Episode 307
When Zeke ordered them to bring Big Joe, the beastmen exchanged uneasy glances.
As Zeke gripped his sword and began to approach slowly, one of them hurried inside.
Zeke sheathed his sword and turned to Helen.
“Sister, are you alright?”
Helen, looking gaunt, managed a smile at Zeke.
“I’m fine. But Zeke, did you come to this dangerous place alone?”
“The knights are stationed in the autonomous district due to certain circumstances.”
Zeke explained the situation, revealing that the Empire had sent assassins from the Nostra family to attack him.
Helen was taken aback by this revelation.
“The Nostra family? Are you saying the Empire has allied with them?”
“Yes, and it was the Empire that unleashed these monsters in the first place.”
Helen clenched her teeth in anger at Zeke’s words.
“Those imperial scoundrels…”
“They’re using soma to create stimulants and dark magic to brainwash not just monsters, but beastmen and humans alike.”
As Zeke and Helen conversed, the fortress gates opened, revealing the beastmen and the Joins.
Thud!
At the forefront, wielding a heavy steel club, was the leader of the Blackwing tribe, known as the Song of the Crouching Flame. Beside him stood the muscular beastmen, and leading them was Big Joe, a rat beastman dressed in gentlemanly attire.
Seeing Big Joe in person, it was surprising that someone so small and elderly had managed to unite the fierce beastman gangsters into a formidable organization.
Big Joe, leaning on his cane, approached Zeke slowly. He glanced at the tiger beastman captain lying unconscious by the gate and spoke to Zeke.
“Ah, Sir Zeke Draker. I’ve heard much about you. If my men have caused any trouble, I apologize.”
Big Joe removed his fedora and bowed to Zeke, who realized that this was no ordinary opponent.
‘His words are gentle, but his voice is steady. Despite his exhaustion, his eyes are sharp.’
Such an adversary would be dangerous to make an enemy of.
Zeke addressed Big Joe.
“I bring a message from Carly Draker.”
Big Joe raised an eyebrow at this.
“A message from Sir Carly Draker? Sir Zeke Draker, you’ve come a long way. But I’m not sure what significance Carly’s message holds in our current situation.”
Zeke stepped closer to Big Joe, prompting the beastmen behind him to block his path.
Big Joe waved them off.
“Ah, it’s alright, lads. Sir Zeke is a gentleman. Behave like gentlemen yourselves.”
The beastmen, with their predatory eyes, stepped back.
Zeke addressed Big Joe and the Song of the Crouching Flame.
“If the Joins and the Cross-Tail are considering an alliance to formally declare the independence of the ghetto region, Carly Draker is willing to support and assist you.”
Big Joe chuckled at this.
“An intriguing proposal. However… it’s not easy for an old man like me to accept it positively.”
The Song of the Crouching Flame, standing beside him, spoke up.
“I fail to see how Carly’s army is any different from the Empire’s peacekeepers.”
The prolonged isolation had left them visibly on edge.
Zeke looked at Big Joe and the Song of the Crouching Flame.
“The monsters outside—they were released by the Empire.”
Big Joe’s eyebrows twitched, and the Song of the Crouching Flame tightened his grip on his club.
Zeke continued.
“You’ve seen the Empire’s experiment reports. They’re not just experimenting on beastmen and humans anymore; they’re controlling monsters too. Are we really going to keep fighting each other under these circumstances?”
Big Joe spoke slowly.
“Hmm, it’s not an easy decision. What do you think, Song of the Crouching Flame?”
Big Joe naturally deferred the decision to the Song of the Crouching Flame, who replied with a sharp gaze.
“Humans can’t be trusted.”
Having lived under oppression in the ghetto for so long, the Joins harbored deep resentment towards humans.
Zeke addressed the Song of the Crouching Flame.
“What would it take for you to trust me?”
The Song of the Crouching Flame looked at Zeke.
“The only trustworthy human is a dead one. Prove your sincerity by stabbing yourself with your own sword.”
Helen stepped forward, incensed.
“Song of the Crouching Flame, we’ve come to this perilous place for your sake. Watch your words.”
Helen’s threatening tone made the other Joins raise their clubs and spread their wings, ready to attack.
Seeing the Blackwing warriors poised to strike, Zeke raised a hand to calm them.
“Stop. Fighting here only aids the Empire.”
Zeke opened his inventory and pulled out a crate filled with food.
“When you’re hungry, tempers flare. Let’s eat first and then talk.”
Thanks to the food Zeke brought, those in the fortress could finally sate their hunger after a long time. However, it wasn’t enough to sustain the hundreds of people there. They needed another way to find food.
But with monsters lurking everywhere, hunting other prey was impossible.
‘I can absorb monsters, but others can’t eat them…’
Monster meat was toxic and too tough to be used as food.
Then, an idea struck Zeke.
‘Wait, if it’s just toughness and toxicity…’
After pondering, Zeke leaped over the fortress walls and ventured outside. He captured a Minotaur with his giant hunter skills and dragged it back by its horns.
The beastmen guarding the fortress were shocked to see Zeke hauling the Minotaur.
They opened the gates to let him in.
Thud!
Zeke dropped the Minotaur in the courtyard, and a few beastmen gathered around.
One of them asked Zeke.
