Holding a tube of mayonnaise, Takahashi Yuuki fell into another world. That was the beginning of everything. --- The cafeteria during lunch break was noisy as always. The scrape of chairs against the floor, the laughter of friends, the clatter of a dropped tray. Takahashi Yuuki, dressed in a white shirt and black slacks, stood in the middle of the commotion, tilting his head as he stared at a sandwich. A slender frame at 170 centimeters tall. His short black hair still bore traces of bedhead, and his deep brown eyes gazed seriously at a sandwich containing only ham and cheese. His fingertips bore several small burn scars—the inevitable marks of someone who cooked. "……It's lacking something." "[sarcastic]Here we go again," Tanaka, sitting across from him, spoke while piercing a milk carton with a straw. A classmate who often ate lunch with him. "[serious]No, listen. Ham and cheese aren't bad. But there's no hidden depth to it. If there was just one more element, one accent, the flavor would be completely different," "[sarcastic]That's just a normal sandwich, dude. Don't expect that much from the cafeteria," "[serious]Cooking is about concept, I'm telling you," "[laughing]Man, you really overthink things," Tanaka laughed. Yuuki laughed back, though his mind was wandering elsewhere. Overthinking, huh. He knew it was true about himself. But that's what cooking really was—that one obsessive detail could change the expression on someone's face. The way his mother would drizzle just a drop of honey on a curry pan, and that sweet-savory aroma would spread through the kitchen. That sensation was probably where his love of cooking came from. So he couldn't leave a sandwich that lacked something as it was. With that thought, Yuuki pulled a tube of mayonnaise from his pocket. His own supply. The cafeteria's mayonnaise was always insufficient. He always brought his own. He aimed the tube's nozzle at the edge of the sandwich and began squeezing slowly— The ceiling shattered. No, that wasn't quite right. Golden light poured down from the ceiling. Light so brilliant and warm that all the cafeteria's fluorescent lamps combined couldn't match it. Tanaka said "huh," Yuuki said "what," and the entire cafeteria stirred, and 0.3 seconds later— Yuuki's body was pulled. Not up or down, but somewhere else. Mayonnaise tube still in hand. --- The ground disappeared. The next time something touched the soles of his feet, he was no longer in the cafeteria. "……What?" Yuuki was standing. Beneath a vast sky. But that sky was gray. Thick clouds covered everything, the light was thin and heavy. He looked around. Mountains appeared in the distance—or were they mountains? They seemed somehow soft. Bread-like, with rounded, toasted ridges. Nearby, a river flowed, and an orange liquid drifted lazily along the current. A sweet smell reached his nose. Juice. It was definitely juice. And along the roadside, vegetables like broccoli and carrots hung from tree branches like fruit. (Where... is this?) The visual information was too much; his brain seemed to pause processing. People were walking. Pedestrians—they looked mostly human, but on closer inspection, their skin had a faint bread tone, or their hair had the sheen of pasta. Everyone walked with their eyes downcast. There were no voices. Not a single person was smiling. "[gentle]Hey there, Takahashi Yuuki." A voice came. From above his shoulder. There was a ball of light. A small sphere floating gently, small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. Pale gold, its shape changing occasionally. Right now, it had something like tiny hands and feet. "[gentle]Sorry for the surprise. I know it was sudden." "[scared]It talked," "[laughing]I talk. I'm a spirit." "[surprised]A spirit," "Please call me Recipe. I have something important to tell you, so I'd appreciate it if you'd listen." Despite saying he wanted Yuuki to listen, Recipe seemed well aware that Yuuki had no choice in the matter. Before Yuuki could say anything, the spirit began speaking slowly. "This is the Shokusaianother world—a world where everything is made of food ingredients. Those mountains are made of bread dough, the river is juice, and vegetables grow instead of fruit. Once, the people who lived here freely made dishes and laughed together. But now, like that sky, everything has turned gray." Recipe's voice was calm, but carried a weight. "[serious]For the past twelve years, a man called Toast Hakushaku has ruled the Sandwich Kingdom and enacted the Unified Cooking Ordinance. Any cooking outside of the forty-seven designated recipes is completely forbidden. Those caught are sent to the dungeon. People who report violations receive rewards, so residents suspect each other. Because of this, everyone has lost the joy of cooking. The land's ingredients are slowly withering too." As Yuuki listened, his eyes followed the pedestrians on the road. An elderly man with downcast eyes. A woman hurrying with luggage. A child sitting alone against a wall, eating nothing. No one was smiling. No one was speaking. The entire street seemed to be holding its breath. Then another resident approached. "[surprised]What's that outfit? Is it made of food ingredients?" "Is it pasta? It's so white." "[surprised]Flour? I've never seen it this thin before." People gathered around, looking curiously at Yuuki's white shirt. "[angry]This is a Japanese high school uniform!!" Everyone tilted their heads. The word "Japan" didn't seem to register. "[sarcastic]……I'll explain the fabric later," The residents dispersed, still tilting their heads. Recipe offered an unhelpful explanation: "The automatic translation is working, but since the concept of Japan doesn't exist here, it's difficult." --- "[serious]Now, let me explain why you're here," Recipe said again. "[gentle]You are a being that appears only once every few hundred years—a Taste Guide. You can transform the