Chapter 158: Closer Than He Likes

The three of them walked along the tree line in the fading evening light, the settlement’s noise softening behind them as the forest thickened around the path.

Xavi and Calis were accompanying Tera after she had suggested the walk. That way, they could discuss things properly. Even though Xavi felt it better to discuss it with all the wolves present, Tera believed it would be best if they spoke with Calis alone.

Most importantly, the wolves would be more willing to listen to their leader compared to random beasts. Especially if they truly had the ideology Xavi had explained to her.

Plus, she liked walking while she talked.

"Your pack doesn’t need to move here," Tera started, while Xavi looked at her in silent shock, having not expected her to have started with that.

Tera would sort out the other things last. This was more important, and this way it would not seem like they were making this conclusion based on how the wolves saw other beasts.

Calis blinked, then his brows wrinkled in a slight frown while Tera kept her small smile.

"I do not understand—"

"Your territory has advantages this place doesn’t."

"Such as?"

"Your soil is richer than ours. I noticed it when I first woke up there, but I was even more convinced when we were digging the channel. The ground your wolves stand on has more minerals, and it would help immensely in growing food better than what we produce here."

Calis’ ears twitched with the urge to interrupt Tera and ask her exactly what she meant, but he didn’t want to stretch out this moment any longer than necessary.

He didn’t understand what she meant by minerals, and she didn’t seem to be lying by how focused she was very focused while talking...

She had a cute nose.

Calis’ frown deepened at the intrusive thought, and he felt very angry with himself.

Tera waved and laughed faintly. "I promise you, I am not lying. You will see very soon when I come to help. And now that the stream is flowing again, you have a reliable water source that is even purer than ours—"

"I didn’t say you were lying." Calis was surprised.

’Uh?! Then why frown like that?!’

Before Tera could say anything, Calis continued, "But the corrupted beasts are closer to our territory."

He glanced at Xavi. "This place seems very peaceful."

Tera quickly reassured him. "About that, I have a bit of a solution on that."

Both males looked very curious, but Calis was still somewhat reserved even though his ears perked forward.

"Why don’t we focus on hunting down every corrupted beast in your territory and ours? Everything in the vicinity at least."

[(⊙_⊙)]

[Host? When did we discuss this?]

’Shoo! I am not talking to you.’

[This will delay Host’s tasks—]

’Don’t be silly! Ignoring the monsters around us while I do my work will slow us down instead.’

’It seems you want a beast to sneak up on me and turn me into meat bait!’

[ ಠ ͜ʖ ಠ ]

Tera huffed and returned her attention to the two males.

Calis and Xavi stopped walking, and they looked at her like she had run mad.

"That is dangerous," they chorused.

Tera stopped and stared at them. She had expected them to be happy about this. She knew it was dangerous yes, but it was far better than a corrupted beast sneaking up on them.

"I know it is. But we will have less trouble when we don’t get attacked by them—"

"We would still be attacked when we go after them. Hunting down corrupted beasts and hunting down animals are two different things." Xavi gripped Tera’s shoulder gently, hoping she would get her mind off it.

Calis added, "Many beasts have tried hunting down corrupted beasts before and many have died. This is not safe. Why would you—"

"Can you tell me what the difference is? Between hunting animals and hunting corrupted beasts?" Tera looked between the two of them.

Xavi shook his head. "It is... difficult to explain, but they move very differently from animals, and hunting them has always gone wrong. It is difficult to find one unless it wants to be found, and that is when it picks up our scent. Hunting corrupted beasts is just feeding them. Don’t do that!"

"So, finding it is the problem, right?"

Calis and Xavi paused, then her mate immediately shook his head. "Tera—"

"But you also lose beasts when the monsters sneak up on you," she cut in. "I am not stupid, but..."

Tera paused to think over her words before she said something dangerous that she didn’t want to accept.

She did not want to lose any beast either. But they would lose less if those beasts were killed rather than it sneaking up on them.