“Sir Knight, did you bring this to eat?”
“Yes.”
The beastmen recoiled at his answer.
“Don’t be ridiculous. It may look like a cow, but it’s all muscle and its blood is highly toxic. It’s inedible.”
While Minotaur horns and hides were sometimes used, the meat was considered unusable.
Only Barbarians could consume and digest monster meat.
Zeke nodded at their words.
“That’s true, given its current state.”
He drew Anexi’s dagger and expertly began to butcher the Minotaur.
As he skinned and deboned it, cutting it into sections, both beastmen and some Joins gathered to watch.
The Joins were more skeptical than the beastmen.
“That foolish human is wasting his time.”
Once Zeke finished butchering the Minotaur, he carefully took out Agamemnon’s mask and used its purification skill on the massive hunk of meat.
Sssss—
The purification skill removed all toxins, turning the meat from a dark red to a bright, fresh pink.
The beastmen were astonished.
“Wow, that looks… delicious.”
“Yeah, it looks lean but firm. It might be quite tasty grilled…”
“How did he do that?”
Being primarily carnivorous, the beastmen needed a steady supply of meat. Trapped here, they were suffering from withdrawal due to the lack of fresh meat.
Ignoring their murmurs, Zeke gathered large stones scattered around the fortress and cut them with Bahamut. He laid the purified Minotaur meat on the smooth stone surface.
Then, he raised his hand and used his holy light skill on the meat.
Wooooom!
A warm, white light enveloped the meat, causing it to sizzle and cook.
“What is he doing?”
“Isn’t he a knight? That looks like magic…”
“What on earth is that?”
Zeke ignored the chatter and used pure flames to heat the stone slab.
With the holy light above and pure flames below, the meat cooked, releasing an intense aroma that ordinary fire couldn’t produce.
Once the meat seemed done, Zeke sliced off a piece with his dagger, tasted it, and nodded in satisfaction.
“Not bad.”
A wolf beastman, drooling uncontrollably, couldn’t resist and stepped forward.
“Sir Knight, may I try a piece?”
The meat looked so appetizing that he couldn’t help but want to taste the Minotaur meat.
Zeke nodded.
The wolf beastman immediately lunged forward, spearing a chunk of meat with his sharp claws and tearing into it with his teeth.
After chewing and swallowing, his eyes widened in surprise.
“Gasp!”
He looked at Zeke, hesitated for a moment, then, seeing Zeke’s nod, devoured the meat eagerly.
The beastfolk nearby were taken aback.
“Has he lost his mind? Hey! That’s Minotaur meat!”
“Damn, is he really going to eat it?”
The wolf beastman, who had devoured a chunk of meat in an instant, patted his belly with a blissful expression.
“Wow, Sir Knight! That’s the best meat I’ve ever tasted! So juicy and tender… Can I have another piece?”
Zeke grinned and replied, “Help yourself. If there’s not enough, I’ll grill more.”
With Zeke’s encouragement, the wolf beastman wagged his tail happily and began gnawing on the meat, bones and all.
The other beastfolk watched in bewilderment.
“What’s going on? He should be collapsing from the poison.”
“Damn, it looks delicious. Maybe I should try a little.”
Zeke addressed the hesitant beastfolk, “I’ve removed the toxins, so it’s safe to eat.”
With that reassurance, the beastfolk hesitated for a moment before grabbing pieces of meat and cautiously taking a bite.
“Huh?”
“Oh!”
“My goodness…”
The beastfolk were momentarily speechless after tasting the meat. Then, as if on cue, they all began devouring the meat with gusto.
“Hey, you’ve already had two pieces!”
“You jerk! That’s mine!”
Half a Minotaur’s worth of meat disappeared in no time. The beastfolk lay sprawled out, patting their full bellies with contented smiles.
“Ah, this is the life.”
“I can die happy now.”
Helen and the knights of the Steel Order, watching from the side, were bewildered. How could they be so happy eating monster meat?
Just then, Zeke approached them with something in his hands.
“You haven’t had a proper meal in a while, so I suggest starting with some soup.”
He handed out bowls of soup made with Minotaur meat to Helen and the knights. The soup, filled with large chunks of meat and fresh vegetables, looked quite appetizing.
The knights hesitated, knowing it contained Minotaur meat. The beastfolk seemed fine, but they were a different species.
As they wavered, Helen took a bowl and picked up a spoon.
The other knights tried to stop her. “Commander! They’re beastfolk, so they’re fine. Humans can’t eat monster meat!”
Ignoring their protests, Helen scooped up a large piece of meat and took a bite. Her eyes widened as she chewed slowly.
“It’s delicious.”
Suddenly, she was devouring the soup with enthusiasm.
The knights were taken aback.
“Commander? Are you alright?”
Helen had already finished her bowl. The knights exchanged glances between their own bowls and her, unsure of what to do.
They swallowed nervously, then picked up their spoons and cautiously tasted the soup.
Their eyes widened in surprise at the flavor.
“How is it this good?”
“Wow, this is as good as the gourmet soups in Atlas!”
Like Helen, the knights quickly polished off their bowls.
Zeke chuckled as he began grilling more meat.
Just then, a loud thud echoed.
The Crouching Flame’s Song approached Zeke with a sharp gaze.
“What are you doing, human?” it demanded.