Chapter 73

Morsos are piled up.

After hearing a story from a knight who had been monitoring the Celestial Wolves, I decided to go see the mountain of Morsos after finishing my observation of the adult Celestial Wolves.

"Lady, if you're going to the field, you'll get dirty in your Parushia outfit. It would be better to change."

I nodded in response to Natalie, who was my guard for the day.

"You're right. I'll change into my usual clothes. Lord Alistair is also in a meeting, so..."

The knight who was talking to Lord Alistair at the entrance of the castle, as Natalie explained, is the commander of the East Elsenei Fort, Mr. Ducas. He has been a knight in Galbreath since the time of the late Duke Galbreath.

(No wonder he didn't look at me at all.)

He ignored me, who was walking alongside Lord Alistair, and suddenly started talking about his own business. I later realized it was a statement of not recognizing me as Lord Alistair's wife, but there's nothing I can do about it now (though I feel a bit excited at the prospect of a scenario where someone says, "You're not fit for our lord, our Lady [name] is the one who truly deserves to stand by his side!").

I changed out of my Parushia outfit with the help of a maid and put on my usual clothes. After confirming that Lord Alistair's meeting was not about to end, I went back to the garden.

Behind Midleague, there is a field tended by Reina and the kitchen staff. The young Celestial Wolves have been bringing back Morsos as part of their hunting practice, and it seems they've brought back a lot today. I brought a knife and other tools, hoping to try a taste.

Morsos are minor magical beasts that damage crops, so they are exterminated when found, but as Lillian said, they are difficult to catch because they live in burrows.

"Lady, what are you doing here?"

Reina and the kitchen staff were in the field. Reina, who noticed me, ran over. She had just harvested some vegetables, and the basket was full of fresh leafy greens.

"I heard the young Celestial Wolves have brought back a lot of Morsos."

"Oh, that's right. It must have been the nice weather today, but a lot of Morsos came out. The young Celestial Wolves did a great job getting rid of them."

Reina turned to where a servant was throwing Morsos into a wooden box. Some were properly killed, while others were still moving in the servant's hands.

"Still, they're quite plump."

"Yes, they've been eating the best vegetables we've grown. It's a shame to just throw them away."

If they've been feeding on this field, they must be well-nourished. I understand what Reina means. It would be a waste to turn these Morsos, which have eaten the vegetables we've carefully grown, into fertilizer.

"Reina, I'd like to try making a new dish with these Morsos. Could you share some of the vegetables?"

I recalled a conversation I had with Lord Alistair the other day. At that time, the young Celestial Wolves had only brought back one Morso, and it was uncertain whether it could be used as food, but with this many, it should be enough for a stew or a stuffed dish.

Reina's eyes sparkled with curiosity. Reina, who has a strong passion for cooking, grabbed a Morso from the box and started thinking.

"Lady, how do you plan to cook these Morsos?"

"Well, considering their size, I thought about cutting them into pieces and stewing them, or stuffing them with grains and steaming them, though that would be more time-consuming."

"Stuffed... I see. A single Morso might not be enough, but with stuffing, it could become a satisfying dish."

Reina, who had an idea, decided, "I'll stuff them with vegetables and grains and bake them in the oven! We'll use plenty of goat's laze too." I decided to help her.

Since Morsos are classified as magical beasts, I needed to extract their magic. After getting permission from Natalie and Lillian, I drew a magic circle on the wooden box containing the Morsos using their blood. Then, I realized I had forgotten to bring the cloudy crystal.

(Morsos have only a small amount of magic, so it should be fine without the cloudy crystal.)

Since I can't use ancient magic freely in front of others yet, I squatted behind the wooden box and quietly chanted a spell.

"Rue Litt Arniere O Dona Barmilue Stilis..."

The magic circle reacted, and the magic and blood from the Morsos gathered in my hand. Normally, I would store the magic in a cloudy crystal, but here, I had to discard it. When my palm was full, I threw it into a hole Lillian had dug.

"Lady, is it okay to handle it with bare hands?"

Lillian looked worried, alternating her gaze between the blood being discarded and me.

"It's a small amount, and it's not poisonous, so it's fine. By discarding it this way, the influence of the Morsos' magic won't affect me."

My mother used to turn this blood into a gem-like crystal without using a cloudy crystal, but that was a very dangerous magic. If it failed, the magic of the beast would accumulate in one's body.

By the time I could no longer sense the magic from the blood, I stopped the spell and stabbed the magic detector into the top Morso. It was a bit of a hassle with so many, but I had to check each one to avoid any problems. To prove that magical beasts can be safely eaten, there can be no mistakes.

"Reina, this one is fine, so please proceed with the stuffing preparation."

"Thank you, Lady. I'll start preparing the vegetable-stuffed Morsos right away!"

