Life in the elf village was new.
I had only lived as an imperial noble until now. There was no way that my life in the remote northern region could be anything but special. Moreover, my new neighbors were elves.
It was something I could never have imagined just a few days ago.
Due to an unavoidable coincidence and connection, I was living with the elves.
Time flowed like a game of tag.
When I kept my eyes on it, it didn’t move, but when I happened to turn my gaze, before long it had come right up close.
This was the same even in the elf village.
It had been a whirlwind few days.
I had gotten to know a little over a dozen villagers, exchanged greetings, and made efforts to adapt to this new way of life for a while.
When I regained my senses, I realized that several pages of the daily calendar had already turned.
There were a few things I had come to realize during that time.
First of all, the food situation of the elves was unimaginably poor.
It happened shortly after I arrived in the village.
I was invited by Uncle Dolph.
He had shown particular fondness for me at the banquet, and even proposed to treat me to an elf’s dinner.
I had no reason to refuse.
I was curious about the elves’ diet, after all. That night, having gladly expressed my intention to accept, I headed to Uncle Dolph’s house with Luget.
It was a shabby hut.
I had heard he was the village carpenter, but his house was no different from those of the village elves. When thinking of the situation of the elves, it wasn’t surprising.
Architecture is a collection of many skills.
From design to materials and processing, various issues were intertwined in “architecture.” It was extremely difficult for elves to receive professional training in this field.
This was due to the endlessly scarce resources.
So, “carpenter” for an elf usually referred merely to someone skilled with their hands. One could hardly expect the professionalism that title would imply.
Just looking at Uncle Dolph’s hut proved this.
No carpenter would fail to put their utmost effort into building their own dwelling. Yet, the result was not much different from what he built for others.
Of course, this also reflected Uncle Dolph’s character.
He was a straightforward and honest elf. He put in his best effort regardless of whether it was his own work or someone else’s.
Additionally, he was a kind neighbor with altruistic traits. Although, it was said that he had a hot temper and was somewhat ignorant when he drank.
That was still irrelevant to me.
He was an elf who barely had enough food to eat. He didn’t have the resources to make alcohol.
According to Luget, the days when they drank were few and far between, perhaps only once every few years.
It seemed unlikely that I would ever see a drunken Uncle Dolph.
Thus, I entered the hut while chatting with Luget.
Despite its ragged appearance, the interior of the hut was cozy and warm. A fire blazed in the central hearth, radiating heat.
In an instant, the warmth brushed against my skin.
Elves from the south were particularly sensitive to heating. They tended to use an excessive amount of firewood, perhaps also because wood was abundant in the coniferous forest.
Other resources were all lacking. The only thing elves could use generously to entertain guests was firewood.
That was fine with me.
An experienced body forgets both heat and cold. The harsh cold of the north could not penetrate my body.
However, it was polite to repay hospitality with gratitude, so I bowed my head and offered a polite greeting.
“Thank you for inviting me today, Uncle Dolph… The room is very warm.”
“Haha, I can’t let a guest who has come all this way suffer in the cold, can I! By the way, everyone must be getting hungry, right?”
His voice held a strange anticipation.
Meanwhile, Uncle Dolph rubbed his hands together eagerly, looking almost like a child anxious to show off a wonderful toy.
It was a trait of elves.
They lived for hundreds of years yet did not forget their childlike spirit. To put it nicely, they were pure; to put it poorly, they were naive. Perhaps that was the secret to their longevity.
Living for centuries with a hardened heart was simply too painful.
They needed to possess the attitude of cherishing each day like a blessing.
While I smiled faintly at Uncle Dolph’s reaction, I couldn’t help but hide my own anticipation.
What kind of amazing food could possibly excite him this much?
Luget seemed to share my sentiment. Unable to hold back his curiosity, he asked Uncle Dolph.
“Um, Uncle Dolph. What’s on the menu today that has you so excited?”
“Uh-huh, you’ll be surprised when you see it!”
Uncle Dolph responded with a knowing smile to that question. Confidence radiated from his vague expression.
Seeing Luget and I showing impatience, Uncle Dolph finally moved, apparently satisfied.
He headed for the kitchen.
Our anticipation reached its peak.
Before long, Uncle Dolph returned with a large pot.
Steam was billowing out from the pot’s lid.
A strange meaty aroma tickled my nose. It was a smell unlike anything I had ever encountered.
Could it possibly be a dish made from a creature that only grows in the north? I found it hard to conceal my excitement.
It was then that Uncle Dolph removed the lid with his hand that resembled a pot lid.
Immediately, a white cloud of steam obscured my view, and soon I could see the hidden ingredients.
An animal with its fur stripped away, revealing its reddish flesh.
It was a rat.
I momentarily lost my words and shut my mouth.
I thought it was welcoming me, but now I wondered if I had been mistaken. The sheer difficulty of accepting this reality felt almost like a cruel joke.
Of course, it didn’t take a long time for that suspicion to crumble.
