The Spearmaster and the Black Cat

Chapter 211 – Evil Domain Steak

“Nyaa.”

Rollo returned to her usual black cat form, and then ran up to the huge cow that had died after pitching forward.

My partner sank her fangs into the roasted meat. In the middle of munching a chunk, she transformed into a black panther. She easily tore off the meat while allowing her sharp fangs to peek out. It was an action that fully reminded one of a wild panther. The fangs looked as sharp as blades. And, probably in order to chew the tough meat with her molars, she tilted her head while gnawing.

Seemingly having gotten tired in the middle of her meal, she growled deeply while releasing a hot breath.

Ahahaha, she’s in a trance. The meat looks awfully delicious.

Didn’t she tear open the belly of a huge crab that appeared from the Heim River some time ago, devouring it to her heart’s content? She even ate the crab’s innards. I remember how the area around her mouth became all yellow.

“…Alright, time to switch my thinking and have a nice monster cow barbecue!” I announced

“You mean this? Certainly, it smells like Runga meat, but…” Viine said.

She tucked her silver hair behind her ear. That gesture of hers was charming. Being able to see her nape a bit was sexy, too.

Well, I get her point.

“…I think it’ll be alright. Besides, we’re Lucival. There’s no way for us to die from something like poisoned meat.” I told Viine.

“Ah, that’s true as well. < Lineage of the True Ancestor >. Light Demon Lucival are undead.” Viine admitted.

“…Whether undead or vampire, anxiety remains anxiety. This is the evil domain, right? I wonder whether it’ll be fine to eat it.” Yui stated.

She looked worried with her eyebrows frowning. She had been pressing the tip of her magic katana’s scabbard against the big cow.

It might be a bold move if we had the stomach of normal humans. However, the enteric bacteria of a Light Demon Lucival aren’t normal. After wandering the underground for a year, I’m confident of that.

“…It’s something you won’t be able to eat on the surface, you know? I think it will be possible for you to experience a totally new, precious meat sensation.” I turned it in a positive direction.

“Uh, if you’re saying something like that, it really draws me in. A precious meat sensation…” Yui swallowed her saliva.

Expressing her strong support with Yui’s words by nodding, Rebecca-san also looked at the cow.

“…We gotta get the preparations started then――” Rebecca moved her small body briskly, all eager to eat it.

She took out various tools from her item box, proving her thoughtfulness. I guess it’s owed to her experience as an adventurer or as a student of the Magic Academy. She had apparently prepared a full set of items for taking breaks in advance.

“Ah, Rebecca, I will help, too. We might as well――” Mysty picked up big stones, setting them up as crooked chairs and a long, flat table stone.

Do the stones contain a lot of metal?

A stone table in a prairie. It makes me recall the stone benches in public parks.

“Yaaay, Mysty, that’s amazing. Thankie.” Rebecca pressed her hands against her chest, and rejoiced while admiring Mysty’s handiwork.

“I can’t do anything beyond this, though.” Mysty modestly limited the extent of her help.

“That’s plenty. I took a picnic cloth with me just in case, but this is much better!” Rebecca happily commented.

Rebecca and Mysty harmoniously complemented each other and prepared things together. Rebecca spread out a tablecloth.

As she was watching the events, Eva tilted her face while moving her small duck mouth, “Nn, this meat is grilled, but what about the sauce?”

So Eva was hoping for a sauce, huh?

“I didn’t take a professional sauce with me. However, there’s vegetables, and I also have spices and salt.” I replied.

“Nn, salt will suffice.”

“I don’t think it won’t be as good as Dee-san’s, though.” I commented.

“Dee is a specialist in making slime sauce, so I don’t mind. As long as you’ve made it, I will eat everything, Shuuya.” Eva told me while being considerate of my feelings.

But, man, the cooking of Dee-san I ate before was really delicious.

As I am who I am, it might be fun trying to challenge making an all-purpose sauce like a spicy anchovy sauce once I return to the surface, although it will take some time…

“Nn, shall I help with the food preparation?” Eva inquired.

