Chapter 21
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Hungry Slayer 21
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The village hall looked just like a makeshift field hospital.
People with injuries big and small lay scattered everywhere, groaning softly.
But this was still pretty good. It was proof that they were a solid hunting party in their own right.
‘Well… touring Sector 2 alone means the captain’s at least Rank 6.’ Dane nodded to himself as he approached Pohen.
“Hey, how’re you holding up?”
Pohen had bandages wrapped tightly around his torn and battered head. Dane couldn’t help but wonder where he’d gotten so much of it.
“As you can see, I’m a mess. What, come to rub it in?’ Pohen’s usual vigor was gone. He couldn’t even meet Dane’s eyes properly. It was almost pitiful.
“I whipped up some food. You know what they say—eat the beast that bit you to heal the wound.” River answered for him, gesturing to Bankers. He set down an armful of dishes on the floor.
The warm, comforting aroma of the broth rose up, mingling with the sweet, savory scent of the oxtail soup, filling the hall.
Pohen stared at the food, narrowing his eyes as if trying to parse the meaning behind it. Then bewilderment crossed his face.
“You mean… you made monster dishes?”
At their captain’s question, the members dragged their battered bodies upright and shuffled over.
Faces that had started out curious were now flushed red.
“You messing with us?!” “That’s going too far!”
“We survived thanks to you, sure, but this is over the line!” They took it as an insult, their voices rising in agitation. It was a perfectly understandable reaction.
Dane casually pointed toward the door with his thumb.
“Don’t believe me? Go check. The villagers have already been chowing down on this stuff.”
Even then, one of the less-injured members stepped out, then returned. His expression had changed completely.
“It’s true… Everyone in the village ate monster food together?”
The commotion didn’t die down even after their comrade’s words, so Bankers chimed in.
“Surviving that much damage makes this impressive in itself, doesn’t it? It’s just a coincidence, but don’t get too down about it. One sip of this hot broth, and your fighting spirit will ignite again.”
River swallowed the part about it being his doing.
“Why… show us this kindness? I don’t deserve treatment like this from you.”
Pohen spoke up. If what they said was true, it didn’t seem like they had any ill intentions.
Truth be told, from the moment he’d seen Dane charging toward the Krekator, he’d been gripped by a profound sense of defeat. Having his life saved on top of that, and now receiving this treatment—it weighed heavily on him.
River replied.
“Let’s call it professional courtesy. Hunters helping each other out isn’t weird, right?” It was all part of the plan, with an ulterior motive.
They were a hunting party with only three members in practice. Their foundation was shaky, and they had no real connections with other parties. Showing goodwill now could pay off for the hunting party someday.
‘Who knows? Like Dane said, when we go after that Elite, they might lend a hand…’ That’s why they’d waited for Pohen to eat. She was confident the food would win him over for a solid commitment.
Dane had come specifically for a reason, so he waited silently for Pohen to eat.
Bankers just wanted to share the delicious meal he’d enjoyed with others.
And so, all three sets of eyes fixed on Pohen, as if urging him to dig in.
Pohen was more intimidated by the Lucas Hunting Party than by his aversion to monster meat.
“Fine, then…”
He reluctantly scooped up a spoonful of the hotpot broth.
Some members saw it as a humiliation. Others shouted for him to stop. But when Pohen turned to them with an unexpected expression, the mood shifted.
“Huh… Hey… This… is good…” He shoveled in another spoonful, this time with meat on it. Ignoring the wide-eyed stares of his members, the meat vanished into Pohen’s mouth.
Pohen’s narrow eyes widened in disbelief.
It didn’t take long for the food to disappear.
* * *
The faces of those who had eaten held a mix of bewilderment and a strange calm.
One thing was certain: the heavy gloom they’d exuded upon entering the hall was gone.
‘Well… There’s that saying: What meat can’t fix, no doctor can.’ Dane thought. Eating might have lightened their spirits a bit.
That was the law of the jungle.
The weak became meat, and the strong devoured them. The strong ate because they were strong. To climb the food chain, there was nothing but eating and growing.
The people of this world just hadn’t realized it yet.
Once Pohen seemed to snap out of it, Dane broached the main topic.
“I saw something interesting while you guys were fighting earlier.”
Pohen blinked his restored narrow eyes rapidly, waiting for what came next.
“Mind if I take a look at your sword?”
Bewilderment crossed his face. With such a large head, his emotions showed clearly.
“Hmm… Is that what you wanted?”
With no other choice, he carefully drew the sword from his belt.
-Shing.
“Nah, I’m good with my own. Just curious.”
Dane took it.
A faint blue glow emanated from the blade, clashing with Dane’s red eyes. Even gripping the hilt, the chill from the blade seeped naturally into him.
