Isekai Ryouridou 011

“Okay! Let’s start!”

I raised my voice in front of the Giba’s large body. Ai Fa who was sitting cross-legged while leaning on the wall muttered “Do what you want.” in bad mood.

I thought she was not in bad mood, but just tired.

Even I was quite exhausted.

First, it was quite a heavy job to bring this giba from the riverside. Afterwards, to finish our original objective of collecting piko leaves and firewood, we had to do a U-turn to go back to the riverside just like that.

Although an accident didn’t happen this time, the sun had already pa.s.sed the middle after we finished all of the work.

In other words from early morning to noon, we worked very hard because of the incident when we were struggling with big snake madarama.

There was no need to rush because the plan was to hunt a giba in the afternoon, so I decided to prepare the giba right away.

After Ai Fa finished her role in lit up the fire on the kitchen range by my request, she lowered her back and sat. Then she nibbled a dried meat like she didn’t care anymore.

While casting a side way glance at her, I took the knife I borrowed from Ai Fa.

Because the bleeding and organ removal had been completed, the next step was “Skinning”.

Since there was a broken door lying in the storeroom, I decided to use it as a workbench.

I worked on the ground because there was nothing similar to a desk. Well, this couldn’t be helped.

I raised the giba’s body on the back, prepared wood on its left and right and fixed it’s posture.

First, from the leg at the back.

I gave a round cut at the ankle of it’s tough hoof. Then I gave a cut from inside it’s limb to the belly.

The tip of the blade was put between skin and meat, forcibly torn them.

(TL: beriberi べりべり is something like forcing things)

Well, it’s really rich in fat.

The gap between the skin and meat had the thickness of about 1.5 cm.

Although as an ingredients it’s a very good item. The difficulty level of working with it increased. If it’s like deer which had small amount of animal fat, the meat and skin could be separated promptly.

Well, everything was for a good meal.

To not make a hole in the fur, the fat had to remain in the meat as much as possible. With the tip of the blade tilted to the side, I pulled the skin with a jerk.

Before long, Both feet’s meat was exposed.

From the wrinkled and curly fur, the limb wrapped in pure white fat soared. It’s quite a surreal sight.

The knife had already almost become dull by that time.

The blade had been covered by sticky fats.

So, the blade was soaked in hot water in the shaking boiling iron pot. The fat was melting.

This was the reason why skinning couldn’t be done outdoors.

Although it’s good if you can move the kitchen range, the room was already filled with the smell of good meat and blood.

Anyway, after I wiped the knife with a small piece of cloth I got from Ai Fa, I went back to work.

The forelegs’ skin was peeled with the same procedure.

It’s easy just to say this, but an hour had already pa.s.sed at this point.

But the work was still in the early stage. After I was finish with the four limbs, it’s finally the body’s turn.

However, because the body wasn’t normal, proceeding the work was difficult and peeling the fur was harder. Fat was slippery and because of that my grip wouldn’t hold. If it’s like this, I had to open a hole at the edge of the fur and hook my finger there.

Anyway because it’s a thick fur, it wouldn’t rip immediately even after I used my full strength.

If it’s torn then it’s torn, I would just make a hole on another place.

While I diligently removing the fat with the blade, the skin was peeled quickly.

When the right side of giba’s body exposed, I became sweaty.

According to my sense, It’s about 2 and half hours. The light which came from the window was also still bright.

“Fuu… Let’s take a quick break.”

The knife was put on the bedside besides the giba. I squatted down on the sheet.

Then, I tried looking back my days with Ai Fa.

Ai Fa really had a blank look after all.

The round eyes that looked like the eyes a small child could heal me.

Maybe because her default face was always unfriendly, it’s quite a nice gap.

“.....Your hands are very skillful, Asuta.”

“Well. It’s only to cook.”

“You are also taking it seriously.”

“Well. It’s only to cook.”

“.....Even without troublesome procedure like that, giba’s meat can still be eaten. Why are you so serious while doing unnecessary work like that?”

I was not so narrow minded to be offended here, so I answered “I just like to eat delicious food.”

I wanted you to judge whether my work was unnecessary or not after eating it, I thought.

“Ok! Let’s resume the work!”

During the break, I remembered one thing I planned.

Before I get started on the left side of the body, something that should have been done.

Cutting off the neck.

There were many organs sticking on the neck.

It’s the thing called mouth, nose and eyes.

