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

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.

"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.

"Are you going to be the leader’s mate?"

’DID THEY SEE US?!’

The horrifying image of the entire clan lined up along the lakeshore, watching her bounce on their tribe leader’s dick like some sort of primitive nature documentary, flashed through her mind with such vivid clarity that her face went scarlet.

[This system can confirm that no clan members witnessed the mating event]

’Mating Event? What the fuck?!’

[Why is Host surprised?]

[Everyone can see the courtship intent]

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

[( ˘•ω•˘ )]

[What is Host talking about?]

[You got the largest portion of fruits and the largest meat portion]

[Anyone with two brain cells can guess what happened]

[Host is currently wearing the beast equivalent of an engagement ring]

Tera looked down at the oversized hide draped over her body, suddenly realising how his scent must be all over her.

And the grapes. The meticulously gathered courtship grapes were sitting right next to her in plain view.

To every beast in this clan, the message was as subtle as a brick to the face.

Yara was still waiting for an answer, her deer ears perked forward with barely contained curiosity. Bessier had the decency to look embarrassed, but his ears were also angled toward Tera in a way that suggested he was equally desperate to know.

Tera started, "That is... a very sudden question."

Yara and Bessier nodded vigorously, lacking the social cues to even know how Tera felt about their question.

Before Tera could come up with something to change the subject, someone called for Yara, and she gently excused herself, pulling Bassier with her to return for more meat.

Tera groaned, shoving another piece of meat into her mouth to buy herself time. Her brain was still trying to reconcile the fact that she had been unconsciously proposed to via grapes and a used hide.

She noticed someone staring at her and looked up to find that it was Ermin. He frowned and disappeared into the trees.

[That one watches you a lot]

[(￢‿￢)]

Tera watched the spot where Ermin had been standing.

She looked away and focused on finishing her food. By the time she was done, the hollow feeling in her stomach had dulled. She also ate all the fruits and was surprised by how she had finished such a large portion at once.

When she was done feasting, Tera sat for a while longer to let her body fully settle.

Her legs were cooperating now. She could work with that.

She slowly pulled herself to her feet and held the tree for support before looking in the direction where Ermin had gone.

The apology had gone badly, and she understood how the public display had only pushed him further away.

But if she could speak to him alone and properly apologise, maybe things would be better. Aside from the relationship progressing, she wanted to give him the apology he deserved.

She just hoped he had not gone too far for her to catch up with him.

Tera took a breath and started walking.

She had no idea what she was going to say. She didn’t have a speech prepared, and after the last attempt, she wasn’t sure speeches were the right approach anyway.

[(⊙_⊙)]

[Host is chasing after the panther now?]

[Did the bear not satisfy Host enough?]

[Or does Host wish to lose the use of her legs permanently this time?]

Tera’s face scrunched in irritation. "That is NOT why I am going after him!"

[This system recommends Host begin prioritising construction over romance]

[This is day two]

[(ᵕ—ᴗ—)]

’I know. I won’t be long.’

[This system is only worried]

[It would like to remind Host that the penalty for failure is severe]

[This system does not want to lose Host to a downgrade]

[(◞‸◟)]

Tera glanced at the screen, a small smile playing on her lips.

’Are you worried about me?’

[ ಠ ͜ʖ ಠ ]

[This system has never said such a thing!]

Tera laughed and stomped forward with all the dignity a woman with trembling, post-sex legs could muster, which admittedly was not very much.

But she wasn’t going to let a floating screen that counted nipples as currency question her motives.

She needed to fix things with Ermin. That was it.