It confirmed what he’d seen with his own eyes.
“Whoa… What ore is this made from to have this kind of energy!” Bankers exclaimed from the side, watching. River, intrigued, leaned in and touched the blade with her fingertip.
“Ah… It’s really cold?” Cold ore. Or maybe some special energy infused into the sword? Dane frowned, turning it over to inspect.
“It’s… a sword made from Yadus Ore,” Pohen said.
“Yadus Ore?”
Dane repeated, glancing at his companions. They looked clueless too.
Pohen continued.
“You ever heard of Harac Bar Kingdom? One of the dwarf nations in the northwest.”
“Ah… I’ve heard there are dwarf kingdoms somewhere in the Tike Mountains beyond the roots’ reach. They say the dwarves stay there because they don’t get along with the elves.” River said, and Pohen nodded.
“Long ago, during a Sector 2 tour, I ran into some dwarves. They’d left Harac Bar for some special reason and were wandering beyond the continent. They were in a bind, so I helped out. Even guided them back home.”
“And they gave you this sword as thanks?” Dane asked.
“Yeah. It’s the sword that built the current Pohen Hunting Party.”
“So, if we go to that kingdom, there’s a lot of this ore?”
“They said it’s unique to that place. That’s all I know.”
“You know the way?”
“There’s only one path northwest into the Tike Mountains. Cross the walls of the last root village, Leighton Village, and you’re in dwarf territory.”
As Dane mulled over Leighton Village, River frowned, and Bankers turned pale.
“Why?”
“Leighton Village… They call it the village of old hunters. They hate elves with a passion. If you say you’re from Foldtown, they’ll slam the door in your face for sure,” River answered.
“And you?”
“It’s… supposed to be freezing cold there,” Bankers replied, rubbing his scales frantically.
“Alright. Looks like our next stop’s decided.” Dane declared immediately, brushing off Bankers’ reason as no big deal.
“Leighton?”
“We really… have to go to that frozen hellhole?”
Dane grinned and nodded. Surprisingly, Pohen grinned back.
“Well… With you guys, you might even get a warm welcome in Leighton. They don’t hate skilled hunters that much.” He glanced at his members while gripping his head with both hands.
“Help me out with this.”
Two members grabbed Pohen’s head from either side and lifted with effort. His hidden neck came into view.
“As thanks, I’ll give you this.” Pohen undid the cord around his neck and handed it over.
It was a necklace with a dried rabbit’s foot as a pendant. No one had imagined something like that buried under his massive head.
“If you make it to Harac Bar… No guarantee she’s still there, but show this to a woman named Tuparak. Once she hears my name, she won’t chase you off outright.”
As Dane sniffed the necklace, Pohen continued.
“And… this is also a token of alliance with the Pohen Hunting Party. When you need us, wear this, and we’ll come to your aid.”
His large head nodded emphatically, making it all the more convincing. Dane nodded back.
* * *
“The admin office specially approved the tour to handle that request… I wonder if it’s okay to just go off on our own like this.” River’s worries started the moment they left the hall.
“And like I said, the northwest is brutally cold. What’s your plan?” Bankers was practically pouting. Dane ignored him and locked eyes with River.
“It’s a tour to hunt new monsters anyway. We’ll handle the elves’ request when we get back.”
“What’s so important about that ore that you’re chasing it down?”
“It’s cold. Perfect for meat.”
There was more to his plan, but he left it at that for now.
River got it immediately. And thinking about it, it actually seemed like a pretty great reason.
‘Not just meat—other ingredients could stay fresh too.’ And so River bought into Dane’s words. Bankers shed tears at his comrades’ decision.
When the Lucas Hunting Party returned to the square, people still lingered by the bonfire even though the food was gone.
They clustered in groups, buzzing about the meals they’d eaten.
That’s what good food did. While eating, you talked about the food in front of you; after, you talked about the next thing you wanted to eat.
Even if it was taboo monster meat.
The people of Horhe Village were optimistic enough not to lose their spark even after the Krekator appeared, so they’d quickly overcome the barrier of monster meat.
Experience was that powerful. Questions poured in on the pioneers returning to the bonfire—it was only natural.
“Big bro, have you tried other monsters?” A freckled kid blinked his big eyes at Dane.
“Yep. Epup, Galaromotor, Gleklowk, Qurhalowk, and yesterday a bunch of Gorks right here. Krekator’s my first mid-to-large one.”
“Were they all tasty?”
“No meat tastes bad. Some just suit your tastes better.”
“Wow… I wanna try Gork too.” The kid looked up as he said it. His dad ruffled his hair with a laugh.
“Hahaha, yeah. Let’s catch one and eat it.” Once they knew it was edible, the how would follow.
Dane was certain it wouldn’t be long.