67 — Chapter 67

I’d started to get used to this different world—skipping grades at the Academy and all—but seeing a monster with my own eyes sent chills down my spine. It hit me that I knew absolutely nothing about this place.

“I need to look into monsters.”

Both the boys and the girls remained perfectly calm even after seeing that massive creature. While I trembled, they behaved like proper ladies—maybe they’re used to monsters roaming their family estates. I won’t be able to travel in peace—though I don’t have the money to travel anyway.

Fortunately I’m exempt from math. I need to study to earn exemptions in other subjects, so I decided to head to the library.

The Monster Encyclopedia—this is the one. It’s incredibly heavy; I thudded the massive volume onto the desk.

The first pages listed animals I’d known in my previous life: Horned Rabbit (Al-miraj), Guinea Fowl (Pintade), Wild Boar (Boar), Deer (Elk), and Fox (Renard). But rabbits didn’t have horns back then, and the horns and fangs here were enormous. Adventurers apparently hunt these creatures for small magic stones, meat, fur, and horns; my household must be buying those magic stones too.

One monster I’d never seen before was the Slime. Its magic stones are microscopic and apparently used for waste disposal and sewage treatment—if slimes had existed in my previous life, would water pollution have been less of a problem?

Oh—the Guinea Fowl Princess Margaret chose was a monster too. Maybe I’ve been eating them without realizing it? Monster meat is a luxury, though, so it’s usually out of my reach.

As I flipped through the pages, unsettling entries popped up: the Fire-Eating Bird (Cassowary) carried warnings like “Beware of fire attacks” or “High damage if kicked.” I had pictured fluffy Sheep (Mouton), but these ones perform foreleg kicks and spout fire.

Ugh—Snake (Anguis). I hate them. Pass.

I absolutely loathe snakes and insects, so I skipped several pages, praying never to encounter one. I didn’t even want to look at the pictures.

Monkeys (Singe) are cunning alone, and encountered in groups they throw stones—run.

Bears (Ours) were dangerous in my previous life, but these are terrifying—and they use Earth Magic. I definitely don’t want to run into one, and apparently playing dead won’t help.

Hawks (Faulcon) don’t just use Wind Magic—their size is staggering, making them natural predators of grazing livestock. At that tier, magic stones are medium-sized.

Ah, the Big Boar. When fully grown they can be as big as a shed… I see—the one I saw the other day was only about elephant-sized, which explains why no one was surprised.

That was mid-book—further back, the creatures get increasingly ferocious.

Ooh—Tiger (Tigre), Lion (Lion). They’re the kings of the jungle here, too.

The fierce beasts I knew are just as savage here, and they bear large magic stones. I kept flipping and then saw Wyverns and Dragons listed as “Disaster Class”—from that page on, everything had the destructive potential to level cities or even nations.

It’s another world, but there are no goblins or orcs—thank goodness. Those “breeding stock” tropes are the enemy of women.

The difference between an animal and a monster is magical power—monsters have magic stones. Do humans who use magic have stones too? I felt over my chest through my clothes but couldn’t find anything. Hmph—it’s flat, easy to check. I’ll grow into it someday. Surely!

I have no intention of taking the Knight Course—I can barely mount a horse with a mounting block, and I don’t want to go around swinging a sword.

For this subjugation, all Middle School Knight Course students participated, along with Mage Course volunteers skilled in offensive or healing magic. Since I’m in Lifestyle Magic, taking Alchemy wouldn’t have mattered.

But if Henry chooses the Knight Course, will he have to fight monsters that big? I’m worried. I’d prefer he choose the Civil Servant track, but it’s his choice. As the second son, he won’t inherit the Viscount Granger house even if we’re poor—he has to make his own way. If bureaucracy doesn’t suit him and he wants to be a knight, so be it.

Besides, you don’t run into monsters that often, right? I’ve never been outside the Royal Capital of Romano except once to the Summer Detached Palace, and I didn’t see any then. I soothe my anxiety by telling myself monsters live deep in the forest and you won’t meet them unless you’re on a subjugation squad. I’d even forgotten about adventurers eating at stalls in the early morning.

At the High Dining Hall (the Salon), Big Boar steak was on the menu.

“I’ll have the Big Boar steak.”

Prince Richard seemed determined to eat the Big Boar he himself had defeated.

“I’ll also have the Big Boar steak my brother subjugated,” Prince Keith said. His ‘brother complex’ is almost laughable—well, cute in its own way.

“Indeed, I shall have the Big Boar steak as well,” Princess Margaret said. She usually doesn’t order steaks; for poultry and meat she prefers steamed or stewed dishes.

“You’ve never eaten Big Boar before, have you? Give it a try.” Patience may have eaten it before, but I haven’t since being reincarnated.

“You’re right. I’ll have the Big Boar steak as well.”

The Big Boar steak served looked no different from beef.

“Delicious.”

Prince Richard took a bite and closed his eyes as if savoring it.

The image of that giant beast flashed through my mind, but I timidly cut a small piece and tasted it. It’s sweet—the fat has a sweetness more like high-end pork than beef (understandable, it’s a boar), yet it lacks the wild gamey musk.

“It’s very delicious.” “Isn’t it?” For some reason, although he hadn’t been the one to defeat it, Prince Keith nodded with immense satisfaction.