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The surviving horned rabbits were true to their instincts.

They all fled in unison down the path that had previously belonged to their leader.

The number of them was overwhelming, and including the giant horned rabbits, the sound of their thundering feet echoed like an earthquake, yet no one paid them any mind.

Some weren’t even aiming for extermination; more than anything, an awe-inspiring sight lay before their eyes.

Hundreds of horned rabbits and giant horned rabbits, ready to charge at the intruders with their horns leading the way.

In an instant, all those monsters froze, reflecting the light of the luminescent magic and torches cast by the wizards, dazzlingly revealing the space that had once been the Ice Worm’s nest.

It wasn’t bright enough to illuminate the entire enclosure, but rather, it added to the atmosphere.

“It’s a bit dark for exploration.”

Catherine muttered as she lightly touched a nearby beastman. One of the floating light orbs stopped mid-air, shot up towards the ceiling, and then exploded.

The entire joint became as bright as daylight.

“Ah… the atmosphere was nice, though.”

“What’s there to look at, just horned rabbits?”

Catherine turned her head slightly, scolding, and promptly tapped her staff against the ground.

“In that case, let’s look for the Ice Worm’s larvae or eggs.”

“It seems there’s nothing to look for, though.”

Just as one adventurer said this, the joint’s brightness immediately revealed a mound of eggs.

Even the offspring of a powerful entity that could unleash breath like that of an Ice Worm, which had been immune to ice attributes, didn’t appear strong from the moment they hatched.

The innermost part of the orb that didn’t connect to the tunnel.

Long, oval-shaped Ice Worm eggs were stuck all over the walls, each one heavily frost-covered.

“Chief Magic Consultant, what shall we do?”

“Since we have some loot in hand, we will need someone to collect it.”

“You mean the horned rabbits?”

“I mean the Ice Worm’s eggs. Though they are frozen, being monster eggs, their worth—”

Catherine gathered her companions, assigning them various tasks as people began to disperse and survey the area.

In the meantime, Karem had sneaked closer to the eggs.

Amidst the chaos of battle, one had attempted to escape right after hatching but had suddenly been caught in Catherine’s mini ice age, freezing solid.

“Hmm…”

Now that I think about it, didn’t this taste similar to eel?

I recalled the regretful memory of when I ate an Ice Worm—back then, I had no soy sauce, which left me longing.

“Karem, what are you so intently staring at?”

“A baby Ice Worm.”

“A baby… well, I figured that would be the case.”

Mary shook her head, alternating between the frozen baby Ice Worm and Karem with a look that said, “I knew it.”

“So how do you plan to cook it this time?”

“First, I’ll clean it up, then brush it with a special seasoning over the charcoal grill.”

The so-called tare sauce.

Of course, it wouldn’t be exactly the same, but since the most crucial ingredient, soy sauce, was present, I could mimic the effect with other similar items.

After all, what lay before us was no ordinary eel, but something as thick as a human forearm.

What’s more, it was stored in rapid freeze, showing no signs of melting.

Just imagining it made my mouth water.

“So, do you need it?”

“Of course.”

“Here you go.”

Karem quickly accepted the spatial expansion pouch that Mary handed over and shoved the frozen Ice Worm larva inside, glancing around.

Unfortunately, no matter where he looked, there was only one that had hatched.

The rest were still frozen solid within their shells.

“Well, it’s big enough, I guess I can be satisfied with just one.”

“Isn’t that originally not the plan?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The giant horned rabbits.”

Mary pointed with her finger at a nearby frozen giant horned rabbit.

“Weren’t you the one whose eyes sparkled as you pondered how to consume both like Princess Alicia discovering delicious fruit?”

“There’s a saying in this world.”

Mary tilted her head as if curious about what brilliant words would follow.

“If you can’t decide whether to eat this or that, then just eat both.”

“What a wise statement.”

Karem tilted his head, sensing that Mary’s tone held a peculiar nuance.

“That sounds rather sarcastic.”

“No, I meant it sincerely.”

Mary was genuinely impressed.

If there was a dilemma between two dishes, then why not indulge in both?

