Chapter 62: A big feast!

Gopugiga lowered the last massive chunk of the bear carcass with a heavy thud.

The moment it touched the ground, I swiftly stored it inside my inventory. At the very least, that should help preserve it for a little while longer. It had already been left outside for quite some time, after all, and I didn’t want all that valuable meat and material going to waste.

The big fellow then dropped onto his butt with a long, exhausted groan.

"Haaah..."

He panted heavily, his massive chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. Each breath came through his mouth in loud, forceful bursts, sounding almost like a steam engine chugging away.

Nearby, the others were just as exhausted.

Every goblin was panting, their bodies drenched in sweat and smeared with sticky bear blood. Some leaned forward with their hands on their knees, desperately gasping for air, while others simply collapsed where they stood, too exhausted to take another step.

I would have loved to give them a few quests to dismantle the carcass immediately and start collecting all the valuable materials as soon as possible.

But first, these guys needed rest.

And food.

So I decided to let them take a proper break.

I bought several large wooden buckets of water for them to wash themselves. It was drinking-grade water, yes, but since it was already getting late, I didn’t want to make them trek all the way to the river just to take a bath.

It was fine to be a little wasteful this once.

One by one, the goblins picked up the buckets and began pouring water over themselves, scrubbing vigorously with their hands to wash away the sweat, dirt, and bear blood covering their bodies.

Some even helped wash each other’s backs and other hard-to-reach spots. Before long, the exhausted atmosphere had turned into something much livelier, with the goblins laughing and splashing water at one another like a bunch of playful children.

The good thing about the System was that I could simply top up their buckets whenever they emptied them.

There was no soap available at the moment, though, so getting all the stubborn blood off was rather difficult. Still, it wasn’t like goblins had particularly high standards when it came to hygiene in the first place anyway...

As long as they were reasonably clean, that was good enough for now.

Eventually, once everyone had finished washing up and had a chance to catch their breath, I decided it was time for the most important part of the evening.

A nice, hearty dinner for everyone.

****

Moments later, everyone had finished resting.

Gopugiga and Gopuro headed outside first. A few minutes later, they returned carrying armfuls of logs and branches, piling them together to build a large bonfire.

I contributed some extra wood from my inventory as well.

Once everything was ready, I used my [Lighting Manipulation] skill to ignite it.

Fwwoom!

The fire roared to life, bright flames leaping upward and dancing wildly in the night air. The goblins gathered around the crackling blaze, their long shadows stretching and swaying across the courtyard with every flicker of light.

By then, night had fully settled over the forest.

The trees surrounding my castle had faded into dark silhouettes, and the forest beyond my walls had grown quiet. Countless stars glittered across the clear sky, while the crescent moon slowly climbed higher overhead.

But here, right in front of my walls, it was warm, bright, and full of life.

Soon, dinner was ready to begin.

I materialized the bear meat from my inventory. Gopuran, with her [Cooking Lv.1] skill, volunteered to handle the cooking, while Gopuro took charge of assembling the sandwiches.

The others gathered around to watch, practically drooling as their hungry stomachs rumbled like battle drums.

As the meat hit the fire, a rich, mouthwatering aroma quickly spread through the air.

Fat sizzled and hissed as it dripped onto the flames, sending little bursts of smoke curling upward.

The new citizens soon grew restless.

A few even tried to sneak pieces of meat away and eat them raw, but I stopped them and promised that the wait would be worth it.

And sure enough, just a few minutes later, the meat was ready.

Every piece had been grilled to perfection, golden brown on the outside with a delicious-looking charred crust.

Damn...

Even I was captivated by how good those pieces looked.

So this is bear meat...

The aroma was a little wild and gamey, yet incredibly rich and inviting at the same time.

I couldn’t help wondering what bear meat actually tasted like.

Would it be similar to beef?

Or perhaps more like boar?

I had never tasted bear meat in my life, and now that I was a castle with no mouth, I wanted to know even more badly.

If I ever get the chance to eat food again someday, I’m definitely going to try every kind of meat I can find!

Gopuran then distributed the food to everyone.

And the moment the meat reached their hands, they chomped down.

The goblins ate like a pack of starving beasts, moaning in bliss as they tore into the meat with wild enthusiasm.

"Mmmhm!!"

"Giii...!"

"This... this is good!"

Meanwhile, Gopugiga was operating on an entirely different level.

That guy wasn’t eating. He was inhaling! ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Every time he opened his mouth, nearly half a kilogram of meat disappeared without a trace in the blink of an eye.

At one point, he grabbed a foot-long sandwich...

... and finished it in two bites!

TWO!

Haha, what a monster!

Even I was a little stunned by that.

Still, the big guy absolutely deserved it. If it hadn’t been for him hauling those massive chunks of the bear all the way back here, I would have been forced to leave at least half of the carcass behind.

So, if anyone had earned the right to eat like a bottomless pit, it was definitely him.

Just then, I suddenly remembered something important.

"Oh shit! Puran!"

I immediately called out to her.

"Use this too!"

From the Food Shop level 2, I purchased a small white rock about the size of a large egg.

"Crush this and sprinkle it over your food! It’ll make it taste much better!"

Gopuran received the rock and tilted her head in confusion.

She cautiously licked it.

Her face immediately scrunched up in disgust.

"Blergh! Big Boss, is this edible too?"

"Yup! Trust me! Crush it and use just a little on your meat. Just don’t use too much!"

"Hmmmm..."

Gopuran stared at the white rock, still clearly skeptical.

But eventually, she accepted my words without further argument.

"If Big Boss says so!"

She placed the rock on a clean stone she had washed earlier. Then, grabbing another rock, she brought it down with a heavy smash.

The white rock broke into several smaller chunks.

"Keep going! You need to turn it into powder!"

"Okay!"

And soon, the white rock had been crushed into fine powder!

Gopuran took a small pinch and sprinkled it on a piece of meat just like my instructions. She then took a bite. Everyone else had been watching her intently for some time now.

And in an instant...

"MMMMMMHHHH!! DELISHHH!!!"

Gopuran gasped, her face lighting up with pure wonder!

"Big Boss, this is so delicious! I have never tasted anything like this before!"

"Haha! I told you!"

Because that white rock... it was salt!

S-A-L-T.

SALT!

Back when I upgraded the Food Shop to Level 2, I was overjoyed the moment I saw it. But I could only purchase it now that I had some points to spare.

After all, a tiny 200g chunk of rock salt...

75 points!

OUCH!

But with this, their meal had improved to a whole new level.

If I could somehow figure out how to get pepper, then it would be even better. It would be perfect!!!

And so, everyone started sprinkling salt on their food with eager little pinches.

Some of the sillier ones even put salt into their milk and drank it, faces scrunching up in surprise before breaking into delighted grins at the new taste.

Meanwhile, watching my citizens happy made me feel so warm inside too. There was a strange, fluttering sensation spreading through my stone walls.

Perhaps it’s just the bonfire. Haha...

****

Soon after they had rested and eaten their fill, it was time to get back to work.

By my estimation, there were still around two tons of bear carcass left to be processed.