#1021 Minos’ Bull

All right, now that we’ve got our mission, let’s get to it!

Time to snag some Minotaur meat!

Or, rather, meat from cattle raised by Minotaurs!

Keeping information accurate is crucial!

In this world, Minotaurs are actually a type of therian, a human-like species that’s big into ranching.

The cattle they raise are supposedly top-notch, so much so that only royalty and nobles get to feast on them.

So, naturally, I thought this primo beef would be perfect for our yakiniku party’s main course!!!

With that in mind, I made a beeline for the village where the Minotaurs live.

Joining me on this quest are my trusty guides, Sensei and Maradona.

“I’ve got the location of the Minotaur village memorized in my geographical database!”

Sensei sounds pretty pleased to be useful.

Even though he’s a mighty Lifeless King, you’d think he’d just relax and let us handle the minor details.

But when you’ve been an immortal ruler for over a thousand years, it’s no surprise you’d have the whole world’s layout down to a science.

Sensei’s map is like his version of Sugawara-pedia.

Then there’s Maradona, our other traveling companion…

“It’s been ages since I’ve had Minotaur beef! I’m so excited!!!”

She’s basically tagging along just to enjoy the meal.

But, you know, saying “Minotaur beef” sounds kind of weird. “Taurus” already means cattle, so it’s like saying “cattle cattle” or “ATM machine.”

What we really mean is beef from cattles raised by Minotaurs—a brand-name kind of deal, like Matsusaka beef.

...Although to be fair, Matsusaka beef comes from cattles raised in Matsusaka City, not by some dude named Matsusaka.

...Anyway.

“So, this is the Minotaur village?”

I’m riding my dragon-horse, Sakamoto, while Sensei and Maradona zip through the air like shooting stars with their flying magic.

Since this is our first time here, we can’t just teleport in.

“Wow, what a peaceful place.”

We arrive in a high-altitude mountain region, with rolling hills covered in short grass as far as the eye could see.

It’s the perfect spot for grazing.

You’d think the cattle would be roaming around, munching on grass, and growing nice and plump.

...Or so I thought.

But something feels off.

“Where are the cattle?”

This place is definitely an ideal pastureland, perfect for raising livestock.

So why, in a place like this, where cattle should be flourishing, is there not a single one in sight?

“Maybe they’re in the barn?”

I nod in agreement to Sensei’s guess.

The cattle probably aren’t out grazing all the time.

On chilly days, they’d want to be inside, cozy in the barn.

All right then, let’s find that barn!!!

There’s bound to be a Minotaur in there who we can negotiate with for some prime beef.

After wandering around for a bit, we finally find a building that looks promising.

It took longer than I’d hoped, considering we were in an open plain.

Is this where we’ll find the best Minotaur beef in the world?!

“Ah, sorry to bother you.”

The man who greets us looks like a member of the Minotaur tribe.

They’re part therian with cow genes, but instead of a typical bull-headed giant, he’s just a regular old guy with horns sticking out of his head.

But more importantly…

“We don’t raise cattle here anymore.”

...

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!

“What do you mean?! We came all this way because we heard the beef raised by Minotaurs is out of this world!”

“Well, I’m flattered you remember us for that. But the last time this village was known as the ‘holy land of beef’ was about a hundred years ago.”

A hundred years ago?!

What?!

What on earth happened here?!

“Ah, so you wandered in without knowing? Well, it’d be a shame to leave you in the dark, so I suppose I’ll tell you. It’s just an old, boring tale, though,” says the Minotaur elder with a grin, preparing to share a tragic story. “Once upon a time, this land faced a terrible catastrophe. You see, we couldn’t raise cattle anymore. Now, I wasn’t there myself, but this is what’s been passed down through the generations.”

The reason, as you might already know, was the humans and their thaumaturgy magic.

Sure, it could work miracles, but at a considerable cost—draining the land’s mana like there was no tomorrow. In the long run, it was the most inefficient magic you could imagine, leaving the land barren and useless.

And, of course, that didn’t stop at the humans’ borders; it spread all the way to the Minotaur pastures.

There was a time when the grass withered away, turning the once lush pastures into nothing more than a dusty wasteland.

Naturally, you can’t raise cattle on dirt.

But the Minotaurs had another disaster on their hands.

The Old Human Kingdom’s royal family.

“Back then, the top-tier cattle raised in this land had to be presented to the royal family every year. But when the grass was gone, so were the cattles, and they had no choice but to plead, ‘We’re done for! Please have mercy!’”

But the royals didn’t let it slide.

The human king, upon hearing that he wouldn’t be getting his hands on the finest beef, flew into a rage and sent his soldiers to take what he wanted by force.

Now, while the pasture might have been barren, the Minotaurs hadn’t lost all their cattle.

They still had a few precious breeding bulls—kept safe to preserve the prized bloodline for the next generation.

But, of course, the soldiers, not knowing the difference, carted off the breeding bulls.

All to present them to the king.

And just like that, the legacy of the Minotaur’s prized cattle was snuffed out.

You see, dairy farmers can’t just whip up cattle out of thin air.

The more famous the breed, the more effort has gone into preserving it for generations.

They’re carefully bred to be easier to raise and tastier, which is why they’re so sought after.

To a dairy farmer, the bloodline of a prized breed is something they’d protect with their lives.

And to think, all that was lost to a moment of royal gluttony—eating the very breeding bulls that were supposed to be preserved...!

What a loss for humankind!!!

“That was about a hundred years ago now.”

“How could that human king be so cruel? Surely, the gods have punished him by now!!!”

Even Maradona, usually calm, is livid at the story’s injustice.

But wait a minute, didn’t you used to serve that very king?

“Anyway, that’s why we lost our cattle and fell on hard times. The Minotaur tribe had to scrape by with odd jobs and labor just to stay together and avoid being scattered to the winds.”

The elder continues.

You can tell he must’ve had his share of struggles in life as a descendant of those times.

“But it wasn’t all bad. One good thing came out of it: the fall of the Human Kingdom!!!”

At this, the elder’s face lights up with joy.

It’s clear the downfall of the old kingdom is a cause for celebration!

“With the kingdom gone, that awful thaumaturgy magic disappeared too. Over time, our lands began to heal, and now, look around! The fields are green and full of life again!”

It’s true.

The moment we arrived, we noticed the vibrant pastures full of vitality. The once-desolate land had indeed made a remarkable recovery.

“And with support from the new Human Republic, we’re working to restore this place to its former glory as the finest cattle-producing region in the country. The land’s fertile again, so now we’re bringing in cattle from elsewhere to start fresh.”

“Does that mean the legendary beef will make a comeback?!”

“Well, it’s not that simple. The cattle we’re bringing in are for work, not for eating. If you try to cook them up, the meat would be so tough you’d probably break a tooth!”

But if you raise them with care over generations, then—finally—they’ll become a brand worth boasting about.

“To get there, though... it’s going to take, what, twenty years? By then, they might be decent enough to sell. If you’d like, you can come back then.”

Twenty years?!

By that time, the babies would have been born, grown up, and probably moved out!

There’s no way this is going to work for our “Celebrate the Expecting Mothers” yakiniku party!

Am I going to have to find beef somewhere else?!

Or... do I have to cancel the whole barbecue?!

This plan is hanging by a thread!