Chapter 159: The Tribe Is Poisoned

Once the honey was ready, Sora poured the sour wild-fruit juice into it.

She mixed the ingredients carefully until they formed a smooth sauce.

Then she picked up her wild-onion brush.

She dipped it into the mixture and began brushing it over the piglet’s skin.

The sweet honey combined with the sour fruit created a fragrant glaze.

The piglet was coated evenly.

Sora then allowed the sauce to air-dry slightly.

After preparing the fire, she found a clear space suitable for roasting.

She used sturdy sticks to support the piglet’s shape and positioned it above the fire.

At first, she kept the flames low.

The meat needed time to warm through without burning the outside.

Once the piglet had begun to hold its shape, Sora gradually increased the fire.

She rotated the entire animal slowly.

Every so often, she brushed oil over the skin.

The surface began changing.

First came a slight golden tint.

Then the color deepened.

The skin became glossy.

The aroma intensified.

The beastmen who had initially thought Sora was making the process unnecessarily complicated gradually stopped questioning her.

They watched in fascination.

They were accustomed to roasting meat directly over an open flame.

Usually, they simply placed the meat above the fire and waited.

But Sora’s method was completely different.

She controlled the temperature.

She rotated the meat.

She repeatedly brushed it with oil.

She added layers of sauce.

It seemed troublesome.

But as the skin slowly became golden-red, everyone understood.

The surface was becoming crisp and shiny.

The rich glaze reflected the firelight.

The roasted piglet looked completely different from anything they had prepared before.

Ace stared.

Lucas stopped what he was doing.

Even Ryan couldn’t take his eyes away.

Sora glanced at the piglet and smiled.

She had known it would work.

The beastmen had been competing over who could help her.

Now, without realizing it, they had all become witnesses to the same thing.

Her cooking was about to prove once again that all their effort had been worthwhile.

The Wild Kitchen filled with the irresistible fragrance of roasted meat.

And for the moment, all the beastmen forgot their jealousy.

There was only one thought left in everyone’s mind.

When will it be ready?

Additionally, when the piglet’s skin began to crack from the heat, Sora immediately instructed the others to poke small holes across the surface with bamboo skewers.

"It’s to release the steam," she explained. "If the steam gets trapped underneath the skin, it will bubble up and ruin the texture."

The others followed her instructions without question.

After working together throughout the afternoon, they finally managed to roast the piglet to perfection. The skin had turned a beautiful golden-red, glistening under the sunlight, while the aroma of garlic, wild herbs, honey, and roasted meat filled the air.

Lucas stared at the finished piglet, swallowing hard.

"This looks amazing. I can’t wait any longer."

Sora looked at the roasted piglet with satisfaction and nodded.

"Let’s carry it to the round table. Once everyone is here, we can eat."

Just as they placed the piglet on the table, Xavier finally arrived.

It was the first time Sora had ever seen him arrive late for a meal.

She immediately looked toward him with concern.

"Why are you only coming now?"

Hearing the concern in her voice, Xavier’s gloomy mood from the entire afternoon instantly improved.

He had spent a long time thinking about everything that had happened.

At first, he had been furious and jealous. Watching Sora leave with Ryan had made something inside him burn uncontrollably. But after calming himself down, he finally understood something important.

Sora did not belong exclusively to him.

He could not force her to stay by his side.

However, as long as he found a way to remain close to her, he would have more opportunities to spend time with her. And if, someday, they could even have a little one together, perhaps that would be enough.

Once he had accepted this reality, the anger that had been clouding his expression slowly faded.

"I had something to take care of," Xavier answered simply.

Sora did not ask further.

She generally respected their private matters. Unless something affected her mission or the tribe, she rarely interfered with what they chose to do.

Instead, she picked up a piece of roasted pork and handed it to him.

"Here. Eat this. It’s still crispy because it just came off the fire."

Xavier accepted it.

"Thank you."

Sora then began distributing the roasted piglet according to where everyone was sitting.

Ace and Lucas received their portions first. They immediately began eating.

The moment the crispy skin entered their mouths, both of them froze.

The outer layer was incredibly crunchy, but beneath it was tender, juicy meat soaked with the fragrant seasoning. The garlic and wild herbs had penetrated deep into the meat, while the honey and sour-fruit mixture had given the skin a subtle sweetness and tang.

Ace stared at his food in disbelief.

"This is delicious."

He took another bite.

"It’s the first time I’ve eaten pork that tastes like this."

Sora smiled.

"If you think this is delicious, there’s still plenty left."

Her words immediately made everyone’s eyes brighten.

After distributing the meat, Sora glanced around the table.

There was still one person missing.

Lukan.

This was unusual.

Lukan was normally extremely punctual, especially when Sora was preparing something new for everyone to eat.

Sora looked toward Xavier.

"Have you seen Lukan? Why hasn’t he come yet?"

