Chapter 5

# 5

Chapter 3. Chicken and Falenqu

When I come to the market, I usually buy vegetables first and then head to the butcher's. This route rarely changes.

However, today I approached it with a slightly different feeling. Just thinking about yesterday's incident at the butcher's makes me want to laugh, especially remembering Mr. Kno's flustered face.

So, as soon as I arrived at the butcher's and faced Mr. Kno, I smiled and said,

"Hello. Crying Mr. Kno."

"What, what are you talking about? You brat!"

"Are you flustered?"

"Stop joking! I never cried! Bah, I'm done with business!"

"Done with what?"

Ms. Rayne grabbed Mr. Kno's hair.

"Mr. L, you're here?"

"Yes."

"No way! I won't sell to that guy! Ah, my head! My head!"

Mr. Kno's head, which he was shouting at me, was pulled even harder. Ms. Rayne laughed as she mercilessly tugged on her husband's hair.

"Please ignore this man's nonsense. He's actually grateful."

"Grateful? When did I ever—"

"Ha, then give me some Ubah sirloin."

"Ubah sirloin? I'll get it right away. Hehe."

Ms. Rayne laughed and went inside. I asked Mr. Kno, just in case.

"Do you have any Falenqu?"

I need both Falenqu and its eggs. Chickens and eggs are very useful.

"Falenqu? Do you need Falenqu?"

"I think it would be useful in various ways. Especially a live one."

To get the eggs, a live Falenqu would be perfect.

"Live? There's no way! Are you crazy? If we could catch and distribute live Falenqu, we'd already be rich."

"Then you do have a slaughtered Falenqu?"

"Well, that's...—"

"Mr. Kno, that's a different story, isn't it?"

"What, what are you talking about?"

"Remember what you said when I first came here? If I can cook something worthy of your meat, you'd get me any meat I need?"

"Hem, Rayne! What are you saying?"

Mr. Kno shut his mouth and went inside, even though no one called for him. Well, it's true that asking a butcher for a Falenqu is a bit crazy. Falenqu are hard to catch, which is why they are so rare. I've heard that those who have tasted it call it legendary. So, it's unlikely to find it in the market.

Of course, this world isn't without chickens or eggs. Falenqu is the closest to a chicken, and there are many birds used as ingredients, but Falenqu is the best.

"Mr. L, here's the Ubah sirloin. Is this correct?"

"Yes."

As expected, the Ubah was a bright pink. I nodded and paid for it.

"Thank you."

"We're the ones who should be grateful."

Ms. Rayne bowed. I was about to leave when Mr. Kno rushed out. I stopped, thinking he had something to say to me.

"Falenqu! There's a report that it was spotted in the Lemon Forest on the outskirts of town?"

"In the Lemon Forest?"

"Yes, it's reliable information from a mercenary."

"Is it really reliable?"

"Sure, I'll let you know if I get more information."

Mr. Kno scratched his head.

"Tsk, so grumpy."

Ms. Rayne shook her head. Despite his attitude, he does what he can. He's not a bad person, just a bit shy.

I bid farewell and climbed the hill back to the restaurant. Thanks to Ms. Rayne's recommendations, a few customers occasionally visit. But most come in the evening. I don't remember the lunch business ever being good. And today, the restaurant was empty again.

Since things are like this, maybe I should go to the Lemon Forest to find Falenqu and its eggs.

Once I decide, I act immediately. I ran upstairs.

"Rumble, rumble."

I jumped onto the dragon's bed, where it was still sleeping despite the sun being high in the sky.

"What, what is it!"

"Get up! What's the harm in waking up a bit earlier?"

I was in a hurry.

Once I confirmed he was awake, I picked up Rulin in a princess carry. He started kicking and struggling.

"Isn't this because you didn't let me sleep last night! That's too much!"

"Don't say things that could be misunderstood. Go wash your face."

Whoever was up all night playing and demanding attention? I sat the black dragon on the floor, wrapped a towel around him, and helped him wash his face with water from a bucket.

"Blow your nose."

"Honk!"

I wiped his white face and blew his nose with the towel, then sat him back on the bed. If I left him to wash himself, it would take all day.

I had no choice because I was in a hurry.

I dressed him over his pajamas and quickly combed his hair.

Normally, this series of actions would take a while, but I finished it in no time, leaving Rulin looking bewildered.

"What's all this?"

"Whatever, that's not important. There's a Falenqu flying around! Don't you want to try a new dish?"

"A new dish?"

"Something that goes well with beer."

"Oh, there is such a thing? I want to try it."

He was still groggy from sleep, but his eyes lit up at the mention of a dish that goes well with beer.

"If you want to try it, get up now."

I said this while fixing his hair, and he looked up at me, then opened his arms.

"Pick me up."

"What?"

"I'll get up if you pick me up."

"What, are you being spoiled?"

"You haven't been giving me tight hugs lately. During the war, you used to give them to encourage me!"

"Okay, okay, I get it. I get it."

I gave Rulin a quick hug and let go. He raised his eyebrows and shouted.

"Not enough!"

His eyes said it was too perfunctory. So, I gave him a very tight hug.

