Chimaera's Conquest: The Legend Of The Devourer
Chapter 51: [Weekly Bonus - 1/2] Prisoner’s Fate (3)

Chapter 51: [Weekly Bonus Chapter 1/2] Prisoner’s Fate (3)

As Adrian was walked through the village by the captors, a strange thought entered his mind. The things he knew about the Banur tribes were mainly from the Church’s library.

While he took the things he read about the tribes with a grain of salt, thanks to the Church’s habit of altering truth, he was aware of some tribal customs. One of the most prominent customs he knew was partner hunting.

While the outsiders were either turned into slaves or executed, depending on their ’crimes’, some of the stronger individuals were given a peculiar opportunity.

It was a unique opportunity to gain their freedom that didn’t involve climbing the statue, known as partner hunting. In this ritual, selected captives, chosen for their strength or sometimes their appearance, were released into a forest to try and escape. The tribespeople then pursued them as if in a monster hunt.

While it may seem like an opportunity for the prisoners to escape, it was more like playtime for a few higher-ranking tribe members. If someone managed to catch the captives, they would earn them as their plaything or partner, as the ritual’s name suggested.

According to the books Adrian read, women were the ones who actively participated in the ritual. Since he was a guy, there was a slight probability he would be chosen for the hunt.

There, he might have a chance to escape the tribe altogether. Though Adrian knew it wouldn’t be easy.

’I don’t know if they still use such customs now, but if they do, the hunt would be my best chance of survival.’

While Adrian’s head was occupied with his thoughts, he was led to a deserted section of the village.

It was a place where most tribals were only allowed to enter if they had done something exceptional or worthy of punishment. In other words, it was an area only accessible to the tribal council.

As Adrian looked around, he realised the place looked cleaner and had more facilities in the forbidden zone. While they still lived in tents, they were massive compared to the ones Adrian had seen earlier.

He assumed the ones living in the forbidden area were strong because of their hierarchy and not because of strength. They probably didn’t lift a finger to help the tribe physically, yet they got the best service from the ones beneath them. It was a classic example of the whole survival of the fittest law.

Just then, they reached their destination. The council room was set within the biggest tent in the area. Adrian was shoved inside the tent, and the entrance was locked.

The first thing he noticed was the chairs made of stone and wood circled him. However, tribeswomen occupied all but one seat, which belonged to Akila.

’So he was a higher-up after all,’ Adrian thought as his gaze turned to the women.

The women there wore different clothes compared to the rest of the tribe. They were still made from monster hide, but those monsters were creatures that even the Church’s heroes hesitated to face head-on.

But what captured Adrian’s attention the most were their headdresses, crafted from skulls and bones that showcased various monsters they had conquered.

However, none looked like the lazy bastards he thought they were. In fact, the ones occupying the room were some of the strongest people Adrian had seen while walking through the village.

"So he’s the one you found, Akila..." one of the women said, carefully eyeing Adrian. "Something feels strange. You said he travelled through the Veil, didn’t you?"

Akila nodded, and the woman with a Lizardman’s skull helm continued, "Hm... you say that, but his body tells a different story."

"I agree," said the one-eyed female who was busy tending to her blades. "The veil should have severely punished his body, but I can’t see anything strange other than those hideous patches all over his body."

Soon, all of them got busy talking about Adrian like he wasn’t even in the room until the woman sitting on the highest chair raised her hand, and they immediately closed their mouths.

"Akila is not one to lie," the uninterested woman spoke up. "and I’m not saying this because he is my brother."

As the tribals chatted away in a language Adrian couldn’t understand, he figured he’d do something else and sneakily glanced at the woman while she addressed the room. Sitting on the ’throne’ before him was the tribe’s Matriarch. Adrian was sure about it.

On her head was a crown made from a Dragonkin’s skull, and the furry cloak over his shoulder once belonged to a Cerberus. Both were monsters that the Heroes were yet to defeat.

’What kind of monster is she...’

Adrian could tell that despite her lean frame, she was the strongest warrior of the Banur tribe. Besides the regal cloak over her shoulder, she wore short clothes showcasing the countless scars covering her body like prizes.

Adrian couldn’t help but wonder if any of the heroes could take her down, and the answer was a resounding no. Maybe, if half a dozen of them tried simultaneously, they might have a chance against someone like the Matriarch. But even that wasn’t very certain.

Unbeknownst to Adrian, while he was lost in his thoughts, the Matriarch caught his eyes wandering across her figure. But instead of scolding him, she decided to play along, giving him an amused smile.

Realising he had been caught, Adrian hastily averted his eyes, thinking the Matriarch could mistake his gaze for something else and punish him.

Witnessing his reaction, the Matriarch chuckled, finding the situation rather amusing, and continued the discussion, leaving Adrian slightly embarrassed.

Once the Matriarch joined the talks, the council quickly made up their minds regarding Adrian’s punishment. While they didn’t know who he was, they were sure he was capable.

After all, not everyone could survive the Veil’s pressure like he did. It meant there had to be something special about him, and the tribals were interested in that.

Since the war started between the tribes and the Nexarians, it was the latter who kept invading them. Unlike the Nexarians, who could use fancy tech to move through the Veil, the tribals could only attack those who came into their land.

The Matriarch thought if they kept Adrian alive, they could also figure out how to cross the Veil. Then, they could go and fight the Nexarians instead of constantly defending themselves and be done with their stupid war once and for all.

As such, Adrian would be allowed to live... but he would have to prove himself first.

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