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Zigmeser, having opened the kitchen door, was taken aback.

Naturally!

He had been anxiously waiting for Elder Iona and Karem to bring in the mammoth’s tusk, and just as he thought they had finally arrived, suddenly finding his superior standing there was enough to scare anyone out of their wits.

“W-Well, please, do come in.”

Zigmeser, unable to hide his fluster, bowed deeply, nodding his head.

“Ahem, then I shall excuse myself.”

“Excuse yourself? What kind of disrespectful talk is that? Both of you should come in quickly! Karem, you too!”

Zigmeser quickly surveyed outside to ensure no one was around before promptly shutting the door. He must have even used magic tools to seal it, as a magic circle briefly appeared on the door before fading away.

Alfred glanced around the kitchen and approached Karem, who was setting down their cargo on the table.

“So I take it, Karem, that the object wrapped in that white cloth is ‘that’?”

“If you’re talking about the exquisite delicacy of mammoth, yes, that’s correct.”

Seems like the news really did reach him somehow. How he found out was a mystery, but under the pressure of his superior’s expectations, Karem carefully began to unwrap the package.

“Excuse me, my lord, may I ask just one thing?”

The look in Elder Iona’s eyes reflected the same curiosity; after all, she hadn’t told anyone besides those involved.

“Granted.”

“About today’s promise… what do we say about it?”

“Did you not wish for complete confidentiality? How did you find out?”

Alfred pointedly raised a finger, shaking it left and right.

“Elder Iona, do you remember when you first mentioned the mammoth’s tusk to Karem?”

“Of course I remember. When he had fully grown, I did consult with him…”

Elder Iona’s words trailed off, her reluctance evident.

“Elder Iona.”

“Hmm?”

“You said you maintained strict security, correct?”

“I certainly said so.”

“Did you do the same on that first day?”

Is that why…?! As if expressing her thoughts through her entire being, Iona shut her eyes tightly and tapped her forehead.

“Perhaps I heard it from the priest who was clearing the altar before we got into the main discussion. I couldn’t tell exactly when we would eat, though.”

Alfred continued as he peered at the mammoth tusk, almost entirely unwrapped and looking like a budding flower ready to bloom.

“This morning, I heard you took something sizable, wrapped in white, with you when you went to your lesson.”

“Weren’t you busy with the guests coming to Kingsland?”

“Since we have the mammoth tusk, that can be taken care of later.”

Alfred replied without a moment’s hesitation, as swift as a blade.

“Zigmeser. Have you sealed the door properly?”

“Yes! I just activated the magic tool.”

“And the aroma barrier?”

“Oh no, I forgot about that!”

“Go and set up the aroma barrier right away. You know what might happen the moment the meat touches the heated pan, don’t you?”

“Alicia will surely come running.”

Zigmeser replied as if it were obvious, like snow falling from the sky.

“Right. Then a good portion of today’s mammoth tusk will be hard to taste.”

Having pampered and cherished it, no—Alfred’s words and gaze held a familiar emotion for Karem.

“Where have I seen this before?”

It had to be a memory from his past life, something from his childhood that was hazy. No, yes, that was it. It came to him.

When, while half-asleep, he stepped outside late at night to grab a drink of water, he had caught his parents enjoying expensive liquor with fruits and ham as snacks, his eyes locking on theirs at the same moment.

Typically, a curious child would throw a fit to taste something delicious on their own, a classic cliché.

“Ew, what’s this taste?”

Yet in both past and present lives, he couldn’t quite appreciate alcohol. The most he had was a few sips of beer.

Izenvaldt beer was decent, though.

“Ah, just as I remembered it before.”

As the last wrapping was taken off, a gentle aroma of cheese wafted up toward everyone present like a wave.

“Wow, it’s still fascinating to see again.”

“What’s that? The mammoth’s tusk?”

“Yes.”

Throughout all his lives, he had seen countless types of meat, but this particular shape was something he had never encountered. It was remarkable each time.

The tusk had a droplet shape with a dull end, its surface covered in bright crimson fibers of muscle. However, the ends had slight differences.

Against the backdrop of bright red meat were two perfectly symmetrical holes, as if drawn together towards bright pink veins.

“Indeed. It looks just like the tusk I saw long ago.”

Alfred’s nostalgia morphed into excitement, but suddenly his brows furrowed.

“But what’s with this cheese smell?”

“I suspect it was aged slightly through necromancy.”

“What? Necromancy? Wait, then could it possibly—”

“It’s safe to eat.”

“Huh?”

“It was guaranteed by Lord Vanderbelt.”

“By my father? Now that you mention it, I also heard this mammoth meat was given as a reward for our great deeds.”

Richard Felwinter’s guarantee.

The guarantee of the former Duke of Iceland and the current Vanderbelt.

The doubts in Alfred’s gaze dissipated, replaced by clear anticipation, swelling within him.

“How about it? Do you have a preferred dish in mind?”

“Are you really asking me that right now?”

Alfred shook his head, as if incredulous at the question.

“I just wanted to check, you know.”

“Well, is there a standard procedure for it?”

“Karem, do you remember the flank steak we had last time?”

“Yes. We made steak with it.”

“Right.”

Zigmeser washed his hands clean with saltwater and strong liquor before carefully accepting the mammoth’s tusk, reverently, as though handling a holy relic.

“For now, let’s prepare steak.”

Before long, the chef’s knife was in Zigmeser’s hand, swiftly slicing the meat.

Chop!

The mammoth’s tusk was cut as smoothly as butter.

However, the sound it produced was entirely different.

