Chapter 147: The Beastkin(2)
Chapter 147: The Beastkin(2)
Crunch! Snap! Crackle!
There’s a common expression for being utterly dumbfounded. It’s used when one is faced with a situation so absurd or ridiculous that they are left speechless.
My current situation was exactly like that. All because of the Beastkin woman sitting across from me, Leona, who was currently devouring her steak with gusto.
The steak Leona had ordered was a T-bone—a cut of meat attached to a T-shaped bone. Normally, one uses a knife and fork to eat the meat and leaves the bone behind.
But look at this Beastkin woman—no, this wild beast—in front of me. She was busy inventing an entirely new way of dining.
Eating the meat with a fork without even cutting it with a knife was one thing, but what followed was beyond absurd; it was almost awe-inspiring.
Using the knife, which was meant for slicing meat, she gnawed and hacked the bone into smaller pieces. Then, using her fork like a spoon, she shoveled them into her mouth. And then, she chewed.
I’m not using a metaphor here. She was literally chewing and swallowing the bone whole. If she were a normal human, her teeth and jaw would have been shattered, yet she was munching away as if they were crackers.
‘...Is she sure she’s a lion and not a hyena?’
I’d heard that hyenas, famous scavengers, have incredible jaw strength, allowing them to crush bones and even ostrich eggs.
Of course, Leona had identified herself as a member of the Lion Clan, so she definitely wasn't a hyena, but I couldn't help but be suspicious. Lions eat meat; they don't eat the bones.
Crunch! Munch! Crunch!
"Mmm. Mmm. The bones are delicious too. The sauce soaked all the way into the marrow, giving it a subtle flavor."
"...Doesn't your jaw hurt?"
"This is nothing. Cr-r-unch."
The sight of her eating with such genuine enjoyment was quite something. I don't think I could ever use the phrase "sucking the marrow out" around Leona. She didn't just suck the marrow; she ate the entire bone.
I watched in silence until Leona finished her "meal," then I looked down at my own plate. Perhaps because I had been staring so intently, I still had quite a bit of steak left.
Fearing Leona might try to snatch it, I immediately resumed eating. The constant crunching sounds from across the table were a bit noisy, but I managed to finish without further incident.
"Phew. I can't remember the last time I had such a delicious meal... Thank you, truly."
"...I'm glad you enjoyed it. Are you sure your jaw is okay?"
"I told you, it's fine."
Leona waved off my concern with a nonchalant gesture. She wiped her mouth with a napkin, a satisfied smirk playing on her lips.
She looked perfectly happy, but I still felt a bit uneasy. I popped a neatly sliced piece of steak into my mouth and asked cautiously.
"Leona, you said you're a Lion Beastkin, right?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"You're sure you're not a hyena?"
"Hey, you...! Sigh."
Leona started to flare up at my question but stopped herself, taking a deep breath instead. It seemed she was trying to maintain her composure.
After a moment, she crossed her arms with a grumpy expression and spoke in a firm voice.
"There are questions you can ask, and then there are questions you absolutely shouldn't. You're lucky it's me. If you said that to any other Lion Beastkin, you'd have a Holmgang challenge flying at your face immediately. Hyenas don't exactly have a good reputation among our kind."
"Holmgang?"
I had heard that term before—not in this world, but in my previous life. It was a significant part of the culture of the Vikings, the ultimate symbol of 'manliness' and the people most associated with the word 'barbarian.'
A Holmgang wasn't just a simple duel; it gave the victor the power of life and death over the loser. If one refused the challenge or pathetically begged for their life, they would lose all honor and cease to be treated as a person.
‘Between Yggdrasil and this, Norse mythology seems to be sprinkled everywhere in this world.’
Yggdrasil, the capital of Albenheim, was originally the World Tree in Norse mythology. Perhaps this world had a deep connection to Earth.
Of course, that was a question only a god could answer, so it wasn't something for me to worry about right now. I was just an ordinary human living in this world.
What mattered more was the content for the Xenon Biography.
"Is it what I think it is? A duel where the winner holds the power of life and death over the loser?"
"Close. And the winner can take everything the loser owns. Their body, their power, their wealth, and finally, their life. Since it's a duel where one stakes their honor and their life, it's considered extremely sacred. However, you can't just challenge anyone randomly. You need a clear justification and the permission of the Grand Chieftain."