Therefore, it’s quite difficult to peel off the skin.

So, the neck should be cut off beforehand. It was wise to handle it as an exception.

I began to cut the neck because of that reason.

I broke the skull and to the tragic death face of giba, I prayed “I will make you become a delicious food.”, then stabbed the knife under the lower jaw.

Rigor mortis had already set in huh...It felt stiffer than when it was bled.

And when opening it, a decent amount of blood started to come out.

This couldn’t be helped. It’s not like all of the blood would come out in the bleeding process, let alone the fact that I was an amateur. I was just an apprentice cook who depended on his memory from 3 years ago. It’s too much for an apprentice cook.

There was only one time experience of dismantling a wild boar. The tool was only a single knife for hunting. Groveling in the ground without a respectable workbench, I, a 17 years old apprentice cook, was struggling to cut the neck of a dead body off.

Even if that Ai Fa may laugh at me, but I was having fun.

Though I was covered by my own sweat and animal blood, I could feel that I was alive.

Although if I said that, I would be misunderstood with having a bizarre hobby. Not for eating, but a psycho guy who was half playing while dismantling animals. A s.h.i.+tty person. 
(TL : 糞くらえだ : kuso kuraeda. d.a.m.n this guy)

I...liked to cook.

I grew up watching father’s back. When I entered elementary school, I was already helping with the store.

Although it’s not by my will, but through a rail that was prepared for me. I still had no complaints.

Father’s favourite phrase was: “Look for something interesting other than cooking by yourself.”

Still, I couldn’t find anything else. So I had to inherit the store because it couldn’t be helped. Father was laughing while saying that.

I thought father also let me enter high school because of that one consideration.

But I….still cooked everyday.

Cooking was interesting, so why did I have to bother looking for other things. Although it was inevitable I wasn’t able to find it by myself.

Someday, I would be a cook like father. I was only thinking about that.

I...liked to cook.

“Fuu...It was bothersome as expected.”

When the neck was half cut, I took a gla.s.s of water from the water jug. If anything, it’s just a normal room temperature water but it felt awfully delicious because I was sweaty.

Well, let’s get back to the topic.

The back of the knife was a zigzag saw blade that was used to cut fangs and horns, so I cut the neck bone with that.

When I managed to cut the remaining bone somehow, a freshly severed head fell, rolling into the door.

I thought for a while, as for the head I only peeled off the skin of some part. I would cut only around the neck and the jowl.
Perhaps there were other parts that could be eaten, but my arm had already reached it’s limit. Although the tongue was attractive. If only I was taught seriously from hunter-san.

Afterwards, I began to peel the skin off the left side of the body. When it ended, I laid giba’s body sideways down and peeled the remaining skin from the back.

With this, the skinning was completed.

There were many holes here and there, but I was able to peel the fur from the neck to the lower body.

Because it’s a 150 cm and 70 kg, when it’s spread out, it’s quite a masterpiece.

There was fat on the whole body, It could be seen as a pure white meat chunk from anywhere.

A huge meat piece that had lost its head.

It’s already difficult to determine what kind of animal was this.

Here and there was also quite a masterpiece.

However this was not the time to be immersed with this.

Finally it’s the last spurt.

Skinning was complete. The last step was dismantling.

The huge body of the giba that was now skinned was put down on its back again and the tip of the knife was put inside the hip joint first.

The edge of the back limb and the crotch were cut. If you cut it to some extent, the joints could be twisted to the opposite direction.

It made a dull noise, when the thighbone was coming off from the pelvis.

The bone that was hanged in bare was white and beautiful.

When I cut the remaining tendon and muscle and pulled it to its opposite direction, the meat began to come off.

I also put the blade along with it to remove the right back leg.

This was quite a heavyweight. It should be about 10 kg.

After the right was finished, it’s time for the left.

When the left was also finished, it’s time for forelegs.

Because the joint wasn’t connected to the pelvis, the forelegs immediately came off after being cut a bit in the surface.

Now, it’s the climax.

Though I didn’t have any time perception anymore, I felt that the sunlight had been tinged to a bit more yellowish.

About 4.5 hours from when I started might have pa.s.sed.

“.....Ah, right. Ai Fa, where is the saw again?”

When I looked back to Ai Fa, unfortunately, she didn’t have her blank look.

Or rather, I was not sure whether I was being glared or not after I looked back. I couldn’t confirm what kind of expression she had.

