Chapter 1

Oh…

What’s this?

I can barely move my body… it’s dark and warm…

Hm…

The last thing I remember was meeting Bus-kun, a relative of Truck-kun, on a fateful evening.

Splat.

…

Wait.

Didn’t I die?

That’s right. I died.

I became roadkill.

So, this must be the afterlife?

I was so happy…

I’d finally saved enough to be able to buy a nice, big steak.

Walking home on a cool summer evening.

Too distracted to even notice Bus-kun.

…

Bus-kun!!! You bastard!!!

Couldn’t you wait!

Don’t you know you should at least let me have my last supper before you give me the death penalty!

My steak!

My precious steak!…

It took me a month of scrounging to afford to eat steak again.

Why is it so expensive…

Hey, I think I can hear people talking?

Well, it’s about time, isn’t it.

I can see… the light…

“Waaa!! Waaa!!”

“She’s a girl!”

My steak! My precious steak! Bus-kun! I’ll never forgive you! Someday I will have my revenge!

And that’s how I was reincarnated into another world and all I want to do is eat steak.

The problem is… in this world… steak is even more expensive!!!

Ah, I faintly remember now.

Bus-kun sent me to another place first.

There was a goddess who asked me where I would like to go.

All I could do is complain about my precious steak and how that bastard Bus-kun killed me before I could eat it.

I worked so hard for that steak! Soulless, life draining retail work just to eat a steak!

So, she said she would send me to a world “where there was steak.”

Liar! Bastard goddess! You should have sent me somewhere steak was free! Where I could eat as much steak as I wanted to! Not just to a world where they have cows!

…

You could have at least had me reincarnate into a rich family!

…

Alas, this is my fate now.

Bus-kun doesn’t even exist in this world.

They have not been invented yet.

And my family is poor…

So, I’ll have to take fate into my own hands!

I’ll get rich and buy every cow there is!

Then I will have as much steak as I want!

Unfortunately, presently, I am still just a baby.

Mother’s milk is all I have.

I supposed I can’t complain too much.

It’s delicious, sure…

But…

I can’t help but long for steak…

GAHHH!!!
HURRY UP AND GET OLDER, ME!!!

YOU’RE WASTING TIME!!!

…

Does this world even have retail jobs?

…How am I supposed to earn money here?

My parents… apparently they work for free!

They don’t even have any money!

They work in the fields. They get to keep some of the grain for us, some to trade, but most of it goes to the king!

That king is stealing from my family!

If we kept everything maybe we could save up enough so that when I’m old enough I could buy at least one tasty steak!

…

One steak is all I ask.

…

Actually, a single steak is not nearly enough.

I would do anything for steak.

I need to make a plan.

A plan for steak!

Don’t judge how much I love steak.

Steak is the most important thing you see.

Maybe I could learn to hunt? Are there deer in this world?

Or use some of my Earth knowledge to… uh… actually, I don’t know that much…

As soon as I tasted steak as a child on Earth, all I could think about is how I could get more.

Hello, sir! That will be five dollars, sir! Please enjoy your order! Thank you for coming!

That’s right, I’m useless.

Doomed to work in the fields forever with my parents…

My love for steak is going to doom me to a lifetime of suffering…

But there’s no guarantee if I die again I’ll get a second chance.

I must make the best of this.

I must find a way to change my odds.

Oh, I think I’m beginning to understand them now.

The bastard goddess could have at least given me some kind of cheat to understand their language instantly!

Come to think of it, what all did she tell me?

I was complaining so loudly I didn’t even listen.

Think… think! What did she say?

“Unfortunately, there’s only a single world available right now where there’s steak. Additionally, you’re going to be poor for life, and never be able to afford any steak!”

That’s what the bastard goddess must have said.

I can’t even remember.

Maybe she did give me some kind of cheat.

…

It’s not my fault I was so upset!

“WAHH!! WAHH!!”

“Please hush dear. It’s not safe right now.”

Huh? It’s not safe in a farming village?

“Burn everything down! Kill them all!”

“Please! Spare us!”

…

That deceitful bastard goddess sent me into a war zone!

Apparently the kingdom was at war with another kingdom, and the other kingdom decided to murder all of the villagers to keep their population down. Looting and pillaging.

No!

I won’t stand for it!

I need my mother’s milk to survive!

I won’t make it to even starting my quest for steak if I die here!

“WAAAAAHHH!!!”

…

“What just happened? What is this?”

Is this some kind of cheat?

Everything is slowing down… except for me and my mother…

Run, mother! Run!

No! Don’t grab his sword! Just…

…

Mother…

…

That’s enough mother. Please, RUN NOW.

…

… And that’s how I learned my mother never wastes an opportunity.

They’re all dead now. I don’t even know how many she killed with that sword.

I lost count at how many throats she cut open. No blood came out, just the sword going into flesh.

My mother has very scary eyes right now.

Time still hadn’t moved.

Mother is crying.

Our home is still on fire, but the flames haven’t moved at all. They’re just stuck in place, along with everything else.

And then…

A thunderclap.

Time moved again.

Every soldier gasped and fell dead.

Ah…

We didn’t save everyone.

Mother ran, clutching me and the bloody sword.

…

…Where’s father?

…

Oh…

Father is gone.

He died protecting us.

…

It’s getting dark out now. Mother ran without stopping.

…

I can hear people in the distance. Yelling.

…

Finally, we’re at a castle.

Mother collapsed, breathless, but still held me tight.

A guard snatched the sword from her.

She gasped out that the enemy had attacked her village, and she’d killed them, escaped with me.

The guards don’t seem to believe her story, but they sent scouts to check.

…

We’re in someone’s home. Someone mother knows within the castle city.

Mother isn’t speaking. She’s only crying.

I’m sorry, mother… for being so useless…

I want to cry, but I can’t anymore.

I’m just a baby.

I’m tired…

It’s the morning now.

I’ve decided I’m never going to cry again.

I’ve decided there are two things that are important to me.

Steak.

Steak is very important.

Steak is my mission in life.

The second is…

Protecting my mother.

Taking care of my mother.

I have to get strong.

I have to make my mother happy.

I can’t be a burden.

…

…

That reminds me… in my past life…

I only ever thought of myself…

I didn’t think about boys.

I didn’t think about my family.

It was all a blur of doing what I had to do to get my next steak.

I’m suddenly full of regrets.

…

I didn’t even live the first time!

Well, I did eat some amazing steaks.

But steaks can’t be all I think about.

I realize that now.

…

It seems that reports from my mother have been confirmed.

About 50 men were found dead.

Some witnesses from my village, who were still there, confirmed they saw my mother holding a bloody sword with crazed eyes.

They didn’t actually see anything happen though. Just that there were men attacking us and they thought that they would die. Then, suddenly, all of the invaders were dead.

Our home burned down.

Mother went back with some guards and they helped her bury my father and the others.

The local count decided that this village was blessed by the goddess, and so it should be protected as a holy site.

I don’t understand what that means.

…

My mother was given a reward for her bravery. But having some gold is now bittersweet.

They may not fully believe her story, but there’s no doubt she killed at least some of them.

They decided she should keep her story quiet for now.

Our blessed village will now have a guard post, and the remaining peasants will be taxed less.

I will grow strong.

I will earn money.

I will protect mother.

HURRY UP, ME! GROW UP!

…

So I can eat steak again…

…and see mother smile.