Chapter 177. The Tiger Clan (2)
The moment Caron stepped into Yurth, the village of the tiger clan, the sight before him was nothing short of spectacular.
Boom!
"Haha! Your punches have gotten weaker!" a beastfolk warrior said.
"Maybe it's because I didn't sleep well last night. I'm not satisfied with my punch either," another warrior replied.
"This time, it's my turn," the first warrior said.
"Bring it on!" the other warrior replied.
All around the village, fully grown warriors were exchanging punches in various sand pits scattered throughout the settlement. Each time a fist hit, the impact echoed like an explosion.
If it had been just a handful of people, Caron might have dismissed them as a few eccentric fighters. But nearly everyone in the village was throwing punches at one another.
"Wow," Caron murmured.
To an outsider like Caron, the scene was nothing short of brutal. Yet Bataar, standing beside him, nodded in approval, as if pleased by the display.
"Altan's punches keep getting heavier by the day. If someone takes a direct hit, they might not even be able to piece their bones back together," Bataar said.
Caron thought that as the son of the chieftain, Bataar should have been stopping his people from fighting like this. It was obvious that at this rate, they'd end up with broken bones.
"Shouldn't you be stopping them?" Leo asked in a low voice. He seemed to be thinking the same thing as Caron.
But Bataar simply burst into hearty laughter and said, "Throwing punches at each other when the sun is up is an age-old tradition of the tiger clan. What else would they do? Sit around at home doing nothing? Tsk tsk."
"It's a... tradition?" Leo replied.
"Yes, during our downtime, we spar with our friends to test our strength. It's an amazing tradition, don't you think?" Bataar asked.
Clearly, their definition of the word 'amazing' differed from that of humans.
Leo immediately realized that the tiger clan was just as unhinged as Caron. A single glance told him everything he needed to know.
People who spent their free time punching each other senseless couldn't possibly be normal. But perhaps madness had a way of resonating with its own kind.
"That's an excellent tradition, Bataar," Caron remarked and even clapped his hands in delight. He continued, "I think we should implement this in Azureocean Castle."
"Hah! I knew you'd like it. I heard all about you from Adina. Jumping into an army of thousands all by yourself?" Bataar said.
"Oh, that? That's nothing special," Caron replied.
"I'd love to try it someday," Bataar said.
"I think you could pull it off very well, Bataar," Caron remarked.
"Haha! You think so?" Bataar asked.
"Haha! Absolutely," Caron replied.
Caron was like a fish in water. He and Bataar exchanged pleasantries, laughing heartily.
"This is right up my alley. I love it. Hey Leo, shall we have a round?" Caron asked.
"Are you out of your mind?" Leo replied.
"They say when in the empire, follow the empire's laws. Shouldn't we respect the traditions of the tiger clan while we're here?" Caron asked.
"Then why didn't you follow the traditions of the Pajar Sultanate?" Leo countered.
"Because whether I follow them or not is up to me," Caron said.
"...You're actually insane, aren't you?" Leo said.
Bataar, amused by the cousins' banter, nodded approvingly and said, "You two have great brotherly love. I could've sworn you were real siblings! If you ever need a sand pit, let me know. I'll lend you my personal one."
"Wow, you have your own sand pit?" Caron asked, amazed.
"Of course. I am the chieftain's eldest son, after all. A successor should at least have his own sand pit, don't you think?" Bataar said.
Caron gave him a thumbs-up and said, "If you're willing to lend it to us, I'd be more than grateful."
"Well then, let's talk about it after you meet my father. He's waiting for you all," Bataar said.
Caron had plenty of questions to ask the chieftain, especially about entering the Eastern Great Forest.
"Adina's speaking with him now, so you'll be able to see her as well," Bataar added.
"Sounds good," Caron said.
"Recently, a large number of demonic monsters have been crossing over from the Eastern Great Forest. It's been keeping my father on edge. In case he makes any... mistakes... I apologize in advance," Bataar said.
"Mistakes?" Caron asked.
"He has a bit of a temper," Bataar explained.
