Chapter 355: Cooking and Evidence
“Delicious!”
“What is this!?”
“A Metal Dragon Serpent? No way!”
“Isn’t the Dragon Serpent supposed to taste bad!?”
In a corner of the square that had been transformed into a butchering site, a mini feast had unexpectedly taken shape. The Metal Dragon Serpent we were cooking was being brought in one after another, disappearing into the stomachs of the gathered Adventurers.
The gamey smell of the snake meat was easily removed by soaking it in alcohol or milk and briefly blanching it. To make it tender, using a pressure cooker would have been the simplest method. However, we hadn’t brought one with us. Instead, we used a pot-shaped Spatial Isolation Barrier for cooking, making it something not easily replicable.
By grinding the meat into minced form, it became soft enough to eat, but that too was achieved through magic, making it a labor-intensive task for anyone else. Still, if we left it coarsely minced, the crunchy texture was enjoyable, adding an interesting twist.
“I can’t believe we actually made something edible…”
A voice I recognized echoed from the mini feast, and it seemed the reviews were quite positive.
“I still want more hamburg steak, but I can’t eat anymore!”
Phonia gazed sadly at her empty plate. Her belly was already round, indicating she was full.
“I can’t eat anymore either.”
Ivan rubbed his stomach, looking satisfied. Nil was still munching away, but as long as we removed the gamey taste, he would eat without needing it to be tender, which made things easier.
“Truly impressive for an S Rank Adventurer…”
“Yeah, turning something inedible into something we can eat.”
“I’m in awe.”
It seemed the greatness of the S Rank Adventurers was spreading among those around us. It wasn’t quite what I had expected, but increasing the amount of edible food meant fewer people would starve, which could be considered a remarkable achievement on a regional or even national level. Or so I thought.
“This should be the last of it.”
As I plated the final hamburg steak, I headed toward the table where Rio and the others were seated. The ingredients for the dishes Rio had been preparing had run out, so she joined Phonia and the others at the table to share the food.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Yeah, I’m really tired, but sometimes a bit of ruckus isn’t so bad.”
It all started with the success of removing the gamey taste from the ultra-thinly sliced grilled meat. When I involuntarily exclaimed, “Delicious!” it caught the attention of the Adventurers who had been observing us. Once we let them taste it, word spread, and this was the result.
The snake meat, now tender enough to bite through, released its rich flavor with every chew, making it quite tasty. Some Adventurers began seeking out the snake meat, but it was originally promised to us. I left a little behind since they wanted it so badly, but we managed to secure most of the meat as promised.
“Master, it seems we’ve discovered the hiding place of the evidence documents.”
As the number of monsters emerging from the Forest of Enchantment continued to decline, whispers began circulating that the Alert Level for the impending Stampede would soon be lifted. It was at this moment that El delivered her report.
“Uh, evidence, right?”
For a moment, I was confused, but then I remembered. It was the evidence of the corruption committed by the Chancellor and others in this country.
El opened the laptop she was holding and connected a cable to display it on the large screen. With swift movements, she operated the computer, revealing a map marked with red circles on the screen. There were even photos of some building attached within.
“You’ve completely mastered it, haven’t you?”
“Yeah… And didn’t the TYPE Series capture these images? I thought Dungeon-produced tablets and computers couldn’t exchange data…”
“They should have completely different systems… What’s going on?”
On one side was the Dungeon-produced tablet, which seemed to operate on Magic Power, while the other was powered by electricity. It was possible that the Dungeon’s mysterious functions allowed for the addition of a data exchange feature by consuming DP, but as the Dungeon Master, I hadn’t done anything.
“Master, are you listening?”
As El glared at me with veins popping on her forehead, I realized I had been lost in thought.
“Oh, right.”
I nodded obediently, sensing the undeniable pressure in the air. At the very least, I wasn’t skilled enough with the computer, nor did I intend to be, so I preferred to leave it to El.
“This is the floor plan of the Chancellor’s mansion. Not only did they frame innocent people as criminals and impose sentences, but they also extorted bribes to lighten those sentences. Furthermore, they pocketed the fines, reporting them to the country as minor offenses.”
“Wow, that’s the worst. They’re double-dipping from both the public and the state.”
“The Chancellor is quite a powerful figure, right? Is there anyone who can hold such a person accountable for their corruption?”
“Who knows? I’m not well-versed in the country’s system.”
“Perhaps we should leave that to the highest authority in the land.”
I nodded in agreement with El’s words. If power was the issue, we could present the evidence to someone with greater authority than the Chancellor.
“It seems we should directly confront the king and present the evidence.”
“Right. But do you think we can just waltz in and expect to be heard?”
“Hmm, that’s true…”
“What kind of reckless talk is that…?”
As we debated back and forth, Ivan, who had been listening nearby, muttered something under his breath.
“Wouldn’t it be fine if we just made an appointment?”
“I don’t think that’s the issue here.”
“An appointment, huh? Should we just say we’ll come by next time?”
“How are you going to say that?”
“I think it could work. If we specify a date and time, they might welcome us on the day.”
“Well, in a way, they might be inclined to welcome us.”
“Alright, then let’s do that.”
“I didn’t think you’d be so nonchalant about it, but it’s terrifying how you guys seem to think it’ll be fine…”
No one reacted to Ivan’s comment, and it was decided among us that we would go ahead and make the appointment.