Demonic Pornstar System novel Chapter 431

Chapter 431: Tribal Business

Kaiden’s gaze drifted past the excited demoness in his arms. Amid the bustle of regrouping allies, his eyes found Naira.

The girl stood apart from the others, save for Taigi, the friend she had grown up with. Taigi held Naira’s hand in hers, trying to offer what little support she could.

But Kaiden could tell it was not enough. Her small shoulders were drawn tight while her bare feet were half-sunk in the dirt. She looked like she was barely holding herself together.

He walked toward her. Each step drew a few glances from the nearby tribesmen, but none spoke. When Kaiden stopped in front of her, the girl lifted her head, then lowered it again, unsure if she was even allowed to look him in the eye.

Kaiden could tell. She was confused and overcome with worry for the future that seemed so incredibly uncertain in this fragile moment.

He placed a hand on her shoulder. The muscles beneath his palm were trembling.

"It’s over," he said quietly. "You’re safe. I’ll ensure no bad fate befalls you or your loved ones."

Her breath came out unevenly. "T-thank you, Kaiden..." She gave a small nod, but the motion carried no conviction. Not because she didn’t believe him, but because it was just too much. Her eyes darted past him, toward the spot where Varek’s horribly desecrated body was visible. Kaiden beat and burned him alive before carving his heart out and eating it.

The corpse was not a beautiful sight to behold.

Kaiden’s voice stayed calm. "You did well leading us here, Naira. Now let us help you."

Naira blinked at that, caught off guard by the praise. She risked a look up at him. Her lips parted, then closed again.

But then the corners of her mouth finally turned into a small smile as she realized perhaps things would be better now.

Kaiden was grateful to the girl. He felt an immense desire to help her out of the horrible situation she’s in. He remembered how Naira rushed toward them back in the forest, chased by monsters. How scared she was of him, and how not long after, she led them to her tribe.

There, he met the horrible waste of air known as Varek, whose existence disgusted Kaiden so much that he snapped and temporarily - somehow - became the Great Demon of Wrath.

That, in turn, called upon Calypso, who rushed here to meet him.

It was safe to say that if not for Naira, Kaiden wouldn’t have met Calypso, or at least not under such favorable circumstances.

’Butterfly effect, huh...’

But it was not the time to dwell on such things.

When Kaiden turned away, his expression hardened again. He looked at the four elders of the tribe, the same men who had bowed to Varek. They stood together now, avoiding his eyes. Their confidence was gone as they watched the skinless, charred corpse of their leader.

Their faces were lined and sun-darkened, each one a picture of guilt and uncertainty. They were right to feel uncertain. But to feel guilty...? Kaiden didn’t know if it was their right to feel that emotion.

Thus, he studied the four elders. Their clothes were cleaner than those of others, their feet clean and not calloused or bruised like the rest of the tribe’s. Their hands were clasped behind their backs, pretending calm.

He turned to Naira. "Did they ever hurt you?"

The girl’s eyes flicked toward the old men. Her mouth tightened before she answered. "They didn’t. I wasn’t allowed inside the longhouse, so we barely interacted. All they made me do was gather berries and roots from the forest teeming with hungry monsters."

Bastet tilted her head, confused. "Doesn’t that mean they did in fact do something bad to you?"

Naira bit her lip. The small movement said more than any answer. Her gaze lingered on the elders with quiet hatred. "Someone had to find food. The hunters kept failing, and families were starving. I couldn’t just keep eating from our smaller and smaller pantry without doing anything useful."

Aria was not one bit impressed by the mental gymnastics these scums forced on such a young girl. Frankly, she was disgusted to her very core. Seeing mistreated and abused women reminded her too much of her own mother’s misery. "What about Varek? Didn’t he have power that strengthened his people? Why didn’t he go out himself, or at least send a few empowered warriors?"

Naira’s fingers tightened around Taigi’s hand. "It only works inside the settlement. He said he had to stay here with his warriors to defend us if monsters came. So he couldn’t leave, nor could his warriors."

Luna scoffed. "That’s convenient. The bastard was eating well and sleeping surrounded by women while you and the others went hungry, only given sad scraps of discarded food he didn’t feel like eating."

Naira trembled from head to toe. The poor girl was immensely troubled with traumatizing memories no teenage girl - or anyone - should experience. Her voice shook when she spoke again. "I don’t know if he lied. But you’re right. He was a horrible man."

Nyx shifted her weight. Her sharp eyes settled on the elders. "You heard her. Do you have anything to say?"

One of them quickly stepped forward. "It’s true! The chief’s power had range limits. He couldn’t leave, or we would lose our only defense!"

Calypso, who had been listening with growing amusement, let out a soft laugh. She intended to stay out of this business because not only had she known basically nothing about humankind and their tendencies, but also because she had just joined the party. She wasn’t aware of the circumstances.

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