Xavier shook his head.

"I didn’t see him when I arrived. But earlier, I think I saw him near the square. He may still be handling something."

Sora nodded thoughtfully.

Unlike the others, who usually only participated in tribal activities when something important happened, Lukan was Martin’s right-hand man. He handled many matters throughout the tribe and was often busy with various responsibilities.

Therefore, Sora didn’t think too much about his absence.

"I’ll save his portion."

She carefully set aside a generous piece of the roasted piglet.

Lucas, who had already finished his portion, immediately leaned toward the roasted piglet and reached for another piece.

Sora quickly stopped him.

"Eat another part. This section is for Lukan."

Lucas looked at her hand and then at the meat.

"You’ve already eaten several pieces from the front."

He reluctantly moved his hand elsewhere.

"It’s fair for me to eat from another part."

Sora gave him a look.

"Exactly."

Lucas muttered something under his breath but didn’t argue.

Sora then picked up her own bowl and took a bite.

The pork was plump and juicy, while the crispy skin carried a rich garlic fragrance. The combination was far better than she had expected.

She quickly finished what was in her bowl.

"I’ll have another piece later."

She was just about to tear off more meat when hurried footsteps suddenly approached.

A wolf-eared beastman came running toward them.

His face was pale, and his breathing was uneven.

"Kaelira!"

Everyone at the table immediately looked toward him.

"What happened?" Sora asked.

The wolf-eared beastman struggled to catch his breath.

"Not good. Many people in the tribe have been poisoned!"

Sora’s expression changed instantly.

"Poisoned?"

"Yes! The chief asked me to come and get you. He wants you to take a look."

Sora immediately stood up.

"How could so many people suddenly be poisoned?"

She had been enjoying a peaceful meal only moments ago. Nothing had seemed unusual.

Now, the entire atmosphere had changed.

She didn’t waste another second.

"Take me there."

The wolf-eared beastman nodded and immediately turned around.

Sora followed him at once.

The others at the table exchanged serious looks before putting down their bowls and following behind her.

The roasted piglet was forgotten.

Even the delicious smell that had filled the area moments earlier no longer mattered.

This was clearly a serious situation.

If Martin himself had sent someone to call Sora, the poisoning must have affected a significant number of people.

Sora quickened her pace.

"How many people have been poisoned?"

The wolf-eared beastman hurried alongside her.

"I don’t know the exact number yet. It started suddenly. Several people complained of stomach pain and dizziness. Some collapsed almost immediately."

Sora’s expression became increasingly serious.

"What did they eat?"

"We’re not sure."

"Did they all eat the same thing?"

"We haven’t figured that out yet."

Sora frowned.

That was the first thing she needed to determine.

If the victims had all consumed the same food, then the poisoning might have come from something they had eaten. But if people who had eaten different things were also affected, then the source could be something else entirely.

She continued walking quickly while asking questions.

"When did the first person show symptoms?"

"Not long ago."

"Were they all in the same place?"

"Most of them were near the central area of the tribe, but some became sick inside their homes."

Sora’s steps slowed for a moment.

Inside their homes?

That made things more complicated.

She immediately began considering every possibility.

Food poisoning.

Contaminated water.

A poisonous plant.

Something introduced into the tribe.

Perhaps even an animal or insect carrying a toxin.

But until she saw the patients herself, she couldn’t make a conclusion.

Behind her, Ace, Lucas, Ryan, Damien and Xavier followed in silence.

Ryan’s expression had become particularly serious.

Although he had spent the afternoon with Sora, his playful and awkward mood from earlier had completely disappeared.

Xavier also looked cold and focused.

The rivalry between them could wait.

At this moment, the safety of the tribe was more important.

Sora glanced back at them.

"Stay close. Don’t touch anything unusual until we know what happened."

Everyone nodded.

They soon reached the central area of the tribe.

The scene before them was chaotic.

Several beastmen were lying on the ground while others gathered around them anxiously. Some were holding their stomachs, while others looked pale and weak.

Martin was already there.

The moment he saw Sora, his expression visibly relaxed.

"Kaelira."

She immediately walked toward him.

"What happened?"

Martin looked grim.

"It started suddenly. At first, we thought only a few people were feeling sick. But more and more people began collapsing."

Sora knelt beside the nearest victim.

"Don’t move him yet."

She carefully examined the beastman’s condition.

His breathing was steady, but his face was pale.

Sora checked his pulse and then looked at his eyes.

"What did he eat today?"

Martin shook his head.

"We’re still investigating."

"Then we need to find out immediately."

She stood and looked around at everyone.

"Separate the sick from those who are still healthy. Nobody should share food or water until we determine the cause."

The surrounding beastmen quickly began following her instructions.

Sora’s mind raced.

Only a short while ago, she had been worried about roasting a piglet properly.

Now, the entire tribe was facing a possible poisoning incident.