Several days had passed since the Rank Up Exam concluded. Thick rain clouds blanketed the sky, casting a light drizzle over the city as Rei and the other examinees arrived at a warehouse-sized building tucked away in one of Gilm’s back streets.
"Whoa, what is this? I’ve lived in Gilm for a pretty long time, but I never knew a place like this existed in the back streets," Robre muttered, glancing around with curiosity.
Shtie didn't bother agreeing; she simply slapped him on the back. "Never mind that. Just get inside the warehouse already. It’ll be a disaster if you catch a cold standing out in the rain."
"..."
Onz, who was also present, nodded at Shtie’s words and followed Rei’s lead into the building.
"The owner calls this place a 'dismantling shed,' for what it’s worth," Rei explained.
"A shed? At this size...?" Robre whispered as he stepped through the door.
"Ahahaha. But don't you think 'dismantling shed' has a nicer ring to it than 'dismantling warehouse'?"
A man appeared from the back of the building as he spoke. Robre and Shtie immediately recognized him. Onz, not being a local adventurer, didn't know the man, but he remained as silent as ever, showing no outward reaction.
"Guruuuu!"
Set, entering alongside Rei, gave a happy purr as he recognized the man—someone he hadn't seen in quite a while.
"Hasta, sorry for borrowing the place on such short notice," Rei said. He was speaking to the adventurer who had helped him hunt the Gamelion—the giant carnivorous rabbits—back in the winter.
"Hasta!?"
"Wait, then this place belongs to the Full Belly Diner...?"
Both Robre and Shtie had frequented the Full Belly Diner back when they were low-rankers, so they were well-acquainted with Hasta.
"Robre-san, Shtie-san, it’s been a long time. I heard you took the exam to reach B-Rank. Congratulations."
Hasta bowed with a small smile, but Robre shook his head with a grin.
"Cut that out. It hasn't been decided that we passed yet. Save the congratulations for the day of the announcement."
"He’s right," Shtie added. "We qualified for the Rank Up Exam, but we won't know the results for a while."
"I’m sure you and Robre-san passed without a problem. ...Anyway, Rei-san, was this the place you wanted to use today?"
Deciding the greetings were over, Hasta turned his attention back to Rei.
"Yeah. We need to dismantle the monsters we hunted during the exam. It’s a hassle to go all the way outside the city, and the rain is only getting worse. ...Oh, the silent one over there is Onz. He was part of our exam party."
At Rei's introduction, Onz gave a polite bow.
"Ah, hello. I’m Hasta, a D-Rank adventurer. Um... nice to meet you."
As he bowed, Hasta tilted his head inwardly. He didn't recognize Onz’s face. While he didn't know every adventurer in Gilm, he felt he should have recognized someone on the verge of reaching B-Rank. He didn't realize that Onz had been summoned from another city specifically to serve as a judge for the exam.
"Well then, we'll get started right away, if that's alright?"
"Yes. I’ve already finished processing the meat we need for the diner today, so as long as you clean up properly when you're done, I don't mind. After all, it is summer..."
"Ah, right. I see. Don't worry, we'll make sure everything is spotless," Shtie promised with a nod.
Relieved, Hasta gave another small bow. "Then I'll head back to help at the diner. Please stop by the shop once you’re finished. My father mentioned he wanted Rei-san to try a new dish."
"A new dish?"
"Yes. He was bragging that it’s the perfect meal for staying cool during the summer heat."
"Ah, I can believe that. You really lose your appetite when it gets this hot," Robre said, nodding in agreement.
Shtie lightly slapped the back of his head. "Hey, you’ve never suffered from summer fatigue in your life. You’re always ravenous."
Watching the two of them, Hasta smiled and headed for the exit. "I’ll make sure there are portions ready for everyone, not just Rei-san. See you at the diner."
With that, he ran out into the light rain.
"Alright, let's get to work on these Bicorns. I'd like to get this tedious job over with as soon as possible," Rei said.
He began pulling Bicorn corpses from his Misty Ring, lining up twenty-nine of them across the floor.
"Since there are four of us, I assume everyone is okay with handling their own share?"
Everyone nodded at Rei’s suggestion—and for some reason, Set gave a determined nod as well.
They hoisted four Bicorn corpses onto the dismantling hooks and began. Rei pulled out his usual dismantling knife. He started by making a clean slit along the torso to peel back the hide, then carved into the meat to extract the internal organs and the heart, carefully retrieving the Magic Stone embedded within.
From there, he cut the meat into manageable blocks. Having done this many times, Rei was significantly faster than he used to be. However, he was still no match for Robre's veteran speed. By the time Rei had finished one Bicorn, Robre was already finishing his second.
Then, a voice broke the silence of the sweltering shed.
"Whoa, Onz-san, you're incredible!"
Rei looked up to see Shtie staring at Onz with a mix of shock and admiration. Her surprise was justified. In the time it took Rei to process one beast and Robre to finish two, Onz had already completed three.
"...That is impressive," Rei admitted.
It wasn't just about speed, either. The hides Onz had removed were nearly flawless, save for the wounds sustained during the hunt, and the meat was perfectly separated by cut. Naturally, the Magic Stones had been extracted without a single scratch and were lined up neatly on the floor.
Compared to Rei’s work, the difference was night and day. It was the kind of precision that only came from decades of experience.
"Guruuuu..."
Set, eyes fixed on the freshly carved meat, purred and approached Onz. The silent man didn't say a word, but he reached for a choice cut—a high-quality Bicorn fillet—and offered it to the Gryphon.
"Guruu?"
