Chapter 95: A Fertility Ceremony

Several days later...

The annual Sky Sacrifice Ceremony arrived.

In previous years, the ceremony had always been performed by Martin and Lyra.

This year, however...

Martin made a surprising decision.

He summoned a messenger.

"Go inform Sora and Lukan."

"They will conduct this year’s ceremony together."

The messenger blinked.

"Chief... together?"

Martin nodded.

"Together."

After the messenger left, Martin sighed deeply.

Lukan was powerful.

Dependable.

Respected.

Years ago, he’d remained in the tribe because of gratitude.

But gratitude faded.

Time wore down even the strongest debts.

Only family...

...lasted forever.

If Sora and Lukan had a child...

Lukan would truly become part of the tribe.

No one would ever question where his loyalties lay again.

When the messenger arrived, Sora was organizing cooking utensils in the wild kitchen.

"The Chief requests that you and Lukan attend the Sky Sacrifice together."

She frowned.

"Just us?"

"Yes."

"And after the ceremony..."

The messenger coughed awkwardly.

"...it is considered the most blessed time to conceive children."

The courtyard fell completely silent.

Crack.

Damien snapped the firewood he was holding.

Lucas’ smile froze.

Ace slowly lowered his bowl.

Xavier’s expression darkened.

Even Ryan, who rarely reacted to anything, looked sideways toward Lukan.

Five pairs of eyes instantly locked onto the wolf.

Lukan:

"..."

He suddenly felt as though he’d become prey surrounded by predators.

Damien forced out a smile.

"Congratulations."

Lucas smiled too.

"Amazing news."

Ace smiled as well.

"Wonderful."

Xavier smiled the widest.

"...We’re all very happy for you."

Lukan somehow found those smiles far more frightening than outright hostility.

Meanwhile...

Sora stood there completely bewildered.

"A fertility ceremony?"

Her gaze slowly drifted toward Martin’s messenger...

...then toward Lukan...

...then back again.

"...Wait."

"...Is this tribe seriously trying to schedule my love life like it’s a village festival?"

Sora had assumed the strange ceremony was simply another tribal tradition.

She was wrong.

Very, very wrong.

On the Beast World Continent, every summer and autumn, every tribe gathered to worship the Sky God, praying for fertile lands, healthy prey, and peaceful seasons. To the beastfolk, however, a bountiful harvest wasn’t limited to wheat and wild fruits.

It also included babies.

After all, a tribe with more cubs meant more hunters, more gatherers, more warriors, and eventually, more territory. To the beastfolk, children were as valuable as food stores.

So naturally...

The Sky God Ceremony had become famous for another reason.

Many mated couples who visited Sky God Mountain returned several months later carrying tiny bundles of joy.

Or in beastfolk terms...

Tiny bundles that bit everything in sight.

When Martin announced that Sora and Lukan would attend the ceremony in his place, Sora’s first instinct was to search through the original owner’s memories.

Unfortunately...

The original owner was as clueless as she was.

She remembered dressing up every year and standing among the villagers to watch Martin and Lyra depart for Sky God Mountain. Other than that...

Nothing.

No explanation.

No traditions.

Not even a single useful memory.

"...Seriously?" Sora muttered.

It felt like inheriting someone’s notebook only to discover every important page had been ripped out.

The wolf messenger who had delivered the news stood patiently outside her outdoor kitchen.

Sora frowned.

"My father wants me to go?"

"Yes."

"What about Mark?"

In Sora’s opinion, if Martin wanted one of his children to represent him, shouldn’t his son be the obvious choice?

The messenger smiled politely.

"Young Master Mark hasn’t formed a family yet. Unmarried males cannot participate."

There it was.

The confirmation she’d been waiting for.

This ceremony definitely involved married couples.

Sora rubbed her forehead.

"...I knew it."

Then another question occurred to her.

"What about Father? Why isn’t he going himself?"

The messenger didn’t even blink.

"The Chief sprained his ankle a few days ago."

Sora stared at him.

"..."

"..."

"...You practiced saying that before you came here, didn’t you?"

The wolf coughed awkwardly.

"No."

"You absolutely did."

"..."

Sora almost laughed.

A sprained ankle?

Yesterday Martin had been jogging around the tribe yelling at beastmen for stacking firewood crookedly.

The old wolf had nearly outrun Lucas.

And now suddenly...

He couldn’t walk?

What a miraculous injury.

Not far away...

The atmosphere around the five beast husbands instantly changed.

Especially Xavier.

The snake’s golden eyes darkened dangerously.

Sky God Mountain.

That sacred place had only one reputation throughout every tribe.

Cubs.

Lots and lots of cubs.

Many couples returned from the ceremony pregnant.

Martin wasn’t even trying to hide his intentions anymore.

He practically had a giant wooden sign hanging around his neck that read:

"Please give me grandchildren."

Xavier’s handsome face turned colder.

"Why him?"

His voice sounded calm.

Too calm.

The kind of calm that usually came right before someone got bitten.

Why should Lukan be the first one to have cubs with Kaelira?

He absolutely refused to accept it.

Still...

He forced himself to remain quiet.

Because he knew someone else would object first.

He simply had to wait.

Ace folded his arms, his expression unusually serious.

Normally, he couldn’t care less about ceremonies.

As a Level Five beastman, droughts and harsh winters hardly affected him. He could always hunt enough prey to survive.

But now...

For the first time...

He cared.

Quite a lot.

His gaze shifted toward Lukan.

Why couldn’t he be the one accompanying Kaelira?

What made that wolf so special?

Lucas scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"The Chief is... moving a little fast, isn’t he?"

He had only recently become Sora’s contracted husband.

Now everyone was already talking about cubs?

Slow down!

At least let them hold hands properly first!

...Although...

Lucas quietly glanced toward Sora.

Actually...

He wouldn’t completely mind...

His ears instantly turned red.

"No."

He shook his head violently.

"What am I thinking?"

Ryan leaned lazily against a tree, silently watching everything unfold.

His beautiful face remained expressionless.

Finally...

He sighed.

"What a waste."

Everyone turned toward him.

Ryan looked at Lukan.

"Such a handsome wolf..."

Then he glanced toward Sora.

"...paired with someone like her."

Silence.

Sora narrowed her eyes.

"...Excuse me?"

Ryan didn’t even flinch.

"I’m simply stating facts."

Sora smiled sweetly.

"Would you like your lunch privileges revoked?"

Ryan instantly looked away.

"...I suddenly think today’s weather is lovely."

Everyone else tried very hard not to laugh.

Food really was Ryan’s weakness.

Compared to everyone else’s dramatic reactions...

Lukan remained surprisingly calm.

He simply nodded toward the messenger.

"I understand."

His voice was as gentle as always.

If one ignored...

His bright red wolf ears.

They had quietly turned crimson.

Completely betraying his calm expression.

Sora noticed immediately.

"..."

Were those ears... blushing?

She stared a little longer.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Lukan caught her looking.

His ears somehow became even redder.

Sora quickly looked away before she laughed out loud.

Honestly...

She didn’t think the ceremony itself would cause any problems.

Go up the mountain.

Offer sacrifices.

Pray.

Come home.

Simple.

Right?

...