Gourmet Moshul
After Moshul left, I immediately sent off a messenger bird. The recipient was an old acquaintance from my adventuring days. He's a deep-sea fisherman who hunts out on the open ocean, but he's more than used to dealing with sea monsters—stronger than most adventurers, in fact. If anyone could catch a Belkas directly or knew a reliable route to one, it'd be him. The letter was straightforward: I need a Belkas. Send it with all organs intact and undamaged. I'll pay well. As soon as possible. I added that I was running a restaurant now and included the address here for delivery upon acquisition.
Aris asked after I sent it off.
"Is Belkas a dangerous fish?"
"It's basically a monster, so yeah, dangerous. The whole body is laced with poison."
"Eek... So for a fish like that, how much would it cost? They wouldn't sell it at market, right?"
"You'd have to pay a premium over the priciest edible fish. It's not something you'd normally hunt—you're risking your life for it."
"Sooo expeeeensive...."
"Eh, the gourmet foots the bill. I just make what he wants."
I answered honestly and headed to the kitchen. I'd leave sourcing the ingredients to him for now and focus on what I could do in the meantime. How to handle the Belkas's poison. That was the key thread to pull.
* * *
I rummaged through the basement storeroom. Lucky I'd organized it while hunting down the Topliya recipe before. It was packed with books on every subject imaginable: monster bestiaries, herbals, cooking tomes. I pulled every poison-related volume and stacked them on the counter.
"Whoa... what's all this?"
"Gonna read 'em."
"All of them?"
Aris stared up at the pile.
"The ingredients haven't even arrived yet..."
"That's why we read ahead."
I opened the topmost monster bestiary and flipped to the sea monsters section, finding the Belkas entry. Nothing new there. Extreme poison over entire body. Attacks with sharp fins and teeth. Never used for food. No surprise. The very idea of eating one was insane.
I closed it and grabbed the next: a history of deadly venoms and their traits. Royal assassinations in the capital ages ago, toxins favored by shadowy killer guilds still whispered about. Alchemical poisons were great for targeted effects, but for pure murder, natural venoms from creatures were best...
Fast-acting, absorbable through skin. Causes paralysis and excruciating pain. No known antidote. Extreme caution required.
I closed the book with a small sigh. Using Belkas liver as food? Utter madness. With all the safe eats in the world, why this? What was Moshul thinking, ordering something like that from me?
But the order was placed. There had to be a way. I picked another book from the stack and dove back in.
* * *
Days passed. Still no clue on making the liver edible. Not that I expected a recipe straight from the pages—no book in existence would have it. What I needed was inspiration. Cram my head with Belkas lore, mix it with my chef's knowledge from lifetimes past, and hope for a spark.
These past few days, I'd lived like a bookworm devouring dozens of volumes. No breakthroughs yet.
"Boss~ Boss~ There's a carriage coming!"
I'd just settled at the counter with another book when Aris pressed to the window and called out.
"Customers at a time like this?"
"Um... looks like a wagon?"
"A wagon?"
"Yeah! Come see!"
I stood and peered out the window at the road. Sure enough, a laden wagon was approaching slowly from afar.
Moments later, it halted before the restaurant with a neigh! I stepped out and greeted the driver.
"Hello. What brings you?"
"Ah—delivery. From Waterhorn."
"Ah."
Waterhorn. That was my acquaintance's neck of the woods—the one I'd messaged about the Belkas. So the wagon held...
"The sender stressed extreme handling caution. Rough roads, and it was a nightmare the whole way."
The deliveryman waved it off, shaking his head. Then he pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it over.
"And this is for the restaurant owner."
"That's me."
I tore it open right there and read.
To the proprietor of Misikdang Slow, my longtime friend Klaus.
Surprised to hear from you out of the blue. Knew you'd retired from adventuring, but a restaurant? Mind if I swing by later for a freebie?
Anyway, a Belkas? No explanation what for. For your sake, I'll snag one—but that thing's a killer. Don't screw up handling it or you're dead.
Oh, wagon's special courier, COD. Belkas price, you figure generously and enclose it. Drinks on you next time.
— Your old pal
I finished the letter and asked the deliveryman,
"Uh... delivery fee?"
"10,000 lira. COD, payment now."
I sighed at the steep cost. Remote spot like this—no customers was one issue, but this too. I fetched a reply letter for my friend, the fee, and 20,000 lira for the Belkas, handing it all over.
"Here you go..."
He opened the wagon's rear. Aris and I hauled out the massive wooden crate inside. Heavier than expected. Aris grunted beside me, but her strength barely registered.
"Aris, just hold the door."
"Yeees...."
I carried it solo into the restaurant. Could've lightened it with magic, but dumping mana on a box with Belkas inside? Risky. I set it opposite the counter, sent the man off, and returned.
I examined the crate's surface. Bold red letters screamed a warning.
CAUTION: HANDLING REQUIRED
CONTAINS POISONOUS MAGICAL BEAST
[Do not touch with bare hands]
I fetched thick leather gloves from the storeroom. Belkas poison absorbed through skin—bare hands were suicide.
"Boss, should I hang back?"
"You're a ghost. Why fear poison?"
"B-but! I might not die, but I could still get poisoned!"
Aris retreated behind the counter, yelling. As if a ghost could...
Gloves on, I eased open the lid. Inside, thick iron plating reinforced it. My friend had taken no chances. A handle in the center. I lifted carefully. Cold air wafted out—packed in ice.
There, amid the ice: Belkas. About two meters long, belly swollen, dorsal fin razor-sharp. Scales dark gray. Even dead, poison beaded at the fin tips.
I checked it over, then resealed the plate. Preservation first.
"Ice Sealing."
I extended a hand, channeling mana. Cold elemental mana enveloped the crate. Temperature plunged, an insulating ice layer sealing out external heat. Minus 20 degrees. Good for long-term storage.
I stood, doffing the gloves.
"Boss, what now?"
Aris crept closer cautiously.
"Toxicity scan first."
She tilted her head.
"Toxicity scan?"
"Need a way to confirm the poison's fully gone after processing."
Moshul insisted I taste first. But Belkas venom was lethal—enough to kill dozens of grown men. One slip with residue, and I'd be done. Had to verify before eating.
Mana-based toxin detection was possible. But for this ultra-potent stuff, crude scans might miss traces lethal in micro-doses. Needed certainty of zero toxicity.
I grabbed an empty bowl, set it down. Regloved, opened the crate, chipped off edge ice—exposed to the body, likely contaminated. Bowl it, reseal, sit.
Meta Control.
I refined mana to a razor filament, spreading it like a thin film over the ice. Toxins had unique molecular signatures—tune mana sensitivity to react only to that. Film vibrates on contact, stays still otherwise. Like modern spectrometry, mana-style.
"Boss~ whatcha doing with ice~?"
Aris peeked.
"Quiet."
Focused. Film permeated slowly, probing. No reaction. Upped sensitivity—too much, bowl itself trembled. Dialed back, up, fine-tuning to Belkas venom alone.
"...!"
Finally, pinpoint sensitivity locked in. Traces on ice pinged perfectly. I withdrew mana, eyes opening.
Good. But more validation needed. No room for error in this game—refine through repeats later.
"This'll do for now."
Perfecting a personal toxin scan to my satisfaction would take time. Meanwhile, the real puzzle loomed: how to neutralize it. Nothing solid yet.
Ingredients secured. Detection outlined. Next: poison removal. The heart of this dish.
I sat at the counter, picking up another unread book.
* * *