True Flavor is the 53rd story[1] event in Goddess of Victory: Nikke.
A direct sequel to New Flavor, the story revolves around Crust's attempts to bring her teammate Bready joy through cooking.
Synopsis[]
Story[]
Set after the events of New Flavor
Prologue - Perfectly Ordinary Taste[]
Some time after Bready, taster of Cooking Oil Squad, had what can only be described as a gastronomic religious experience at the hands of the protagonist. A pure flavor that wasn't tainted by the analytical abilities of her tongue, one so new and divine to her that she changed his nickname to "Bonne Bouche" for it.[2] Bready raves about the exhilaration she felt with Crust, her leader and the chef of Cooking Oil. The latter briefly grumbles about her "loss" as she wanted to bring Bready joy with her cooking, but it seems "Mr. Gourmand" has beaten her to the punch.
Putting that aside, Crust suggests they hold a celebration for Bready's discovery of a new flavor, which initially gets approval...until the two deliberate over whether or not the protagonist would be able to come. Upon deducing that he'd be too busy to join them, Bready immediately changes her mind on the celebration. Crust is understandably concerned that something is amiss. Why would Bready pass up a chance to eat good food like this? That's when Bready drops a bombshell, claiming...she doesn't need Crust's food anymore.
Bready bluntly declares that with "Bonne Bouche" introducing her to a brand new flavor, she has no inclination to consume anything else, including Crust's cooking. The chef is appalled to hear the taster say that her cooking is "ordinary" and brings her no joy. Having voiced her non-participation in the party, Bready departs, ignoring Crust's calls for her...
Crust bolts awake in her bed, Bready's rejection and departure nothing but a bad dream. Shaking off her worries, Crust bucks up for another day of cooking. She resolved to find a flavor that can bring Bready joy, and she's not going to stop now.
Some time later, Crust hums and cheers as she weaves around the squad's kitchen, cooking up a veritable feast for breakfast. Bready is concerned that the chef might've overdone it with the quantity, but Crust assures that any leftovers can be boxed for lunch. Bready then takes her first bite of the food, and...
Bready's tongue feeds her intel on the food's make and Crust's emotions as she made it. The taster notes that the food today is more emotionally-charged than usual, as if Crust was particularly fired up during the cooking. A cute feeling, she calls it. As for the taste, Bready is much less expressive, simply commenting that it's about the same as what Crust usually makes.
Pouting at the revelation that her flavor hasn't changed, Crust declares that she will close the kitchen until further notice to research new flavors. And until she is done...Bready is banned from the kitchen. Bready's eyes widen as she parses just what Crust said...
Crust's Cooking Research: A[]
An unspecified amount of time later, at M.M.R. Vocational School. A school bell rings as Crust greets the students who will be taking her class today. Today's lesson has a special assistant in the form of the protagonist. The lesson will entail three items; foraging for edibles on the surface, things that should never be eaten, and practical training for portable meals that can last. With that, the students cheer as class enters the session.
Among the attending students is School Circle, where Ein notes that Rei's food seems to be black when Crust's example was brown in color. Rei blames her Narus for not following the recipe, though as Zwei points out, it's more because Rei is slacking and foisting all the work to her drones. Rei tries to rationalize that she and Naru are two halves of a whole, only to immediately backpedal when Ein points out the implication she just called herself a bad cook. The protagonist watches these proceedings and muses that Class P is more or less doing fine.
The protagonist's gaze then turns to another part of the class, which includes the graduates of Class L. Dazzling Pearl looks over their bubbling pot, with Naga commending Tia for how well it turned out. Seeing how the two are already done, Crust comes over and takes a quick bite. She finds that the taste is mostly a pass, maybe a bit on the sweet side. Whatever Tia did to the pot appears to have been taken over by her sweet tooth, so she tossed a number of sweeteners into it. Naga takes a morsel and also finds it sweet, but comments that since Tia is making this for herself and not someone else, it's fine as long as the taste is to her own liking. Crust briefly pauses at Naga's comment on how everyone's food preferences differ from one another, snapping out of it to commend Tia on a finished dish. Seeing all this happen, the protagonist muses that the cooking class is going without a hitch.
When the bell rings signaling the end of class, Crust dismisses the students advising them to freely partake of what they made and to check her assessments on their dishes. The chef overhears Dazzling Pearl talking about the comparatively average scores they got, and the foods they'd made for both the lesson and each other. The talk makes Crust pause in the middle of her departure, only snapping out of it when the protagonist calls to her.
