Exiled Villainess: They Threw Me Out, Now Every Beastman Wants Me novel Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Burnt Offerings

Yara, the deer beast female who had been the first to try her seasoned meat days ago, was walking toward her with a young beast man. He was also carrying a slab of meat on a leaf, as if it were a sacred offering.

The meat was charred. Impressively so. One side was black enough to double as charcoal. The other side was less burnt but still bore the scorch marks of someone who had kept the flame too high and hadn’t turned it.

Tera looked at the meat and wasn’t sure how to feel about it, but a silent moan of regret echoed through her soul. If she had just woken up thirty minutes earlier, she could have cooked it herself.

That was if she would have been able to even stand up in the first place.

"You are finally awake!" Yara smiled, setting the leaf-wrapped meat down beside her. "The leader told us not to wake you or disturb you."

The boy beside her nodded vigorously. "I am Bessier. We prepared this for you."

’You burned this for me,’ Tera thought, but kept her expression warm.

Yara looked a little nervous. "We tried to do what you did with the leaves, and it sadly did not work, so we just roasted your own meat plain."

Tera looked at the burnt offering.

"Leader went to find meat last night," Yara continued. "He had gone out with more hunters to mark the territory and find more food. They should return later today."

Tera was shocked. Xavi had gone hunting in the middle of the night, right after their session at the lake, and had brought back enough to feed the entire clan.

Then he had gone out again with a larger group.

’What is he, a machine?’

[Bear beast men have exceptional stamina and recovery]

[(¬‿¬)]

[As Host experienced firsthand]

Tera ignored the system and looked at the charred meat. It didn’t smell good either, but they had tried their best, even if they had failed in a very sincere way.

Her stomach growled, suddenly reminding her of how weak and hollow she felt. She hadn’t eaten properly in days now.

"Thank you." Tera meant it and then took a bite.

Her body was screaming for sustenance. She felt empty in a way that went beyond hunger — the kind of depletion that came from being thoroughly spent in every possible way.

She couldn’t afford to be picky.

"Thank you, both of you."

She picked up the meat and bit into it.

The taste was horrible as she expected, and Tera had to keep her face straight to prevent herself from squeezing it, but the inside texture was surprisingly soft. It was even softer than the meat she had prepared when she had first come across the clan.

It was almost tender in the parts that hadn’t been cremated.

She pushed past the taste and focused on filling her stomach, hoping her body gratefully absorbed whatever nutrition the scorched offering could provide.

She then paused mid-chew, suddenly having a scary thought.

’Wait, system. These beast men, they hunt beasts, right?’

Was she eating something that used to be someone?!

[(◕‿◕)]

[That is an interesting question]

’Answer me!’

[ʅ(◔‿◔)ʃ]

Tera was almost alarmed. Was the meat she was eating from an animal-animal, or was it a beast animal? She needed to know if she was committing cannibalism right now.

[Of course—]

Since the system was taking its sweet time answering Tera, she asked Yara.

"Where did he get this meat from? I haven’t really seen any animal around."

"Oh!" Bessier perked up. "There are a few animals around. Their numbers are finally growing again after the Collapse."

[=͟͟͞͞(꒪ᗜ꒪‧̣̥̇)]

[I was just about to answer you]

’Tch! Next time, don’t take your sweet time.’

Yara sighed, shaking her head. "I remember when we only ate meat once a year."

Bessier nodded sadly, reminiscing on some dark past they both shared. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"We do not hunt the young ones if we can help it, only the older animals. But we eat nuts and fruits when we find them."

"A lot of those fruits are poisoned in some areas. We were lucky to find this place. It is healthy," Yara added.

"Oh." Tera was relieved.

She took another bite of her terrible, wonderful, not-cannibalism meat.

Soon enough, as she ate, she noticed that Yara and Bessier were still staring. They were watching her eat with the attentive focus of servants waiting for a command. Tera shifted uncomfortably.

"Is there something wrong?" Tera asked.

Yara and Bessier exchanged a glance. Then Yara fidgeted with the edge of her hide.

"We were just waiting to see if you needed anything else," Yara said, a little too quickly.

’Hmm, was that really necessary?’

Before Tera could voice that, Yara asked a question that nearly made Tera choke on her meat.

’DID THEY SEE US?!’

’Mating Event? What the fuck?!’

’That is ridiculous. He could have just given me my share since I was asleep!’

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