Chapter 22 - Fresh Meat

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Kazuki, who has finished cutting the meat, puts it on the kitchen counter and alerts Rei, who is sitting with Mia and Takayo.

Hurriedly, the boy gets up and walks over, moving the meat from one counter to the other to make things easier and avoid unnecessary movement.

Once done, he lights the wood in the grill with Kazuki's help.

Moments later, with salt and garlic in hand, he seasoned the slices of meat just as he used to do in his world.

"To think that I used to cook every weekend when my family came home... If it wasn't for my sister, who was always there to help me with the sauces and preparing the meat, I'd be lost. I hope her condition has improved.

He sighs, discouraged.

"Well, no use thinking about that now! With or without her help, I'll do it, it'll be easy."

After pushing aside the thought that his sister might not be well, Rei starts salting the meat once again.

Next, he places the seasoned slices on the grill and waits for them to cook.

While the meat is slowly grilling, the boy prepares some herbs, spices, and mushrooms he picked on his way back.

[Creation]

[Item Successfully Created]

The Hiratake mushrooms, which have a strong and slightly sweet flavor, are sliced into rounds, and their cluster is removed.

After that, they are cleaned by the nearby waterfall to remove any dirt, and their stems are separated.

With the garlic finely chopped, the Hiratake mushrooms are placed together so their flavors can blend.

"Man, I need to figure out a way to cook this. No way I'm eating it raw; the taste of garlic and mushrooms would just turn bitter."

[Creation]

[Cast Iron Mold]

[Item successfully created]

The Hiratake mushrooms with garlic are placed on the surface of the mold.

Shimeji mushrooms with scallions and garlic are added to the other half of the mold after being washed, chopped, and sliced.

...

As time passes, Rei flips the meat slices and adds a bit more salt, so the sodium chloride in the kitchen salt releases chloride (Cl-) and sodium (Na+) ions, which penetrate the protein molecules.

"The chloride ions accumulated in the proteins cause an expansion in the muscle fibers of the meat, allowing water to seep in."

"So… the deeper the salt penetrates the meat, the juicier it'll be."

Rei thinks to himself, proud of the knowledge he learned from his sister, who was part of a local traditional Japanese gastronomy class in their neighborhood.

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After a long 15 minutes, the meat takes on a vivid color, reaching the perfect doneness.

[Creation]

[Wooden plates]

[Item successfully created]

[Cutlery]

[Item successfully created]

Finally, the student calls out to everyone with an excited smile and a raised voice.

— Dinner's ready, let's eat, guys! Wash your hands at the waterfall and grab the plates on the table.

Without delay, everyone sitting around the campfire gets up, washes their hands, and walks over to the counter.

— Thanks, Rei — Kazuki thanks him calmly, making eye contact.

— No problem. Hope you enjoy the meal! — Rei replies.

With plates in hand, the boy serves the slices of meat and mushrooms into their bowls.

After that, everyone returns to the campfire and sits around it.

Moments later, the boy, now with his own plate ready, joins them.

...

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Before taking a bite, Kazuki notices that the texture of the meat and the mushrooms is breathtaking, completely different from the meat he's used to eating, which only served to fill his stomach.

The first thing he tries is the meat.

It looks and smells divine, obviously prepared by a skilled chef. In fact, its color alone makes him hungry enough to smile without realizing it.

"It's... delicious."

It's so tasty that he feels like he's in heaven. His smile doesn't fade. The moment he bites into the meat, the salty juices flood his mouth.

Not only Kazuki, but everyone around him starts to praise the food.

— This is... spectacular, thank you very much young man! — the merchant thanks him with tears running down his face.

— Yeah. This is amazing, Rei! Thank you very much — Kazuki follows.

Mia and Takayo, who are busy eating, just look at Rei with extreme enthusiasm and satisfaction.

Hearing their words, Rei furrows his brow and covers his mouth with his hand. He doesn't like embarrassing situations, so to hide his shame, he speaks with his mouth full: — Fanks, itsh delishush, right?

Rei never cared about etiquette, not even in front of his family.

No one ever cared what he did or said. As long as he could do things his way, nothing else mattered.

As expected, no one criticized his lack of manners. In fact, everyone seemed to find it amusing and laughed.

— Yeah. Everything here tastes amazing — Kazuki replies.

After that, the beastman takes a bite of the mushrooms. The moment he tastes them, he smiles again.

— Young man... you are strong, handsome and you can cook. Whoever marries you will be lucky... — the merchant says jokingly.

Despite the unexpected and embarrassing remark, which takes both Kazuki and Rei by surprise, the boy plays along.

— Whoever marries me, huh...?

— Hehehe.

With a soft smile on his face and his index finger resting on his lips, the boy quickly glances to the side. His gaze meets Kazuki's for a moment, but soon he looks down at his plate again.

— ...

"Wait, what the hell just happened?"

Before Kazuki can think too much about Rei's comment, the sound of footsteps can be heard in the distance in the never ending twilight of the night.

- ...