Chapter 54
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: First Meeting with the Researcher
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The next day, early in the morning, Dane's Butchery Squad set off toward Conwell Village. Conwell lay two days' journey to the northeast of Foldtown.
Dane said he had no plans to return to Foldtown for the time being.
If they were heading past the delta to the eastern outpost city, "for the time being" wouldn't even cover it. River packed her gear assuming they might never come back.
Bankers intended to take it slow with Dink. They'd left right away at Illein's request, but since protecting or rescuing the villagers wasn't their main goal, there was no need to rush.
Unaware of his intentions, Dink bounded forward excitedly. It was thrilled about getting out after so long.
"Ha ha... Dink doesn't seem to get tired at all."
Instead, it made up for the fast pace by spending long stretches during rests munching on the hay and massive piles of grass sent by the trading company. In the end, their arrival time would be about the same.
"Let's grab some meat and rest, too."
The Butchery Squad settled lunch with smoked jerky.
Dink, grazing nearby, felt safer than ever.
The sharp aura around Dane kept even the carnivorous monsters away from the isolated herbivore.
It would've been a terror on the other side, but as an ally, there was no sturdier bodyguard. Dink couldn't express that gratitude in words.
"Why'd the researcher head out first?"
River asked as she sliced jerky onto Bankers's plate.
Illein had said they'd meet the researcher who'd gone ahead at the fork in the ancient forest. No description of distinctive features—just that they'd know her when they saw her.
A strange shadow had crossed her face, but no one pressed the elf who wouldn't elaborate.
"Who knows. Maybe she doesn't like us?"
Dane's nonchalant reply stuck with River more than she'd admit.
The selection of Dane's Butchery Squad for the Thick Root Hunting Party had sent ripples throughout Foldtown.
Kemora tormented herself with guilt over losing her vice captain due to her own shortcomings and took a heavy emotional blow from being thoroughly beaten by a young hunter.
She'd left alone for the royal road to temper herself further, and her party disbanded. Unlike Lucas, she didn't pass it on, so Friedhold absorbed the members and launched a new hunting party.
Thanks to that, Dane's Butchery Squad drew attention from hunters wherever they went.
Worse still was the elves' backlash—it was loud enough to reach every hunter's ears.
Attempts to hunt and eat monsters persisted not just outside Foldtown but inside as well.
Crackdowns did nothing. The elves were furious that Dane's Butchery Squad—the root of all this—was selected to represent the town. Strolling the streets, they felt the elves' piercing glares nonstop.
Even dressing Dane in green panties nonstop changed nothing.
"I thought we'd avoid elves for a while... but we end up with one as a comrade. Ha ha."
Bankers, chewing jerky, seemed to share the sentiment. Dane brushed it off as usual.
"But she's the monster expert we wanted."
"Lifestyle's the issue. Meat's become our daily routine—how's an elf supposed to handle that?"
"Just have her graze with Dink."
"......"
"......"
Ignoring his comrades' stares, Dane kept slicing and eating meat. Bankers let out an incredulous laugh.
"Ha ha, you're truly only interested in meat, aren't you? I laughed so hard watching your reply to Creya's rep that my sides split."
River looked clueless. She glanced between Bankers and Dane, but neither bothered explaining.
She asked again.
"Yeah. You're way too serious about meat. Got some grudge against it or something?"
"It's delicious. That's enough, isn't it?"
"Then tell us this: why go big with brokering Yadus Ore from the dwarves or dealing with Creya Trading Company? If it's just a trip for meat, you wouldn't need to go that far."
At Bankers's question, Dane smiled faintly, as if wondering why it took so long.
They'd simply followed and respected the captain's decisions. He appreciated it. Time to share a bit of his true thoughts.
"I plan to eat every meat in the world. Call it a personal goal if you want. But I can't know what beasts or monsters exist where. Tienun's helped, but with the roots shrinking, the relay points will vanish too."
Dane paused. His comrades waited for more.
"Even wandering steadily, I might not finish before I die. If it's too much for us alone, better to hunt together. The meat from those hunts naturally comes to Dane Butchery. Build a list, tour the regions hunting, eat the unknown meats at local butcheries... That seems way more feasible."
He stopped there for now. It was plenty to leave them dumbfounded.
"So in the end, you've made it easier to access new meats in bulk."
The fact that it all boiled down to meat again drew blank laughs from his comrades.
* * *
They were halfway to Conwell.
While the three, united by meat, bantered nonstop about it, Dink veered down a root path in one direction. Talking food made time fly.
