Chapter 10

For how long had he been like that? No, it probably hadn't been for very long.

Breathing heavily from exhaustion, Yu looked up at the sky. Even the dappled sunlight, which he had often found beautiful, now seemed blurred and distant.

"──Haa! Haa... I did it...!"

Yu, who had defeated the powerful enemy, was only shouting in triumph. He just wanted to keep his mind strong so that he wouldn't be overwhelmed by fatigue. The victory cry he let out was thin, like a breath, and it was a bit too small for the feat of slaying a tyrant, but it certainly invigorated Yu's body. On the ground, the tyrant of the mountain was convulsing and spewing blood. It was a grotesque scene, but strangely, Yu felt no fear.

Taking a life is, unexpectedly, a difficult thing. Unless one is accustomed to it—though the phrasing is poor, even taking the life of an animal destined to be slaughtered can bring a strong sense of guilt. The sight of a cow or horse spewing blood and convulsing evokes a sense of loss and helplessness. Even Yu, the first time he saw a deer being strangled, found it cruel and felt a sense of guilt, even though he knew it was a harmful animal. Still, the reason he didn't feel guilt towards the lord of the mountain was—perhaps because it was a matter of kill or be killed, a part of the natural cycle.

"Phew..."

By the time he confirmed that he wasn't feeling unexpectedly negative about taking a life, his ragged breathing had calmed down. The ground was covered in a vast amount of blood, and Diaruk was no longer moving. He had won. As he finally understood this fact, a new question arose.

"Right, this sword...!"

Who had given him this sword, which had delivered the fatal blow to Diaruk? A stone axe wouldn't have been enough to damage Diaruk's tough fur and muscles, let alone bare hands. Without this sword, both Yu and Clara would have died. The person who provided this sword, which saved them from a hopeless situation, was a savior to Yu. He wanted to at least say thank you, so he looked around. Then, the leaves rustled.

"!"

Still in a heightened state of focus, Yu turned towards the source of the sound with astonishing speed. There, dressed in attire that was difficult to describe with Earthly terms, stood a young girl. The first thing he noticed was the veil draped over her head, from which golden hair, reminiscent of precious metal, cascaded down. She was wearing a tight-fitting robe-like garment that revealed her figure, with a skirt-like hem that flared out below the waist. Below that, she wore something like spats—shiny innerwear that extended to her thighs. The outfit was so out of place in the forest that Yu, after a few seconds, could only think of her as a "fighting sister."

Yu was surprised to see a fantasy character suddenly appear in his primitive life. But what surprised him even more was the girl's youth. First, her small stature caught his attention. Yu couldn't tell her exact height, but he imagined she was around 150 centimeters. In reality, she was 143 centimeters tall on Earth, without the elevated shoes, making her exactly 150 centimeters with them. Her face was as young as her height, probably around the age of a second-year middle school student. Given that Yu, a Japanese person, was often mistaken for being younger, the girl might have been even younger.

Why was such a young girl in the middle of the forest? The words of gratitude he had been thinking about were completely forgotten. Yu's mind was filled with confusion and questions.

"Um..."

Still, he tried to express his gratitude for the sword and his life. But as the girl took a step forward, a new thought dominated his mind.

"Ah, hey, wait!?"

As the girl stepped forward, her body swayed like a branch in the wind. She was being pulled to the ground, and even as Yu rushed to her, he knew he wouldn't be able to catch her. In the slow-motion scene, he clearly heard her say:

"My stomach... is empty..."

Those were the last words she said—though not really the last. She fell to the ground, as if embraced by the dry leaves.

"Eh, eh, what...?"

Yu, left behind, was only becoming more confused. He had just defeated a giant beast, and thought the girl who appeared was the key to this great victory, but now she had collapsed. He couldn't just leave her, but what should he do? The answer came quickly.

In his field of vision, there was the fallen girl and another thing: the large, deer-like monster he had slain.

◆

Some time had passed since the defeat of Diaruk, and night had fallen. The night in the mountains came early. Although it would still be evening in Japan, it was already pitch black around them. In the darkness of the forest, a part of the area was illuminated by a dim fire.

"Uuuu... I'm so glad you're safe, Yu..."

The voice, moist with tears, belonged to Clara, who had been praying for Yu's safety during the battle. When she confirmed Yu's safety, she had forgotten her injured leg and almost tackled him. Even then, she had let out a similar cry of joy.

"Haha, how many times have you said that? I'm fine."

Yu had repeated this phrase so many times that even he was starting to chuckle.

"But... I could have just left me behind, you know... Because of what you did..."

"Ultimately, we both survived, right? No more of that, okay?"

"Ai..."

Clara must have found it hard to accept the possibility of Yu dying for her. She was crying, remembering the incident. Yu was happy to be valued so much, but he was also bewildered by this unprecedented experience. The only thing he could do to comfort Clara was to bring up the "no more of that" rule. Seeing Clara, who was tightly closing her eyes and sniffling loudly, he couldn't bring himself to be angry.

