Chapter 15 : The Dish Grandma May Wants to Eat

The “black desire” I held in both hands was squishy like jelly.

How much did this guy eat?

It’s become half the size of my body!

If it grows to this size, it wouldn’t be strange for a normal person to die, but it seems that Chief Rian’s sincerity was great.

“Black desire… Are you planning to help?”

I didn’t answer and opened my mouth wide towards the black desire.

“Nom…!”

-Squish!

The black desire was, as expected, incredibly chewy.

It’s not like a king worm that children would like, but it feels like chewing on gristle!

How much of Grandma Mae’s memories and emotions did this guy suck up?

“Chew… Chew!”

“P-Purpure, what are you doing? You’re ch-chewing on something, right?”

I could see Maeve panicking, but I didn’t care and diligently chewed on the black desire.

The more I chewed, the more flavor seeped out of this squishy guy’s body.

Is the first thing that comes up salty? But it’s a pity to just call it salty.

Every time I chew, the flavor that seeps out sticks to my tongue! And I can also feel a slightly nostalgic spicy taste.

“Nom… Chew, chew… Slurp… Chew….!”

“Hero, do you know what the black desire that Lady Purpure mentioned is?”

“Th, that’s… I’m really sorry! This is the first time I’ve heard of it! It’s also the first time I’ve seen something invisible being grabbed and chewed on so deliciously!”

Of course, you’d see it for the first time.

I have to make this huge lump take root in life and make it my subordinate.

That’s the natural thing to do, and that’s what I would have done in my successful demon lord days.

But now it’s different.

The precious wife of the grandfather who exchanged the ‘toy’ for money is sick.

…I should provide this much service. I received a lot of service too.

“Spit…!”

-Squish! Squish!

The black desire with a long tail didn’t even open its eyes, even though I chewed on it for a long time.

Anyway, the flavor that seeped out was salty, spicy, and a seeping sweetness and umami?

I can’t tell what kind of dish I wanted to eat that made the black desire be born with this.

“I’m curious, Grandpa Rian.”

“Wa, wait! Purpure! What did you just do? What’s black desire? I’m a hero, you know?”

Maeve swallowed her saliva.

“I have a duty to check if you did something strange that even I can’t understand.”

A hero is a hero after all.

The corners of my mouth slightly raised without me realizing it.

Yeah. It’s cooler to have a real hero as my subordinate than a foolish, beggar hero!

“I just tasted one of the seven.”

“O, one of the seven?”

Unlike Maeve, who tilted her head with a puzzled expression, Dominicus nodded.

“Humans have seven desires.”

“I can see and touch the 『seven』 that are born from those desires.”

They eat people’s emotions, physical strength, memories, magic, and desires, and their bodies grow.

They become plump like balloons and transform into monsters, like butterflies emerging from a chrysalis.

It’s not for nothing that I boasted about having the terrifying Great Demon Lord’s special move.

“Anyone can have the seven. They are guys that take root in human desires.”

“Is it a type of monster? I’ve never heard of it.”

“Only the demon lord can see it. Ordinary demons can’t even sense it. That’s why Purpure is a terrifying Great Demon Lord.”

Maeve swallowed her saliva.

“So… What are you going to do with that black desire?”

“Originally, it’s a fruit that gives birth to monsters.”

I slapped the black desire with both hands.

“The fruit becomes a seed when it falls, but if Purpure picks it with her hand, it can be eaten deliciously.”

“So, Purpure, you know that the reason Grandma Mae is sick is that black desire, and you’re trying to help her?”

“That’s right. So I need to know what dish or food Grandma Mae wanted to eat so much.”

Dominicus put his hands together and spoke.

“That’s a correct judgment. In the past, this symptom was also called ‘paradise disease.'”

“Paradise disease? Isn’t that an incurable disease? It’s very difficult to diagnose…. Ah! You said Purpure can see and touch the seven?!”

Maeve suddenly hugged me.

“Then Purpure! Please! Save Grandma Mae! I gave up because I didn’t have a way! I’ll buy you spicy noodles again!”

“I also ask for your help.”

Even Dominicus knelt down and spoke.

“Lady Purpure… This old man, who met you for the first time today, dares to ask you.”

Chief Rian’s eyes were red, and he spoke to me.

“Purpure has already received help from Grandpa Rian.”

I smiled once.

Don’t say I owe you later!

“So, tell me about the food that Grandma Mae wanted to eat.”

If you taste the seven, you can vaguely tell what kind of desire you had.

But that’s just a lighthouse illuminating the vast sea.

