Chapter 27

Garam entrusted the reception of the guards who had accompanied him to his fellow tribesmen and led only the main figures of each clan to the chief's tent. When they were guided into the meeting room, the clans of the Eye and the Mane sat on the left side from the back, while the clan of the Claw sat on the right. It seemed as if the two clans of the Eye and the Mane were opposing the clan of the Claw, and emotionally, it was probably a similar situation. Banuka, who had just been humiliated in front of everyone, was clearly showing hostility towards Zugg.

However, this was a reckless move. Not only in terms of personal bravery and capacity, but also in terms of the power of the clan that supported him, Banuka had no chance of winning. Schnupa, the moderate, probably sat on Banuka's side to maintain balance, having anticipated this.

Before the meeting began, Garam, filled with a small sense of accomplishment, sat in the deepest seat of the meeting room. On his left and right, he placed the old lady and Shemul as advisors. Shemul was placed there to show that the young master supported the chief of the Fang clan.

In the midst of this, Garam began to recount the entire sequence of events starting from the night raid. The members of each clan seemed greatly interested in the remarkable feat of repelling an army of over eight hundred with a small force and the bold tactic of a fire attack, which was something new to Zoan.

While speaking, Garam paid particular attention to Zugg. The biggest challenge in this meeting was to gain the approval of Zugg, the chief of the Claw clan, who had the largest force among them. To achieve this, Garam had to make Zugg recognize the achievements of the blue horse.

So far, from Garam's perspective, Zugg seemed to be showing considerable interest. He was not simply surprised like Schnupa, who was unfamiliar with warfare, nor was he naively pleased like Banuka, who was listening to the heroic tale spun by the storyteller. Instead, Zugg leaned forward slightly, as if not to miss a single word Garam was saying.

"Herein lies the account of the battle with the humans this time." By the time he finished, quite a bit of time had passed, with several questions asked in between.

Feeling a small sense of accomplishment after finishing his story, Garam was then doused with cold water by Zugg's next words.

"Hmph. Not a battle befitting the proud warriors of Zoan, O Fierce Fang."

As if to contradict the earnest attention he had shown until just a moment ago, Zugg scratched his ear in a bored manner and mocked Garam.

Garam made a grim face but did not argue, merely turning his head slightly away. This reaction confirmed Zugg's suspicions.

If the strategy to repel the army had been thought up by Garam or someone from the clan, Garam would have argued back. However, his grim face indicated that he had been hit where it hurt, and his turning away indicated that he felt the same way and could not argue.

"O Angry Claw. Then, how do you propose to fight the humans with such a small force?!"

It was Banuka who argued on Garam's behalf.

Ignoring the young man who had mistaken this meeting as an opportunity to sell himself to the young master, Zugg continued.

"I am praising you, O Fierce Fang. You, who always spoke of the pride of Zoan, came up with a method that you would never have thought of. To think you could come up with such a bold move for the sake of the clan!"

Garam's face twisted at this blatant mockery. Zugg's taunt was calculated to force Garam to reveal the one who had given him the strategy, as it would be impossible to hide him any longer.

"O Angry Claw, you are right. This was not something I came up with. I merely followed the plan of someone else."

With Garam's admission, Zugg clenched his hidden fist in triumph.

"Indeed, that is surprising."

Zugg said with a smug look.

"In that case, I think we cannot proceed without first introducing this person, can we?"

Garam hesitated. According to the original plan, he was to gauge the reception of the blue horse and then introduce him. However, Zugg's words made sense.

Judging that it would be unwise to reject this and complicate matters, Garam called out to Shemul.

"Shemul, bring him here."

Shemul nodded and retreated to the back of the tent. After a while, Shemul returned with the blue horse, who appeared timidly, and a great murmur arose in the room.

"His name is Kizaki Soma. He is the one who gave us the strategy."

◆◇◆◇◆

The fact that he was human was within the realm of expectation. However, what Zugg had imagined was a seasoned warrior or a general. A man with a strong build, tall stature, and a bold face, backed by the pride of having crossed many battlefields. This was the image Zugg had in mind.

However, the person who actually appeared was a human child, completely different from what he had imagined. He looked like a weak boy who had never even held a sword, let alone a seasoned warrior or a general.

"Ridiculous! O Fierce Fang, are you saying that a hero like you relied on the power of a human?!"

Representing the agitated crowd, Banuka stood up and questioned Garam without hiding his anger. This reaction was already anticipated, so Garam answered calmly.

"We followed Soma's strategy and drove the humans away. It was also he who proposed reclaiming the plains."

Everyone watched Garam closely, but he did not seem to be lying or joking. Zugg was genuinely surprised.

Garam was a warrior of Zoan, equal to himself. He must have already seen through the fact that the human boy was not a seasoned warrior or a general. For Garam to still support the human boy, it must be significant.

This was getting more interesting. Zugg quickly observed the other clan representatives.

Banuka, the young man, openly showed his hatred for humans. In contrast, Schnupa was quietly discussing with the priestesses behind him, probably consulting on the stance of the Eye clan.

What should I do here? Zugg pondered and took action.

"The proud Zoan of the Claw clan cannot cooperate with those who team up with humans. I will take my leave."

Zugg stood up slowly, and the members of his clan followed.

"Wait, O Angry Claw!"

Garam called out to Zugg, who was about to leave. Zugg stopped, turned his head over his shoulder, and said with contempt.

"Is there anything else?"

"O Angry Claw, I understand your dissatisfaction, but please hear me out until the end."

"What more is there to hear?"

Zugg addressed not only Garam but all the Zoan present.

