That evening, Aziel found himself in Madam Rosita's restaurant, enjoying a hearty meal.
He had a plate piled high with roasted meat, seasoned with herbs from the market.
There was a side of mashed root vegetables, creamy and rich, and a thick slice of bread, still warm from the oven.
He savored each bite.
Madam Rosita's cooking is always delicious.
The food was simple, but Madam Rosita had a knack for making even the most basic dishes taste extraordinary.
He ate slowly, letting the warmth of the food and the homey atmosphere of the restaurant soothe him.
As he ate, he overheard a conversation between a group of guards seated at a nearby table.
They were still in their worn leather armor, their swords leaning against the wall beside them.
They chatted enthusiastically, not caring whether they were disturbing other customers or not. Well, the other customers were quite noisy too.
Guard A cleared his throat. "Hey... do you guys feel like the Crazy Beast attacks have been getting stronger lately?"
Guard B grunted in agreement. "Yeah, dude! I feel the same. What the heck is the Katuka Knights Order even doing at the Abyss? Are they sleeping or what? Why aren't they properly checking which Crazy Beasts they need to deal with?"
Guard C chimed in, his voice laced with frustration. "Exactly. Now even D-rank Crazy Beasts are attacking our village. Before this, it was only E-rank ones."
Guard A shook his head. "Well, I'm not sure if it's true, but I heard rumors that more and more Crazy Beasts are coming out of the Abyss lately. Honestly, we were just lucky to hold out earlier. We even had to call in all the guard in Glenwood just to take that creature down."
"Yeah, seriously…" Guard B sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "During the attack, I saw that Crazy Beast almost destroy the front gate. The ones we fought before were never this close to breach our defense. This is so stressful!"
"Sigh... I just hope this doesn't last too long," Guard C said, his shoulders slumping. "Otherwise, we're gonna be stuck on guard duty every single day. Feels like there's no room to live a normal life like the other villagers."
"Exactly, I've got other work to do besides being a guard," Guard A complained. "I had to leave my farm work earlier just to help take down that Crazy Beast. Man, I'm exhausted!"
Guard B let out a groan. "Ugh, with things like this, it feels like this job never ends. When will I ever get to rest and go on a date with my beautiful wife?"
Guard C rolled his eyes. "Hmph, you again with your wife talk! I know you just got married, but can't you just stop talking about it already? Every time we hang out, you always mentioning your wife!"
"Hahaha… So what? I love my wife!" Guard B retorted, a playful grin on his face. "What about you? When are you gonna get married? You're almost 40 already."
Guard A burst out laughing. "Hahaha… You already know our friend here has a huge crush on Madam Rosita. But he's too much of a coward to confess. That's why he keeps dragging us here to eat every day. Hahaha—ouch!!"
He yelped as Guard B smacked him on the head.
Aziel, having heard enough, tuned out their banter.
He mentally prodded Blackie.
"Hey Blackie," Aziel muttered, his voice barely a whisper above the clatter of cutlery and conversation, "what do they mean by D-rank, E-rank Crazy Beasts?"
Blackie responded. "Oh, that's the Crazy Beasts threat level. To put it simply, E-rank is the least dangerous, and A-rank is the most dangerous."
Aziel pushed a piece of roasted meat around his plate with his fork. "How dangerous is E-rank exactly?"
"To make it easy to understand," Blackie explained, "an E-rank Crazy Beast is a threat to an individual. Meaning, if someone is alone and not strong enough, there's a chance he or she could be defeated by it. That's why E-rank Crazy Beasts are usually fought by a group of people to reduce the risk."
Aziel nodded slowly, absorbing the information.
He took a bite of the mashed root vegetables, the creamy texture a momentary distraction.
"What about the other ranks?"
"The higher the rank, the bigger the threat," Blackie continued, his tone taking on a slightly more serious edge. "D-rank can threaten a group of people, C-rank can endanger a village, B-rank can be a threat to a city, and the highest, A-rank, can put an entire kingdom in danger."
A chill ran down Aziel's spine.
He paused, a piece of bread halfway to his mouth. "It can even threaten a whole kingdom… Has that ever happened before?"
"Not yet," Blackie said, his voice returning to its usual, almost nonchalant tone. "These threat levels were listed by humans to help classify how dangerous each Crazy Beast is. Even though the most dangerous one we've seen so far is B-rank, humans still added another rank above it—just in case. The Abysses have been around for about 20 years now, but there are still so many mysteries we don't understand. Who knows, maybe there's something even stronger lurking inside. That's why the ranking system was prepared in advance."
"Oh, I see..." Aziel fell silent.
With no further questions lingering, he finished the rest of his meal, quietly thanking Madam Rosita for the simple, yet satisfying, dinner.
He then excused himself, heading straight to his room.
**********
The next morning arrived, crisp and bright.
Aziel was already at the Glenwood Clinic, humming a tuneless melody as he restocked the shelves with dried herbs and neatly labeled jars.
He carefully arranged vials of colorful liquids, the glass clinking softly.
Dr. Hana emerged from her back room, her brown hair slightly disheveled.
While carrying a stack of parchment tied with twine, she approached and called him, "Elias."
Aziel turned, a small clay pot in his hands. "Yes?"
"Are you free this weekend?" Dr. Hana asked, setting the stack of parchment on a nearby table.
Aziel paused, pretending to consider, though Blackie had already reminded him of his clear schedule. "Yes, Doctor. I don't have any plans." He placed the pot on the shelf, aligning it perfectly with the others. "Why do you ask?"
Dr. Hana said, "I need your help with research I'm working on."
Aziel raised an eyebrow. "Research?"
"Yes, I want you to assist me with that. As for the details, I'll tell you on that day."
"Sure," Aziel replied with a shrug.