Chapter 86

"The color is truly that of a crab, isn't it?"

Keaos approached the chef quickly and brought his nose close to the centipede crab, which had been steamed in a curled-up position. The centipede crab, about two furlongs in length, still had relatively undeveloped claws and legs. However, compared to ordinary crabs, its legs were about twice as thick.

"Hmm? What is this ball-like thing?"

Aristide pointed to the area where the poisonous tail had originally been. When it was delivered to me, the tail, including the poison sac, had already been cut off. During the preparation, I had sealed the opening with a paste made from grain flour and a little water.

"When cooked, the umami components overflow from the shell. I sealed it to prevent the broth from spilling out."

"Indeed, that makes sense. If the broth spills, the meat inside will dry out."

"Indeed, Lord Melphiel. Your knowledge of cooking is truly comprehensive."

"Thank you, Keaos. It makes me happy to think that my mother's efforts were not in vain. Most of my knowledge comes from my mother's research materials."

The habitat, characteristics, and cooking methods of monsters, as well as the presence or absence of poison. I could verify the monsters within the territory of the Martial Raid myself, but for the unique species of the land, I could only imagine. The Yglosh centipede crab is a unique species, so the opportunity to see it in person was a miracle for me, and a very precious experience.

I watched the chef skillfully disassemble the centipede crab with Aristide. Since the centipede crab is long, the head and claws or legs are removed first, leaving only the body. The carapace from the head to the third segment is abnormally hard and spiky, as it contains the heart and major organs.

"Princess, may I open the head?"

"Yes, of course!"

When asked by the chef, I nodded vigorously. The head is the most delicious part of the crab. After cutting through the segments with a thick blade and tapping it from above, the chef inserted his fingers into the joint between the carapace and the belly and pried it open with force.

"Huff!"

At the chef's call, Aristide, Keaos, and I leaned forward. A crowd gathered around, and everyone gulped as the red centipede crab was placed on a wooden board. The sound of the carapace creaking and the chef's exertion filled the air, and a rich sea scent tickled our noses.

"Ha... Look, Lord, Lord Melphiel! What a wonderful aroma... Ah, this must be the liver of the centipede crab!"

"Is the middle part the heart? Indeed, it is a monster, with an unprecedented size."

Next to Keaos, who was excited, Aristide observed the centipede crab from a different perspective. Under the carapace of the second segment, just below the head, was a thick layer of liver. In the center was a flat heart about the size of a hand.

"Well, although it's not the same as a crab, I think it's best to discard the heart, stomach, and intestines."

"Understood, Princess. We will keep only the liver layer and discard the other organs."

Although harmful components such as toxins have been removed during the preparation, some parts are still better not to eat. I wanted to carefully examine the other subtle parts later to avoid ruining the taste of the centipede crab.

The chef quickly and carefully removed the steaming internal organs of the centipede crab. The large gills were also carefully peeled off, and soon the carapace contained only the liver and meat.

"Alright, perfect. So, who will be the taster?"

"Me! Me! Me! Me! Me! Me!"

With Keaos leading, the knights who had been waiting raised their hands in unison. Ignoring the chef's mutter, "This is no longer a taster," they all reached out to the centipede crab with wooden spoons they had brought from somewhere.

"Ah, wait, Keaos, you're in the way!"

"Shh, shh, scatter! This is my centipede crab!"

"Delicious!"

"Hey, no cutting in line!"

"The early bird gets the worm!"

"Zeph! Where did you get that from?"

"What is this? A crab? No, a centipede crab. But what is this umami?"

"I'm glad I worked hard!"

Seeing the knights enjoying their taster roles, I sighed in relief. Not only the knights of Midreig, who were accustomed to eating monsters, but also those from Yglosh and East Elzenie castles were mixed in. Even without detailed descriptions, their enjoyment was evident. Keaos, who said, "What a deep flavor," kept scooping up the liver and putting it in his mouth, his eyes sparkling with happiness.

"Melphie, is it good?"

Aristide, who had not participated in the tasting, called out to me hesitantly.

"Seeing such a happy face, I can't be the only one to taste it."

"No, that's not what I meant... The centipede crab is a taste from your memories with your mother, right?"

Indeed, it is. I had told Aristide at the Lusseble workshop and asked to be brought along for the hunt, knowing it would be difficult. I smiled at Aristide and pointed to a centipede crab leg placed a little away from where the knights were gathered.

"Hehehe. Actually, my favorite part is the leg meat. As a child, I didn't particularly like the liver, and what I remember is the thick and impressive legs and claws."

