Reborn As Noble

”Brat? You sure it’s not you at the lake?” Hesbeirn asked.

”Yes, yes... it’s not me. Alf already made sure I won’t slip out of the estate. If you don’t trust me, talk to one of the maids here.” Javier said calmly.

”Hah! If you’re going to try using Liana or Gloria’s voice, I’ll know.” Hesbeirn snickered.

Javier sighed and signaled one of the maids to come closer. ”Talk to this huge big guy, please.”

”Hmm? Who is this, Prince Javier?” the maid asked.

Hesbeirn, on the other end, exhaled. ”Alright... fine. Since if you were at the lake, there’s no way I’d leave you alone, or I’d have a problem with your father later. Or even my sister Erinnette.”

”I know, Uncle. Just fall back. Tell everyone to return to the estate and keep clear of the lake. This is going to get... messy.”

”Hmm? How messy?”

”Don’t know yet. Hydra meat is supposed to be exotic, a real delicacy... but the toxic blood is the problem.”

”Hah! Just wear it down with lightning, freeze it solid with ice magic, then cut it fast to preserve the meat. After that, start a huge fire and roast it on the spot, the blood will burn away.” Hesbeirn said casually.

”Hah!? Like it’s that simple,” Javier said, letting out a long exhale.

”Hmm? It is that simple.” Hesbeirn replied, digging a pinky into his nose. ”A hydra’s blood is toxic and regenerative. If you just cut a head, the poison stays in the flesh and the stump grows back. So you wear it down first, hit it with controlled lightning magic. It shocks the nervous system and forces the toxin to pool, separating from the muscle.”

He flicked away whatever he’d found.

”Once it’s sluggish, you encase the whole thing in a deep-freeze ice spell. Can’t move, can’t regenerate. Then you cut. You slice clean at the joint, and immediately drop the frozen chunk onto a prepared bonfire. The ice melts, the toxic blood drains straight into the flames and burns away, and you’re left with clean meat ready to grill.”

”Really? It’s that easy?”

”Yeah. You think I’ve never hunted a hydra before? Since it’s in a lake, area-control lightning magic works perfectly.”

”Oi! If you electrify the lake, what about all the fish?”

”Hah? They become extra food anyway. Besides, lightning magic can be controlled to a specific area, you know that better than I do.”

Hesbeirn exhaled. ”It’s better than cutting it and letting the toxic blood pollute the whole lake. You know more fish and everything else would die from that, right?”

Javier sighed. ”That’s why my plan was to drag it out of the lake and burn it with huge firepower.”

”Hah! This is why you’re an amateur at hydra and monster hunting.”

”O...oi! I’m not that amateur!”

”Yeah? You’re planning to drag a hydra, a creature specialized for water combat, onto dry land, then hit it with fire? Its flesh is coated in a natural water barrier. You know why I said lightning first, then ice?”

”Oh... right. Since it’s covered with a water barrier magic, lightning would conduct through it perfectly, overwhelming its nervous system. And the barrier can’t resist freezing magic since it’s only designed to repel fire and heat-based attacks.”

”But you mentioned cutting it and putting it on fire, won’t the water barrier hold it back?”

”Hah! The barrier is tied to the hydra’s main life force. Once you sever a piece from the central body, the magic on that piece fails. That’s why you cut at the right joint, separate it cleanly from the main magical source, and it’s become just meat.”

”So I should proceed with my plan?” Javier asked via the mana talkie.

Hesbeirn sighed. ”If you’re the one handling it, I’m sure your father will notice how loud it gets.” He exhaled, then tapped the mana talkie. ”You prepare the fire. I’ll handle the hydra.”

”Hah? What am I, an errand boy?”

”Yeah~ In this matter? More or less.” Hesbeirn chuckled. ”Since you can control your knights, make sure to cut down several trees and fire up a big one. We’re going to be busy.”

”Fine, fine... just make sure you don’t make too much of a mess,” Javier said through the mana talkie.

”Hah! You’re talking to the wrong man for that, brat.”

”Yeah, yeah, Uncle. Just get it done.”

”You owe me a drink for this, brat boy,” Hesbeirn snickered.

”Yeah, yeah. I’ll give you the best wine I got from Arjam,” Javier smirked.

”You better live up to your word. And I’m claiming the main head and neck meat from this hydra,” Hesbeirn chuckled, his voice already savoring the thought.

”Oh? Why that part?”

”Because that’s the prime cut. The most mature meat, aside from the main body. Ah~ the marbling... when you slice it thick, season it with rock salt and crushed fire-pepper, then lay it on a searing hot stone right over the coals. The sizzle, the aroma... the fat melts just right, and the meat stays tender, juicy, with a perfect sear on the outside.”

Back at the Armand estate, Javier, still seated in his chair, already drooling. ”Oi, Uncle! At least let me taste some!”

”Hah! You can have the other heads and necks. But the main head meat is mine. You do know hydra meat is boneless along the neck, right? Just pure, solid muscle from the jaw all the way down. Imagine the full cut of meat I could get from that!”

”O...oi! At least let Father have some.”

”Oh? Now that you mention it... this would make a good feast for your father’s wedding, right? Ehehehe...”

Hesbeirn adjusted the greatsword on his back. ”Well... I think it’s time to put this hydra on the grill.”

The vampire sneered from his perch on the Pekko. ”Hah! Talk big all you want. You won’t even scratch it.”

Hesbeirn just smirked and tapped his mana talkie. ”Oi, boy!”

”What?” Javier’s voice came through. ”I’m busy here. Evading this hydra’s attacks. My knight’s punches don’t have much effect, but I’m dodging and punching back at their heads.”

”Hah! Just keep it dancing for a bit. I’m coming.” Hesbeirn’s grin widened. ”By the way... our ’friend’ here says we can’t beat it. How about we let him watch the show, eh?”

Javier smirked, the sound clear over the line. ”Very well.”

Nearby, the Armand Elite Knights with Hesbeirn began whispering excitedly among themselves.

”We get to watch the General fight a hydra head-on?”

”This is an opportunity we can’t miss.”

”Yeah! I want to see it, too!”

”Oi!” Hesbeirn turned his smirk toward his men. ”You all want to head back? Or do you want to see something fun? After all, we should put on a good show for our ’guest.’”

”General! Let us watch!”

”Yeah!”

”Very well. Make sure that bastard on the Pekko doesn’t slip off. Tie him down nice and tight so he doesn’t miss a single moment~”

( End Of Chapter )