However, Yu had something to break this atmosphere.

"Alright, it's done...!"

This was—today's dinner. He had spent more time than usual preparing it, and now the meat was piled on leaves. All that was left was to heat the stones—some people might call them rocks—until they were ready. But...

"The stones look good. ...Dinner, Clara!"

The stones were heated to just the right temperature. Now, they could finally eat. Tonight's dinner was—

"Eh? ...But, isn't it still raw?"

"Of course, that's the reaction I expected. Hehehe... It's raw, but we're going to cook it while we eat!"

Grilled meat. A method of eating meat that is so universally loved that it's hard to find someone who dislikes it. Tonight's dinner was, indeed, Diaruk's grilled meat. Yu had spent most of the day preparing for this barbecue. The most challenging part was the bloodletting. Hanging Diaruk's massive body required a lot of effort, even with modern knowledge and newfound strength. Dissecting it was also difficult, as it was an unfamiliar task. However, Yu had helped with deer dissection before, and without that experience, he wouldn't have been able to cleanly remove the edible parts.

The pile of meat beside Yu was the result of his efforts. He had sliced the meat as thinly as possible to minimize the risk of parasites, and it shimmered beautifully in the firelight. There was no strong gamey smell, and the fat was marbled just right, like marbled beef. Yu, analyzing the meat calmly, was reaching his limit of patience. The thinly sliced, salt-rubbed marbled meat was too tempting to resist. But Yu had one last thing to do.

"Hey! Can you wake up? Hey!"

He needed to wake up the person who had lent him the sword to defeat Diaruk and helped with the dissection. The girl, who had collapsed saying she was hungry, was still unconscious. If she didn't wake up soon, it could be dangerous. Besides wanting to offer her a meal as a gesture of gratitude, Yu was also worried. He had called out to her several times already.

...But there was no sign of her waking up. His hands, still slimy from handling the raw meat, made him hesitant to touch her.

"No good..."

"She's not waking up..."

Yu had told Clara about the mysterious girl who had saved their lives. As they both expressed their disappointment, an awkward silence fell between them.

"Maybe she'll wake up when we start grilling the meat?"

"Haha, I hope so. There's no point in worrying, so let's eat first."

Thinking about what would happen if the girl didn't wake up was too scary, so they decided to focus on eating to distract themselves. Yu heated the stones and spread the fat of Diaruk on them. The fat melted smoothly on the hot stones, releasing a fragrant aroma. The sweet scent of nuts and seeds raised their expectations. With everything ready, Yu picked up a piece of meat with a wooden stick he had whittled into chopsticks. The marbling told the story of Diaruk's luxurious diet as the king of the mountain. Although the taste was unknown, Yu was confident it was nutritious. Placing the meat on the hot stone—

"Ooo...! Good sound...! This is it!"

The sound of the meat sizzling and the fat popping was loud and satisfying. Hearing this familiar yet long-missed sound, Yu's voice rose with excitement.

"Mmm...! It smells good!"

The next aroma to rise was the smell of cooking meat. The hot stones quickly transferred heat to the thin slices, searing them in seconds and triggering the Maillard reaction. The scent, carried by moisture and fat, hit their noses, and their appetites surged as if they had been punched. It was a feeling of hunger beyond the limit, making them even hungrier.

"Is it done yet?"

"It's pretty thin... Yeah, it's ready!"

Yu's well-honed cooking skills allowed him to judge the perfect timing. The meat was neither overcooked nor undercooked, but rather at the ideal point, combining a fragrant aroma with supreme tenderness. The meat, which should have been dead, came to life as a dish, and there was no resisting its existence.

"Alright—"

"Let's... dig in...!"

Naturally, this applied to the two food lovers as well. Almost simultaneously, Yu and Clara put the thinly sliced loin meat into their mouths. Yu took a big bite, while Clara took a small one. Despite eating the same thing, their actions were contrasting. The perfect salt balance and the meat of the king of the mountain, which had monopolized the mountain's nutrients, combined—

"......!"

"!!"

Their reactions were exactly the same.

"Ugh, so good! What is this...!"

"Delicious...!"

The umami exploded in their mouths before they could analyze the taste, spreading throughout their bodies and overwhelming their thoughts. Yu and Clara let out cries of delight, unable to resist the irresistible umami. Meat, meat, meat. With each bite, the fat melted and flowed, bursting with flavor on their tongues. It was like the umami of a concentrated substance being restored to its original mass. The simplicity of using only salt as seasoning allowed the full flavor to reach their tongues. Diaruk, though it had seen Yu as prey due to its "Lure" ability, was primarily a herbivore. Perhaps because of this, there was no gamey smell, but a strong, aromatic scent filled their mouths with each bite. This scent, now perfectly cooked, was assertive and fragrant.

The taste was robust and wild, but the umami of the fat was incredible. It was sweet yet not cloying, the ideal meat. The smooth fat melted just right, leaving no residue in the mouth. The umami was always refreshing, strong, and luxurious. Yu felt as if it was a drop of the mountain's bounty, concentrated and extracted.

