Reincarnated as the Descendant of a Fallen Noble

Chapter 74: Gotta Eat to Live. (2)

Inside the meeting tent set up at the center of the fortress.

“You're saying everything's ready?”

“Yes, ma’am...”

In response to Princess Medeia’s question, Hardin and Malion bowed their heads.

However, the expressions of the knights surrounding them were far from pleasant.

‘What the hell is that smell…?’

‘Did they roll around in dung or something?’

The stench coming from Hardin and Malion was so foul it made the knights gag.

‘They can solve the food problem?’

‘No matter how I look at it, it's nonsense.’

Just as doubt filled everyone's faces, Hardin let out a loud sigh and spoke.

“Anyway, we’ll show you right away how to make food, so please follow us.”

At that, the knights began to rush outside in a group, but Hardin stretched out his hand and said,

“I’d prefer if only a minimal number of people came.”

“Why’s that?”

“Well, it’s sort of a family secret, so I’d like to keep the audience small.”

“What kind of ridiculous talk is that…”

The knights started grumbling one by one, and the tent was soon in an uproar.

Princess Medeia closed her eyes tightly, then opened them and spoke.

“Lieutenant Benjamin, let’s go with just the two of us.”

“There’s no need to humor such a request, is there?”

“I’d rather not waste time on useless bickering.”

“...Understood.”

Some time later, on the snowy field in front of the fortress.

“Guaaark!”

Crunch! Crack!

“Ugh, get out of the way already.”

Hardin and Malion led the way, slashing through ghouls as they headed somewhere, with Medeia and Benjamin following behind.

“Huff, huff. Brother, you really can get us food, right?”

“I told you, I can.”

Malion, looking nervous, kept pestering Hardin, while Princess Medeia and Lieutenant Benjamin, trailing them, wore hardened expressions.

After trudging through what was more a field of ghouls than snow for quite a while—

Hardin stopped in front of a large boulder, then grinned and said,

“Here we are.”

“What do you mean, ‘here’?”

“The place where we buried the food.”

There’s food here?

Everyone blinked in confusion when Hardin clapped Malion’s back a few times and said,

“Hey, dig here.”

“Dig? What for...?”

“I told you, we buried food here. So dig.”

“Ughhh...”

What is he talking about? Why would food be here?

Thud! Thud!

Malion, like a mole, thrust his arms into the snow piled under the boulder and began digging downward.

How deep did he dig?

“Eeeek!”

Malion fell back on his butt, scrambling backward.

What lay inside was a massive head.

A boar’s head with a long scar running over one eye.

‘This guy…’

Without a doubt, it was that massive Ice Hog they had seen on the first day they arrived at the fortress.

“W-What are you going to do with that, Brother?”

“......”

As both Malion and Princess Medeia gave him puzzled looks—

“I told you, it's food.”

Hardin grabbed the two horns of the Ice Hog and began dragging it along.

With an exasperated sigh, Medeia asked,

“...Is this really what you’re offering as food?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Almost simultaneously with Hardin’s reply—

“Eeeek!”

Swoosh!

Benjamin, his face flushing red, swung his sword without hesitation.

“Whoa there!”

Hardin ducked, dodging Benjamin’s sword like a slippery eel.

Then he flung the chunk of blue meat he was holding in both hands forward.

Crash! Crack!

“Hardin Daphne...”

The meat shattered into dozens of pieces on the ground, and Benjamin exhaled white breath as he glared at Hardin with deadly eyes.

“Hey, swinging a sword without warning isn’t the way to go.”

Hardin spoke smoothly, unfazed, and Princess Medeia asked as she watched him,

“Explain what you’re doing right now.”

“It’s not like I explained it in a complicated way. I said we should eat this guy, right? Wild boar meat’s tasty, isn’t it?”

Medeia furrowed her brow sharply.

“...Do you not understand what happens if you eat that creature’s meat?”

Hardin shrugged and replied,

“Well, because of the freezing poison in these things’ blood... your blood vessels would freeze, circulation would stop, and you’d suffer for about three or four days before kicking the bucket, right?”

It was common knowledge that the monsters in this region had blood mixed with elements that helped them endure the cold.

And if humans consumed them, that substance would become a deadly toxin—something everyone knew.

This was precisely why sourcing local food in Ruslan was considered completely impossible.

“You know that and still want to eat that?”

“Come on, that only applies if you eat it raw. If you detoxify it, this meat can be really delicious.”