"What you are saying is an insult to us, the proud warriors of Zoan! You are asking us to follow the words of a human, and not just any human, but a weak child! A child worse than the monsters that scavenge for excrement!"

This was not something that any Zoan warrior would disagree with, despite Zugg's usual boast that any defeat was just the whining of a loser.

It was difficult to deny this outright. If Garam wanted to keep Zugg, he would have to lower himself. Zugg, in turn, would reluctantly accept the blue horse to maintain a mental advantage and take control of the meeting.

However, an unexpected interruption occurred.

"Zugg! You have insulted Soma!"

It was Shemul, who was spewing flames of anger from his entire body.

"What of it?!"

Zugg's response was unexpected. According to his calculations, Shemul, who had been told to follow human orders, should have been the most dissatisfied. The pride of the Noble Fang was well-known, and a proud Zoan would never follow a hated human, even for the sake of the clan's fate.

The report from the lookout who had been following the human child also suggested that the young master himself had been monitoring the child, hoping to drive him away.

Zugg had based his calculations on these mistaken assumptions.

"If you continue to insult Soma with your filthy mouth, I will not stand idly by! I will make you pay with my pride!"

This unexpected outburst from Shemul made Zugg anxious. He could not afford to openly oppose the young master in front of the other clans. While Zugg had little reverence for the young master, he did not underestimate the young master's influence.

"Ha! Young master, perhaps you should step back. I am not speaking to you! If you cannot tolerate the insult, it is the one who received the insult who should respond! Do not interfere where you do not belong!"

By emphasizing that the problem was with the human child, Zugg tried to prevent the young master's intervention.

However, Zugg's argument was reasonable. Everyone thought Shemul had no choice but to remain silent.

"It concerns me!"

But Shemul was resolute.

"Soma, who is here, is my 'Navel Below Lord'! Do you think I can remain silent when my 'Navel Below Lord' is insulted?!"

To have one's 'Navel Below Lord' insulted was a greater humiliation than being insulted oneself. Shemul's anger was justified.

However, the room fell silent at Shemul's outburst. Even Zugg was frozen with his mouth agape.

Among them, Garam, who had a long relationship with Shemul as a sibling, was the first to recover.

"Shemul... What did you just say?"

In contrast to Garam, who could barely ask, Shemul answered nonchalantly.

"Huh? I just said I can't remain silent when my 'Navel Below Lord' is insulted."

"'Navel Below Lord'...?"

"Yes. I have made Soma my 'Navel Below Lord'."

Shemul said proudly, puffing out his chest.

At that moment, all the Zoan present let out a scream that was neither a cry nor a roar.

"What? Is it that surprising?"

Shemul was the only one who remained calm amidst everyone's shock.

However, it was understandable why everyone was shocked. The young master, who was a being blessed by the gods who created them, had given her entire body and soul to a male of another species. For the Zoan, this was like a bolt from the blue or an announcement of the end of the world.

It was similar to the shock a devout follower would feel upon learning that the revered saint they worshiped was actually married and had children.

Especially since the other party was a hated human, the shock they received was unimaginable.

Banuka's eyes were completely vacant, and some of the priestesses of the Eye clan fainted. Schnupa, as the head priestess, managed to hold her composure, but she was on the verge of clutching her head.

"Shemul! You...!"

"G, G, Garam! You are his brother!"

"Shut up! I didn't know either!"

Garam shouted in a voice that was almost crying as Zugg grabbed his collar.

"Hehehe! That bed-wetting little girl becoming a 'Navel Below Lord' is a surprise."

The only one who laughed joyfully amidst this was the old lady.

"Old lady, the bed-wetting part is unnecessary!"

"Nevertheless, it is a joyous occasion. We must celebrate. I have a special drink I want to share."

"You're being generous. But, this is a rare occasion. Fine, come to my place later to pick it up."

Garam, who was watching this exchange, became furious.

"You two, what are you saying nonsense for!"

"What is it, O Fierce Fang? Are you not going to bless us?"

Shemul said, pouting.

To find a person worthy of one's entire body and soul is one of the highest honors for a Zoan warrior. When someone becomes a 'Navel Below Lord,' it is customary to hold a celebration in their honor.

Moreover, there was no rule against making a member of another species a 'Navel Below Lord.' In the past, there were a few cases where Zoan had made members of other species their 'Navel Below Lord,' all of whom were renowned heroes and warriors.

There was also no rule against the young master taking a 'Navel Below Lord.'

While Garam understood this intellectually, emotionally, it was a different matter.

Wanting to scold him, but unable to find the right words, Garam finally managed to say:

"You, idiot!!"

This made Shemul bristle.

"What do you mean by 'idiot'? What do you mean by 'idiot'!"

"What's wrong with calling an idiot an idiot!"

"Even as a brother, there are things you can and cannot say!"

It had turned into a simple sibling quarrel.

Sometimes, seeing someone else make a fool of themselves can make one more calm, and the Zoan present were exactly that. They began to feel deflated at the sudden, childish sibling quarrel.

Unaware of this, the two of them even argued about whether one of them had stolen snacks as children, until Schnupa cleared his throat loudly.

This made Garam and Shemul snap back to reality.

"Lord Garam and the young master are clearly very close. Perhaps we should leave it at that?"

Schnupa's gentle tone, tinged with a smile, made the two of them squirm with embarrassment.

"Both of you, and I, need to calm down. I suggest we take a break and resume the meeting later. What do you think?"

No one objected to Schnupa's suggestion.

Bonus

Shemul: "Yes, I have made Soma my 'Navel Below Lord' (with a proud pose!)"

Zoan: "(This is so infuriating!)"