Chapter 52
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Hungry Slayer
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Foldtown was abuzz with the aftermath of the Elite hunt.
The display of Dane's prowess had spread like wildfire from the witnesses' mouths to their families, friends, and colleagues. The gossips had found prime material for once.
Rumors usually ballooned into absurd exaggerations, but the witnesses recounted the events plainly.
They were unbelievable even after being seen firsthand, leaving no room for embellishment. In that way, reality had dramatically surpassed impoverished imaginations.
Dane's hunting methods were a hot topic, but what truly set Foldtown boiling was the Elite meat.
Unlike Dane's abilities, which left no evidence, the Elite meat was real. Most who had gathered at the hunting grounds had bought it from the butchery team and shared it with their families.
“Insane…… How could anyone eat monster meat? Tsk tsk……”
The old man who said that shed tears after taking just one reluctant bite of the Elite meat his hunter son had brought home. It was a delicacy met at the end of his life. The thought that he could die without regrets came over him just like that.
Such households were far from few. It was the trigger that shifted perceptions. A revolution in values and tastes.
Once their thinking changed, their actions followed suit.
The next morning, before dawn had even broken, hunters rushed to the hunting grounds to hunt and devour monsters. But disappointingly, they couldn't recapture that flavor they had tasted. No, the foul smell and taste of the monster meat they already had made it impossible to eat.
They didn't know how.
Dane's ability to swiftly and precisely sever the blood flow, butcher, deftly debone, and portion was utterly unique.
“Isn't it just that only Elite meat is edible?”
“Or maybe only large monsters taste good?”
Such doubts sprouted, but hunting large monsters was no easy feat. Without belonging to a renowned hunting party, it was a pipe dream.
Butchering and eating meat on the spot was nearly impossible too, so answers to those questions wouldn't come easily.
Moreover, Foldtown still knew nothing about the 'Yadus Trailers.'
* * *
That morning, as hunters bustled about hunting monsters,
A carriage sent by the Kreya Merchant House arrived at the Dane Butchery team's base, loaded with Elite byproducts to take away.
“The representative sends word for our partner to shake off the fatigue from the hunt and return at your leisure.”
It was swift action, as if they had anticipated Dane's great achievement. Even the form of address had changed. He could picture the natural smile without seeing it.
“Please tell them I'll return once Foldtown business is wrapped up.”
The butchery team handed over most of the monster byproducts to the merchants and headed to Foldtown's commercial district with only some Elite ore.
“Whew…… This is insanely heavy.”
Bankers took on the role of porter, pulling the cart loaded with ore. Even he, who could handle large carriages with ease, found the Elite ore far heavier than expected. That was how much there was.
Bankers could only straighten his back upon arriving at the smithy, where the owner bowed deeply to Dane in greeting. It was novel how his attitude changed with every visit.
“Heh heh…… I heard the news. You did something incredible. Father must be overjoyed. Heh, heh heh.”
Even Deliel and Walter, who were always busy teasing Dane, would surely praise him for yesterday's feat. Dane suddenly missed them. With the Harac Bar matter too, he thought there might be a chance to visit soon.
“As I mentioned before, please make it about twice the size of this one.”
His familiar cleaver was perfect for butchering up to mid-sized monsters, but it fell short for anything larger.
He could wield dual blades anyway, so if needed, he could just hold two knives or use ones sized to the monster.
“But you've brought too much ore for that?”
“The rest into Elite frying pans in various sizes, large cauldrons and pots, sets of knives by type, ladles, spatulas, and other cooking tools. Also, one large, long foldable griddle……”
Dane glanced at Bankers and continued.
“And one large skewer spear sized to the spear that guy's holding.”
“Skewer spear……”
“For skewering meat to eat, but big and long like that.”
“Ah…… Truly bold and brilliant foresight.”
“The sooner the production, the better, so please hurry.”
Indulging in the fearsome luxury of forging various cooking utensils from Elite ore, the butchery team gathered in front of the smithy to discuss their next schedule.
River spoke first.
“I'll buy what we need and head back to look after Dink. Grab some meat for jerky on the way.”
“Hm…… We've got some time before the administration office summons us, so shall we hunt first?”
“Then I'll take the meat back after hunting's done. You head to the administration office.”
Leaving River behind, Dane and Bankers headed to the administration office hunting grounds.
* * *
Unless it was a special case like an exam, the administration office hunting grounds were always open, allowing Foldtown hunting parties to freely hunt monsters.
The bulletin board at the entrance listed monsters confirmed appearing that day, along with their request bounties.
Among them, Epup's name was welcome.
'For jerky, Epup it is.'
As Dane and Bankers smacked their lips looking at the board, hunting party members gathered around them.
“Butcher Dane!!”
“We saw you yesterday. Absolutely amazing!”
“How about a joint hunt with our party sometime?”
“Are you recruiting for the Dane Butchery team by any chance?”
“Ooh…… Got any leftover Elite meat?”
“Can other monsters be eaten too, not just Elite?”
Praise and encouragement for yesterday's exploits, along with doubts and eagerness about the meat, poured down on Dane.
In just one day of hunting, Dane had earned recognition for his skills in Foldtown and even gained trust. Plus, he could monopolize monster meat absolutely, so it wouldn't be surprising if an ordinary person thought to settle down.
Without the god's command to seek ultimate meat and his passion for new flavors, Dane might have too.
