Coral Cetus stood nervously to the side, her fingers clutching Stellan’s arm.

She naturally hoped the leader would agree to join the Mer Clan in searching for a new life and a way out.

Stellan gently patted the back of her hand, his gaze also falling on Quinn Cetus.

It wasn’t just Coral Cetus; as a member of the Mer Clan, he too wanted to go beyond the Triangle Sea with his own people.

Although it was dangerous, it was also a place of mystery in the hearts of the Norfell Beastmen. If they could truly set foot on that land, perhaps things would be very different. The fates of many would likely change because of it.

Besides, their child was about to be born. Amid the current chaos in Norfell, he was inclined to head for the Triangle Sea.

All eyes turned to Quinn Cetus, but he remained silent for a long time. Thorne frowned impatiently and said mockingly, "As the leader of a tribe, you don’t even have that much courage. Eva, let’s go. We have nothing to do with the Mysticeti Tribe anyway."

He wrapped an arm around Evangeline’s shoulder and turned, about to head in the direction of Blackwater Swamp.

"Wait!" Quinn Cetus’s voice rang out, tinged with anxiety.

Thorne discreetly caressed Evangeline’s shoulder before turning to face Quinn Cetus. "Have you made up your mind, Leader Quinn Cetus?"

Quinn Cetus sighed and nodded. "Witch, the Mysticeti Tribe is willing to go to the Triangle Sea with the Mer Clan."

Hearing him agree, the surrounding Beastmen let out a collective, subtle sigh of relief.

A faint smile played on Evangeline’s lips. The cold wind brushed against the snow-white fur trim of her cloak, accentuating her pale skin and red lips and making her seem all the more bewitching. "Very well. I’ll trouble you, Leader Quinn Cetus, to lead your tribe and join us on the way to Blackwater Swamp. It’s the only path to the Triangle Sea, and we may find new companions there."

’New companions?’

Quinn Cetus gave Evangeline a deep look but didn’t ask any more questions. He turned and began directing his tribe to pack their things.

’He believed he hadn’t made the wrong choice. A large party would help them avoid a great deal of danger and trouble.’

’Besides, never before had so many Beastmen attempted to cross the Triangle Sea together. Perhaps this time, they could actually succeed?’

Arion Cetus stood not far behind him, his heart thumping as he watched the graceful Evangeline. But the memory of himself fleeing in a panic after sensing danger outside the Demonsea Abyss made him flush with shame.

’Avoiding danger was a Beastman’s instinct, but as a male, he had clearly failed.’

’The witch must remember that incident, too. She’d be even less likely to accept him now.’

With these thoughts, Arion Cetus looked vexed and packed his things distractedly.

"Hey! Arion Cetus!" A warrior from the Mysticeti Tribe sidled up to Arion Cetus. He kept glancing back at Evangeline, who was standing with Coral Cetus, his eyes filled with infatuation. He whispered, "It’s just like you said. The witch really is the most beautiful female!"

Arion Cetus barely lifted his eyelids and scoffed. ’So what if she’s beautiful? She’ll never belong to any of us.’

"Arion Cetus? What’s with that look?" Aquila Cetus furrowed his brows, looking displeased.

Arion Cetus finished packing his things. He gave Aquila Cetus a cool glance, then his gaze fell on Danton, Thorne, and Loras. He sneered, "Haven’t you seen the witch’s males? Two with an Eight-Star Pattern, and one with a Nine-Star Pattern."

Aquila Cetus’s eyes narrowed. He stuck his neck out stubbornly. "So what? They’re powerful, but that doesn’t mean they know how to please a female! The witch just hasn’t experienced a strong Beastman like us! Maybe once she gets a taste, she’ll realize what she’s missing."

As he spoke, Aquila Cetus flexed his brawny arms, raising a smug eyebrow at Arion Cetus.

Like Arion Cetus, he was a warrior of the Mysticeti Tribe. However, he had high standards and had yet to form a Contract.

Arion Cetus, no longer wanting to deal with him, shouldered his pack and followed after Quinn Cetus.

The Mysticeti Tribe fell in behind the Mer Clan, and the two tribes began their migration toward Blackwater Swamp.

The commotion of them joining forces was considerable, and news of their alliance soon spread throughout Norfell.

Returning to Blackwater Swamp, the males’ moods were complicated. Seeing the bamboo house they had painstakingly built now collapsed and trampled, their spirits sank to rock bottom.

Of the little ones, Bunny was the saddest. After all, this was the place she had lived the longest.

Genesis was a sensitive child. Looking at the ruins of Blackwater Swamp, he pursed his lips and clung to Loras’s arms, refusing to come down. The little one was unhappy, not understanding why his home had suddenly ended up this way.

Loras had a gentle temperament and was especially patient with the little ones.

The Beastmen of the Mer Clan and the Mysticeti Tribe settled down for the time being. The tribes’ warriors immediately headed out into the blizzard to hunt for foraging Wild Beasts. They didn’t discriminate between small creatures and ferocious High-level Wild Beasts—they went after anything they saw.

Before embarking on the long migration, it was a good idea to stockpile as much food as possible.

Additionally, with the seawater provided by Evangeline, the Marine Beastmen could easily take care of their physiological needs.

*

"Stop cleaning up. Once we get past the Triangle Sea, we’ll have a better place to live," Evangeline said softly, pulling up Thorne, who was bent over picking up pieces of bamboo. She then took a handkerchief and wiped his dust-covered palms.

For the past two days, they had been sleeping in tents, but Thorne seemed obsessed with the bamboo house he had built, coming to tidy it every day.

Thorne lowered his gaze to Evangeline and said in a low voice, "I prepared a lot of things you would have liked."

’It’s a pity you never even got a proper look before it was torn down and left like this.’

Evangeline sighed softly, wrapped her arms around Thorne’s waist, and gently stroked his back.

Thorne hugged Evangeline tightly, his eyes flashing. A murderous aura surged in his dark green pupils. "Eva, can I kill them?"

’He wasn’t good-tempered to begin with. He couldn’t just stand by after his home, the fruit of his labor, had been so brutally destroyed. Every last one of the Beastmen from these Norfell tribes... they would all pay for what they had done!’

Evangeline paused. Looking up, she saw the crimson glow in Thorne’s pupils and frowned slightly.

’When others wronged you, getting revenge was only natural. She agreed with that principle. But Thorne was one of the male protagonists. In a small world like this, a "chosen one" was supposed to be righteous and heroic, not a villain.’

’She didn’t know what would happen if Thorne really went on a killing spree to get revenge on the Norfell Beastmen.’

’Would the order of this little world collapse?’

Evangeline felt a headache coming on. After a moment, she said, "You know how dangerous it is beyond the Triangle Sea. If we let them live, they can be our guinea pigs to test those dangers. We can’t very well use our own people to scout the path, can we?"

She said it with such shameless confidence that Thorne’s expression flickered, and the crimson glow in his eyes slowly faded.

"Alright!" Thorne nodded emphatically, his dark green eyes filled with excitement, as if he thought it was a brilliant idea.

Evangeline leaned on Thorne’s shoulder and turned to look out at the vast curtain of snow beyond Blackwater Swamp. "One more day," she said calmly. "If the Grymdale Tribe hasn’t arrived by then, we leave. We won’t wait any longer."