Crust's Cooking Research: B[]
In the hall, Marciana thanks Crust and the protagonist for hosting today's cooking class. Despite the latter's assertion that he did little of note, Crust claims his presence alone was assuring. Marciana worries that Crust is compromising her schedule for her cooking show by coming to the school, but the chef assures that today's broadcast is just a rerun. Her worries allayed, Marciana tells the two they're free to leave whenever, and bids them goodbye.
Outside the school, Crust thanks the protagonist for his help and asks what he plans to do next. He notes that since there's nothing left on the agenda, he'll likely return to his room. Then Crust asks him if he feels hungry, which...he does. The cooking class he assisted with means he's been smelling good food the whole day, but hasn't actually eaten anything. The mere thought is enough to make his stomach grumble, prompting Crust to giggle. She invites him to the kitchen so she can fix him something to eat, since she at least got to sample the students' cooking while he just watched. A little gratitude for his help, given how this was her first time actually teaching a class to students. Agreement made, the two head off for Cooking Oil's kitchen.
Upon arriving, Crust reveals that she'd actually planned to invite the protagonist and prepared the ingredients for his meal beforehand, so the actual wait time won't be long. The chef explains that she's prepared a multi-course of seafood for him, and starts with the appetizer. The protagonist thinks to himself that Crust's cooking is one that needs to be savored using multiple senses. To not properly take in the sight and smell of the food before tasting it fully would be a disservice to Crust and her efforts. As expected, from the very first bite he's hooked, drawn by a flavor that only the word "divine" can properly describe.
While continuing to feast, the protagonist recalls Crust's earlier comment about today's cooking show doing a rerun, and wonders if something is wrong. Crust assures that she's just closing the kitchen while doing some culinary research, which piques his curiosity. The chef explains that her goal all this time has been to make a dish that can bring Bready joy. But after the whole Splendamin incident, the protagonist's fingers were instead the food(?) to do that.
The man awkwardly recalls how that came to pass, but rather than be incensed, Crust feels more competitive. The fact that someone's fingers managed to do what her dishes couldn't compels her to take her cooking to the next level. Resolved to make Bready happy with her skills, Crust asks the protagonist to help her with evolving her cooking. And the first step to that is...licking him?
The protagonist immediately has unfortunate flashbacks to Bready's licking shenanigans, and fears Crust may subject him to the same. The chef quickly explains that despite the differences in palate and tasting ability between herself and Bready, she figured that if she licked the protagonist, she might be able to get at least an inkling of why Bready is so obsessed with his flavor. Knowing that this is for research and not for other purposes, the protagonist agrees and washes his hands for Crust's tasting.
With the first lick, Crust gets little in the way of flavors or profiles. It's about what she expected, given how she hasn't Bready's nigh-omniscient tongue. Thus, she asks "Mr. Gourmand" to document Bready's comments whenever she tastes his fingers, which is understandably awkward, but he agrees to do so.
Mr. Gourmand's Touch: A[]
A few days after Crust's request, the protagonist is entertaining Bready's indulgences again. Today's garnish for his fingers is chocolate, though Bready clarifies that unlike last time, this is milk chocolate instead of last time's dark chocolate. The session proceeds as usual, with the protagonist denying Bready her request to have his fingers for the rest of the day and wondering when she's going to go back to Cooking Oil's kitchen. That's when Bready reveals that she's been banned from the kitchen until Crust finishes her culinary research.
The whole affair comes as a surprise to both of them, Bready especially since this has never happened before in all of Cooking Oil's history. Crust claimed she'd contact Bready if anything came up, but since then, they haven't so much as spoken to one another. Despite the sudden development, Bready sees a silver lining in all of this. Less time in the kitchen means more time for her to savor "Bonne Bouche" and his "divine" fingers. Watching Bready lick at his fingers ever after the chocolate is gone, the protagonist ponders that Crust would be inconsolable if he actually told her what Bready said about his fingers.
Cut to Cooking Oil's kitchen, where Crust has been given Bready's full critique of the protagonist's fingers. The chef sighs and...thanks him for his work? Crust explains that she had this thought the whole time, but these comments have simply cemented them for her. Bready's main concern with food was never about taste. It's about information, and how every single thing she's eaten (aside from the protagonist's fingers) funnels it to her brain via her tongue. Ergo, she's going to make a dish with the flavor Bready craves. One with pure flavor, and none of the information that taints the experience for her.
The very idea of it sounds absurd, and Crust herself isn't too confident. But she wants to give it a shot anyways, bent on making food that will bring Bready joy. As part of that process, she asks the protagonist to be her assistant in the cooking, despite his proclamations of lacking skill. Whatever recipe she has in mind, apparently he's the key for it...
