So I'm a Snake, Who Cares?

Levels are something that's both simple and complicated.

Magical beasts evolve.

Between a Mosquito Rat lv20 and a Grand Geiger Serpent lv1, which is stronger?

Obviously the latter.

The fact that level resets to 1 when evolving shows that you can't judge someone's strength by level alone.

'People'.

That is, humans, elves, dwarves are even more difficult.

They don't evolve.

Therefore, it seems their strength could be judged by level.

But that's not quite right either.

Because there's something called 'real combat experience'.

In the case of princes and nobles, they often level up for free.

They level up by hunting controlled monsters in controlled hunting grounds.

Then if a level 30 'Sickly Prince' fights a level 20 'Experienced Rogue', who would win?

Obviously the latter.

You can tell just by looking at how weak Phili is compared to his level.

Of course, though Phili's level 40 is higher than that snake's.

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[Black Sidewinder lv32]

[Traits]

[Rattle], [Docile]

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Just looking at the name, it's obvious that snake that hasn't earned the 'Snake' title would be much stronger.

Of course, the opposite is also true.

This snake is a Little Prince 'Serpent'.

Though Serpent surely isn't the end of snake-type monster evolution.

Even if it's Little, I'm stronger with my Serpent title.

Moreover, for a quick-witted snake like me who's been mingling with monsters for a long time, you develop intuition.

So I can roughly tell.

How strong they are, or how long they've been a monster.

And the Black Sidewinder in front of me.

'Rookie...!'

Was a rookie.

Perhaps it was born in this zoo.

Its eyes were too gentle and looked blank, its scales were so smooth they looked like they had no defense.

My scales evolved into hard crystal because of the hardships I've been through.

It would be difficult to survive in this harsh world with such soft scales.

That's why.

As soon as I told it to show its eyes, it rolled over showing its belly and acted cute.

"Cute, so cute."

I wouldn't show my belly even if a stronger monster told me to show my eyes!

By the way, its belly looks really soft.

I want to touch it too, but I guess I can't.

"You fool!"

Kadam cried out miserably.

"How can you show your belly to others! And not even to me!"

Then he quickly grabbed the rattlesnake and wrapped it around his neck.

The rattlesnake stayed still blankly, unlike a proud snake should.

Obern and Phili stared blankly at the zoo director.

But Kadam didn't seem like someone who would be embarrassed by such stares.

He just huffed and puffed before exploding by himself.

"No!"

What he didn't like was.

"Assigning an exiled prince to my zoo. No! And making me take in some slick-looking magician too, I hate that even more!"

He's an honest person.

In other words.

"They're trying to turn my zoo into a political arena. Damn those old geezers!"

Kadam was one of the Seven Seats and a high-ranking official.

But though I heard he was far from the core of power, it didn't seem to be entirely involuntary.

"No, no. Nooo!"

He stamped his feet and burst with anger.

It couldn't be described as 'rolling around', it should be evaluated as 'shaking the earth'.

Even Obern and Phili, who absolutely had to enter this zoo, were bewildered.

Kadam's voice was like thunder.

His foot stomping seemed like it would cause an earthquake.

But what he's essentially doing right now is 'Don't wanna, don't wanna, don't wannaaa!'

In other words, it's no different from throwing a tantrum.

And a tantrum from one of the empire's Seven Seats was like a natural disaster in itself.

"Please calm down..."

"What calm down!"

Obern almost fell backward from Kadam's roar.

If not for his excellent acting skills, he would have really landed on his behind.

Kadam's already frightening face twisted like a demon's.

That wasn't all.

White steam erupted from his body.

Steam despite it being summer now. It looks hot just by looking.

Even the rattlesnake wrapped around his neck was startled and came down.

"Uwoooooh!"

Kadam looked like he might breathe fire.

What is that, is he human or a goblin.

I focused my eyes.

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[Kadam Kazans lv???]

[Traits]

[Animal Love], [Mixed Blood], [Short Temper]

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I expected his level wouldn't be visible since he's a powerful Seven Seats member...

I'm starting to think I should be able to see the levels of lower Eight Heroes soon.

Wait.

Mixed Blood?

When I told Pelerian what I saw.

"Hooh, no way, no way...!"

Pelerian exclaimed.

If it makes him exclaim, there must be something amazing.

Sure enough.

"That's a half-orc."

'Half-orc!'

My heart pounded.

"Yes, wow, a half-orc rose to become one of the empire's Seven Seats? The world has changed a lot."

'Half-orc means born between an orc and human marriage, right?'

"Yes, in most cases it's a race that comes from the union of an orc woman and human man."

Ooh...

Continue reading at empire

I see.

I didn't imagine too much detail.

"As with all mixed bloods, which parent's influence they received more is important. Looks like this one inherited more human genetic traits. That's why even I couldn't tell at first glance."

'I see.'

Orcs seem to be exactly the kind of race I imagined.

Grey or greenish skin.

Large fangs and huge build.

Muscular body and short temper.

"Uwoooooh!"

A war cry erupted from the mouth of Kadam Kazans, the orc hybrid.

It was worrying enough that a fight might break out.

That's when.

"Master!"

Both I and Obern turned our heads.

But it didn't seem to be our disciple.

What appeared was an orange-haired freckled girl.

No, not a girl but seems to be an adult.

She's wearing a zookeeper uniform and running with a heavy bucket.

"Uwoooooh!"

"Calm down!"

Then she dumped the bucket's contents right on Kadam.

No! Is there a rule in this zoo to splash excrement water on angry people?

Thankfully, what was in the bucket wasn't excrement.

It was full of ice water.

Chiiiiik-

And hot steam rose from Kadam's body with a loud noise.

Kadam drenched in ice water stopped roaring.

"Getting angry again... How can you do this to new people."

"..."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Kadam is a scary boss from any angle.