Very tight!

His soft body pressed against me, and I felt a warm, cozy feeling.

"Hehe. You seem more awake now!"

"Are you satisfied?"

"What are you talking about! I need a whole day of tight hugs to be satisfied! A year of tight hugs to be really satisfied!"

"…A year?"

Nod, nod. Rulin nodded strongly.

"Stop joking and come on. We're going to the Lemon Forest."

"Ugh? I'm not satisfied yet!"

Satisfied or not, I left Rulin and went downstairs. I could hear him following me.

***

The Lemon Forest is a forest on the outskirts of town, beyond the hill where I live.

Specifically, after crossing the hill, there's a stream, and beyond that stream is a bamboo forest. That bamboo forest is called the Lemon Forest.

I suspect one of the mercenaries who frequently pass through here on their way to the northern city might have spotted the Falenqu.

"Why are we here?"

Rulin looked around the forest, tilting his head. The bamboo didn't seem to interest him much.

"I came to catch the ingredient for the dish I mentioned earlier."

"Ooh!"

Mentioning the dish made the instinct-driven dragon start drooling.

"I need to catch a Falenqu."

"Falenqu?"

Rulin tilted his head again, clearly unfamiliar with it.

"Never heard of it?"

"How could I know every insignificant monster? I'm a dragon, and—"

"Yes, yes, I get it. I understand."

"Ugh!"

I covered his mouth and dragged him deeper into the forest.

Crack!

Suddenly, several Falenqu were seen flying over the bamboo forest.

"That's it, right there!"

I let go of his hand and shouted, and Rulin, spotting the Falenqu, opened his mouth.

"Oh, those are it?"

Indeed, they are chickens. Flying chickens. They're called monsters because they are much more aggressive than regular chickens. And they are very fast. I already knew this, which is why I brought Rulin.

I am a combat mage.

And thanks to the Dragon Lord's Heart, my magic is maximized.

In this world, each mage has a specialty.

Combat magic.

This is what I learned.

And research magic, which involves studying various special magics from alchemy to special spells.

I am a practical combat mage.

So, burning down the entire forest is very easy.

But to catch these small monsters one by one, and alive, Rulin is the best.

I don't need a pile of ashes.

"Knock that flying Falenqu down!"

"Can I kill them all?"

"No, just one. I've never tasted it, so I need to try it first."

"That's easy."

Rulin intensely focused on one Falenqu. The Falenqu, sensing the threat, glanced at Rulin.

"Quuuu!"

It let out a strange cry and plummeted to the ground, then trembled and fainted, foaming at the mouth.

This is the Dragon's Gaze.

A powerful ability that can knock out or kill with just a look. To get the ingredients without damage, nothing beats the Dragon's Gaze.

An absolute power usually hidden by dragons in human form.

If I hadn't eaten the Dragon Heart, I would be in that state.

"Good job!"

"Thanks. Thanks."

I ran over and grabbed the trembling Falenqu by the neck, then snapped it. Just like a chicken. The preparation method should be the same.

Feeling good, I pushed Rulin's back and we returned to the restaurant. Rulin immediately went to the fridge, took out a beer, and sat in front of the Falenqu like a dog wagging its tail.

"Is this going to be delicious with beer?"

"No, I need to cook it. Wait and see."

"Is that so? Well, at least one can."

Rulin opened the beer can and started gulping it down, shivering to show how good it tasted.

Since he did a good job today, I'll let it slide.

I left Rulin alone and started cutting the chicken into pieces. Usually, wild chickens are so tough they can break your teeth, but the Falenqu looked different.

I was worried about the toughness, but the knife slid through it more easily than the chickens sold in modern markets.

I easily cut the Falenqu into pieces, made some cuts, and seasoned it with pepper and salt. This is the basic preparation for making fried chicken.

I then evenly spread minced garlic and mixed it in. The combination of garlic and chicken is nothing short of fantastic.

I marinated it in milk to remove any gamey smell. In modern chicken shops, they often use a mix of powder, seasoning, and MSG, but I have my own method.

I prepared flour and mixed it with breadcrumbs, a modern item.

After mixing the breadcrumbs, I added cornmeal. The ratio is about 3:1:0.5, which I think is a good balance.

I usually add powder, but I used powdered Mutton mushrooms, which are magical powder in this era.

The preparation is almost done. The rest is up to the chicken itself.

After Rulin drank his beer and started snoring, I covered him with a blanket and took a break. Dragons sleep a lot. Well, they usually have sleep cycles of several hundred years, so it's understandable.

Still, it's a peaceful moment.

Regardless of the lack of customers.

As evening approached, the sunset began to color the sky. I built the restaurant here for this view.

I don't need a booming business. I just want a cozy place where a few regulars can come and share some warmth. That's why I don't like the bustling market.

Looking at the red sky, I thought about frying the marinated chicken, or rather, the Falenqu, when a customer appeared.

A familiar face. It was definitely the mercenary, Mr. Ment.

"Ah, Mr. Ment, isn't it?"

"Yes, the drink I had here was so good that I came back. Haha."

Oh.