I was reincarnated as bait for the summoned hero
The cockatrice that inhabits the 35th floor of the Anheim Dungeon is a monstrous bird, a massive chicken measuring two meters in size.
Their feathers come in various colors, ranging from white, resembling a Leghorn, to a reddish-brown variety that proudly puffs up its plumage.
The differences from an ordinary chicken aren’t just in size—there are also the shark-like teeth peeking out from under its beak and a thick, reptilian tail in place of traditional tail feathers.
“And then there are the distinctive cheek feathers. Were they called ear tufts? They give it a rather amusing face.”
The fluffy feathers around its cheeks stick out like unruly hair, making it almost endearing.
Speaking of which, an adventurer who had told me about the monsters of Anheim Dungeon back at the tavern had grumbled about something.
Cockatrices sometimes drop eggs along with their meat, but their blue-green color is off-putting.
“Cheek feathers and blue-green eggs… It does resemble an Araucana.”
Araucanas are chickens native to Chile, known for their cheek tufts, lack of tail feathers, and their blue-green eggs.
The adventurers who found them had been too disgusted to take them back, but if they were anything like Araucana eggs, what a waste.
You can get Araucana eggs in Japan, too.
Back when my circle held a Halloween party, we ordered some and used them in our cooking.
The online shop had advertised them as “The Lucky Blue Egg.”
They looked pale blue on the outside, but inside, they were just like normal eggs.
If anything, they were more nutritious and had a richer flavor.
“If that’s the case, these cockatrice eggs that resemble Araucana eggs must be amazing.”
I smirked at the cockatrice standing before us. My appraisal skill confirmed that its meat was also of exceptional quality.
Excellent.
Hearing my mutterings, my two food-loving companions, Sheera and Ketsue, perked up. Their eager expressions as they surrounded the cockatrice made it clear they were ready.
“Alright, let’s hunt it.”
“Yes!”
“Meow!”
With my two enthusiastic partners in action, the 35th floor soon echoed with the cockatrice’s pained cries.
◆◇◆
“We got a ton of meat and eggs!”
“Finding the cockatrice nest was huge! Not just the eggs—there were even gold ornaments!”
“Yeah, that was lucky. I guess they have a habit of collecting shiny things, like crows.”
The accessories—necklaces, rings, and other trinkets—were made of pure gold, earning us a hefty payout.
We hadn’t been aiming for treasure, but an unexpected windfall was always welcome. We split the profits evenly, each of us pocketing a fair share.
The meat dropped in 5-kilogram chunks—breast, thighs, wings, drumsticks.
With all these different cuts, we wouldn’t be lacking chicken for a while.
We found several eggs among the loot, and Ketsue discovered about twenty more in the nest.
Given the cockatrice’s size, it wasn’t surprising, but the eggs were enormous—ostrich-sized.
One would be more than enough for the three of us to share in a single meal.
I had initially braced myself for the possibility of petrification, but the cockatrices on the 35th floor didn’t seem to have any special skills or magic.
Apparently, their higher-ranked counterparts in the lower floors do possess poison and petrification abilities.
“We managed to take down the Giant Deer on the 36th floor and the Killer Bear on the 37th without much trouble, too.”
“Yeah. We secured venison, so things are going great.”
“The magic stones and fur sold for a decent price too! I’m looking forward to trying bear meat!”
“Yeah. Today’s menu is cockatrice, but tomorrow, we’ll have bear hotpot.”
“Meow!”
Today’s earnings were solid.
Since bear meat requires some effort to prepare, we sold most of it to the guild, keeping only one chunk for ourselves.
We also sold about half of the venison and all of the magic stones.
The bear’s liver, which is an alchemy ingredient, had dropped from the one I personally defeated, so I decided to exchange it for points instead of selling it. Our points were steadily increasing.
“Today’s earnings: two gold coins! We’re rich!”
Sheera eagerly pulled out her leather pouch from her magic bag and placed the two gold coins inside.
