Chapter 6
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Hungry Slayer 6
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Foldtown evoked the image of a typical medieval city.
Buildings stood densely along the root paths that sprawled inside like a spiderweb. It was dizzying to the eyes.
“Whoa!”
“…Look over there.”
Dane, standing squarely in the middle of the street and looking around, stood out like a sore thumb.
Dane met the stares head-on, checking out the people in return.
Even without anyone to compare to, he’d thought Walter was big and Deliel beautiful. Now that he saw others, his father’s bulk and mother’s beauty were absolute.
His shabby attire couldn’t hide the looks he’d inherited from his mother. His hair color and eyes stood out especially.
Passing by those wavering between curiosity and awe, Dane ventured a little deeper into the town.
The crowd naturally parted as he moved.
‘Delmetor horns fetch a good price, right?’ Delmetors resembled massive bison. He’d taken down three and kept their horns.
* * *
“Hoo… These are all top quality.”
The place Dane found was an exchange. They bought and sold beast and monster parts like horns, teeth, claws, and hides, along with various ores.
The clerk, who had eyed Dane’s appearance warily, changed his attitude upon seeing the goods laid out.
“This Delmetor horn is smoothly polished. Mollitor mane, Barkratos silver claw, Svanlowk molar, plenty of Epup parts too. Haha! Were you on some big expedition? Or did you raid a hunting party’s warehouse? Ahaha!”
Keen to make the deal, friendly laughter punctuated his words.
Dane sold all the parts and received five gold coins, along with dozens of silvers and coppers.
‘Straightforward currency.’ He pocketed the coins in the complimentary money pouch and headed to his next destination.
He’d never learned to read, but inn signs were easy to spot. He entered the one with a mug and bed painted on it.
As expected, the inn’s first floor doubled as a restaurant and tavern. Even in broad daylight, plenty of people were enjoying drinks and food.
Dane approached a man scanning him up and down. He seemed to be the owner.
“Looking to stay?”
Misjudging Dane’s grimy look, the owner wrinkled his nose. Dane bristled at the sudden informal tone too.
“Yeah. A room with a bathtub.”
“2 silvers.”
One gold was 100 silvers, so now he truly appreciated how valuable those monster parts were.
Dane placed a silver on the table while staring down the owner. The man’s scowl smoothed out instantly.
* * *
Exhausted from the night before, Dane had collapsed right after washing up, leaving him ravenously hungry now.
Kaipatu had commanded him to wander endlessly in search of the ultimate meat.
An extreme craving for meat tormented him. Without it, severe dizziness, anemia, and vertigo set in.
No different from a vampire craving blood. A simple penalty, but deadly. A curse, even.
‘That’s all I ate before entering town… Hope they have something decent.’ He headed straight to the first-floor restaurant and asked a server for the menu. The response shocked him.
“No meat dishes?!”
Dane’s voice boomed too loud, drawing stares. The server paled and waved her arms to signal it was nothing.
“Lower your voice. What if someone misunderstands…”
“Why? Why no meat?”
Dane hushed his tone, his face desperate.
“How can you ask for meat inside the city?”
“Is meat that dangerous? No, then… where can I get some?”
“Anyway, we don’t serve meat at Fold Inn! Order something else!”
The server stated firmly and hurried off, glancing nervously at the onlookers, afraid of getting in trouble.
No meat? No reason to stay. Stunned, Dane stepped outside.
Her words sounded like meat was off-limits inside the city. Sniffing around or asking everywhere would take too long.
‘Even outside, it’s a long way to go. No beasts around here, let alone monsters.’ As a root city, monsters couldn’t approach, and beasts wouldn’t come near humans.
He hadn’t imagined facing danger inside the city.
‘Already dizzy… I might die like this. Dangerous.’ As Dane fretted, someone sidled up slyly.
“Overheard you’re looking for meat… Interested? Follow me.”
A scrawny man with beady eyes whispered discreetly.
Dane frowned, sizing him up, then nodded slightly.
He couldn’t read the guy, but brushing him off wasn’t easy either.
Like plotting some shady crime, the beady-eyed man kept glancing around before slipping into a narrow alley.
‘Acting like it’s some big deal.’ Grasping at straws, Dane followed.
They twisted through alleys to a dead-end, entering a small building. Down maze-like stairs into darkness, they reached a small door.
“Go on in.”
At the end of the narrow corridor, an unexpected sight unfolded.
‘A butcher shop…?’
Not modern, but the meat on the tables and hanging from hooks on the ceiling was unmistakable.
He’d followed half in doubt, but this was really a place selling meat. Was eating meat such a big deal?
‘No monster meat. Just sheep, rabbit, chicken. Too little.’ Even eating it all wouldn’t last half a day. At least the quality looked decent.
“This the meat?”
Dane asked the man across the table.
