots were sliced thinly.
With all the ingredients ready, Silas didn't rush.
If he stir-fried now, the dish would be cold by the time they ate.
He walked over to the windowsill and glanced at the lingering glow of the sunset in the west.
Calling Kangaskhan and the others back inside, he decided it was better to stay indoors as the air was gradually turning chilly.
The Mudbray returned to their shed. They had already eaten dinner and were lying together, yawning one after another.
Not wanting to disturb them, Silas went back into the house.
There, Kangaskhan and Minccino stared at him with eager eyes, their noses twitching constantly.
Silas tapped them lightly in annoyance. "Hang in there a bit longer. An old hen takes a long time to stew properly."
"Kang~"
"Min!"
While it still wasn't completely dark, Silas took out his notebook and recorded the day's gains.
League Calendar, Year 198, Spring, January 17
Income: 10,050 League Coins
Total funds: 20,060 League Coins
He had taken a big step forward toward his goal of saving 100,000 League Coins.
…
Lifting the lid off the pot, a rich aroma rushed out. The umami of the morels blended perfectly with the richness of the old hen—just the smell alone was enough to make one's mouth water.
Two figures immediately appeared beside Silas. Minccino and Kangaskhan swallowed hard, their eyes locked onto the pot without blinking.
After simmering for over an hour, the golden, translucent chicken soup had a light layer of oil floating on top, glowing like amber.
"Kang~!"
Kangaskhan whined urgently, completely unable to wait any longer.
"Easy, easy," Silas said helplessly, glancing at the greedy Kangaskhan. When it came to his own Pokémon, there was only one word—indulgence.
Before even checking the dish's effect, Silas ladled out bowls of chicken soup for Kangaskhan and Minccino.
"Eat slowly—it's still hot."
After reminding them, Silas picked up a large bowl and quickly headed to the Mudbray shed.
Mudbray didn't eat meat, but drinking soup was no problem. Aside from the broth, their bowls only contained morels.
"Mud~" ×3
Mudbray: ?(.•ω•.)ノ♡
"As long as you like it. Eat slowly—I'll head back now."
After giving each of them a pat, Silas returned to the house.
He also brought Chatot along—after all, the biggest contributor couldn't be forgotten.
Watching the Pokémon at the table, heads down and devouring their food, Silas finally had the time to activate his cheat ability and check the dish's effects.
[Morel Mushroom Chicken Soup (B+): A century-level collision of freshness upon freshness. Every sip is pure enjoyment. One of the ingredients used to make Century Soup.
Dish Effect: Century Soup Flavor]
"Hmm? Century Soup?!"
Something wasn't right.
This wasn't Harvest Moon—how did Toriko suddenly sneak in here?!
Driven by curiosity, Silas tapped on the dish effect description.
[Century Soup Flavor: An unparalleled level of umami. One of the components used to create Century Soup. After consumption, Pokémon will experience a journey of ultimate freshness, during which they will gain unique and irreplaceable enhancements to their abilities.]
Got it—customized Pokémon enhancement service.
Just from this description alone, Silas was already looking forward to the real Century Soup. Its quality had to be at least S-rank.
Compared to the Morel Mushroom Chicken Soup, the chanterelle stir-fried vegetables were far more ordinary. The dish effect was simply Stamina Recovery (Large).
Even though the effect was plain, the taste was anything but. Silas ended up eating two full bowls of rice.
Not a single scrap of dinner was left behind. Kangaskhan even hugged the soup pot and licked it clean.
After the meal, Silas urged Kangaskhan and the others to go to sleep.
After a quick wash, he lay down on the bed with Minccino in his arms.
In the blink of an eye, all sounds within the ranch faded away, leaving behind a sense of peace and tranquility.
The effects of Century Soup Flavor quietly took hold as the Pokémon slept, subtly strengthening their bodies and abilities without a sound.
(End of Chapter)