Chapter 25

I took a deep breath and, as usual, began to pray.

“I will never take my life for granted. I will cherish this precious life until the very end.”

Zanas is so large that I want to freeze the part I can’t eat and bring it with me. If that’s not possible, I’ll have the Glaciel Dragon eat it. I’m not sure if dragons eat fish, though.

“Rue Lit Arnier O Dona Balmieu Stilis”

As I chanted the spell to draw magic into the cloudy crystal, Zanas’s blue blood floated in the air. The blood, shining like a gem due to the magic, was gradually absorbed into the cloudy crystal. At the same time, my hair began to glow red. Even though it was just reacting to the magic, it was incredibly noticeable in the dim light. I wish my eyes would glow like the Duke’s. That would be cool and not too conspicuous.

(The amount of blood is small, but the magic contained in it is very concentrated)

Even though Zanas is a magic fish, it’s still a fish. The lack of blood volume seems to mean that the magic is more concentrated. When the small cloudy crystal was filled with blue light, I stopped chanting the spell and took a breath.

“Your Grace, could you take care of the cloudy crystal?”

“Sure.”

The Duke’s eyes were slightly golden as he took the cloudy crystal. There was a lingering light from some spell on his fingertips. His fingertips had glowed before I restrained Zanas, but I wonder what kind of magic the Duke used.

“What’s wrong, Melfi?”

“Nothing, it’s just... I wanted to measure the magic and then remove the head, internal organs, and scales...”

“Zanas’s scales are densely packed and won’t be cut by ordinary blades. However, it’s possible to sever the head by breaking the bones, similar to beheading.”

“Then, could you just remove the head, and I’ll peel off the scales with the skin?”

I opened Zanas’s gills to check their color. The gills, which had been a vivid blue, had turned pale gray. When I inserted the magic measurement device into the hole the Duke had stabbed, the magic was almost gone. The knights lifted Zanas’s massive body and placed a wooden box, which they had brought to hold fish, underneath. It was the Duke’s turn to act. I’ve come to rely on him, but I’m starting to worry if this is really okay. The Duke is a Duke, and it doesn’t seem right to ask him to do all these things.

“Your Grace, since I keep asking you to do this, could you teach me the trick to beheading?”

“Don’t be so formal, Melfi. I’ve beheaded countless magic beasts, but I’ve never been as eager to do it as I am now. I enjoy cooking monsters with you the most.”

The Duke’s carefree smile made me happy.

“I understand. I also enjoy cooking with Your Grace and everyone.”

In the Marshall Raid, I usually did the research and cooking alone. Even when hunters or knights helped with the dissection, I never worked with them in such a lively manner. While we were working, a dazzling light began to pour from the east.

“Alright, it’s morning. Let’s finish the preliminary processing quickly. Mulan, get your sword ready!”

“Yes, sir!”

The Duke, who had the sword he used to behead the Backhorn and the Royal Moodler, tightened his face. This moment, when he’s about to strike, is so cool that I can’t help but be captivated. If Chaos were here, he’d definitely say, “You’re not allowed to make googly eyes at His Excellency!”

“A little behind where you stabbed it... and, from the gills to behind the pectoral fins, diagonally, please.”

“That’s quite a difficult angle.”

The Duke quietly raised his sword and measured the angle. Despite saying it was difficult, he raised his sword again and, with a shout, brought it down. Zanas’s head was cleanly severed, just as I had requested, from the gills to the pectoral fins.

“No matter how many times I see it, it’s an impressive technique. Look at this cut, Mulan. The flesh of Zanas is intact and so clean.”

“I understand, I understand. Lady Melfi, you’re also captivated by His Excellency’s sword skills.”

“Yes, I am, completely.”

“Even I, as a man, am impressed by His Excellency’s skills.”

As Mulan and I were getting excited, the Duke had somehow appeared behind us.

“What are you talking about?”

“Lady Melfi and I were discussing how captivated we are by Your Grace’s sword skills.”

I told him honestly, but the Duke looked away and cleared his throat repeatedly. His bashful appearance was incredibly cute. I think if I told him honestly, he’d pout, so I’ll keep it to myself.

I checked Zanas’s condition and decided to discard the head and blue internal organs. The problem was that I couldn’t just throw them around.

“Your Grace, the head and internal organs don’t seem edible...”

“I understand. Is this what you need?”

The perceptive Duke seemed to read my thoughts. With a short spell, a white flame appeared at his fingertips, and he burned my waste materials, just as he had done before.

