Chapter 375: The Name That Became a Curse

Carla looked at her with even more surprise. "You want to build more huts for us? You... you have already given us more than enough."

If the Sky Tribe had taken refuge with another tribe, they might not have been allowed to take over even a single one of their huts, but here, Roxanna had given them ten whole huts to live in.

Ten!

Just thinking about it was enough to show how generous Roxanna had been to them.

"Ten huts are still too few for all of you," Roxanna said with a smile. "Right now, you have to squeeze in together because there isn’t enough room for everyone to sleep comfortably. And sooner or later, when your people start having children, those ten huts definitely won’t be enough anymore."

Carla continued to stare at Roxanna in disbelief. Still, she was the one being given this offer, and she didn’t want to pretend that she and her tribe didn’t need what Roxanna was offering.

After thinking about it for a moment, Carla finally spoke. "That... means a lot to us."

She swallowed hard and held her breath for a moment. After all, what they were talking about right now wasn’t something small. The choice they made could decide what kind of future the Sky Tribe would have from now on.

"And Carla... I’m not offering you this just because I want to build more places for your people to live." Roxanna’s expression became more serious as she looked at her. "If you and your tribe really want to live here permanently, it would be impossible for you to keep your entire identity exactly as it is now."

Carla seemed to already have an idea of what Roxanna was trying to say. However, she remained silent and waited for Roxanna to continue.

"I want the Sky Tribe to join the Vixeria Tribe," Roxanna finally said.

Even though Carla had already guessed where the conversation was going, hearing those words directly still made her eyes widen.

Roxanna gave her a moment before continuing. "I know the Sky Tribe has its own history, traditions, and way of living. I’m not asking you to forget all of that. You can still teach your children about where you came from, and you can keep the traditions that are important to you."

She paused before adding, "But if you plan to make this place your permanent home, I don’t think it would be good for us to keep treating each other as two separate tribes forever."

Carla lowered her gaze. She understood what Roxanna meant. They were already living on Vixeria land, eating food gathered and hunted by Vixeria members, and depending on them for safety.

If they continued living here for years while still calling themselves outsiders, there would always be an invisible line separating them.

Roxanna reached out and gently placed her hand over Carla’s. "I don’t want the Sky Tribe to live here as guests. I want you to have a real home here."

"If you become part of the Vixeria Tribe, then this place will belong to you too," Roxanna explained. "You won’t have to wonder whether you’ll be asked to leave someday. Your children can grow up here without thinking that they’re only staying on someone else’s land."

Her expression softened as she continued, "Of course, I’m not asking you to decide this by yourself. This concerns everyone in the Sky Tribe, so you should talk to them first. I want all of you to think about it carefully."

Carla remained silent for a long time. Joining another tribe was not a small decision. The Sky Tribe had existed long before she was born, and even after losing their old home, that name was one of the few things they still had left.

However, there was another reason Carla didn’t want to return to her old tribe. And she wasn’t the only one who felt that way. The others did too.

"Actually... the others and I have been talking about our tribe ever since we came here." Carla took a deep breath.

Carla had always been the kind of person who looked tough and strong, as if nothing could easily bring her down.

But right now, that strength seemed to disappear. She looked vulnerable, and the sadness on her face was impossible to hide.

"The name of the Sky Tribe used to be sacred to me, but after..." Carla lowered her head, looking like someone whose heart had been completely broken. "...that bastard eagle used us as tools to spy on your tribe and caused so much trouble for the Vixeria Tribe, that name started to feel like a curse."

Roxanna looked at Carla for a moment before asking softly, "But it’s not just about that, is it?"

Carla gritted her teeth and clenched her hands tightly. Her shoulders began to tremble, as though she was trying her best to hold back both her anger and her tears.

"I trusted that bastard..." Carla whispered. "I even married him. And what did I get in return? It turns out he only married me because I came from a tribe that had the same name as him?"

Her voice grew shakier with every word. "He and his people also tore my tribe apart, hurt my Harlan, and even killed our Tribe Leader."

Carla’s breathing became heavier, and she quickly turned her face away when she could no longer hold back her tears.

"That bastard..." she whispered through her tears. "He made me never want to set foot in my old tribe again."

Roxanna blinked several times as she stared at Carla. [Oh, my... What should I do? What should I do? I’ve never seen Carla cry like this before. What am I supposed to do?]

Roxanna shifted nervously for a few moments, unsure of how to comfort her. In the end, she decided not to overthink it. She stepped forward and slowly wrapped her arms around Carla.

Carla stiffened the moment Roxanna hugged her. For several seconds, she didn’t move at all, as if she had no idea how to react to the sudden comfort.

Roxanna became even more nervous when Carla remained silent. She awkwardly patted Carla’s back and said, "I know you’re sad, so instead of keeping it buried in your heart, you can cry if you want. I won’t tell anyone."