[Author’s Note] Thank you. Comments and recommendations are always welcome.
Chapter 8: Cooking with Magical Beasts and Witches (Scene Attention)
“Ugh, heavy.”
I dragged the carcass of the Belger I had hunted, spikes sticking out all over. The raccoon helped a bit, but hauling the body of a beast that weighed hundreds of kilos? Man, my muscle power must be impressive!
“Is this about the size of a bear or maybe a tiger’s front paw?”
When we reached the misty forest where the witch lived, we approached a tree with a cabin perched on top and rang the bell.
A clear, chiming sound echoed through the fog, and soon a small basket descended from below the cabin.
“Can’t fit this in a basket, you know.”
I had taken half of it already, but the Belger was still a massive creature. If I tried to stuff it in the basket, it would surely break the pulley or whatever contraption they had going on.
As I was contemplating this, Leaf shook his head.
“Just leave it on the ground.”
“But then someone will take it! What if those spider folks gobble it all up?”
I had a traumatic history of almost getting my hard-earned snake snatched away by spiders. So, leaving my hard-won meal unattended would surely invite disaster by way of greedy bugs acting as the forest’s clean-up crew.
All around the misty forest, creepy-crawlies were lurking. If it weren’t for the witch, I wouldn’t want to step foot in such a place.
But Leaf, the raccoon, hopped on the basket and assured me, “If we leave it underneath this tree, the spiders won’t steal it. This big tree is Lady Eve’s territory, you know.”
“Hmm.”
I wasn’t sure if those insignificant bugs had such concepts in their tiny brains, but I had no choice but to trust Leaf. After all, hauling a big game into the cramped cabin seemed odd as well.
With hesitant steps, I loaded myself into the basket.
When Leaf jingled the bell, the basket slowly began to rise.
“Like an elevator.”
It might have been a rickety one, but the sensation of being automatically lifted jogged a memory from my past life.
Climbing the tree with my claws was great, but being carried was the best!
Before long, the basket entered the cabin.
Witch Eve pulled the basket in with a clang, and with a whirring noise, a trapdoor on the floor of the cabin closed up as if it was never there.
I figured that must be the official entrance to this treetop hideout.
“Welcome back safe and sound! I’ve been waiting!”
Witch Eve beamed at me.
Looking at me, covered in spikes and bl**d, she chirped about my safety. I wondered what injuries she would consider “unsafe” in her book.
Does one have to lose an arm or a leg for it to count? I suppose being poked with a few spikes must seem trivial compared to losing a limb.
“What if I lose an arm or a leg; will they grow back when I level up?”
As I pondered that, a thought flashed through my mind. Of course, no one was there to give me the answers, so I’ll eventually have to find out myself.
“I really hope I don’t lose a limb, though.”
“Eve, I brought back the Spirit Stone!”
Leaf the raccoon pulled a purple stone from the bag at my waist and handed it to Eve. She took it, tapping it like a drum.
A shrill sound reverberated, like a struck piece of thin metal.
“You really brought it! This should be enough. And look, you’ve brought back Leaf safely too. What a good boy!”
Eve started scratching my head with her nails. It felt great, but there was something I needed to prioritize.
“Can we do something about these spikes first…”
“Oh, yes! Lie down here.”
Nodding as if she remembered something, she made me lie down on the wooden floor and climbed on top of me.
I thought maybe I’d receive some medical treatment, but instead, Eve grabbed the spikes protruding from my body and began to yank them out one by one.
“Ugh!”
“Even if it hurts, you have to endure. This is how it’s done, one at a time.”
I squirmed in pain as my skin tore off. But the witch’s strength was beyond what I imagined, and I couldn’t wriggle an inch.
“Hey, I told you to stay still!”
“Ugh! How many are left?”
“Just about fifty more to go.”
My miserable screams echoed throughout the cabin, and after approximately fifty-five iterations of this torture, I collapsed, too spent to shout any longer.
“Leaf, could you fetch the ointment from the drawer on the right side of the ceiling?”
“Are you serious? Are you really going to use Wildling potion?”
The raccoon, who had been silently witnessing this barbaric medical procedure, suddenly reacted, sticking out his tongue.
“Isn’t that incredibly rare? You might only find one in a century…”
“Just go get it.”
As the witch urged him on, Leaf opened the ceiling, retrieving a small wooden bottle.
Eve took it from him, peeled back the leafy cap, and dipped her fingers into it.
When she pulled her finger out, a long, green liquid dripped down.
“Just like Leaf said, this is incredibly rare. It’s more valuable to humans than gold of the same weight. But don’t thank me just yet.”
Eve smeared the green liquid all over my back. The viscous substance soaked my white fur as it spread evenly across my skin.
“Ew?”
My body felt hot and tingly, as if I were leveling up and sprouting new skin. It was an oddly pleasant sensation.
“I thought this was some folk remedy involving paste or something.”
With the forest and the witch’s living situation, I assumed I was in a primitive world lacking scientific advancements anyway. Given that, I didn’t expect any proper medicine. I had heard healing practices of the past were almost shamanistic.
“Feels nice though.”
