CH 35

Gobu blocks the bloody turkey’s kick with his shield opening a gap in its defence which Jean took advantage of slashing the turkey’s thigh with his sword.

Large drops of blood are absorbed by the dry winters plain.

With a wound like this, there’s no need to exert ourselves. All we have to do is fall back and stay wary. It should collapse from blood loss pretty soon.

The 3 people surrounding it know this so they don’t overdo it. I think Gobu understands this as well.

Before long the turkey can no longer stand and falls to its knee’s. Jean finishes it with a fatal blow to its neck.

“Alright! Ossan gut it and drain it please!”

From here on it’s up to me and Kuro.

Tying a rope around the bloody turkey’s feet we hang it upside down from a suitable tree.

I’m glad I made a pulley for this job as it made the lifting work easy.

Suspending it means the blood drains naturally and slicing the stomach open causes the organs to just fall out.

The meat will spoil very quickly if you don’t do this necessary work.

While we were doing this Jean and the others who had taken a break set off looking for new prey.

Because Gobu can’t leave me he’s helping us out.

It’s still only 9am. At this rate, we should get another couple kills in today.

“Kuro. I think this turkey is quite big. What do you think?”

“I agree. It’s a good one. I don’t think its a winner for the contest though…….”

It seems they get bigger than this.

Finishing up the turkey I left Kuro with the luggage and carried it to the carriage.

Gobu handles the carriage while I apply feather magic to it and load it on the carriage.

It seems our strategy is very efficient and allows us to hunt with minimal downtime.

Jean and the others might have found another bloody turkey by now.

The turkeys are handed in at a temporary station set up in the suburbs.

When the turkeys are handed in you get the money and a wooden tag.

The wooden tag has a number on it so you know if your turkey has won if your number is put up.

There are prizes up to 5th place.

5th place is already provisionally set so any turkey that comes in under that size is quickly butchered and sold.

Unfortunately, the turkey I bought did not reach 5th place.

I hurried back to the plains where everyone was waiting as soon as the paperwork was done.

I was able to get back before noon despite how busy the highway was.

“Ippei-saaaaaaan!”

Kuro is waving his hands in the distance.

There was a huge turkey by his side.

They obviously caught another while I was gone.

Kuro has already drained its blood by himself.

An open air fire was blazing away and a cooking stove was set up beside it.

Kuro seems to be someone who does his job properly.

“Good work. Let’s have lunch after we finish gutting the turkey.”

We quickly started work on the turkey.

“Anything happened while I was gone?”

“It’s gone well. They bought this in and no one was injured.”

Whilst talking Kuro is still working hard. He handles the knife I lent him very skilfully to extract the turkey’s organs.

Lunch is bloody turkey liver steak made from the liver of the turkey.

Is the liver safe?

I asked Kuro who seems surprised by my question.

“I can have some as well?”

“Yeah. Did you have your own food you wanted to eat?”

“No…….It’s not often us beastmen are allowed to eat such a good thing.”

“Aah, I see. Don’t worry about it. There’s no way I can eat such a big liver by myself.” I say while pointing to the liver we just got from the huge turkey. “But if Meg comes we’ve got no chance. It will be gone!”

Kuro smiled while I joked around.

It was the 1st sincere smile I’d seen from him since we’d met.

“Ahaha, maybe so.”

………….

This is bad.

Very bad.

Did my heart just beat faster for a moment?

Kuro is so cute when he smiles.

I got lost momentarily staring at Kuro.

Is this the feeling onee-sans call shotakon?

Nope! Definitely not!

I’m a man that loves big breasts.

I refuse to awaken to a new fetish at my age.

I won’t admit it! I will never admit it!

“What’s wrong? Your face is red. Do you have a fever?”

Don’t look at me with such a worried face……..

Stop looking.

Don’t tilt your head.

Silvery hair.

White skin slightly sunburnt.

Long eyelashes.

Pretty mouth slightly twisted with worry.

Why are you a maaaaaaaaaan!

“Are you okay?”

“Aah. It’s nothing.”

I locked the cry of my heart away behind a poker face.

We quickly finished up with the turkey.

I completely devoted myself to work so no unnecessary thoughts surfaced.

Both of us were wet with blood and other fluids so I washed us with cleaning magic.

“Amazing! I’ve become so soft and fluffy! Ehehe…….”

Kuro was pleased with his clothes and hair becoming so clean and beautiful.

In the feeble light of winter, Kuro’s silver hair shined.

As I was about to take the turkey back to Nepia Meg came running back.

“I’ve got another one!! Another 50,000 rims!”

She’s almost dancing.

“Well done. I’m preparing dinner so take the carriage and go collect the turkey with everyone.”

“Got it.”

Meg skilfully handled the carriage and sets off.

Lunch was liver steak as I had decided.

Since it was fresh it had no particular smell.

I cut the liver into suitable sizes, Gobu seasoned them with salt and pepper and Kuro coats them in a thin layer of flour.

Once they are all done I throw them in a skillet and cook them over a low flame.

If the flame is too strong the liver will go hard and it will start to smell.

I make a balsamic sauce from wine and vinegar and a sweet and sour sauce with lentils in.

“It’s incredibly delicious! Second’s please!”

As expected of Meg. She’s a hearty eater.

Kaa! This is the real pleasure of a hunt though its the 1st time I’ve eaten the game where it was caught.”

Jean also seems to like it.

Kuro is also eating with great relish.

Aah, Kuro’s got sauce on his cheek.

After being at a loss for a while I decide to wipe it off.

“Ehehe, thank you.”

It’s a full-blown smile.

What’s this? It makes me want to be kind.

Un. He’s cute but not in a sexual way.

It’s like seeing something beautiful and just wanting to admire it.

Yeah, that’s it.

Jean’s also got sauce around his mouth but I ignore him.

That fellows not cute. He’s irritating.

He’s a monkey and not a cute one either.

“Oi Kuro, I need a piss, let’s go.”

Oi Jean don’t make my Kuro dirty.

“Yes captain.”

Hmm, those 2 have gone into the woods.

Why do kids want company when pissing?

“What the hell!”

Suddenly Jean’s scream echoed from the forest.

Why’s he always so noisy?

After a while, Jean comes rushing back.

He looks pretty upset.

“Ogre!”

At Jean’s words, we all grab our weapons.

“An ogre is hanging from Kuro’s crotch!”

Kuro who is behind Jean blushes bright red and looks down.

Jean kisses the ground from a silent punch from Meg.

“Jean, what’s with that expression?”

“No, ossan. Kuro’s thing is shocking!”

“A little…..I want to see?……….”

“Please don’t say such a thing to a boy with such a serious face Bonnie-san.”

I see. Kuro’s got an excellent thing huh…….

Is there a demand for this type of gap moe?

I was wondering such useless things while clearing up.