“It’s a rat… and there are two of them! Uncle Dolph, how did you catch them?”
“I tried making a trap as a test, and you know how rats like to gnaw on things, right? Just in case, I put in a piece of wood as bait… Look at this, these dumb rats are caught in my trap! Hahaha!”
Luget exclaimed in surprise, and Uncle Dolph boasted with a proud expression.
I silently gazed into the pot.
It was a dish that didn’t even contain any common vegetables. Aside from the rat, there was only some unidentified moss floating in the broth.
Due to the lack of appropriate spices, it emitted a foul odor.
And the rats were not even large. Just two rats the size of a palm, and they had the audacity to present this as a feast.
The pale broth seemed to be an attempt to increase the quantity. Even if I were to take a hearty spoonful, it would only bring the tastes of moss and the foulness of meat.
Nevertheless, Luget and Uncle Dolph appeared more excited than ever.
I was deeply shocked by their response.
“The surprising thing doesn’t end there. Look closely, at the rat’s belly…”
Is there even more to be surprised about?
My gaze blankly turned to the rat’s corpse. Indeed, the rat’s belly floating on the soup looked notably swollen.
Before I could even question it.
Uncle Dolph picked the distended rat out with tongs. He then expertly sliced open the rat’s belly, and translucent lumps of flesh poured out from inside.
They were rat embryos.
I barely managed to suppress the rising nausea.
Meanwhile, Luget’s excitement increased as he raised his voice.
“Wait, it’s a pregnant rat! The embryos are a delicacy… we’re so lucky!”
“Isn’t it? But this delicacy is especially reserved for our esteemed human guest. After all, you treated us to bread.”
Uncle Dolph’s pleased voice made Luget nod as if he agreed.
A pure smile filled with goodwill lit up his face.
“Human, you’re lucky! Pregnant rats are like picking stars from the sky. Not only is the meat plump, but even the embryos have an exquisite texture.”
“Then what will you two eat?”
“Hahaha, don’t worry! We still have one rat left.”
Uncle Dolph broke into hearty laughter.
It sounded strange to me to hear this. As though it were entirely normal for two adult men to share one rat.
My expression grew even gloomier.
With their goodwill in mind, I supposed I should take a taste, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I might endure the rat, but the embryos were beyond my limits.
Ultimately, I had to propose an alternative to them.
“Uncle Dolph, and Luget. I have ingredients that could enhance this wonderful dish, would you mind if I borrowed them for a moment?”
Uncle Dolph and Luget looked at me blankly.
There was no reason for the two of them to refuse. The elves were always living on the brink of starvation. They wouldn’t turn down an offer to increase their meal.
I did my best, despite my clumsy cooking skills.
I added tomatoes, onions, and green onions, simmering them with ground beef and spices. It was rather late for dinner, but it was a worthwhile endeavor.
Tears brimmed in Luget and Uncle Dolph’s eyes.
“This is delicious, rich and umami…”
While Luget gasped in astonishment, I managed to finish my meal without touching the rat meat. However, I still hesitated to pick up the spoon.
It was an issue I would have to gradually get used to.
So ended that day’s meal.
Just before leaving the hut, Uncle Dolph shook my hand firmly. He wiped away the tears of joy that had slipped down and said.
“The meat smell was a bit much, but it was even tastier than that.”
I had purposely tried to kill that foul odor.
It seemed that the elves accepted even the strong smells as a type of flavor. They say that taste changes depending on the environment, and that saying had proven true.
If that were the case, would I need to get used to this diet as well?
I thought I could somehow manage if it was just rat meat.
Amid many thoughts, I spent another day in the elf village. Then the next morning, my housemate Abiyang came with breakfast.
It was a pale porridge. Long, white strands were visible shimmering through the thick broth.
I asked in disbelief.
“What is this?”
“It’s wood porridge. It’s our elf’s staple food. We peel the bark off the tree and boil the soft part inside for a long time.”
Not even a laugh escaped in shock.
I simply cast out the question that immediately sprang to mind.
“Is it nutritious?”
“It’s rich in fiber.”
“That doesn’t digest well.”
In the end, Abiyang refused to give any further answers.
From the redness of his face, it seemed he was embarrassed to testify about the elves’ harsh life. Even though it was a reality that I couldn’t hide now.
I sighed and attempted to eat.
Stirring the porridge with my wooden spoon made the white fibers stick to it. After hesitating for a moment, I steeled myself and took a spoonful of wood porridge.
The thin strands were bothersome. The fresh grass smell filled my mouth uncomfortably.
It was far too tasteless to serve as a staple. Even the nutritional value was pitiful.
It was simply food to fill the belly.
“If I dry this, I could write on it like paper…”
Swallowing a bitter laugh, I made up my mind.
I couldn’t adapt to this kind of life.
So the solution was clear; I would have to improve the village’s food situation with my own hands.
A few days later, I decided to go hunting directly.
With Pope Eyong, Ishya, and Abiyang.
