Day One. (2)
Even when people are of the same race, speaking with someone from another country inevitably makes you feel the cultural differences. In the case of the gnoll tribe, the gap was even greater.
"Because we're different species to begin with."
Communication was possible, but since each species possessed its own inherent traits, misunderstandings were bound to arise.
If such misunderstandings piled up, they would eventually become unable to understand one another, and that discord could develop into conflict between the two factions.
Thus, in order to solidify the alliance, they had to acknowledge each other's differences.
"Honored guests have come from afar… We should at least share a meal with them."
Krnartash muttered that. No sooner had the queen spoken than the gnolls bustled about and brought over a large wooden dining table.
The human delegation and the gnoll queen sat around the table. Soon, food was placed before each of them.
Immediately afterward, the delegation was greatly flustered.
"... Jin, what is the meaning of this?"
Roland asked cautiously. What lay on the table was a long bone. Its shape resembled a chicken's neck bone, and its thickness was about as wide as an adult's forearm.
It looked as though scraps left over from a meal had been served. But this was the gnolls' idea of hospitality.
"It's the dried neck bone of a duck monster. It's considered a delicacy among the gnoll tribe."
Most monster meat tastes bad—bitter, tough, and foul. That was why the gnolls regarded monster bones as superior ingredients.
If you dry a duck monster's neck bone properly, it develops a crispy texture and a savory, nutty flavor. It was difficult to obtain and required a great deal of preparation. A delicacy rarely seen except on the tribe's festival days.
After the explanation, the delegation nodded with interest. But even knowing the circumstances did little to ease the awkwardness.
"So… how are we supposed to eat this?"
Roland muttered while staring at the massive bone. As if answering his question, Krnartash bit into the duck neck bone.
Crunch—!
The gnoll's fangs easily took a bite out of it. Krnartash chewed and swallowed the bone fragments. A sound like someone stuffing their mouth full of biscuits and chewing echoed repeatedly.
Seeing that, the representative of the delegation, Saint Cecilia, mustered her courage and picked up the neck bone. Carefully lifting her veil, she bit into it.
Crack!
"... Hng."
A faint groan slipped out from beneath her veil. It seemed her teeth hurt from biting into the hard bone.
A hyena's powerful jaws could easily crush bone, but for a human, it was no simple task. Even so, Cecilia stubbornly tried to chew and eat the duck bone.
It seemed she believed it was proper etiquette to finish the food one was served.
"At this rate, she'll crack a tooth."
Unable to watch any longer, Woojin snatched the duck neck bone from the saint's hand. Krnartash looked puzzled.
"Is there something wrong with the food?"
"Human teeth are too weak to chew bones. We're grateful for the hospitality, but this will be difficult."
"Is that so? Unexpected. Even the children of our tribe can eat duck bones…"
"You gnolls have strong jaws from a young age."
Even if a meal is prepared with sincerity, failing to consider each other's differences can make things worse than not doing anything at all—like the story of the fox and the crane.
Just as the crane cannot lap up soup served on a wide plate, and the fox cannot retrieve food placed in a narrow jar, even at a dining table one must recognize the differences between species.
In any case, they couldn't let this historic meal be ruined. Woojin made a proposal.
"Since we've been treated to gnoll cuisine, this time allow us to serve something from our side."
Anticipating that things might unfold this way, he had already instructed the delegation to prepare food in advance.
Krnartash had noticed as well.
"No wonder. A delicious smell has been tickling my nose for some time… Shall we take a look?"
The gnoll queen gave her permission.
When Woojin signaled to the saint, Cecilia nodded in understanding. Soon, the clergy brought out the humans' food.
It was smoked pork grilled over a bonfire. Its aggressive appearance and aroma left Krnartash half dazed.
"It was just grilled, so it'll be hot."
Woojin offered the warning. But Krnartash had already picked up the pork with her bare hand from the wooden bowl.
The gnoll queen took a bite of the human dish.
Crunch—
The fire-seared pork skin crackled crisply. Then came an explosion of juices. Though it was scalding hot, Krnartash paid it no mind and devoured the meat.
It was a flavor that made it impossible to stop midway.
For humans, pork is merely an ingredient that can be purchased with money. But from the gnolls' perspective, this meat was as though it had descended from the kitchen of the gods.
"…Shocking. This is the first time I've tasted something like this. Now I understand why you wouldn't even glance at our food."
Krnartash murmured. Woojin nodded as if he understood.
"Environment matters in everything. Humans don't even consider bones to be food."
As he spoke, he held out the duck neck bone to Rex. It would have made a good snack for a wolf with powerful jaws.
Sniff, sniff.
Rex caught the scent of the bone.
Then he turned his head away, as if to say that such a thing wasn't food at all. Seeing that, Krnartash let out a hollow laugh.
"So the food our tribe has long treated as a grand delicacy… is something even a hunting dog rejects?"
"This one just has particularly picky tastes. Honestly, duck neck bone isn't that bad."
Woojin replied as he took a bite of the duck neck bone himself. It was a bit tough, but if you kept chewing, a savory richness emerged.