She could have died back then. Along with the two other cubs. And like the system had pointed out before, there were not so many corrupted beasts anymore. They may not even find any in this terrain again, but it would not hurt to check.

And if finding them was the problem then...

"What if I know exactly where they are?"

"What?" Calis looked disturbed.

Tera broke things down carefully, especially highlighting her skill that would help them pinpoint the exact locations of any corrupted monsters in the area, and it would be a joint effort from both wolves and the Dow clan.

Tera then spoke about the teleportation skill, and both males were confused and disturbed. Xavi had particularly mentioned he had never seen Tera use anything like that, and as much as they tried to envision teleportation, they failed.

She promised to show them soon when the wolves were about to leave.

Both males had slowly warmed to the idea of hunting nearby monsters, only if Tera could pinpoint them.

Xavi trusted Tera, even though he was still wary, but Calis was slightly skeptical, and said he would think about it.

Even the system could see reason in the plan.

They continued walking. To put aside the gloom that was suddenly in the air, Tera shifted the conversation to her plans for Calis’ pack, along with what she felt might work.

Xavi looked slightly excited, but Calis was strange.

She had been expecting the reaction she had gotten used to at the wolf pack. The slight widening of the eyes, the surprised tilt of the head, maybe even one of those barely suppressed tail movements that gave away how much her words were landing.

Instead, Calis nodded every once in a while with some questions and the usual, "That is reasonable."

Tera waited for more, but nothing came.

’What is going on with him? Is it because of what I said about hunting the beasts?’

[That does not seem to be the case, Host]

[( ’’˶°ヮ°˶ )]

Tera studied Calis. Even if she hadn’t mentioned hunting down the beasts, Calis’ behaviour had been a bit odd from the start.

Calis asked a few more questions as they walked, and she answered them while Xavi watched silently. Tera’s confusion only grew as their conversation continued.

The way he was even asking her questions... he seemed so formal.

This was the same male who had bombarded her with questions about fire and tools and water, and was now responding with "I see".

Xavi didn’t seem to notice anything strange. Calis had been acting the same way from the start. He hadn’t wagged his tail or looked with fascination as Tera did or said things.

It was almost as if he had put up walls to distance himself from Tera.

’Hey! What is wrong with him exactly? He’s been acting aloof for a while now.’

[Hmm]

[(≖⩊≖)]

[Interesting]

’What’s interesting?’

[Nothing! This system is merely observing the conversation]

[(ᵕ—ᴗ—)]

’The fuck? Observing what exactly? Why is he acting strange?’

[Why is Host so bothered by the wolf leader’s professionalism?]

[Can a leader not conduct himself with dignity anymore?]

[(¬‿¬)]

’That is not what it is, you dingbat!’

Tera narrowed her eyes at the screen. The system knew something, and it was being deliberately coy about it.

’Urgh! Never mind.’

She returned to the conversation, refusing to shake off the nagging feeling as she stared harder at Calis, and it was to the extent that both males noticed Tera’s rapt attention.

Before Xavi could address it, someone shouted.

"Tera!"

Everyone turned to find Yara walking towards them. Calis was surprised to find that they had actually circled back near the settlement while walking.

He had been too engrossed in composing himself and being unsettled by Tera’s fixed attention that he hadn’t noticed.

Yara was balancing both chubby twins on her hips.

Nadia was pulling at Yara’s ear, and Althea was biting the poor female.

Tera laughed, her attention turning to her cubs with joy. "I need to go rescue Yara before my daughters eat her alive."

She touched Xavi’s arm and headed toward Yara.

Calis watched her go, feeling uncomfortable again.

He had spent the entire conversation carefully controlling where his eyes went, how his voice sounded, and his thoughts.

Tera carried the cubs and kissed them while they giggled and looked at their mother lovingly.

For one unguarded moment, the discipline Calis had been so focused on weakened.

That female made him ache and feel so confused. She was making him unwell.

His gaze shifted to find Xavi staring at him with a quiet, knowing clarity that made the wolf stiffen.

The bear beast did not look pleased.