In the end, the leader succumbed to the might of the Six-star Beastman, Elias Moretti, and agreed to relocate the entire tribe.
With their tribe destroyed, there wasn't much to pack. Soon, Elias Moretti was leading the vast procession of the Midridge Tribe toward the Grymdale Tribe. The two tribes weren't too far apart; it was only a day's journey.
It was at times like this that the difference between females and males became apparent.
The tribe's females all had at least a few Beast Husbands. On the road, these esteemed females didn't need to walk. After their Beast Husbands transformed, they could ride on their backs without their feet ever touching the ground.
Take Verdant, for example. One of her Beast Husbands was The Pangolin. A soft beast skin was draped over his mountain-like back, and Verdant sat atop it as if she were on vacation, with her other Beast Husbands thoughtfully providing wild fruits.
Even Saskia had her own Beast Husbands!
Saskia had two Beast Husbands: a Fox Beastman and a Wolf Beastman.
Her two Beast Husbands had one thing in common: they were both exceptionally handsome. But Saskia was clearly not satisfied. As she sat on the Wolf Beastman's back, her gaze was fixed intently on Elias Moretti up ahead.
The earthquake had shattered the land, making the journey to the Grymdale Tribe incredibly difficult.
The ground beneath their feet was riddled with a complex network of fissures, both wide and narrow. Along the path, the thick trunks of primeval trees lay toppled every which way, forming impassable natural barriers.
As the one in charge, Elias Moretti walked at the very front of the procession, shouldering the heavy responsibility of clearing the path.
Evangeline glanced over before looking away. 'Saskia is full of affection, but it's a pity. Elias Moretti is clearly just using her. A hopeless romantic like that won't last long; no need to pay her too much mind.'
In the entire group, she was the only one walking on her own two feet. The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth.
"Flora, do you want something to eat?" Verdant asked, handing a piece of fruit to Evangeline from her perch on The Pangolin's back.
Evangeline glanced at her, took the fruit, and said flatly, "You seem to be eating and drinking just fine."
Verdant gave a bitter smile. Gazing at the long procession, she murmured, "What choice do we have? If we left, we'd just be wandering Beastmen. We'd have to face all sorts of dangers, and we'd offend the Grymdale Tribe on top of it all."
Evangeline took a bite of the fruit. It was so sour it set her teeth on edge. She turned and secretly tossed it into her space.
"Aren't you tired? You should have found a Beast Husband before we set out," Verdant said, changing the subject.
On the Beastman Continent, a female's Star Pattern only represented her fertility and health. For instance, the higher a female's star-ranking, the stronger she would be. But other than that, they didn't possess the same incredible combat strength as males.
In fact, females were unable to transform into their beast forms after reaching adulthood.
Among females, only a Witch could inherit special abilities from The Beast God.
For an ordinary female to survive, she needed to find a powerful male to form a Contract with and gain his protection.
And once Contracted, a male in his beast form would only allow his partner to ride him. This wasn't a rule enforced by The Beast God, but an unwritten code that signified a male's absolute loyalty to his Contracted partner.
Evangeline let out a cold laugh. 'Find myself another nuisance just to avoid a little walking? What was she, crazy?'
"Just hang in there a little longer. At this pace, we should reach the Grymdale Tribe by sunset," Verdant said, consoling Evangeline after glancing ahead and estimating the distance.
"We'll be there by sunset?" Evangeline's spirits lifted.
'Does that mean I'm about to meet my second Beast Husband?'
Verdant seemed to have thought of the same thing. Her face paled slightly. She glanced around before whispering to Evangeline, "Why don't you find a chance to escape? That's the Grymdale Tribe! I heard their leader is also a Six-star Beastman. If they find out who you are, won't you be..."
Evangeline calmly cut her off. "As long as you don't say anything, no one will find out."
'Conversely, if someone *does* find out, it'll be one hundred percent because Verdant snitched.'
She had taken a Disguise Pill. As long as she didn't take the antidote, she would maintain this ugly appearance. With both her Star Pattern and Contract Mark gone, not only would strangers be unable to recognize her, but even Thorne, the man she was Contracted with, wouldn't be able to tell.
Verdant froze, giving Evangeline a complicated look.
Elias Moretti continued to lead the way. He would find a way around ravines, and when giant trees blocked the path, he would transform into his beast form, using his serpentine tail to sweep the obstacles aside. The journey was smooth, and no foolish Wild Beasts dared to come looking for a beating.
As evening fell, the silhouette of a tribe came into Evangeline's view.
Before they even got close to the Grymdale Tribe, patrol sentries began to emerge one by one.
The moment the Beastmen saw Elias Moretti, their tense expressions suddenly relaxed. Someone shouted, "Elias! You're finally back! You have to go see—something major has happened in the tribe!"
Hearing this, Elias Moretti's expression changed. 'Could The Beast God's wrath have affected the Grymdale Tribe as well?'
He was about to enter the tribe when a thought stopped him. He glanced back at the Beastmen of the Midridge Tribe and said coldly, "Wait here."
The sentries sized up the newcomers, their eyes filled with unconcealed disdain.
Without a doubt, Elias Moretti had brought the Midridge Tribe back with him.
'Even if these outsiders join the Grymdale Tribe, they'll be stuck on the periphery from now on!'
Seeing the contemptuous looks from the sentries, the people of the Midridge Tribe felt a sense of unease.
Verdant's eyes dimmed. Seeing Evangeline's enthusiastic expression, she couldn't help but shake her head.
She said, "Don't get too excited. The Grymdale Tribe is different from the Midridge Tribe. They won't treat you well just because you're a female. We have to choose a Beast Husband from the Grymdale Tribe and form a Contract tonight."
Evangeline was a little surprised. "Why?"
'As outsiders joining the tribe, we get rewarded with a husband on the very first night?'
But in the next moment, Evangeline understood. 'Annexation and integration are never easy. "Political marriage" is the quickest solution. As long as the bloodlines of the two tribes intermingle, what else is there to worry about?'
She shook her head and asked curiously, "What's so different about the Grymdale Tribe?"
"You don't know? Aren't you..." Verdant trailed off, looking puzzled.
She knew about Evangeline's Beast Husband, Thorne, a famous Beastman in Norfell.
The son of the Grymdale Tribe's leader, he had already become a Four-star-pattern Beastman before even reaching adulthood. He was the most sought-after choice for a Beast Husband in all of Norfell. He even cultivated a rare Thunder Element Beast Crystal after he came of age!
Thorne, the undisputed number one Warrior of Norfell.
But no one expected that such a great Warrior would suddenly disappear without a trace not long after.
When Verdant heard news of Thorne again, she was dumbfounded. The number one Warrior of Norfell had formed a Contract with The Virago of the Oasis Tribe! Immediately after, rumors spread that Thorne's Beast Crystal had been dug out and his Star Pattern shattered.
Thinking this, Verdant's gaze toward Evangeline turned strange.
'Any other female would have been overjoyed to have such a powerful Beast Husband. But she went and ruined him, provoking the Grymdale Tribe into annihilating the Oasis Tribe. And now, she's delivered herself right to their doorstep.'
Thoughts were just thoughts, however. Verdant was still grateful to Evangeline for rescuing her from Thorncliff.
She lowered her voice and said, "The Grymdale Tribe is the only tribe in Norfell that isn't mixed."