Chieftain Tali and the three males had clearly cooled in their attitude, but Nina didn't mind. "Thank you, Chieftain. I won't eat the tribe's food for free. I'll pay with beast crystals. Also, please give me raw food from now on."
As she spoke, Nina handed the chieftain three white crystals—ones she had exchanged with Little Bun.
Once the baby was born, she planned to try earning money or hunting on her own to support herself and her child.
Chieftain Tali frowned slightly. By offering beast crystals, Nina was clearly indicating that she didn't intend to take a male from the tribe. If it were any other female, he would never have agreed—but given her appearance, he let it go. Most likely, the males in the tribe wouldn't be interested anyway.
If she did form a mating bond in the future, then they wouldn't accept payment.
Chieftain Tali accepted the crystals. "Alright. We'll be going then."
They left quickly. Nina looked at the three stone huts, spaced some distance apart. She chose the one in the middle—it looked a bit larger and cleaner—and decided to make it her temporary little nest.
The stone hut didn't have a proper door, just a beast-skin curtain hanging at the entrance. Inside was a single open space. There was a hole in the wall beside the entrance—probably meant to be a window.
The furnishings were sparse: a rough stone table, three stone stools, two small stone basins, and a large hollowed-out stone covered with a wooden board—likely used as a storage vat.
In one corner, there was a patch of dried grass laid out. It looked a bit dirty. Nina guessed that was meant to be the bed.
Tribes in the beast world were generally quite primitive. Some still lived communally in caves, and others were burrow-dwellers, so many didn't even bother making doors. Having a curtain already counted as relatively refined. Cities, by contrast, were far more advanced, with proper doors, windows, and separate rooms.
Nina looked around the surroundings and found the location quite satisfactory.
It was close to a water source, quiet and secluded. There were wild vegetables and fruit trees nearby, while most of the tribe's beastfolk lived on the other side and rarely came this way—perfect for her needs.
On the way back, she picked some wild vegetables and gathered dry firewood.
That afternoon, it happened to rain again. Nina took the opportunity to collect plenty of water and thoroughly washed the stone hut, cleaning it until it was spotless.
After that, she bought some daily necessities from the system shop. To avoid seeming too out of place, most of what she bought resembled items common in this world—beast skins, a stone pot. More modern items she kept stored in her system inventory to use as needed.
The beast world did have stone pots, but they were extremely rough and thick—heavy and slow to heat. The stone pot Nina chose was still primitive in style but much thinner and more practical.
From now on, she could finally cook for herself. After being here for so long, she could at last eat food she actually liked.
By evening, the tribe delivered her first meal: a chunk of meat and a few fruits. Knowing she wanted raw ingredients, they also brought her a firestone and a beast-bone knife so she could make fire and cook if needed.
"Are you the new female who joined the tribe?"
The one delivering the food was an unfamiliar male. He was fairly tall, with clean, handsome features—a definite good-looking guy.
Nina wasn't wearing her mask at the moment. When he saw her face, he didn't show the disgust that other beastfolk had. Instead, his expression remained natural and calm.