“Nah, I just gotta cut them up quickly and grill them, so you can take a rest.” I answered.

“Okay, I will wait.” Eva moved her wheelchair to her friends who were setting up the stone table.

“Nya――”

“Ah, Rollo-chan!”

Rollo had finished eating cow meat. Returning to her cat form, she climbed on top of Eva’s thighs.

Most recently it’s her favorite spot. Usually it’s my right shoulder or inside my hood, though. I guess it’s because Eva’s thighs are springy with a moderate softness.

There are also times where she also succumbs to the feeling of wanting to massage Rollo.

At that moment Viine watching Eva spoiling Rollo with her silver eyes trembling entered my sight. She might be thinking that it’s enviable.

“Rollo-chan, your belly is paunchy.”

“Nyaa～”

“Fufu, don’t worry, I won’t touch your belly much. Are you going to sleepy sleepy here?” Eva asked playfully.

“Nyaon.”

The beauty with an angelic smile and the cute cat stared at each other. Rollo placed her forepaws on Eva’s chest and faced upwards. It looked as if she was talking about something.

Eva smiled at her as if asking what was going on.

Whatever it might be, they both were wrapped up in an aura of happiness. It’s a different atmosphere than with Rollo and Bon. It made me feel a certain kind of sacred, solemn artistic character.

Oops, I have other things to do before being fascinated by the picturesque scenery of art.

Since it looked like a pain to cut the huge cow with one of the daggers in my chest strap, I summoned Demonic Sword Beet into my left hand. I lowered my stance, pointing the sword’s point, which was engulfed by a black mist, diagonally downwards.

――I target the huge cow.

Using Kaldo’s way of walking as reference, I ran while holding the sword leather-wrapped hilt with both hands. Immediately after closing the combat distance to the cow with Magic Combat Step, I used < Water Wheel Slash > to cut it and at the same time practice the skill. Slashing the magic sword diagonally above, I cut the cow diagonally with the blade, and then immediately swung it down again.

I chopped up the cow meat while hearing a satisfying whooshing sound.

I feel like a clerk in a butcher’s shop, carefully cutting the meat while keeping in mind to go with chunks at a size which will be easy to eat for my customers.

…Rollo, who ate a flying monster, has a bottomless stomach. I expected that she would eat a large amount and thus cut off some extra meat.

After cutting the meat down in smaller chunks for everyone, I took out ingredients from my item box.

“Master, you’re not going to loot the skin and the remaining horns?” Viine asked.

My eyes tended to look at her silver mask, but her nose bridge was high and slender. I was naturally lured to gaze at her small lips that had a tinge of violet.

“…Go ahead if you want to take them. Do they sell well?”

“Yes. It should be possible to get a high price for the skin of an evil domain’s big cow from tanners. The large horns can also be used for weapons, armors, as refined gold material or as item to be used as an inlay.” Viine explained.

I see. That makes sense, seeing how materials of the 20th floor are yet unknown. Since Rollo and I don’t really care most of the time, it’s great to have Viine with us.

She tied her silver hair together with a leather strap, and let the plait hang over her shoulder.

Once she lowered her hips and placed one kneecap that matched with her boots on the ground, she picked up a piece of the bloodstained skin that might work as raw material by pinching it with her bluish-white fingers, and examined it while in posture that showed her pants. She took out a leather cloth from the pouch at her belt…and wiped away the blood stains, checking the quality of the cowhide as raw material.

“…Viine, want me to wash it with water?” I asked.

“Ah, it’s fine. Don’t mind me. Please continue preparing the meal, Master.” Viine replied.

“As you wish.”

Even while resuming the cooking, I looked at Viine again.

Viine also screened the horns as raw materials with sparkling eyes, continuing the looting quietly.

Watching a cool woman at work is sure nice. While thinking that, I tampered with the item box on my right wrist.

Then I placed black sweetwater, red spices, wine, vegetables, cheese, and the brown bread I bought in Hecatrail on the stone table. At the end, I put the cut-up monster cow meat, which completely looked like beef now, on the table, sprinkled small amounts of salt and red spice atop, and started to equally beat the meat with the demonic sword’s middle part.

