Gaining Confidence 2

As Mero finished being dressed by his servant, someone knocked on his cabin door.

"Lord Mero, Tenur, and Mido are here to see you." A middle-aged man sitting opposite Mero's booth said after knocking three times on the door.

Upon hearing that, Mero signaled for his servant to open the door for him and walked toward the narrow corridor lit by only a torch outside his cabin.

Arriving outside, Mero saw those two waiting for him with their heads down, not looking him in the eye.

He asked. "Well? Why are you here?"

"Lord Mero, I showed the captive behind me the problem of animals on the ship. However, he simply suggested we abandon the animals since they are contaminated with something!" Mido said in a tone that made Tenur's suggestion sound like mindless nonsense.

Mero frowned his eyebrows and looked at Tenur, somewhat displeased.

That was a stupid suggestion!

What would they do if they ran out of meat?

"Tenur, is Mido serious? Did you suggest something of that nature?" He asked, as the two servants on the outskirts looked strangely at that slave, who would probably get a few lashes after that.

Tenur humbly said. "Lord Mero, I suggested it since those animals are sick and can cause trouble to us humans. But senior Mido is hiding that I have a solution to the meat problem."

Mero had a terrible expression on his face as Tenur had confirmed that he had indeed suggested something so imbecilic. However, this nobleman wanted to hear what this solution to the meat problem would be. "And what is it?" He asked aloud, expressing his displeasure.

"I know how to make something that tastes and is similar in composition to the meat that lord Mero eats. I just need a few ingredients..." He quoted all the ingredients needed to make the vegan meat he had in mind. "If the master gives me a chance, I will produce this meat so that no one on this ship has to catch the disease from these animals."

"Produce a meat?"

"What? How is that possible?" The woman behind Mero asked aloud.

"That's really strange. I've never heard of anyone being able to make meat... Even more so considering those ingredients." The middle-aged man said, looking strangely at Tenur.

"You can make meat?" Mero asked, not believing Tenur.

Tenur knew that these people didn't understand the basics of cooking and chemistry to understand the logic behind his intended actions. So he would not waste his time explaining that. Instead, what mattered in what he wanted to do was the taste, consistency, and properties of what he would produce.

The importance of meat in human food was its nutrients, something that could easily be replaced with the ingredients he had quoted. Finally, the taste, texture, in short, the qualities that would make humans like meat also mattered, and his method of making such meat replicated the characteristics that would satisfy these people.

So he simply summarized his method so they wouldn't be confused. "Yes, I can produce meat. It will take me half a day to get the first portion ready. Still, after today, I will be able to produce enough for the entire crew of this ship until the end of the trip without any problems."

"A day? You want the lord to go half a day without eating?" Mido almost slapped the back of Tenur's head, sensing this slave did not recognize his position.

Tenur looked at Mero and said. "My lord, this slave can do nothing if the master prefers not to believe him. But I advise the lord not to eat any more of that meat. And if you give me a chance, I will try to finish the first portion by sunrise.

My time will not be over by then..."

Hearing this, Mero felt that Tenur was trying to follow the rules he had set earlier. Even though he didn't like the situation at all, he decided to follow that.

If Tenur were lying, he would not only receive the lashings promised earlier. The punishment would be much worse!

"Very well.

Mido, give Tenur the ingredients he asked for. He has until dawn to produce what he promised." Mero turned and walked toward his room.

"But... My lord, what about your meal?" The woman questioned, knowing that the food should be close to being ready by now.

"Whoever wants to eat, eat. Don't do anything with the animals for now...

But I will not eat until Tenur brings me his meat... If it is not to my liking, he will pay the price of making me hungry for an entire night." He said, looking at that captive, threatening him but not taking away his chance.

Mero was not doing this to test this slave or because he believed the story about these animals not being suitable for his food. The point there was that Tenur had made him angry, and he wanted to be exploding with rage when that fellow's time was up.

Only then could he punish this foreign captive in the best way possible!

Tenur would not say anything to his master's threats. He would follow what he had proposed when Mido then took him to the ship's kitchen, where he also received each ingredient.

...

After an entire night, the sun was slowly rising on the horizon near where Mero's ship was.

On that ship, Mero's servants were eating meat on the sides of the ship while laughing and talking but not making too much noise so as not to annoy their master.

"Haha, I want to see what that fellow, Tenur, will accomplish after irritating the lord for an entire night..."

"Hmm, I've been without seeing a good public torture for a while... I guess I'll have a chance to see and maybe even participate in one today!"

"But what if he succeeds?"

"Impossible!

Who ever heard of someone being able to create meat? That is madness. That man is seeking his death!"

Several of them agreed, but those closer to the kitchen, sensing the fragrance from there, couldn't help but doubt it.

'That is the smell of meat...' Mero's servant thought of this as she waited to bring her master something to eat.

She was already considering that Tenur would fail, and Mero would demand something to calm his anger at going an entire night without eating.

But as Hapu got closer to the kitchen, she was somewhat surprised.

Just as Hapu was about to enter, Tenur came out of the kitchen door holding a platter with some bowls covered with larger ones.

The nearby servants saw this and realized it was showtime.

Some went next to him to the area where Mero usually ate, while others simply stopped talking to watch from a distance the result of this.

Mero was already standing where the only table on that ship was, with a terrible expression on his face, waiting for Tenur to finish off this slave's skin.

'Today, I might take the life of one with my own hands!' He tightened his fingers around a dagger.

But then, Tenur asked his permission, and seeing a nod from Mero, he placed the platter in his hands in front of the master of this ship.

"Lord Mero, sorry for the delay. But your meal is ready." He said as he started by taking the larger bowls off the smaller ones, the ones that actually had food in them.

Since Tenur didn't know what kind of food someone like Mero ate and the options on this ship, he had made some side dishes for the vegan meat on his own.

As he watched Tenur moving those bowls around, Mero soon saw a complete meal in front of him, capable of feeding two people.

There were roasted potatoes, a white grain, a colorful salad, and then the main course, a steak that had to be the most beautiful Mero had ever seen.

Gulp!

The nearby slave woman swallowed the saliva from her mouth at the sight of this piece of meat, which was quite different from the meat she, a servant girl, would normally eat.

Even Mero was a little impressed. The quality at first glance of this artificial Tenur meat was similar to some of the best steaks he had ever tasted.

He didn't know if it tasted good and if it would satisfy him. But the smell and appearance had pleased him, and soon he used one of the utensils to begin devouring that meal.

All the servants predicting Tenur's disaster in the surrounding area were standing with their mouths open in shock while seeing this fellow escaping an unprecedented punishment.

"Hahaha, very good!

It looks like real meat!" Mero commented amid his tasting, eating everything Tenur had prepared for him without stopping.

"And those potatoes, hum, magnificent!

What have you done? Why do they taste so good?"

...