TNZKMA 82

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I cried a lot and calmed down, and when I looked back, Haruka was crying with a bright red face.

 

[Oh, gosh. You just infected me with your crying.]

 

When I saw Haruka crying while saying that, I started crying again too.

 

[This is weird. I’ve never cried like this even in my previous life.]

[It’s fine. You were too much of a non-crier. You can cry to your heart’s content here.]

 

Saine looked down at the two of us crying with a slightly fed up expression and left for somewhere. He disappeared and came back in about 5 minutes. He was holding a ras in his hand.

 

[Anyway, eat. You haven’t eaten anything, that’s why you’re crying.]

 

I don’t think it’s that kind of problem, but when I see the ras being roasted, my hunger arrives first before my tears. As our stomachs grumble in hunger, we wait for the ras to cook. There’s a handsome man’s head fallen beside the fire, but I was no longer concerned  about that.

 

The ras is roasted, and I eat it competitively with Haruka. I ate quickly, and by the time I was chewing on the bones, I gasped and realized something.

 

[….Ugh! Saine, did you eat!?]

 

He mustn’t have. Haruka and I mindlessly ate Saine’s portion too. When the two of us lined up and apologized, Saine burst out laughing.

 

[Don’t worry about me. Rather than that, are you full?]

 

Towards Saine’s question, my stomach gives an answer before me. Saine laughed loudly at my stomach that made a *gukyuru* sound, ‘Okay’, and raised his hips.

 

[Wait here.]

 

Saying that, he disappeared into the forest again.

 

Next, Saine returned with a yellow object on his shoulder.

 

[What is that?]

 

The thing that was dropped with a thud has an appearance which I have no idea what to call. It looks like a deer, but it can also be called a wild boar. Its face is small and elongated like a deer, but its legs are short. Its roundish body is yellow, and its green from its ankles to its feet. 

 

[It’s a cate.] (TN: read as keyt)

[Cate?]

 

It’s a name I’ve never heard even in the market.

 

[Guards are divided between ras and cate.]

[What does that mean?]

[Those who find ras as the most delicious, and those who think it’s the cate.]

 

Saine takes out a knife and handles the cate. He simply ran the knife and peeled the skin off. The handwork is so vivid that you can’t help but admire it.

Saine puts down the cate that has been reduced into just meat and stands up. He draws the sword that’s hanging on his waist from its scabbard and looks around the surroundings.

I wonder what he’s trying to do? In front of me who is tilting my head, Saine suddenly started running towards the nearest tree.

 

[?…………Gh?]

 

Chased by Saine, the tree runs at full speed. The usually leisurely walking trees are surprisingly fast. Saine disappears while chasing after the sprinting tree.

 

[……Can he cut it?]

[I wonder……]

 

After about 20 minutes, Saine came back. He’s holding a single branch in his hand.

 

[It took longer than the ras and the cate.]

 

Haruka whispers to me and I nod. Could it be that trees are the fastest in this forest?

Saine processed the branch with the knife and turned it into skewers. It’s not the thin knife used during the meal, it’s a fairly wide and thick knife. The knife used to cut the meat was a little thinner, but this one has a thicker blade. Saine only carries a knife and a sword when in town, but now, he’s carrying 2 knives in addition to the sword on his waist. The one he’s using right now and the one he used to cut the meat earlier.

I’ve never seen scissors in this world, but I often see knives. It is an essential item that is used frequently in daily life.

He threads the meat on the thick and long sticks and grills it over open fire. The moment it was roasted over the fire, it smelled fragrant.

 

[It smells amazing!]

 

When I shouted from excitement, Saine laughed and said.

 

[Cate cooks quickly. You can eat it after grilling it for a short time. Here, it’s ready.]

 

Saine held out the skewer with the meat on it. Since Saine was holding the side without the meat, I stuck out my face and took a bite.

I pull the thick meat out of the skewer. When I tried biting down, there was a chewy texture that the ras didn’t have. Each time I chew, the meat’s juice overflows. It’s not seasoned with salt but it’s a little salty and delicious.

 

[……Delicious.]

 

Saine took another skewer and gave it to Haruka. Haruka accepted it and took a bite.

 

[My, it’s true. It’s delicious.]

 

Saine handed Haruka a skewer but didn’t hand me one. He holds out his own skewer so I can eat from there. I took another bite from Saine’s skewer.

 

[It has a nice consistency. Why is this salty?]

[There are also perspiring rocks in this forest. Cates’ diet is its salt.]

 

I nodded in understanding. As for the ras, the ones sold in the food stalls are overflowing with meat juice, but if it’s roasted in an open fire like this, it’s not that juicy. If it’s not roasted in a stronger fire all at once, the juice probably won’t get trapped in the meat. Also, it doesn’t taste much un;ess seasoned with salt. Well, it’s delicious regardless. But, if I were made to choose between the two……

 

[Which one is more delicious?]

[……I think it’s the cate.]

 

When I said that, Saine laughed happily.

 

[Alright. Now it’s 17 to 16.]

[What’s that about?]

[In the Eastern Section Guard Guild, votes are taken between ras and cate. You chose the cate so that makes it 17, it’s the cate’s win.]

[Which side are you on, Saine?]

[Of course, on the cate’s.]

 

Saine chewed the meat off the skewer and ate it. I was served and I also ate.

Ras is good, too. But how do I say this, the cate’s consistency is really addicting. Every time I chew, the slightly sweet and salty meat juice overflows, and it’s really delicious. Also, the aroma escaping from my nose is really nice.

 

[Is there anything good if the cate wins?]

[The losing side is supposed to serve the winners alcohol.]

 

Yeah, that’s totally convincing. I’ve been to the guild many times by sticking with Saine, that place always reeks of alcohol. I can’t imagine any refreshments served there other than alcohol because of it.

 

[Which one do you prefer, Haruka?]

 

When I asked Haruka, he furrowed his brows with a troubled expression.

 

[I’m sorry… I prefer the ras.]

 

I knew it. Haruka has always liked chicken. In Haruka’s case, meat equals chicken.

 

[Saine, that makes it a draw, huh?]

 

Saine groaned with regret.