#Kabru and his pre-canon pseudo-espionage lifestyle

[tofixtheshadows]

This is one of my favorite minor details in Dungeon Meshi, firstly because what in the femme fatale, but also because it's one of those little things that raises so many questions about worldbuilding.

The Occam's Razor defense attorney in me says that Ryoko Kui gave Kabru a boot knife because she wanted him to escape from his bonds here. And Kabru is a very competent swordsman, why wouldn't he have a boot knife, sure. He's already got a dagger, he can have this too.

And yet: the implications. Kabru, why do you have that? That is not remotely something that could be easily accessed or used in combat. Nobody is pulling out a pen knife from the heel of their boot during a fight with a monster. It's useless in the dungeon ... unless you're the type of person who isn't just worried about monsters.

I've mentioned this before, but I consider one of Kabru's functions in the narrative as being the character who fully brings the idea of human ecosystems into the story. There's a reason why he's always connected to large groups of people (Toshiro's party, the Canaries). He (along with Mr. Tansu, briefly) introduces the reader to the social and political forces working on the dungeon, showing us that none of this is happening in a monster-filled vacuum. His confrontation with the corpse retrievers, who very nearly kill Kabru's party permanently with their reckless murder-for-money scheme, reminds us that monsters are not the only things that prey on humans. Kabru understands the ways the dungeon causes people to put profit over human lives.

We only get hints of it in the story, but like any gold-rush-style economic boom, it's implied that there is a lot of crime and corruption surrounding the dungeon.

So yeah, it really makes me wonder why Kabru keeps a tiny knife in his boot, meant to be carried on him even in situations where he would otherwise be unarmed. Stored exactly in the place where it's easy to reach, even if, for some reason, your hands are tied behind your back.

#Dungeon Meshi spoilers #Kabru #Kabru of Utaya #using that tag even though I'm ethically opposed. it's fine #dungeonposting #musings with Dea #btw I'm genuinely not trying to imply anything weird here I really do think Kabru has Seen Some Shit #Kabru and his pre-canon pseudo-espionage lifestyle #this was supposed to be??? more of a joking post? but I talk too much #I mean I'm only thinking about it because it IS funny. Kabru. what the hell do you get up to in your spare time. #he didn't even stop to think 'oh no what do I do' #he was just like 'good thing I have a knife in my boot' #even if this was his first time being tied up it just makes me feel like he was prepared for this kind of danger #maybe Milsiril taught him this too