Chapter 37

"Souji-kun. Please tell me. How many more pieces of meat do I need to cook? How many steaks and dried meats do I need to make before we can take a break!?"

Kuna lets out a scream.

There's no time to leisurely cook over a fire, so I have Kuna use magic to cook the meat instantly, but even then, we can't keep up.

"I don't know! Until the customers are gone."

Negotiations with the veteran explorers were successful, and we agreed to let them eat as much steak as they wanted. That part went well.

As expected of explorers, they devoured 500g of steak, which would normally make a regular person's stomach weak, and still asked for seconds. Everyone had seconds, and some even had thirds.

After that, we sold to several parties as expected. That part went well. The problem came afterward.

Enticed by the smell of meat juice and pepper, more people gathered than we anticipated.

Word of mouth spread, and new parties started appearing one after another.

Now, Anne is managing the queue and collecting money, I'm processing and slicing the meat, and Kuna is cooking it.

"I didn't expect it to be this popular."

I thought it would sell, but I didn't expect it to be this successful.

"Yeah, 10,000 bal per steak is an unreasonable price. Normally, it wouldn't sell."

"Well, technically, it's possible on the 4th floor underground."

The 4th floor underground is popular for camping because it's efficient for hunting and the difficulty level jumps significantly from the 5th floor. Many explorers who venture deeper than the 5th floor camp on the 4th floor. This makes it a very popular camping spot, and the presence of skilled explorers means it's safer, which in turn makes it even more popular.

Some parties stay here for several days.

Life during that time is miserable. Since water and food can't be obtained locally, most of their diet consists of compressed dry bread and dried meat.

Even the higher-ranked parties hire people regularly to transport supplies, but there's a limit to that. The diet is still quite meager.

In such conditions, a juicy, blood-dripping steak is irresistible.

"Souji, the customers haven't stopped coming since earlier. Maybe we should double the price?"

"If we do that now, it'll cause a riot. Please bear with it a little longer."

The meat from the wild boar we butchered is about 150kg, of which only about 50kg can be made into steaks. Each steak is about 500g, so we planned to make about 100 steaks. Surprisingly, the inventory is running out in this underground labyrinth.

"Yeah, if the price suddenly goes up while they're waiting in line, they'll get angry. Besides, the current price is already too high."

After all, 10,000 bal per steak is a rip-off by any standard.

There's a reason it sells at this price.

The explorers who can make it this far are wealthy. Especially those who can camp on the 4th floor underground earn much more than those who only go as far as the 3rd floor.

So, to add some variety to their bland daily meals, they can easily spend 10,000 bal on a steak.

"Give me one steak! I'll pay with magic stones!"

"Sure, I'll take it. Souji, one steak!"

"Got it."

Many explorers don't carry much cash.

In such cases, they pay with magic stones. I accept any kind of magic stone.

Even the lowest-ranked magic stone is worth 20,000 bal, so it's a good deal. Moreover, explorers seem to have less resistance to paying with magic stones than with cash. They use mid-rank magic stones, which are easy for a Rank 2 explorer to obtain.

Just from the magic stones we've received, we're close to our target for the past four days.

"Hey, Kuna, should we build a house on this floor?"

"Are you serious? We're busy, so stop daydreaming."

"Let's build a house and turn it into a restaurant. We'll hunt monsters and sell the meat. We'll make a fortune in magic stones and money. I'll be the chef, and Kuna will be the waitress."

"Souji-kun, can you hear me?"

"Kuna, how many children do you want?"

"How far have you gone in your head, Souji-kun! Calm down, Souji-kun!"

Kuna, who had been giving half-hearted responses, suddenly turned red and shouted loudly.

"Yeah, Souji, you should calm down."

"Tell him, Anne."

"The setting is too sweet. One issue is that I'm not there. Also, Kuna, who is good at fire magic, should be the chef. How about making me the waitress and the mistress? That would solve everything."

"No way! Why do we have to play out a messy love drama in an underground labyrinth!? That's enough for my parents!"

Kuna lets out a scream almost like a cry.

She was breathing heavily.

"Kuna, don't spit while cooking. It's uncivilized."

"Yeah, Kuna, control yourself. The customers will be upset."

"No, it's fine. A spit from such a beautiful girl is a reward."

The customer explorers are amused. It's good that they have a broad mind.

Kuna is trembling.

"I don't like these people."

Kuna's voice is almost tearful.

I might have teased her a bit too much. I'll have to smooth things over later.

◇

After that, we continued selling steaks until the meat ran out. The remaining customers left with regret. Some had circled the area three times.

In total, we sold 102 steaks and earned 710,000 bal and 31 magic stones. Eight of those were mid-rank magic stones. The unexpected income made us feel satisfied. We now have enough funds to enhance our abilities without any worries.

"I've cooked enough meat for a lifetime. I don't want to cook meat for a while."

Kuna, looking exhausted, leans back in her chair and complains. She must have been under a lot of strain, as precise heat control was required.

"I enjoyed it. Maybe I'm suited for this kind of job."

On the contrary, Anne still seems to have some energy. It's surprising that a lady like her has no resistance to customer service.

I look at the two of them while thinking about the cleanup and how to use the money and magic stones. We can buy more supplies when we return to the surface.

After finishing the cleanup and taking a break, the first explorer who approached us came to thank us.

"Thanks a lot. You really helped us."

"No, it was a pleasure. I appreciate your business."

He extended his hand for a handshake, and I shook it.

After serving them steaks, we let them drink water until they were full. We replenished their water supply.

As promised, we prepared three days' worth of dried meat for each of them, made by applying salt and using magic to dry it. This should last them until they return to the surface.

"If you're interested, would you like to join our party? You can turn monster meat into food with magic. And, though you didn't say it, that water. It was monster blood, right?"

The veteran explorer whispered this to avoid being overheard by his party.

"How did you know?"

"Considering the size of the monster you butchered, the amount of blood was too little."

"You're right."

"Of course. If you join us, we won't have to worry about food and water in the labyrinth. It's only natural to want you. There are benefits for you too. My party has four Rank 2 members. It's rare to have such a well-balanced party. If you aim higher, there's no better condition."

"I decline. ...But I'm surprised. I thought you'd ask me to teach you the magic."

"We tried to have our mage steal your technique. But even if they saw your magic, they couldn't understand it. It was full of unknown codes and too many steps. They gave up, saying it would take a hundred years to understand."

That's right. The strength of my "Purification" lies in the fact that no one else can replicate it, even if they know the magic formula. No one can execute the magic formulas I know, even if I write them all down on paper.

"I see, that's a shame. I'll return the favor someday. If you have any problems, come to the guild and ask for the 'Azure Hawk.' That's our party. We'll prioritize your requests."

"Thank you. Of course, you'll charge us."

"Of course. You've earned a lot too. Besides, ...you seem like someone who can make a lot of money. Taking what you can get is what an explorer does."

That shrewdness is a necessary skill for explorers. It's even reassuring. I'll rely on you if I need to.

Having a Rank 2 acquaintance is quite useful.