"Maybe we've just fattened her up?"
"Yeah, must be it. We feed her meat every day, and she eats so much. Of course she'd gain weight."
"She really does eat a lot."
Nina: …
Great. Your suspicion is very reasonable.
The tight knot in her chest quietly loosened. As long as they hadn't noticed, it was fine.
During pregnancy, Nina's appetite really had increased.
As they talked, the guards began to examine Nina more carefully.
"I feel like her face doesn't look as ugly anymore."
"Yeah… seems like there are fewer dark spots. But maybe we're just used to seeing her, so it doesn't feel as bad."
"True."
"Hey—stop staring. The meat's burning!"
"Oh—oh!" One guard glanced over and saw that it really was burnt, quickly flipping it over.
Their attention shifted, and they focused on roasting the meat.
Over the past few days, Nina had been quietly treating herself, but progress was slow. She was worried the toxins might affect the baby's development, so she deliberately used her abilities to force as much of the toxin as possible to remain on her face. Otherwise, the poison marks there would have faded far more noticeably.
Fortunately, Little Bun had checked and confirmed that the baby was very healthy and that the toxin posed no real threat. Only then did Nina feel somewhat reassured—otherwise, she would have gone straight out to buy a detoxification pill.
Hearing the guards talk about wanting to return before the heavy rain season arrived, Nina suddenly had an idea.
She spoke cautiously, testing the waters.
"If you want to make it back before the heavy rain season starts, you could leave me at a nearby tribe. This area already counts as the wilderness anyway. Even if we haven't reached the city yet, it wouldn't mean you failed your mission. Or you could ask the tribe's beastfolk to escort me to Savage City. That way, you can head back early. I don't want to keep troubling you either."
The guards, eager to return home, actually gave the suggestion some serious thought.
"What she says makes sense. She's not a criminal beast and doesn't have a criminal mark. Whether she ends up in a city or a tribe doesn't make much difference. This is already the wilderness."
"Then let's just drop her off at the nearest tribe ahead. Anyway, she can't possibly go back, and the City Lord won't find out."
"Yeah, I think that works."
If they formally entrusted her to other beastfolk, they would have to pay compensation, and they didn't want to waste any beast crystals. So they decided to leave Nina at the nearest tribe ahead.
As soon as the rain stopped, they set out to look for a tribe. After another day of flying, they finally spotted a small settlement in the distance.
They landed at the entrance of the tribe, where the gate guards stopped them.
"Who are you?" the guards demanded. "What business do you have with our tribe?"
The guards had already prepared their story.
"We're beastfolk out on a training journey. We found a lost female nearby, and she asked us to help her find a tribe where she could settle down, so we brought her here."
As they spoke, they stepped aside so the gate guards could see Nina standing behind them.
To avoid giving other beastfolk a bad first impression of her, they had made a simple mask for her, covering most of her face.
The gate guard glanced at Nina and said, "Wait here. I'll go inform the chieftain."
Female beastfolk were rare in the beast world, and when a female sought to join, most tribes were happy to accept her.
The chieftain arrived quickly, followed by three males. The way they looked at Nina was filled with eagerness.
The chieftain examined her. With the mask on, only a pair of clear, watery eyes were visible—bright, pure, and lively. She looked like a young, pretty female.
That was his conclusion.
"So, you're the one who wants to join the tribe?"
He found it a little strange that Nina was wearing a mask.
"Yes. I went out gathering with my tribe and got separated by accident. After that, I wandered alone for a long time and can no longer find my original tribe. So I'm hoping to settle in a new one. You can just assign me a remote corner; that will be enough," Nina said.
This was the story she and the two guards had agreed on beforehand.
"And what about the two of you?" the chieftain asked the guards. "Are you her guardian beasts?"
"No, no, no." The two guards waved their hands repeatedly. "We just happened to find her while training and kindly escorted her to look for a tribe. We're not her guardians. If you're willing to take her in, we'll leave right away and won't trouble you."
The chieftain thought it over. There were still quite a few single males in the tribe, and having another female join was a good thing. He agreed readily. "We're willing to take her in."
"Thank you, Chieftain!" the two guards said happily. "Now that the female is settled, we'll take our leave."
Without waiting for a reply, the two guards took off immediately, not lingering for even a second.
The chieftain said nothing more and led Nina into the tribe.
The three males following the chieftain eagerly began introducing the tribe to her.
"Little female, our tribe is called the Pine Stone Tribe. We're not very big, but we have plenty of strong males, and we even have more females than the neighboring tribes."
"Our chieftain's name is Tali. You can call him Chieftain Tali."
"Little female, my name is Daon. There are lots of fruits near our tribe—if you like them, I can take you to pick some."
"My name is Faros. I can take you too."
…
Their enthusiasm made Nina feel both flattered and a little overwhelmed.
Since arriving here, Nina had always been someone everyone disliked. This was the first time she had ever been treated with such enthusiasm. She couldn't help wondering what their reactions would be once they saw her face.
Chieftain Tali led Nina to a relatively secluded corner of the tribe. Three crude stone huts stood there. "You'll live here from now on. There aren't many empty houses in the tribe—this is considered one of the better spots."
"Alright, thank you, Chieftain," Nina said gratefully.
For her, simply having a place to stay was enough.
"What's your name?" the chieftain asked.
"My name is Nina."
"Why are you wearing a mask?"
"Because… I'm rather ugly."
Nina reached up and removed the mask.
At this moment, she was actually a little glad her poison hadn't been fully cured—it saved her a lot of trouble. She had no interest in these males and didn't want to invite unnecessary complications. Given her current situation, the fewer people paying attention to her, the better.
Although she did need beast husbands for protection, she didn't want to choose them casually.
Before, it had been because of a political marriage, and the candidates' conditions were beyond reproach. Their looks were uncertain, but their power and wealth were real—and that alone was appealing enough.
Besides, she had a child now.
She quietly stroked her belly. Don't worry, baby. Mommy will definitely find you a few handsome, powerful stepdads.
Chieftain Tali took one look, coughed lightly, and said, "It's fine. You can keep the mask on."
He felt a twinge of regret about bringing Nina back—she was truly ugly and so thin, clearly not someone easy to bear children. He wasn't sure whether the single males in the tribe would want her. Still… having one was better than having none.
Moreover, Nina's polite and respectful attitude left him with a fairly good impression.
The expressions of the three males beside him changed. Though they didn't show open disdain, the warmth in their eyes cooled noticeably.
They had thought Nina's scent was pleasant and her eyes beautiful, assuming she was a pretty female. They hadn't expected her to be this ugly—it was hard for them to accept.
One by one, they turned their faces away, no longer looking at her.
Although male beastfolk valued a female's fertility above all else, they still cared about appearance to some extent.
Chieftain Tali pointed at the three stone huts ahead. "All three of these are empty. You can choose whichever one you like. I'll have someone deliver food to you every day."