Chapter 12

Under the direction of myself and the Duke, the massive body of the Loyamudler was quickly disassembled. After carefully removing the internal organs, the Duke announced that he would feed the organs to the Glaciel Dragon and entered the stable. Apparently, the monsters hunted by the Duke serve as food for the dragons and other carnivorous riding beasts. How wonderful. The spirit of utilizing every part of the monster is something I wholeheartedly agree with.

After processing the internal organs, the next step is to rinse the blood away with running water. I installed a cloudy crystal, which had just absorbed magic, into a water purification device. The purification device, which I constructed with a magic array, is used to further clean the water filtered from rainwater. The location of this research building has changed due to a great drought in the past, and digging does not yield sufficient water, so we rely entirely on rainwater stored in tanks.

As I poured water into what used to be a fountain and moved the Loyamudler with its hoist, I meticulously removed the remaining blood from the meat. If this step is neglected, the meat will retain an unpleasant odor and be ruined. As I washed the meat with cold water, Knight Commander Claude of the Martial Raid arrived.

"Miss Melfiela, may I have a moment?"

"Is something the matter? I'm in the middle of an important task, so can you tell me while I work?"

"I have come to deliver the hunting permit from the Earl."

"Oh, thank you! This will put the dragons at ease."

I washed my hands and took the permit from the Knight Commander. Mount Baltosh is not covered in snow, and the monsters that serve as prey have not yet entered hibernation. We should be able to hunt enough monsters to satisfy the dragons' hunger.

Just as I was about to head to the stable to deliver the permit to the Duke, the Knight Commander stopped me.

"Miss Melfiela?"

"Is something the matter?"

"…Why did you bring them here? I oppose showing all of the late Lady and Miss Melfiela's research to them."

"Knight Commander Claude, why? The Duke does not harbor any prejudice against me."

I moved only my eyes to look at Knight Commander Claude. He shook his head and lowered his voice.

"The proposal is just a formality. If it's just because Miss Melfiela's monster cuisine is novel, it might be manageable. However, if it's a pretext to use the research here, I must strongly protest."

After confirming that I had finished washing the meat, I asked the knights of the Martial Raid to divide it by part and then turned to face Knight Commander Claude.

"Why is it wrong? Using the research is a valid reason. Besides, I haven't heard the Duke's reason for proposing. We shouldn't jump to conclusions."

"Miss Melfiela, please listen. The Galbreath Dukedom has a long history of hunting monsters in the Elsenie Great Forest. Could they be targeting you to use your research for monster extermination?"

When the Knight Commander said this, I recalled something. I had heard that the Galbreath Dukedom has a special mission, and the name and title of Galbreath are inherited by those capable of fulfilling it. In fact, the Duke is an adopted son. However, what does that matter? If they want to use my research to exterminate monsters, I would be happy to cooperate.

"I want to complete my mother's research. I also want to prove the benefits of monster cuisine to everyone."

"That 'Mad Blood Duke' may not use your research properly!"

The Knight Commander continued to plead. I understand his concern, but I think he's going too far. Besides, the Duke is not as terrifying as rumored.

"Knight Commander Claude, that's enough. If you call him that, I am the 'Wicked Lady.'"

"N-no! Miss Melfiela is—"

"Don't be swayed by rumors. At the very least, I want to get to know the Duke better. Besides, if my research can be of use—"

I stopped speaking and averted my gaze from the Knight Commander. He said nothing more, bowed to me, and turned to leave.

(There must be a special reason for such a sudden proposal...)

I shook off the growing unease and headed toward the Duke, who had just returned from the stable. The Duke, raising his hand in greeting, had a stern yet kind look in his eyes.

"Your Grace, the hunting permit has arrived! Now the dragons can be fed."

"Thank you. The dragons were complaining that the Loyamudler's organs weren't enough."

"Dragons complaining? That sounds terrifying."

"My drake is quite picky about food."