“Yes, thank you. I’ll start right away.”

“The knights and I will help from here, Lady Melfi.”

The knights volunteered, and I gratefully gave them instructions. First, I made an incision from where the head was cut to the belly. The skin was hard and thick, so I demonstrated the first part and then let Mulan take over. I wish I could do everything myself, but a monster this large is impossible. I feel weak at times like this. When we arrive at the Galbreath territory, I might start building my strength with the knights.

After removing the strong-smelling internal organs, I had the Duke burn them along with the head. The intense white flame spell, which the Duke had developed, was used to dispose of the large number of monsters he had slain in the Galbreath territory. The Duke had seen many people struggling to dispose of the monsters and thought of a way to handle them without much effort. Mulan secretly told me this while I was watching the Duke manipulate the flames.

(That’s why the Duke could easily decipher the ancient magic language used in the magic array.)

Remembering how the Duke had read the magic array smoothly, I wanted him to see the new magic array I was developing.

◇

“Lady Melfi, this way!”

When we returned to the fort after finishing the preliminary processing of Zanas, Zef, who had been in charge of preparing the kitchen, was waiting at the entrance with a large, round-bottomed pot in his hands.

“Your Excellency, Lady Melfi, welcome back.”

“Zef, it must be cold outside.”

“No, I’ve been running around. Actually, we couldn’t use the indoor kitchen. I apologize, but I prepared everything outside.”

“Oh! That’s a huge pot. Frying can be messy, so it’s probably better outside. Thank you, Zef.”

“No, I can only do this much.”

Zef led us to a place where weapons and armor were washed. Nearby was a simple outdoor kitchen that was barely used. All the knights, who had been sleeping, were now awake, starting fires and arranging cooking utensils.

“Your Excellency, good morning.”

“Lady Melfi, thank you for your early morning work.”

The knights gathered around us, greeting us. They seemed very interested in Zanas, looking at its massive body with curiosity.

“Um, has anyone here ever cleaned a fish? I want to peel Zanas’s skin. I tried, but unlike beasts, the flesh is soft, so I want to separate the flesh from the skin with a blade...”

The knights looked at each other and discussed, and then one of them stepped forward.

“I’m Ambry Char. I’ve done delicate work like peeling fur.”

Ambry was a sturdy knight, with a solid build and thick fingers.

“I think Ambry, the squad leader, is the best at such delicate work.”

“He’s also skilled at peeling animal fur.”

“Please let the squad leader handle this.”

The knights, who seemed to be Ambry’s squad members, spoke up. You can’t judge a person by their appearance. If he’s trusted by everyone, he’ll be fine. Plus, he’s a valuable person who helps with my hobby of eating monsters. I’m grateful, truly grateful.

“Ambry, thank you.”

“It’s for a good meal.”

Ambry, who also had a blade from the Galbreath Duke’s family’s blacksmith, made an incision along Zanas’s spine and carefully separated the flesh from the bones. He then effortlessly separated the flesh from the back bones, cutting Zanas in half. Next, he separated the flesh from the other side and smoothly slid the blade between the flesh and the skin.

“Something like this.”

Thanks to Ambry, Zanas was quickly cleaned. The skin had no flesh attached. It wasn’t just about being efficient. This must be the skill of a Galbreath knight. The Galbreath knights are truly formidable!

“The bones and scales are incredibly hard, but the flesh isn’t as tough as steel.”

“Thank you! It feels like a waste to cut such a large fish into pieces.”

“I think it’s a good idea. We need a hearty meal to regain our strength.”

The knights and the Duke nodded in agreement, so I started preparing the battered and fried fish. I asked for two round-bottomed pots, one for low heat and one for high heat, to fry in two stages. Since the Duke wanted to try frying, I assigned him the high-heat pot.

I had the knights mix the seasoning with flour and dissolve it in cold water. I dipped the Zanas, cut into appropriate sizes, into the batter and then into the oil. The sizzling Zanas looked just like any other fish. When the color turned slightly, I used a wooden ladle to lift it out and let it sit before passing it to the Duke.

“Fry until it’s golden brown. Don’t put too many in at once, or they’ll stick together. Do about ten at a time.”

“Hmm. It’s harder than it looks.”

“Your Excellency, look, that Zanas is not just golden but burnt!”

“What? Mulan, pull it out quickly!”

Even though the Duke shouldn’t be doing such menial tasks, he worked alongside the knights. The Galbreath territory must be a warm place. I hope my research is accepted. The more I think about it, the more my expectations grow.