Some time later, the duo are hard at work. Or rather Crust is, zipping around the place as she chops, boils, stews, and sautes. The protagonist is awkwardly sitting on the sidelines and watching. After remembering that the man was in her kitchen, Crust asks "Mr. Gourmand" to do his part and...rub his fingers into all the food she's made?
Mr. Gourmand's Touch: B[]
Crust recalls from Bready's earlier comments that food the taster puts on his fingers somehow becomes pure flavor to her, without any information. Crust's idea is that having "Mr. Gourmand" touch the food she's made will "infuse" that same "purity" to it, and achieve her goal. She hands him a few foods to start, since the soups and stews are still boiling hot. The protagonist is concerned about the hygiene of putting his hands on and inside of foods, but Crust is serious about this, quipping that Bready laps at his fingers all the time with little concern beyond a quick wash. Sighing, the protagonist obliges and starts getting handsy with the food, hoping that this will culminate in Crust's success...
After putting his hands all over the food, Crust does a taste test. The food itself doesn't taste any different to her, but at the end of the day, the main concern is whether or not Bready can enjoy this food. Despite having previously banned Bready from the kitchen, Crust somehow manages to summon the taster within a few moments of ringing a nearby bell. Bready comments on how long it felt to be away from the kitchen, even for just a few days. Crust declares her research finished for the time being, and invites Bready to try the spread of food before her.
When all is said and done, Bready notes that the taste is different from before...but not quite what she's looking for. It's not the pure flavor that brings her joy like "Bonne Bouche's" fingers do. In fact, Bready's full critique paints a grim picture, calling the flavor and emotions flat in comparison to Crust's usual. Seemingly unfazed, Crust thanks Bready for the review and dismisses her, promising that she'll tell the whole story when she's finally finished her goal and has Bready taste it.
Despite seeing Bready smile and depart, the protagonist notes that the taster seems a bit lonely...
A Special Taste: A[]
Crust is undaunted by the initial failure, and is already pondering on what went wrong with the first batch. Ignoring the protagonist's supposition that the methodology is flawed, Crust posits that the dishes had too many ingredients. All the emotions, memories, and stories clashed and compromised the "purity" she was seeking. This time, she'll eschew all of that in pursuit of a singular flavor. After some time whipping up a dish, Crust summons Bready for another taste. The taster notes that at best, this dish can be called simple. At worst, it can be called incomplete.
Over the course of several reiterations, Bready complains that these dishes are looking less and less like food. Despite that, she notes that at least the natural flavor of the ingredients is coming through, with a decent flavor and nutrient balance. In its current state, this food could work as a ration while on the surface. Which is nice, but as Bready deduces, is not quite what Crust is aiming for. Thanking the taster for her work, Crust dismisses Bready to retire for the day. The taster bids the chef to take her time in working towards her goal, and departs.
When Bready is gone, Crust slumps and sighs. She figured that her ambition wouldn't be achieved in a day, but coming up short every single time is starting to wear on her a little. She'd used various parts of the protagonist's body to try and enhance her cooking, even putting his hair into the food, only to be found wanting. While taking Crust's thanks for his assistance, the protagonist asks the question that's been bothering him for some time now; why is Crust so intent on keeping this a secret from Bready?
Crust explains that she wants this to be a surprise. Looking back, Crust muses that all this time, the food she's made has been made for seemingly everyone except Bready, who can't enjoy food normally thanks to her ability. So this time, she's going to make a dish that's specifically made for Bready, One with pure flavor that will surely make her happy.
Upon hearing that Crust plans to do tomorrow's work all by herself, the protagonist suggests he introduce her to an assistant. She appreciates the sentiment, but notes that the restricted-access nature of the kitchen means they'd have to come as a guest rather than an assistant. The protagonist assures that the person is someone Crust already knows, which serves to allay the chef's concerns. If she already knows them, and "Mr. Gourmand" vouches for them, then she has reasonable belief that they can be of help...
A Special Taste: B[]
The next day, the protagonist heads to the kitchen with his chosen assistant in tow. That assistant being none other than Tia, who Crust recognizes from the cooking class at the Vocational School. Tia is excited to see Cooking Oil's kitchen for herself, but is concerned that she may not be of much help, given her middling score in the class. Crust assures that the score was only because of strict, preset criteria by the school system. Crust was impressed at how Tia had made food that suited her own palate, and even made something suitable for her friend. Emboldened by those words, Tia confidently strides into the back at Crust's behest to grab an apron to wear while working in the kitchen. The chef feels more confident than before now that she has a good assistant with her, the protagonist promising to watch from the side and cheer them on.