“Hmm… The food my wife wanted to eat…”

Chief Rian fell into deep thought.

“She wasn’t a person with a big appetite…”

“Wasn’t there any food she said she wanted to eat when she was sick and sleeping?”

“Ah, that’s… It’s been over 10 years since Grandma Mae became like this.”

He took care of her so diligently.

10 years is really hard.

Taking care of someone who sleeps like they’re dead, suffers from pain, and mumbles is never easy.

I came to respect Chief Rian a little.

“Hmm… It’s been years since she stopped talking to herself…”

Should I chew on the black desire more?

But there are too many dishes that are salty, sweet, and savory.

“Oh… I remember. It was the story of a food I’ve never eaten. I don’t remember the name, but…”

“Do you know the taste or ingredients?”

“It had quite a peculiar ingredient… Now I remember it clearly.”

Chief Rian smiled.

“She said she wanted to eat 『Wavewings』.”

“She wanted to eat that? Are you sure you heard correctly, Rian?”

As Maeve was surprised, Wavewings weren’t considered edible birds.

What would you think if someone said they wanted to make fried chicken with a bald eagle?

If you ask if you can eat it or not, of course you can, but I never thought she’d want to eat it so much that black desire would grow.

…Is it delicious? I’ve never eaten it.

“If you say Wavewings, they are often mistaken for monsters, right?”

“That’s right. They swim very well and dive for a long time, but they’re also big, dirty, and fierce, so hunters hate them a lot.”

“That’s right. There are a few of them nesting near our Moonlight Haven.”

I quickly raised my hand.

“Is there a dish made with Wavewings in Moonlight Haven?”

“Not currently… But if I recall what my wife used to say, it seems like they used to eat it a long time ago.”

Maeve raised both hands and made an X.

“I, I don’t know!!! I really never heard of it!”

“I’ve never heard of it either. But if Grandma Mae said she wanted to eat it, there must be a recipe.”

Chief Rian stroked his white beard and thought deeply.

“Hmm… She never talked about Wavewings before…”

“It’s what she said while she was sick, right?”

Is this all the ingredients I can know right now?

Still, I have a general idea.

If it’s overflowing with umami and salty, it’s definitely that.

“Then Purpure needs Wavewings! And I need other ingredients to cook…”

“I’ll get you enough of the other ingredients. It’s only natural since you’re going to cure my wife.”

“Uh… But do we have to catch the Wavewings?”

Chief Rian nodded.

Well, most pork and chicken are consumed immediately after being caught, so there’s no way there would be Wavewings!

“I’m sorry, Hero. No shop deals with those guys…”

“Ugh, well… Since Purpure is going to cure Grandma Rian, there’s nothing we can do!!”

Maeve smiled and stroked my head.

“Wavewings, as the name suggests, live near the water. They also have shiny silver wings!”

I pointed to the Wavewings and spoke.

“They’re bigger than chickens. They have very sharp beaks and large claws, so they’re dangerous!”

“I know that too, uhhh! Purpure!”

The next day, after sleeping comfortably at Chief Rian’s house.

We went to the river early in the morning to catch ‘Wavewings.’

Maeve tried to show her hero’s power and rushed at the Wavewings as soon as she saw them, but the result was bad.

“Certainly… They have a fiercely looking appearance and agility that make them mistaken for monsters.”

“That’s right. Maeve is trying hard to catch them, but she’s failing.”

“Hey! You know!! Instead of analyzing from so far away, help me a little… Kyaaak!”

The Wavewing hit Maeve’s hand at a tremendous speed, stepped on her shoulder, and went behind her.

Is this why people say they don’t eat them because they’re dirty?

…The meat will be delicious, right? There must be a reason why Grandma Rian said she wanted to eat it!

“I tried to catch it peacefully…!”

Maeve huffed and puffed, and drew the holy sword from its scabbard.

Where is there a fool who uses a holy sword to catch Wavewings?!

“Come here right now!!! Purpure has to cook!”

Maeve swung the holy sword coolly, and the Wavewing avoided the attack.

In the end, our hero screamed, “Come down right now!” and struck the tree with the holy sword.

-Thud!

“Uh…?”

There was a Wavewing nest on the tree, and it fell to the ground nicely.

“Uh, uhhh! Oh! Kyaaaaa!!!”

Maeve was instantly attacked by ten Wavewings that were on the tree.

“Wavewings are birds that live in groups.”

“I see. Seeing them attack and peck so fiercely, I can certainly see why they’re mistaken for monsters.”

Maeve swung the holy sword and shouted.

“So!! Help!! Me!!!”