These were people whose tradition involved throwing punches... and their chieftain was considered hot-tempered.
Leo shuddered at the thought.
Caron patted him on the back before glancing at Akan and Suya, who were trailing behind them. They looked uneasy, clearly overwhelmed by their surroundings.
"These two are with me," Caron said. "They're important clients of mine. It's alright if they come along, right?"
"Hmm? That's no problem," Bataar said.
"Great. Dear clients, please relax. This place is perfectly safe," Caron said.
Akan and Suya forced smiles at Caron's attempt to reassure them.
"Thank you for looking out for us," Akan said.
"It's nothing. This is part of my service," Caron said. He took customer service very seriously.
With that, he and his companions followed Bataar toward the chieftain's place.
***
The chieftain's house was more ornate than the other buildings.
"What's that?" Caron asked, pointing at the blue material covering the roof.
"We call that 'giwa,'" Bataar replied.
"Giwa?" Caron repeated. The pronunciation sounded a bit odd. It seemed to be a unique building material used exclusively by the beastfolk.
"It's a construction material we've been using since our ancestors' time. Made by baking clay, it's mostly used to cover roofs. It keeps out rain and has all sorts of uses," Bataar explained.
"It does look nice," Caron remarked.
The exotic atmosphere was unmistakable. The architecture and customs here were unlike anything he had seen in the empire.
He had thought the Pajar Sultanate felt foreign, but this place had an entirely different, almost otherworldly feel. It was proof that the beastfolk had preserved their unique culture for generations.
"My father is waiting insi—" Just as Bataar was about to step inside with Caron and the others, a furious voice erupted from within.
"How many times must I tell you to wait for the right moment?!" a man's voice shouted out.
"Wait? Ha! Just how many more have to die before you decide to act?" a woman retorted loudly.
"There are things you don't understand! What could a whelp like you possibly know?!" the man shouted again.
The sheer volume of the shouting was enough to shake the entire house.
Anyone else would have thought an actual fight was about to break out, but Bataar remained perfectly calm and said, "This is normal. No need to be alarmed."
"They sound like they're fighting," Leo muttered.
"It's just an ordinary conversation between a father and a daughter. Let's go in," Bataar said.
Without hesitation, Bataar pushed the door open.
Inside was the chieftain's office. True to their reputation as skilled hunters, the beastfolk had decorated the walls with elaborately patterned pelts, while axes and spears hung in various spots like trophies.
At the center of the room, an elderly man and a young woman were engaged in a heated argument. However, the moment they noticed Caron's group, they stopped.
"Father, our guests have arrived," Bataar announced.
The chieftain cleared his throat.
Meanwhile, the woman's face lit up the instant she spotted Caron.
"Caron Leston!" Adina, the beastfolk woman, exclaimed.
With her well-toned, muscular figure and flowing golden hair, she exuded an aura of strength and vitality. She strode toward him with a broad smile.
"You got here sooner than I expected. I didn't think you'd arrive this quickly," Adina said.
"I happened to have business in the Eastern Great Forest," Caron replied.
"I've heard plenty about you even here. They say you earned the Pirate Queen's recognition? As expected, you're incredible," Adina said as she embraced him briefly in greeting.
Leo, standing nearby, watched with envy.
"When greeting a dear friend, we exchange hugs," Adina explained. "It's another old tradition of our clan."
"You really do take your traditions seriously," Caron remarked.
"Of course. Without traditions, the beastfolk are nothing but corpses," Adina declared in a bold voice.
After exchanging pleasantries with Caron, she turned to look at the others. She asked, "Who are these people?"
"This blockheaded guy here is my older cousin, Leo Leston. The other two are Akan and Suya—a couple who traveled all the way here in search of freedom. They're my clients now," Caron explained.
Upon hearing that, Adina gave Leo a light hug as well. Se said, "If you're part of my benefactor's group, then you are my honored guests as well. Welcome to Yurth, Leo Leston."
"O-Oh. Nice to m-meet you..." Leo stuttered as his face turned bright red in an instant.