It was the kind of noise you’d hear when freezing a dense chunk of meat just before it’s thawed. But it had clearly been thawed before it was brought in.

That meant the density of the meat was significant.

The thickly sliced mammoth’s tusk plopped down onto the cutting board.

“Then this is going to take some time to cook.”

“That’s only true for those without skills.”

“Ah, true enough.”

“Don’t worry unnecessarily. Can you coat that pan over there?”

As Zigmeser requested, Karem shrugged his shoulders, headed to the stove where the fire was up, and quickly got out two pans.

“Should we use extended pork fat?”

“No, this one’s akusare oil—”

The discordant noise pierced through.

“Has anyone seen Elder Iona? Elder Iona!”

“It’s urgent! Elder Iona! Elder Iona!”

The cries full of sorrow from the underlings reverberated. Distressful calls for someone echoed from afar, gradually approaching Zigmeser’s private kitchen only to fade away once again.

The three remained unfazed.

That someone wasn’t there to search for them.

However, the person involved couldn’t hide their bewilderment.

“…Of all times!”

Elder Iona continued to thump her chest in frustration. Each heavy thud echoed, sending ripples through her plump figure.

Yet her frown did not lift.

Karem somewhat understood her feelings. Just how much had Iona been looking forward to this day? After attending every class at least once, she couldn’t have helped but be aware.

Of course, Iona could have ignored that heart-wrenching wail calling for her.

He was the elder of the Triune Faith and the steward of the Felwinter Family.

Such authority overflowed with power.

But still, Iona couldn’t afford to disregard something that had been postponed either. Especially since she had no idea how this sudden occurrence might resolve.

“Elder Iona, if it’s not urgent, should we eat before you go?”

“No, it will take time to grill the steak, so that won’t be possible.”

Elder Iona slowly but heavily rubbed her face with her hands. Despair trickled down between her fingers.

“I’ll take care of it and come back.”

“Shall we wait for you?”

“Yes, but please. No, it can’t be helped with the lord here. I trust you won’t devour it all while I’m away.”

In the end, Elder Iona promised everyone that a least half of the mammoth’s tusk would remain before she responded to the cries calling for her.

As she stepped out to fulfill her duty, it was a serious sight to behold.

“Such a shame.”

At Karem’s soft comment, both Alfred and Zigmeser, engrossed in their crafting of the fourth steak slice, nodded their heads in unison.

Excluding those who received it as a reward for their impeccable performance in the lesson, Iona had been the one who munched on mammoth meat more frequently than anyone else.

Yet on the very day when she would experience the peak of such delicacies, things had taken this turn of events.

“Head chef, is there something you forgot?”

“Nothing at all.”

“Then hurry and grill it.”

On the contrary, good.

With his contemplation finished, Alfred immediately issued his command.

“Please wait a moment.”

Having finished seasoning the steak, Zigmeser carefully sealed the door Iona had exited using magic tools, soundproofing it before he approached the hot pan that Karem had heated.

The oiled, smooth pan was warming up, shimmering in the heat.

A sight a chef would’ve seen thousands of times over.

Grilling a steak was no different.

Especially since hadn’t he just grilled mammoth steak not too long ago?

However, what he held now wasn’t just any mammoth meat.

Fssssssssp—

The sizzling sound that always fills the kitchen while grilling steak.

The discordant symphony of meat and oil reverberating through the kitchen.

The long, gentle sound akin to tearing parchment switched to a rhythmic duet now that the pan was red-hot again, fully stimulating the three onlookers’ ears.

Heat radiated from the countless delicate vertical lines on the steak’s side, quickly turning the surface gray.

“Ah, that fresh aroma! It’s definitely the scent from the mammoth tusk.”

Alfred couldn’t hide his excitement, letting it shine through.

Karem instantly recognized the significance of what he was smelling.

It was a distinctly different aroma from the undead-aged mammoth meat they had previously tasted.

The scent of cool forests in late spring or early autumn wafted through the air.

As if melted forest was drifting into his nose and mouth.

That aroma, clearly emanating from the meat, filled him deeper with a refreshing feeling, washing through his heart and lungs. It felt contradictory.

Soon after, the scent that followed was somewhat familiar to Karem.

Conversely, for Alfred, it was entirely new.

Citrusy aromas of oranges, lemons, and limes.

The savory essence of nuts roasted at high temperatures.

And an array of cheese scents captured in a way he had never experienced before.

“Oranges, lemons, limes, walnuts, hazelnuts… I can’t identify the rest. I’ve never smelled cheese like this either. The meat I tried before didn’t have this aroma?”

“All mammoth meat obtained as gifts possesses the essence of cheese.”

“Cheese aroma, huh? I’ve never encountered cheese that smells like this before.”

Indeed, Karem’s statement was accurate. The steak was unlike any he had eaten before.

Moreover, it was accompanied by notes of fruit and nuts.

This aroma was something entirely independent and new.

As the bright, sweet, nutty, and refreshing scents gradually filled the kitchen, the quantity and size of the sweat beads forming on Zigmeser’s forehead only escalated.

After what felt like an eternity, Zigmeser finally removed the pan from the fire.

“At last…”

“Hold on, Karem. Just wait a bit longer.”

“My lord?”

Alfred directed his gaze toward where he had gestured. Zigmeser covered the plate holding the mammoth tusk with a lid.

At that moment, Karem realized what he had overlooked.

“Resting…”

“Exactly. Maintain a solemn and weighty heart while you wait. Do not rush!”

“This is different from last time when we grilled the chuck eye.”

“That was chuck eye and this is mammoth tusk!”

 

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