Chapter 145
Chapter 145
*sizzling …….*
When I placed a nice thick piece of steak meat on top of a well-heated pan, the meat made a pleasant sizzling sound and the small droplet oil bounced off.
You can tell how well a steak is cooked by its elasticity.
First, make a ring with your index finger and thumb, an OK gesture. Then the base of your thumb will puff up, the amount of elasticity you feel when you press on that area with your finger is a good indicator of how well the steak is cooked.
If the feeling is like an index finger and thumb, the steak is rare.
With the middle finger, it’s medium-rare. It gets harder and harder.
The ring finger is medium. and the pinky is well-done.
Lift the meat with tongs and check the crust. When the surface is nicely browned, flip it over and sear it again. Wait a few minutes and gently push the meat to test it.
–It’s about time.
When the edges are nice and browned, remove the meat from the pan and wrap it in aluminum foil to let it rest. This way, the heat is evenly distributed and the juices are trapped, resulting in a delicious meal.
While I was putting the meat on the pan to cook the second one, the doorbell rang.
“I’m home!”
Natsuki came home with snow on her head. She was carrying a shopping bag with a lot of notebooks and pens because I couldn’t have a conversation without them.
When she entered the living room, she said, “So warm!” She let out a sigh of relief and quickly took off her coat. From underneath, student clothe appeared. Her thin neck and collarbone, wrapped in a sparkling necklace, were fully visible through the V-shaped collar. Her white thighs glistened between her miniskirt and stockings.
“It was freezing outside! Listen, Onii-chan! Just before I left the school, the teachers found me and chased me around saying, ” What are you doing here at this hour?” In the end, I was caught, but I was the only one who escaped by sneaking out the back way and sacrificing everyone behind. Because I wanted to see you as soon as possible…….”
That’s our setup. The name “Onii-san” has been upgraded to “Onii-chan”.
Natsuki glanced up at me shyly.
I nodded back at the detailed backstory and wrote in the notebook I got from her. 『Welcome back. It’s been a long day. Dinner’s ready now』 pointing to the dining table with a tuck of my chin. There was Yakumo, sitting on a chair, his legs flailing.
“Yakumo is home too.”
With that, Natsuki sandwiches his cheeks with her hands. She sits down next to Yakumo, looks at the table, and winces. The culprit was Diamond.
Diamond was being played with by Yakumo on the table. He stroked the hair on his belly, pinched and lifted his legs, and turned him over to examine the base of his creepy legs one by one. He played the role of a doll, so he had no freedom.
“Well, dinner’s almost ready. Yakumo, leave the toy over there.”
As Natsuki suggested, Yakumo left Diamond on the sofa and walked back and forth. He sat down next to her again. I could see out of the corner of my eye that Diamond had been released and was now able to catch a breath.
In the meantime, I quickly finished the dishes.
A thick slice of medium rare steak on a preheated plate. Mashed potatoes with fresh cream. Sauteed eggplant, boiled cauliflower and Carrot . All the vegetables were frozen. The soup was also an instant soup. I made them into one plate and served them to them.
“Oooh …… gulp …… wow, this is a feast!”
Natsuki drooled uncontrollably.
I put mine on the table and sat down in front of the girl. I put two chairs together to increase the strength, but still, the chairs made an unpleasant squeaking sound.
My steak, by the way, was almost raw. My steak is what you call the blue steak. Butcher is a raw eater.
I gestured to the four hungry eyes, Please, eat up.
After holding the knife, Natsuki glanced at me for a moment “Itadakimasu…….” I caught a glimpse of hesitation. Don’t worry It’s beef.
“Amu…… mugu…… mugu…… oh, so delicious～～～～ “
Her eyes were wide open and round with sparkling stars were twirling in it.
This house has so many spices – I can guess why – so I made my own homemade spice salts without hesitation. Butcher mix. The red grains on top are ground pink pepper. Stylish, isn’t it?
“Oh, what? It’s really good! What is this?”
And behold. the result is her happy, shiny eyes.