“That’s it.”
“What about monster meat?”
“Monster meat? Why seek that? You’re not here to eat, then?”
The man looked baffled.
‘So that’s true…’ His parents had tried monster meat for the first time thanks to Dane. They’d explained why later.
No one ate monster meat.
It was supposedly too gamey and inedible. The world wouldn’t take kindly to someone like Dane who did. They’d laughed and told him to be careful.
‘Monster meat, what… Can’t even get regular meat easily.’ As Dane despaired, the man pressed him.
“Buying or not? I can cook it right away if you buy. How much?”
“All of it.”
The man’s eyes widened at the abrupt reply.
“All this?”
“How much?”
“30 silvers at least…”
No time to haggle. Dane paid, and the man excitedly flung open a large curtain behind him.
“Hey, River! Get out here!! Hey!”
“Busy, what?”
A man emerged grumpily, wielding a frying ladle, looking annoyed.
‘Not a man… A woman in disguise.’ Her head wrapped in a chef’s toque, she looked male at a glance, but to Dane—who could see through muscles and organs—she was clearly female.
Oil and spice stains on her apron, skin glistening with sweat from hours at the fire.
“This customer bought all the meat. Cook it all at once.”
“All this?”
A thick, manufactured voice emerged. Her eyes on Dane mixed surprise and admiration for his looks.
Wondering if he’d eat it all alone, she stared openly without averting her gaze before speaking slowly.
“Fine… whatever. Wait here. Means I close early.” River gathered the meat in her arms and returned to the kitchen. Dane was led deeper inside.
In the dim space, scattered tables held people already eating meat. They glanced at Dane then focused back on their food.
While waiting, Dane eyed what others ate. Stir-fries, roasts, stews—varied dishes. With some mental leeway, ambient chatter reached his ears.
“Hope I get a rank in this hunter exam…”
“Foldtown’s the northern hub, so skilled folks gather naturally. Think you can hang with them?”
“We’ll see after the exam. Why deflate already!”
Hunters, by the look of them.
‘Hunting needs permits or licenses? Makes sense entering society… Can’t eat meat freely, now hunting too.’ Ears perked for useful info, his food arrived one by one.
“Sheep rib roast, rabbit stew with tomatoes, chicken stir-fry.”
River said, bringing it herself. Impressive variety in short time. The aroma was good too. Dane blanked out at the speed and quality.
“More coming. But… you’re eating all this alone?”
Dane reached for the sheep ribs without answering.
“Huh?”
He was even more shocked after tasting. No gaminess at all. Perfect roast.
He tried the rest. Stew’s texture and seasoning balance, smoky flavor on the chicken—all beyond expectations.
“You’re a great cook.”
River smirked and turned away.
Dane shoveled the meat, extending his life. Better-than-expected food eased his mind.
‘Barely survived. Meat’s hard to get, but this quality’s worth it. Still…’ He realized the city itself was riskier. Couldn’t keep fretting like this to eat.
“Hey… enough already. What makes you so great you keep teasing?”
The guys at the back table were still bickering on the same topic.
“A man sulking over that… Eat your meat. Squeeze out some strength for today’s exam.”
One line stuck. Dane turned toward their table.
“Hunter exam today?”
* * *
From the restaurant patrons, Dane learned the way to Foldtown’s administrative district.
‘Admin office, they said. That it…?’ The boxy red-brick building stood taller than others. Its grandeur was impressive, but the roots and branches encircling the exterior were extraordinary too.
Others like Dane gawked at the admin office. A conversation between what seemed like wealthy folk caught his ear.
“Way different from Root Village.”
“Monsters can’t approach the city, so it develops naturally. All sorts gather too.”
“Have to watch the elves.”
“Who else rules the world? Be careful at your exam.”
The man straightened his son’s clothes as he spoke.
‘Everyone’s wary of elves. Can’t eat meat easily because of them too…’ His parents had said all races fought monsters centered on elves. But they seemed to dominate everyone, so the suspicion fit.
Dane followed the crowd into the admin office.
The high-ceilinged lobby held scattered folks of every race. Varied reasons for being there, no doubt.
Well-dressed hunters were fun to watch, but beastmen and subraces—firsts for Dane—held his gaze.
Unaware they were hunting party scouts, Dane crossed the lobby.
At the end stretched a long reception counter, with long-eared folk seated in a row like bank tellers opposite.
‘Elves… Pretty much like the stories.’ Exactly the image from countless tales.
Their scent and aura were unique and potent. Like all breathing creatures, elves had a distinct smell. Dane sensed it as bitter grass.
‘The whole building reeks of it. Intense.’ But what shocked Dane most came after scanning an elf receptionist’s body.
‘That’s…’
Two stomachs, layered in complex folds connected to the esophagus.
Elves had two stomachs.