Still, it couldn't compare to ingredients brought from inside the Barrier.
"If you ally with humans, you'll be able to receive food like this on a regular basis."
A sweet proposal. Yet Krnartash let out a sigh, as though deep in thought.
"After tasting food like this, even the warriors of our tribe will become picky eaters. The purpose of the alliance is admirable, but I worry about what comes after."
The gnoll tribe were great gluttons, and their numbers were far from small.
It would be difficult to fill every stomach with only the provisions supplied by humans. If they experienced food like this, it might negatively affect the tribe's mindset.
From the moment they came into contact with human civilization, traditions that had endured for ages would begin to warp. The chieftain of the primitive tribe was wary of that change.
"I hadn't thought that far… From your perspective, that's certainly a valid concern."
Woojin folded his arms and sank into thought. To be honest, he had never considered that such a problem might arise.
After pondering for a while, he finally spoke.
"…It may be presumptuous of me to offer advice, but… I believe change is sometimes necessary."
"Why?"
"Because old things aren't always good simply for being old."
Remaining unchanged could also mean stagnation. If things went wrong, they might fall behind the times and be eliminated. In that sense, clinging to an unchanging way of life was just as dangerous.
At Woojin's words, Krnartash fell silent for a moment before nodding.
"…You're right. There are times when what is old and worn becomes a threat to us. It may be time to accept something new. Only then can we stand against beings older than ourselves."
The Old Ones. The activities of those ancient beings had grown more frequent. To block their southward advance, reinforcements were desperately needed.
Krnartash's hesitation did not last long.
"Prepare the oath ritual."
The queen of the gnolls accepted the alliance.
To seal the pact, Brodul and the gnoll shamans brought forth a large brass brazier. It had foldable legs and was portable—an item the gnolls had seized from the Second Expeditionary Force.
Whoosh—!
Brodul set the firewood alight. When the shamans sprinkled black powder over it, the flames turned a sulfurous green.
Three figures stood before the fire: Krnartash, chieftain of the gnoll tribe; Cecilia, representative of the delegation; and Woojin, witness to the pact.
Krnartash plucked out a handful of her fur and tossed it into the flames.
Fwoosh!
The fire flared more fiercely as it devoured the fur. Next, Cecilia carefully cut a lock of her hair with a dagger and drew it out from beneath her veil.
Its color was unusual.
A fresh green, like newly picked grass. When she cast it into the fire, an odd scent rose—like mugwort crushed in a mortar.
'My turn.'
Woojin cut off a handful of his own hair and threw it into the blaze.
Fwoosh—
The three locks burned together, releasing their mingled scents. Through this ritual, the oath was sealed. The gnolls' keen sense of smell would remember this fragrance.
The delegation's first objective had been achieved. Humans and gnolls were now in the same boat.
'Now we just need to handle what remains.'
With the alliance formed, the next step was to gather information about the enemy they would face together. Without delay, Woojin asked,
"What exactly is attacking you? Give me the details."
"We are fighting the creature you called an abomination."
The gnoll tribe had been driven back by the abominations and forced to abandon their territory, retreating southward.
Woojin frowned in confusion.
"That's unexpected… With the strength of your warriors, you should be able to suppress ordinary abominations."
"They are not ordinary. There is the scent of the Old Ones upon them. Perhaps because of that, their power has grown stronger… and stranger."
Abominations imbued with the power of ancient beings.
Woojin sank into thought, recalling the memories of the dark priests lodged in his mind.
"…I can't quite grasp it."
Abominations possessed almost no intelligence; they were mere masses of flesh driven by instinct. Even the dark priests had been unable to control them.
Failures.
That was what the dark priests called them. If, during the baptism process, there were signs that someone would become an abomination, they immediately threw the body into a deep underground disposal pit and sealed it away.
'Have the Old Ones tampered with them somehow?'
To assess the situation, he would need to see it with his own eyes. Reaching that conclusion, Woojin rose to his feet.
"Since we're on the subject, let's head to the northern front."
"Very well."
Krnartash nodded. The others around them also stood.
As they stepped outside the building…
For some reason, gnolls had gathered all around it. Not just a few—there were so many it looked as though the entire city had assembled.
Woojin turned to the gnoll queen beside him.
"Why are they all gathered? Is there a festival?"
"I'm not sure…"
Even Krnartash tilted her head in puzzlement before addressing a gnoll who stood out in the crowd.
"Why are you all lingering around my residence?"
"…We smelled something delicious…"
The gnolls swallowed audibly as they spoke.
Only then did Woojin understand.
'They caught the scent of the pork.'
It seemed the aroma of grilled pork had left a stronger impression than even the solemn oath ritual.
The gnolls stared at them as though under collective hypnosis. Perhaps unable to ignore the yearning gazes of her subordinates, Krnartash hesitantly asked,
"Is there… any of that meat left?"
"Even if there isn't, it looks like we'll have to make some."
It seemed they would have to distribute food before setting out.
After all, in the end, everything came down to putting food on the table.
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