Chapter 166 - 165: Top-Tier Delicacy
They were injured and their movements were restricted, and on top of that, they were burdened with the butchered leg meat.
And so, the group returned to Oak Village.
The golden sunlight had already begun to turn a warm orange.
At the entrance to Oak Village, Village Chief Barov and the crowd of villagers behind him were still waiting anxiously.
Every little stir and sound put them on edge.
Finally, a group of figures appeared on the distant path.
They could see them clearly now! It was the esteemed Adventurers!
And... on the horses behind them, there were familiar faces!
"They’re back! They’re back!"
Someone was the first to shout, and the entire village entrance instantly erupted in cheers.
At that moment, the worry that had clouded Village Chief Barov’s face finally gave way to ecstatic joy.
Tears welled in his eyes as he rushed forward in excitement.
The moment the horses came to a halt, the brown-haired boy with the injured foot vaulted off his mount and threw himself into Village Chief Barov’s arms.
"Papa...! I thought... I thought I’d never see you again! WAHHHH..."
The boy wailed, letting out all the fear and misery he had bottled up over the past day.
"You’re back, that’s all that matters... You’re back..."
Village Chief Barov choked back sobs, pulling the child into a tight embrace.
The other four rescued villagers were also immediately greeted by their families.
The air at the village entrance filled with tears of joy, sweeping away the gloom that had previously hung over them.
After a long while, once his emotions had somewhat settled, Village Chief Barov approached the Marcus Squad to offer his sincere thanks.
"Thank you so much, esteemed Adventurers."
Village Chief Barov bowed deeply to them. "You saved my son, and you saved other families in Oak Village as well."
"It’s just part of the job."
Marcus helped Village Chief Barov to his feet. "All six Minotaurs have been eliminated. Oak Village is safe now."
True to his word, Village Chief Barov immediately went back into his house and returned with a heavy coin pouch containing the promised bonus of twenty Gold Coins.
Before leaving, true to his principle of seeing a job through to the end, Marcus led Zelir and the others on a thorough patrol of the area surrounding Oak Village.
Only after confirming there were no tracks of any other Demons did they prepare to depart.
"Oof... these Minotaur legs are heavy..."
Gray struggled to hoist one onto his shoulder, getting ready to carry it back.
Marcus picked up a large piece himself. He was just about to ask the village chief about hiring a carriage back to Black Stone Town.
"Here, let me take that," Zelir said, holding out his hand.
He took the leg with a steady hand, then made a gesture at his waist.
The Storage Pouch, linked to his Spirit Mark, immediately activated.
The large piece of Minotaur Leg Meat vanished into thin air.
The rest of the squad stared at the scene, dumbfounded.
"Is... is that a Storage Pouch? It’s yours?"
"Of course it’s mine. Did you think I stole it?"
Zelir smiled. "Give me all the Minotaur Leg Meat. I’ll carry it."
One by one, the large cuts of Minotaur leg were tucked away into Zelir’s Storage Pouch, saving them a great deal of trouble.
"Can I see how much it weighs?" Gray asked curiously.
"Here."
Zelir handed the Storage Pouch to Gray.
Gray took it and hefted it in his hand. It weighed no more than an ordinary cloth bag; there was no difference at all.
"This is amazing..."
Gray shook his head in amazement.
"Zelir, now you finally look like a proper Mage. Before, I always thought you were just a regular Adventurer who happened to know magic."
"What’s that supposed to mean?" Zelir shot Gray a sidelong glance.
...
The four of them bid farewell to the cheering villagers at the entrance and set off on the road back to Black Stone Town.
Arriving at the Adventurer’s Association, Marcus went to the front desk to complete the quest.
Six Minotaurs, with a reward of Eight Gold Coins each, came to a total of Forty-Eight Gold Coins.
Adding the twenty bonus Gold Coins for rescuing the villagers and the Eighteen Gold Coins from selling the Demon Cores...
The grand total came to eighty-six Gold Coins!
That was even higher than the reward for the Goblin Community extermination quest.
In terms of value, this quest was the best one of Zelir’s adventuring career.
Minotaurs were Demons with some intelligence and considerable physical strength. The fact that there were six of them significantly increased the quest’s difficulty.