How wise and clear of an answer that was!

I thought even the fairy queen would admire such cleverness nestled in a single sentence.

“Isn’t this also derived from your past life?”

Mary always felt a little regretful when it came to Karem. The endless recipes for countless breads and pastries he casually spouted out were like treasures from a house fairy.

If only he would just provide the recipes and let Catherine take care of the serving, but alas, he insisted on being involved.

But then again, mentioning this would likely make him throw a fit.

Nevertheless, Mary could not back down.

The duties of the house fairy are to be handled by the house fairy.

More work for all house fairies!

She had the freedom to do more work.

“Huh? By the way, what are those over there doing?”

“Karem was trying to collect the frozen Ice Worm larva, so I handed over the pouch.”

“Is that so…”

As Mary looked at Catherine with a questioning gaze, Catherine averted her eyes slightly.

To be honest, she was also thinking about the grilled preparations from earlier, which had accompanied alcohol.

*

*

*

Hunting was temporarily delayed due to unavoidable reasons.

Perhaps because of that, when it resumed, it was far fiercer than before.

The reason was the horned rabbits and giant horned rabbits pouring out from the tunnel in response to the commotion created in the nest.

After all, a season would soon pass, ushering in autumn.

In that autumn, the primal beasts and monsters couldn’t pass up on free food that could reduce their foraging activity.

That free food suddenly swelled like a snowball, pouring in.

There were no longer any disputes in Antler Forest and beyond.

For the predators unable to coexist, the immediate food in front of them was urgent.

However, the commotion among the unfortunate herbivores and herbivore monsters had intensified even more than before.

“Chwaaaack!!!”

“Whoa!? That guy’s running away! Chase after it!”

“I told you not to let your guard down just because I threw it!”

Monsters fleeing, monsters hunting horned rabbits, people hunting monsters, and their busy followers chasing after them.

“I’ll have to rethink things.”

“What do you mean?”

“Responding to His Grace the Duke’s invitation doesn’t seem all that bad either.”

The best side dish is watching the fire from across the river.

It had been a long time since I enjoyed such a view.

The wine seemed to taste even better.

Although Catherine was waiting for something else.

“So, when will it be ready?”

“Just now.”

Catherine was about to say something regarding how long it had taken, but was speechless at the sight of Karem skillfully arranging things on the table.

A charcoal stove filled with embers was placed on the table. Karem pulled out Felwinter’s falsehood, twisted the handle, and embedded it right in, then abruptly set a pot on top.

The presentation, rich with ingredients other than meat, finally made Catherine speak up.

“Alright, it looks like it’s ready.”

She glared at Karem as if to ask what on earth he was doing.

“It’s in a pre-cooked state.”

“This is best enjoyed fresh.”

“Then why is it—huh.”

“It’s Sukiyaki.”

At that moment, the rich aroma of soy sauce, fragrant but unlike anything she had smelled before, brushed against her nose.

Catherine couldn’t help but swallow.

The preparation had taken longer than expected, so she had been sipping on wine for fun.

Now that she thought of it, perhaps that light act had awakened her dormant appetite. Honestly, after a tantalizing mini-dungeon exploration, her body yearned for food.

In such a situation, soy sauce was lethal.

Furthermore, as the pot began to boil, the moisture of the broth, which was already close to being a sauce, evaporated, intensifying the aroma even further.

It was lethal to her nose, her tongue, and her stomach.

“Couldn’t it have been prepared below?”

While Catherine casually grumbled, Mary naturally cleared the wine away and fetched glasses and beer.

“How can you expect me to simply wait when such a smell is wafting about?”

“That would toughen the meat.”

“Oh, I mentioned it’s the hind leg of the giant horned rabbit, didn’t I?”

“Indeed.”

The hind leg of the giant horned rabbit hadn’t been as tough as Karem suspected, but it remained somewhat chewy.

Thus, they needed to eat it before it got cooked medium or worse, so Catherine’s wish would soon be granted.

The parasites had also been instantaneously turned into holy water and tossed into the strong distilled liquor, Drunken Fire, so there were no worries.

