"And it's not just the problem of food getting moldy, meow. We wouldn't dare light a fire as big as yours, meow," the chef of the Forest Bugtrappers said with a look of pure envy. "We don't dare make food with such a strong aroma either, meow. Roasting meat and all that... otherwise, monsters would just follow their noses and find us, meow."
"Well, that's true, meow," Pot said, scratching his head. "After all, you live quite close to those big monsters, meow. They aren't as friendly as Boss Glavenus, meow."
Pot remembered where these forest cousins lived. Their home was located near the top of a massive tree, right beneath the nest of a fierce and powerful monster.
According to the Forest Bugtrapper Chief, the reason they chose such a location was to use the deterrent power of that powerful monster to ensure the safety of the tribe. It prevented smaller monsters from invading their territory and preying on the Grimalkynes.
Of course, the downside was that every time an outside monster came to challenge the territory, the tribe would be scared out of their wits, terrified that the newcomer would discover them.
"Yeah, so there's nothing we can do about it, meow," the Forest Bugtrapper chef sighed. "Back home, if we cooked as extravagantly as you are today, meow, the scent would definitely draw monsters in, meow."
"But not anymore, meow!" Pot flashed a confident smile. "Any monster that follows the scent to our door will just become more meat, meow! Do you want to stay, meow?"
"We want to stay, meow!" the Forest Bugtrapper chef said without a hint of hesitation. "Only an idiot would want to stay back there, meow! Who doesn't want to live the good life, meow!"
"Then go tell Boss Glavenus, meow! Offer up your recipes, meow!" Pot patted his brother on the shoulder and gave his advice.
They didn't even need to huddle and discuss it. These Forest Bugtrappers had been at the Glavenus Tribe for several days now; they clearly saw the difference and knew exactly what kind of life the Grimalkynes here were leading.
And so—
"Then, there is only one answer, meow!"
In front of Asterion, the Forest Bugtrapper Chief prostrated himself on the ground, holding his tribal staff high and shouting with deep respect.
"We shall pledge our loyalty to you, meow!!"
"Roar, roar-roar!" (Haha, these Grimalkynes really are interesting!)
Asterion couldn't help but laugh out loud. He had simply finished the specialty ingredients the Forest Bugtrappers had brought and, feeling unsatisfied, summoned them to ask what reward they wanted for introducing a new way to process ingredients. He hadn't expected the Forest Bugtrapper Chief to make such a declaration.
"Roar!"
"Boss Glavenus says he allows it, meow," Yezi translated from the side. "Whether you want to join the Glavenus Tribe directly or find a place to settle within the Boss's territory is up to you, meow. But you must teach us that meat-processing method, meow."
"No problem, meow!!" Such generous terms made the Forest Bugtrapper Chief jump with excitement. Then, remembering the gravity of the situation, he quickly added, "We will work hard, meow! We'll make sure the Boss eats even better delicacies, meow! We won't lose to the Glavenus Tribe, meow!!"
Competitive spirit! Activated!!
"We can't just let those words slide, meow!" Yezi's fur immediately stood on end. She shouted, "Boss Glavenus's favor won't be stolen by you lot, meow! Just you watch, meow!! Sparky!"
"Oh!" Sparky, who was still clutching a piece of meat, raised a hand and cheered. "Grimalkynes of the Glavenus Tribe, meow! You all heard that, meow!"
"Meow-hu!"
A chorus of catcalls responded to Sparky.
"Get moving, meow! We can't let these forest cats look down on us, meow!!"
"MEOW-HU!!!"
It was noisy, though it didn't escalate into a full-blown brawl. Instead, they began a fierce culinary competition, which only added to the festive atmosphere. It was very lively—at the very least, Asterion found it entertaining, much like watching pet cats play-fighting.
However, the individual who approached next, carrying a colossal bone, was certainly no house cat.
Rather than using the pre-cut portions prepared by the Grimalkynes, the Admiral had selected a massive thigh from a monster carcass, bone and all.
He didn't slice it; he simply scored the surface and began roasting the entire thing... or perhaps it was more of a braise?