A few moments later, Crust and the protagonist balk at Tia's state of attire. She's wearing the apron as she's supposed to but for some reason, she's taken off her uniform. The student explains that the apron wouldn't fit and felt uncomfortable over her uniform, so she changed to some other clothes and put the over it instead. Rather than belabor the point, Crust decides it's fine as long as it fits. With that, the two are about to start with today's cooking.
When asked for her preferences, Tia readily declares her leaning towards sweets. Crust is about to look into desserts, but pauses as Tia indirectly reminds her that she was doing all this work to make food for Bready. The chef then realizes that in her pursuit for "pure" flavor, she never actually considered what kind of food Bready would want to eat, and berates herself for not thinking about it.
Over the course of conversation with Tia, Crust notes that Bready is looking for something new and exotic flavor-wise, but otherwise just eats whatever the chef makes for her. Knowing that, Crust decides they'll keep going on the path of dessert, with Tia suggesting they make a sweet that Bready has never encountered before. An idea that Crust would be onboard with, if she didn't worry that trying to chase something new would ironically end in something ordinary. Tia looks over the lineup of ingredients on the table, and comments to herself that it seems special enough to her.
Not hearing the comment, Crust explains to Tia her role as assistant, and is about to start after one little favor. That being to have Tia...lick the protagonist and taste his flavor? The protagonist sighs as he realizes he is once again subjected to random licking...
A Dish For Bready?[]
With the first cake ready, Tia taste tests it at Crust's behest. The student finds the flavor...not quite what she was expecting, but Crust takes that as it being the "new" flavor she wants for Bready. So the chef rings the bell to summon said taster. Crust, Tia, and the protagonist watch with bated breath as Bready takes a bite of the cake.
The taster can sense Tia's passion for sugary delights in the cake, even though Crust did most of the work making it. The chef ponders how even emotions in the preparation can suffuse the dish and trigger Bready's analysis, making a note to try and do something else to "purify" the food. The taster isn't done, however, and criticizes the lacking sweetness of the cake overall. Just a Splendamin mass that has a texture resembling cake. Seeing Crust so engrossed in her research, Bready choose not to finish what she was about to say and simply steps out of the kitchen.
Tia notices the downcast expression on Bready and warns Crust about it. It's nice that she's going through all this to make Bready happy, but it seems as though the dishes she's been offering don't bring her joy. If in the process of making something for Bready to make her happy, she does things that hurt her, doesn't that somewhat defeat the point? Crust's eyes widen as she grapples with the idea, leaving unable to respond to Tia's next question; is it for Bready or for herself that she's trying to make this food?
Taste of Happiness: A[]
Tia comments that even the most well-intended of gifts can seem malicious if the recipient doesn't like what's given. She urges Crust to try and ask herself; This research, and everything that happens because of it. Is this what Bready really wants?
Crust insists that it has to be what Bready wants. When she finally manages to make a pure flavor like Bready's been after all her life, surely the taster will realize all this trouble was worth it...right? Tia doesn't argue, instead suggesting that perhaps Bready feels frustrated from being kept in the dark for so long, and that telling her the purpose behind all this may be better in the long run. Thanking Tia for her help, Crust dismisses the student from the kitchen, who departs with some final well wishes.
As soon as Tia is gone, Crust is already going over ideas on how to divorce emotions from the dish, perhaps by making it with a machine. The protagonist reminds her that even if she cuts out emotions, Bready's analysis will still tell her what the dish is made of and its nutritional value. Crust starts on another monologue before stopping herself to apologize. She admits she's been impulsive as of late, and that Tia's words hit a sore spot for her. All this time, she'd been working on making Bready happy with the food she made, yet never bothered to actually look at the taster's face. She just assumed that she'd get a smile when everything was said and done, and she achieved her aim.
Crust looks down and wonders why this was so much more difficult than expected. The protagonist offers to bring in another of their mutual acquaintances, one whose cooking he claims can apparently bring joy to everyone. He proposes that this person also comes as a guest rather than an assistant. It would give Crust a chance to just make normal dishes again instead of all this experimental cooking, and the other person could provide feedback.
Agreeing to the idea, Crust pulls out a piece of paper to write out an invitation to the guest. She does this for everyone she intends to invite to the kitchen, so as to make it a little more special. The protagonist wonders why she doesn't do the same for Bready as well, but the chef doesn't quite hear him...