After a moment of thought, she took out a copper coin.
“Tohma , I want to splurge on some sweets today—with a whole copper coin!”
“Yeah, yeah, got it.”
A single copper coin was about a thousand yen.
At a 100-yen shop, we could get ten treats, but she wanted to indulge today.
In that case, convenience store snacks were the way to go.
“I’ll summon them once we get home. Just hold on until then.”
“Okay! Hehe, I can’t wait!”
With a light spring in our steps, we left the Adventurers’ Guild.
The town of Anheim was lively.
With the dungeon economy booming, there were plenty of street stalls, general stores, weapon shops, and clothing stores.
Some high-end boutiques tried to lure in adventurers prone to reckless spending, but neither Sheera nor I paid them any attention as we headed home.
(After all, no matter how high-end the store, the quality of my summoned magic-store goods is way better…)
When it came to raw ingredients, the ones infused with this world’s mana were superior, but for processed goods, Earth’s products were leagues ahead.
That wasn’t limited to food—general goods, fabrics, furniture, and clothing from Earth were incomparable.
The designs of Earth-made clothes were too different to wear outside, but for undergarments and innerwear, I always used summoned ones.
Sheera had once deadpanned that after getting used to them, she could never go back to wearing the town’s underwear again.
Even for household items, 100-yen shop goods often surpassed the quality of the most expensive local products.
(No wonder I hardly ever go shopping anymore.)
I still occasionally visited the market, but only to pick up unique fruits and vegetables unavailable through my summoned magic store.
Sheera was at an age where she should be interested in fashion, but for now, sweets took priority.
That meant a portion of our earnings remained in my hands.
(Well, Japanese sweets are delicious, so I guess it can’t be helped.)
And so, today, the three of us—along with one cat—returned home without making any detours.
◆◇◆
Tonight’s dinner is a cockatrice oyakodon (a rice bowl with chicken and egg).
As someone who follows quick and easy recipes, I use granulated dashi and noodle soup base.
I slice onions thinly and cut the cockatrice’s thigh meat into bite-sized pieces.
In a deep frying pan, I stir-fry the onions and thigh meat in sesame oil, and once they’re cooked, I add the diluted noodle soup base and granulated dashi.
I let it simmer for a while and then taste it a little.
“Hmm… Maybe I’ll add a bit of sugar.”
Our oyakodon tends to be on the sweeter side.
I was deciding between sugar and dungeon honey, and I chose the honey. I dripped a small spoonful of it into the pan.
“Yeah, it’s delicious.”
I add the beaten eggs, and when they’re slightly undercooked, I turn off the heat, cover it, and let it steam for a minute.
In the meantime, I serve freshly cooked rice into bowls.
I then top the rice with the contents of the frying pan, garnish it with mitsuba, and it’s ready.
The leftover egg mixture I used for the soup.
“It’s done!”
When I turned around from the sink after plating, Sheera and Ketsue were already smiling and seated at the table.
“It smells so good!”
“This is cockatrice thigh meat and egg oyakodon. And this is egg soup.”
“Let’s eat!”
Not wasting any time, Sheera quickly scooped up a spoonful of the oyakodon. She took a bite, and her face softened in delight.
“Wow… It has a gentle flavor. The eggs are so fluffy.”
“Yeah, it’s really good. Cockatrice eggs have this richness.”
I had high expectations, as the yolks were a vibrant orange, but…
“This is even better than expected. It’s rich and so tasty. The meat is more muscular than chicken, but it’s also packed with flavor. It has a wild taste…”
“It’s delicious!”
“Yum!”
It seems they both liked it a lot.
The crunchy texture of the onions and the plump thigh meat, along with the creamy, slightly runny eggs, made for a perfect combination.
The noodle soup base, granulated dashi, and dungeon honey all complemented each other well.
“More, please!”
“Meow!”
With an empty bowl handed to me, I smiled wryly but went ahead and made three more servings of oyakodon.
