“…………”

Alo sits in silence with both her arms stretching out.
Before her palm is a block of earth that's gradually forming and taking shape.

I asked Alo to make an earthen stove with〖Clay〗.

I want to roast the Masked Bird before eating it, but if I started cooking it on the spot, the whole Tree might burn and that would be a huge disaster.
And so, I had to ask Alo for help in making a stove with〖Clay〗right in front of the hollow nest, and I also asked her to coat the branches we're standing on with soil, just in case.
Indeed, a stove is indispensable for a homey lifestyle.
If I'm aiming for a comfortable dragon life, a stove is an absolute must.

We already processed the Masked Bird by tearing out its guts and pulling out its innards. We even plucked out its feathers, and from the softest part of its body, we cut out its skin from the thigh up and now it's hanging mid-air with Nightmare's web for blood draining.
The stove still being made is specially dragon-sized just for the Masked Bird.

"Ryujin-sama, my magic is...... almost out......"

Alo attempts to reach out to me.
Her skin is appearing paler too.
It's a sign that she's not having enough magic to maintain her body.
Maybe it's because she's been using magic constantly for hours, but I can see that she's fatigued now.

You don't even need to ask permission, I'll always be willing to give you some.
And besides..... don't you feel like taking a break yet?
Compared to when you're in battle, you're only using a small amount of magic, but the problem here is the extensive use of magic and mental exhaustion from precise craftswork.

When I gave the suggestion to rest, she puffed her cheeks and shook her head.

Uhh, yeah, I'm happy that you're willing to help, but......
Partner here is starting to get impatient again, giving blank stares to the half-finished stove and me.

【“Am hungy! Am hungy! C'mon, we don't have to cook it! If ya want, let's just go down and cook it on the ground!”】

No, no, I told you, cooking it like this adds to the flavor.
The fire will even cook its insides like an oven.
You can eat the intestines we pulled out of it if you want to, but other than that, we're cooking the rest.

Then, Partner stretches her neck towards the hanged Masked Bird's entrails, grabs it with her mouth, and immediately pulls it, causing the intestines to rebound from the force and whip her cheek in reaction.
...... She's eating it hesitantly, but still savors the taste.

"...... Tail, give tail please"

Alo says, reaching both arms out to me.
Her tone sounded slightly annoyed.

Hmmm...... that said, she needs her rest too.
Then, a moving tree...... Treant, approaches Alo.
Alo eyes him with suspicion as Treant settles in front of the incomplete earthen stove and closes his eye-hole.
Part of the stove glows and more soil starts forming out of thin air......

"...... Ah, no...... it's okay, I'll do it myself"

Alo tries her best to not let Treant get any more spotlight.
Although, she spoke as if hesitant about it.
Still, Treant continues to approach the stove and uses〖Clay〗on it.
The earth gathered by his〖Clay〗easily fell apart before he even got to mold it.

Treant once again, feeling useless, walks away back inside the nest.
…… Well, even I wouldn't like it if someone helped me in the middle of work only to do a worse job than me.
So I know the feeling.
Besides, Alo's〖Clay〗skill is Lv 6, but Trent's〖Clay〗skill is Lv 2.
There's clearly going to be a huge difference from the start.

Alo didn't expect Treant to get depressed again after saying that so she mumbled "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" behind his back.
Then, she turns to me and extends her arm at me again with persistence.

No, seriously.... you need your rest......
But, she's also not feeling well from wasting too much MP, so that means I still have to give her some, but when I do, she's definitely gonna resume working again.....
Then again, if I force her to stop......
Hmm......

"Food! Food!"

Geh...... Partner already finished devouring the guts.
Alo shakes her head at Partner, and then stares at me intensely with her red-eyes.
.... I'm sorry, here you go.
Stretching my tail to Alo, she hugs it, rubs it, and uses〖Mana Drain〗while fluffing my tail.

A while later, the stove is finally finished.
As for coating the area around us with〖Clay〗, since precision isn't required for this kind of task, it ended quickly and smoothly.
Now then, as I adjust the firepower and try to 'feel' if it's just right, I heat up the stove with〖Scorching Breath〗.

After a certain temperature was reached, we shoved the now blood-drained bird into the furnace and closed the lid.
A few minutes later, we open the lid and take out the roasted Masked Bird.

The body surface of the Masked Bird was shiny and its meat was coated with fats.
I didn't think the Masked Bird was such a greasy monster.

Looking at it again, this is one big bird meat.
I don't encounter food as big as this often enough that could satisfy my ever-increasing appetite.
For me, who has flown past mountains and oceans with barely any food to eat, I am grateful for getting the chance to eat something whole.
And as an added bonus, it's already greasy on its own, so I have no complaints.
When the smell went inside my nose, I instinctively stuck out my tongue and drool.

I tear out its left thigh with my front claw.
But just when I was about to bite it, Partner swoops in and clamps her jaws on the meat that was about to enter my mouth and takes it away from my claw.
Aah! You thief!

Then, Partner turns away from me, flings the Masked Bird meat upward and skillfully catches it with her mouth as she gulps it down her neck.
While gobbling up the greasy meat, her face shows heavenly bliss.

..... Well, if the cooking was really that delicious for you, then as the cook, I am happy as well.
This is a big bird, so I'm sure I'll still have my share of the bounty. I daresay it's big enough to still have leftovers for later.

I decided to take my time and savor the taste on my next portion.
The instant I take a bite, it's like the flavor just gradually spreads across your mouth and you feel nothing but ecstasy.
This is so good, it's too good, in fact. It's been so long since I last had a decently cooked meal. Speaking of which, if only I had salt......
There's a sea near us, so it wouldn't hurt to extract salt from the seawater if I find time.

After a while, in the end, it was too delicious to have leftovers so me and Partner ended up finishing it all in a meal's time. I spit out the bones after consuming the meat, while Partner continues to lick it like a dog.
Without moving, I then look around at the island by turning my head around, not trying to disturb Partner's bone-licking.
From our current height on the Great Tree, we can see almost everything from up here, and I notice that most of the island is overtaken by the forest of large trees.
In the distance, there's still that eerie "Edge of the World" kind of gap in the ocean that makes up the great waterfall. From that point onwards, nothing lies beyond. Just... nothing.
Despite this, the ocean remains the largest as far as the eye can see.

When I saw Adam for the first time, I really had my doubts when I first came here, but that aside, life here isn't so bad.