The next day, Crust is cheerfully humming as she works the kitchen. Her excitement at having a new visitor to the kitchen is palpable. As a knock at the door signals the arrival of their guest, Crust welcomes the kitchen's newest visitor, who looks awfully familiar. Despite her casual attire being quite the change from her previous outfit, Crust easily recognizes Ade from when Cooking Oil visited the Maid Cafe.[3]
Taste of Happiness: B[]
Ade explains that her new attire is because she is not here in her capacity as a maid. She is a guest of Crust, come to have a meal courtesy of Cooking Oil. The outfit is a welcome change of pace to the protagonist, and Ade is seated as Crust begins serving up the meal.
After the appetizer, Crust realizes that Ade being the guest is the reason "Mr. Gourmand" had suggested this be the main dish. Said main dish being none other than omurice, a staple of the Maid Cafe where Ade works. The dish is adorned with an artistic message written in ketchup, a gesture of Crust's gratitude for Ade taking the time to come and sample her food. Seeing the maid nod with a small smile from the first bite, Crust sighs in relief and offers to bring out dessert once the main course is done.
When the dessert is done, Ade gently sets down her tableware and gives her opinion. This meal was nothing short of a wonderful time, and she thanks Crust for the experience. Apparently, word has spread of Crust's aim to make foods that bring happiness to others, and in Ade's eyes, the chef has already done that with this singular meal. In fact, a feeling of joy and excitement has swelled within Ade, ever since yesterday when the invitation came to her. It only magnified in the face of Crust's infectious enthusiasm for food and the art of cooking, which was apparent in her work and its fruits.
Upon hearing that Crust intends to make a joyful meal for a certain someone with unqiue appetites, Ade requests a moment to make a dish herself. She'd planned to remain a guest, but today's splendid meal reminded her that last time Cooking Oil graced the Maid Cafe, she'd accidentally served them omurice with tainted Splendamin.[4] Even if it was no fault of her own, she still feels bad about providing subpar service, and always wanted a chance to make up for that. Crust agrees, and takes a seat while Ade steps into the kitchen.
Seeing Ade dance about the the pots and pans with grace, Crust comments on the novelty of seeing someone else cook in her kitchen. The chef pauses at the protagonist's comment. There is indeed a kind of warm joy one can feel watching another cook food, knowing it's for their sake...
When the food is served, Crust naturally chants the magic spell at Ade's instruction. She then takes a spoonful of the food into her mouth and freezes at the taste...
A Dish For Crust: A[]
Unlike last time when the omurice was tainted, Crust's eyes glimmer as she sings praises for the food. Seasoning and preparation are all on point, and it feels as though she's fallen under a spell, one that leaves her grinning ear to ear as her heart feels like it's about to burst from exuberance. This is undoubtedly a food that brings people happiness.
Crust is everything short of falling to her knees pleading for Ade to teach her the secret to making food this joyous. In response, Ade asks Crust to prepare her a meal as if she were making one for Bready to eat. It's understandably a bit of an ask for Crust, given how the last few attempts turned out...less than optimal, but she's willing to try.
Seeing Crust agonize over the ingredients laid out on the table, Ade pulls the protagonist aside to ask him what seems to be the trouble. He explains that Crust is more focused on a specific idea of flavor, rather than a singular dish. Ade stares at Crust as the chef seems to be doing things...just a bit differently than before, doing all sorts of things to minimize her contact with the food and "excising" it of anything "extraneous" to flavor...
When Crust presents the dish to Ade, she apologizes and says that the dish is experimental, so the flavor may not be up to par. Ade can tell as much, and declares she doesn't even need to taste it to know that the dish will be bad. Because Crust didn't make this dish with Bready in mind. She made it for herself. Realizing that Ade is echoing the words Tia said a while back, Crust wonders what she's doing wrong, and that she thought she knew what she was doing.
Ade explains that Crust is most likely misconstruing the link between food and happiness. Flavor alone will not bring a person joy. What Crust did before and during the meal were what really made it happy for Ade. A personalized, handwritten invitation. A warm, smiling welcome to the kitchen. Watching someone as they cheerfully wove their way around the kitchen. Thoughtful plating and serving sequence. It was those things and more that made her feel happy to step into Crust's kitchen for a meal.
Ade asks Crust to think back to when she tried the omurice earlier, and why it made her feel happy. Crust recalls that there was more to it than just the food tasting good, though that did play a part. Watching Ade go about the kitchen with a smile on her face. Chanting the magic spell together. There was...something about watching and feeling someone care about her so much that made her feel warm inside...
Ade sees Crust coming to an epiphany and declares she's done her part. She leaves the protagonist to handle the rest and departs, thanking them both for the meal and the experience. When it's just her and the protagonist, Crust takes a morsel of the food she just made, and tastes it. Her face twists in horror as she realizes that it's not delicious at all. This is what she tried to feed Bready? As if frozen in place, Crust stares down at this mockery of food in front of her. One made by her own hand...
