November, approaching the Northern Regions, heralds the onset of severe cold where the ground hides beneath snow and water lies frozen underneath ice.
This month serves as a warning to prepare for hibernation as animals and monsters accumulate fat, and to stockpile food for the harsh seasonal ordeal.
Should one fail to prepare, that brief slumber might turn into an eternal sleep, a grim reminder that failure to act may lead not to a cozy existence but to the dreadful struggle of mere survival.
As the deep chill sets in, heavy snowflakes begin to flutter down, and the once-flowing rivers gradually freeze over at their edges.
This is the month where the sound of crunching snow mingles with the crackling of ice.
Consequently, it becomes the time for all creatures driven by survival instincts to embark on their final hunts, with fierce battles for the food chain raging across snow-capped mountains and frost-laden fields.
And then,
As predators become keen to devour their prey, humans—the apex predators—arm themselves with their respective weapons, scouring the land for bounties.
For their guests, for their own survival.
Amidst them, curious rumors began circulating.
Those who witnessed it firsthand felt compelled to express their shock, while those who hadn’t dismissed it as mere nonsense.
The gossip was simple yet bizarre.
“Can you believe it? A noble young master is actually hunting monsters!”
“That’s not all. They say he even eats the monsters he hunts!”
This was the talk surrounding a hunter traversing the western territories of the Northern Regions.
The rumor claimed that a nobleman, accompanied by an old pack-bearer adorned with a white flag symbolizing the earldom, and two ladies, was personally hunting and consuming monsters.
Like a ghost story, this rumor fervently circulated among hunters, sparking heated debates about its truthfulness.
“Come on, now. They say the white-leaved Ents consume humans, don’t they?”
“Ha! That’s the funniest nonsense I’ve heard in my fifty years!”
“What a naive friend. Do you really believe that? It’s obviously some coward trying to evade danger by posing as a noble!”
Most dismissed it as just another tall tale.
The very idea of a pampered noble—who’d grown up only eating the finest—dining on monster carcasses was laughable enough, but add to that the absurdity of said noble hunting for his own meals?
It would be the kind of rumor that even a passing infant would stop and scoff at, exclaiming, “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard!”
So perhaps, like a lightweight balloon drifting away, the outlandish rumor took flight, spreading from the vicinity of Winterfell’s Grand Ducal Castle to the surrounding regions in just six months.
It even reached secluded mountain villages beyond the borders.
“Have you heard?”
“Heard what?”
“About that blood-sucking young master who roams the wilderness, tearing into monster carcasses raw.”
The hunter who supposedly ‘cooked’ monster bodies had transformed into a savage feasting on them fresh.
The noble young master was unwittingly bestowed with the formidable title of ‘Blood-Sucking young master.’
Such is human instinct.
In seeking thrills, we crave ever greater stimuli.
This instinct adorned the gossip with intrigue and roasted it to perfection, leading to the current outlandish state.
A man lifting his cup let out a derisive snort.
“Do you actually believe that nonsense?”
“Come now, it’s not nonsense! You know that fellow Gelwood next door, right?”
“That dullard who insists on using gunpowder over a bow for hunting in the snowy mountains?”
“Right! That foolish Gelvid! Just last night, I saw him with his bright red eyes devouring a raw red Longuer leg!”
“What? No way. He must have been seeing things.”
There was a man blustering as if he had made a groundbreaking discovery, while the one seated opposite, sipping his drink, listened with a bemused expression.
The small mountain village of Slod, home to about a hundred people, thrived without any major threats, as it was inhabited only by herbivorous monsters, and the local security was well-maintained with wooden barricades.
Of course, even the smallest rumors stirred excitement in such a tiny community, and at that moment, whispers about the Blood-Sucking young master were brewing up in the tavern.
Creeeak!
The tavern door swung open with a bang, and a gust of wind stormed inside, momentarily chilling the previously lively atmosphere.
All eyes turned towards the entrance as silence blanketed the room.
Four figures draped in deep hoods entered, seemingly covered in snow as if they had braved the elements for quite some time.
In a village with only a hundred residents, one could easily discern if an individual belonged to the community just by their actions, reactions, stature, and gait. The arrival of these four outsiders, amidst the rising rumors of the Blood-Sucking young master, was enough to give the townsfolk an uneasy chill.
“……”
Thud, thud.
The man leading the group walked toward the counter, followed closely by the others, each step causing the clumps of snow on their shoulders to fall to the floor.
With every handful of snow that dropped, an eerie sensation filled the air much like the oppressive rain.
All eyes were on the mysterious four as they made their way through the tavern.
Gulp.
Even the veteran old men, who had seen their fair share of troubles, felt a lump in their throats as they sensed the grim aura surrounding those cloaked figures.
