Episode 49: Unlimited Time, All-You-Can-Eat Pork

"Then, Senior, I'll leave it to you!"

Glancing quickly at the clear diagram Lin Taro drew of the pig dissection procedure, I tightly grip my "Tetsu no Tsurugi."

It's just too unsettling to use the sword that's slain countless zombies for butchering a pig.

So this time, I'll go with the "Tetsu no Tsurugi."

"——Enchant!"

on the tip, just the bare minimum.

"——《Fire》"

A small flame flickers to life on the "Tetsu no Tsurugi."

"Whoa! This is insanely awesome! This is the coolest magic ever!"

Rintaro-kun cheering like a grade schooler.

Around us, a dozen or so refugees had gathered, presumably to watch.

Each of them stared in awe at the flaming sword.

I still can't get used to being the center of attention, you know.

"Then... here I go."

With that declaration, I took a stance with "Tsurugi."

Now.

Witness the power of my high-level sword technique!

"Yaaah! Yaaah! Yaaah! Yeeeah! Yeeeah! Yeeeah!"

Clang, clang, clang, clang—(omitting graphic details, briefly summarizing what happened).

Well, naturally.

It ended up being an incredibly bloody affair.

If the world had been different before this, some might have felt sickened.

What stood out was how every refugee simply accepted the scene as normal.

Well, after all, zombies are a hundred times more grotesque than pig organs.

▼

Roasting the dissected pig on the "Hunter's Meat Grill Set" fills the air with a savory aroma.

――Te-ta-re♪ Te-re-ta-te-re-ta-re♪ Te-ta-re-te-re-ta-re♪

Just as Genchō-san described, it was certainly a delightful BGM.

"Alright! It's cooked to perfection~"

Rintarō proudly holds up the perfectly grilled, bone-in meat high into the air.

The tender, bite-sized pieces are neatly arranged onto plates with practiced ease.

That looks wonderful.

It has to be delicious. There's no way it could taste bad.

But still, despite that, hardly anyone volunteers to try a sample.

Only six people, including me, were the ones who suggested trying the "monster" pork.

"Uwah. It smells amazing, Senpai."

"Even though we're the same age, please don't call me that, Senpai."

"Because you're Senpai, after all~"

Incidentally, Asuka-san was among them.

"Nice skills you've got."

As I said, admiring how naturally Rintaro-kun sliced the meat,

"Learned from my grandpa. I've even helped drain bear blood before."

For once, he spoke proudly about his past.

"Alright, first round! Boar foot — 'Monster' style!"

Hot, steaming meat was laid out on the makeshift table set up in the schoolyard. Next to it sat small dishes with various seasonings.

I first tried the meat with nothing at all, just as it was.

"……hmm?"

And after a while, I relaxed.

"Senpai?"

As Asuka, who had been watching our taste test, looked on with a worried expression.

"…………………(hoy, gulp. hoy, gulp)"

Without a word, I kept shoving pieces of meat from the plate into my mouth one after another.

"H-how is it, Senpai?"

"Delicious."

That's all I said.

It was fatty, sweet, and richly creamy.

Even Ryutarou, who had suggested it in the first place, couldn't hide his surprise.

"This... um, mshaa...?"

"Mshaa... mshaa...?"

"Isn't this, like, really good...?"

"Mshaa...?"

"Like, criminal-level..."

It was strange.

It felt like the most delicious meat I'd ever tasted in my life.

I couldn't deny it was a little odd, either.

Given the ridiculous strength that could easily tear through an iron fence, I'd expected the meat to be tough and fibrous.

I can't really put it into words, but this felt more like meat meant for human consumption.

Rintaro seemed to agree, tilting his head thoughtfully.

"Kinda reminds me of farmed pork. I was honestly expecting something wilder, like wild boar meat."

Seeing us hungrily devouring the pig-like "monster," Asuka too seemed to make up her mind, taking a slice of meat and putting it in her mouth.

"W-waah... It's incredibly delicious!"

Her candid reaction made us all nod in agreement.

Then, one by one, even those who had been hesitant finally took a bite.

"W-wah... It's really good, man..."

"This is insane—so damn tasty, what kind of meat is this...?"

"Unbelievable... it's so tender, I can almost chew it with my tongue..."

Their words gradually spread through everyone present, reaching deep into their hearts.

One after another, everyone there—whether they wanted to or not—ended up putting a small piece of the "monster" meat in their mouths, saying things like, "If he can eat it, so can I," and "Me too, I want some."

Of course, I ate more than anyone else.

—Congratulations! Your level has increased!

—Congratulations! You've unlocked the achievement "Big Eater!"

Ugh, so annoying.

After a brief pause from the roast pork party, I started roughly dividing the meat into separate portions.

"I'm heading over to Kousuke's place."

Rintaro suddenly says this.

"Why on earth?"

"He hasn't eaten any of the meat, has he? I figured I'd give him a bite."

"...Maybe you should just forget it."

The tasting session of the "Monster" meat had split the refugees into roughly equal factions of supporters and opponents.

Kosuke was arguably the leading figure among the opponents.

"Even if there's a little bit of bad stuff in it, one bite won't hurt! Well then, I'm off!"

"Hold on, wait—"

Ignoring my protest, Ryouta-kun bounced away with a skip, disappearing into the school building.

For a moment, I considered just letting him go.

But still, I couldn't help but worry a little.

"Asuka-san, can you watch this spot for me?"

"Huh? Oh, sure."

I decided to quickly follow behind Rintaro-kun.

▼

"Hey! Courseke! Eat up! Meat!"

"Get lost."

By the time I caught up to Rintaro-kun, the conversation I’d expected was already underway.

"Huh? Why? Tastes good, right?"

"...Don't you get it?"

"Right. I don't get it."

"Exactly because you're like that..."

"I don't get it, but it's tasty—just eat it."

Konosuke also seemed to think it was difficult to lecture Ryutarou about ethics and morality, letting out a deep sigh.

"If that meat was dangerous, there'd be no one left to fight."

"Ahh, I get it now."

Ryutarou nodded in agreement.

"When I was a kid, I ate earthworms without a problem. I never really thought about stuff like that back then."

"Earthworms... seriously?"

"Yeah. When I was suddenly dumped into the mountains. Back then, it was chaotic. I remember eating all kinds of things—wild berries, weird mushrooms, and who knows what else."

No one had ever heard such a story before.

Rintaro-kun wasn't usually someone who talked much about his past.

"Wait, was that... your grandfather's?"

"Grandpa was crazy, but that wasn't it. It was Dad, that was. He went off somewhere after that, so I don't really remember much."

"……I see. Sorry about that."

"？ Why are you apologizing, Kōsuke?"

"I was just wondering if I made you remember something painful."

"Wasn't really like that."

"But I just can't eat it, no matter what. So, sorry."

It seemed the argument had been avoided after all.

"I've been thinking a bit about that, you know..."

"...Huh?"

"I mean, this world being such a mess... I think it's not just now, but probably been like that for a lot longer than we realize."

"Could be."

"But even so, I still think it's important to find something enjoyable and keep living. That's kind of my ultimate revenge on this world, you know? Like, 'Screw you' kind of thing. That's how I see it."

It seemed I wasn't needed in this conversation after all.

"So, if you feel like it, go ahead and eat, Course. It's really delicious."

"……………Yeah."

After a brief pause,

"Thanks."

I definitely felt like Kousuke had said that.