"Can you explain it in more detail?"
Leona readily agreed to my request. First, she explained the conditions required to initiate a Holmgang.
First: A witness is required.
This was to prevent people from recklessly challenging others just to steal their possessions. Even the witness was forbidden from telling a single lie. However, if no witness was available, one had to receive direct approval from the Grand Chieftain. In that case, the Grand Chieftain acted as a sort of judge, and the process became quite rigorous.
Second: A clear justification and motive are required.
A Holmgang couldn't be held simply because you disliked someone. There had to be a reason—an insult to one's honor, or a long-standing grudge or grievance. It had to be a justification that anyone would find acceptable. This rule was designed to prevent the strong from preying on the weak; conversely, if the weak accepted a Holmgang, the duel was on.
Third: A person of authority, at least at the rank of Chieftain, must oversee it.
A Holmgang was believed to take place under the protection of Hirt, the God of Nature. Therefore, a Chieftain had to be present to ensure that the honor of both the challenger and the challenged was preserved even after death.
Fourth: If someone forfeits during a Holmgang, they are branded on the forehead.
They aren't just seen as a loser, but as a coward who abandoned the protection of the gods and a disgrace to the tribe. Because of this, those who forfeit are often exiled from the tribe, and many end their own lives out of shame. They aren't even given a proper funeral. It means they are despised even in death and cannot enter 'Valhalla,' the home of warriors.
"Finally, warriors who have fought a Holmgang cannot challenge anyone or be challenged for one year. As proof, the winner receives a bone necklace, and the loser receives a bone ring."
"The winner aside, it must be psychologically devastating for the loser."
"They use that anger and sorrow as fuel to grow stronger. Besides, no one mocks or insults the loser. Someone close to the loser might even challenge the winner to a Holmgang later."
"Hmm."
It was more complex than I thought. I slowly organized the information Leona provided.
I understood the part about taking everything from the opponent, but the process leading up to the duel was surprisingly strict.
"The Grand Chieftain... is like a King to us humans, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then, can someone challenge the Grand Chieftain to a Holmgang?"
"Technically—yes. Whether it's for the greater good or a personal grudge, the Holmgang is equal for everyone. It doesn't matter if you're greedy for power. Power is a form of strength, so you can challenge them under the justification of craving strength. But you'd face a lot of backlash. There's a very high chance you'd face another Holmgang challenge exactly one year later."
"Has that ever happened?"
"Historically, many times. As you know, we revere strength, and the ideology that strength is everything was widespread. Until we established our own civilization, Holmgang challenges for the position of Chieftain were commonplace. However, the Chieftains were usually so strong that the leadership rarely changed."
"History, huh..."
I took notes as Leona spoke, reflecting on the history of the Beastkin. Until now, the Beastkin hadn't established a unified civilization, living separately in their respective tribes, but they founded Animus after the Race War 300 years ago.
If they hadn't been massacred by humans, their population might have been quite large, though perhaps not as large as humanity's. Furthermore, there are still Beastkin scattered around the world who haven't joined Animus.
So, was Animus currently well-unified? When 'Hik,' the first Grand Chieftain and Father of the Nation, was alive, the Beastkin were united as one, but there were bound to be political issues.
‘She mentioned earlier that they're split into a faction that wants to interact with humans and a faction that doesn't, right?’
I checked my notes and saw I had written it down correctly. I nodded and moved on to the next question.
"Then, can you tell me about the structure of Animus? I'm curious how the Beastkin are divided, similar to how humans have royalty, nobility, and commoners. Oh, and if there are specific terms the Beastkin use, please let me know those too."
"Well, the Grand Chieftain is the King, the Chieftains are the nobles, and below them are the warriors, including officials. In the old days, Chieftains were called 'Jarls,' but that's rarely used now. As for warrior ranks... aside from the Chieftains and their elite units, there aren't really any. Anyone will fight bravely for the sake of achievement and honor."
"Is that perfectly normal for Beastkin? Risking your life for honor?"
"Of course. That's who we are. Humans might see us as ignorant or barbaric, but we can unite as one under the name of honor."
Leona spoke seriously, dropping her usual cynical and fierce tone. Her naturally low voice deepened further, carrying a strange sense of weight and power.
I noticed her eyes had turned a golden hue. They had definitely been dark brown earlier; the change to gold must reflect her emotional state.