“What. Were you sleeping? Sorry, I wake you up.”

“I am not sleeping! How can I sleep when it’s still this bright!”

Then why were you so angry like that. Ai Fa’s mouth make a “へ” shape and she disappeared to the other side of the doorway.

From the three room, the middle one. The room where containers, wooden spoon, and cookwares should be stored.

When she came out from there, I saw a 30 cm blade was being held by Ai Fa’s hand.

When it was fitted into its leather sheath, I couldn’t distinguish it from a normal blade. But when it was removed, I certainly saw a saw.

Width was about 5 cm. Thickness was about 5 mm. Although it had a thicker blade from the saw I knew, there was no problem. People of Morihen, probably built such fine houses with this saw.

“Because I intend to finish this for now, please wait a moment.”

After I received the saw and said that, “fuun” Ai Fa did not reply and turned her face away.

What was it. A woman’s heart was really mysterious.

Anyway, it’s the climax.

The biggest foundation of dismantling: “Back Split”

The backbone was split into two exact halves.

Moreover, it’s not horizontally, but vertically.

The body was then divided into left and right parts completely. This was called “dressed carca.s.s”.

When it’s done like this, future dismantling would be easier…..it’s only Hunter-san opinion though.

Well, if it’s a big catch like this, chainsaw was also good. It couldn’t be helped because this was the time where electricity didn’t exist. Every kind of physical labor would just be contented.

Thus, I began to work.

As expected, the last step would be the most troublesome, physically.

I kept crunching and s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g with the saw, while being forced to regret thinking that this work was easy.

The sharpness was well...impeccable. If I had a carpentry hobby, I wouldn’t get any trouble controlling this. But because I didn’t have that hobby, I had quite a trouble in controlling it. I was really troubled. To cut the spine with fats into half vertically, this is the real deal now.

Occasionally melting the fat from the blade and having break 3 times….It was finally finished after surely about 1 hour.

Peeling off and dividing the spine, disconnecting the ribs one by one, feeling the hip area which was almost stripped off of all meat, separating the bone and the meat.

Finally with this….

“.....Finished!” after lying down spreading out like 大 shape, I got up immediately.

The work ended, but the post-processing was not over.

“Now let’s quickly pickle it with pico. Because with this temperature, the precious meat will be spoiled quickly”

I had Ai Fa helped me in the end, and the body was able to be buried in the pile of spices safely.

I could extract about 40 kg more but less than 50 kg meat from a 70 kg giba. Well for an apprentice cook, this wasn’t bad.

“Ahhh so tired! I can’t feel my arms!”

This time I finally lay down with my arms and legs sprawled.

The sunlight that came through the window had completely become dusk.

From early afternoon to dusk. I guessed, I had work for around 5 or 6 hours, according to calculations. I wonder if this world also had 24 hours after all. I was thinking about that in the corner of my tired head.

“.....Oi. How to clean this?”

When I was called and looked back, Ai Fa was standing in a daunting posture next to the kitchen range. At her feet lay the door panel, a huge fur that was folded in two, severed head that was cut at the left and right cheeks and also a mountain of bones.

“Ah, right. it’s regrettable, but I guess we have to throw the leftover…..Usually, what do you do with the fur? The fur on the leg was also peeled right?”

“The fat is sc.r.a.ped and thrown away because it is troublesome when we do the skinning.”

“Throwing it away huh...It’s wasteful. The fur is processed at another house right? Then shouldn’t we leave the processing to them?”

“.....To me who made the Sun Family an enemy. Another house that will process my fur doesn’t exist.”

“Che. People with narrow minds…..Ah, Fat is used for fuel right? How to do it after it was trimmed off?”

When I said so and tried to raise my body, Ai Fa coldly pushed and stopped me while saying “Don’t get up.”

“Since having an exhausted person helping will just adding the trouble, you sleep.”

“No, but…..”

“It’s my work to dampen the fat and collect the fangs and horns. Because your work is preparing the supper, rest until then.”

It was a terribly sulky tone, but that was a very welcoming offer.

Because I worked very hard from the morning, I was literally exhausted to the root.

In fact, my eyelid was unbearably heavy from a while ago.

“You are really a gentle person.” Whether I mentioned it aloud or was just thinking inside my chest, I couldn’t recognize it anymore. With the momentum that was like fainting, I tumbled into the valley of drowsiness.