But the world was too vast and monsters too plentiful to linger in a border city. And there were even more potential customers who hadn't tasted monster meat yet. That's why Dane had been tirelessly wandering here and there for days.
Dane said to those watching him.
“If you want meat, follow me.”
Dane and Bankers leaped into the forest, and the hunters eagerly chased after them.
As time passed, only those of higher rank or decent skill remained, which was noticeable. They should be able to protect themselves and wouldn't interfere with his hunt.
Normally, hunting parties didn't allow others to observe their hunts. No reason to share their proprietary strategies. Yesterday had been an exception.
But Dane was different. Even if shown, no one could replicate his hunting methods.
In the tangled forest paths like seams, he spotted a dung tower and raised his hand in signal. The seasoned hunters realized Epups were nearby and hid in the trees.
While they watched from above, Dane openly lured an Epup as if putting on a show. His blood had an unusual appeal to monsters.
Drenched in blood after slaughtering eight Epups, he hung them from trees to drain.
“Bankers, mind the fire while I cut the meat.”
While Dane diligently portioned the Epups, Bankers spread out the hides, arranged the meat, and lit a fire on one side. The hunters encircled them quietly, observing Dane's actions.
Just as they couldn't mimic his hunting by watching, they couldn't replicate his deboning and portioning either. Like how watching a performance up close didn't let you play an instrument.
In fact, he was so fast it was hard to even tell what he was doing. So those gathered there became mere witnesses to key facts.
“It's not just Elite meat that's delicious.”
“Even mid-to-small monsters like Epup taste incredible.”
“But butchering is no easy task from the start.”
“It requires tremendous deboning and portioning skill.”
“Impossible without peering right into the monster's guts.”
Now that the hunters couldn't forget the taste of monster meat, they would practice relentlessly on small monsters to master precise, swift butchering, deboning, and portioning. And hit limits, growing frustrated.
Demand for Yadus Trailers would soon arise. Hunting parties would start mandating skilled deboners.
It would have to proceed in stages like that.
By the time Foldtown's hunters began changing that way, Dane would already be transforming tastes elsewhere.
The massive upheaval of the world was steadily advancing even in this remote little forest.
* * *
After sending Bankers off with the meat, Dane visited Tebier's office alone.
Tebier, welcoming Dane with Illein, asked straightforwardly.
“You pulled off something that big yesterday without a single scratch. Any secret?”
Dane's regeneration ability had been starkly revealed to the elves and Foldtown hunters alike. Though overshadowed briefly by the Elite hunt and monster meat buzz, Tebier asked about it first.
“Born with a sturdy body, I live gratefully to my parents every day.”
Dane gave the same answer as to his comrades.
No need to mention Kaipatu. Saying it was innate had sufficed for his comrades, but would it for Tebier? He didn't erase his dubious gaze.
“I'm quite curious about the parents who gave our captain those red eyes and mysterious abilities. It'd be nice to meet them someday, hahaha.”
He replied with a smile. Tebier dropped the probing and got to the point.
“Thanks to your performance exceeding expectations, I've smoothly selected the Dane Butchery team for the 'Foldtown Thick Root Hunting Party.'”
Far from smooth, but he phrased it so. Illein unwittingly gave a wry smile.
“Thank you. So what benefits do we receive?”
“To investigate monster unrest and root weakening anomalies, we'll grant maximum autonomy.”
“Autonomy meaning……”
“Base city Thick Root Hunting Parties hold status equal to the capital's elite parties. You can go anywhere freely, including hunts in other regions. Of course…… the delta is outside administration influence, so it doesn't apply. Everyone's equal there.”
A huge benefit. Enough that barriers to free hunting and devouring vanished.
“Such grand gifts make me suddenly apprehensive.”
“Haha, even Captain Dane gets scared?”
“As much responsibility comes with them.”
“Ah, nothing major. Just accept one researcher as a member.”
“Then…… you're saying take an elf as a member?”
“Only elves can investigate the anomalies.”
An unexpected request. Hard to grasp its intent right away. Purely for that reason? To attach a watcher? Or some other scheme?
“But there's a problem.”
Dane hadn't accepted yet, but Tebier added with a worried expression. Dane waited silently for what followed.
“Normally, a researcher is pre-assigned upon Thick Root selection, but yesterday one suddenly resigned. Your feats must have shocked them quite a bit, haha!”
Tebier laughed for a while like that. Illein recalled her ordeal from that morning.
After base cities decided to form representative parties, Hedonis capital had conditioned it on stationing one 감사원 researcher per party.
A safety measure of sorts.
But those pre-assigned researchers all resigned after yesterday. Illein had swiftly tried recruiting others, but none applied.
Researchers said they couldn't travel with savages who butchered and ate monster meat. They were firm. Elves don't reverse decisions.
Plus, as 감사원 affiliates, they couldn't be forcibly assigned without Bigdis's consent.
“Truth is…… without a researcher, the Thick Root Hunting Party has no reason to exist. Investigating anomalies is paramount. Strong parties are needed to facilitate that, and that's why we grant such status.”
Tebier kept wearing a troubled look.
“I fully understand your dilemma, but I don't see what I can do.”
Understandable that researchers recoiled after seeing monster meat butchered and eaten before elven eyes. But he couldn't declare he'd stop eating meat.
“It's our job. We're searching high and low, so in the meantime, Captain Dane, do what you planned. They'd be such a help as root and monster experts, it's frustrating, haha.”
“Monster experts, you say?”
Dane's eyes flashed for a moment.