Chapter 121
Whether they were creatures that ran across the earth or swam through the depths of the sea, Erina couldn't claim to have tasted every single one—but she had, at the very least, seen them all.
However, the cut of meat Mineo had just placed before her was doing more than just surprising her; it was completely rewriting her worldview.
The slab was massive. Judging by its sheer volume alone, one could tell that the creature it belonged to must have been at least two meters tall. But there were only so many large land animals in existence. Animals like elephants, rhinos, or hippos—how could they possibly possess such fine, delicate muscle fibers?
At that moment, Alice was also scrutinizing the meat with a sharp, piercing gaze.
As a chef specializing in Molecular Gastronomy, Alice's theoretical grasp of ingredients was arguably deeper than anyone's. While Erina estimated the owner of this meat to be over two meters tall, Alice suspected that two meters was likely just a small fraction of the creature's actual size.
Beyond the density of the fibers, there was another detail that could be used to deduce the scale of the source: the pores on the surface of the skin.
Typically, the larger the animal, the coarser the pores. Sea creatures didn't exactly have "coarse pores" in this sense, so this meat had to come from a terrestrial animal. Yet, the coarseness of these pores was simply beyond belief.
After running a few quick mental calculations using the formulas stored in her head, Alice was nearly struck with a wave of terror.
The size of the creature this meat belonged to... it might actually reach over ten meters!?
Seeing the two girls staring so intensely at the meat, Mineo spoke up with a faint smile.
"Well? Did you see something interesting?"
"A little shocked, perhaps?"
"I told you before that what I was going to show you would be truly mind-blowing. Isn't this proof enough?"
"This makes no sense! It's illogical!" Erina blurted out, looking up at Mineo. "Mineo-kun, exactly what kind of animal is this from? How can something with this much volume have such fine fibers? And the marbling density on the surface... it completely exceeds the limits of any conventional ingredient!"
She paused, her eyes narrowing. "Could this be synthetically engineered meat?"
"No, that's not it!" Alice immediately interjected, disagreeing with Erina. "The current level of synthetic meat production isn't anywhere near capable of creating something like this!"
Alice leaned closer, pointing. "And Erina, did you notice the pores? I feel like the original owner had to be at least ten meters tall. If not, the pores and the patterns on the skin wouldn't be this coarse."
"More than... ten meters?"
Following Alice's lead, Erina looked closely at the surface of the skin. One glance was all it took to send a jolt of shock through her. Alice wasn't exaggerating at all.
What kind of animal had pores this large? They looked to be nearly two to three millimeters wide!
This meant the creature... had to be at least as large as a heavy-duty truck. A smaller creature simply couldn't possess these features.
The sheer level of astonishment in the girls' hearts was hard to put into words.
Watching them, Mineo chuckled. "Now you know why Kobayashi-senpai likes hanging around my restaurant and never wants to leave, don't you?"
"I really didn't force her, you know. Wearing the maid outfit and all that—it was all Senpai's own sincere wish, understand? I gave her a chance to taste rare ingredients like this, and she fell in love with them instantly."
He turned his gaze toward Alice. "Alice, do you think money can buy something like this?"
Seeing Mineo's smug expression, Alice felt a surge of annoyance. However, at this point, she also knew that the ingredients in Mineo's hands likely had an extraordinary origin.
Meanwhile, Erina spoke with a serious expression. "Mineo-kun, I want to know... what is this ingredient, really? Where did you get such a thing?"
Mineo thought for a moment before answering. "This ingredient... how should I put it? Describing it is a bit complicated..."
"If it makes Mineo-kun uncomfortable to say, then I won't ask," Erina said softly.
"It's not that it's uncomfortable, it's just that if I told you, you might not believe me, Erina..."
Alice glanced between them, her eyes fixed on Mineo. "How do you know we won't believe you if you don't say it? Erina, look at this guy! He's still hiding things from the two of us! Next time, let's not come play with this jerk anymore. He clearly doesn't think of us as true friends at all..."
Hearing Alice's grumbling, Mineo reached out and flicked her smooth, fair forehead. The sudden sting nearly brought tears to her eyes.
"You jerk! Why did you flick my forehead!?"
"Because I felt like you were asking to be teased," Mineo said, reaching out to pinch Alice's soft cheek. "If I didn't care about you two, why would I bring out such high-quality stuff just for you? Those words of yours really wound my heart, Alice."
Erina also gave Alice a sharp look. "Don't say things like that again. You know full well in your heart how Mineo treats you, Alice. To be able to bring out an item like this and give it to us... at the very least, you should say thank you."
"But this jerk shouldn't be allowed to bully me whenever he wants, either!" Alice's face was a picture of pouting misery. "Erina, whose side are you on anyway? Have you been brainwashed by this guy?"
"I'm simply choosing the truth over family!"
Alice's "pitiful girl" act clearly didn't work on Erina. No matter how much she feigned distress, Erina remained completely unmoved.
After scolding Alice, Erina turned back to Mineo. "If Mineo-kun is willing to tell us, I will listen earnestly. No matter the origin of this ingredient, I believe you wouldn't lie to me."
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