A Dish For Crust: B[]
Crust flashbacks to some of the times when Bready ate her food. When they went up to the surface on a "Splendamin substitution" expedition to sate the taster's palatal requirements, she'd made them all a meal that was well-received.[5] Earlier to all this, before Crust had banned Bready from the kitchen to do her research, when the taster commented on how it tasted as it always did. Whether the recent or distant past, or anything in between, they all shared one commonality. Bready smiled when eating the food she made. Crust would feel happy from it, and her emotions would suffuse into the food she made and resonate with Bready. Effectively an infinite feedback loop of joy.
But now, knowing that things have changed recently, Crust isn't so sure. Perhaps the impatience she felt, at the perceived need to find that "pure" flavor as soon as possible seeped into her food, making it less delicious in Bready's eyes. Then Bready would feel as though the food wasn't as good, give negative feedback on it, and fuel Crust's frustration. The infinite loop inverts, becoming a downward spiral where the two just keep making each other increasingly unhappy. Now it all makes sense. The reason Bready can't be happy...is because Crust herself is unhappy...
The protagonist's calling snaps Crust from her doldrum, and she apologizes to him. The way Bready's eyes lit up from that first lick, she felt jealous that "Mr. Gourmand" could so easily do with his fingers what her cooking couldn't after all her efforts. She'd seen the utter joy in Bready discovering a pure flavor, and that one moment of envy made her forget all the times before when her cooking garnered a smaller, but no less valuable smile. She thought she needed to try everything and then some to "reclaim" Bready's smile, not knowing that she always possessed it...or that her actions may have costed it.
Crust muses that Bready must've been filled with anticipation every time the bell was rung, only to be forced to swallow weird experiments under the guise of dishes. She wonders if there's any way she can make amends, to which the protagonist suggests she cook. No experiments, no odd additions or subtractions. Just make the food she always did for Bready prior to this debacle. Moreover, she now has knowledge gleaned from interacting with Tia and Ade. Knowing now that one-sided feelings can be a poison, and that everything factors into making someone happy, Crust decides it's time to start mending bridges with Bready.
First things first, writing an invitation. Crust chortles that this is the first time she's ever had to write an invitation to Bready, given how the taster always had entry authorizations to the kitchen until now. But after Ade described to her the excited anticipation that piece of paper brought her, Crust figures this would be a start to making sure this meal brings Bready the most joy it can. She'll invite her friend for a meal, explain to her the reason for all this, and properly apologize for putting her through so much grief. Seeing the sparkle in the chef's eyes, the protagonist agrees to help her make this a meal to remember.
Back at the dorm, Bready licks away at one of her backup candies, wondering when Crust's research and her exile from the kitchen will end. All she wants now is just to eat something delicious, no matter what it is. Her attention is drawn to a piece of paper slipped under the door, and she reads it to find an invitation from Crust to a meal at the kitchen. The taster smiles as she muses on the idea that Crust's research is complete...
Final Presentation: A[]
When Bready knocks at the door to the kitchen, two things take her by surprise. For one, Crust and "Bonne Bouche" perform Cooking Oil's welcome routine on her, when normally Bready is on the welcoming side rather than being welcomed. For two, the kitchen looks a little more ornate than usual. The protagonist recalls in his head how he'd spent all night with Crust working to decorate the kitchen with stickers and lights to liven it up a bit.
Pulling out a chair to seat Bready, Crust serves a grapefruit soda before going over today's meal. Unlike previous meals, this one isn't going to be a multi-course meal. After mulling it over, Crust decided that the better course of action was to make a single dish for the meal, her choice being tenderloin steak. The chef presents the chateaubriand she intends to use for the meal, and after receiving Bready's request for it to be medium rare, gets to cooking. Bready watches in silence as Crust zips around the kitchen, searing the steak, preparing the sauce, frying the potatoes intended for the side. The chef even takes a page out of the Maid Cafe's book and casts a spell on the food.
Seeing the visible nerves on Crust's expression, Bready invites the chef to sit down and meet her at eye level. Before she digs in, she has a question that takes Crust by surprise; is this dish meant to be the final presentation of her research?
Final Presentation: B[]
Crust recalls that indeed, this whole affair started when she declared she was going to do some culinary research, and surmises that Bready is asking if this dish is meant to be the consummate product of her study. It's a reasonable question, given how Crust went through all the effort of redecorating the kitchen and setting up a reception. The chef clarifies that wasn't the plan, and she was going to tell Bready everything after the meal, but eventually she decides they may as well do it now.
