Chapter 11: The old man is requested.

My initial plan was to set up camp in the jungle next to the cliff, waiting for the rain in order to overcome the cliff using a gimmick. I had zero intention of turning back and returning home, especially when the hunting ground was right in front of our eyes.

A large number of Paradise Birds lived in this area and their meat tasted so good that you’ll be sent straight to paradise,and their experience value was in the same league.

Just defeating one of them provided a large amount of experience.

This was the league of the area dubbed the Bonus Stage in the game, it may even be possible for us to raise our levels sometime today or tomorrow.

In terms of camping grounds, there isn’t a place any better than this deeper into the dungeon as there weren’t any monsters here apart from the Paradise Bird. Furthermore, we were the only few people who currently had access to this area.

Trying to solve a mystery in the midst of a harsh squall when you could barely see anything in front of you, especially one hidden on the cliff which would likely be discovered only if you had prior information about it. It’s not surprising that nobody else was here right now.

…. Although this time, the gimmick was bypassed by Phil’s ridiculous archery skills. No other party was capable of repeating this feat.

[Meat! Meat!] (Luna)

[Onee-chan. Hurry hurry!] (Til)

Luna and Til were making a ruckus while watching Phil begin her cooking. Phil began unwrapping the Paradise Meat covered in bamboo skins as item drops are usually covered by bamboo skins. As she started to unwrap the meat, a delicious smell began spreading through the area. A strange smell that was uniquely delicious, as if the blood itself was sweet but there was no smell of decay in it at all.

[Meat looks so beautiful! Luna, wants to eat it now.] (Luna)

The colour of the meat was a beautiful ruby red, the skin extremely glossy while the fat was thick and appetizing.

[Please wait for a moment. I’ll begin cooking it right away. I’ll prepare it the way Yuuya taught me to.. However I don’t have much confidence if it’ll be that good, making a broth without any stock.] (Phil)

Phil placed the Paradise Meat into a pan, lightly frying it as she filled a pot with water and began boiling it. Then, she placed several wild herbs into the pot before cutting the meat into bite-sized chunks and throwing them into the pot. Normally, Phil would prepare her broth by using several dried mushrooms. However, since we were using the Paradise Meat this time, she had skipped over this step.

It’s said that the delicious soup made from the Paradise Meat would be ruined and turn cloudy if other soup stocks were added in excessively. Phil continued to watch the fire while carefully removing the skum from the soup.

[Yuuya, Yuuya. The delicious smell is getting stronger!] (Luna)

[I know right. I can’t wait to eat it.] (Til)

Luna and Til continued staring into the pot as they smelled the fragrance of the soup. Luna’s fox tails were rapidly wagging back and forth while the tip of Til’s elven ears began turning red. Just the fragrance of the soup alone were making these two children go crazy. After the meat was cooked, Phil tested the taste of the meat. Phil’s entire body stiffened as she touched her lips with the tip of her finger. Just watching her actions felt strangely erotic.

After awhile, Phil’s consciousness returned as she continued to test the taste of the soup.

Luna and Til became even more curious about the taste but Phil merely smiled playfully in response. The only thing I could decipher was that it tasted extremely delicious. Above all, the fact that the food-loving Phil had only added salt after her taste-test was a testament that the soup was perfect on its own.

Our expectations for the soup had risen to its peak.

[It’s ready now. Please take out the kitchenware.] (Phil)

It was finally time for dinner. We can finally taste the Paradise Meat.

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Dinner had finally begun as a large bowl filled with mountain vegetables and Paradise Meat with another bowl of soup was placed on the table.

[My stomach has been starving!] (Luna)

[Uhn uhn, my stomach is running empty now too. I wonder if we’ll actually go to paradise?] (Til)

[Let’s start our meal before it turns cold.] (Selene)

[Please do so while it’s hot. You’ll be surprised once you taste it.] (Phil)

The girls began to chat as I decided to start the meal drinking the soup.

The soup made from the meat of the Paradise Bird and mountain herbs produced a rich taste as the flavour of the meat and melted fat in the soup spread throughout my mouth.

Not only was it delicious, but it was an amazing tonic for the human body as well. As I was resisting the temptation to drink the soup in one go, a piece of meat accidentally entered my mouth. I felt the tenderness of the meat as more of the meat’s juices flowed out with each bite, spreading the taste of the skin and fat throughout my entire mouth.