I think this will do as light preparation for the beef. Next up is the hard bread, although I don’t know whether it’s a rye bread.

I sliced it in pieces so that it would be easy to eat for the girls.

“Cool! You’re just like a chef～!” Rebecca admired my cooking.

“Nn, I’m looking forward to you teaching Dee how to make sweets.” Eva added.

I heard them, but continued with the cooking after returning a suitable smile.

There were many bluish-green vegetables in the style of mustard spinach that seemed to have plenty of folic acid. I washed them carefully while using the water of life magic. The water drops bouncing and remaining on the leaf tips were evidence of the vegetables’ freshness.

Following the bread and vegetables, I created many skewers by using < Tree of the Evil King >. If I were to use < Tail of the Crushing Evil Spirit Tree >, the skewers would have had the light attribute, but I won’t expressly add that attribute to them.

The image of using skewers as weapons and provoking my opponents with “This is more than enough for the likes of you!” when facing some master swordsmen using longswords crossed my mind, but I turned my attention towards < Tree of the Evil King >.

Come to think of it, this skill…I haven’t used it for anything but making the entrance barrier-free and building Balmint’s house. It’s at the point where I want to use it someday to fight with wood spears and not skewers.

I prepared the skewers and stabbed beef on them. At the moment I finished that, I finished the setting of the table by putting down plates, goblets, and sweets, and then faced Rebecca, who had been watching me cook from close-by.

“…Rebecca, fire please.” I requested.

“Sure thing～”

I lavishly poured black sweet water on the meat on the skewers as subtle seasoning to bring out the flavor. While applying the vodka-like alcohol, which I bought the other day, on the meat by eye as a stench remover, Rebecca continued to roast the beef with her magic wand.

According to her, she can delicately control her flames with this wand. She said that in a somewhat proud and boasting manner.

I grunted my disinterested approval, but certainly, the output of the flame surging out of the wand’s tip had a force that gave me the image of a gas burner. Just in case I instructed her on the heat level.

As if doing spit-roasting, I grilled the meat by turning it around while holding the ends of the skewers.

The meat became well-done with a tinge of a purple color. I checked the meat quality. Meat juices were overflowing and trickling down, rousing one’s appetite. The fragrant smell of the grilled meat stimulated my nose.

Irresistible…saliva naturally accumulated in my mouth. I took one piece of meat to sample the quality.

The texture was too small and not enough, but I could taste the meat’s deliciousness. I think it’s good to go.

This might also suit stew or pot-au-feu which are cooked over a low flame.

“They were roasted quite skillfully.”

“Yep, thanks, Rebecca.”

“No, Shuuya, you handled all the timings, didn’t you? We’re going to line up this roasted meat, right?”

While getting Rebecca to help me, we pulled the finished meat off the skewers and dished them up on top of the flat plates. Garnishing it with fresh vegetables from Hecatrail on another plate, we also laid out the Hecatrail cheese, bread and the labyrinth’s black sweet water. Even a small flower pot had been prepared right in the middle of the table.

I also arranged Rollo’s share. She stared at the meat with undivided attention while narrowing her red eyes. Moreover she extended a forepaw towards her plate as if saying 『I wanna eat nya～』. That paw was trembling slightly. She was apparently enduring since she had been told by Eva that she wasn’t allowed to eat yet.

What a cute fellow.

“Now then, it’s done. Let’s eat. I shall name this spit-roasted evil domain beef steak.” I said ceremoniously.

“It’s a prairie with many depressed spots, but eating outside while sitting on stone chairs has a mysteriously nice atmosphere. The meat looks tasty, too.”

“Indeed. The sky is cloudy and there’s a wind going as well.”

“I have to write about the evil domain’s meat quality after investigating by eating.” Mysty said full of vigor.

“Nyaoo.”

“Nn, Rollo-chan, good girl. You can eat now.” Eva said.

“I’m deeply grateful. This Kaldo…”

“Dad, keep the speeches short and just eat.” Yui retorted towards her father.

