Chapter 151

At first, the intense scent from the bear meat made me think it would smell like the spoiled meat I had as a child.

But when I focused and tasted it again, the flavor from the meat was clearly the bear’s natural, intense taste, yet it wasn’t the disgusting stench I had imagined.

‘Rather… it’s sweet?’

The sweetness of the meat itself, shyly peeking out after the stench had been completely removed.

In fact, the meat’s natural stench had been refined and transformed into a wild, primal flavor.

‘The bear meat… has been tamed!’

Just like how a fiercely charging dog feels different from a dirty stray compared to a loyal, well-trained hunting dog.

That bear meat had been expertly trained to harness its unique, intense aroma, turning it into something charming rather than repulsive.

And what tamed the bear meat was the combination of various spices within the steak—spicy, bitter, sweet, and salty flavors.

At first, I thought the spices were chaotic and overly assertive, but upon tasting again, I realized each spice played its role perfectly, guiding the bear meat’s flavor in the right direction.

And what about the sauce?

If a regular fruit-based sauce had been used, it would have failed to control the bear meat’s intense aroma, either being overwhelmed by it or creating an unpleasant dissonance.

Moreover, Kurt’s steak had amplified the bear meat’s strong flavor even further, so it would have been even worse.

But this sauce, instead of playing a supporting role in the background, boldly stepped onto the stage, engaging in a fierce brawl with the bear meat.

Yet, because of that, it didn’t get overshadowed by the bear meat’s flavor and instead asserted its presence strongly.

And what balanced the dish, preventing it from becoming overwhelming, were the spicy spices used in the marinade for both the sauce and the meat.

The fiery heat from the chili in the oyster sauce and the numbing spiciness from the crushed dried chili, star anise, and Sichuan pepper in the marinade raised the stomach’s tolerance, allowing the oyster sauce and bear meat to run wild freely.

‘Suppressing the bear meat’s stench…? That was completely wrong.’

Rather, the opposite.

Kurt didn’t suppress or kill the bear meat’s individuality—he let it run wild.

Instead, he guided its wildness, making the bear meat even more charming and primal.

It was a precarious tightrope walk, where the flavors could easily mix and create a chaotic mess.

It was like a wild wolf boy growing up in human society, learning refinement while retaining his primal charm, becoming a gentleman who still carried his wildness.

Kurt’s steak had the noble appearance that could fit into aristocratic society, but its core held a primal flavor that couldn’t—or wouldn’t—be hidden.

An ordinary chef would have avoided such a risky gamble and instead focused on eliminating the bear meat’s stench.

But Kurt, on the contrary, didn’t exclude the risk of the bear meat’s stench—he faced it head-on.

It was an all-out brawl, disregarding defense and relying solely on skill.

And in the end, Kurt emerged victorious.

‘Such a primal dish… I’ve never tasted anything like it before!’

And there was no way Yuri, who had grown up like a greenhouse flower, could withstand such a wild flavor, even if she loved adventure stories.

Already exhausted physically and mentally from the day’s skill test and the attack by the Crescent Bear, Yuri was completely drained.

‘Ugh…! I thought I hated bear meat…! It’s frustrating! How could Yuri Blossom, a noble lady, forget her dignity and get so absorbed…! But I can’t help it!’

With her tired body succumbing to Kurt’s fierce, primal steak, delicate Yuri couldn’t resist. Unaware of the sauce smearing her mouth, she devoured the bear meat steak in a frenzy.

She looked less like a spoiled noble lady and more like a young girl in her growing years.

.

.

.

After the satisfying bear meat steak meal, Kurt, as promised, escorted her to the academy dormitory.

When he first brought her to the academy, there was a brief commotion over her disheveled appearance, covered in leaves, scratches, and soot. But Yuri defended Kurt, saying he had saved her, and the small uproar quickly died down.

And so, the incident involving the immature Yuri Blossom seemed to have come to an end.

.

.

.

A few days later.

“…As I explained last time, during the process of animals transforming into monsters, all monsters develop mana-utilizing organs…”

Spade, who was lecturing on monster ecology today, paused and scanned the classroom.

There, as usual, Yuri was diligently writing something in her notebook.

‘She’s not paying attention again.’

While there were always students who didn’t focus during lectures, it wasn’t something one could get used to.

Suppressing an unconscious sigh, Spade quietly called on Yuri.

“Lady Yuri Blossom?”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Could you summarize what I’ve taught this session for the class?”

Of course, Spade had called on her to embarrass her for not paying attention.

While embarrassing students wasn’t ideal, Spade believed he had every right to do so to those who ignored his lectures.

As Yuri stammered, Spade was determined to thoroughly humiliate her this time.

“Yes. The organs corrupted by monsters’ mana can be broadly divided into aggregation and circulation types. Aggregation types, as the name suggests, are organs that draw mana from the atmosphere, using it to create magical phenomena rather than relying on internal mana. A prime example is the horn of the One-Horned Rabbit, which, like most aggregation types, protrudes externally.”

Contrary to Spade’s expectations, Yuri answered without hesitation, as if she had been paying attention all along.

“L-Lady Yuri?”

“On the other hand, circulation types utilize internal mana. Unlike aggregation types, which protrude externally, circulation types exist internally like regular organs. While they can’t draw external mana, they can quickly manifest magical phenomena using internal mana.”

“I… I can’t believe it…”

Hearing Yuri’s precise answer, Spade immediately went to her seat to check her notebook.

To his surprise, it wasn’t filled with self-written stories or adventurer tales disguised as notes—it was proper lecture content.

“I can’t believe Lady Yuri was actually paying attention…”

“It’s only natural to listen during lectures.”

Spade, overwhelmed by Yuri’s newfound diligence, went home and shed a few tears.

.

.

.

“…So why did you come here right after the academy ended?”

I asked Yuri with a puzzled look.

But Yuri tilted her head as if my question was strange.

“Isn’t it natural to get familiar with the Adventurer Guild if I’m going to become an adventurer in the future?”

“…What?”

Become an adventurer?

“Didn’t you give up on that?”

You went back to the academy after failing the adventurer exam last time.

Yuri chuckled confidently and replied.

“Of course, I’ve given up on becoming an adventurer for now.”

“Then why?”

“But I haven’t given up on my dream of becoming an adventurer later. In fact, I’ve only now seriously embraced that dream!”

“What, why?”

“The intense, wild flavor of the bear meat I ate that day! While eating that dish, the girl realized! The taste of that bear meat is just like the life of an adventurer! At first glance, it might seem tough, dangerous, and dirty, but the beauty of life hidden within that wildness is the true charm of an adventurer! And the girl wants to become a great adventurer like Kurt!”

“…So you’re saying you seriously want to become an adventurer because of me?”

“Of course! But don’t worry! I’m diligently following Kurt’s example by being serious about my academy life! In fact, I’m working hard on my studies to prepare for when I become an adult and an adventurer! Ohohohoho!”

What is this?

Did I not lecture her enough?

I felt a headache coming on from Yuri’s ladylike laughter.