feelings you put into cooking into supernatural power, what we call the magic of taste. With that power, we want you to restore the lost taste resonance to this world. It's the energy born from the gathering of joy in cooking, and it's what made this land rich. But now, because of the Unified Cooking Ordinance, it's almost completely gone." Yuuki was silent for a while. (Taste magic. A Taste Guide. Being told something like this all of a sudden...) "[serious]……That's impossible," He said it honestly. "[serious]I'm just a high school student. I can't do anything like saving the world. Besides, how do I get back? School should still be on lunch break. Tanaka's probably eating that sandwich alone," "[serious]As for how to get back... if the Unified Cooking Ordinance isn't lifted, it might be a bit difficult." "[surprised]Might?!" "[whispers]Might... yes." "[angry]That's too vague!! What do you mean 'might'?!" Recipe dimmed and shrank. The spirit's aura became apologetic. Yuuki was about to press further when— A shout echoed. --- "Let go! Please, let me go!" Turning toward the voice, Yuuki saw a man in full yellow armor dragging a white-haired elderly man by the arm. The armor was mustard-colored, almost garishly yellow. It was imposing enough to radiate authority—this must be one of the Taste Auditors, the enforcement officers directly under Toast Hakushaku. There were supposedly one hundred fifty of them across the land, Recipe had mentioned. The old man was thin. His back was bent, his legs unsteady. He pulled desperately at the arm the auditor had seized, but strength alone wouldn't help against this opponent. "[crying]My grandson has a cold. I just wanted to give him something warm to eat. That's all." The auditor wasn't listening. "Unified Cooking Ordinance, Article Six. Use of prohibited ingredients in cooking. Confirmed by report. Execution of transfer to the Royal Underground Dungeon." The old man's voice trembled. The people passing by averted their eyes and continued walking. Perhaps that was how life worked here—turning a blind eye. (Just making something warm for his grandson...) Yuuki's feet moved. He didn't think about it. Before he knew it, he was running. He pulled the mayonnaise tube from his pocket and squeezed it with all his might at the auditor's feet. Nyuru nyuru—the white semi-liquid spread across the stone pavement. He squeezed until the tube was nearly empty, making a spectacular mess. The auditor's foot stepped on the mayonnaise. Zururu—a loud, slippery sound, and the auditor fell forward. His armor struck the stone with a resounding clang. The old man's arm was freed. Yuuki rushed to the old man. "[serious]Are you alright?" The old man looked up. His eyes were wet. A single tear ran down his wrinkled cheek. But—his expression was strange and warm, a mixture of crying and smiling. "[crying]Thank you... thank you..." The old man's voice repeated, hoarse. Something in Yuuki's chest warmed gently. It was a little like the feeling he'd had when his mother baked curry pan with that drizzle of honey. That gradual warmth of joy when someone's face brightened after eating something he'd made. He felt it now, unmistakably. (Let me try. I'll make everyone smile with my cooking.) He decided it in his heart. Recipe landed on his shoulder with an indescribable expression. "[serious]……By the way, that was your first taste magic," the spirit said. "[angry]No, that wasn't magic! That was just physics!! If you spread mayonnaise on someone's feet, they slip, that's all!!" "But you acted with the feelings you put into cooking, right?" "[angry]Motivation and magic are different things!!" Recipe made a carefree sound. "Is that so?" Yuuki was about to shout "Yes!" when— The auditor, lying on the stone pavement, slowly raised his face. His eyes looked directly at Yuuki. The gaze was stone-like. Emotionless. But it was definitely committing Yuuki's face to memory. "This is bad," Recipe's voice lowered. "[scared]This is bad! You're going to be wanted! Run!!" The auditor pulled a thin whistle from his pocket and blew a high, sharp note. In the distance, footsteps began. Heavy, synchronized footsteps. Multiple sets. The sound of armor rattling mixed in. "Run!!" Yuuki ran. He had just enough time to shout "Be careful!" to the old man. He saw the old man trying to say something, but there was no time to look back. He dove into an alley, turned a corner, then entered another alley. The toasted-brown stone streets formed a maze. In the distance, he could see a burnt-brown, toast-colored castle wall looming. That must be the royal palace, he thought vaguely as he ran. Eventually, he slipped into a dim, unpopulated alley and pressed his back against the wall. His breathing was ragged. He placed his hands on his knees and gasped for air. "[sad]……If we made it this far, we should be okay for a while," Recipe dimmed its light on Yuuki's shoulder. The spirit seemed exhausted too. "[serious]……Can I ask something?" "What?" "[serious]That castle—is that the palace? The big one from earlier?" "[gentle]That's right. It's called Crouton Castle. In the basement, three levels down—" "[scared]……Wait a second," Yuuki peered through a gap in the alley. The stone pavement stretched out, and far beyond it, the castle loomed. It must have been at least fifty meters tall. Five stories, with toast-colored walls. It looked formidable and forbidding. "[serious]In the basement, three levels down... what's there?" Recipe glowed softly. "[gentle]Caramel Hime. The rightful heir to the throne of the Sandwich Kingdom. She's been captured by Toast Hakushaku and imprisoned there. If you save her, she'll be a great ally." Yuuki looked up at the sky. Gray sky. Thick clouds. Light that couldn't reach through. "[whispers]……I came here looking for a hidden ingredient, you know," A voice echoed from afar. Multiple voices, orderly and synchronized. "Unidentified susp