Regulus was genuinely interested in the alchemical process of detoxifying dragon meat. However, the moment he heard that the refinement required delicate, micro-level mana manipulation and extraordinary magical control, he knew it was impossible for him to master—at least at his current stage.
With the precise detoxification method successfully acquired from the Witch of Greed, the two prepared to depart the Castle of Dreams.
"Hey! Don't you dare forget to save some for me...!"
Before Echidna could even finish her desperate plea, Regulus and Beatrice vanished into thin air.
"Seriously... if there isn't any left when I'm resurrected, just you wait! I'll take that troublemaking little brother of yours and slice it into sashimi!" Echidna grumbled under her breath, collapsing face-first onto her velvet bed.
She desperately needed to sleep. After being subjected to his high-frequency teasing across rapid time-dilation cycles, she had to recharge her spiritual energy, or her mental sanity would truly give out.
Her only fervent prayer was that Regulus wouldn't decide to 'attack' her in his sleep tonight.
'If he does it again... I'll drag Daphne over here and let him see how terrifying the Witch of Gluttony's appetite truly is!'
Back in the physical realm, Regulus and Beatrice immediately set to work on the dragon tail.
While Beatrice took charge of the intricate mana weaving to neutralize the draconic curse, Regulus handled the heavy physical labor: butchering the tough hide, hauling the multi-ton slabs, and washing the cuts.
Because the raw flesh was saturated with lethal miasma, letting the non-combatant wives handle it was far too risky. The alchemical detoxification technique Echidna taught them worked exclusively on raw meat; it could not purge draconic poison from a living human bloodstream. If an accident occurred, an ordinary girl would perish before a counter-agent could even be brewed.
However, compared to the rare dragon meat itself, the wives gathered around the clearing seemed far more fascinated by the rare sight of Regulus rolling up his sleeves and personally preparing ingredients.
'Is it really that surprising?' Regulus mused inwardly. 'I'm just helping with basic prep work; it's not like I'm personally cooking a five-course meal for you.'
Once the miasma was fully cleansed and the obsidian scales were stripped, the next dilemma presented itself: how to cook it.
Steaming, braising, grilling, or high-heat stir-frying?
Before culinary choices could be debated, the lack of proper cooking equipment and spices became a glaring issue. Valgren's initial Dragon Breath had not only incinerated their dragon carriages and panicked the Earth Dragons, but the fire had also reduced their luggage, dry rations, and travel funds to ash. Even the rare commodities and profits Shion had secured across the demi-human settlements were entirely gone.
The material losses were undeniably heavy.
The only silver lining was that Shion's cross-border logistics mission was an official state initiative personally backed by the Crown. Once an emergency report was filed, the Old King would gladly reimburse the expenses from the royal treasury.
Since the main highway ahead had been pulverized by the battle and remained impassable for carriages, Regulus decided to backtrack slightly and set up temporary headquarters in the border town they had passed earlier.
Sphinx utilized flight magic to soar ahead and summon the local municipal administrator with an armed escort. Before long, the entourage was safely settled into the luxurious manor arranged by the local lord. Ninja Girl Zero promptly drafted an official intelligence dispatch detailing the encounter with the Black Dragon and sent an avian messenger speeding toward the Royal Capital.
Meanwhile, the manor's master chefs and the wives were already busily preparing a grand evening banquet.
A lavish feast featuring authentic True Dragon meat as the centerpiece—this was undoubtedly an unprecedented culinary event in the history of the continent.
When the first steaming platter of glazed, aromatic dragon steak was placed before him, the entire room went silent with anticipation.
"Dear... try the first bite," Ine urged softly, handing him a pair of polished chopsticks.
"Mm."
Regulus picked up a tender slice and placed it into his mouth.
"..."
A heavy silence lingered in the hall.
"How is it?"
"Is it delicious?"
"Could it be... that the texture is bad?"
Facing Regulus's unreadable silence, the wives couldn't help but lean in and ask nervously.
"No... the flavor is magnificent," Regulus murmured, savoring the rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture. "It is easily the most extraordinary meat I have ever tasted. It's just that... after swallowing it, I feel a rather peculiar sensation."
"Peculiar?!"
"Wait! The draconic curse poison couldn't have lingered in the marrow, could it?!"
"Hey, don't joke about that!"
Just as the room began to panic...
"Don't worry, it's definitely not poisoning," Regulus clarified, holding up a hand. "A sudden, intense surge of heat is radiating from my stomach, accelerating my blood circulation. It makes me feel... extraordinarily energized."
Following his explanation, the eyes of several wives simultaneously shifted downward, glancing beneath the edge of the dining table.
Just as they suspected.
He had become very, very 'energized.'
For women who had shared his bed for months, bashfulness was entirely out of the question. In fact, Ine's eyes lit up with immediate excitement.
"Does True Dragon meat genuinely possess such an intense tonic effect?"
"Perhaps... after all, no mortal in modern history has ever consumed one."
"A single bite yielded such an immediate reaction? That's simply incredible!"
"It's impressive, but dear is already an absolute monster in bed," Carol sighed, blushing faintly. "Does he truly need any additional physical enhancement?"
"Let's try a piece ourselves and see if it triggers the same surge," Shion suggested.
Regulus watched as the girls eagerly began sampling the meat. Strangely enough, after swallowing their portions, none of the wives exhibited the same sudden flush or overwhelming physical agitation. They simply closed their eyes, thoroughly relishing the exquisite, divine flavor.
This stark contrast left Regulus deeply puzzled.
Staring at his vigorously awakened 'little brother,' a sudden realization struck his mind.
'It's my cheat passive—Vigor.'
The innate capability of Vigor rapidly converted any consumed nutrients and lifeforce directly into physical stamina and raw vitality. Dragon meat was naturally dense with ancient, concentrated primal mana. The moment that potent draconic lifeforce hit his digestive tract, his Vigor passive triggered an explosive, hyper-efficient conversion!
'If that's the mechanical interaction,' Regulus realized with an internal grin, 'then seeking out high-tier mythical ingredients across the continent will be very rewarding in the future.'
"Hey~ dear... would you like another slice?~"
Ine leaned in close, offering another juicy morsel to Regulus's lips with her chopsticks. Looking into her sparkling eyes, where two pink hearts practically fluttered in her gaze, her wanton intention was utterly unmistakable.
Regulus naturally had zero reason to refuse.
As he accepted the meat from her chopsticks, he reached out with his arm and effortlessly swept the seductive maiden directly into his lap.
"Kyaa~"
Ine let out a soft, delighted squeak, pressing her voluptuous curves firmly against his chest.
Watching the shameless flirtation unfolding at the head of the table, the surrounding wives were left completely speechless.
'Hey! Don't start tempting that insatiable beast right at the dinner table, or this entire banquet is going to devolve into a completely different kind of feast!'