Episode 60: Garden Banquet
Shio and Margot returned.
“Found a huge cow!”
“Mm, found a Demon Sword in the mansion…”
Shio, having captured a cow, and Margot, bringing a Demon Sword from the warehouse.
Heh heh heh, these guys are Strider through and through. Absolute outlaws. Don’t just bring things without permission… no common sense at all.
Well, they don’t get weirdly scared or anything, so they’re really easy to get along with.
“Shall I grill the cow for you?”
“Really?! Is it okay for you to do that for me?!!!”
Shio’s surprise is evident.
It’s because she’s a Tribesman.
Among the Tribesman, livestock are very important assets.
Slaughtering and serving livestock that can still work is only done during the annual festival.
Doing so for a guest is considered the highest form of “hospitality.”
Of course, this isn’t just among the Tribesman; it’s the same in rural areas.
Livestock are the highest form of wealth, and being fed them is the highest form of hospitality. It’s a common understanding throughout this world.
“Of course, Shio. We have plenty of livestock. Reviving dead livestock is easy.”
“Wow, it’s like ‘Jibabaro’s Undying Boar’!”
What’s that…?
“Ah, Jibabaro’s Undying Boar is a boar in Gira Tribe legend that never runs out, no matter how much you eat. It’s like a legend, so amazing!”
Ah, is that what it is?
It’s common in Norse mythology and Celtic mythology. The Gira Tribe’s beliefs are full of stories like that.
Earlier, she was saying something about how the dead are sent to a Valhalla-like place.
“Well, it’s pretty much true. The crops, livestock, and fish here are made to revive even after death. Well, if they’re killed too much, it takes time to revive, so I don’t want them slaughtered…”
“Even so, it’s amazing! So, Dru-sama is like a Legendary Archmage, right?! Amazing, I really respect you!”
She’s saying things like, “So cool~!”
“Not at all.”
So, I, the humble Black Mage, remained modest.
“Mm, Demon Sword.”
And Margot has the Demon Sword.
“I’ve been into making Demon Swords lately… Of course, they don’t sell, but if there’s one you like, you can take it.”
“Mm, then a magic tool for my staff…”
“Really?! Give me one too! Oh, that’s a big help! Greatswords break so easily!”
He’s really brazen. I love that about him♡
Giving presents to girls is… fun!!!!
So, we butcher the cow, gut it, and grill it.
Normally, it would be better to cut it into pieces and grill it, but Shio said she wanted a whole roast.
However, roasting an entire cow takes all day, even if you’re constantly at it.
So, while we have a fire going, I quickly roast it with magic.
Fire magic, thoroughly cooking it inside and out, a ‘cooking’ magic that does it in an instant.
I snap my fingers and roast it in a flash.
“Ooooooh…!!!!”
Shio’s eyes sparkle.
She’s a Barbarian, so she probably likes whole roasts.
We cut up the roasted meat, lightly sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and then everyone can enjoy it with barbecue sauce or salt and lemon as they like…
Ah, and I should put out some quickly made bread and vegetable salad too.
It’s a barbecue, so fun!
“Eh… it’s sooooo delicious?! Why?!!!”
Shio says, surprised, while gnawing on a kilo-sized chunk, holding the bone.
“Ah, it’s Wagyu Beef.”
Do the people of this world also find fattier meat more delicious?
Well, I guess so. It’s a world where oil is hard to come by. Even if it weren’t, fat is delicious, after all.
…However, in Rosalinde’s case, her stomach would probably be destroyed by the fat and she’d get a stomachache, so I’ll feed her the leaner parts.
I’ll also add wasabi to neutralize the oil.
“Munch… um. Yummy, isn’t it?”
Good.
For now, I’ll make her eat vegetables in addition to the meat. Rosalinde needs a well-balanced diet no matter what…
“Mm.”
Margot, though a slender Elf, is still a Strider who relies on her body.
She chews silently, munching away.
She’s eating quite a bit.
“Umyamyaa!”
Mirei… hmm, I feel like she’s gained weight recently…?
Well, whatever, let her eat.
I’ll eat too.
…Yeah, it’s just normal Wagyu Beef.
It’s not a very high grade, so it’s easy to eat even though it’s Wagyu Beef, and the amount of fat is more than usual but moderate for Wagyu Beef.
The meat is tender and flavorful.
We enjoy it with a sweet and spicy sauce, or with salt, pepper, and wasabi.
The offal is refreshing with lemon and salt. The offal might be the most delicious. It goes well with beer.
“Ah! Alcohol!”
“Here, here, drink up.”
“…Hmm? This isn’t ale? But it’s delicious! It’s cold and delicious!”
And so, we spent some time having fun…
The next morning.
“Mm… mm? Mnaa…, ah.”
I woke up, moving Shio’s bare butt, removing Rosalinde who was entwined in my arm, and pulling off Mirei and Margot who were clinging to my thigh.
Yeah, well, it’s a common occurrence.