Chapter 29

Sōma took several deep breaths, trying to calm his trembling heart.

"It's okay. Calm down, calm down."

He repeated these words to himself over and over.

Shemuru, who had been watching Sōma with concern, spoke up.

"Are you really okay, Sōma?"

"Yeah... maybe not quite."

He showed Shemuru a strained smile.

"But this is something I decided to do."

"But, Sōma, do you really have to try to persuade Zūg and the others on your own? I am the child of the Beast God. I could do it for you."

"That won't do, Shemuru."

Though the offer was tempting, Sōma shook it off.

"This isn't the end. It's just the beginning. I need to make them recognize me here and now."

Sōma believed this was the moment of truth.

The Zoans were all proud warriors. To gain their recognition, he had to stand before them. He couldn't hide behind Shemuru forever.

"Even though I'm saying all this, my hands are shaking so much. It's a bit embarrassing, isn't it?"

Sōma showed his trembling hands to Shemuru.

Shemuru gently enveloped Sōma's trembling hands in both of hers and looked him straight in the eye.

"It's natural to fear failure. But the fact that you still try to move forward makes you my 'Lord Below the Navel.'"

"Thank you, Shemuru."

He felt his trembling subside somewhat.

"Now, my 'Lord Below the Navel.' From here on, this is your battlefield."

With a theatrical gesture, Shemuru led Sōma back into the council chamber.

As they passed under the covering of the corridor and entered the council chamber, the Zoans' gazes pressed down on Sōma like a heavy weight.

Especially Banuka's gaze was so intense that it could kill a person just by looking.

Sōma tried to steady his legs, which felt like they might give out at any moment, and managed to sit down in his assigned seat.

Then, imitating Shemuru and the others, he placed his fists on the floor and bowed deeply.

"Let me introduce myself again. I am Kizaki Sōma!"

◆◇◆◇◆

When the council resumed, Zūg was the first to speak.

"First, let me confirm. Were you the one who gave the strategy to the <Clan of Fangs> and proposed the attack on the fort?"

His words were like a blade, and the intensity of his gaze made it clear that any misstep could cost a life.

Shemuru, who was standing behind Sōma, almost stood up, but she sat back down as Sōma puffed out his chest, ready to face the challenge.

"That's right. I taught the <Clan of Fangs> how to drive away the humans. And I promised that if they followed me, I would help them take back the plains."

Though Sōma answered firmly, he was on the verge of fainting.

He tried to hide his fear, but his face still twitched. Fortunately, the Zoans found it difficult to read human expressions.

"We are proud Zoan warriors! We cannot follow a weak human like you!"

This was a criticism that Sōma had anticipated during his discussions with Garam and Shemuru. Therefore, he answered calmly.

"Following me will not tarnish the pride of Zoan warriors."

"By what proof can you say that?!"

"Have you forgotten the favor of the Child of Shemuru?"

Zūg was speechless.

No Zoan was unaware of the favor of the Child of Shemuru.

Her favor was to protect their pride. If following Sōma were a shameful act, Shemuru could not have made Sōma her 'Lord Below the Navel.'

"Earlier, we confirmed that Shemuru is still the Child."

Shinupa added a decisive statement. As the head of the <Clan of Eyes>, who oversaw the rituals, her guarantee was unassailable.

If Zūg still insisted that following Sōma was shameful, it would not only insult Shemuru but also deny the Beast God who made her the Child.

Zūg was frustrated by the power of this favor.

Of course, Shemuru had not received the favor with such intentions, but sometimes a person's purity can generate an unexpectedly strong force.

Zūg decided to change his approach.

"Aren't you a human? The humans who curse us as lowly beasts and try to exterminate us, why would you want to be our ally? I can only think there's some hidden agenda!"

"I have no connection to the humans here."

"No connection?"

"Yes. I am a 'fallen child' from a different world. I have never even spoken to the humans here."

As the Zoans looked skeptical, the old woman vouched for Sōma's words.

"By the name of the Beast God, it's the truth. Sōma couldn't even speak properly until Shemuru and I taught him."

"The humans here threw me into a dungeon without even understanding my language. I have no gratitude, only resentment."

Sōma thought he had hit a critical point by emphasizing that he was not a human, but Zūg was taken aback by the unexpected counterattack, and his tone wavered.

"Then, you must also treat us Zoans the same way!"

It was nearly impossible for Zūg to have anticipated that Sōma was a 'fallen child.' This was a stroke of bad luck for Zūg.

However, Sōma had no intention of giving Zūg any leeway. He launched a fierce counterattack.

"No. Shemuru saved my life. I've heard that the Zoans have a saying, 'the favor of a single rabbit.' In my world, we have a similar saying, 'the favor of a night's lodging and a meal.' It means that a favor, no matter how small, must be repaid. That's why I helped the <Clan of Fangs>."

