Chapter 273

Frieren, Fern, and Stark stared at the grilled meat and swallowed almost in unison.

By now, the entire underground cavern had been saturated with the rich aroma of barbecue.

Sweetness, caramelized glaze, smoke, and roasted meat all blended together into something almost impossible to resist.

If the three of them had possessed even slightly less self-control, they might have reached straight for the grill with their bare hands.

At last, Haruto finished cooking.

He first placed the roasted loin on a cutting board and brought down the Melk Knife.

The blade slid through the meat without the slightest resistance.

The fatty surface had roasted into a beautiful amber caramel color and gleamed with a thin sheen of oil.

Once sliced open, the interior revealed tender pink meat reminiscent of cherry blossoms.

Abundant juices slowly welled from the cut surfaces, glistening in the firelight and making everyone’s throats tighten just from looking at them.

Haruto cut the loin into thick slices and arranged them neatly on a platter. Beside them, he stacked the glossy belly slices, their rendered fat gleaming like amber. On the opposite side, he placed the deeply seared cubes of hind-leg meat, then finished the arrangement with several scallion segments he had grilled in advance.

The scallions had charred lightly around the edges, losing their raw sharpness and leaving behind only a gentle sweetness.

Finally, Haruto collected the drippings from the roasting tray and reduced them until slightly thickened, then poured the concentrated juices evenly over the meat.

Steam rose from the platter, carrying an overwhelmingly rich fragrance.

"The Venomous Dragon Barbecue Platter is ready."

Haruto looked toward the three people who had been waiting impatiently.

"Let’s eat."

None of them needed to be asked twice.

Frieren, Fern, and Stark each took a plate piled high with grilled meat.

Haruto picked up a slice of loin first and put it into his mouth.

The moment he bit down, the first thing to touch his tongue was the fragrant, caramelized crust. It carried the sweetness of the glaze and the savory depth of the sauce, breaking apart easily beneath his teeth.

Then the dragon meat’s clean, natural sweetness burst across his palate.

The outer layer of fat had a slight springiness without the slightest trace of greasiness.

The lean meat beneath contained almost no excess fat at all. It was so tender that it needed barely any chewing before seeming to melt across his tongue.

Rich juices flooded his mouth, carrying a faint trace of smoky charcoal and the mellow fruity finish of the wine used in the marinade.

At once, Haruto felt his Gourmet Cells stir with excitement.

He reached for a slice of belly meat next.

The melted marbling spread across his tongue like warm butter.

There was no unpleasant heaviness or gamey flavor—only extraordinary richness and silky smoothness.

The tender fibers yielded with the lightest bite, releasing rendered fat and the sweet-savory glaze at the same time.

The mellow sweetness of Sweet Honey, the smoky char from the coals, and the Venomous Dragon meat’s own natural flavor blended seamlessly together.

The salt and sweetness were perfectly balanced.

The richness of the fat was tempered by the clean sweetness of the lean meat, leaving every strand saturated with aroma.

Haruto could not help narrowing his eyes in pleasure.

Warmth slid down his throat into his stomach, then spread throughout his body.

The exhaustion accumulated during their long trek through the underground cavern vanished almost completely.

Finally, Haruto bit into one of the hind-leg cubes.

The caramelized crust cracked beneath his teeth, and scalding-hot juices immediately burst free.

The dense meat offered a satisfying chew without becoming dry or tough.

The more he chewed, the stronger the flavor became.

Smoky char, the deep richness of the glaze, and the intense savoriness of dragon meat unfolded layer by layer.

Compared with the loin and belly, the hind leg had a heavier, more forceful meatiness.

Haruto followed it with a bite of grilled scallion.

Its clean sweetness cut through the richness, refreshing the palate while enhancing the savory flavor.

The glaze, the meat juices, and the fragrant scallion came together differently with every bite, making it almost impossible to stop eating.

Beside him, the other three had already been thoroughly conquered by the Venomous Dragon barbecue.

Stark stuffed one piece after another into his mouth without even noticing the sauce staining the corner of his lips.

At this point, he felt that every piece of meat he had eaten before today might as well have been flavorless travel rations compared with what was on his plate now.

Fern was far more restrained.

But internally, she was just as amazed.

She had never imagined meat could taste this good.

The loin was soft and delicately sweet.

The belly was rich with fragrant fat.

The hind leg carried an intense, deeply satisfying meatiness.

Eventually, Fern began eating faster as well, though she still maintained her usual elegance and took small, neat bites.

Frieren, meanwhile, felt a faint warmth gather behind her eyes.

The pure savoriness.

The extraordinary tenderness.

The comforting warmth spreading from her throat down into her stomach.

It reminded her of the days she had traveled with Himmel, Eisen, and Heiter.

She remembered sitting around campfires with them and sharing a wild rabbit roasted until its surface was fragrant and crisp.

Himmel would smile and give her the most tender pieces.