“Detoxify?”

“Yeah, if you detoxify it properly, the meat is absolutely amazing.”

Grinning, Hardin pulled out a bottle from his coat.

Inside sloshed a white liquid—the bodily fluid of the Abyss Beetle.

“This is what all that damn suffering was for.”

“......”

What the hell is he doing?

No one had the faintest clue, and they simply watched.

Then Hardin lifted his sword.

“Now, which part’s the tastiest...?”

Slaaash!

He sliced off a portion of the Ice Hog’s belly.

What appeared was a cut of meat tinged with a blue hue—visibly nothing close to something edible.

Everyone grimaced, expecting as much, but then Hardin uncapped the bottle and let a few drops of the white liquid fall onto it.

And then...

Ssssssssssss!

‘Huh?’

A puff of white steam burst up, and the meat, which had been bluish in color, instantly turned brown.

Hardin grinned and said,

“Abyss Beetle fluid contains toxic substances that protect it from predators, and when that meets the freezing poison, they neutralize each other.”

Back in his younger days, when he had to camp in some miserably cold region—

An elf who constantly nagged him had taught him that bit of knowledge.

Thanks to that, he’d managed to avoid starving to death in a snowfield, and the memory had stuck with him.

Apparently, it was something passed down from ancestors who had once lived in cold regions.

Well, elves lived long lives, so it made sense they knew a lot of things.

‘See? Everything you learn becomes useful eventually.’

Hardin waved the now-brown chunk of meat as he spoke.

“So, when you pour the Abyss Beetle’s fluid over this thing’s meat, it completely removes the toxin and turns it into delicious, edible meat.”

“......”

Everyone stared blankly at Hardin, clearly having never heard anything like it before.

The first to speak was... Lieutenant Benjamin.

“Lady Medeia, this is obviously nonsense. There’s no way something that dangerous could be detoxified so easily. If it were that simple, the method would already be widely known—”

“...It wasn’t simple.”

“What?”

As Benjamin pointed at Hardin and raised his voice, Princess Medeia, after thinking for a moment, spoke up.

“The Abyss Beetle’s habitat isn’t easy to reach, and catching one isn’t a simple matter either. And... the idea of extracting its fluid and using it on the corpse of that creature isn’t something people would think of easily.”

Which meant there was nothing strange about this method being relatively unknown.

“Whew, your Highness is as sharp as ever.”

Hardin chuckled as he said that, and Benjamin’s brow twisted in displeasure.

“But still, that alone isn’t enough proof.”

Princess Medeia replied,

“Well, he can prove it, can’t he?”

“Prove it, how...?”

“Hardin Daphne, eat that meat. Right here, in front of me.”

Hardin gave a salute for no reason as he answered,

“But of course. Hey, Malion. Go fetch some kindling.”

“Kindling?”

“Can’t eat it raw, can we? Gotta grill it.”

“Ah, right!”

Malion quickly ran around collecting twigs and leaves from nearby.

They had come too far to turn back now.

There were only two options left—

Either his brother would be decapitated by Princess Medeia’s sword, or... he’d eat the meat and survive in one piece.

A short while later, behind the boulder where the Ice Hog had been buried—

Crackle! Crackle!

“Ooh, it’s cooking nicely.”

A campfire lit on the leeward side.

Skewered Ice Hog meat, held by Hardin and Malion, sizzled and smoked as it slowly roasted.

‘This smell… something’s off.’

Malion’s nostrils flared as his expression gradually twisted.

Instead of the savory scent that should’ve come from grilling meat, all he could smell was a pungent, rank odor.

‘Is it really safe to eat that?’

On top of the natural repulsion at the idea of eating monster meat, Malion also knew full well just how deadly the Ice Hog’s freezing poison was.

And now it even smelled weird—was it truly okay to eat something like that?

Doubt followed doubt, looping endlessly in Malion’s mind.

Then—

“Malion, try a bite.”

Hardin handed Malion one of the skewers.

Malion accepted it with clear reluctance, eyeing the meat with anxiety as he asked,

“You really want me to eat this?”

“I just explained everything. I said it’s fine to eat.”

“But… it’s just that...”

“What, don’t trust me?”

Hardin narrowed his eyes and asked again.

‘Of course I don’t trust it. Brother, would you eat this if someone else gave it to you?’

One wrong bite and it could be a one-way ticket to the afterlife.

