Butchering and Tanning

"Do you know the biggest reason why leather armor falls short of plate armor?"

After a lot of back-and-forth, I'd finally gotten her to understand what I meant, and the lesson kicked off right away.

I'd figured we'd dive straight into leatherworking, but contrary to my expectations, Geonmin opened the class with this out-of-left-field question.

"Because the defense is lacking."

"Why is the defense lacking?"

"Well, obviously because monster hides are—"

The wolf in sheep's clothing trailed off without finishing. She'd realized the massive flaw in her own logic the moment the words left her mouth.

"It's weird, right? If monster hides were really that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠weak, why do hunters struggle so much to take down monsters?"

Exactly. If monster hides were that flimsy, dungeons would already belong to hunters.

"So why is leather armor's defense so lacking?"

I pondered for a moment. Why? Monster hides were tough on the monsters themselves, but they got weak when turned into armor? No way.

"Because the leatherworkers' skills suck?"

"That's one reason, but not the root cause."

Something more fundamental than the craftsmen's skill...

"So the problem's with the hides themselves."

"Yes, exactly. The biggest issue is the hides themselves."

Even though I'd nailed the answer, I still didn't get it. What the hell was wrong with monster hides?

"When making plate armor, the raw ore doesn't make much difference. Mining doesn't require any special proficiency—if you've got the strength, anyone can do it. The quality depends on the blacksmith afterward. But leather armor is different."

I was getting hooked on Geonmin's explanation.

"For leather armor, 50% of the quality is determined during butchering, and the other 50% during tanning. The problem is, the hides you buy off the market have already been butchered poorly, dropping their quality below standard. So leatherworkers end up making armor from low-grade hides."

"That's why you had us import from America?"

I hadn't understood it before. Why import from America when low-grade hides were everywhere on the market? It had cost us a whole week just prepping materials.

"Yes. Even in America, the absolute top-grade hides—properly butchered ones—aren't for export. We can only get mid-to-high and high-grade, which is why we imported from there."

Now that I knew the reason, it made even less sense.

"Then why not just hire a specialist butcher instead of importing?"

Geonmin let out a deep sigh at my question.

"Sigh... There are no specialist butchers like that. In Korea, there are only a tiny handful of hunters you could even call that, and they're either in major guilds or running their own workshops. Getting hides from them is next to impossible."

And with that, I started to understand why she'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠given up on good hides.

"Even training butchers is too hard under the current system. Inexperienced butchers need ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠time to butcher properly, but combat hunters won't wait. There's nothing in it for them. So butchers either hunt monsters themselves or pay to join parties just to get that time."

As someone who'd never set foot in a dungeon, this was all news to me.

"And that creates another problem. With things like this, the supply of hides from A-rank and higher dungeons has plummeted. And even those aren't properly butchered. S-rank hides? You can imagine."

Now I got why leather armor lost out to plate. Why high-grade hides were so hard to find on the market.

And a great way to grow the leather workshop using Geonmin popped into my head.

'When Jeonghun starts running A-rank dungeons, have Geonmin tag along. Assuming she still impresses by then.'

I hadn't brought it up to her yet. You can't judge someone after one meeting. I'd watch her until the end of class and decide then.

With the basics on leather armor explained, the real lesson began.

"As I said earlier, leatherworking splits into butchering and tanning. For proper butchering, you'd ideally need a freshly killed monster. That's because you have to sense the mana flowing through the hide and butcher without damaging it."

Geonmin sighed faintly and continued.

"But if you can't sense that mana properly, it gets damaged during butchering, reducing the mana in the hide and weakening its defense. Plus, the longer after death, the harder it is to sense, so beginners especially need fresh kills."

It hit like a bolt from the blue for a dungeon-less guy like me, but I didn't panic. Thanks to my faith in the NPC Class.

"For today, I brought a low-grade monster corpse I butchered fresh from the dungeon this morning. It still has plenty of residual mana, so let's learn butchering on this."

Geonmin pulled a monster corpse from her backpack. I'd wondered about that huge pack on her back—it had spatial expansion.

The monster was a 1.5-meter gray-furred wolf.