I didn't know why she had enrolled in Halo Academy, but I intended to avoid asking about her personal circumstances if possible.
"So, to summarize everything so far, the Beastkin are a society of warriors who value honor, even if their numbers are small. Is that right?"
"Exactly. Well, occasionally a tyrant consumed by greed appears, but we usually take care of that ourselves."
"Hmm..."
A very interesting story began to take shape in my mind. A story related to Satan, one of the Seven Deadly Sins and a Beastkin.
While Lilith became a demon after losing the person she loved, Satan had a backstory of turning into a demon after being betrayed by his country. With the sacred duel of Holmgang as a plot device, I could have Xenon challenge him at the end...
‘No. The younger brother should be the one to issue the Holmgang challenge.’
There was a character who would become Xenon's friend and help ease the conflict between humans and Beastkin. The child of the Grand Chieftain, who possessed a frail body but a steadfast heart.
Furthermore, this character, who was Satan's brother, was destined to play a very important role later. He would challenge Satan to a Holmgang, and Satan would reluctantly accept, leading to their battle.
At that point, Satan would be exhausted from his fierce battle with Xenon, but the younger brother, being naturally weak, would still be defeated. However, a Holmgang is a duel that doesn't end until one side surrenders.
The brother, despite his weak body, would fight desperately, and Satan would squeeze out his remaining strength to preserve his brother's honor.
‘And then he says his anger has been appeased. This is good.’
Perhaps this could break the Beastkin mindset of only revering physical strength. From Leona's story, it seemed the Beastkin placed a heavy emphasis on physical power in many ways.
But if I could show that one could become a Grand Chieftain through a different kind of strength, it would make for a very interesting development. Furthermore, I could use Satan's internal circumstances to point out the problems within the Beastkin society one by one.
"Thank you. I've gained some great information thanks to you. I guess there really is a limit to the knowledge one can get from books."
"Don't mention it. I'm the one who should be thankful for the delicious meal. But..."
"Yes?"
Leona trailed off and began to hesitate. She couldn't meet my eyes, her gaze darting back and forth as if she were embarrassed to speak.
As I tilted my head in confusion, Leona's perked-up ears twitched, and she spoke quietly.
"...That."
"This?"
She was pointing at the steak on my plate. I had also ordered a T-bone steak, and only the bare bone remained.
Leona squeezed her eyes shut, as if trying to suppress her shame, and stated her request.
"The bone... if you're not going to eat it... can I have it?"
"..."
"I-it's a waste to leave it, isn't it?"
You're supposed to leave it. I was so flabbergasted that a hollow laugh escaped me.
"If you want it that badly, just order another one. I don't mind."
"W-who are you calling a pig?! No matter how shameless I am, that's just...!"
"Wipe the drool from your mouth before you talk."
"Gah!"
I was lying, of course. I chuckled as I watched Leona hurriedly wipe her mouth with a napkin.
Grumble—
"..."
To top it off, her stomach let out a loud growl, clamoring for more food. Since she was a Beastkin, she probably ate much more than a human, so it was only natural that a single steak wouldn't fill her up.
I stared at Leona's face, which had turned as red as a tomato, then silently reached out. I rang the bell to call the waiter.
Ting—
"I'll order one more. Medium again?"
"...Yeah."
Leona answered while covering her face with both hands. Her ears were drooping low with embarrassment.
As I waited for the waiter, Leona looked at me through the gaps between her fingers and called out softly.
"...Hey."
"Yeah?"
"If you have anything else you want to ask later... feel free to ask anytime."
"I'd appreciate that. I still have a mountain of questions."
"In exchange..."
"In exchange?"
She hesitated, her voice thick with embarrassment as she forced the words out.
"If you buy me something delicious..."
"..."
"...Is that okay?"
Why did her revealing her desires while being so embarrassed feel so cute yet pathetic at the same time?
I let out a small laugh and gave her a 'suit yourself' kind of answer.
"Do whatever you want."
"...Thanks."
Leona offered a sincere word of thanks.
And then...
"Um... excuse me, sir? I'm sorry, but could you tell me where the bone is?"
"..."
I was at a loss for how to answer the waiter's question. I silently looked over at Leona...
Crunch—
She was busy munching on the bone, eyes darting around guiltily.