"Unbelievable! You would betray your own kind just for a meal?!"

At Banuka's outburst, Zūg was exasperated. Banuka had not understood why Sōma had mentioned 'the favor of a single rabbit.'

Garam, who had been watching silently, spoke with a wicked smile.

"Ah, it seems the <Clan of Mane> doesn't take 'the favor of a single rabbit' seriously."

"N... No, that's not what I meant...!"

Banuka, a respected warrior, was flustered by Garam's words.

For Zoan warriors, who valued pride above all, failing to repay a favor was shameful. Conversely, repaying a favor even at the cost of betraying one's own kind was a rare act of honor.

This was a true story of virtue.

Many warriors would praise and cheer for such a story. Criticizing it would only invite criticism, as Banuka was now experiencing.

Even Zūg, who valued practical benefits over pride, did not underestimate pride.

Warriors who followed only for practical benefits could easily be swayed by greater benefits. However, a warrior's proud stance and the ability to praise others' pride could earn their loyalty, making them strong allies in times of need.

Unless there was a greater practical benefit, criticizing Sōma's story of virtue would only diminish Zūg's own value.

By framing his actions as a story of virtue, Sōma had effectively neutralized Zūg's attacks.

"... Let's hear the specific strategy for attacking the fort."

Zūg said this with a face that looked like he had bitten into a bitter pill.

Ideally, he would have wanted to scrutinize Sōma's background and origins before discussing the specific strategy, to gain a psychological advantage. However, since that approach had failed, he had to find a flaw in Sōma's plan to regain control of the discussion.

He was ready to catch even the smallest issue in Sōma's strategy.

However, Sōma surprised everyone with his response.

"I can't reveal the specifics now."

"What?! What do you mean?!"

"There's a saying, 'plans are best kept secret.'"

The Zoans, including Zūg, were confused and did not understand what Sōma meant.

However, Zūg's pride prevented him from admitting his confusion.

"Important plans can fail if they leak to the enemy. So it's better to keep them secret."

"O... Oh! That's right!"

Zūg nodded as if he had known this all along, despite Sōma's explanation.

"But, how can we decide whether to cooperate with you if you keep the plan secret?!"

Banuka's point was valid.

Without knowing the specific plan to take down the fort, it was impossible to judge whether to cooperate.

"You'll just have to trust me."

"You can't decide that! What reason do we have to trust you?!"

"The fact that I, along with a few warriors and the elderly and children, drove away an army of 800 humans."

If they criticized this, Sōma could easily counter with, "Can you do that?"

Banuka had no choice but to close his mouth in frustration.

However, Zūg was still suspicious.

Sōma's responses were odd. If he genuinely wanted the cooperation of other clans, he would have revealed the plan to gain their trust. If he had confidence in his plan, it would have been the quickest way to gain support.

Of course, Zūg expected to find flaws and take control of the discussion, but avoiding this seemed counterproductive. Whatever the plan, Sōma needed the cooperation of other clans. Hiding it would only increase distrust, as Banuka had pointed out.

To Zūg, it seemed that Sōma was not genuinely seeking the cooperation of other clans.

"If you say so, I'm not opposed to lending a hand."

Zūg decided to take a different approach.

"But, neither I nor my kin can easily trust you. Right?"

"I agree with you."

When Zūg sought agreement, Sōma nodded honestly.

Zūg smiled, thinking he had the upper hand.

"Hey, Garam. If your <Clan of Fangs> leads the way and shows trust in this human boy, we will follow, won't we?"

Zūg believed that Sōma and Garam's goal was to reduce the strength of the <Clan of Claws>.

The <Clan of Claws> had avoided battles with humans and preserved their warriors, while the <Clan of Fangs> had lost many warriors in repeated attempts to take the fort. Zūg had already noticed this.

So, Zūg's plan was to secure the cooperation of other clans and then send the <Clan of Claws> to the most dangerous position, reducing their numbers.

However, Zūg was frustrated by being used. He took Sōma's admission that he couldn't be easily trusted and used it to launch a counterattack, suggesting that the <Clan of Fangs> should lead the charge and set an example.

Zūg braced himself to see how Sōma and Garam would respond, but Garam's reaction exceeded his expectations.

"The <Clan of Claws> has a point. We, the <Clan of Fangs>, intended to lead the charge from the beginning."

Zūg was surprised. According to the information he had, the <Clan of Fangs> had fewer than a hundred warriors. They would be decimated by arrows before reaching the fort's walls.

This was not courage but reckless bravery.

However, Sōma's response was even more shocking.

"Yes. I intend to take down the fort with the strength of the <Clan of Fangs> alone."

Everyone was stunned.