Chapter 11

(Still, what a tremendous amount of magic power)

The clouded crystal was almost full, reaching the point where it could no longer absorb any more magic. I continued to chant the spell carefully, but I might be reaching my limit. When I glanced sideways at the spare clouded crystal, His Grace noticed my gaze.

"Melphiera, what should I do?"

"The amount of magic power is more than expected, and one crystal isn't enough. We'll use the spare. Please switch the clouded crystal I'm holding with the spare."

"Understood."

His Grace handed me the spare clouded crystal. I took it with one hand and passed him the full one. The clouded crystal, glowing a deep crimson from the blood and magic, was of no value to me except for my research here. However, it seemed different for His Grace, who called for Chaos and began examining the clouded crystal, tapping it with his claw and holding it up to the light.

(His Grace looks good in red, so maybe it could be used as jewelry... No, that's not right. It's a clouded crystal, a clump of blood and magic.)

A more beautiful ruby would be more fitting for His Grace. I took a deep breath, gripped the new clouded crystal, and plunged into the final stages.

"Rue Litt Arnielle O Dona Balmilwe Stilis Umt La Yenbriol!"

As I chanted the final spell, the light from the magic circle converged at the center. The blood flowing from my neck decreased, and the glow of magic became much fainter compared to the beginning. While I was taking a deep breath, the last drop of magic I had drawn from the Loyarmoulder settled into the clouded crystal.

"Phew... It worked. You can now enter the magic circle safely."

A palm-sized clouded crystal, and half of another. I had never accumulated this much from a single creature before, so the Loyarmoulder must have had a considerable amount of magic power. His Grace approached the Loyarmoulder and examined its wounds closely.

"I thought it would be more withered, but the flesh is surprisingly fresh."

"The meat would become dry, so I only extract the blood and magic. Leaving some moisture is the secret to making it delicious."

"Remarkable. Did you come up with this method?"

"The idea came from my mother. During a great drought and famine, many of our people suffered from hunger seventeen years ago. The Marshall Raid territory is poor in resources and the land is not fertile. So my mother started researching how to utilize the large number of monsters that appeared."

I continued her work, researching how to extract magic from monsters. If it could be done more easily and by anyone, these troublesome monsters could become delicious food and save our people. Recently, I've found it a bit, no, quite enjoyable to eat rare monsters. After all, they are delicious. Sometimes I have to eat a disappointing monster, but generally, monsters are both delicious and nutritious.

"What will you do with this?"

His Grace skillfully twirled the clouded crystal in his hand. It was a clump of magic, the very essence of the Loyarmoulder's life.

"His Grace, I plan to use it to start a fire later."

"Start a fire?"

"Yes. With this much, we won't have to worry about cooking heat or the magic lamps in the research building for about two months."

"Will you use it for anything else?"

"Um, is there another use for it?"

I tilted my head, wondering if there was another way to use this clump of blood and magic. I thought it was being used quite effectively for starting fires and lighting magic lamps. His Grace looked at me and seemed to want to say something, but he shook his head and returned the red clouded crystal to me.

"That's fine for you. But be aware that your research is more beneficial than that of the royal mages. The accumulated magic power can be a weapon capable of destroying a country, depending on how it's used."

"...Destroy a country?"

"Didn't you realize?"

"Well, I've only ever extracted magic from living creatures as small as a Kottoko bird!"

Small creatures have little magic power. I had never even considered using it as a weapon.

"Melphiera, rumors are just rumors, but if they carry malice and spread, they can lead to unexpected tragedies. Let those who want to spread them do so, but if they harm you, I won't show mercy."

"His Grace, that's—"

"But, 'drinking living blood' wasn't just a rumor, was it?"

"Um, I don't actually drink living blood."

I don't drink living blood; I just absorb it into the clouded crystal. I was confused by what His Grace meant.

"Is that so? I thought I was witnessing the legendary 'vampires.' Your hair is so beautifully fiery, and your emerald eyes, which shine like beryl, captivated me. I seriously considered offering my life to you."

"Eh...?"

His Grace narrowed his eyes and smiled mischievously. After mulling over his words, I finally understood and my face turned hot.

"S-Stop teasing me! I'm not trying to captivate anyone, and my hair just reacts to magic!"

"It's a compliment, accept it."

"If that's the case, His Grace, your golden eyes, which shine with magic, are very beautiful! And the crimson cloak you wore over the black iron dragon suited you very well."

"R-Really?"

When I tried to retaliate, His Grace looked down and muttered. I, um, might have said something strange. I felt embarrassed and fidgeted. The Marshall Raid knights were trying not to look, and the Galbreath knights were all clenching their fists. I could hear small comments like "Go for it, hit him there" and "His Excellency is a wimp." Chaos even said quite loudly, "Not at all. Three out of a thousand," and held up three fingers.

"Well, um, let's, let's start processing the meat before the preparations for the mansion are complete, okay?"

"Y-Yes."

I regained my composure and took out the magic measurement device from the shed. It was a device with a needle-like shape, similar to the one I used earlier on the clouded crystal, which I would use to measure the residual magic in the meat. The result showed that there was almost none left. Good, it seemed I had successfully extracted the blood and magic. Now I could eat it with peace of mind.

"Is it really a problem if there's a little residual magic left?"

"No, His Grace. If magic remains, it can turn into magic poison."

When a monster dies, the magic within its body is naturally released. Extracting magic from a dead monster is extremely difficult, and the meat is usually salted or smoked to remove the magic. If the magic is not properly processed, it can turn into magic poison. We call the condensed magic that remains in the body "magic poison." When the magic circulating in the body coagulates for some reason and turns into magic poison, the monster becomes crazed and its ferocity increases dramatically.

"Given its size, it will be difficult to work on it while it's lying down. Let's hang it and then cut it up. Prepare the equipment for hanging the meat, like for a cow."

I gave instructions to the Marshall Raid knights to set up the equipment for hanging the meat. The knights tied the Loyarmoulder's hind legs with iron chains and several of them pulled to hoist it up. From this point on, the process would be similar to that of a regular cow or pig. His Grace, who seemed familiar with the scene, also ordered the Galbreath knights to help.

"By the way, the Loyarmoulder's leather is also a valuable resource, right?"

"The nobles all use the tanned and softened leather for their shoes."

"Then we need to be careful when peeling it."

"Alright, Myuran. You and Ambry, peel the skin."

"I'll help too."

I felt a bit hesitant to leave it all to the knights, so I joined them with the skinning tools.

"Everyone, please be careful. Don't damage the membrane and organs in the belly. If they break, a terrible smell will seep into the meat."

"I'm not confident now. Lady Melphiera, where should I cut?"

"I'll do it. Chaos, can you lend me that knife?"

The knife, small but sturdy, seemed to be something the knights used for outdoor activities. It likely came from the Galbreath family's own blacksmith, as it bore their crest. It was a bit heavy for me, but I could tell it was a good tool.

"From here... to here. Be gentle so the organs don't come out. Please be careful."

I carefully slid the blade along the belly, and a clean cut was made without much force. The craftsmanship of the Galbreath family's blacksmith was impressive. I wondered if His Grace would introduce me to the blacksmith if I asked. I wanted a meat-cutting knife that fit my hand perfectly.

As I silently peeled the skin, the well-marbled meat was revealed. Next, I had to remove the organs and cut the meat into sections. The Loyarmoulder's structure was similar to that of a sheep or cow, so the cuts would likely be the same. The meat quality was so excellent that my imagination ran wild.

(Should I grill the large hind legs over charcoal? Or maybe bake them? I should take out the stored tubers from the warehouse.)