"You've got to be kidding me, meow! You idiot!!" The Elder Chief brought his staff down on Shanshan's head without hesitation. "Were you asleep the whole time I was telling you stories, meow?! I've definitely told you about a dragon with a great sword for a tail, meow!!"
"Huh?!"
Shanshan had never expected to get quizzed on his lessons here. He was completely dumbfounded.
"When we get back, you're listening to all the stories again, meow! And this time, I'll keep a close eye on you!!"
"Please, nooooo, meow!!!"
That was a meow of pure anguish—the final cry of a hopeless student.
The Grimalkynes were... a little loose in the head.
There was a certain purity to them.
They had no complicated motives, nor did they live in a society full of scheming. They kept records of their history and the experiences of their forebears, but honestly, given the Grimalkynes' limited comprehension and cultural development, most of what they wrote down was incomprehensible anyway. It was no wonder Shanshan found the stories so boring he could barely stay awake.
Take those strange murals, for example. You couldn't tell what they were supposed to depict. They were incredibly abstract.
The Elder Chief kept whacking Shanshan's head with his staff, while Shanshan covered his head and dodged. The other Grimalkynes watched the show. For a moment, these one-track-minded little guys seemed to have completely forgotten where they were—or what they had come here to do.
That lasted until they suddenly felt something overhead. The glowing moss above the cave seemed to dim.
The Elder Chief gradually slowed his swings. The grins on the watching Grimalkynes' faces stiffened... and every one of them followed Shanshan's wide-eyed gaze.
In the cavern behind them, the Great Sword Dragon had woken at some point. It was now looking down at them from above. Its pair of crimson eyes were so cold, so utterly devoid of warmth, that just being stared at was enough to make an ordinary Grimalkyne's legs go weak.
Xingyan was, of course, awake.
Glavenus wasn't known for having particularly sharp hearing, but underground caverns were quiet by nature. Even the smallest sound echoed off the stone walls.
But contrary to what the Grimalkynes imagined, Xingyan wasn't glaring at them coldly and plotting how to skin and dismember them.
Honestly, he'd been woken by a cacophony of meows. When he came out and saw a group of upright cats gathered together, play-fighting, he hadn't even understood what was going on at first. Why is my place suddenly so lively?
"T-the Great Sword Dragon is awake, meow!!!"
After staring at each other for two seconds, one of the old Grimalkynes suddenly jumped up and cried out.
It was pure instinct. The six Grimalkynes who had just been gathered together scattered in every direction. One even frantically clawed at the ground, as if trying to dig a hole. The Elder Chief actually smacked Shanshan on the butt with his staff, bringing back memories of his childhood—of running away the moment he'd gotten into trouble.
The scene was instantly chaotic, leaving Xingyan even more confused.
What had this bunch of Grimalkynes come to his doorstep for?
Yes, he'd recognized them as one of the New World's native peoples from the game, so he hadn't had any intention of attacking them. And then he'd watched the little guys, who had no idea why they'd gathered at his door and were carrying Dragon Eggs on their backs, run around as if the sky were falling.
It was downright mysterious.
"Wait, something's not right, meow!!" After running a few steps with an egg on his back, the Elder Chief suddenly realized something was off. "Why are we running, meow?! Everyone, come back!!"
He finally remembered why they'd come here today.
"P-please accept our tribute, meow!!"
The Elder Chief turned to Xingyan, who hadn't attacked them and was only tilting his head as he watched them. Trembling, he set the egg down from his back, then got down on all fours and meowed.
He was at least something of a rallying point. After the Elder Chief started, the other old fellows carrying eggs ran over too, setting their own eggs down.
"P-please stop eating rocks in that direction, meow! Our nest is about to collapse, meow!"
"We can clean the Great Sword Dragon's nest, meow! We can even steal eggs to feed him, meow!! Just like the Bird Bro!"
"That's right, that's right! There are more of us, so we can steal eggs faster, and they'll taste better!"
"We can also help the Great Sword Dragon look after his little ones!"
"We can dig for ore too! Then the Great Sword Dragon won't have to eat rocks himself, meow!"
"..."