Crust starts off by explaining that she's given up on the culinary research. To begin with, it came from a place of bullheaded impulse and greed. At Bready's questioning, Crust admits...she was jealous. Jealous of the ecstatic expression Bready made when she licked at "Mr. Gourmand's" fingers. She wanted to cook food that would evoke that same joy, and started her research to make just that. Which explains to Bready why she was subject to all those nonstandard dishes during the previous summons.
Recalling how she'd really put her friend through some things, Crust apologizes for feeding those weird dishes. Bready accepts the apology, just glad to know there was a legitimate reason behind it. With that said, they now need to proceed with the main event; trying the tenderloin Crust has just cooked.
Bready takes a whiff of the steak to start, noting how well the meat's aroma blends with the sauce. The knife easily goes through the steak, showing off the cut's tenderness and its juiciness. As far as medium rares go, this is one of the best she's seen. She's just about to take a forkful of the steak, but Crust stops her before that and asks...to feed her?
Crust notes that the way Bready talked about the steak as she smelled and cut it. The language she used had the same clinical, slightly-detached feeling of when Cooking Oil carries out culinary research. Even if this is on some level an evaluation of her research, Crust still wants Bready to enjoy the food and be happy. So, she's going to do some feeding as a way of scoring "brownie points," as she calls them. Despite that declaration, Crust's hand visibly trembles as she holds out a piece of steak to Bready via the fork. It would seem the taster's attempts to ease Crust's nerves have backfired a little. After trading some quips, Bready finally takes the piece into her mouth.
Bready's brief silence gives Crust a scare, before the taster breaks out into a grin and laughter. She tried to hold it in as a bit of a prank on her part, but it seems that was impossible from the start. This feeling, this flavor...Bready notes that Crust's cooking tastes exactly as she remembers it. Delicious, adorable, and makes her happy. It's a nostalgic flavor she's come to miss these past few days. That's why she was eager for the research to be done as soon as possible. So she could stop eating dishes that were exotic in a bad way, and get back to the taste she's always known. Now that she knows even those weird dishes earlier were all part of a bigger attempt to try and make her happy, she...
Crust is more focused on what Bready said earlier. Did she just say that her food...makes her happy? Bready affirms as much. Crust's cooking was always filled with joy, and that resonated with her. But this time, Crust really went the extra mile. The invitation, the reception, even thinking over what food specifically would be best to serve her. It makes the joy from this moment that much greater.
A genuine dish made for a close friend.
Crust starts to tear up as she apologizes for all the bad food she'd served over the course of her research. She'd taken Bready's smile for granted, and nearly lost in a misguided attempt to "get it back." Bready assures Crust that her heart was in the right place. Just...next time she feels this way, maybe she can confide her worries? Instead of just going off in some random direction, Bready suggests they talk it out and work together to handle the problem.
Crust wipes at her tears as Bready tells her the research succeeded. Even if not in the way she'd originally planned, the fact remains Crust made a dish that brought joy to Bready. This final presentation is worth a perfect score in her eyes. Filled with relief at her success, Crust starts giggling uncontrollably, inadvertently releasing more tears as a result. Bready offers her gratitude for allowing her to taste something made from the heart. A flavor that she won't ever forget...
With the research over, Crust is happy to declare that Bready's ban from the kitchen is also done. When asked about the research process, Bready turns contemplative as Crust regales her with how she tried using the protagonist's hands and even his hair to try and infuse his "flavor" into the food. Seeing the two Nikkes actually consider the prospect fills the man with bafflement. Said bafflement soon mixes with horror as the two talk about using his saliva or sweat as an ingredient before turning to stare at him.
The protagonist muses to himself that it seems Cooking Oil will still carry out culinary research, at least in aspects where his body is involved. Though the odds of success are debatable, he had confidence that the two will be able to glean something out of the process, with sincerity and happiness as the key ingredients.
Less debatable is the impending sense of doom he feels at the thought of what future research entails for him...
Hard Mode Epilogue - Food from the Heart[]
Some time later, Crust hosts another cooking class at the Vocational School, this time bringing along Bready as the taster for the students' dishes. The lesson today entails making tasty dishes even with "flavorless" combat rations. She preempts the students asking why they would learn such with a simple answer; it'd be better for their morale if they could eat good food even while out on a mission.
Ein and Rei whisper to each other, admitting that they'd be in a foul mood if all the food they ate on the surface was just bland and/or unappealing rations. Tia whines that she dislikes the rations for their lacking sweetness. Naga comments that she can tolerate rations, but won't pass up on learning how to make them taste better. The lesson then begins with Crust performing a demonstration of what she wants the class to do.
