#1024 Beef Has Been Acquired

And so, the prized bull returned to the mortal realm.

In his previous life, he hadn’t quite gotten around to… well, let’s just say, making any cows happy.

We’ll skip the graphic details.

After all, we don’t want any trouble.

The cows lined up for the job are work cattle.

Apparently, the Minotaur tribe had been gearing up to restart their livestock business and had bought a few prime specimens to get things rolling.

These aren’t your average cows; they are bred for heavy lifting and farming, but with some TLC and a few generations of careful breeding, the hope is to bring back the legendary beef of old.

And so, the seed of a top-tier Minotaur bull from a hundred years ago was, um, lovingly placed into these hardworking cattle.

“MOOOAAAARRRR!!!”

“MOMOMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

If the cows successfully get pregnant, they could drastically reduce breeding time, leading to the swift revival of the finest Minotaur beef!

Now, you might be wondering—can a bull spirit from the underworld actually father calves with living cows? Well, no need to worry; Minos, the god of the underworld himself, gave it the thumbs up.

And if the god in charge says it’s fine, then it’s fine.

Sometimes, you’ve just got to roll with the divine convenience.

“Ohhh… who could have imagined our plans would leap forward like this...?!”

The Minotaur elder who had kindly guided us here is now tearing up, watching the bull spirit do his thing.

“I never thought I’d live to see this. To witness the revival of the golden age of the Minotaur ranch, when the world-renowned champion bulls roamed…! I thought such a feat would be impossible in my lifetime…!”

But now, it’s no longer a mere dream.

If this old-timer keeps kicking, he just might see it with his own eyes.

Creating the perfect cattle from scratch would take an unimaginable amount of time and effort.

Even breeding them generation after generation doesn’t guarantee better meat.

It’s like groping around in the dark, hoping to stumble upon the right path.

Maybe, with some luck, they might have hit the jackpot after dozens of generations. But without it? Centuries could pass without any success.

The Minotaurs knew this deep down. They were likely bracing themselves for a long and grueling process.

But then, Minos, the guardian deity, descended, and things started moving.

This was a true divine miracle, Minos’s moment of glory.

“But that bull’s spirit is something else,” the Minotaur elder sniffles, still in awe. “Despite being unfairly slain by the royals, he returned to the mortal world, determined to fulfill his role as a stud…!”

“Perhaps he felt a deep gratitude to the Minotaurs who raised him so well. Your ancestors must have treated that bull with great care.”

Even Sensei got caught up in the sentimental mood.

...Well, if that’s really why the bull came back, it’s a heartwarming tale, no doubt about it.

Every creature, even livestock, deserves to have its own purpose in life.

“MMOOOAAARRR!!! (I REFUSE! I REFUSE TO DIE A VIRGIN!!! Me? Already dead?! At least let me lose my virginity before I pass into the next life!!! I’m not carrying my virginity into the afterlifeeeeeeeeee!!!)”

...

What’s this? I can practically feel the bull’s desperate emotions—a mix of regret and yearning—echoing in his bellowing cries.

...Let’s pretend we didn’t hear that.

Anyway, if all goes well and the cattle do get pregnant, the calves should inherit the peak traits of the legendary Minotaur bull.

After a few generations, the elusive top-quality beef could be back on the menu.

“We shall summon this noble beast a few more times,” declares Minos. “With the aid of the Immortal King, we shall return the true Minotaur bull unto the realm of mortals. Take this as my boon for thine unwavering devotion through the years, though it cometh belatedly.”

“No! This is truly divine protection! We were right to worship you, Lord Minos!!!”

And with that, the Minotaurs all prostrate themselves in reverence.

Their devotion is off the charts.

The celestial deities might not be thrilled to hear such talk, but they only have themselves to blame.

So, let’s just hope they take it in stride.

The journey up to this point has been nothing short of fantastic for the Minotaur tribe.

I mean, they’ve managed to kickstart their entire main industry back into action.

And it’s not just good news for them—it’s great for all of humanity, too!

More booming industries mean a stronger economy, and who wouldn’t be thrilled to have more delicious food on their plate?

The world gets a new delicacy, and everyone wins.

And it’s good news for me, too.

You didn’t forget, did you?

I came here for one thing: the finest beef in the land.

To cheer up and encourage our expecting mothers.

I heard eating yakiniku brings good luck, so I thought, “Let’s get the best meat!” and headed straight to the village of the Minotaurs. But then I heard about the tragedy from a hundred years ago... and it turns out I can’t get the top-quality beef anymore.

Despairing, right?

But now that I’m watching from the sidelines, isn’t the story actually going in a pretty good direction?

Sure, there were a few wild twists, but in the end, the top-grade beef has made a grand comeback in this world!

At this rate, I’ll be able to serve our wives—who are about to take on the mighty task of childbirth—the most mouth-watering yakiniku ever!

“Yes! At this rate, the Minotaur beef will make a full recovery in no time!”

“In no time?!”

That’s exactly what I wanted to hear!

“Indeed! In just ten years or so, we’ll restore the Minotaur beef to its former glory!”

“Ten years?!”

Looks like I underestimated things.

I should’ve known better than to take a rancher’s “soon” at face value—it’s not like anyone else’s “soon.”

Time works differently for nature and humans.

What feels like an eternity to us is just a blink of an eye to nature.

And here I am, a farmer myself, failing to think things through. What a blunder!

“So does that mean my grand yakiniku feast to cheer on the expectant mothers is nothing more than a fleeting dream of spring…?!”

“Lord Saint, Lord Saint...!”

Huh?

Who’s calling me now?

Wait a minute, isn’t that the breeding bull that came back from the underworld?

And what’s with those wise, unclouded eyes?

“I wanted to thank you. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have had the chance to repay the Minotaur tribe.”

He’s talking like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

Did his soul level up when he had his brush with enlightenment, like the horned boars back home?

“And to show my gratitude, I want to give you this.”

“Ooooooooooooooh?”

Is this…?!

It’s meat!

Perfectly cut into bite-sized pieces and neatly frozen.

The preservation is on point!

“Five hundred kilograms of Minotaur beef, ready for yakiniku.”

“Five hundred?!”

That’s like a hometown tax return on steroids!

There’s no way I could eat all this by myself.

“Even when I was in the underworld, I kept honing the flavor of Minotaur beef. Luckily, in the hellish depths, bodies heal overnight, so you can harvest as much meat as you want!”

“You call that lucky!?!”

“Yes, you can think of it as atonement (shokuzai) leading to great ingredients (shokuzai).”

Is this really the time for wordplay?!

“I’ve kept the meat frozen in Cocytus, the lowest level of the underworld, sealing in the umami perfectly, so it’s in prime condition for delivery! Although, I’ve never had anyone to give it to until now, so I’m releasing it all at once!!!”

No wonder there’s so much of it.

But is this safe?

I’ve heard eating food from the underworld turns you into one of its residents.

Doesn’t that apply here?

“Don’t worry! The beef comes from the Minotaur village, after all!”

“Seriously?!”

I feel like I just witnessed some major label fraud…

But hey, let’s just roll with it.

After all the twists and turns, when I thought all hope was lost…

I’ve finally got my hands on yakiniku beef!!!