That Time I Got Reincarnated as an Overpowered Elf (Tensura x OC)

(10) A Former Scientist's Dream Job

I was hoping that my assumptions were wrong when Radriel told me about his new temporary job, but that proved to be less and less of a possibility as he led me to a tent out in the outskirts of Stinada ─ the topic of when and how we got here being one that I was planning to pick up later ─ where there were a bunch of people already gathered.

Some were moving around, hauling in monster corpses with wagons pulled by weird lizard-looking things.

"Why are they piling up monster corpses beside this tent?", you might ask? Well, that would be the exact thing I was hoping Radriel wasn't implying when he told me about this whole thing... While those soldiers hauled in the bodies they've had building up, the people in the tent had the task of... "recycling" them... Yup...

With a knife in-hand and protective clothing on, dozens of people were at work taking apart the old bodies and finding new uses for them. Now, don't get me wrong; I've got nothing against killing unruly monsters, and at the same time leaving them all out to rot just seemed wasteful for all the effort that likely went into getting the job done, so that wasn't what was unnerving.

The smell on the other hand... I don't even wanna get started on describing the smell, mostly because I don't know what words to use to describe it besides "nauseating", but even with that, everyone seemed to be pushing through.

Especially Radriel. See, I was told to watch him and get the basics down, because he was apparently really good at this, and I quickly learned that he really was. Scarily efficient, matter of fact.

And even more scarily enthusiastic about the whole thing!

For example, the wolf carcass he was currently working on. With a particular gleam in his eye, he would go about carving into its flesh, working around the flesh and skeleton to get at its hide, as if he had done this dozens of times before, all while lightly swaying from side-to-side, dancing to some tune he was humming to himself.

And once he was done with that, he'd hold up the hide he had just gathered like some sorta trophy, then ask me, "What do you think they'll make outta this one? A set of armor? Clothing? I hear its pretty tough, so my bet's on the former." It could have been my eyes playing tricks on me, but I could've sworn I could see the little tuft of hair on top of his head wagging like a tail.

"...Uh, yeah, probably a chestplate! Haha... heh..."

Needless to say, I'm gaining reasons to be afraid of Radriel with each passing second, and I don't like it... But even then, I gotta admit, it's kinda... interesting? Not the whole "skinning and dissecting" thing, but the "what'll it be used for" part.

In a fight, equipment can be a big part of someone's survival. Give the right components to the right artisan, and even the most unseasoned of fighters could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with veterans! In terms of combat ability, at least.

'Thinking that a piece of armor or a sword that was crafted from materials I gathered myself could save someone at some point ─ it kinda takes the whole "unnerving" stuff outta this whole thing! Heck, maybe that's what Radriel's thinking too--'

"Oh! Look at the color of the scales on that one ─ I've never seen anything like it before. They're so vibrant!" He squealed excitedly as he saw a monster on the pile of bodies getting wheeled in by the soldiers, running over to get a better look.

'Yeah, no... He's in this for a completely different reason...'

"They've got a metallic texture too! Someone could make some great chain-mail out of this. Oh! Or melt it down to make a weapon! But would it lose its coloration, though? Hm..."

'He's off in a world of his own...' I always forget that Radriel's younger than me. He reminds me so much of an old man sometimes that it slips my mind...

"Hey, kid." I heard a voice call to me. Speaking of old guys, as I turned to the source of the voice, I was met with a gruff-looking man; wrinkled skin, gray hairs and all that; wearing a bloodied apron and holding a meat cleaver. If not for the context, I would be very, very intimidated... "You're the one that was watching long ears work, yeah? What's your name?"

Assuming the "Long Ears" he was talking about was Radriel, I responded, "Roxul Inudraga."

"Mm. So, Roxul, you manage to learn anything from him?" He asked, looking over to Radriel, who was still occupied with the lizard corpse he had spotted.

"Well... I was watching him, yeah, but he's a bit too into this for me to keep up..." I follow his gaze for a second, giving an awkward chuckle while Radriel went about his business, holding one of the scales he picked off the monster against Pairih's abdomen.

"Yeah, I can see that. Kid's a fast worker and clearly proud of it, but he's definitely got a couple screws loose." The old man chuckled.

'Can't say I disagree with him on that, but, as far as people go, Radriel might be the best person I know. I mean, he's got me beat in just about everything. Magic, skills, energy levels, he's got a stronger Elemental...'

Top that all off with the fact that he's the nicest person I've ever met... And yet... I can only groan when I think about all that!

I quickly turn to the old man,"Hey! Is there anything I can work on?"

Obviously noticing the change in volume, he looked at me confused for a second, but brushed it off soon after and pointed off to the huge pile of monsters, "Well, take your pick, kid. Not exactly pressed for options."

Rummaging through the pile, I dragged out the corpse of a wolf monster similar to the one Radriel was working on earlier. From there, it was just a matter of setting it down on one of the nearby tables and tying up my apron.

Eying down the monster in front of me, I readied my knife, mapping out how I would go about it. 'Alright! Radriel was able to get through this like it was nothing, and he's nowhere near as experienced with blades as me. This should be a piece of cake!'

I took a deep breath before bringing the knife forward. 'I've got this whole thing mapped out in my head; I can do this!' is what I thought to myself, but one blink later and I found myself holding onto a finely cut hide.

'...Wait, huh?' It was completely jarring at the time: one second I was planning to cave the wolf like I had planned in my head, and the next, I was holding onto one that looked exactly like the one... Radriel... cut out... 'Wait, did I...?'

"Nicely done, kid!" i heard the old man congratulate, "I guess Long Ears was a good enough example after all."

I looked back to him, taking his words into account before looking back to the hide in my hands, and it clicked immediately. "AAAGHHH!!" And with that realization, I could only slump to the floor and groan. 'Ugh... I wound up Impersonating him...'

"Roxul!" I heard Radriel call as he ran over, "I heard you screaming, did something happen? Did you cut yourself or some--" He stopped as soon as his eyes landed on the hide that "I" had carved, "Oh! Did you make this? You did a really good job."

"Ughhhh..." I could only groan in response to the praise...

----------------------------------------------------------