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If you were to ask what comes to mind when someone mentions a dragon, the answers would likely be predictable.

A nest full of treasures.

Legendary materials used across various fields.

The filthy nature of kidnapping princesses and burning castles.

This sentiment isn’t much different from that of people in previous lives.

Before reincarnating in Europa due to a plane crash.

Back in the days of rental shops before climbing towers and hunter stories became the trend.

In fantasy novels that once swept through the ages, dragon bones, teeth, and hearts typically make their appearance at least once.

The treasures of dragons can also be seen as a cliché that serves as a stepping stone for growing territories and nations.

As time passed, trends shifted, and even the Demon King became a heroine. Still, clichés did not disappear.

However, understanding something and accepting it are two different matters.

Karem grilled a thin slice of dragon tail meat and tried it with Mary.

“Karem, my junior. It does taste good.”

“Yes, well, it has flavor.”

Karem nodded in agreement, watching Mary tilt her head in confusion.

Dragon meat was certainly tastier than beef or pork.

Although it wasn’t as delectable as mammoth sirloin or tenderloin.

“Isn’t it a bit tough?”

“Not tough, but firm.”

“Oh, that’s accurate. Good job, Karem.”

Since he ate so little, Karem didn’t feel the effects Wales had mentioned.

Moreover… well, to put it plainly.

Dragon meat was firm.

Of course, it wasn’t as tough as the meat that couldn’t be chewed due to high density, so when he exerted pressure with his jaw, it yielded with a crunch.

As the flesh was firm, the flavor density was also high, giving off a rich aroma similar to beef, unlike common beef and pork.

It was so strong it could be mistaken for innards.

However, it didn’t have the unpleasant aftertaste and smell unique to innards, instead, it had a pleasantly nutty flavor that was thick with every bite.

That alone was immensely satisfying.

“I can see why dragon meat isn’t considered a delicacy.”

“Well. I don’t know about other parts of Wales, though.”

Mary sliced the grilled tail meat thinly and sprinkled a bit of salt before taking another bite.

“Steak from the tail would be impossible… Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Could you please watch your words when you speak? It sounds weird to those listening.”

“What part of what I said was uncomfortable for you?”

“Uh, no…”

When she mentioned other parts of Sir Wales, if one were to hear it without context, it might sound like reviewing the taste of human meat, which was bizarre.

“I’ll listen if you say something.”

“It sounds like you’re just going to listen.”

“That’s exactly it.”

“I won’t say anything. Just choose your words better.”

“If you don’t speak, I won’t know, so will you not say anything?”

Karem waved his hand dismissively and picked a recipe.

Actually, there wasn’t much to choose from.

He had planned on making barbecue from the start.

However, it couldn’t be done the same way as barbecuing beef or pork.

The basic seasonings for barbecue are salt and pepper.

But that alone wasn’t enough; Wales’s tail meat lacked an excess of fat. Surely, flavor and aroma come from fat, yet it’s surprising that it tastes somewhat like beef.

Thus, a special tenderizing process was needed.

At this rate, even barbecuing would result in dryness.

After mixing various tenderizers and spices like crushed Redman’s, ketchup, apple vinegar, barbecue sauce, and sugar, he seasoned the meat and quickly aged it in bountiful wooden barrels and 100-fold wooden casks.

Then he placed it in a cast-iron pot filled with beef stock, alongside charcoal and applewood chips in a salamander warming unit.

“Is it just a matter of waiting now?”

Mary tilted her head and asked while gathering the utensils they used together.

“It seems simpler than I thought.”

“Why say something so disappointing?”

“Isn’t it just placing the seasoned meat in the broth-filled pan, putting it in the warming unit, adjusting the temperature for the rest of the day, moving the charcoal, applying sauce, and flipping it?”

“Doing that for over half a day… Ah.”

Right, that might be easy for a self-indulgent house fairy who’s been responsible for most of the Mage Tower’s chores.

“Are you envious?”

“Ha! Not at all.”

“By the way, it’s just the two of us here.”

“That cooking magic is super jealous!”

Of course, Karem wasn’t simply cooped up, waiting for the grilled dragon tail meat to cook in the salamander warming unit.

He helped Mary prepare Catherine’s lunch while doing laundry, then returned to check on the barbecue.