Is it okay? Set purred, tilting his head. Onz didn't respond, simply placing the meat in front of Set before immediately starting on the next Bicorn.
"Thanks, that's a big help," Rei said.
Onz met Rei's eyes for a fraction of a second and gave a small, curt nod.
"I’m not gonna be outdone!"
Driven by a sudden competitive streak, Robre slammed his knife into his third Bicorn.
"Focus on quality over speed, you idiot," Shtie scolded. "The price drops if the hide is damaged. The Guild is especially strict about that when they buy materials."
"Then we can just sell them to a private shop, right?"
"That might get us a better price, but it means we have to negotiate. You’re terrible at haggling, Robre, and it’s not like I’m a pro at it either."
"Muu... fine. I’ll be more careful."
Robre couldn't argue with his lover. He slowed down, focusing on the precision of his blade rather than raw speed.
The group returned to their work in silence. It was past noon by the time the last of the Bicorns was processed. Naturally, Onz finished first, followed by Robre and Shtie. Rei, having been assigned one extra Bicorn and possessing the slowest dismantling speed, finished last.
In the end, Onz helped Shtie once he was finished, and then the three of them joined in to help Rei finish his final few beasts.
"Phew. Well, I’ll just store the meat and hides in my Item Box, but what about the rest of you?" Rei asked. He glanced at Set, who was currently swallowing scraps of meat that Rei had flash-grilled with magic.
"We have everything under control," Shtie said. "We've already arranged to rent a cart to transport the meat."
"Eh? ...Ah!?" Robre cried out, realizing he had completely forgotten to make his own arrangements.
"Relax," Shtie sighed. "I took care of your share too."
"O-Oh. Thanks. You’re a lifesaver, Shtie."
"I’d really like you to start handling this kind of logistics yourself, you know. I end up doing it every single time."
"Well, it's always more reliable when you do it, isn't it?"
Rei listened to their bickering—which was essentially just a lovers' spat—and turned toward Onz. The silent man simply gave a wordless nod, indicating he was also prepared.
"Alright then, I'll pack up my portion."
Rei began storing the meat into his Misty Ring. Even though the hides, bones, and organs had been removed, the meat from seven Bicorns—creatures significantly larger than ordinary horses—still weighed several tons. Rei stored the blocks of meat, the hides, and the Magic Stones with practiced ease.
(I won't be able to do any Magic Stone Absorption today, though,) he thought to himself.
Once the meat was sorted—everyone except Rei planned to sell their share to a butcher while keeping the monster materials—the group headed toward the Full Belly Diner as promised.
Lunch rush was just winding down, so while there were still plenty of customers, the place wasn't quite at capacity. Set curled up in his usual spot in front of the shop, and the group headed inside.
"Ah, Rei-san! And everyone else! You're finished? Perfect timing, please, take a seat over here."
Hasta guided them to a table.
"Thanks, Hasta. Sorry, but Set is waiting outside, so could you give him something? For me..." Rei started to reach for some silver coins to cover the meal and Set's portion, but Hasta shook his head.
"Today is my treat. For all of you—and for Set, of course."
"Whoa, are you serious?" Robre cheered.
"Are you sure?" Shtie asked, concerned about the cost.
"..." Onz simply nodded.
Hasta smiled. "It’s fine. In exchange, I’d like you to give me your honest thoughts on a new menu item."
"A new menu item? You mentioned it at the shed... is it another udon dish?"
The Full Belly Diner was famous as the birthplace of udon in this world. Having eaten there many times, Shtie’s mind naturally jumped to that conclusion, and she was right.
"Yes, it’s udon. Specifically, a dish designed for the summer. Is everyone okay with that?"
Everyone at the table nodded.
"Hey, have you ever tried udon before? It’s been getting really popular lately," Robre asked, looking at Onz. Rei kept quiet, having no desire to go around bragging that he was the one who had introduced the dish to this world. Onz, who had only recently arrived in Gilm, shook his head.
"So it’s your first time! Well, let me tell you, udon is..."
Shtie and Rei exchanged wry smiles as Robre launched into an enthusiastic "Udon Lecture." Despite his impulsive nature, he was unexpectedly good at looking after others.
"Alright, sorry for the wait! Here is the summer udon."
Hasta arrived with a tray, but instead of the usual deep bowls, the dishes were more like shallow plates. There was no steam, no heat.
"...What is this?" Rei asked, unable to hide a hint of surprise. It wasn't because the dish was new to him—it was because it was so familiar. He wasn't looking at a dish from Elgin, but one from Japan.
"It’s chilled udon noodles topped with various ingredients and a cold broth. We made it for people who lose their appetite when it gets this hot."
"Whoa, looks great!"
"Yeah, I think I could actually eat this right now."
The name of the dish, Bukkake Udon, flashed through Rei's mind. There were differences, of course—there were no soft-boiled or raw egg yolks, and the traditional condiments like dried bonito flakes, green onions, and ginger were missing. Instead, the noodles were topped with meat and vegetables that had been boiled and then chilled.
"How did you get it this cold?" Robre asked, winding the noodles around his fork.
Hasta grinned. "To be honest, it was pretty expensive, but we bought a cooling magic item. I told him we could probably do without it, but my father insisted it was absolutely necessary for the dish. So we went for it."
Everyone, Onz included, looked impressed. Magic Items powered by Magic Stones were notoriously expensive, especially anything beyond basic household tools for lighting fires. A cooling magic item was a serious investment.
As the group savored the refreshing new dish, they couldn't help but smile at the dedication of the owner, Dishot, and the passion that drove him to perfect his craft.