An ordinary squad would, at best, be able to take down one with a surprise attack from a Middle Level Ranger.
After that, the Minotaurs would be on guard, and the team would be forced into a grueling melee.
Only a Mage like Zelir, who commanded powerful offensive Magic and wasn’t afraid of Minotaurs getting into close range, could handle them with such ease.
With the additional twenty Gold Coins for the rescue, this haul was simply incredible.
During the reward distribution, Marcus divided the earnings based on a 4:3:2:1 ratio. Zelir alone walked away with thirty-four gold and forty silver coins.
His savings once again surpassed One Hundred Gold Coins, reaching a new total of one hundred and twelve Gold Coins, not counting the spare silver and copper.
Zelir’s heart leaped with joy.
’Looks like I have enough for a down payment on that Magic Robe,’ he thought.
Night had already fallen by the time they left the Adventurer’s Association.
Zelir divided up the Minotaur Leg Meat he had brought back, giving each person a quarter.
If they wanted to eat it, they could find a restaurant and pay a small fee to have a chef cook it for them.
If not, they could sell it at the market while it was still fresh; there would be plenty of willing buyers.
As for Zelir...
He was definitely choosing the former.
He had to see if it tasted as good as they said.
...
「Night Flower Inn.」
"Good evening, Zelir." Aurora waved a greeting.
"Good evening."
Aurora saw that Zelir was carrying something wrapped in cloth and craned her neck in curiosity. "What’s that?"
Zelir placed it on the counter with a THUD, then unwrapped the cloth.
A huge piece of bright red leg meat, its muscle fibers distinct and beautifully marbled, appeared before her.
"Minotaur Leg Meat," Zelir said.
Aurora’s eyes slowly widened. "Minotaur Leg Meat?"
"Yep. It’s from a Demon we killed today. I heard it’s delicious... Could the kitchen cook it for me? I can pay a fee," Zelir said, rubbing his hands together.
"O-of course you can..."
Aurora poked the Minotaur Leg Meat with her finger, looking utterly amazed. "I’ve never seen such a high-quality ingredient before."
"I’ll leave it in your hands, then. Just cook it however you normally would."
Zelir took a seat by the window to wait.
He saw Aurora call a burly, thick-waisted man out from the back kitchen.
The man was wearing a chef’s hat, and he looked just as surprised as Aurora to see the Minotaur Leg Meat.
After the ingredient was carried into the back kitchen, a rich aroma soon began to waft out.
It didn’t just invigorate Zelir; other guests dining in the main hall were also drawn in by the scent.
’What is that? It smells incredible!’
"Red wine-braised leg of beef is here... oh, wait. Red wine-braised Minotaur Leg Meat."
With light steps, Aurora brought a silver tray to Zelir’s table.
Along with it came a thick vegetable soup and buttered bread.
The Minotaur Leg Meat was cooked to perfection, its surface a tempting, seared brown.
It was drizzled with a layer of gently bubbling, deep red wine sauce and garnished with a few stalks of bright green roasted asparagus.
Zelir picked up his knife and fork and wiped them with a napkin, a gesture full of ceremony.
He cut a moderately thick slice and observed it closely.
The color of the cut was nearly perfect—a tender, rosy pink.
He put it in his mouth.
He chewed slowly, savoring every bit.
’Mmm...’
Zelir let out a satisfied sigh.
’Minotaurs may be vicious when they’re alive, but they sure are delicious when they’re dead.’
The Minotaur Leg Meat was much more tender than ordinary beef, with a richer flavor that grew more fragrant with every chew, leaving a long, satisfying aftertaste.
"How is it?" Seeing Zelir’s blissful expression, Aurora grew curious about the taste of the Minotaur Leg Meat herself.
"You should get a knife and fork and try some," Zelir invited with a smile.
"Oh, no need to go to all that trouble."
Aurora casually took the knife and fork right from Zelir’s hands.
She then cut off a small piece for herself, not even leaving a drop of sauce on the fork as she put it in her mouth.
After a couple of chews, Aurora’s eyes lit up, and she let out a gasp of delight.
"Wow, this is delicious!"
"Right? Much tastier than regular beef," Zelir said as he took his cutlery back.