The hunters had come up with something new for this Great Gastronome Festival. Led by the Admiral, they had gone through the immense effort of hauling countless stones up to the canopy level, along with piles of earth. Mixed with water, it became a thick mud, which they used to build a gargantuan roasting oven.
It was an "extra-large" model, big enough for four or five Admirals to dance inside.
Only an oven that massive could roast a monster's thigh all at once. As Asterion's size continued to grow, the cooking utensils used to feed him were forced to scale up accordingly.
"This time, I'm definitely going to give you a taste of something different, Boss!" the Admiral said with a look of triumph.
This was a special recipe he had obtained by asking Dot to write a letter to Granny Cat back in the Old World. Granny Cat was Dot's culinary mentor. Upon hearing that the Admiral and Dot wanted to create a meal for a monster of such immense proportions, Granny Cat, who had spent her entire life cooking, took the challenge seriously and created a brand-new recipe tailored to the Admiral's needs.
"Nine Dragon Roast! Please, enjoy!"
The Admiral shouted the name with pride. Honestly, Asterion found it a bit magical; the roast the Admiral presented looked remarkably similar to the "Manga Meat" he had seen in comics in his previous life—specifically One Piece!
It was that classic look: a huge hunk of meat with a single bone sticking out of the end. The Admiral had been lugging the roast by that bare section of bone just moments ago.
The exposed bone wasn't quite as pristine white as in the comics, especially with some char marks on the end, but not many. The parts that were completely charred had been scraped away, leaving only a unique, smoky aroma.
"Roar?" (Nine Dragon Roast?)
Yezi translated Asterion's question.
"That's right! This is a brand-new secret recipe passed down directly from Granny Cat! It's the first recipe in history specifically designed for a Dragon!!"
"It's not like you designed it, so what are you acting so smug for, meow!" Sparky, who was on good terms with the Admiral, couldn't help but roast him in return.
"Ahem, well, even if I didn't design it, Granny Cat is Dot's mentor, and Dot is my best partner, so that basically makes Granny Cat my mentor too! So—yeah! You get it! Same thing! I'm allowed to be proud!" the Admiral said, laughing heartily. It seemed this man was never discouraged.
"Anyway, even though this piece of meat is huge, you can't just swallow it all at once, Boss. That would be a waste," the Admiral explained as he pulled out a small knife and began carving the surface of the roast. "The flavor of each section is different. It's best if you eat them separately rather than mixing them. There are exactly nine sections."
Understanding the Admiral's point, Asterion looked over the areas the Admiral had marked out and picked a spot to bite into.
Fruit flavor!
Asterion's draconic eyes widened slightly. He tasted a fresh, fruity fragrance from this piece of meat, though he couldn't name the specific fruit—after all, he didn't know much about the flora of this world. Interesting!
He chewed a few times and swallowed, eager to see what the next section tasted like.
Mm, a very heavy numbing sensation, almost like eating a Paratoad, but it didn't actually paralyze his tongue; it was a pure, concentrated flavor.
"Roar?" (There are nine flavors?)
Considering the name the Admiral had given the dish, Asterion felt he had guessed the secret of this roast.
"Roar?" (How did you do it?)
"Heh, it's simple... well, maybe not that simple?" The Admiral rubbed his chin. "First, you need an oven big enough to fit the meat. Then, during the roasting process, you have to constantly inject different seasonings into different sections."
As he spoke, the Admiral pulled out a syringe with a very thick needle to demonstrate.
"Doing it this way means each part of the meat is marinated with different spices. Overall, it's quite a hassle. You have to constantly check for charring, ensure the heat is reaching the center, and make sure the flavors are soaking in properly..."
"The reason it's called Nine Dragon Roast is because it makes nine flavors at once, but I feel like there are actually more, since the areas where the flavors touch create new combinations."
"Roar-roar, roar." (It's a bit small. Instead of Nine Dragon Roast, it should be called Nine Bite Roast.)
Asterion gave his critique.
It truly was a "Nine Bite Roast," because he finished it in exactly nine bites. Each section was just one mouthful for him; all that remained were some scraps of meat clinging to the bone.