The Yakumo next to me is expressionless. ……. But the hands are surprisingly quick.
As I was watching them like I was feeding a stray cat, Natsuki noticed that my hand had stopped and she said, “Oh,” and put down her fork.
“–I almost forgot about Onii-chan! I’m sorry I didn’t notice it. It’s Christmas, so let’s have a drink! do you drink alcohol?”
Natsuki lifted the bottle.
I waved my hand to her and wrote
『I don’t drink alcohol.』
“Heeeh……” she said, her face looking surprised, “then,” she continued.
“I want to drink a little …… is that ok?”
She put the bottle on the table and glanced at me.
Here you go. I poured some sparkling wine into an empty glass.
Immediately the white foam, a small *Fsst* sound followed.
She watched with happiness as a line of foam climbed up from the bottom of the glass, once the foam had settled, the golden liquid took its place.
In return, Natsuki poured some water into my glass, I filled the glass in front of Yakumo’s, and then the three of us celebrated, Cheers!
Natsuki started working on the plate again.
I took a piece of meat as well. I picked it up with my fingernails and ate it in one bite. The beef is delicious!
Natsuki’s stunned voice leaked out from her mouth at my uncivilized eating style, but soon the sound of clanging echoed in the room again.
“Jevo onii-chan you say you’re a butcher, but you’re also a cook? Does it have anything to do with that outfit?””
Natsuki asked, looking at the apron.
『Sort of, I was in charge of the kitchen. This is my uniform.』
“You said you were human. Is that true?”
『Yes. I was a soldier here at the fort.』
“Eh? not butcher?”
『That was when I was in the alien city』
“Hmm…….”
Natsuki looked somewhat hesitant, but continued to ask.
“………… How did you end up looking like that?”
『I was killed in a battle and found myself like this. I don’t know the details.』
“Killed …… that’s terrible …….”
Natsuki was speechless and furrowed her brow.
『I don’t mind dying, but this is really horrendous.』
In a way, it’s crueler than death.
“Gevaudan is not your real name, is it? Because that’s the name of monster in a fairy tale”
『That’s right』
“What’s your real name?”
『I don’t remember. I forgot a lot of things.』
“I see. I’m sorry. …… Did you come back to this city because you have a family?”
『No, I don’t. I’m not from this fort and I’m an orphan』
“Oh…… so you’re also from the slums?”
I nodded, and the glint of caution in Natsuki’s eyes seemed to fade a little.
But it’s not really a slum, it’s more of an <Orphan’s Creed>, which is a goddamn hellhole. There’s nothing like that in Fort 88, so you probably wouldn’t understand even if I explained it to you.
“You’re a soldier even though you’re from a slum. That’s awesome.”
『I’ve been through a lot.』
“If I could be a soldier, would I have a better life? …… Oh, haha, what am I saying, I probably can’t get in in the first place.
『You can be a private soldier, Natsuki.』
“Oh, really?”
Natsuki was puzzled.
『They don’t really actively recruit from the slums, but there were quite a few in my unit. Of course, it’s tough to start as a private, but 88 values merit, if you survive and pass the promotion test, you can become an officer.』
All of the Fox captains had been promoted. I, too, became a warrant officer on my fifth exam. I heard that I was the talk of the town at the time and being so young. But as expected, it is difficult to get to the rank of Major or even Colonel without graduating from school.
“The exam …… must be difficult.”
『I didn’t go to school, but I passed. You seem smart, so I’m sure you can pass the written test.』
The physical test is going to be really hard. The people in the slums are poorly nourished. They grow a little slower than other people their age. They need to train hard or they might throw up in the physical test.
“I’m not that smart…….”
『Really? I’ve seen a lot of people and I think Natsuki is smart.』
Natsuki stopped eating and looked at me.
『You have the guts to dare me, and the courage not to run away and leave Yakumo behind. Thus, showing the quick wit to deal with a monster. You’re pretty enough to make me want you at first sight, and I know you’ll turn into a great woman in the future.』
She clenched her mouth shut for a moment and looked down at her plate, then looked up and chugged her drink down.