Heiter would complain from the side that part of the meat had been burned.

Eisen would sit nearby drinking ale and laughing loudly.

For a moment, all those distant years and memories seemed to become vivid again through a single mouthful of food.

That long-forgotten warmth and happiness left Frieren quietly entranced.

She picked up another slice of belly meat and placed it into her mouth.

The rich fat melted over her tongue, blending perfectly with the sweetness and aroma of the meat.

Frieren’s eyes narrowed slightly.

A genuine, contented smile appeared on her face.

"...It’s really good."

Her voice carried a softness that even she did not notice.

The four of them thoroughly enjoyed the Venomous Dragon feast.

Not even the final drop of meat juice was wasted.

By the end, Stark had eaten so much that he lay flat on the rocky ground, rubbing his round stomach and groaning contentedly.

Fern took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped a small smear of sauce from the corner of Frieren’s mouth, a satisfied smile on her face.

After resting for a while, the four packed their things and prepared to leave the underground cavern.

Their steps were noticeably lighter now.

The meal had not merely filled their stomachs—it had washed away the exhaustion clinging to all of them.

Frieren walked at the back of the group, watching Haruto’s figure ahead with a faint smile in her eyes.

Following the tracks left by the Venomous Dragon, they had not gone far before a narrow beam of golden light suddenly appeared ahead.

At the same time, fresh air carrying the scent of grass drifted into the passage.

All four immediately quickened their pace.

Before long, they emerged from the long, narrow cavern.

Outside, daylight had already fully arrived.

The morning wilderness stretched out before them beneath a thin layer of lingering mist.

The air carried the coolness of dawn, and crisp birdsong echoed from the distant woods.

Stark let out a long breath, lowered the axe from his shoulder, and stretched until his joints cracked repeatedly.

"Finally out."

"If we stayed in there any longer, I think I would’ve started growing mushrooms."

Fern drew her staff and cast the Spell That Makes Clothes Spotlessly Clean, removing the dust and grime from all four of them.

Frieren lifted her head, checked the position of the sun, and confirmed their direction.

"Let’s keep moving."

She started walking.

Naturally, the others had no objections.

Stark hoisted his axe back onto his shoulder.

Fern quickly caught up to Frieren.

Haruto glanced once toward the cavern entrance behind them before turning and following the group.

They had now entered the deeper reaches of the Zaom Wetlands.

Even when following established paths, the surrounding environment could hardly be called safe.

From dense reeds and muddy pools, hidden monsters were frequently startled by the travelers and suddenly launched attacks.

There were enormous swamp frogs capable of spitting paralyzing venom.

Swarms of wetland insects whose mouthparts could chew through iron armor.

Aquatic serpent monsters with razor-sharp fangs lurking beneath deep water.

None of them, however, came anywhere close to the Venomous Dragon in either size or strength.

After all, the Venomous Dragon had stood near the top of the food chain in this entire wetland.

Every monster that attacked them ultimately met the same fate.

They became freshly processed ingredients in Haruto’s hands.

Frieren occasionally inspected their claws, fangs, shells, and other parts to see whether any could be used as magical materials.

And so the group continued onward, stopping occasionally to deal with attacking monsters while also gathering edible wild vegetables and fungi they encountered along the way.

After an entire week, they finally left the Zaom Wetlands behind.

The ground beneath their feet became firm packed earth.

Golden wheat fields spread across both sides of the road, rippling in waves whenever the wind passed through them.

The air carried the clean fragrance of grain.

After less than half a day of walking, a town surrounded by stone walls appeared ahead.

Guards carrying spears stood watch at the gates.

From inside came the lively calls of market vendors, along with the rich aroma of toasted wheat and butter drifting from a bakery.

After entering town, the four first visited a shop that specialized in purchasing magical materials.

Frieren brought out the large piece of Magic-Sealing Ore she had discovered earlier.

The moment the shopkeeper saw it, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

Magic-Sealing Ore of this size and quality would have been considered a treasure even in a royal capital.

Finding something like it in a small town was almost unheard of.

The shopkeeper barely attempted to haggle before offering an extremely generous price.

The resulting gold coins filled a leather pouch so heavily that its weight was immediately obvious in the hand.

Unfortunately, most of those freshly earned coins barely had time to settle inside the pouch before Frieren spent them.

She first rushed straight into the town’s only grimoire shop and bought every magical text on the shelves that she had never read before, filling two enormous crates.

Then she headed directly to the material shop and bought up practically every strange ingredient and magical material that caught her eye.

Fern looked completely helpless.

She tried advising Frieren to show some restraint, but it accomplished absolutely nothing.

Whenever Frieren saw something that interested her, she bought it without hesitation.

"This happens every time you reach a town, doesn’t it?"

Haruto could not help sighing sympathetically.

"Fern really has it rough."

Beside him, Stark nodded with heartfelt agreement.