I examined the leg, which was about three fingers thick, and inserted a knife borrowed from the chef at one end. I tapped the back of the knife, and the leg split open. I handed half of it to Aristide and prepared a wooden spoon.

"Do you need a spoon?"

"The meat of the centipede crab doesn't separate easily from the shell. So, I use the spoon to scrape it off... Mmm!"

It might look a bit unladylike, but I put my mouth to the end of the leg and quickly scooped the meat into my mouth. The aroma, sweetness, and saltiness of the centipede crab, along with its concentrated umami, filled my mouth.

(Perfect!!)

The meat had a strong elasticity when chewed, but it dissolved smoothly in my mouth, unlike regular meat. The umami that overflowed with it stimulated my tongue, and I couldn't help but swallow all the leg meat, sighing in bliss.

"Ah... I'm so happy."

Aristide, watching me, also ate the leg meat in the same way. He opened his eyes wide and ate it beautifully, so I prepared another leg for him.

"What a flavor! This is not even comparable to rainbow crabs... I can't stop eating."

"Even if it's a nostalgic taste, this surpasses it!"

"Despite its intensity, it goes down so smoothly. Hmm? The claws are harder than the legs. Should I split them in half?"

Aristide split the hard claws in half, and we scooped out the meat with wooden spoons. The claw meat, which required the strength to cut through prey, was very large and had a satisfying texture, a new and addictive taste. Even a two-furlong centipede crab was this good. A five-furlong centipede crab would have even more liver and leg meat, making it an extraordinary experience.

"We can't let this deliciousness lead to overfishing."

"Overfishing... If monster cuisine becomes popular, it could become a tourist attraction, but we mustn't destroy the ecosystem."

"We can only treat it as a byproduct of culling hunts. Still, it's delicious. I can't stop eating."

As we forgot about the tasting and started on our third leg, Keaos approached us.

"Thank you, Lady Melphiel! It was like a dream! The liver and liver juice mingled perfectly with the meat, making it feel like I was drowning in the liver of the centipede crab... Crab liver is so precious, and to be able to enjoy so much of it..."

Keaos, who had successfully completed the tasting, stopped in his tracks. His eyes were fixed on the leg meat Aristide was holding.

"That's good, Keaos."

"Lord, is that...?"

"Yeah, it's leg meat. Look at this thickness. Melphie chose it for me."

Aristide put the leg meat in his mouth and chewed slowly, looking very elegant and enjoying the deliciousness (I couldn't help but salivate, knowing how good the centipede crab was).

"Lady Melphiel, can I have some leg meat too?"

"You can have some too, Keaos. The upper part of the centipede crab seems to be ready to eat."

The experienced chef, who had been watching us, instructed to take the centipede crabs from the hole. As the red centipede crabs were steamed one after another, more hungry knights gathered.

"I want the five-furlong centipede crab to be tasted by crab lovers like Keaos! I'm sure it will exceed expectations."

"I'm sorry... I got carried away. But if such a reward is available, next year's centipede crab hunt might be by lottery."

I handed a split leg to Keaos, who blushed slightly. After teaching him how to eat it, he finished it beautifully. Indeed, Keaos is an expert in crabs.

"Hey, Princess! You're doing great!"

Yanish and the other knights from Azaro Castle, along with Yglosh Castle's commander Gilir, approached. Behind them, a dragon called a ground runner was pulling a giant centipede crab claw.

"The ones over fifty furlongs were almost all burned by the Lord, so we could only save this one. But it's fresh, so we can do the preparation, right?"

"Princess, listen! When the commander suddenly called me, I thought something was wrong, but he wanted to bring this big claw to eat!"

Lilian, who hadn't been seen for a while, was controlling the ground runner. Captain Blanche was also there, smiling wryly. In the sky, Mullan and Ambry were bringing the legs on a Grisshel dragon.

"Hey, you guys..."

Aristide sighed, and Yanish glared at him.

"I followed the orders and crushed the heart, but the Lord burned them all. It's okay to eat the claws, right?"

"Being big doesn't mean it's delicious."

"I don't care, I'm eating this! Princess, please!"

Looking at it, it was indeed fresh and seemed to have avoided the direct hit of Aristide's fire magic. I nodded to Yanish and went to get the tools for the preparation.

"Aristide, please! I'll be right back, so please keep my centipede crab safe!"

I ran through the knights who were enjoying the centipede crab. They all had good smiles, showing no signs of fatigue.

(Thank you, Aristide. The taste of my memories with my mother has become a shared memory with everyone today!)