At first, only the Elder Chief was speaking. But after the other Grimalkynes saw that Xingyan wasn't attacking, they began shouting out their merits one after another.
It was just like a huge job fair. The Grimalkynes racked their brains to sell themselves, occasionally sneaking a cautious glance at Xingyan's expression. Unfortunately, nothing could be read from Glavenus's hard face, covered as it was in armor.
And Xingyan... Xingyan discovered that he could actually understand what the Grimalkynes were saying.
He'd have to meow a little too—cough, cough! Roar a little!
To be fair, it was a little difficult to pick out the main points from the chaos of their meowing, which darted from one topic to another. It was like doing a reading comprehension test. Xingyan only managed to make out three things:
First, he'd been eating rocks and ore deposits all over the place lately, and had apparently eaten his way beneath the Grimalkynes' nest. They were worried he'd either eat them or bring the nest down if he kept going.
Second, the Grimalkynes wanted him not to attack them. In exchange, they could offer him meat or Dragon Eggs... These little guys even wanted to steal eggs to feed him, just like the Bird Bro.
Third, the Grimalkynes lacked job opportunities.
Uh, in any case, their ideas gave Xingyan a lot to complain about. He thought they'd misunderstood the important part of the situation.
For starters, the Bird Bro wasn't offering him Dragon Eggs as tribute in exchange for protection.
But then again... As he gazed down at the Grimalkynes, who were looking up at him expectantly, Xingyan suddenly felt that this might be an opportunity.
"Roar, roar, roar!" (First of all, don't call me Great Sword Dragon. Call me Glavenus!)
What kind of name was Great Sword Dragon? The first time Xingyan had heard it, he hadn't even realized they were talking about him. It was so stupid. The Beastmen Race's cultural development was in desperate need of improvement!
"Y-yes, meow!" The Elder Chief sprang up from the ground. "Glavenus, meow!!"
He understood!
He really understood him!!
Xingyan stared in surprise at the Grimalkyne with the white whiskers. Given the language differences between Felynes and Grimalkynes, one could only say that a New World native... a native Beastman, at least, had a bit of beast in him.
Strangely, among these Grimalkynes, it seemed that only this old one with the long white whiskers could understand him. The others actually looked frightened when they heard Xingyan roar.
How bizarre.
"Roar, roar, roar! Roar! Roar, roar, roar!" (I can leave your nest alone, and I don't need you to offer me Dragon Eggs. I can even protect you when you're in danger.)
"R-really, meow?!!"
There was a light in the Elder Chief's eyes! A light!!
"What's he saying, what's he saying, meow?!" Seeing the Elder Chief's excitement, his old pals grew excited too. They eagerly pressed him for answers. "Ah! What's a Glavenus, meow? What are you two saying, meow?! We're so curious!!"
"You idiots, meow! Glavenus means—Boss Dragon Slayer, meow!!" The Elder Chief dredged a term up from the depths of his mind, then pointed at Xingyan and shouted, "He's not some Great Sword Dragon, meow! He's Boss Dragon Slayer, meow!!"
"But you said Great Sword Dragon..." one Grimalkyne muttered, then straightened up under the Elder Chief's murderous glare. "I get it! Boss Dragon Slayer, meow!!"
"Anyway, Boss Dragon Slayer says he won't destroy our home, meow! He doesn't need us to offer him Dragon Eggs, meow!! He can even protect us!!!"
"Meow?!!"
"There's really a deal that good, meow?!!"
The Grimalkynes were in an uproar. Xingyan didn't find them noisy, though. On the contrary, he found the whole scene pretty amusing. After all, what Monster Hunter player wouldn't love their Felyne companions?
Cute, capable, clever—just perfect.
Grimalkynes could be Felynes too!
"Roar, roar! Roar, roar, roar!!" (Don't celebrate too soon! If you want my protection, you still have to pass a test!)
"A t-test, meow?!" The Elder Chief immediately grew nervous. "A trial, meow?! I know about those!!"
The Grimalkyne tribe's traditions also told of trials for warriors, though in the past, these had been held for the tribe's strong Grimalkyne warriors. Shanshan, for example, had passed his trial, which was why he'd become the undisputed new chief.
