Chapter 15

  “Ah, Taylor,” the mayor blinked at me as he stood in his doorway. He’d changed out of his clothes from earlier in the day, removing the oil and soot-stained clothing, replacing it with what I could only assume was his leisure clothes. “I did not think you would truly stick around when you mentioned it earlier.”

  “Well, you know,” I shrugged, trying hard to not let my excitement overwhelm me, “I really wanted to make sure my Mun were ready for my travels.” I grinned at him. “And, I am really glad I did.”

  “Oh?” He rose an eyebrow, clearly picking up on my visible levels of energy, “and why is that?”

  I looked past him, my stomach grumbling as the scent of smoked meat wafted past him. I’d been so busy grinding out levels that honestly, I’d forgotten to eat. Come to think of it, other than the coffee this morning… I hadn’t had anything to eat in this world.

  The older man smiled as heard the sound. “Come on in then,” he said, opening the door wider to let me in. “I was just sitting down for supper anyways. I’ll make you a plate, as you tell me what it is that has you practically jumping up and down.”

  His statement made me realize I was bouncing on my heels. It was something I did when I was especially excited. A habit I thought I’d kicked, but apparently this was just too exciting, even for me.

  “Thank you,” I moved past him, my mouth already watering. What would food taste like in Mutopia? What were we going to eat? I slowed my rapid approach towards the table as I thought about it. I’d seen nothing that wasn’t human or Mun when it came to living things. And Mun that took too much damage didn’t die, they turned into Mun crystals. Meaning… if he was cooking Mun meat… had the creatures been awake and conscious when the meat had been collected? Suddenly, I wasn’t certain if I was all that hungry. What were the ethics when it came to eating Muns?

  “So,” the mayor moved past me to the kitchen. He opened the oven, and pulled from it a dark, glistening hunk of meat. It reminded me of a roast of some sorts. Just a massive, rounded, slab of, maybe steak? The juices flowing from it were thick enough that they made the meat shine in the light of the house. And the dark color revealed a texture to it, definitely making me think of something like a large, honeyed ham. My eyes focused on it as my stomach rumbled again, noting what looked to be various bits of spices here and there, cooked directly into it.

  Again my stomach rumbled, as the smell reached me. How had he smoked it, when he’d cooked it in something that definitely looked like an oven? Did I really care? No. And as I watched him slice into the meat, revealing a healthy pink, medium rare if this were a steak, glistening and tantalizingly juicy, I felt my perceived hangups already floating away. Hunger would do that to you. Especially hunger in the face of something that looked and smelled absolutely delicious.

  The mayor placed a cut onto a plate, along with a set of silverware. Then he grabbed out a cup, filled it with water from a faucet, and carried it over to me. He set the meal before me, offering me a small, kind smile. He’d seemed annoyed that I hadn’t left town immediately, and yet, right now, he was just giving gentle, fatherly vibes. He’d mentioned he had a daughter, did I remind him of her?

  “It’s Calfer meat.” He said, motioning at it. “I like to dry age it, and the seasoning blend is my own secret recipe. My daughter,” his voice cracked, but he tried to hide it by clearing his throat, “this was one of the meals she and I would always eat, before she headed off on her own Tamer journey.”

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  My hands betrayed my hesitation as they picked up the knife and fork. The meat looked so tender. Since it came from a calfer, I figured it was closest to veal back home? Soft, juicy, tender, with melted fat adding extra flavor… It was almost too much to resist. And yet.

  “How,” I started, trying to speak around the watering of my mouth, “how do you get meat from the Muns, if…” I trailed off, not wanting to say the words aloud.

  “Ah,” he looked at the meat, and then me, before he started laughing. He continued laughing as he went to grab his own slice of the meal, before returning to the table. “If you think we hurt the creatures, slicing them apart while they’re conscious like barbarians, I can understand your hesitation.” More laughter, as he cut into the meat, before taking a bite and letting out a small, contented moan of satisfaction.

  “I,” I started, every bit of my self control engaged to not do what he was doing. I needed the answer.

  “You can trade in Mun Crystals at the Mun Center,” he said with another laugh, and another bite. “The magic of this world will give you the choice to get materials from the Mun, in exchange for their crystals. Trading in Calfer crystals can get you things such as hunks of calfer meat, or calfer leather, calfer horns, and so forth.” Another bite, another smile, “it ensures we don’t have to do anything unethical to the animals, and also is a way the world’s magic gives to the people, making sure we all have the ability to get any food or materials we may need, if we are capable enough Tamers.” Another slice. “Like I said,” he took a bite and chewed, before swallowing, “this world really likes to encourage Tamers to grow strong.”

  His explanation was all I needed. I cut a bite sized piece of the steak, marveling at how smoothly my knife passed through it, like a hot knife through butter. The meat was light on my fork, and dripped its juices as I lifted it to my mouth. The moment the crust touched my tongue, a rush of spices, something like pepper, and onion, and garlic, and maybe a dash of lemon, all combined with a swirl of hickory smoke, blessed my taste buds. A single bite, and the meat released its juices, assaulting my senses with the warm, buttery, hearty umami that was steak. Before I’d even swallowed my first bite, another was already on its way to my mouth.

  “I’m glad you seem to enjoy it,” the mayor said, as he continued to enjoy his own meal. “Though, now that I’ve relieved you of your qualms regarding consuming Mun meat,” he grinned as I opened one of my eyes, which was closed as I enjoyed the delicious meal, to glare at him, “what is it that has you so excited on my doorstep this evening? Because,” he took another bite, “while I am quite proud of my cooking, I do not believe I’d told you about my meal tonight.”

  I swallowed, reluctantly stetting my knife and fork down for a moment, to keep myself from shoveling more meat into my mouth. I was here for a reason. He was right about that.

  “Something happened earlier today,” I said, taking a drink of water, cleansing my pallet in preparation for another tasty tango with the steak, “something that has me brimming with questions.”

  “And what is that?” he asked, setting his own utensils down as he placed his elbows on the table, steepled his hands, and leaned forward. I could see interest in his eyes.

  “My gear pups,” I started slowly, “they evolved.”

  “You already got them to level twenty?” He asked, somewhat taken aback. “And now they’ve stopped listening to you?”

  “No,” I shook my head, and held up my left gauntlet, indicating the two empty slots. “When all three hit level 15, they fused, and turned into a new Mun. A level 10 Cogberus.”

  A moment of surprise crossed the mayor’s face, before he leaned back with a smile and a twinkle in his eyes. “Ah, and because of that, you’re wondering about other evolution possibilities?”

  I nodded, my self-control gone, as I dug back into my meal.

  The mayor lifted his empty plate from the table and stood. “I’ll answer your questions and explain what I can to the best of my ability,” he turned, casting a knowing smile my way, “though, only after you try tonight’s dessert. Nothing follows a good calfer steak, after all, like ice cream made fresh from calfer milk."

  At those words, I seriously considered if the age gap was too much, or if I might try to marry this man. Because a meal like this, followed by homemade ice cream, was undoubtedly one of the quickest way to a girl’s heart. And I was no exception damnit.