It wasn't just that. This Diaruk meat was the first "fat" they had eaten in a long time. Their diet in the mountains, consisting mainly of mushrooms and wild vegetables, was low in fat. The sensation of water seeping into a parched body, or a missing piece of a puzzle falling into place, was a feeling of fulfillment. Before they knew it, Yu and Clara were in a state of bliss. Their bodies, unconsciously calling out in delight, were focused on the deliciousness, not letting a moment of the sweet sensation escape. The sound of swallowing the meat brought them back to their senses. They looked at each other, tears welling up in their eyes.

"What is this? It's so delicious...! I've never had anything like this before!"

"I've never had anything like this either... Without even thinking, it's incomparable to any other meat I've had."

Meat, a popular ingredient in human history, was not something they were unfamiliar with. But their reactions, in unison, were the same: "I've never had anything like this." The taste was so intense that it rewrote their memories.

"Let's eat more! There's still a lot left...!"

"Sure! Next is the thigh!"

This new experience was far from over. The next piece of meat they placed on the hot stone was from Diaruk's thigh. This part, being more frequently used, was relatively lean compared to the well-marbled Diaruk. The thigh meat, packed with the goodness of red meat, was one of Yu's favorites. ...But Yu was regretting his choice. The umami of Diaruk was concentrated in the fat. He had analyzed that the lean thigh would be bland and should have started with the leaner parts and saved the marbled loin for later.

"Is it ready yet? Is it ready yet? ♪"

"Haha, it'll be ready soon."

While the meat on the stone sizzled, Yu wasn't as excited as Clara, who was swaying rhythmically. Still, he was curious about the "unknown taste." As the meat cooked, he and Clara took a bite at the same time. Yu had let his guard down. The lean thigh meat wouldn't be as good as the marbled loin. He had made a beginner's mistake.

"......!"

As he put the piece in his mouth, Yu didn't shout but groaned. He was impressed by the tightly packed texture and the life essence that overflowed with each bite. The thigh, a trusted treasure of the mountain king, couldn't be trivial. The umami was compressed and bundled, but the fat that melted between the fibers made it tender with each chew. This time, the fat enhanced the deliciousness of the meat. The red meat of Diaruk was packed with intense umami. If boiled, it would yield a rich broth, a pure umami. The sweet fat, like a refined sauce, colored it beautifully. Yu reprimanded himself for being misled by preconceptions.

"Delicious..."

"I never thought I'd be stranded in the mountains and eat such delicious food..."

Yu nodded in agreement. This taste would definitely be in the top three of his life, perhaps even the best. That's why he was puzzled. The meat, which had been selectively bred to perfection, existed in nature.

"What's wrong? Aren't you going to cook more?"

Called out by a sad voice, like a dog denied a treat, Yu returned from his thoughts.

"No, I will. I just had a thought."

"What is it? Maybe I know!"

Clara, hoping to be of help, placed her hand on her stomach and made a gesture as if to say, "Leave it to me." Thinking about how much she liked being relied on, Yu shared his question.

"Well... how do I put this? I was thinking it's strange that such a powerful animal has such tender meat. Usually, strong animals are not tasty—"

His question was about the meat quality of Diaruk. Normally, the meat of well-muscled animals is not tasty. While there are preferences, the meat of muscular animals is tough and not suitable for eating. This is common knowledge in the meat industry. In a culture with hunters, one would expect some knowledge of meat. But—

"...? Why?"

Clara, tilting her head, didn't understand what Yu was saying. Her straightforward question made Yu realize that their common sense was different. They didn't understand each other's questions, and an awkward silence fell.

But then, Clara snapped her fingers.

"Oh, right! You see, strong monsters have a lot of magic power, so they're delicious... That's what people around here believe."

Clara remembered that Yu had asked her to teach him about this world. What was common sense to Yu was not to Clara, and vice versa.

"Magic power is the source of everything. It's also called vitality. While there are exceptions, the more magic power a monster has, the more delicious it is. Strong monsters have a lot of magic power, making them more delicious. Being strong also reduces the risk of being eaten by other monsters."

Yu finally understood. In a world with magic, there were logical rules that made sense. Magic power was also umami. Yu accepted this explanation.

"I see... Thank you, Clara."

"Hehe, I was able to help?"

"Yeah!"

Clara's face lit up with a relieved smile, looking genuinely happy, which made Yu happy too. But he was happy for more than just that. He had learned a romantic rule: the stronger the monster, the more delicious it is.

"(Wow, there are probably even stronger monsters than Diaruk. ...I want to try them.)"

For Yu, who pursued unknown flavors, the connection between adventure and food was a thrilling fact.

"Hey... Can we continue now?"

As Yu's imagination ran wild, it was cut short by Clara's words. The forest was indeed full of unknown flavors, but it was important to enjoy the feast in front of them while it was fresh.

"Alright! I'll keep cooking, so let me know if you want any specific parts!"

"Okay!"

Buoyed by the mood, Yu kept adding more meat.