Chapter 88

With a sudden gap in time, I decided to cook for the first time in a while. It’s just grilling some dragon meat, though.

"Master, good morning." "Master, good morning." "…Good morning."

"Good morning, Sara. Marco. Kika. But is it still good morning after waking up from a nap?"

"…Then what should I say?"

A sharp comment from Marco… What should I say?

"…Good morning is fine. Anyway, I have some time today, so I’m going to cook. It’s Assault Dragon steak. Can you eat it even though you just woke up?"

I’ll change the subject to maintain my authority.

"Dragon steak! Awesome. Hey, Master, is dragon meat delicious?"

Hehe. You fell for it so easily. This way, he’ll forget about the previous conversation. Children are so easy to manipulate. After all, I’m an adult. Hehehe… But it feels hollow, so I’ll stop. I’m starting to feel embarrassed about the thoughts in my head that no one knows about.

"I’ve never eaten it, but according to the general store’s Marie, it’s an extremely delicious and high-grade ingredient. I’m looking forward to it."

"High-grade ingredient, huh. Master, are you going to let us eat it too?"

Huh? Why are you asking so anxiously? …Oh, you’re worried because I said it’s high-grade.

"Don’t worry. I got a lot, so you can eat as much as you want."

"Yay!"

Marco is celebrating with Sara and Kika. I can’t really educate them properly, so I’ll at least make sure they eat their fill.

"Yuta. Bo-bo."

"Huh? What’s wrong?"

Turning to Bel’s voice, I see the charcoal in the grill burning red. Perfect.

"Wow. Great job, Bel. It’s perfect. Thank you."

I praise Bel and pat her head.

"Hehe. Is Bel great?"

"You’re very great. Thank you."

I pat her head again and tell her to play until it’s time for lunch since the fire is ready. Bel flies off to Rain and the others, probably to show off.

"Hey, Master. Can I help with the cooking?"

Oh, right. Sara wanted to learn how to cook. But today is just steak. There are various techniques for grilling meat, but I don’t have any to teach.

"Your help would be appreciated, but today we’re just grilling meat. I’ll ask you to help with a proper meal next time."

"Okay, I understand."

She looks a bit disappointed. Is this okay?

"Ah, I need help making the salad. Can you do that?"

I ended up asking for help.

"Yes! I’ll do my best."

Well, she’s happy, so it’s fine. I take out a few leafy vegetables and ask her to cut them into bite-sized pieces. I hesitate to give her a knife, but I reconsider since she’s already stabbed zombies with a knife. For a salad, you could tear the vegetables by hand, but it doesn’t feel like cooking that way.

"Alright, thanks. First, we need to wash these vegetables, but it would be faster to ask Rain. Rain, come here."

Rain flies over at high speed, flapping her fins happily. I think she’s eager to help, probably inspired by Bel.

"Can you help me? I want you to wash these vegetables with your water magic."

"Kyui kyui. Kyu."

She nods happily and washes the vegetables with water. She was nodding and agreeing even before I asked, so my guess was probably right.

After washing, I praise and pat her. She flies back to Bel and the others, chirping happily. She must have enjoyed it.

"Master, is it okay to have the spirits wash the vegetables? I’m worried they might get upset."

Sara asks, looking anxious. Bel and the others are happy to help, but is it okay? Some spirits might not like it.

"Sylph, is it bad to ask the spirits to do chores?"

"Hmm. It’s good for them to have a chance to use their power, and most of them are fine with it. However, some have high pride, so it’s best to confirm beforehand."

Sylph seems to think it’s not a big deal, so it should be fine.

"Sara, it seems most of them are fine, but it’s best to communicate clearly beforehand."

"Understood."

This kid has gotten used to seeing me talk to spirits. She’s very adaptable. However, I feel more like an interpreter than a master.

"Alright, cut the washed vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Be careful not to cut your fingers."

For now, this is good for Sara. I’ll prepare the steak. I place the Assault Dragon meat I received on the cutting board.

By the way, how about aging the meat? I should have asked Marie. If I cancel the steak now, everyone will be disappointed, so I’ll still grill it.

Hmm, it’s almost all lean meat. Did I get a part with little fat? I asked for the most delicious part, but what will it taste like? I’m getting excited.

Since it’s a large piece of meat, it would be a waste to cut it thinly. It should cook well even if it’s thick since it’s over charcoal. The problem is the seasoning and the degree of doneness.

