𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐆𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐭 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐧
“So, what shall we do now?”
ㅤ
Marie is flying aimlessly through the sky.
She has just been exiled from her country and has freed herself from the chains that bound her.
ㅤ
She wants to live freely, without being controlled by anyone.
However, she hasn’t yet decided what to do specifically.
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“Sightseeing? I don’t really care about the scenery.”
ㅤ
For now, she’ll wander aimlessly until she makes up her mind.
But she does think it would be better to have a purpose. As she’s pondering this. . . . . .
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Grrr. . . . . .
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“I’m hungry.”
ㅤ
That’s when she realizes she hasn’t eaten anything.
There’s no town in sight. She considers eating some forest fruits when. . . . . .
ㅤ
“Oh, there’s a dragon over there.”
ㅤ
She spots a moderately large dragon flying over the forest.
Perfect.
ㅤ
“Let’s hunt it and eat it. 【Wind Blade】.”
ㅤ
Released from her right hand is a beginner-level wind spell.
A tremendous blade effortlessly tears through the dragon’s flesh.
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Having confirmed that the dragon’s meat is falling, Marie lands in the forest below, only to find. . . . . .
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“. . . . . .”
“Hmm? Who are you?”
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A skinny, scrawny beastman boy is standing there.
Nearby lie the already-dead bodies of a driver and several similarly unfortunate slaves.
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“Ah. . . . . .”
ㅤ
It seems she has unwittingly saved someone’s life.
Marie had merely intended to hunt the dragon, cook its meat into steaks, and eat.
ㅤ
“Um, Witch-sama!”
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The beastman boy bows deeply before Marie.
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“Thank you for saving a worthless bug like me in the nick of time!”
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To the boy, a witch had appeared out of the blue and saved him from a dragon, just like in a storybook scenario.
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However, Marie is an egoist. She had no intention of rescuing anyone.
So she says this:
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“I didn’t save you for your sake.”
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But the boy interprets this as:
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“I see, you’re a tsundere!”
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From the boy’s point of view, Marie is very kind-hearted but doesn’t want to be excessively thanked for her help, so she acts aloof.
In reality, she was just hungry.
ㅤ
People only see what they want to see.
To this boy, Marie is already a hero who rescued him from danger.
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Unfortunately, Marie is just an ordinary witch.
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“Well, shall we eat?”
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Ignoring the boy, Marie begins to cook.
Before her lies a large pile of dragon meat, chopped into pieces.
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“Should I grill it? Low heat.”
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At that moment, a tremendous magical flame erupts. It’s not low heat at all.
Within seconds, a burnt-to-a-crisp dragon steak (or charcoal, if you prefer) is ready.
Marie makes a dubious face and takes a bite.
ㅤ
“. . . . . .”
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It’s terrible. Absolutely terrible. But as long as it’s nutritious, Marie is fine with it.
She had always thought that all food is the same once it’s in your stomach.
ㅤ
“What are you doing?”
ㅤ
The beastman boy, now bloodied, is gathering materials from the dragon.
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“You’re hungry, aren’t you, Witch-sama? Let me cook for you!”
“Oh? You can cook?”
“Yes! I worked in the kitchen of a wealthy household!”
ㅤ
Saying this, the boy starts cooking efficiently. Marie didn’t care about his background or where he came from.
She could have left the place as her stomach was already full. However. . . . . .
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Sizzle. . . . . .!
ㅤ
. . . . . .And the savory aroma of grilling meat whetted Marie’s appetite.
Apparently, the boy had rummaged through the slave trader’s belongings, borrowing cooking utensils and spices to start cooking.
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“. . . . . .”
ㅤ
Naturally, saliva began to drool from her mouth. It was strange; she had never been interested in cooking before.
She found herself drawn to the smell of whatever this beastman boy was making.
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“It’s ready! Dragon Fin Steak!”
On a large leaf used as a plate, a thick steak was presented.
Marie snorted in response.
ㅤ
“You talked up big words, but all you did was grill the meat and sprinkle some salt?”
Disappointing. She should leave right away. . . . . .However.
The juices flowing from the meat. The enticing aroma of spices. . . . . .Strange.
ㅤ
She felt there was a staggering difference between the meat she had cooked and what he had prepared.
Above all, Marie wanted to eat this.
ㅤ
“Please go ahead!”
“W, Well. . . . . .Just one bite then.”
ㅤ
Upon closer inspection, the steak was cut into easy-to-eat pieces.
The boy must have sliced it up without her noticing.
ㅤ
Furthermore, there were skewers provided for eating. . . . . .He’s surprisingly thoughtful.
Marie took a piece of the fin meat and put it in her mouth. And then. . . . . .
ㅤ
“!”
What is this! Dragon meat should be more fibrous.
But this is tender. How can it be so tender!
ㅤ
No unnecessary fat. Yet, every bite releases an explosion of flavor!
ㅤ
“What’s the deal? Why is it so tender?”
“The fin of the dragon is the softest and tastiest part of its body!”
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. . . . . .Interesting. Not only had the boy eaten dragon meat, but he also seemed to have experience cooking it.
If that’s the case, there’s just one thing she doesn’t understand.
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“In this era, eating monsters is considered taboo, you know?”
ㅤ
The future world Marie found herself in considered the consumption of monsters to be unacceptable.
Marie didn’t care about such things, though.
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It was strange that this boy from this era knew how to eat monsters.
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“In the rural village where I was, we ate them all the time.”
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He must come from a different cultural area. However, this steak is delicious. Too delicious. Frankly, she would scream about it if they weren’t in public.
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“Hmm. . . . . .Boy, what’s your name?”
“It’s Kaito!”
“Kaito. . . . . .I see.”
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Marie came to a conclusion.
ㅤ
“Alright, you’re hired.”
ㅤ
The purpose of her journey.
She was going to set out on a journey without a destination.
However, she had just discovered the joy of food.
This boy, Kaito, seemed to know how to deliciously cook magical creatures.
ㅤ
In that case, he might also be able to cook other magical creatures deliciously and offer her new flavors she’s never experienced.
ㅤ
Food can be this delicious, huh. For the first time in her life, Marie was interested in food.
So why not take this boy on a journey to hunt monsters across different regions and eat delicious things. That would be fine, too.
ㅤ
“Do you want to come with me?”
“Yes! Please take me with you!”
ㅤ
Kaito was a slave. However, his master, the slave trader, was lying there dead.
So, the one who found him would become his new master.
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“Alright, come with me, Kaito. We’re going to travel the country.”
“Understood!”
ㅤ
Meanwhile, Kaito misunderstood.
That Marie was a hero, on a journey to save the world.
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He thought he was chosen as a companion for that.
. . . . . .In reality, he was merely allowed to accompany her as a cook for a mere gourmet tour.
ㅤ
And so, the strange gourmet journey of the egotistical witch and the overly imaginative beastman began.
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