Some time later, Rei declares that she's done, having once again delegated the work to her Narus. Bready comes over and tastes the dish, making a few inquiring noises before giving her critique. She advises the junior to try her dish before as it's being made, as her tongue is telling her that Naru 2 was randomly tossing things in over the course of cooking. Nevertheless, she can taste the effort Rei put into this dish, and thanks the student for giving her the opportunity to experience it. Rei smiles brilliantly at the compliment.
Tia announces the completion of her dish, noting that once again, she's made it quite sweet. Naga sighs over her friend's sweet tooth taking the wheel again, but notes that it should be fine. This cooking class is only a small portion of their overall grading, so as long as Tia scores average, she should be in the clear. When Bready comes over to assess the dish, she notes that the abundant sweetness is certainly to Tia's palate. Moreover, she can sense the joy and anticipation the student had as she made it, the latter admitting she intends to enjoy this dish with the rest of her sweets from the cafe. Bready thanks Tia for the experience of tasting her dish, and returns to her position.
Crust pulls Bready aside to ask her opinion about the class. The taster notes that despite not being culinary professionals, she's felt a wide range of emotions from the dishes made by the students. Their emotions give what would normally be amateur dishes new stories and flavors, that stimulate her senses and bring her joy. Crust is happy to hear Bready likes the class, though also reminding her that they've somewhere to be after all this...
When the class ends, Cooking Oil heads to their intended destination. As Ade welcomes the squad and leads them to a table, Bready muses on how things have changed things for her. She's tasted happiness in so many forms, each one shaped by the maker and their own experiences. To discover each individual's idea of happiness is an intriguing thing that makes tasting less routine for her, and she has Crust to thank for that.
At Crust's questioning, Bready explains that she only understood this concept after the chef began her culinary research. The idea of heartfelt cooking, and the subsequent emotionally-charged dishes that come of it. Crust giggles and admits she learned a similar lesson. If she'd known then that happiness was as multifaceted as she knows now, she would've gone out to eat with Bready more often. The taster suggests that they can start working on that right now.
Ade soon brings over the squad's order of omruice. Unlike last time, Bready recites the magic spell with zero reservations. The taster chortles that her experiences have taught her that many things play a part in what makes a meal a "happy" one, and this spell is indeed a key component. Cooking Oil shares a moment of humor before digging into their food...
TRUE FLAVOR: END
Gameplay[]
Tickets (Ingredients) are spent to play stages and earn currency (Main Dishes) which can be traded in the shop for rewards. Tickets regenerate to a maximum of 5 per day, and additional Tickets can be bought in the shop for Gems.
Challenge Missions - Bills[]
One-time missions that can be completed to earn extra Main Dishes. Clearing Stage 1-12N grants a Memory Film to unlock an event in the Archives and the CG "TRUE FLAVOR" to decorate the Lobby.
Challenge Mode[]
Spend Challenge Chips to take on high-difficulty battles against Nihilister. Chips regenerate to a maximum of 1 per day.
List of Bonus Nikkes[]
Complete stages using the following Nikkes for a chance to earn extra Main Dishes. Bonus stacks up to 100%.
| Bonus | Nikkes |
|---|---|
| +60% | |
| +40% | |
| +30% | |
| +20% |
Version Updates[]
New SSR Nikke: Crust[]
- Duration: End of maintenance to 23:59, April 23rd (UTC+9)
Crust will be on rate-up in the Special Recruit for the duration of the event.[6] Molds to directly purchase her via Gold Mileage Tickets will be available in the shop. Crust will be temporarily available as a Trial Nikke in the Union Shooting Range.
Crust will be added to the standard pools in a later update, not including New Commander Special Recruit or Tutorial Recruit
Archives Update[]
Old Tales will be added to the Archives after maintenance. The "In the Mirror" minigame will be implemented at a later date.
7-Day Login Event - Crust Menu[]
To celebrate the new version update, additional rewards will be given with each daily login for up to 7 days.
Coordinated Operation[]
Duration: 12:00 April 18th to 23:59 April 20th (UTC+9)
Players team up to take on Modernia and earn Broken Cores to trade in the shop for rewards
Full Burst Day[]
Duration: 5:00 April 12th to 5:00 April 14th (UTC+9)
During Full Burst Day, all rewards from Simulation Room and Interception are doubled.
Side Story Update[]
The Side Story Mudfish will become available after maintenance.
Champion Arena (Beta)[]
The Champion Arena will begin on April 10th. Players whose rank in SP Arena is 4th place or higher will be able to participate.
Trivia[]
- Maintenance was extended due to technical difficulties.[7]
- Notes
- References