272 - - 二百七十话 ついに解禁

When I went to check out the plaza, which I was told had been completed, I found that it had somehow been transformed into a rose garden. It was so well finished that the Great Spirits misunderstood that they had lent too much power, and ended up bowing down seriously to the little army plus Gina. As a master, I should be aware of the abilities of my students and contracted spirits.

After enjoying the view of the Rose Garden from the sky, we returned to the house as it was getting dark. We gather in the living room and talk about today's celebration. Will everyone be happy?

"I'm almost ready for dinner. We're going to celebrate because you all worked together to make a great square!"

I go back to the living room and announce in front of everyone with a bit of pride.

"Master, what are you doing?　The gulf?"

I never thought I'd hear the word "banquet" come out of Marco's mouth.......A banquet if something good happens, even Marco, who doesn't drink, is aware of it?　Sylphy, Dene, Dolly, don't look at me expectantly.

However, the Great Spirits are fully expecting a banquet and it would be difficult to choose not to serve alcohol here. I'm sure they helped us a lot and we'll serve drinks, but let's emphasize that the main focus of the day will be the little army plus Gina.

"We'll serve drinks to Sylphy and the others, but the main focus of today's celebration will be Gina and the others who worked hard to make the plaza, Fuchu and the others, and Belle and the others.

The little army of kids + Gina are happy and excited at my words. Well, Sylphy and the others are happy too, but I guess that's because I told them I'd serve them drinks regardless of the celebration.

"So, master, what do you mean by celebrating?"

Sara tilted her head and asked me if she noticed from the way I said it that it was different from the usual banquet.

"Sara, that's a good question. I'm thinking of eating the meat of the fire dragon since it's a good opportunity. I hear it tastes better than the meat from assault dragons and wyverns, so I'm looking forward to it."

"You're going to eat Fire Dragon meat? ......"

Sara is frozen with a surprised look on her face. Why would she be surprised by this?　We all knew you had Fire Dragon meat, didn't we?

Hey master, you've been saving this meat for a long time, you don't have to serve it to us just because we're celebrating. For us even the meat of assault dragons and wyverns is more than enough to be a luxury item. Besides, even I know that meat of dragons with their attributes is not something you can pay a lot of money for. You should give it to a more respectable place."

Gina takes over the topic from Sara, who has frozen up in surprise, and says something to me with a puzzled look on her face as if to chide me. My imagination was supposed to be overjoyed with the meat of the fire dragon, but it seems she is being cautious of me.

Maybe she thought I was taking very good care of her Fire Dragon meat since I hadn't served it to her for quite a while now?

"Well, let me explain, in case there's any misunderstanding, I'm not trying to make money selling Fire Dragons. It's just that I heard that it's a very tasty meat, and I was holding back because I thought the other meats would taste bland if I ate it first."

"Really?"

Gina says with a scowl. I guess I was misunderstood.

"Yeah, we're not going to sell them, we're going to eat them all ourselves. We were planning to eat the meat from the fire dragon soon, so it's perfect timing.

"I see. ...... So we can eat it too?"

"Yes, I have a lot of Fire Dragon meat in my magic bag. If Gina and the others are too shy, we won't be able to eat it all. That's why we're having Fire Dragon steaks tonight!

Gina and the others start to get excited at my words. It seems that they are finally getting into the mode of eating delicious meat. I didn't think we would stumble upon such a place.

"Yuta, do you want some meat?

I guess he didn't understand what I was talking about, because Belle, who was floating next to me, asks me a question.

"Yes, today we're going to eat fire dragon meat, which I've never had before. It's supposed to be very tasty, so you can look forward to it.

............"

In brief, the belles instantly understand and get excited. Yes, this is the kind of reaction I was looking for.

"All right, let's get ready!

All of them shout out their agreement, but Gina and Sara are enough to help me.

"So, Master, what do you want me and Sara to do?"

It's steak, so there's not that much to do. But we'll be eating a lot of people, so we'll just cook the meat. It helps if I store it in my magic bag so it doesn't get cold.

"Right, I'll carve the meat, and Sarah, you sprinkle some pepper on the meat and let it acclimatize. Gina, go outside and set up the grill. We'll be grilling over charcoal, so have Shiva help you."

""Yes!""

I tell them what to do, and I take the fire dragon meat out of my magic bag. I want to eat the best part of the fire dragon. I take out the central part of the belly, which I had heard about during the dismemberment. This part has a good mixture of meat and fat, and is said to be the most popular part of the dragon's meat.

Let's cut the meat anyway. I told everyone it was extra thick, but I can't chew through a block of meat like that. It's about three centimeters thick. It's a big hunk of meat, so I'll use my magic survival knife instead of a knife to cut it up.

It cuts easily, but be careful not to cut through to the table below. Carefully measuring the thickness and cutting it into pieces, you get a very thick steak that looks like a sirloin: .......

I wonder how much it would cost to eat the same grade of meat in Japan, if it were the highest grade of meat and the highest grade of part....... I'm afraid to even enter the restaurant on my salary.

"Master, I don't think I or Kikka could eat it all if it's this big. ......"

Sarah, who had been standing next to me to sprinkle pepper on the top of the dish, said, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you had a problem with that. It certainly looks ...... noticeably larger than the one-pound steaks I've had at steak joints. We're all adventurers and eat a lot of food in Kikka, but this size is a bit much for us. But if you cut it thinner, it's less powerful as a piece of meat: .......

"Well, let's cook it this size when we grill it, and cut it in half for those who don't think they can eat it."

