39
Chapter 39
The Blood Rice Cake, born through a cruel and gruesome process.
I activated my sense of taste and tried it, and the flavor wasn't as bad as I thought.
Of course, that didn't mean it was delicious.
It just had an acceptable taste that wasn't outright awful.
If I had to judge it strictly, it tasted slightly below average.
If it wasn't for replenishing Mana, there was absolutely no reason to eat it for the sake of enjoying a good meal.
Still, I didn't regret eating it.
By eating a piece of Blood Rice Cake, I solidly replenished my Mana and even unlocked a new achievement.
The reward was the Food Poisoning Immunity skill.
As a Doll, this skill was useless to me.
Because of that, the Helper substituted the reward with a Level Up.
This Helper punk, I actually like him today.
For reference, consuming more Blood Rice Cake didn't unlock any new achievements.
"Woong. Teddy Bear, how is it?"
"It's delicious, right? Woong? Isn't it?"
"Woo-woong. Seeing how you immediately ate a few more, it looks like you like the Blood Rice Cake."
The attention of the Luna Rabbits focused on me.
Every single one of them was giving me looks full of anticipation.
It wasn't tasty, but since I unlocked an achievement thanks to it, I expressed my gratitude for now.
Nod, nod.
Thank you. My level went up thanks to you.
"Woong! The Teddy Bear is satisfied!"
"Woo-hoo-hoong. There's no way the Blood Rice Cake we made could taste bad."
"Tosuni, you should hurry up and try it too! Woong!"
Tosuni also tore off a little piece of the Blood Rice Cake.
Then, mustering up her courage, she shoved it into her mouth.
Munch, munch.
Since Tosuni wasn't a Doll from the beginning, she could probably taste it even without the Feeding skill.
"Woong? Woo-woong...?"
Tosuni's expression as she chewed the Blood Rice Cake was subtle.
It seemed it wasn't to her taste, either.
[Devoted Rabbit Doll lv.14]
┗Pw.42
┗Rnk.Superior
Tosuni's level remained the same.
It was likely one of two things: either she failed to unlock an achievement, or she received the Food Poisoning Immunity skill as it was because she didn't have the help of the Helper skill.
After all, it was the power of the Helper skill that had substituted my reward.
"Tosuni, is it delicious? Woong? Is it?"
"Woong......."
Tosuni timidly nodded her head.
It looked as if she was forcing herself to say it was delicious.
Even if she wasn't honest, she was a good-hearted kid.
I also fed the Blood Rice Cake to the Baby Doll.
Since it couldn't chew, I forcefully shoved it into its mouth.
The Baby Doll also didn't receive a Level Up reward.
Did I really need to feed it to that one....
It wouldn't be able to taste it anyway.
***
My Physical Adaptability broke through 30.
I had met the condition to use the Evolution skill.
However, I put Evolution on hold for the moment.
That was because an important conversation was starting right now.
I couldn't draw everyone's attention to me and interrupt the flow of the conversation.
"So... you're asking me to tell you every detail I know about Humans, right?"
Ailee asked back.
The Luna Rabbit nodded.
"Woong. You said you were originally a Human, so you should know more about Humans than anyone else."
The Luna Rabbits already knew that Humans had set foot on this continent.
However, that was the only information they knew.
They didn't know much about the Human race in detail, and they hadn't even known that Ailee was originally a Human.
But right in the middle of enjoying the festival and chatting.
When it was revealed that Ailee used to be a Human, the Luna Rabbits surrounded her, showering her with endless attention as if they had never been indifferent. To be exact, they were craving information about Humans.
"Hurry up and hand over the information about Humans! Woong!"
"If you don't tell us quickly, we'll sulk!"
"Woo-woong!"
"...Why are you so curious about information regarding Humans?"
"We're just curious!"
"It's only natural to be curious since we've never actually seen one!"
"Woong!"
It didn't seem like they were trying to dig up information out of wariness toward Humans.
It just looked like curiosity, a desire to learn about an unknown creature.
Anyway, this worked out perfectly.
I was also curious about Humans, too.
Although I had actually seen several Humans including Ailee, unfortunately, I hadn't obtained much detailed information about them. If there was any useful information I managed to gather, it was merely that they could wield a special weapon called a Soul Weapon. Other than that, there was still a lot I didn't know.
Nice question, Luna Rabbit Noonims.
I was wondering how to ask her anyway, so thank you for asking instead!
"It's not hard to tell you... but I have no idea what exactly you're curious about, so I'm at a loss as to what information I should start with...."
It seemed she had no intention of keeping information about Humans a secret.
Then again, Ailee was a monster now, too.
Leaking information wasn't an act of betraying her own kind.
"Hmm. Should I start by telling you about the organization I belonged to first? It's a group called the Monster Slayer Guild."
"Woong? Monster Slayer Guild?"
"Woo-woong. I don't like the name."
"Good, let's hear about that organization first. Woong."
In front of Ailee.
The Luna Rabbits gathered and sat closely together.
Tosun's Mom, Tosuni, and I also took our seats nearby, while the other rabbits who had been enjoying the festival gathered one by one. It seemed there were quite a few who were curious about the race known as Humans.