"If you think it's too small, then eat slower!" Hearing the critique through Yezi, the Admiral couldn't hold back and shouted his retort. "And this amount is already huge, alright?! We're only so big! Roasting a piece of meat this size without cutting it is already a massive pain! Try to savor it a bit before you swallow!"
"Roar!" (Another one! Have the Grimalkynes help him!)
Regardless of the Admiral's protests, when Asterion wanted to eat, he let out a roar!
There was no room for negotiation. Soon, the Admiral was clutching his forehead as he was ushered back to the oven by the Grimalkynes.
Keep serving! Hunter!
The Great Gastronome Festival lasted for three days. During these three days, Asterion would sample all kinds of delicacies: new recipes the Grimalkynes had racked their brains to invent, and new seasonings discovered in the Ancient Forest over the years. The goal wasn't even to get full, but simply to enjoy the pleasure of food.
The hunters, who had brought out their secret recipes because it was a rare occasion for Asterion to participate, also learned exactly what the "Glavenus Boss's Tyranny" felt like—meaning if Asterion wanted more, they had to keep cooking.
The intensity of the work left the hunters utterly exhausted. Only the Admiral, that Rajang-like subspecies of human, could maintain his vigor, though even he looked tired on the surface.
Who else had his strength? The heavy lifting of the meat and the task of hauling it in and out of the oven was done entirely by the Admiral. He was the only one who could do it.
It was killer work.
But Asterion felt no sympathy. He only laughed and ordered more, poking the hunters back toward the oven—after all, he had already rewarded them with five brand-new carapaces, enough for the Admiral to forge a whole new set of equipment.
Unlike when he rewarded high-performing Grimalkyne employees, the scales and carapaces Asterion gave out during the festival had no set limit. As long as he found the food delicious or innovative, he would grant a scale. The quality and condition of the scale simply depended on how much he enjoyed the meal.
The better the food, the newer the scale.
This method of obtaining large quantities of scales and carapaces was the reason chefs held such high status in the Glavenus Tribe. Powdered Glavenus scales were already a staple seasoning for the tribe, added to every single meal.
The Grimalkynes hoped that they or their children could become as tall and strong as Pot, or even become a "Dragon-Chosen Warrior" ordained by Boss Glavenus. Thus, they gorged themselves on the powder, hoping that, like small streams flowing into a pond, it would eventually accumulate into something great.
In the entire territory, however, only Asterion was purely enjoying the food. The Bazelgeuse brothers only wanted to eat meat rich in bio-energy; flavor was redundant to them. Furthermore, their stomachs had limits; they could only eat so much in a given time before they were stuffed.
But the food was so abundant and the lingering aroma so tempting that the Bazelgeuse brothers only gorged themselves for one day. By the second day, they took to the skies, unwilling to be tortured by the scent any longer.
Asterion hoped the kid would remember that once the festival ended, they were supposed to head to Astera with the hunters to prepare for the hunt of the newly arrived Elder Dragon. If possible, they might even take down Nergigante while they were at it.
Unlike the somewhat antisocial Bazelgeuse brothers, the Kulu-Ya-Ku brothers were thoroughly enjoying the festival. However, what they enjoyed was different from Asterion. The kid was busy wandering around, looking for all sorts of fun or novel items.
At this point, the Great Gastronome Festival had become more than just a food festival; it was also a time for thousands of Grimalkynes to exchange various resources and needs.
Pretty stones, handcrafted toys, or wood carvings—these were the goods the Grimalkynes traded with one another, and it was where the Kulu-Ya-Ku satisfied his curiosity.
Perhaps unable to face Asterion's judgmental gaze, Mirrorblade only returned to feast for one day before vanishing again. Asterion wished him well.
On the other hand, the Acidic Glavenus stayed in the canopy the entire time. When he was hungry, he ate; when he was finished, he just stared at Asterion, lost in thought—Asterion felt that after taking so many beatings, the Acidic Glavenus seemed to have become smarter.
Or was it... mating season again?
Asterion felt a bit bewildered.
The three days passed in a flash. When the massive bonfire at the center of the canopy finally went out, the hunters—excluding the Admiral and Hara—immediately let out a collective cheer. Every one of them bore an expression that said: It's finally over.
They were truly exhausted.
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