Finally, as they huddled around the tavern’s small fireplace, the locals chuckled nervously, feeling anxious for no good reason.
The sight of the four crowding around such a tiny fireplace and warming themselves was rather pitiful.
“Ahhh… I think I’m finally going to survive,” one admitted.
“Is this… warmth…?” another pondered.
“Wooow… Fire is indeed the greatest discovery in human history!”
Chatter, chatter, chatter.
After securing our rooms at the village tavern, we quickly gathered in the dining area, half due to the cold and half because our stomachs had been neglected since yesterday.
“Just get me something warm, anything at all.”
“Me too.”
“Same here.”
“I’d like to make a request as well.”
Six months had passed, and a lot had happened.
The culinary expedition that started from the Grand Ducal Palace reached the Duchy of Lundgren within a month. There, we tried to recruit a monster chef, but sadly, I ended up meeting my destined partner at a midway stop and had to withdraw from the journey.
Fortunately, Ariel, who had taken it upon herself to assist the chef, had significantly improved her skills over the months.
Though she still fell short of being a professional chef, she had made tremendous strides compared to when she would just clumsily hit meat with a club.
Ariel was now sitting across from me, devouring a bowl of soup, because a new dream had sparked within her.
That dream was simply this:
“I want to write a novel, just like the ones I’ve read every day!”
Ariel dreamed of publishing her first work as an author. And the protagonist of her debut would be none other than “Elden Raphelion,” as she wished to weave a story about his journey from a rogue noble to a legendary monster hunter, and she wanted to be there to witness it all unfold.
Rachel and Old Rendler were, of course, not surprised at all.
Moreover, after six months of hunting monsters and training, I had become skilled enough to take on intermediate-level monsters. For reasons unknown, I had even acquired the embarrassing moniker of “Blood-Sucking young master.”
“Y-You’re the famous Blood-Sucking young master?”
“…I wouldn’t know. Something like that.”
“Could you please sign this for me…?”
Blood-Sucking young master.
Thanks to that menacing nickname that hinted at a thirst for blood, finding a monster chef had only become more difficult, and unexpectedly, I had gained a bit of notoriety.
Many were terrified, and some children even broke down, but among the hunters, the nobleman who hunted monsters became an instant star.
Of course, it was a bit absurd that wild tales of devouring monsters alive circulated, but still.
Swish, swish.
Anyway, amidst the whispers of those asking for signatures and the gossiping gazes cast our way, we continued our meal. When our stomachs began to feel satisfied, I pulled out a map from my pocket and spread it out on the table.
It was a culinary map that Ariel had found in the Grand Ducal Library, detailing the best monster-eating spots.
“Hmm, looks like I’ve covered all the western areas, huh?”
Lots of circles were marked in the western region of the Northern Territory.
Ariel and I had marked every place we had stopped, and by now, there weren’t any more circles to be drawn in the western region.
“Hm. Seems that way, my lord,” she replied.
“Wow, did you really cover the whole western region already? That’s impressive!”
Impressive indeed.
I never imagined I would cover such a vast area in just six months.
The fact that we managed to traverse this region quickly was likely because the monster levels here were relatively low, with many herbivorous monsters, and my rapid growth had laid a solid foundation for this journey.
Of course, the greatest credit goes to the team members who managed to keep up with me.
And, I had officially joined the [Monster Hunting Association].
This was to sufficiently cover travel expenses.
While hunting and eating monsters wasn’t a problem, selling the byproducts was restricted to members of the association.
After all, simply tossing out leftover ingredients would be a waste of resources, wouldn’t it?
Anyway.
“It’s time to head to the eastern region.”
Finally, it was likely that the real culinary monster-hunting adventure would begin in the eastern region.
That’s where intermediate to upper-intermediate-level monsters roamed.
While the focus had been on food in the western region, the east would shift towards serious monster hunting.
“Then shall we start from here?”
I pointed to a spot with my finger.
The destination was the Marquisate of Eris, renowned for its man-eating plant monsters called [Dark Nepenthes Stem Salad] and [Stir-fried Dark Nepenthes Seeds].
It would be wise to head to this major territory to recruit a new monster chef before starting the serious culinary monster-hunting journey.
Additionally, taking the route through Winterfell Grand Duchy would be the fastest way for me.
“Oh, so we’ll be passing through Winterfell Grand Duchy?”
Well, why not?
After all, it seemed like a good way to go quickly, and Slod, this mountain village, was positioned on the right side of the northwest, making it close to the center of the Northern Territory, Winterfell Grand Duchy.
Therefore, as I scooped the last of the stew with my spoon, I nodded in agreement.
Winterfell Grand Duchy.
What sorts of events had unfolded in the place I’d return to after six months?
I pondered these thoughts.
You may also like Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy
