Chapter 266

After separating Bram’s party, I went to the guild reception to retrieve the dismantled meat of the monster.

Actually, getting the monster meat wasn’t urgent, but Bram’s party members kept insisting on repaying me, which was annoying.

If I had just refused the money, they could have been genuinely happy.

So stubborn.

Anyway, I ended up getting the meat even though I didn’t need it right away.

Since it’s come to this, I might as well have a meal.

Mari, Karina, and Serena had come down to the first floor, the timing was right, and I also wanted to taste the meat of the monster known as the Demon’s Hand.

“Is this the Demon’s Hand?”

“Exactly, it’s the meat from that monster.”

“Hmm. Even a gold-grade monster becomes ordinary meat after being dismantled.”

“That’s how it is. By the way, I’m going to cook now. Any requests?”

“Yes! Me! I want fried chicken!”

Mari immediately raised her hand and insisted on fried chicken.

“Yeah, I figured you’d say that.”

“But fried chicken is delicious. Fried chicken.”

“Fine. I was a fool to ask you. I’ll cook whatever I think is appropriate.”

“Ahh, fried chicken…”

“Quiet. Just get ready for the meal.”

After telling the three to prepare for the meal, I immediately went into the kitchen.

…

Once in the kitchen.

“Hmm… What should I cook with the Demon’s Hand?”

I pondered for a moment, but it didn’t last long.

In fact, from the moment I first encountered the monster called the Demon’s Hand, I already had a few dishes in mind.

Thinking about it, most of my cooking has been Western-style.

That was my specialty, and it was hard to get Eastern ingredients in Astram.

And the culinary culture of this world is very similar to that of the West in my previous life, so everyone preferred it.

But recently, thanks to my connection with Coconut Company, I’ve been able to get various ingredients and start settling in Astram, so I can try more regional dishes.

In that sense, maybe I’ll go with Chinese cuisine today.

But even within Chinese cuisine, there are many types.

Given the size of the land and the population, the history and range of cuisine are overwhelming.

Among them, the dish I chose was…

“Yurin-gi (油淋鷄) would be good.”

Mari had been clamoring for fried chicken.

I wonder if I’m spoiling her too much.

Once I decided on the dish, it was time to start cooking.

The meat for Yurin-gi would be the breast of the Demon’s Hand.

Out of personal curiosity, I wondered about the taste of the wing meat, but since that’s the highlight, I’ll save it for later to try various things.

Also, Yurin-gi traditionally uses chicken breast.

I placed the breast meat of the Demon’s Hand on the cutting board, cut it into bite-sized pieces, and then tenderized them.

Bird breast meat is lean and has a mild flavor but can be very dry.

Especially since it’s from a wild monster, not livestock.

So, tenderizing the meat makes it softer.

This technique isn’t just for Yurin-gi; it’s also used for pork loin in dishes like tonkatsu.

Next, I marinated the bite-sized pieces in milk with pepper and a few detox herbs.

This softens the meat, removes the gamey taste, and purifies the monster’s tainted mana.

Meanwhile, I prepared the batter and sauce.

The batter is a mix of starch powder, water, and egg in the right proportions.

To make the batter fluffier, I added a bit of cooking oil.

The oil in the batter mixes with the frying oil and escapes during frying, creating air pockets that make the batter softer.

While crispy batter is generally preferred, for dishes meant to be stir-fried or served with sauce, a fluffier batter has its own charm.

For the sauce, I mixed soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, and water in the right proportions.

This alone makes a decent sauce, but for a higher finish, I added a bit of sesame oil and chopped red chili for a spicy kick.

For the vegetables, I cut lettuce and onion into bite-sized pieces and set them aside.

Vegetables should be added at the last moment to keep them crisp.

Once the batter and sauce were ready, I took out the marinated meat, coated it in the batter, and mixed well.

All that was left was to fry it.

I fried the battered monster meat in oil.

Meanwhile, I placed the onion and lettuce on a plate and put the finished fried meat on top.

I served the sauce in a separate bowl.

It was done.

The once-called Demon’s Hand Yurin-gi.

…

When I returned to the table with the finished dish, not only my party but also another group was waiting for me.

Naturally, it was Bram and his party members.

“What? You haven’t given up yet?”

“Of course not! We still haven’t paid you back!”

“We can’t ignore the debt of saving a party member’s life!”

“Please don’t make us look ungrateful!”

“I told you, I don’t need any reward.”

It was clear that what they were offering was something very precious to them, and accepting it would only make me feel awkward.

I wouldn’t mind a modest reward, but being given something truly valuable to repay a debt is burdensome.

But despite my feelings, Bram’s party seemed determined to repay me.

Yeah, I kind of expected this.

Good thing I made extra Yurin-gi.

Thinking this, I spoke to Bram’s party.

“You guys.”

“Yes! Please speak! Have you changed your mind?”

No, why are you so eager to repay me?

“Have you eaten?”

“Eaten…?”

Bram and his party members looked confused.

“If you haven’t eaten, let’s eat together.”

“Huh? What do you mean…?”

“I won’t take a reward for the request, but I can accept payment for a meal.”

As I said this, I quickly took a few gold coins from the items they offered and put them in my pocket.

“But such a small repayment…”

“This is enough for me.”

Honestly, selling the monster I hunted today would probably get me this much money.

“Ugh…! Our benefactor!”

“A true model adventurer!”

“We’re touched!”

“Anyway, why don’t you sit down? Are you going to eat standing?”

At my words, Bram and his party members, who had been moved, hesitated again.

“It’s shameless for us to eat after receiving help…”

“You’re not getting it for free; you’re paying for it.”

“But still, is it okay for us to join…?”

Despite their hesitation, their eyes were glued to the Demon’s Hand Yurin-gi.

Of course.

Not only did the dish I made look delicious, but Bram, who had been chased by monsters in the mountains for a week, and his party members, who had been worried about him, hadn’t had a proper meal.

Just looking at them, they seemed haggard and worn out.

Suddenly, all their worries were resolved, and a meat dish, especially fried meat, was placed before them.

It’s only natural that anyone’s eyes would be drawn to it.

Grrr…

As the tension eased, their stomachs started growling.

“If you keep standing there, the food will get cold. Sit down.”

Gulp…

“If you insist…”

“Right. It’s rude to delay our benefactor’s meal.”

“Just a little… We’ll just have a little.”

“Wait, weren’t we supposed to repay the favor…?”

“Come on, don’t worry about the small stuff. Sit down.”

In the end, they succumbed to the temptation of the food and sat down as if entranced.