I couldn’t help but agree with the ingredient’s ridiculously high price as this taste was something the wealthy would travel just to have a taste.

[Delicious!. Luna thought that beef and pork were more delicious than chicken but, this chicken is special!] (Luna)

[I know right. Meat was delicious too but its my first time drinking such a delicious soup! I wanna drink more!] (Til)

Luna and Til had stuck together as they emptied their bowls and presenting it to Phil.

[Seconds! More soup please!] (Luna & Til)

They were perfectly in sync as they asked for seconds. Their large appetites wasn’t anything new as they were two growing children.

[I’m fine with seconds, however remember that there won’t be enough soup for later if we drink it all now. We won’t be able to try the delicious porridge that Yuuya told us about.] (Phil)

[Uuwuu, lesser soup then.] (Luna)

[Even though I would like more soup, I’ll endure it for more delicious food!] (Til)

Phil let out a wry smile as she took out a large serving of vegetables and meat.

However, the food didn’t last long as Til and Luna began gobbling down the food once more.

Would they even be able to try the porridge after this?

As I turned to the other side of the table, Selene was done with her first serving although she hadn’t asked for a second serving since the porridge was mentioned earlier.

I wonder if it was okay to make the porridge.

[This soup is superb. Although the Paradise Meat was served to the royal family several times.. It tastes much more delicious.] (Selene)

[Of course, compared to a suffocating meal in the palace, it’s much more enjoyable to eat it with your friends. Plus I’m sure the cooks were stressed preparing meals for the royal family. They wouldn’t be able to make a dish as plain as this. For this dish especially, it’ll taste much better without any excess preparations.] (Yuuya)

[It’s just as Yuuya said. As a chef this dish induces anxiety into me as it’s unsettling to serve a dish with minimum preparation. Even now I have the feeling that I should have done more for the dish.] (Phil)

Regardless, even the sauce for a normal hot pot is excessive when dealing with this dish.

Thanks to the two gluttons, our hot pot became empty as it was finally time for the main dish. Phil began pouring the rice into the empty pot as the rice began to swell with the boiling soup. As the soup continued to boil, it gradually grew thicker as its delicious smell became even stronger.

The sound of someone swallowing their saliva could be heard as we were finally able to have a porridge made with Paradise Meat.

Without anyone saying anything, Phil began pouring several bowls of porridge and handed them out as everyone began their second rounds.

No one said a single word as everyone was relentlessly gobbling up their food and in no time at all, everyone’s bowls became empty.

[Fuu, so this is the porridge with Paradise Meat.. It’s even better than I expected.] (Yuuya)

Just this one dish was filled with all sorts of flavours.

Even if it was just a normal soup, it was still a perfect match for the freshly harvested rice from Grannel that I couldn’t get away from.

[It was delicious! Luna is going to paradise!] (Luna)

[Me too! Heading to paradise isn’t just a saying. It’s so delicious that it feels so good as if I’m in heaven.] (Til)

[This makes me wonder just what kind of cook prepared the soup I’ve eaten till now.] (Selene)

[It’s a shame that we don’t have seconds. However we do have some meat left in stock so we’ll be able to enjoy it tomorrow.] (Phil)

We’ll be able to enjoy ourselves tomorrow too.

However, there are still other dishes I plan to eat tomorrow as this soup was capable of drawing out the hidden flavours of the Paradise Meat. The true charm of this soup has yet to be seen as it has hidden a lot of different dishes.

After eating such delicious porridge, the atmosphere felt lighter as everyone became excited.

Furthermore, even though Phil said that we had extra meat leftovers for tomorrow, she proceeded to present a lean cut of meat from the Paradise Bird that she secretly prepared. It was presented as a steak cooked rare with a special sauce which caused me to crave for sake.

It was going to be an enjoyable supper although people avoided late night food while camping out.

This was the luxury of a safe zone in the dungeon.

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Since a squall was going to arrive, we proceeded to enjoy the supper in our tent.

With the Paradise Meat which could be eaten raw, when cooked rare with a delicious sauce it’s delicious meat presented a taste that could only be tasted with a high quality of meat.

Currently, the two girls were asleep as they both had a weak alcohol tolerance.

They each had extremely blissful sleeping faces while Phil began preparing another tent for Luna and the girls tonight, leaving me alone with Selene.