I relaxed, surrendering to her gentle touch and the mysterious liquid. Just moments ago, I was in agony, but now it felt like I was melting.
What kind of potion could evoke such a wondrous effect?
“Is this some kind of magical elixir?”
As I pondered the nature of the potion, my curiosity got the better of me, leading me to ask Eve.
“What’s this medicine made from? How did you create this?”
“It’s Wildling fluid. Wildlings are round, squishy creatures, and their fluid has healing and restorative properties. Finding one is incredibly rare, you might only see one once every hundred years.”
At “round and squishy,” something clicked in my mind.
“Wait, do they go ‘quee-yeen, cuey-yeen’?”
“Yes, they do! That sound is incredibly cute! If you know what it sounds like, have you seen a Wildling before?”
“Ah.”
I recalled that squishy, slimy creature I’d first devoured. I had thought it was just a slime, but it was apparently called a Wildling in this world. Lucky me, that I’d managed to eat something so rare!
It was like finding out that a root I thought was just a simple plant was actually a rare ginseng.
“If you ever see one, consider yourself lucky; you can raise them and make a few bottles of this elixir. Plus, they’re very friendly and easy to keep…”
The witch continued her lecture about Wildlings.
It was hard to confess that I had devoured one for a meal. I could still feel the last desperate squeals and the delicious aftertaste creeping back to haunt me.
“I see you’ve applied it all. Alright, that’s enough! Let it sit like that for a day, and your wounds should heal up quickly.”
Eve looked satisfied as she drenched me in the blue liquid.
I felt like a rat that had been dunked and pulled out from a pot of blue goo.
A sweet aroma wafted from me, and when I licked myself, the taste burst on my tongue.
“Don’t eat it! That’ll ruin the effect! You have to soak in the Wildling potion for a whole day.”
“Well, I guess soaking is what I’m doing.”
The expression made me feel oddly weird, but I decided to roll with it.
*
“They say the Basilisk King’s weakness is the sound of a rooster. The same goes for its eggs.”
When Eve struck the Spirit Stone against an egg, a cracking sound echoed, and the egg started to fissure.
As I watched the rock-hard egg begin to split, I realized once more how different this world was from the one I knew.
Witch Eve skillfully roasted the Basilisk egg over the stove in the corner of the cabin.
She spread the egg thinly on a pan, rolled it up, and created something worthy of being called a rolled omelet, plating them on separate dishes.
Leaf and I sat at the table, gazing at the food she served us. My mouth watered at the golden dish on a white plate.
Overwhelmed by the joy of receiving a proper meal, I hesitated to eat, prompting Leaf to nudge me.
“That’s called a fork. You know how to use it, right?”
“Shhh! Don’t ruin my moment!”
Leaf let out a strange sound and tilted his head. I lifted my fork and poked the generously filled omelet.
Given the size of the egg, there was more than enough luscious fillings.
If it was cooked soft, golden liquid oozed out when I pierced it, and I couldn’t help but drool.
“I used some of the meat you brought too.”
Around the omelet sat thick chunks of neatly cut meat.
When I speared a piece with my fork and popped it into my mouth, the juices flowed like splendidly cooked pork belly.
“Delicious!”
Pork belly!
I craved that tangy, delightfully slippery goodness. Seized by the moment, I turned to the witch.
“Um, well, now I’d like my reward.”
“Right, I haven’t forgotten.”
Eve opened a cupboard and pulled out a pottery kettle. She tilted it into a wooden cup, filling it with a purple liquid.
“This is alcohol made from the Fruit of the World Tree. You won’t find anything like this anywhere. In terms of value, it’s dozens of times more than the Wildling potion. It tastes exceptional and is perfect for eliminating any gamey odors with just a drop. Plus…”
Witch Eve went on a long explanation about the alcohol, but I was too fixated on the liquid in front of me.
It smelled like fermented grape wine. Sweet yet subtly fragrant with a hint of alcohol tickled my senses.
“Real alcohol!”
Once an enthusiast, I trembled with excitement at being able to drink again.
Eating perfectly roasted meat, cracking eggs, and now drinking exquisite, rare alcohol? What a blissful moment!
“I rarely encountered such lavishness even as a human.”
My lips curled upwards, and I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmingly happy.
“Drink up! There’s more where that came from. This whole bottle is yours!”
Eve kept pouring more of the drink into my empty cup. Being served by a breathtaking beauty like her felt surreal.
In this blissful and joyful situation, a twinge of anxiety started to seep into my mind.
“There’s no way such good luck could happen to me,” I thought, feeling a familiar unease creeping back.
It stemmed from my long-standing pessimism, but it suddenly reminded me of something I had almost forgotten.
“Wait, didn’t she say she’d reveal my identity?”
I almost missed that, so I steeled myself and opened my mouth.
“Ugh…”
The world swirled before my eyes. My tongue felt heavy as lead, making it hard to finish my thoughts.
“Alright, looks like you’re tipsy. After drinking the World Tree’s choice liquor, those gamey flavors should be gone now. If you soak in the Wildling potion for about half a day, the texture will become tender…”
Witch Eve’s gentle and beautiful voice took on an ominous and strange echo.