The vegetables began to wilt. The thin, yet vivid pink meat started changing color as it absorbed the broth, looking even richer.

“Let’s wait for the vegetables a moment, and let’s eat the meat first.”

Catherine had been waiting eagerly for those words, but already, Mary instinctively grabbed the tongs to serve.

Catherine immediately consumed a piece of thin meat that had completely lost its original color.

“Are you satisfied?”

“Hmm, uh, you can tell by looking, right?”

“Still, it’s better to hear it directly.”

“Excellent. Exquisite!”

It was only natural for meat cooked at high temperatures to become tougher over time.

So it made sense that meat grilled to medium-rare would be tender.

Along with slicing the chewy meat paper-thin and tenderizing, Catherine didn’t feel much difference compared to the thin beef she had once eaten with the Giant’s Rose.

No, it was even far superior.

The meat was alive yet tender.

The contrasting textures of the meat brought immense joy with each bite.

Moreover, rich flavors that couldn’t merely be explained by the deep soy sauce aroma resonated within the very fibers of the meat.

The strong taste felt like it would quickly bore her, yet the delicate flavor of the meat combined with the richness softened the initial impression, allowing her to savor it until the end.

Crunch! Crunch!

“Wow!”

The vegetables were equally astonishing.

Although Catherine subtly thought that soy sauce seemed delicious with anything, she had never expected it could elevate the flavors of vegetables so much.

Every bite of the green onion burst forth with sweetness.

The crispness of the cabbage remained intact.

Various mushrooms, releasing fragrant broth as they were chewed, alternated between sweet and salty sensations.

Especially, the green onion absorbed a smoky flavor from the charcoal, compensating for the missing sweet fat.

“The fact that such flavors emerge from mere green onion…”

“Green onion is marvelous. Would you like more?”

“No, for now, I need meat… which is gone.”

“I’ll refill it shortly.”

Catherine’s gaze fixated keenly on the last piece that Karem picked up.

“…Alright. Fine.”

As Karem presented it, Catherine contentedly ate the last piece of meat.

Gulp— gulp— gulp—

And just like that, before the taste of the broth and meat could fade away, she signaled for Mary to quickly serve her some beer, which had settled down.

Gulp—

Gulp—

Gulp—

The rich hop aroma of the wheat beer, filled with carbonation.

Before she knew it, the flavors of the broth, meat, and vegetables had long since been swept away, yet Catherine’s throat didn’t stop.

“Khuhuhuhuh!”

“You’re eating far more deliciously now.”

“Indeed. I must have forgotten for a long while.”

Catherine reflexively tried to wipe away the foam at her mouth but entrusted her body to the handkerchief that Mary rubbed against her.

“A drink of beer enjoyed while doing outdoor activities is something special.”

Besides that, there were several other elements that heightened her appetite, the allure of beer, and the dish’s flavors.

People who were passing by the platform gulped as they caught the smell of broth simmering like sauce from the pot, while not far away, followers were running around, sweating, chasing after their employers or masters.

While someone was working hard, someone else was reveling in the pleasure of drinking and cooking—what a delightful sin!

“Oh, wait a moment.”

Lost in her lingering feelings, Catherine suddenly snapped her fingers.

“What about the grilled Ice Worm?”

“Ah, that.”

“You did say not to eat just one, didn’t you?”

“Were you listening?”

Mary hesitated, half caught off-guard as she picked up her beer glass and paused to nibble on leftover vegetables.

“Originally, I had intended to.”

“What’s the issue? Why the dramatic pause?”

“Oh no, it’s not that. I thought that making rice bowls would taste better, so I saved it for later. We could eat it at the villa.”

Of course, the rice and sauce would differ, so it wouldn’t taste exactly the same, but that was also a consideration.

However, Catherine, who had been slightly looking forward to it, set aside her disappointment and decided to focus on the sukiyaki.

“So then, should I stir-fry some noodles in the leftover broth and seasoning later?”

“That absolutely goes without saying.”

Catherine’s body instinctively craved carbohydrates.

 

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