"We're almost at the ancient forest!"
Bankers called out.
A massive black silhouette rustled like a single living thing in the wind. The twilight was fading.
Even the old trees in the forest had some girth. They didn't let the world tree's long-extended roots pass easily.
The world tree's roots had split into fine segments to push through the forest eventually. Hence, the ancient forest fork.
Driving the wagon into the narrow forest path after sunset wouldn't be easy. They planned to meet the researcher at this rendezvous and camp.
"There's a faint elf scent."
Dane stood atop the roof on tiptoes and said.
He sensed a dim elven presence too.
"I'll go look."
While Dane and Bankers prepped camp, River headed into the forest alone.
She added she'd gather herbs or wild greens for the meat dish before dark, but the real reason was worry over what Dane might do if sent alone.
Rushing up into the forest, she scanned the ground for faint tracks. She was a seasoned hunter too. The traces led to the edge of a small hill where roots continued.
As she approached, a smell carried on the wind halted her.
'Something rotten...'
She crept forward cautiously, peeked over the hill's edge—and froze solid. She'd forgotten why she'd entered the forest. A foul body odor shook her senses.
Below the hill lay six mid-to-small monsters flat on the ground. All facing skyward, all different species.
The monsters were neatly arranged. Peaceful, even. Dead like that.
Arms and legs splayed wide. From throat to underbelly, cleanly sliced open.
No butcher prepping for food would ever yield that shape. Unnatural. Excessively tidy and clean. The deaths carried zero emotion.
That made it grotesque.
"Ugh!"
River clamped her mouth, barely suppressing the urge to vomit.
The exposed innards chilled even her, who sliced and cooked meat. She'd watched Dane butcher up close, but this was entirely different.
Trembling faintly as she tried to look away, she finally noticed the figure crouched near the monsters.
Two blue glows from within the deeply hooded robe stared silently at her.
River couldn't even breathe. Goosebumps rose; her hair stood on end. Then a saving voice came from behind.
"Gonna eat that?"
Dane had appeared beside her unnoticed, drawing the blue gaze downward.
Not curiosity. Righteous anger laced it. The eyes in the robe wavered for the first time.
To Dane, it was just botched butchery. Rot had already set in. No respect for the meat.
Their gazes locked in midair.
Beyond, they sized each other up.
"Play with food, and you're in trouble."
No reply, so Dane spoke louder. Anger thicker now.
The figure moved oddly. Leaping hilltop via two rocks in sequence, her waist bent twice lightly.
The enveloping robe didn't flutter. Her steps quieter than River's ragged breaths.
Tense River reached for her waist, backpedaling, but Dane stood stock-still, watching.
"Monster?"
The impassive question drifted from the hood like wind. Cold, emotion-stripped aura.
"What?"
A sharp glint shot at Dane.
A small, keen knife gleamed moonlight toward his throat. But it never connected. Dane's cleaver swung in an instant, clashing.
-Clang!
The rebounding blade tore the hood's edge and flew far. Revealing the rude one's identity.
A girl with ambiguously long ears.
Even in forest shadow and primal dust, her ash-gray hair, moon-kissed, lost no shine. Blue eyes, devoid of resonance, scanned Dane anew.
'Human... but monster.'
The blue-eyed elf couldn't comprehend the strange man before her. He radiated monster aura—why that form?
Only one way, then.
"You. I want to open you up."
Emotionless words slipped from perilously thin lips.
"Open what?"
Dane retorted in disbelief—the instant she lunged. A mace drawn unseen from the hood targeted his carotid again.
-Thwack!
But the elf flew back.
Dane struck faster than she could see, flat of the cleaver smacking her oncoming face. One hit sufficed.
"Hey..."
River chided softly, approaching the downed elf. Out cold, fully knocked.
"Problem?"
Dane asked. River sighed faintly.
"She struck first, aiming to kill. Should be fine. Let's take her to the wagon."
Bankers, just entering the forest, slung the elf over his shoulder with River and returned to camp. Dane descended to inspect the dissected monsters.
The precise, delicate cuts impressed even him. Unique, profound killing method.
Every monster's carotid severed.
'Mid-to-small, but solo? Not ordinary skill.'
Dane now knew elves wielded more power than their frames suggested.
Still, wasting good meat like this furrowed his brow.
Turning from the corpses, a thick notebook on the ground caught his eye.
Inside: sketches and diagrams of various monsters, annotated in strange script.
'An elf dissecting monsters and logging it... with one eye.'
Dane's Butchery Squad's first meeting with researcher Priscilla.