"The Monster Slayer Guild is an organization established long ago by Humans who specialized in hunting monsters. And to this day, it has become the largest organization in the entire world."
Ailee began her story.
The rabbits held their breath and listened intently to Ailee's words.
"Ah. Even though it grew into the most massive organization, it allows dual affiliations as long as you aren't strictly part of the Guild Headquarters, so its solidarity isn't as tight-knit as a religion or a nation."
Anyone can join the Slayer Guild.
As long as you pass the test, it's possible to obtain the qualification.
It's quite common for royalty and nobles to hold a Slayer license.
Slayers who don't have dual affiliations. The Guild Headquarters alone is about the size of a small nation.
Ailee added the aforementioned details.
So it seems royalty and nobles exist in this world, too.
I unexpectedly gained some new information.
"Woong! I'm curious what the benefits of being affiliated there are!"
A Luna Rabbit who had been listening raised a hand high and asked a question.
Ailee answered without hesitation.
"You can receive a Slayer license. Most Humans join the Guild for that license."
"Woong? What's so good about getting that?"
"A Slayer license is an internationally recognized ID card that can be used in any nation. That's why they try to obtain it. Of course, there are various other reasons for getting one. Simple things like wanting to prove their own strength, wishing to enter restricted areas populated by dangerous monsters, or seeking lower commission fees when selling hunted monsters, among other reasons."
"Woo-woong. I understand."
Ailee withdrew her gaze from the Luna Rabbit.
Then, she slowly looked around at the rabbits staring intently at her and continued speaking.
"To tell you more details about Slayers, they are divided into several grades based on their achievements and skills. And the color of the license is different for each grade. The license is in the form of a Badge that can be attached to clothing, and by simply looking at that Badge, you can grasp the rough level of the Slayer. Though there are occasionally strong Humans in low grades and weak Humans in high grades."
Ailee began listing the Slayer grades from the lowest rank.
Bronze Badge, Bronze Slayer.
Silver Badge, Silver Slayer.
Gold Badge, Gold Slayer.
Platinum Badge, Platinum Slayer.
Red Badge, Orichalcum Slayer.
This is the extent of the Slayers known as the metal grades.
Then there was the Special Grade, which reportedly had a massive gap in strength compared to the metal grades.
Black Badge, Ebony Slayer.
Crimson Badge, Crimson Slayer.
Purple Badge, Astral Slayer.
These were the so-called Special Grades.
"There is also one Zero Slayer with a White Badge as an exception grade... That Slayer is called humanity's strongest while simultaneously being treated like a mythical existence. There are even rumors that they might be a fictional being. That's because they've never once officially appeared in front of the public. I actually suspect they might be a fabricated entity too, but... well, only the higher-ups at the Guild Headquarters would know the truth."
Listening to Ailee's story,
I thought back to the Badges held by the Humans I had met so far.
The Azure Human had a Platinum Badge.
A Platinum Slayer.
The Chastity Belt Human had a Gold Badge.
A Gold Slayer.
Ailee had a Silver Badge.
A Silver Slayer.
There wasn't a single Special Grade among them.
It made me wonder just what level a Special Grade was.
"Woong, how strong are those so-called Special Grades? Can they beat us?"
The Luna Rabbit asked.
It seemed we were thinking the exact same thing.
Ailee scratched her head and hummed thoughtfully for a moment.
"Uh... I'm not really sure about that either. It's not like Slayer information is made public, and while I've met Special Grades a few times, I've never seen them fight. I only know that they're Slayers with strength that can't even be compared to the metal grades."
At Ailee's words, the Luna Rabbits jumped up from their seats.
"Woo-woong. Now that you put it that way, I'm even more curious."
"I want to meet one. Woong."
"Ailee, are these Special Grade guys on this continent right now, too?"
"I'm not sure about that either... First off, there were no Special Grade Slayers on the ship I came on. But there might be some at other Expedition Camps, and there might be Special Grades mixed in among the Slayers who joined as latecomers. The number of Expedition Team personnel is constantly being replenished."
The Luna Rabbits looked at one another.
Then, they suddenly took to the sky and began flying off quickly somewhere.
"Woong! The first one to reach the Portal gets to go outside and take a look!"
"Woo-woong! What's with the false start!"
"Don't cheat!"
In an instant, the three Luna Rabbits disappeared from view.
Afterward.
When a little time had passed.
The two Luna Rabbits who lost the bet returned to the village with gloomy expressions.
***
The coastal Expedition Camp that Ailee used to belong to.
The scale of this place had expanded significantly over the past few days.
Because Expedition Team personnel were continuously being replenished, and supplies were also steadily coming in.
And right now, a festival was in full swing.
It was because they had recently taken down a wandering High Orc that had frequently appeared around the camp.
The reason the Humans were able to beat the High Orc was thanks to the newly joined Ebony Slayer.
"You're amazing, to think you defeated a High Orc!"
"As expected, an Ebony Slayer really is on another level."
"This is my first time actually seeing a Special Grade in person!"
There was a monster watching those Humans.
High up in the sky.
The Luna Rabbit stood in midair, slowly taking in the sight of the Humans.
Then, she spotted a Human wearing a Black Badge.
"......."
The corners of the Luna Rabbit's mouth curled up grotesquely.
I found one, a Special Grade.