Grilling Meat

As a reward for all the hard work Azu and the others had been putting in, I went all out on dinner with a proper meat grilling.

Tangible gifts were nice, but improving the quality of their day-to-day meals was just as important.

All three of them ate a lot, so I'd need to stock up in bulk. To that end, I bought a whole sheep and negotiated a discount.

The wool and hide could be sold to a trading partner, and the organs had plenty of uses too.

The stomach made for water flask material.

The intestines weren't just for sausages; they could also be used as strings for musical instruments.

There was a reason people said no part of a sheep went to waste.

Even the bones could be ground into fertilizer or used as an alchemy ingredient.

The only downside was that raising them required wide pastures.

Any parts we couldn't sell as merchandise or didn't eat, I sent straight to the butcher who'd done the butchering. He'd sell them as delicacies.

And what do you know. Despite buying a whole sheep, the ledger showed no net loss.

In fact, thanks to the rising price of hides now that winter was setting in, we'd even turned a small profit.

In other words, time to splurge.

I set up a cooking stand in the backyard and laid a large iron griddle on top.

For fuel, I used some damp firewood that had been rejected as defective.

With Alexia's magic, a bit of moisture was nothing. She could dry it out and light it in no time.

"Light it up."

"Sure. My, this is quite the spread."

Alexia lit the firewood, then murmured as she surveyed the mountain of meat and vegetables I'd piled up.

"You lot really do eat an absurd amount."

"After an adventure, I especially get so hungry…"

"Nothing to be embarrassed about. Our bodies are our greatest asset, after all."

Elza encouraged the sheepish-looking Azu.

"Don't worry about it. I know how hard you've all been working. Eat your fill tonight so you're ready for tomorrow."

"Yes, sir!"

Taking Azu's spirited reply as the starting signal, I began grilling the meat.

The way she was squirming with anticipation at the heaping pile of meat was endearing.

I'd marinated the meat in sauce ahead of time so it would be ready to eat the moment it came off the griddle.

The heat from the iron plate was just right.

Tongs in hand, I lined up pieces of meat one after another.

Oil and sauce sizzled on the hot surface, filling the air with an appetite-stirring aroma.

If there had been any neighboring houses, I'd have gotten complaints for sure.

Thank goodness my old man had at least secured the land. That was why we could expand, and why we could grill meat in the backyard like this.

The three of them devoured piece after piece as fast as I could cook them.

Meat alone would throw off their nutrition, so I grilled vegetables on the side and plated them up.

The reactions varied.

Azu ate the vegetables without complaint, Elza ate them reluctantly.

Alexia made a sour face before eating them alongside the meat.

I grabbed some for myself in between, and it was genuinely delicious.

This year's mutton was well-marbled. A good vintage.

Speaking of sheep, it was nearly time for the Water Sheep to migrate through again.

Last time it had been Azu alone, but with three of them now, we could probably pull in a much better haul.

While I was mulling that over and grilling away, the mountain of meat had nearly vanished.

I'd prepared what I thought was more than they could eat, and yet all of it had disappeared into three stomachs.

"Full?"

"Yes. It was so delicious."

"I think that's the most meat I've ever eaten in one sitting."

"Mutton is so light and clean you can just keep eating."

All three seemed satisfied. Good.

I threw the leftover meat and vegetables onto the griddle.

Then I tossed in a heap of boiled noodles to soak up the sauce and oil clinging to the surface.

This made cleanup much easier afterward.

I'd barely managed to eat anything while tending the grill, so these noodles would be my dinner.

Though I might have made a bit too many.

Once they were done, I killed the fire and ate straight off the griddle.

The sauce had caramelized slightly, giving it a wonderful flavor.

I was happily digging in when I felt three pairs of eyes on me.

In the end, I had to share, and I was quietly grateful I'd made extra.

Dessert was a fruit juice jelly.

I left cleanup to the three of them.

The moon was bright tonight.

It had grown dark all around, but the Fire Elemental was floating about casting light, so there was no inconvenience.

"We've finished cleaning up."

"Good. Let's head inside, then."

At Azu's report, I called it a night.

That had been quite enjoyable. Wouldn't mind doing it again.

The one thing that nagged me was the smoke smell clinging to our clothes.

I'd need to figure out some kind of deodorizing solution.

When I asked Elza, she said that unfortunately, this fell outside the scope of her purification miracle.

After the meal, we spent a quiet evening.

The three of them rested their full bellies, took their baths, and then dozed off mid-conversation.

Once all three had retired, I blew out the candle.

Only moonlight illuminated the room.

They said the moon goddess brought good fortune.

Superstition was part and parcel of doing business.

Many a merchant had boasted that, in the end, it was luck that decided everything.

I offered a silent prayer that tomorrow would pass without incident, and lay down.

The next morning, when I opened the curtains, the world was blanketed in white.

It seemed the snow had started falling while we slept.

The clouds hung heavy, and the whiteness of the snow gave the whole scene a dreary cast.

I'd been encountering a lot of snow lately.

But the plan wouldn't change. We'd made enough detours already, and it was time to get moving.

Since there was a portal available, we'd skip the carriage and go on foot.

I finished changing and was preparing to leave when Elza opened my door.

"And here I was going to wake you. How disappointing."

"Merchants rise early."

"You sleep in quite soundly sometimes, though?"

"Only when I'm exhausted."

The other two showed up in my room as well.

Alexia looked warmer than usual.

Normally she'd be hugging herself against the cold.

"The innerwear seems to be working out."

"Yes. It's warmer than I expected. A real lifesaver."

"How about you two?"

"Nice and warm."

Elza said, then pulled me into a hug.

She was definitely radiating more heat.

"I'm warm too!"

And then Azu latched on as well.

At this rate, I was going to overheat.