"That sounds fine, then."

Even half of it weighs about 300 grams, but Sarah nodded her head, so I guess it's all right. When there were no more problems, we started carving the meat one after another.

"Master!　I'm done preparing this side."

Gina had finished making the fire and returned. She must have done a good job, because Shiva is proudly saying "wah-wah-wah" next to her.

"Thank you, Gina. There's some meat there, please sprinkle some salt on it.

"Yes, this is the meat of the fire dragon. That's awesome!"

Gina gazes at the meat with sparkling eyes. If you like to cook, you must be interested in Fire Dragon meat.

The three of us prepare the meat and head outside with it in our arms. The coals are burning red hot on the grill. A thick steak is grilled on the grill over charcoal. Luxury at its finest!　I'm kind of on my own now. I don't have a girlfriend.

I put the coals to one side to create a high heat zone and a low heat zone. The meat is thick, so you have to cook it slowly or it'll be raw inside.

Place the steak in the high heat zone and cook the surface at once. If I had aluminum foil, I could have tried the method of browning the meat on both sides and then wrapping it and letting it rest. When I was in Japan, I never bought such thick meat, and there is no aluminum foil in other worlds. It doesn't work well.

I have a feeling that if I ask ...... Nomos, he can make the metal thin like paper. ......How can I explain aluminum?　Where is aluminum found in the soil to begin with?

Come to think of it, I still have a one yen coin in my wallet that I used to use in Japan. I should summon Nomos to look for it when I go to the mountains of the labyrinth. I cook the meat while thinking. I look up and see Sara looking at me enviously. ...... Gina is watching the meat in the low heat zone, and I guess Sara wants to grill some steaks too.

"Sara, can you take over?"

"Are you sure?

"Yes, you know how to cook it, right?"

"Yes, I'm fine!"

I switch places with Sara, who approaches me with a smile, and I settle into my position as the steak stowage person. It takes quite a while to cook one steak, so it's going to take a while to prepare enough for everyone. I'm a little worried that we won't be able to cook enough for the little ones and the spirits who are waiting for their drinks.

** **

"Well, let's all eat."

"O-Mugui!"

As soon as I say the word, Belle sticks her fork into the Fire Dragon steak and bites down. Is the knife in his right hand just for decoration?

"Yummy!"

Belle is pleased as she raises a steak the size of her own face high in the air. She looks very cute, but the size of the meat is so bizarre that she feels very uncomfortable. Incidentally, I mentioned earlier that the steak would be cut in half if it looked like it would be too much to eat, but Sara and Kikka were the only ones who chose to have half a steak. I wonder if they could eat it properly.

"Belle, I'm glad it's good, but I taught you how to use a knife and fork, didn't I? You have to do it right."

"Okay!"

She puts the meat back on the plate and tries her best to carve it with a knife this time. It is a little awkward, but she is getting the job done. Belle is a can-do girl, isn't she? She manages to carve the meat and puts it in her mouth with a big smile on her face.

"Yuta, it's delicious!"

"Well done, Belle.

She strokes Belle's smiling face and praises her. I feel the Great Spirits are looking at me a little warmly, but right now I am more concerned with praising Belle. I'm a praise-and-enhance-her-education kind of guy.

I can do it!" "Coo-coo!" "Delicious! ............"

Perhaps I've given Belle too much attention, Rain and the others gather around and rub their heads, demanding praise. The steaks are getting cold, but I must praise them as much as I can. While I pet Rain and the others, I also observe the other children.

The Great Spirits are ...... smiling, eating their meat and pouring down their ale. They are smiling, so we can be sure they like it. It's not so clear whether they are happy with the alcohol or the meat.

Gina is eating the meat with a serious expression on her face, examining the taste of the meat. She is taking good care of Shiva.

Sara, Marco, and Kikka are completely addicted to steak. They're moving the steaks to their mouths single-mindedly. They have great smiles on their faces while biting into the meat, and there is no doubt that they love it. Fuku and his friends ...... can't really see their expressions, but they are squealing happily in between bites, so they must be tasty.

After heaping praise on Rain and the others, I finally put the knife into the Fire Dragon steak. Whoa, I can hardly feel my knife. If it's this tender, even Bell should be able to bite through it easily.

As soon as I fill up my mouth with the large slice of meat, the juices flow into my mouth and disappear as if melting in my mouth. This meat is the tender type of meat that is appreciated in Japan, but the degree of melting and the taste of the juices are quite different. The fatty meat is also rich, but not at all thick, and can be swallowed without hesitation.

I agree that it's a different type of meat, but the best part is that it's much different from the meat of Assault Dragon or Wyvern. This way, you can choose the meat according to your mood and taste.

As for me, I like chewy meat, so I would like to eat Assault Dragon, Wyvern, and Fire Dragon in that order. With fish and pasta in between, I don't think I'll ever get tired of eating Fire Dragon's meat.

"I want some!"

While I was engrossed in the meat, I heard Belle's satisfied voice coming from next door. I turn my eyes and see Belle floating on her back with her flabby belly bulging out. I looked at the table and saw that there was not a piece of meat or bread left on the plate. Has he completely consumed that much food?

Either Belle has a lot of guts to eat it all, or Fire Dragon's meat tastes so good that she can finish even that amount of food. ...... I'm going to accept that it's both.

The other girls are almost done eating, so I'll hurry up and eat too. After that, I'm going to join Sylphy and the others for a bit of a banquet,...... and I'm starting to worry if my stomach will be okay. I'll be relying on Moon and Vita to keep me going.