Chapter 207: New Beastman Of the Tribe

Sora breathed a long sigh of relief before changing her clothes and stepping out of her small wooden hut.

After the Tribe had begun preparing meals collectively, Sora no longer needed to spend every morning at the Wild Kitchen. Instead, she simply joined everyone else for breakfast.

She had already taught Serena how to prepare several different flour-based dishes, and Serena had proven to be a quick learner.

Together with Zainabu and several other Females from the Wolf Tribe, Serena had gradually taken over most of the Tribe’s breakfast preparations.

Sora was more than happy to leave the work in their hands.

She would occasionally stop by to offer some advice or point out a mistake, but the Females were eager to learn. Whenever Sora corrected something, they listened carefully and quickly improved.

For the first time in a long while, Sora felt like she could enjoy a little leisure.

As for Lyra, ever since Sora had told her that she could simply eat something else if she disliked the food being prepared, Lyra had stopped appearing in front of her.

Perhaps she was afraid that if she annoyed Sora too much, Sora would stop preparing food for her altogether.

Sora didn’t particularly care.

As long as Lyra didn’t cause trouble, she was perfectly content to ignore her.

Breakfast was nearly over when Mark suddenly approached.

Someone was walking beside him.

The moment Martin noticed the newcomer, his expression changed.

"Nick Wilde? Nephew Nick, why have you come here?"

Nick Wilde didn’t answer immediately.

His usually neat hair was disheveled, his face looked exhausted, and there was a deep weariness in his eyes.

He looked as though he hadn’t slept properly in several days.

Mark glanced at his friend before answering for him.

"The Red Fox Tribe was struck by a plague toxin."

His voice became heavy.

"Everyone died."

The surrounding Beastmen immediately fell silent.

Martin’s pupils contracted.

"What?"

His expression changed completely.

"You’re saying the entire Red Fox Tribe is gone?"

He stared at Nick Wilde in disbelief.

"This isn’t a small matter. Are you absolutely certain?"

Mark nodded solemnly.

"It’s true."

Nick Wilde remained silent.

The grief in his eyes was enough to confirm the words.

Martin’s face became grave.

The Red Fox Tribe was not a small Tribe.

For an entire Tribe to disappear overnight because of a plague toxin was terrifying.

Mark looked at his father and continued explaining.

"Nick Wilde was away when it happened. He had gone to the City-State several days ago to trade for salt. That’s why he survived."

Martin finally understood.

He looked at Nick Wilde again.

"If you hadn’t left..."

He didn’t finish the sentence.

There was no need.

Everyone understood what would have happened.

Mark couldn’t bear to see his friend standing alone after losing everyone.

"Father," he said, "now that Nick Wilde is the only survivor of the Red Fox Tribe, let him stay with us."

"He is strong and can help the Tribe. There’s no reason for us to turn him away."

In the Beast World, surviving alone was incredibly difficult.

Most races lived in Tribes because strength came from numbers.

Even a powerful Beastman could easily be targeted if he lived alone.

There were too many dangers in the wilderness.

Predators.

Enemy Tribes.

Food shortages.

Disease.

And countless other threats.

As Nick Wilde’s closest friend, Mark naturally wanted him to stay in the Wolf Tribe.

Nick Wilde’s strength was also considerable. Taking him in would not be difficult.

However, Martin didn’t immediately agree.

His expression remained thoughtful.

After everything that had happened with the plague toxin in the Wolf Tribe, he had become far more cautious.

He looked at Nick Wilde.

"Then how did you survive?"

Nick Wilde finally raised his eyes.

Martin continued.

"Did the plague toxin not spread to you?"

Nick Wilde shook his head.

"As soon as I returned to the Tribe, I found a message my Father had left for me."

His voice was low.

"He had written it on a piece of animal hide."

"He told me that the Tribe had been infected. He ordered me not to approach anyone and told me to leave immediately."

He paused.

"He also told me not to worry about them."

The atmosphere became heavy.

A parent’s love for their child could truly run deeper than anything else.

Martin had known Nick Wilde’s Father for many years.

He knew what kind of man he was.

For him to make such a decision meant he must have understood that there was no other way to protect his son.

Martin sighed inwardly.

Then he nodded.

"Nephew Nick, stay."

"At least here, you won’t have to face everything alone."

Nick Wilde lowered his head slightly.

"Thank you, Uncle Martin."

Martin nodded.

He was about to say something else when his gaze shifted.

He noticed Sora standing nearby.

She had been quietly observing Nick Wilde from the beginning.

Martin immediately remembered everything she had done during the plague crisis.

If Sora hadn’t reacted quickly when Dan and Alex died, the Wolf Tribe might already have suffered the same fate as the Red Fox Tribe.

She had ordered the bodies to be burned.

She had restricted movement.

She had taught everyone how to disinfect their homes.

She had searched for safe food.

And she had organized the Tribe so efficiently that panic never completely overwhelmed them.

Because of her, the Wolf Tribe was still standing.

So even though Martin was the Tribe’s Chief, he had learned to trust Sora’s judgment when it came to matters concerning the plague.

He looked at her.

"Kaelira, do you think there will be any problem with Nick Wilde staying here?"

Sora looked at Nick Wilde for another moment before shaking her head.

"There’s no problem with him staying."

Mark immediately relaxed.

But before he could celebrate, Sora continued.

"For everyone’s safety, however, Nick Wilde needs to remain isolated for five days."

Mark’s smile disappeared.

Sora continued calmly.

"Once five days pass and he shows no symptoms, he can be released."

"What?"

Mark immediately became angry.

"Kaelira, don’t go too far!"