[Selene, there’s something I want to ask. Is your elder brother strong?] (Yuuya)

If possible I would like to know about my enemy before the actual battle begins.

[He’s very strong. He too received training with the stone from a young age and his level might even be higher than mine currently. Furthermore he had a good battle sense with smart intellect. He was someone I had idolized after in the past.] (Selene)

It was surprising to hear that Selene had idolized her brother in the past. According to her, if her brother was to gain control over the Laluzulu Kingdom, the people would definitely suffer and thus she planned to challenge him for the right to the throne in order to pass it to her sister.

[If its someone that you had idolised someone in the past, then wouldn’t it be fine to leave the kingdom to him? That way you’ll be able to leave your kingdom in good hands while remaining in our party. For most likely the rest of your life? The Selene I’m seeing now looks much better than Princess Lutra from before.] (Yuuya)

[Fuu, that sounds plausible. I would definitely be happy if I could do that. However, my brother who was kind-hearted to everyone including me, has changed. Several years ago, rumors about his self-centered shenanigans had spread throughout the kingdom, replacing his initial reputation. Then, he began keeping his distance from me. My brother who was filled with greed and an obsession for power, began to respite me, who was born as the splitting image of Renoir-sama with her silver hair.] (Selene)

Selene looked into the distance with melancholic eyes as she began talking about her brother.

[For better or for worse, people change. I’m sure you’re still harboring hope that he’ll return to his old self. If that’s the case, then I’m sure he will return one day. However, there’s something strange. Is his level really higher than your current level? Furthermore isn’t the training he received the same training you did?] (Yuuya)

Ever since Selene joined our party, we began raising our levels several times faster than an ordinary adventurers which was why it’s surprising that her level was still inferior to his.

[Me and my brother are the same and yet we’re different. My mother was a concubine. After my brother left me, my brother who could access the dungeon and proceeded to receive training from the royal knights. On the other hand, I could only rely on my mother’s side for training and the only dungeons I had access to were the public dungeons.] (Selene)

I hadn’t realise that Selene had such a complicated family situation. This explained why she was found hunting inside Greenwood. Just as she mentioned, it was known that the royal family had an exclusive dungeon which could let you hunt to your heart’s content without dealing with other adventurers. In terms of efficiency it was an excellent dungeon as well. Furthermore, he was taught by the royal knights which was a family specialized in their sword skills that was refined over several generations.

[He definitely sounds formidable. The other party has so many advantages over our side. However, there’s something else I want to ask, is this instructor, the royal knight better than me?] (Yuuya)

[Fufu that’s not true at all. Yuuya-ojisama is the number one instructor in the world.] (Selene)

Selene let out a small laugh in response, displaying her beauty and her charm as a woman. Luna and Til were both cute girls however, in her case she was the definition of beauty.

[I pray for Selene’s victory. Selene will win the succession ceremony, and I’ll win the knight’s tournament and become the strongest knight. That is the reason why we’re heading towards the Laluzulu Kingdom.] (Yuuya)

That was what I decided. And I will do everything in my power to make that happen.

[… Ever since I decided to fight my brother, I’ve never been able to sleep. Regardless of how exhausted I was, just thinking about the future makes me anxious. But the moment I met Yuuya-ojisama again, I’ve started to sleep again. My anxiety seemed to just melt away.] (Selene)

[That is the confidence having a good teacher can give you.] (Yuuya)

[It isn’t just from a teacher. It isn’t just that. It’s because it’s Yuuya-ojisama that I can rest easy. Yuuya-ojisama. If I were to say my true feelings after everything is over, would you answer me?] (Selene)

Selene closed the distance between us as a sweet smell wafted past my nose, it was also a smell of reason.

[I..] (Yuuya)

At that moment, the sound of footsteps began to approach as Phil was done setting up the tent for Luna and Til.

[Half of it was a joke. Half of it was serious, and the other half… was serious too. However, I don’t have the intention of troubling Yuuya-ojisama. It’s about time for me to head to the other tent.] (Selene)

Selene and Phil grabbed Luna and Til respectively and carried the two of them to the other tent.

… Sigh this is bad for my heart. That small princess Lutra has become a fully grown woman. I must be becoming too old as I emptied another cup of sake.

It’s about time for us to head to bed. I should focus on everything I can do right now and focus on raising our levels by hunting tomorrow.

That is all that is on my mind now.

<End of Chapter>