Everyone besides Helme was eating.

“Meat and sweetness, as well as salt seasoning? How superb…,” were Mysty’s words with the tone of a critic knowing the details as she took one, then another bite. She carried the meat to her mouth and ate it.

Certainly, since she was always noting down things on her parchments, she possessed the image of being similar to an editor beauty who introduced great stores by touring sweets shops.

“…I think it’s better than Runga, too.” Yui commented.

“I agree with Yui. It has a magnificent meat texture!” Viine nodded deeply at Yui’s words, and said in a tone which was unlike her, “I took the cows of the evil domain too lightly. I feel like wanting to apologize. If we were to sell this at the market on the surface, it might yield us quite a profit.”

In the middle she returned to her dispassionate tone while speaking of a broad perspective with a carefree expression.

“Yep! It’s reeeally delicious! But, but…my fire strength was great as well, right?” Rebecca deliberately puffed up her nostrils in pride. She let us know while winking, but acting childish each and every time was rather annoying.

“――Nn, I love Shuuya’s cooking!” Eva splendidly ignored Rebecca while chewing with her small mouth. She turned a smile at me while making her medium-long, black hair sway, showing me her pretty set of teeth.

It looks like the cooking turned out well.

I cut the meat with a dagger while obtaining a certain kind of satisfaction out of the girls’ smiles and continuous chatting that didn’t stop being lively. The Ancient Dragon Dagger smoothly cut through the well-done meat.

At this point I already knew. That it’s going to be delicious. Without licking the dripping meat juice off the dagger, I put it aside.

Then I took out chopsticks, and after rolling them in my fingers, I held them between my middle and index fingers with a feeling of fitting perfectly. I focused on not allowing the chopsticks to shake by using my thumb while adjusting by moving my first and second finger joints up and down.

Bon appetite. I extended my chopsticks to a big piece of grilled beef and picked it up.

I’m not Rollo, but I carried the meat to my mouth while growling.

At first I concentrated on biting it with my teeth. It had a texture that made a wild, beast-like voice resound within my mouth.

But, although it had a taste of wildness, the stench of the meat had completely vanished thanks to the vodka. It appears the heating power of Gulphon’s Magic Wand was good as well.

――Oh?

Once I endeavored into biting it a second and then a third time…I sensed a somewhat faint sweetness and bitterness as hidden taste.

And then, and then, the meat fibers got suddenly soft? The hell?

Did some kind of chemical change take place within my mouth?

That’s friggin’ amazin’ meat!!

My character got all messed up while the meat vanished as if melting. What mysterious meat. The aftertaste of the soft beef lingering on my tongue was irresistible…

The black sweet water which gave it a unique depth…

The moderate spices and simple salt taste highlighted it as well.

Delish!

The vegetables were crispy, too. The peculiar bitterness and tastiness of green vegetables gave the whole an additional flavor.

The steak was gone in no time.

As I was eating the vegetables, “Nyaagoo～garuru,” I heard Rollodeen’s(Black Panther) voice. It was blended with the raw sound of a beast.

Rollodeen, who had transformed, had eaten up the evil domain steak as well. Her appetite was going at full power.

The great quantity of meat I had prepared was completely gone.

“Rollo-sama, you want to drink my water to rinse your mouth?” Helme asked.

“Nyaa.” Rollodeen looked at Helme’s face and meowed.

While smiling, “Okay, then here you go,” and extended a finger toward Rollodeen.

Water trickled out of that finger, and Rollodeen gulped it down.

The look Helme turned at Rollodeen was gentle. She had an expression similar to an Earth Mother Goddess.

She made her blue leaves wave as if to emphasize her happiness.

Like this I was able to share and eat delicious monster meat of the evil domain with everyone. It was a result of us bringing it down, but…it made me feel like wanting to thank someone.

I will thank the gods. Or is it the evil gods here?

Well, whatever…I will first thank the water goddess who gave me her blessing.

Akreshys-sama, I don’t know whether my prayer will reach you, but thank you.

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