Malion had the words at the tip of his tongue but couldn’t bring himself to say them.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you... I just think we should approach it a bit more cautiously… ha ha!”

As Malion scratched his head with an awkward laugh—

Hardin snatched the skewer from him and said indifferently,

“Fine, don’t eat it. But don’t come begging later.”

Then he bit into the meat on the skewer and began chewing with gusto.

Chomp chomp, gulp.

Malion, watching him nervously, asked,

“Are you okay, Brother?”

“Told you I’m fine.”

Hardin flashed a wide grin, and both Medeia and Benjamin locked their eyes on him.

‘The poison hasn’t kicked in yet…’

‘He probably didn’t eat enough of it yet.’

But that was just the beginning.

“Well then, let’s dig in.”

Chomp, gulp.

Hardin started pulling each skewer off the fire and stuffing them into his mouth.

What began with two skewers quickly became five, and then ten in no time at all.

‘He still looks fine?’

‘Is it really okay?’

The eyes of everyone watching began to widen.

The freezing poison in these local monsters was notorious for its immediate effects once ingested.

It typically caused the face to go pale, uncontrollable shivering, and swelling in the limbs.

Both Princess Medeia and Benjamin had seen the fates of refugees who couldn’t resist eating these creatures' flesh—they knew the signs well.

But Hardin showed not a hint of any such symptoms.

If anything, his stomach just ballooned like a drum from how much he had devoured.

And in the end...

“Buuurp! That hit the spot.”

Hardin patted his belly with a satisfied grin.

Far from turning blue, his face was glowing with color, and his expression radiated contentment.

Princess Medeia asked in a tone tinged with urgency,

“You’re not feeling chills or anything like that?”

“Chills? No way, my whole body’s warm from how full I am.”

“...No other symptoms?”

“Symptoms? I just feel great from a good meal.”

“That meat... is it really safe to eat?”

“If you really don’t trust me, you’re welcome to wait until I drop dead from the freezing poison. But I figure others might starve to death before that happens...”

As Hardin shrugged, Medeia’s expression grew more complex.

Hardin held up another skewer and said,

“Well, if it were me... I’d probably just take the leap and trust it.”

Medeia’s eyes trembled slightly.

Even from the side, it was obvious.

She was seriously deliberating.

‘If that really is edible, it would absolutely solve the food problem.’

Abyss Beetle. Ice Hog meat.

Both were difficult to procure, but if they could produce meat in this barren land using those ingredients, it would be a monumental breakthrough.

At the very least, they could prevent countless soldiers, knights, and refugees—currently surviving on sprouted potatoes—from starving to death.

But the decision wasn’t easy.

‘If it doesn’t work the way he says...’

Hardin might be fine not because the poison was truly neutralized, but due to some unique constitution or because he was a mana user.

In the end, Medeia had to choose—

To continue without securing any food and slowly wither away.

Or to take a calculated risk and break through the situation head-on.

Knowing that hundreds of lives hung on this very moment made her all the more cautious.

How long had she mulled it over?

Finally, Medeia lifted her head and spoke.

“First, I’ll try it myself.”

She reached out and took the skewer Hardin held out.

“Lady Medeia, are you sure? It might be better if I try it—”

“It’s fine.”

Chew chew, gulp.

A piece of Ice Hog meat passed between her small, red lips and was chewed and swallowed.

And then, after some time—

“......”

As she continued to chew, Medeia’s eyes suddenly widened with a flash.

“A-Are you alright?”

Benjamin asked, his face full of concern, but Medeia gave no reply.

Instead, she stared at Hardin and finally spoke.

“Hardin Daphne.”

“Yes?”

“...How much of this meat can we produce for now?”

Hardin grinned, the corners of his mouth curling up.

‘She figured it out.’

Just as he expected.

If she was a mana user—and with her level of skill—it was nothing for her to perceive what was going on inside her own body.

Hardin scratched his chin and replied,

“With the Abyss Beetle fluid we’ve collected so far… I think we can neutralize enough for everyone in the fortress to eat two or three meals.”

Medeia took out a small pouch and packed the remaining meat from the skewer into it.

Then she turned her head and spoke to Benjamin.

“Benjamin.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“When we return, make sure to inform the knights: if they encounter any Ice Hogs during battle, they are to secure the corpses without fail.”

“Then that means...”

“Everyone in the fortress will be provided with meat. As soon as possible.”

Resolve burned in Medeia’s eyes, and as he watched her, a satisfied smile rose on Hardin’s lips.