“I swear, your recovery ability is just too incredible.”
In the morning, EI stepped out of the room and immediately spotted Nia exercising in the yard.
He simply couldn’t imagine that the person who was half-dead the day before yesterday could actually walk on her own today.
This was nothing short of a medical miracle.
Could it really be said that this is a different world?
“EI, are you heading out?”
Nia didn’t wait for a reply.
She looked at EI, who was carrying a strange metal box, and asked.
“Yeah.” EI scratched the back of his head. “There’s only enough food at home for today. I have to go find something to eat.”
“EI, if it’s okay, can I come with you?” Nia said. “Maybe I can be of help.”
Besides wanting to investigate this strange man more carefully, as the princess’s knight, Nia also wanted to understand their current environment better.
Gathering information would help in responding to any emergencies.
“You want to come with me?”
The man gave her a skeptical look, scanning her from head to toe.
“You just recovered from your injury. Are you sure you can make it?”
“I’ve recovered a lot. I won’t slow you down.”
“Well… then, suit yourself.” EI warned, “But it’s dangerous in the mountains. You have to stay behind me and follow my orders.”
Nia didn’t really take EI’s warning to heart, but she humbly replied out of courtesy.
“I’ll listen to everything Mr. EI says.”
….
A dry shrub snapped underfoot.
Its lack of moisture left it brittle, like a human bone baked to crispness, breaking with a sharp “crack.”
A strange musk lingered in the air.
Nia swallowed and steadily followed the black-haired man ahead.
After walking for about ten minutes, the density of the vegetation significantly thinned out, replaced by a vast plain stretching before them.
At the same time, Nia realized that EI’s dwelling was roughly located on a prominent plateau near the mountain’s foothills.
The path down here was a gentle slope covered with low shrubs.
“Why does Mr. EI live alone in a place like this?”
Looking out at the plain below, Nia couldn’t help but ask.
She really couldn’t imagine why anyone would choose to live near the Turg Mountain Range.
Besides the frequent appearance of Monsters, this area was at the intersection of Lut, the Hel Empire, and the Nightfall Forest — a true Three No Man’s Land with no security whatsoever.
“Hm…” Hearing her question, the man slowly turned his head back. “Actually, I was teleported here from another continent. Because I’m unfamiliar with this place, I haven’t dared to leave.”
“Teleported from another continent?”
Nia was a little surprised.
This was the first time she had heard of any continent beyond Fara.
“Yes.” EI explained, “I was on my way to work when suddenly a… a metal beast called a ‘Great Transport’ crashed into me at seventy kilometers per hour…”
“When I woke up again, I was here.”
“Another reason I haven’t left is because I want to see if I can find a way back.”
“Unfortunately, I’ve been here almost three years and haven’t found any clues. I guess I can’t go back.”
Saying this, the man scratched his head and gave an embarrassed smile.
“Since I’m from another continent, if I say anything that sounds ignorant, please don’t take it personally, Miss Nia.”
Nia’s eyes lingered on his face for a moment.
After confirming he didn’t seem to be lying, she nodded.
“I understand.” She looked at the man with sympathy and patted his shoulder.
“If there’s a chance, I’ll ask some of the magic users I know who specialize in this type of magic. Maybe they know something.”
“Really?”
EI was overjoyed.
“Then I’ll leave it to you, Miss Nia.”
Nia shook her head.
“Compared to saving my lady’s life… that’s just a small matter.”
“But speaking of which, Mr. EI, what exactly are we doing here on the plains?”
Nia asked, confused.
“Aren’t we looking for food?”
“Yeah.”
“But this place doesn’t look like it has any food…”
“Doesn’t it?”
EI raised his hand and pointed a little distance away.
Following his gesture, Nia spotted a Monster.
Yes, a Monster.
After scanning the area and confirming there was nothing else “edible,” Nia slowly turned her head back.
“Mr. EI, the food you’re talking about… you mean Pig Hair, don’t you?”
“Pig Hair?” The man touched his chin and nodded thoughtfully.
“That thing’s called Pig Hair? I thought it was just a pig with rabbit ears and fur…”
“That’s not the point.” Nia couldn’t help but interrupt. “Mr. EI, I’ve never heard of anyone eating Monsters before.”
The man maintained his casual attitude and shrugged.
“Well, today you’re meeting me, the first person to eat Monster meat. I’m the pioneer, so to speak.”
Seeing that he wasn’t joking, Nia realized he didn’t understand the gravity of the situation.
So she said seriously, “Let’s not talk about how it tastes. What if it’s poisonous? Mr. EI, you should know there have been cases of death from eating Monsters by mistake.”
“Oh?” EI showed a curious expression.
“Don’t you usually eat meat?”
“It’s not that we don’t eat meat,” Nia said, “it’s just that we eat domesticated livestock…”
“But livestock, before being domesticated, aren’t they basically like Monsters?”
Nia immediately retorted, “Livestock don’t have the aggressive nature of Monsters. They don’t attack people, nor are they poisonous.”
Nia thought she had made her point clear enough to discourage him from eating Monster meat.
However, the man calmly replied.
“It’s fine. I’ve been eating those guys for a long time.” EI said, showing the muscles on his arm. “See? I’m still alive and kicking.”
“?!”
Nia found this hard to believe.
“Besides, let me tell you, there’s simply nothing else edible around here. Other than that guy up ahead, we don’t have any other options.” EI added.
“Even if you say that,” she refused, “I just can’t accept it.”
Putting it another way, even if she could accept it, what kind of status did Princess Meira have?
How could she eat the meat of a Monster with no safety guarantees?
If something happened to her, how could she face the elders who entrusted her?
“If you find anything else edible, we don’t have to eat that,” EI shrugged. “But lately, I haven’t found anything else. I’m getting sick of eating this stuff too.”
“This…”
As he said, after walking so far, she really hadn’t seen any edible fruits or plants.
“You see? You know there’s nothing else to eat, right?”
EI gave an expression that said, ‘I told you so.’
“If you’re not coming, wait here for me. I’ll be back soon.”