"Nick Wilde came here seeking refuge, and you’re going to humiliate him by locking him up?"

Sora looked at him without changing expression.

"You’ve been in close contact with him."

Mark froze.

"Therefore, you need to be quarantined too."

"You..."

Mark’s face turned red.

"Father! Look at her attitude!"

Martin immediately interrupted.

"Enough."

He looked at his son sternly.

"Your sister is right."

"For the safety of the Tribe, this must be done."

Mark’s mouth fell open.

"But—"

"No buts."

Martin turned toward Nick Wilde.

"Nephew Nick, I’m sorry. For the sake of everyone in the Tribe, you’ll have to stay in a room for a few days."

"Once you’re released, Uncle Martin will personally host a welcome feast for you."

Nick Wilde nodded without hesitation.

"This is what I should do."

"Thank you, Uncle Martin, for taking me in."

There wasn’t even a trace of resentment in his expression.

He understood.

He had been raised by his Father as the future leader of the Red Fox Tribe.

When it came to the safety of an entire Tribe, there was no room for carelessness.

If he were in Martin’s position, he would have done exactly the same thing.

Seeing Nick Wilde accept the arrangement so calmly, Martin’s expression softened.

This child was sensible.

Unlike his own son.

Martin couldn’t help but glance at Mark.

Compared with Nick Wilde’s Father, he suddenly felt that he still had quite a lot of work to do when it came to raising his son.

Mark immediately felt an inexplicable chill.

Why did his father suddenly look at him like that?

---

When Nick Wilde and Mark had met before, Nick Wilde had heard Mark complain countless times about Sora.

According to Mark, Sora was always making things difficult.

She wouldn’t let them eat this.

She wouldn’t let them touch that.

She was always worrying about something.

At the time, Nick Wilde had simply assumed Mark was exaggerating.

But after arriving at the Wolf Tribe, he realized something completely different.

The Wolf Tribe wasn’t chaotic.

Despite the plague toxin, everyone was organized.

Food was distributed properly.

People followed Sora’s instructions.

The sick had been dealt with immediately.

The Tribe had even managed to find alternative sources of food.

Everything was orderly.

Nick Wilde couldn’t help but feel impressed.

Sora wasn’t troublesome.

She was careful.

She was intelligent.

And most importantly, she was decisive.

If the Red Fox Tribe had someone like her...

Perhaps his Mother and Father would still be alive.

Perhaps the members of his Tribe wouldn’t have disappeared.

That thought caused a deep ache in Nick Wilde’s heart.

---

While Nick Wilde remained isolated in the wooden hut assigned to him, he had very little to do.

But although his body was confined to the room, his ears were constantly working.

Every day, he heard the people of the Wolf Tribe talking about Sora.

" Kaelira, I never knew potatoes stems could be prepared this way. It’s delicious!"

"Right? It’s sour and crunchy. I think I like it even more than meat!"

"Meat? I don’t even crave it anymore!"

Someone laughed.

"Ever since I started learning how to cook from Kaelira, I’ve gained several pounds!"

The conversations came from outside the hut.

Nick Wilde listened quietly.

So she really was that good at cooking?

His curiosity grew.

He finally got his answer during lunch.

The Wolf Tribe treated him extremely well.

Although they refused to let him leave the room, they provided him with comfortable bedding and delicious meals.

A meal was brought to the entrance of his hut.

Nick Wilde looked down.

Then his eyes widened slightly.

The bowls weren’t made from animal hide.

They were made from pottery.

Pottery.

During the Moon God Festival, Nick Wilde had seen the Wolf Tribe using pottery bowls.

At the time, he had assumed they were special utensils reserved for important guests.

After all, pottery was extremely expensive.

Even the Red Fox Tribe had only possessed a handful of pottery items purchased from the City-State.

Those pieces were treasured and were usually brought out only when distinguished guests visited.

Yet here, the Wolf Tribe was using pottery to serve an ordinary meal.

Nick Wilde’s eyes became thoughtful.

Just how wealthy had the Wolf Tribe become?

He lowered his gaze to the food.

The dish was divided into two portions.

On one side were yellow pieces cut into beautiful wave-like shapes, with small green herbs scattered across the top.

A rich fragrance immediately filled his nose.

On the other side were deep-green leaves.

They carried a fresh, slightly sour aroma.

Nick Wilde wasn’t someone who normally cared much about food.

But the moment he smelled the meal, his stomach betrayed him.

He swallowed.

His mouth began watering.

Two slender wooden sticks had been placed on top of the bowl.

Nick Wilde picked them up curiously.

He wasn’t entirely accustomed to using them, but after watching the Wolf Tribe members use them several times, he had learned enough.

He carefully picked up one of the yellow pieces.

Then he placed it into his mouth.

The instant he bit down—

His eyebrows shot upward.

Crunchy.

Fragrant.

Slightly salty.

And incredibly delicious.

Nick Wilde stared at the food in disbelief.

What was this?

How could something this simple taste so good?

He took another bite.

Then another.

The expression on his face slowly changed.

For the first time since returning to the ruins of his Tribe, the grief weighing heavily on his chest seemed to loosen slightly.

He finally understood what the Wolf Tribe members had been talking about.

Even beast meat couldn’t compare to this.

Nick Wilde looked down at the bowl.

Then he glanced toward the entrance of the hut.

A complicated expression appeared in his eyes.

Kaelira...

Just what kind of Female was she?

She knew how to fight.

She knew how to identify disease.

She knew how to organize an entire Tribe.

And now she even knew how to turn ordinary plants into food this delicious.

The more Nick Wilde learned about her, the more mysterious she seemed.

And without realizing it, his curiosity about this extraordinary Female had begun to grow.