Chapter 52: Lions
Contrary to him acting like a tyrant who refuses any religious freedom, Mitch was actually really amused by the situation.
Katherine, too, was having a blast.
"Look at him shaking in his boots hahaha. Careful not to scare him too much, lest he lose control over his bladder."
Mitch snickered mentally while maintaining a stone face on the outside. ’Don’t worry, I know when to stop. I just want to test his resolve and scare the others at the same time.’
He had taken a liking to this brave warrior. If he passed the test, Mitch would do everything in his power to nurture him.
Mitch might not be taking the situation seriously, but the person opposite him did not share that attitude.
The power Mitch put on his shoulder made him feel like it would break while his knees were starting to cave.
He gritted his teeth and shouted his resolve out loud.
Looking back at Madeline, Mitch found her amber eyes turning bloodshot. The only thing that prevented her from shooting forward to snuff out the life of this heretic was his broad wings blocking the way.
"’Kill me if you want; I will not yield to you,’ is what he said," Madeline hissed with an ice-cold tone.
Mitch silently nodded his head and released his grip.
"Remember why I said you were the only person that could become the priestess, Madeline? You were brave enough to stand up against the Lord’s wishes. It is a characteristic that He deeply respects."
He turned back to the man, who was now sitting on the ground, heaving for air.
"This is the first and last time I will overlook such defiance, and that is only because the Lord has other plans for you. If I find anyone else displaying such blasphemy, it will not end with a pat on their shoulder."
Mitch then grabbed the man’s arm and pulled him off the ground, locking all mutations as he did so.
The man lowered his gaze towards his stomach, confused as to why the constant pressure and whirling suddenly disappeared.
He then looked Mitch in the eyes and nodded in appreciation, to which Mitch returned a smile.
"Looks like we’ve found our first royal guard. Will you give him a name?"
’Yeah. I told them that names were like titles yesterday, didn’t I? Might as well display how it works.’
"As punishment for defying Khad’s will, you shall be sentenced to eternal servitude as the priestess’ and queen’s guard. Your name will be ’Isaac Impius,’ a constant reminder of your Khadless belief."
Ending the spectacle, Mitch dispersed the crowd and snooped around the village.
He saw the children playing with a ball made of hide stuffed with leaves while the adults were doing miscellaneous chores.
Madeline spotted them too and confirmed with Mitch whether it was time or not.
They had planned for this during their wanderings. If they found a group of legio, Mitch would distract the adults. Meanwhile, Madeline would bond with the children.
Mitch nodded and walked with Madeline towards the chief.
"Today, I will show you how to hunt and how to become strong. Bring your finest warriors, and don’t forget Isaac."
The nearby villagers were elated to have someone as strong as Mitch join them on their hunt. They packed their supplies and got ready. When the chief returned with Isaac, everyone got up and started leaving the village.
Showing Madeline a thumbs up, Mitch went to the front of the hunting group.
As a race with naturally strong defenses, both males and females were proficient fighters. The squad was split very evenly, with some couples even hunting together.
"Why not look for a partner yourself while you’re here?" Katherine asked. Mitch felt her voice was different from what it usually was when teasing him, yet he wasn’t sure.
He ignored the question, deciding to perceive it as another form of ridicule. He just kept walking with his swords fastened to a makeshift belt.
Although Mitch was in front, he let the others lead the way. He had his own way of attracting prey, but he wanted to see how advanced these tribesmen’s tracking methods were.
Turns out, they were rather primitive.
It consisted of wandering until they found footsteps, droppings, or blood, after which they followed the trails.
Various animals were hunted, with the most common being zebras and water buffalo.
The hunt went rather smoothly, with little to no one being injured.
Except for Isaac.
Mitch finally found the reason for his sorry state. He acted like a barehanded tank.
He would rush forward and distract the opponents while the rest surrounded them. He would then engage in melee combat to break their guards.
’I have to teach them how to make shields.’
"You need to teach them a lot of things. They’re just swinging their weapons wildly. There is no method to their madness."
Mitch spent most of his time observing. There were a few times when he had to join, or someone would have died.
Either way, the hunt resulted in a resounding success.
Just as everyone was getting ready to head back, Mitch stopped them.
They were confused why, and without the priestess there, they couldn’t ask.
Mitch didn’t need them to do that, though. He walked up to the chief and grabbed one of his four hands.
Mitch then pointed at his claws before pointing at the dead animals the rest of the tribe were carrying.
Everyone quickly understood what he meant and became fearful.
The chief shook his head and pointed towards Isaac, who lifted his own hands, displaying his fingers—or lack thereof.
Mitch just smiled and nodded while flexing his arms, reassuring them that he was strong.
The chief relented slightly before he too nodded.
With him leading the way, the hunting group soon reached a hill that overlooked a small steppe.
Down there, Mitch saw a few lions lazing around on the ground.
One lion in particular was a little bit bigger than the rest, clearly the male of the pride.
Suddenly, it raised its head and looked at Mitch, then let out a ferocious roar.
The legio started trembling, the power behind that roar terrifying them. Mitch also got scared, but not for his own safety.
"RUN!"
[Name: Lion]
[Devouring (Middle Infused)]
