Chapter 11 #2
Under the increasingly hot sun and the monotonous sound and rattle of the carriage along the highway, he wanted to break the silence with conversation, but Chaska, in a rather antagonistic mood, refused to engage in any back and forth.
He considered chatting with the merchant instead, but when the caravan's rear guard rode up to report to Maiq, he realized there was a much better option, one he was far more enthusiastic to talk to than either the merchant or the sulking girl beside him.
He leaned forward, propping his chin on a finger resting on the wagon's tailgate, eyes locked on the caravan's guard, a muscular, heavily armored lizardgirl mercenary riding an equally armored vaulter alongside their wagon. She was currently chewing on something.
"Want some?" she asked.
He shook his head. He figured it would take a certain kind of teeth to properly chew whatever that was. "What even is that?"
She tore off another piece with her impressively powerful teeth, and Shiro couldn't help thinking that getting bitten by those would be an unforgettable experience. Whether fond or traumatic would depend entirely on the circumstances.
"Standard ration beef. Trampler." At the name, a giant, carnivorous with comically small handed creature manifested in his mind. He knew exactly what it was.
"What's it taste like?"
"Like an old boot. Won't suit a city boy's taste."
"Eh," he said, flashing a brilliant, unbothered smile. "I'm no soft city boy." He wasn't entirely sure that counted as an insult, but from her tone, it sure sounded like she looked down on that kind of man.
"You're not?"
"Nope. Don't let the pretty face fool you. You're walking beside a bona fide survivor. A strong man among strong men."
"You sure don't look the part." As always, she wasn't very receptive to his flirting, but anything that made fun of him made her laugh. "Hehe, try this instead," she said, handing him another kind of ration.
"I am many things, among them discreet and humble," he said, taking what she offered, then asked, "What meat is this?"
"Verdan."
"...Verdan. What does a verdan look like, if you don't mind reminding me?"
"You sure you're what you claim to be? I don't know a single decent survivalist who doesn't know what a verdan is."
"I'm getting old. My memory isn't what it used to be."
"Isn't it a little early for that?" she boomed, laughing hard enough that he conceded winning her over would come at a cost. "Anyway, verdans are wild animals you find roaming the plains.
" She glanced around as if looking for one, found nothing.
"They look like horses, but nowhere near as tender as horse meat, and way bigger, with horns like—"
"They're antlers, not horns," Maiq corrected from the front. "And it's closer to a deer than a horse. Think of a deer, but bigger and fatter."
"I see," Shiro nodded. "So the meat's probably venison, or close to it." He took another bite of the tender meat. Chaska refused when he offered her some. Watching Franka struggle with her own portion, he added, "You know, there's a trick to tenderizing meat from creatures with tough muscles."
"What?"
"You let the carcass rot."
Franka paused mid-chew, her jaw stopping for a fraction of a second.
"Not all the way, of course," he clarified. "Just enough. Aging lets the enzymes already in the muscle start breaking it down. Do it right, and you get something as tender as this." He took a final bite of the verdan she'd handed him.
"That sounds like a disaster."
"I assure you, it's a revelation," Shiro said, confident, and trusting that confidence came from somewhere real. Whatever knowledge his mind was pulling from, flawed as it was, had proven trustworthy so far. "I know how it sounds, but trust me."
"Meh," both she and an unprompted Maiq chimed in together.
"Then allow me to offer an alternative," Shiro insisted, eyes bright with confidence.
"The first night we reach the city, let's find a decent restaurant.
I'm sure any decent place will have heard of the method.
It'd also be the perfect chance for us to have a proper meal, madame.
It pains me to watch you struggle with that.
Let me treat you to a meat more succulent. "
"Oh my god," Chaska groaned from across the wagon, earning a disapproving glare from Shiro for trying to ruin the moment. Lemme do my thing, girl.
"You hear that, Boss," Franka boomed. "Someone wants to take me out on a date?”
“Yeah, I heard. I wonder what your poor husband would think of that."
"Husband?" He frowned. "You're married, Franka?"
"Why, yes."
Chaska burst out laughing, which earned her another disapproving stare.
"Married with kids," Maiq added from the front.
"You alright?" Franka asked. He wasn't. He felt sick to his stomach, having nearly violated his own ethics. "You could've told me you were married."
"You never asked."
"Should've led with that, friend. Would've saved you some trouble," Maiq said, then called out, "Franka."
"Yes, boss?" She rode up to his level.
"City's in view. Go ahead and secure us a smooth entrance."
"Roger that," she said, spurring her vaulter into the distance.
"Saved you from an awkward situation there," Maiq laughed, as Shiro walked up to join him at the front for a better view of the city, bigger now than it had ever looked before.
"Yeah, thanks," Shiro said, patting the man's shoulder. "Would've appreciated it a bit earlier though."
"Hehehe. I was curious what kind of man you were, wanted to hear more of the exchange first."
"Hm... so, Maiq, are you married?"