"As you know, it's a Gray Wolf. Come closer, touch the body, and sense the mana. When you feel it's pooled up the most in an area, butcher there—that preserves the mana in the hide. Stop when it fades, resume when it flows strong again. That's the basics of butchering, all there is to it."

It sounded dead simple from the explanation. Sense mana in the hide, cut where it's strongest, stop when it dips, cut again when it surges.

Way easier than herbs, each with their own handling methods.

'Sure, the explanation makes it sound easy. In practice, it's gotta be tough. That's why market hides are all crap.'

I placed my hand on the Gray Wolf corpse and sensed the mana.

At that moment, the NPC Class answered my faith once more.

The mana drifting through the Gray Wolf corpse hit me crystal clear. How it flowed, where it went, how strong it was.

So vivid, I knew I could get top-grade hide right now.

"Got any other corpses?"

"Of course. Don't worry if you can't sense it yet. Focus on the alien mana that feels different from your own. That's the monster's."

Geonmin pulled out another while comforting me, but her words weren't registering. I was zeroed in on the new corpse.

'It works. This one too, clear as day. This guy, that one. All of them.'

My face twisted oddly as the NPC Class power stunned me again. I wanted to grin, but held it back with Geonmin watching.

She misread my expression and spoke up.

"It's okay. There's a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠trick—push a bit of your mana into the corpse. You'll feel it bounce back from the monster's mana. That's—"

"Can I try butchering now?"

No more explanation needed with the skill, so I jumped straight in. Geonmin's eyes went wide in shock.

"Pardon? You want to butcher?"

Thinking I hadn't even sensed mana yet, she hesitated, then nodded.

"Sure, give it a shot. Hands-on is a valid way. Feeling mana while butchering works too."

"Could you butcher the same type as me? Just once?"

I was curious. How would my skill-butcher hide stack up against a pro leatherworker's?

Geonmin agreed readily.

"Sounds good. Comparing your butchered hide with mine will make the difference crystal clear."

We set identical Gray Wolves in front of us and started.

Geonmin sensed mana by hand, cutting meticulously, bit by bit. Cautious when sensing, bold when cutting. Textbook butchering.

Me? No hesitation from start to finish. Anyone watching would've thought I was skinning meat, not a monster hide.

Geonmin gaped, about to say something ridiculous, but bit it back.

'Fine. I didn't expect much from the start anyway. I'll just do my best.'

She watched me a sec, then refocused.

By then, I'd finished and was eyeing her. Mine took just over two minutes.

Eight minutes later—ten total—she wrapped up.

"Let's see your hide, boss. But first, check mine. Sense the difference."

I examined hers.

'As expected, less mana than mine. 60%? No, a bit more—maybe just under 70%?'

The mana hit me instantly—less than mine, as predicted. But surprisingly low.

Geonmin took mine and gasped sharply.

"Wha—how? Y-you just hacked away, but this... how?!"

Her eyes bugged out like a startled rabbit; she couldn't speak.

"I-it's luck. Beginner's fluke. Yeah, that's it."

She muttered to herself, snapped out of it, and challenged me again.

"Boss, one more round."

"Sure."

I accepted gladly and dove back in. Same flawless speed.

Geonmin glanced over, sighed in relief, and concentrated harder.

"Right, fluke. Or divine luck. Can't happen twice."

I finished under two minutes. She, extra cautious, took fifteen.

Pleased with her effort, she smiled faintly.

"This is my best work. Feel what a pro butcher gets."

We swapped.

'About 70% now. She put in extra effort, so it improved a bit.'

My casual take contrasted her horrified shriek.

"Gah! No way! Luck twice in a row?! I can't accept it. One more!"

She wailed like a madwoman. I humored her again.

"What kinda luck hits three times? This is bullshit!"

"Four? You're kidding! How does butchering like that get this? Is he the god of butchering?!"

"Argh! Who the hell are you?! Toying with me like this... raaagh!"

We burned through all her corpses before it ended.

Finally sane, Geonmin—face pale, eyes teary—spoke up.

"B-boss... s-sorry. I-i-it slipped out, p-please forgive me. S-sob."

Anyone else would've wiped her tears at the pretty girl crying. But after her freakout? I was just baffled.

To be continued in the next chapter... The Hunter Who Awakened as an NPC