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[Skill-Eater] Chapter 90: Knife
🕑 Added 2024-08-28 17:01:01 +0000 UTCWhen they were out of the sun, Izzio called for one of his employees who was working in the main building. A woman who had a refrigeration skill that could keep the jobo’s carcass fresh until the butcher had time to take it apart. She walked out of the shop and then reached out to touch the remains. Mana conducted through her hands, and the meat began billowing with frost a few seconds later.
“She’s a real lifesaver,” Izzio explained as the woman left to help some customers who had just arrived. “That power lets me take on several big jobs at once, without spending a fortune on magtech freezers. Now pull up a chair and let’s get started, daylight’s burning.”
With that, the butcher returned to his work in progress. He waved Edge over, then began laboring beside two of his apprentices, who were in the middle of carving up a pig the size of a small wagon. Edge was glad that the man didn’t mind an audience. It was highly educational to observe a master of the craft in his element.
Edge watched on as the team took the beast apart, limb by limb and joint by joint. Expertly separating muscle from bone, tendon from fat, organ from... whatever it was that held organs in place. Izzio stopped from time to time to explain what he was doing, showing which technique worked best with the part in question.
After an hour, he stopped cutting and turned to face Edge. “I think that will serve as an introduction. You won’t learn nearly as much unless you try it yourself. There’s plenty of work to go around, so why don’t you join in for a while?”
That was exactly what Edge had been hoping to hear. He washed his hands in the sink and walked over to Izzio’s side.
“Grab a knife and let’s get started. The first step is to get used to the experience of slicing flesh. The feeling of muscle parting before a knife. The texture, presence, and smell of it all. I’ll give you something to work with, and you can do whatever comes naturally. Don’t worry about messing it up, these parts are intended for stew and sausage anyway. Once you have some experience under your belt, I’ll move you on to more difficult tasks.”
With that, the butcher plopped a tall pile of meat onto a nearby table. Then he left Edge to it. He spent the next two hours slicing and dicing, trying to remember what little he knew of the process. He tried his best to cut along the grain. To separate muscle and fat from other types of tissue that weren’t suitable for consumption.
Meanwhile, Izzio’s crew continued butchering the pig in a frenzy of slicing and sawing. Cutting and chopping until only the skeleton remained.
When he was done with the pile he’d been given, Edge turned to Izzio and said, “You were kind enough to give me this crash course, but I think I want to learn more. Is there any chance that I could help you out for a few hours a week, whenever I have time to spare? You could teach me my way around a knife as payment. I won’t ask for anything else. I need to learn how to butcher and skin if I’m going to make the most out of being a hunter. I’ll work hard, without complaint.”
The man sized him up for a long moment before replying. “You seem sincere enough, and you’re right about needing to know more. A hunter who can take his prey apart and preserve the best parts can make twice as much as one who doesn’t. I’m willing to give it a shot if you pull your weight. And while I’ll happily take you up on the offer not to pay you, I’ll feed you every day that you work.”
After agreeing to Edge’s request, Izzio offered him another piece of advice. “At some point, I suggest that you make Talia the tanner the same pitch. I can teach you how to break down a beast, but not how to preserve its hide like she can.
“It won’t matter when you’re hunting near town and bringing you kills straight to me. But if you start ranging further out and need to preserve parts for longer, it will really pay off. High quality pelts and skins can boost your profits even further, which is why I always let her work her magic on my most expensive products before I carve up the rest.”
The butcher’s voice was full of enthusiasm as he warmed to the topic. “Then, if you really want to round yourself out, see if you can get the alchemists to teach you the basics of their craft. Not the mixing and preparation of medicines and potions, but how to identify the best monster and beast parts and extract them in a way that maintains their value.”
Edge nodded along until the man ran out of steam. “Thanks. For the advice, and the education.” Izzio smiled and said that he wouldn’t have time to get to the jobo until morning, but that Edge was welcome to join them for dinner. The offer made his stomach rumble. Don’t worry. I’m not about to pass up a free meal.
When he was done washing up, the butcher picked up pile of the pig he he’d been carving. Thick strips of marbled meat. He walked over to a magtech stove in the corner and then threw them into a pan, putting his tools away while the ham steaks fried. Soon, the air was filled with a mouthwatering aroma.
When they were done cooking, Izzio handed Edge two thick pieces of crispy fired meat, which tasted every bit as good as they smelled. He thanked the butcher for the savory treat and then bid the man good night.
While he was heading to the door, Edge’s Guide appeared of its own accord. He rubbed his chin as he read the words on the screen. Well now. Isn’t that interesting?
