Chapter 291: Lost the Beast God’s Protection
The word "food" was like a sharp thorn, jabbing at the nerves of every Goldeagle Beastman.
"That’s right! Drake is the witch’s partner. He formed a Contract with her years ago and even suffered a shattered Star Pattern! Shouldn’t the witch be compensating us? Why is she so good to the Mer Clan?"
"Exactly! We want food, too! As much food as the Mer Clan!"
"The witch is playing favorites! She thinks the Goldeagle Clan can’t compare to the Mer Clan!"
"..."
The Beastmen of the Goldeagle Tribe were hesitant at first, but perhaps having convinced themselves, their voices grew louder and louder until they nearly reached the airship.
Thorne’s dark green eyes narrowed into slits as he glared toward the Goldeagle Tribe.
’He wouldn’t allow anyone to slander Eva like this!’
However, just as Thorne was about to act, he heard Evangeline’s calm, indifferent voice say, "Thorne."
"Eva! They’re saying such things about you! I..." Thorne’s eyes filled with savagery, and dark scales began to appear on his neck. It seemed that with a single order from Evangeline, he would lunge at the Goldeagle Beastmen and slaughter them.
Evangeline glanced back, a cold glint in her narrow eyes. "Let them," she said lightly.
’Since the Goldeagle Tribe doesn’t want to leave the Triangle Sea, we probably won’t see them again anyway. It’s not worth the trouble. Besides, I still need to win Drake over. Antagonizing the Goldeagle Beastmen right now wouldn’t be a smart move. It’s just a few complaints. I’m not that petty.’
Thorne’s brow furrowed. He turned to shoot a few fierce glares at the Goldeagle Beastmen, then averted his gaze.
Julian stared coldly at his tribesmen. They were shouting at the top of their lungs, their faces flushed and veins bulging in their necks as they grew more agitated. They even snuck glances toward Evangeline on the airship, hoping she would give them some kind of reaction and agree to their demands.
He suddenly let out a cold laugh. The shouting gradually subsided as uneasy eyes turned to Julian.
As the leader of the Goldeagle Tribe, Julian had only been temporarily pushed into the role, but he was swift and decisive, his methods firm. If he weren’t, he never would have been able to keep the neighboring Vulture Beastmen at bay. On a normal day, the tribesmen were quite afraid of him.
"Do I need to remind you?"
"If it weren’t for the witch, you—all of you, myself included—would have died long ago when the Vulture Tribe came to slaughter us."
"And even if you had survived that, were you confident you could have survived the venom of the Corrosive Swarm?"
"Or perhaps, after leaving the warmth of the Triangle Abyss, you think you could have returned safely to Norfell through the swirling blizzards?"
"Who was it that gave you food? And who is it that allows you to stand here safely now?"
"I never knew. I never knew my own tribesmen were such an ungrateful bunch."
Julian’s gilded pupils stared at his people, his lips curled into a relentless sneer.
Hearing their leader’s harsh rebuke and sensing the subtle, contemptuous glances from others nearby, the faces of the Goldeagle Beastmen flushed beet red. It wasn’t that they didn’t know these things. They knew perfectly well; they had simply chosen to forget.
From their perspective, the most important thing at hand was food. They were short on food, and that was all that mattered.
Julian’s gaze swept over them coldly. "Pack your things," he said calmly. "We’re returning to Norfell now."
Since the others were all heading beyond the Triangle Sea, there was no longer any need for them to remain here. The snow had stopped, so returning to Norfell to ride out the Cold Season wouldn’t be unbearably difficult. At any rate, they could never go back to the Triangle Abyss again.
The faces of the Goldeagle Beastmen tightened. They had wanted to say something more, but one look at Julian’s expression sent them slinking back to pack up their remaining prey, heads hung in dejection. They were afraid that if they pressed the issue, their leader would wash his hands of them completely.
The Goldeagle Tribe’s overall strength was not to be underestimated, but their strongest member was Drake, followed by their leader, Julian.
It was certain that Drake was leaving. If Julian left them too, what would they do?
The Goldeagle Beastmen scattered. Julian hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at Evangeline and finally strode toward her.
This time, his steps were resolute, carrying with them a hint of acceptance.
When he was close, Julian looked at Evangeline, his Adam’s apple bobbing. "We’re returning to Norfell," he said softly. "I hope you all reach the other shore of the Triangle Sea safely—that new continent. In the future..."
Having said this, Julian suddenly stopped.
’The future? What future would there be?’
He pressed his lips together and said earnestly, "I’m leaving my brother in your care."
Evangeline met Julian’s calm gaze and gave a slight nod. "Okay."
After that one short word, she tilted her chin slightly at Loras. He nodded, turned, and disembarked from the airship.
Julian went to check on Drake one last time before leaving. He said nothing more to Evangeline as he disembarked.
The Mer Clan, the Grymdale Tribe, and the Fallen Beastmen finished packing their few belongings, brought their prey aboard, and boarded the airship.
Soon, the rows of tents were skillfully pitched on the deck of the ship. The Beastmen couldn’t help but gasp as they watched the shore recede into the distance. The hull didn’t touch the surface of the sea, yet they could still hear the sound of the vessel cutting through the waves.
The sun rose slowly, its golden rays scattering across the glistening surface of the sea. The Beastmen stared, completely captivated.
’So this is how beautiful the Triangle Sea can be.’
On the shore, Julian watched his tribesmen gleefully shouldering their prey, and he couldn’t stop his hands from clenching into fists.
He shut his eyes, then opened them again, suppressing all his emotions. He fought back the urge to turn around and call out to Evangeline. "Let’s go," he said calmly.
With that, he was the first to start walking in the direction of Norfell.
Julian cut a solitary figure, his golden ponytail hanging down his back, now devoid of its former youthful energy.
*
Evangeline went to Drake’s cabin and fed him the Spiritual Medicine.
His breathing was already quite steady. He would awaken within a day or two.
After leaving Drake’s cabin, she returned to her own. She took out the Moonlight Flower, which was now half as tall as a person, and placed it by the window. Watching it sway unhappily in the sea breeze, she raised an eyebrow. "Unhappy?"
Like a petulant child, the Moonlight Flower curled its leaves around Evangeline’s fingertip. Its sharp teeth pierced her skin as it began to drink her blood.
Evangeline chuckled softly. ’I wonder if Nix will still have that same rotten personality when he regains his human form?’
She rested her chin lightly in her palm, gazing through the window at the endless expanse of the sea.
’At the airship’s speed, it will take less than three days to reach the other shore. Then, I’ll have to confront the rules of this world head-on. Still, I’m not worried about the Beast God being hostile. My guess is that the Beast God has run into trouble. It’s highly unlikely it would make things difficult for an outside soul like me. Instead, it probably needs my help—with Spiritual Energy, for example.’
Evangeline’s eyes deepened as she thought of how Cassian Zane had sealed himself away in the Venom Pit, using Spirit Plants and Spiritual Medicine to absorb the poisonous mist he released.
She had already asked Thorne and the others about it. The Beast God was the deity of all Beastmen. Unfortunately, the Beast God had not granted any divine revelations in a very long time, which meant the Witches of every tribe had lost their connection to him.
They had lost the Beast God’s protection.
After the frequent natural disasters at Norfell, this had become a widely accepted fact among the Beastmen.