Soon enough, the sun dipped below the horizon, and the moonlight and starlight lit up the dimly lit room.

“Is the cooking done?”

“Yes. Hmm. Resting is done. What about the side dishes?”

“I made them all in advance.”

“Then, let’s call the two of them.”

The cooking was finished.

*

*

*

“So, is this the tail meat?”

Though no answer returned, Olivier didn’t mind. After all, it was a monologue.

Instead, she heard the conversation between two attendants.

“Barbecue, but it seems a little different from the last one we saw?”

“Oh, the tail meat is tougher than I thought.”

“Tough? Like a rock?”

“No, it’s hard to explain, but… Anyway, I tenderized the meat with various spices and half-steamed it in broth while grilling.”

Olivier picked up a fork and pressed down on the chunk of meat.

When she pressed the sizable piece, which was a dark brown close to black with a red tinge, it sprang back.

For having been cooked for half a day, the flesh still appeared vibrant.

More than that, the sweet aroma wafting from the meat seemed intense enough to numb her nose, while a refreshing and spicy scent followed to soften it.

Her brain, previously filled with resistance, pondered whether to relent to the flavor bursting from the plate.

“Yes, let’s eat first. Complaints and arguments can come later.”

With a solemn expression, Olivier took a knife in her left hand and began slicing the meat.

Crackle—

The first sensation felt at the knife’s tip matched what she had felt when pressing with a fork. However, the deeper flesh was soft in contrast.

The meat revealed by the cutting showed light staining in the sauce color, attesting to the long tenderization.

“Olivier, are you just going to watch?”

“Eh? Don’t rush me. I’m eating.”

Though complaining, Olivier followed Karem’s words and bit into the dragon tail barbecue.

“Umm!?”

The taste of the meat on her first bite unfolded in reverse to the aroma experienced beforehand.

With spicy notes hitting her tongue, a tangy freshness aroused her appetite.

Soon, the sweet sauce laden with smoke flavor filled her palate, lingering dynastically.

Usually, such a strong sauce would drown out the ingredients.

However, the dragon tail meat was undoubtedly potent enough to justify the prefix “dragon.”

Like the exceptionally polarizing aroma from beef innards that explodes in flavor. It felt like the essence of an entire cow was compressed into its richness.

Yet, when eating innards, one is guaranteed to sense that unique annoying aftertaste and smell from heat; this was absent from the meat.

Furthermore, separate from the meat’s aroma, the rich and mild umami mixed well with the stimulating sauce.

Olivier was confident that this braised barbecue was undeniably the pinnacle of all the meats she’d ever eaten.

Tasting it once more only reinforced her belief.

While the sauce was shockingly stimulating, the rich meat subdued it without losing its flavor.

Her teeth had little time to feel bored.

The crunchy yet chewy dragon tail meat released rich aroma and umami with every bite.

However, Olivier wasn’t merely awestruck by the deliciousness of the dish.

“My magic…”

“Could the effects be this immediate?”

Catherine, who had also been shocked by the flavor, was correct.

The total amount of magical power increased.

Even to a meaningful degree.

In the realm of magic, which is the most widely used and systematic of the studies surrounding magical energy, it notoriously discriminates against a learner’s talent.

The total amount of magical energy is also bound up in talent.

Every mage has a predetermined limit.

Yet that total amount of magical energy had grown.

It felt as if the size of its vessel had expanded, and she could feel the sensation of magic filling up in real time.

Just as Wales had mentioned, she could also sense a slight increase in physical capabilities, albeit gradually.

There wasn’t a dramatic effect, but—

“Old man, you’re feeling it, right?”

“Could it be that effect is real!?”

Olivier, feeling a little different.

“Oh, ohhh! Ohhhhhh!!”

Olivier felt a rush of warm blood surging through her spine after decades, shivering in delight.

Thud—Thud—!

She also felt pain.

Yet it wasn’t the unpleasant pain of flesh tearing or bones breaking.

It was the refreshing pain from tightly packed muscles loosening and misaligned bones realigning.

“Ugh, does that mean the previously heard about that permanent effect is true!?!?”

As Olivier feverishly wielded her fork and knife, devouring the meat, the transformations were instantaneous.

Years of accumulated research, diminishing muscle vitality, began to regain its strength, and Olivier’s previously hunched back gradually straightened.