Caron had noticed it before, but Leo was hopelessly weak when it came to women. Perhaps it was because Caron had forced him into training nonstop during his adolescence. The guy had no resistance whatsoever. Especially when it came to older women.
After greeting Leo, Adina hugged Akan and Suya as well before turning back to Caron.
"You should greet my old—uh, I mean, my father as well," Adina said as she turned toward the elder. "Father, remember what I told you? This human youth is Caron Leston, the one who saved me."
"You certainly took your time introducing him," the chieftain said with a scoff. "As the eldest here, I should have been the first to meet him. Hmph. No sense of manners at all."
"Are you really going to keep this up in front of everyone? I swear, I'll get mad," Adina huffed.
Upon hearing those words, the chieftain quickly turned his attention to Caron and strode toward him.
The chieftain had white hair and a face lined with age. From that alone, Caron could roughly estimate his years. But below the neck, it was an entirely different story.
The chieftain's muscles rippled constantly, as if ready to burst into action at any moment. It was the kind of physique that suggested he could fold a grown man in half without breaking a sweat.
"I am Tauga Rugal, chieftain of the noble tiger clan," he declared. "It is an honor to meet the one who saved my daughter."
He was strong. Caron wasn't sure of his exact age, but his strength was undeniable. This man wasn't at the level of a 7-Star knight. He was a 8-Star warrior, and not just the start of 8-Star—he had likely reached its mid-tier.
" This old man's a monster too," Guillotine commented.
Exactly, Caron internally agreed with Guillotine.
Caron had encountered plenty of 8-Star knights. He had even gone up against Nadia and Ugo of the Pajar Sultanate. But the mana flowing from the chieftain felt different from any other knight of that level.
" It looks like he's condensing his mana differently. The concentration is much denser," Guillotine observed.
Just as Guillotine pointed out, the chieftain's mana was as thick and overwhelming as his bulging muscles. Caron wondered if the beastfolk had their own unique mana cultivation technique.
Even the residual mana seeping out of the chieftain was enough to make it hard to breathe.
"Hmmm." The chieftain looked Caron up and down with a leisurely gaze.
"You certainly have a human physique," he remarked. "A bit frail, even. I must say, I'm disappointed. You're not quite what I expected."
There was a deliberate provocation in his tone.
Just as Caron was about to feel bewildered, unable to understand the reason, he found the answer in the next words spoken by the chieftain.
"To think you received my daughter's horn flute and yet possess such a weak body. Tsk tsk. I cannot allow this," the chieftain said.
"What? No, Father, that's not—" Adina quickly said, but was cut off by her father.
"This is not a matter for you to interfere with," the chieftain interrupted.
He was misunderstanding something. At least, that was how it appeared.
"Caron Leston, descendant of Rael Leston," the chieftain said, his deep voice reverberating through the room. "I will not entrust my daughter to you."
It was common for others to introduce Caron as the grandson of Duke Halo. But this man had chosen to invoke the name of the ancestor instead. Something about that felt odd, and Caron wondered what exactly he was after.
"I think there's a misunderstanding," Caron said. "I've only met your daughter once."
"What? Are you saying my daughter isn't to your liking? How could anyone not find my lovely daughter appealing?" the chieftain said. Although he seemed to be getting angry, there was a faint smirk tugging at his lips...
As if to say his daughter was just an excuse.
"No matter how much of an honored guest you are, I cannot tolerate such an insult," the chieftain declared.
And in that moment, Caron finally understood what this man truly wanted. The chieftain was constantly flexing his muscles, and his barely restrained mana was now leaking out in full force.
All the clues pointed to a single conclusion: Battle lust.
Interesting, Caron thought.
The intense emotion radiating from the chieftain was unmistakable.
Caron squared his shoulders and met the older man's gaze head-on. The sheer pressure emanating from his towering frame was immense—but ultimately, it didn't matter.
And so Caron said, "Why don't we just settle this with a fight?"
As always, the mad dog didn't hold back.