Since it’s supposed to be a high-grade meat, simple salt and pepper might be best. Not like Torque with a mountain of garlic, but garlic soy sauce or grated daikon with soy sauce would also be good.

Hmm, since I’ve never eaten it, simple salt and pepper might be the safest. I like my steak rare, but I’m a bit scared to try it with Assault Dragon meat for the first time.

Medium would be good… I don’t know how well the thick piece of Assault Dragon meat will cook. I’ll have to rely on my intuition. I might be told to cut it thinner, but I want to bite into a thick steak.

By the way, I’ve heard of blue or blue-rare steak, which is almost raw. I’ve never tried it, but is it okay? It feels like sashimi. I’m curious now. I should have tried it once. It’s too scary to try in another world.

Well, let’s cook the meat. I remember pepper should be applied first, and salt just before cooking. I’ll do the same with the dragon meat. I’ll apply the pepper first and make a dressing.

"Sara, I’m making a simple dressing. Do you want to watch?"

"Yes, please."

She comes over with a smile. She’s really interested in cooking. Is a simple dressing of salt, pepper, oil, and lemon juice enough in this situation? Maybe I should add some basil? It feels Italian.

I’ll avoid unnecessary adjustments. It would be a waste if it tastes bad. …Even this simple dressing impresses Sara. I feel a bit guilty.

I sprinkle salt on the steak and place it on the grill. The sizzling sound makes me feel like I’m cooking. Maybe I should try a barbecue next. But I don’t have barbecue sauce. Can I make it through trial and error?

By the way, I only got regular meat, but can you eat dragon tongue or tail? I’d love to try a large tongue steak. I’ll ask Marie. I have a lot of questions.

***

"Everyone, it’s ready."

Everyone gathers at the sound of my voice. As promised, a glass of red wine is set for the Great Spirits. Everything is ready.

"Alright, everyone, take your seats. Let’s eat."

At my words, Sara and the others, along with Bel and the others, bite into the meat simultaneously. A moment of silence. Huh? Was it not delicious?

Just as I was about to ask for their opinions, "Yuta, it’s delicious!" Bel’s loud voice echoes. Then, a storm of praise follows. Marco’s mouth is so full of meat that I can’t understand what he’s saying, but he looks happy, so it must be delicious.

It seems they were so delicious that they couldn’t speak at first. The Great Spirits, who have probably eaten it before, find it delicious as usual, but the children’s reactions are amazing.

Bel, Rain, Turu, Tamamo, Sara, Marco, Kika, Fukuchan, and Uri are all engrossed in the dragon steak. It must be incredibly delicious. I need to eat it too.

When I cut into the meat with a knife, it’s neither too hard nor too soft, but has a good texture. I take a thick slice and put it in my mouth. As I chew, the meat’s resistance and the overflowing juice fill my mouth.

What is this? A completely different level of deliciousness from beef or pork. The meat is so flavorful that I get goosebumps with each chew.

In Japan, high-grade meat is soft with marbling, but this is a different type of deliciousness. It’s not about the fat, but the overwhelming flavor of the meat. This is indeed a high-grade meat.

If Assault Dragon meat is this delicious, how will Fire Dragon meat taste? Marie definitely said Fire Dragon meat is even more delicious. I messed up. I only got a large piece of meat.

"Hey, Sylph, you said not to rely too much on the Great Spirits’ power, but there isn’t much Fire Dragon meat. If it runs out, can you help me hunt again? I can defeat an Assault Dragon alone, but not a Fire Dragon."

"Hehe. You really liked the dragon steak? Alright, I’ll make a special exception and add one more glass of wine."

Sylph smiles and offers a deal. She looks cool. And it’s a great deal. It’s as good as taking a break from training and serving all the barrels of wine I bought. I won’t say it, though.

I agree and add more wine, and the other Great Spirits also say they’ll help if I add more wine. One glass of wine for a Fire Dragon… It’s a great deal. But I haven’t made a contract with Nomos yet.

We all finish the thickly cut steak without leaving any. By the way, Sara and the others are so full they can’t move. Today’s level-up training will be a bit delayed. After that, there will be a drinking party with the Great Spirits… I’ll participate a little as a thank you for the contract. It looks like I’ll be up late.

By the way, when I praised Sara for the salad, she was so engrossed in the steak that her reaction was weak. The impact of the dragon steak was too strong. I wonder how Fire Dragon meat will taste.

Thank you for reading.