The spine, which had endured through the rise and fall of numerous nations, slowly began to find its original position, revitalized by the reenergized muscles.

And that was merely the beginning.

The protruding turtle neck, narrowed shoulders, a crooked posture, and both arms and knees began aligning back in their proper places.

“My back, my back!”

Chronic back pain that had followed her since reaching wisdom.

The evidence that Olivier had accumulated knowledge while nations rose and crumbled slowly faded away like dawn mist.

With every bone-cracking noise, bones and muscles returned to their rightful places, and Olivier’s facial wrinkles began to smooth out slightly.

“Oh my, Titania! Could it be that Olivier is rejuvenating?”

“No, I don’t think it’s to that extent.”

“Karem is right.”

Upon tasting the legendary elixir from ancient alchemy or the rejuvenation potion that only exists in myth before the Palatino Empire, is this what she’s experiencing?

Naturally, Olivier wasn’t getting younger.

Yet, she certainly looked youthful.

The wrinkles under her dry skin began to fill out, and the crooked joints from years of research straightened.

With muscles restored due to aging, Olivier resembled a striking old actor from a fantasy film.

Though, this was indeed a fantasy world.

Karem observed the dragon tail barbecue with skeptical eyes.

Even without the blessings, he could feel that his energized body was now filled with vitality.

Then Karem’s gaze shifted to the fork and knife in his hand. They seemed slightly bent compared to before…

Yet, could such a dramatic change truly manifest?

“…Miss Catherine. Isn’t there some effect?”

“Yes, especially the magic power seems heightened. There is definitely an effect.”

“Oh, magic power. Then I too—”

“No way, that’s ridiculous. It’s trivial at best. Just adding dust to dust.”

“Oh.”

With a light reprimand, Catherine disheartened Karem, taking a piece of meat offered by Mary and gathering magical power in her palm before scattering it away.

“…Are all magic materials supposed to have such effects?”

“That’s questionable. I once dined with that old man and was served a phoenix egg. Of course, it didn’t have as dramatic an effect as this dragon tail barbecue.”

“Then what’s with Olivier’s situation right now?”

“Who knows, maybe the meat of the Dragon Lord suits her uniquely.”

“…Are you saying it’s her constitution?”

Aside from the traditional Eastern medicine terms of sun and moon types, some individuals naturally are able to absorb and digest certain foods better than others. Medicines, too, exhibit varying effects based on the individual.

Who knew that this might apply to the meat of the Dragon Lord as well?

“…Even I’m baffled I said that. Just looking at that old man’s face must mean he was already on borrowed time by the time he found immortality.”

“…I guess one wouldn’t have the chance to eat dragon meat anywhere in the world.”

“Even if they did, it wouldn’t have as dramatic an effect as the meat from the Dragon Lord with its permanent boosting effects.”

“Which is to say, it’s just that she takes upgrades well?”

Age, and the selective upgrades.

At that moment, Karem started to comprehend, albeit reluctantly.

Unlike Karem, who would struggle to stay awake for three nights after one cup of espresso in his previous life, there are caffeine monsters who can sleep even after downing a venti.

Olivier, continually slicing and eating the meat, eventually yelled as her plate was emptied.

“My back, shoulders, arms! Oh my goodness. Dragon meat, and especially from a Lord, is resulting in these effects! Karem, bring me another chunk—”

“Just so you know, the effect is only once.”

“Oh, that’s really disappointing.”

Olivier let out a heavy sigh.

It’s only natural to feel that way.

Having eaten just one chunk of meat, the old man’s hunch was straightening, and flesh and muscle were returning to his body.

It would certainly feel like regaining a lost sense.

For Olivier, it was essentially the opening of a second life.

Karem shook his head in disbelief and reached for the coleslaw bowl.

“Personally, this is better than mammoth meat.”

“What? Oh, because you didn’t like the aroma?”

“Right, eating meat mixed with fruits and bouquets—”

Creeeek—

Catherine suddenly stopped speaking, alerted by the sound.

“Uh…”

The one who made the sound, Karem, carefully set down the metal bowl containing coleslaw.

The bowl appeared slightly distorted, as if it had been joined midway.

“Karem, my junior, does the herb’s effect suit you too—”

“No way, that can’t be.”

 

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