As we talked, I suddenly felt very hungry. I placed my hand on my rumbling stomach and looked at the freshly cut Loyamudler meat.

"Your Grace, are you hungry too?"

The Duke also placed his hand on his stomach and looked at the meat in the same way.

"Yes, I feel hungrier than ever."

It's no good. The more I think about it, the more I can't resist. I swallowed the saliva that had welled up and whispered in a conspiratorial tone.

"Over there, there's some very delicious meat."

"Yes, it's top-quality. I want you to try it soon."

"Aged meat is good, but—"

"Fresh meat can only be eaten now."

I looked up at the Duke and smiled, and he looked down at me and grinned.

"Would you like to cut a small piece from that tender part and grill it lightly?"

"We have plenty of meat. How about a more rare cut?"

"That's a great idea."

"Melfiela, you're as bad as I am."

"Not as bad as you, Your Grace."

The Duke and I nodded silently and immediately took action. The Duke opened a leather bag brought by the Galbreath knights and started rummaging through it. I passed through the knights working and cut a piece of the tenderest meat. Next to the shed was an outdoor cooking area. I headed there without hesitation and started preparing the firewood.

"Melfiela, use this."

The Duke, who had brought various tools, handed me a small bottle of powder. When I opened the lid, the smell made me even hungrier.

"This is… a spice blend?"

"I stole it from the head chef. It's a mix of various spices."

"Oh, it's making me hungry. I can't resist."

I placed the firewood in the outdoor stove and set a magic-infused cloudy crystal on a small magic array to start the fire. Ideally, we would use charcoal, but unfortunately, we don't have any here.

"Your Grace, this is a taste test."

"Yes, a taste test."

"Certainly not a snack."

"Of course not."

First, I cut the meat into bite-sized pieces, skewered them, and sprinkled the spices evenly. My mouth was already watering just from this. The spices seemed to contain salt, which tingled slightly and had a refreshing aroma when licked.

The firewood was burning well, and I started grilling the skewers with anticipation. The sound of the firewood popping and the sizzling of the meat as the fat burned filled the air.

"Just to be safe, let's cook it thoroughly at first."

"…Wait until it's done? This is unbearable torture."

"Your Grace, this is a necessary step to enjoy the meat fully."

"Is it done yet?"

"Not yet. Let's flip it and cook it again."

I flipped the skewers. The slightly charred meat made both the Duke and I swallow our saliva. The sizzling and popping sounds, along with the fragrant smell of the meat and spices, teased my nose, and I waited impatiently for it to cook.

"…Your Excellency, Miss Melfiela. Are you having a snack?"

Suddenly, Chaos's voice came from behind, making me jump. I had been so focused on the meat that I hadn't noticed anyone behind me. The Duke, too, seemed unaware, as he stood in front of the meat to hide it from Chaos's view.

"Don't sneak up on me! It's nothing."

"Nothing, while making such a good smell?"

"Right, the permit. Here, Chaos. The hunting permit. Feed the drakes."

"Thank you, Miss Melfiela. Your Excellency, would you like to join us?"

"Wait, I'm with Melfiela."

"Your Excellency's drake is hungry and complaining. You're having a snack alone."

Chaos looked at the Duke with a half-lidded gaze. The Duke, who was at a loss for words, hung his head and looked at the well-cooked skewer.

"…Fine. I'll give you a bite."

"A bite?"

"Damn it! I'll give you a skewer."

"Thank you. If you're giving a skewer, why not share with everyone? Miss Melfiela, our knights have only eaten poor-quality monster meat. They are very impressed by your preparation methods. Please, let them have a taste… as a taste test."

Chaos smiled, and behind him, the Galbreath knights, drawn by the smell, waited nervously. While a taste test is important, this is more like a snack, isn't it?

With the knights of the Martial Raid joining in, we ended up making many skewers for a "taste test." The Duke looked a bit disappointed. Don't be, Your Grace. I'll give you the best piece of meat.