Chapter 307: Tasting
“Alright… now that we’ve come this far, there shouldn’t be any problems.”
“Yeah, it’s all thanks to Rest’s magic!”
“If it weren’t for Yuri’s incredible strength, we wouldn’t have made it… I mean, really.”
They had successfully escaped to a location far enough from the wyvern’s nest. Rest and Yuri, filled with a sense of accomplishment from completing their mission, praised each other’s efforts.
The sun had already set, and the diurnal wyverns could no longer pursue them. Although Rest and Yuri would have to spend the night in the mountains, they figured descending at dawn would pose no issues.
“Still… we only managed to catch one. Shouldn’t we have captured two or three more?”
“No… there’s no way that’s necessary.”
Rest was taken aback by Yuri’s words. A wyvern was as large as an elephant, weighing at least five tons. It was astonishing that Yuri could drag such a creature without any magical assistance, but it was equally surprising that a being of such weight could soar through the skies.
(Thinking back… I remember that the wingspan of a pteranodon could reach nearly ten meters, yet its weight was comparable to that of a human child. It must be that they’ve minimized their weight to the limit in order to fly with such a massive body.)
Recalling what he had researched during his middle school summer vacation, Rest turned his attention back to the carcass of the wyvern. With such a massive body and weight, it could not rely solely on wing lift to fly. It was likely receiving assistance from magical power.
(Maybe… monsters unconsciously use magic as well. If I were a scholar, I would properly investigate this.)
However, Rest had no interest in the anatomical structure of the wyvern. While a thorough study could lead to a groundbreaking discovery, the importance of meat for sustenance took precedence.
“With this much, it should be enough for the party. Let’s not be greedy and head back quickly.”
Assuming they could obtain about thirty percent of the wyvern’s weight in meat, that would still exceed a ton. It should be more than sufficient as the main dish.
“Right, we need to prepare other dishes too. We can’t fill everyone up with just wyvern meat.”
Yuri nodded vigorously, arms crossed.
“Actually… it might be too much. Shouldn’t we trim it down a bit?”
“If you want to taste it, just say so… well, a little bit won’t hurt.”
Just then, a savory aroma wafted up from the part that had been pierced by Amaterasu’s sunlight. Rest took out a knife and sliced off some of the charred meat. After lightly sprinkling salt from their supplies, he offered it to Yuri.
“Here, you can eat it.”
“Then I won’t hold back… delicious!”
Yuri took a bite of the wyvern meat and immediately erupted in applause.
“The outside is crispy while the inside is chewy. It’s tender yet has a satisfying texture, and the more I chew, the more flavor bursts forth… it’s just like eating grilled meat!”
“Well, it is grilled meat.”
“Come on, Rest, you should try it too! Ah—n!”
“…Ah—n.”
As he opened his mouth, Yuri fed him a piece of meat. As he chewed, he realized… indeed, it was quite tasty. Despite being seasoned only with salt, it had a surprisingly robust and wild flavor. The fibers of the meat seemed to crackle in his mouth, changing flavor with each bite.
“This is delicious… hey, Rest. Can I have more?”
“Stop it… there’s no end to this.”
He restrained Yuri, who was drooling at the thought of more. Left unchecked, she would likely devour the entire wyvern.
“Then why not hunt a few more? It’s fine, they won’t run out.”
“Actually, they probably would… let’s save that for another time.”
Though the suggestion was tempting, Rest prioritized safety and declined. To prevent spoilage, he used magic to freeze the wyvern. He stuffed some dried meat into Yuri’s mouth, who looked disappointed, and they settled down for the night in their camp.