Reina ran to the kitchen with the basket of vegetables. After confirming with Natalie and the kitchen staff that the Morsos had no magic, I borrowed an apron to help with the large number of Morsos.

After about an hour, we were making good progress with the Morsos' preparation.

I removed the organs and decapitated the Morsos, and Natalie skillfully skinned them. Natalie is the sister of the drake rider Ambry and, like her, is very dexterous. Lillian washed the skinned Morsos with water to remove any remaining blood, which could cause an unpleasant odor.

Natalie and Lillian, as guards, didn't have to help, but they naturally took on the tasks. Reina was a bit embarrassed, but Natalie's comment, "It's also part of Lillian's training," convinced her. It seems that cooking skills are essential for knights participating in expeditions.

From time to time, messenger bees flew in, and Natalie muttered something and sent them back. It seems Lord Alistair was checking on my whereabouts. I felt warm inside, thinking of his caring nature, even though he has a lot to do as the Duke of Galbreath.

"Lady Melfiela, please leave the heavy work to us."

Zeph arrived. He was supposed to be in a meeting, so it must have ended.

"Ah, Zeph, Ambry, and Myran too."

Behind Zeph, Ambry and Myran ran over.

"I'll do my part to get a good meal."

Myran showed a bright smile. Ambry nodded at Natalie's work (though Natalie looked a bit annoyed, they seem to have a good sibling relationship).

"Thank you all. Zeph and Myran, could you remove the bones and meat from the Morsos? Ambry, can these small skins be used for anything?"

The place became lively with their arrival. Lord Alistair and the others arrived.

"Lord Alistair! Did the meeting go well?"

I waved the Morsos in my hand, and Lord Alistair raised his hand in response. Behind him were Ducas from the East Elsenei Fort and other knights I hadn't seen before. They were watching from a distance, but Lord Alistair and a knight with a black eye patch came over.

Meanwhile, the preparation for dinner continued. The Morsos that wouldn't be stuffed were to be separated into bones and meat for stewing.

"Huh? Lady Melfiela, don't you remove the organs from the neck?"

Zeph, who was watching my work, tilted his head with a Morso in his hand.

"Yes, if you push them out from the bottom before decapitating the Morso, the organs come out intact. Like this, you massage it and then push hard..."

I demonstrated by placing a Morso with its head still attached on a round stone and applying force. The organs came out all at once. Zeph and Myran exclaimed in surprise. This method, taught by a hunter from the Marshall Raid, is the most efficient for small beasts like Nels and Bit.

(Ah, Lillian?)

I noticed Lillian's gaze and looked up. She was watching Myran and Zeph work. I thought she might want to join, but it seemed different. Her gaze was focused on Myran.

(Come to think of it, Lillian said she admires Myran.)

After a moment's hesitation, I spoke to Natalie, who was skinning a Morso next to me.

"Natalie, knights also cook during expeditions, right?"

"Yes, cooks are part of the expedition team, but more hands are always needed."

"Do they also butcher meat?"

"Exactly. It's not just for eating, but also for extracting materials. Knowing the structure of the prey helps identify weaknesses."

I looked at Lillian again. She had said she had never participated in an expedition. And earlier, Natalie mentioned it was part of Lillian's training.

I gave Natalie a nod, and she smiled.

"Lillian, leave that task to your brother... Captain Ambry, and watch Captain Myran's work carefully."

"Um, is that okay?"

Lillian, looking a bit confused, glanced at Myran. Her face was slightly red, which was very endearing.

"Captain Myran is skilled at this. You'll learn a lot."

"Y-Yes! Captain Myran, please, I-I'll do my best!"

Zeph seemed to understand our intention and made space for Lillian next to Myran.

"Being watched like that makes me nervous. Lillian, why don't you try using your own knife?"

"Okay!"

Watching Lillian, who blushed and looked very innocent when spoken to by Myran, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning around, I saw Lord Alistair standing over me.

"Melfi, already trying Morsos?"

"Yes, the young Celestial Wolves brought back a lot, so I thought it would be a waste not to use them."

"Good timing. A knight came specifically to try your magical beast dishes."

I turned to the person standing in front of me. It was a knight with a black eye patch and deep blue eyes.

"I'm Yanish, the commander of the Azaar Fort. I just tried the dried meat you made, and it was delicious."

"Thank you."

I usually only make dried meat from Skatsbit or Royalmoodler. Skatsbit was eaten by Chaos, and we finished all the Royalmoodler. What did Yanish eat?

Looking at Lord Alistair, I saw him giving a stern look to Chaos, who was standing a bit away. It seems Chaos had hidden some Skatsbit dried meat.

"Did you eat Skatsbit dried meat?"

When I asked Yanish, he smiled brightly.

"Yes, that's right. I can handle it a bit spicier too. Anyway, I have a request. I want to try this Morsos, of course, but could you hear me out?"

Yanish's single eye sparkled, and I nodded involuntarily.