"Everyone, just ahead is Gourmet Paradise!"
At a massive port, a white cruise ship docked. Some passengers had just arrived, while others were preparing to leave. Most of the people onboard were tourists, and as for cargo ships, they had a separate port entirely.
But even just for passenger traffic, Gourmet Paradise didn't rely on a single dock—there were many, spread across the area. The sheer volume of people flowing through this place was immense, and this flow of visitors brought incredible wealth to the city. Anyone able to come here possessed significant purchasing power; in fact, the total wealth circulating through Gourmet Paradise could rival that of a small nation, and likely exceeded the GDP of many countries.
This was a paradise for lovers of food, and at the same time, a haven for entertainment.
As the cruise ship came to a stop at the dock, a gangway was lowered. Ron walked down first. Two figures had already been waiting below. As Ron and his group of four appeared, Menchi and Buhara looked over. Menchi jumped up and waved. "Ron, over here!" But compared to Buhara, she was far less eye-catching—his sheer size made him stand out at the entire port.
Ron immediately spotted him. "Let's go." Ron led Shizuku and the others over toward Menchi and Buhara. When they arrived, he greeted the two.
"Senior Menchi, Senior Buhara."
Both of them smiled. "Welcome to Gourmet Paradise."
"Come with us. The car's parked outside—vehicles aren't allowed in here."
"Oh, by the way, Ron, who are these three?" Menchi looked over at Shizuku, Misty, and Sally. She could tell they were Nen users, that much was clear.
"They're members of my team," Ron said, introducing them. "This is Shizuku, Misty, and Sally." He then turned to the girls. "This is Senior Menchi and Senior Buhara—they were my examiners during the Hunter Exam."
After introductions were exchanged, the group of six headed outside. The first thing they saw was a road so wide it could barely be called a road—it looked more like an open plaza, and if not for the moving vehicles, that's what it would've been.
Menchi and Buhara approached a large van.
"Hop in, I'll take you to your lodging," said Menchi, taking the driver's seat. Buhara opened the passenger door and, with some effort, squeezed himself inside. Once Buhara was in, there wasn't much room left—his build took up an enormous amount of space. This was likely the reason they used such a large, customized van. Fortunately, Ron and the others were of normal build and could still fit.
The engine let out a rumble—not quite a roar, more like a wheeze—as the vehicle started moving. It wobbled for a moment before finally stabilizing.
Ron looked around. The streets were filled with restaurants, packed with people coming and going in a lively stream. Enticing aromas wafted out into the air—one could feel the deliciousness in the scent alone.
Despite the volume of traffic and crowds, Gourmet Paradise was planned exceptionally well. Even with such large foot traffic, the area was not congested. Menchi drove efficiently, and they soon left the outer district and entered the inner region, where there were far fewer people—a stark contrast.
"Buhara and I run a shop here. It's spacious and has accommodations. You and your team can stay there for the duration of your time in Gourmet Paradise."
Before long, the van pulled into a large courtyard. "We're here."
Everyone disembarked. Ron glanced around. "This is your shop?"
"That's right," Menchi replied.
It was massive—hardly a shop at all, more like a garden estate. "This is the place Buhara and I run. The front yard is small; that's where we serve guests. That building over there is the kitchen and dining hall. The back courtyard is much larger, but we don't employ staff—so when we open for business, it's just Buhara and me. Because of that, we can only accommodate a very limited number of guests."
"This area over here is for lodging. How many rooms do you need?" Menchi asked.
"Four, if that's convenient."
"Of course," Menchi shrugged. "We have plenty of rooms, though the guest rooms haven't been fully stocked yet. I'll take you up to pick your rooms first, then have someone bring the rest of the supplies over."
Buhara stopped. "Menchi, I'll go start preparing tonight's dinner."
"Alright, I'll handle things here."
Menchi led Ron's group up to the second floor. Ron wasn't too particular and chose a room casually, while Misty and the others compared a few before making their selections.
"Get some rest for now. I'll send someone to bring your things over."
"Thanks for the trouble."
"You're too polite."
Menchi turned and left. Only Ron and his group remained on the second floor. A hallway connected to a wide balcony from which the entire garden estate could be seen. It was spacious and open. The front yard had flowers and trees planted throughout. In the back, a section had been cultivated for ingredients, and a few animals were kept—not ordinary livestock, but likely rare species used as high-end culinary ingredients.
"This is a really nice environment." Ron looked up at the sky and took a deep breath—the air was crisp and fresh.
Shizuku set her luggage down, then took out her notebook and opened it. Because of her short-term memory loss, she often needed to check her notes to make up for what she couldn't recall. But when she opened the notebook this time, she suddenly froze. "Did I make this agreement with Captain?"
Then, a look of guilt appeared on her face. "Since I wrote it down, it must be true. I can't believe I actually forgot. That's terrible of me. It was such an important promise."
Soon, Menchi returned with others, bringing four sets of bedding to be placed in the rooms, along with essential toiletries and other necessities. Once everything was set, she clapped her hands.
"Ron, are you all heading to the front. Buhara probably can't manage dinner on his own—I should help."
Ron glanced at Shizuku and the others, hesitating slightly. "Let's all go."
The group made their way to the front dining area. At this moment, Buhara was already busy in the kitchen. The sounds of fire and stirring could clearly be heard, along with the aroma of dishes drifting out.
"That smells amazing!" Misty couldn't help sniffing the air.
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