He hadn't expected Boss Great Sword... Boss Dragon Slayer to have a trial too.
"Roar, roar!" (Wait here for me.)
After leaving them with those words, Xingyan woke the Bird Bro and told him not to make a fuss before striding out of the cave.
It had been a long time since he'd felt this way.
It had been almost two years since he'd crossed over into this world. Every day, he was either busy hunting and eating or busy sleeping. This was the first time he'd found something interesting enough to pass the time—something that could even be called entertainment.
He headed straight for his hunting grounds. It didn't take long to kill an adult Carapace Dragon. For once, he kept the carcass intact, picked it up in his jaws, and carried it all the way back to his new home.
The Grimalkynes were still waiting there. Not only that, Xingyan noticed that more young Grimalkynes had appeared, secretly watching from the corners outside the cavern and from cracks in the ceiling.
"Roar, roar! Roar, roar, roar!" (Give it everything you've got, and make a delicious feast out of this guy!!)
He tossed the Carapace Dragon's carcass in front of the Grimalkynes and made his announcement.
Food War: Dragon Edition 2.0 was officially underway!!
That was right—Felyne cuisine!
What Monster Hunter player wouldn't love Felynes? And who wouldn't love the delicious Felyne meals in the game?
Dango didn't count.
The hot spring eggs could get lost too.
As a food-loving dragon—at least in his own opinion—Xingyan had tried cooking for himself before. Unfortunately, he lacked nimble fingers and a wide selection of seasonings. His food had tasted better than raw meat, but not by much.
Things were different now, though.
The moment Xingyan saw these Grimalkynes, he'd thought of Felynes, and then of Felyne cuisine.
That was the sort of logic every food-loving dragon needed to have.
The Beastmen Race had its own culture and language, and living together in groups had naturally led them to develop a taste for good food. In other words, the Grimalkynes had not only nimble hands, but had also learned how to use a variety of seasonings over the course of their long history!
A cat might live a thousand days, but you only needed one day to put it to work!
After roaring out that the trial had officially begun, Xingyan curled up in a corner of his new home. He started watching the Grimalkynes at work, observing as the little guys ran around noisily, calling to one another.
The Grimalkyne who could understand him was called the Elder Chief. Besides him, there was a new chief named Shanshan. Under the direction of the two chiefs, the whole Detel Tribe was mobilized in no time.
Some Grimalkynes were busy carrying firewood into the cave, while others worked on building a barbecue grill. Still others brought fish, stone bowls, wooden bowls, and even sealed clay pots into the cave.
Yes, Xingyan was surprised to discover that these little guys could even fire their own pottery to store things, though they didn't seem to have much of it.
But then again, the Bird Bro occasionally dug clay pots out of the ground, so it wasn't that surprising after all.
Though the New World didn't have human kingdoms like the Old World, it did have traces of civilization. Beastman tribes, Dragonewt tribes, and Ancient Dragonewts had lived hidden in dragon territory for centuries, their lives carrying on much as before.
While Xingyan had been out collecting ingredients, the Elder Chief had already explained the situation to his people. So when Shanshan learned that their tribe was about to face a trial, he brought the young Grimalkynes from the hunting party over.
Uh, none of them had expected this kind of trial... a food trial.
No danger, no fighting, and no risking their lives.
It was simply... wonderful!!
"Oh! I'll make grilled meat, meow! I'm the best at it!!" Shanshan said, rubbing his hands together as he crouched down and blew on the glowing coals.
He was confident about making grilled meat!
"Don't mess things up at a time like this! Move aside, meow!" A... beautiful Grimalkyne with shiny fur bumped Shanshan aside with her backside and said irritably, "Just cooking the meat through doesn't count as grilling, meow! If you make Boss G—Boss Dragon Slayer sick, we'll be in trouble, meow!"
"That won't happen!" Shanshan protested, looking unconvinced. But her words fell on deaf ears. All he could do was sneak a glance toward Xingyan, who was watching him from the other side.
"...Boss Dragon Slayer is so big. He probably won't get sick that easily, meow..."
He whispered.
Before you continue